I keep having to restart no matter what I do

[J3r.]

I have a 20-inch iMac and it keeps telling me I need to restart. What I have tried is holding down C while I try to boot the install cd and also when I try to go to single user mode I get the message to the ilk "System OS not set" so that must be the problem. Also, it doesn't let me type anything in single user mode. And that may be because I have a wireless keyboard. Please tell me the steps to trouble shoot so I don't have to keep coming back to here and set my backup computer over and over again.

Thanks,


J3R.

[scienide09]

When the computer tells you to shut down, is it because you're having kernel panics? Do you see this image?

http://1to10reviews.files.wordpress.com/2007/07/kernel_panic-1p0f.png

It would help us to know your system specs and OS version, along with anything you've done to the hardware (eg. RAM upgrade) or any specialized software installed in/on the system.

[J3r.]

Yes, it's a Kernel Panic like the picture you showed. It's an Intel Core Duo 20-inch iMac with Superdrive. Upgraded to 4GB. The owner sold it to me on eBay used with everything including the original box. What happened right before these Kernel Panics is that I had left it on and the program I was running was called "Spring Cleaning." I think I was doing something that said "erase free space"....something like that. Hmm ... maybe I have too much memory used up? Thing is, though I can't start it up to erase anything. Also, the owner had Tiger on it, but he upgraded to Leopard. I don't think he sent the Leopard install disk, though. I hope I can recover Leopard on it.


Thanks,


J3r.

[J3r.]

I have waited awhile...... nobody knows what my next step should be?




_J3r._

[richthomas]

you said you upgraded the RAM? it could be faulty. run a hardware test by starting up install disc 1 while holding "D".

[n1blink182fan2]

dude, same problem. whenever i try to install my leopard on my g4 it just keeps putting me back to that screen. i called apple, and there wasn't anything they could do over the phone, you basically have to take it in they said. then worst part was, is you have to pay the 50 dollars for them to do something, and even after paying that there is no guarentee that they will fix it. does anyone know of something to do before i take it in?

[Batt]

First, check "Logs" in the library > panic.log. see what it says is causing the panics.

[mrdinh]

not sure...but i had the same error message and did a clean reinstall of leopard...and the message went a way...try that?

i have a mac pro desktop...not sure if this applies

[imbtween]

Try this, it worked for me on a machine in a very similar (though not identical) situation:

sudo touch /System/Library/Extensions
sudo touch /System/Library/Extensions.kextcache
sudo touch /System/Library/Extensions.mkext

[Consultant]

1. Don't use Spring Cleaning. See poor reviews http://www.macupdate.com/reviews.php?id=5698
2. DO reinstall using your system disk
3. If you don't have system disk, buy it from store.apple.com

[J3r.]

O.k. I tried the holding down D thing, but I was holding control at the same time, would that make a diffy? Also, I notice that sometimes when I try to start it up, I get a beeping noise like a tone. Is there anything I can try with the Apple Care Protection plan DVD that the owner included in the package? What is my next step?


P.s. using this Imac (my backup) everything is really slow, I was also wondering if maybe there is something wrong with this one. I did upgrade the memory on it, too.

Thanks 4 the help,

J3r.

[imbtween]

will it boot in "safe mode" with a wired keyboard?

it makes sense that you can't do anything with a wireless one because the drivers won't necessarily load...

[logana]

Is it actually a Core Duo iMac or a Core 2 Duo ?

A Core Duo machine will not normally start up with 2GB RAM in it - is this the problem ?

[J3r.]

Is it actually a Core Duo iMac or a Core 2 Duo ?

A Core Duo machine will not normally start up with 2GB RAM in it - is this the problem ?

It just says "Core Duo" with no 2 on the box. That can't be the problem, because I have had it awhile, and it started up fine until a few days ago. I define "awhile" as a few months (2 or 3). Could be some software I installed idk. I just know that I miss my baby and I want it back!


Thanks,

J3r.

[J3r.]

will it boot in "safe mode" with a wired keyboard?

it makes sense that you can't do anything with a wireless one because the drivers won't necessarily load...

Actually, that's not a problem, I have already removed discs from the drive with the wireless keyboard eject button. And yes, it has gone into single user mode, but I was unable to do anything else because it wouldn't let me type anything in.

[KingYaba]

O.k. I tried the holding down D thing.

Did you run the hardware test?

[J3r.]

Did you run the hardware test?

Holding down D didn't let me do anything (a.k.a. same problem). Does it make a difference if I did it while holding the control button? Should I start in single user mode and post the results? Because that's the only info I would be able to get as a diagnosis of itself.


_J3R._

[Les Kern]

Software error, and I'll bet a billion dollars Spring Cleaning hosed you. That's a product nobody should use, ever. It's a tool designed to do something not even needed any more.
Doubtful this is recoverable. Very doubtful.
Start up holding shift, and just for fun type in
fsck -fy
and see what it says. If it says something referring to 0,0 or 0,X sectors, that's a boot block error and prepare to reload the OS from scratch.
Pretty much anything you discover at this point is going to point to a complete re-install.

[J3r.]

I did a complete reinstall holding down the C key with the install disc. I suspect that it might not be worth it to get Leopard again.






Thanks again,

J3r.

[WOZhipper]

Take the ram out put the old in.

the problem goes away...its the new RAM

easy as that.