Hi,
I have a problem with my iBook. Since a few days, the operating system works and a few software (mainly firefox) but most software are just bouncing in the dock and they never start. They'll just keep bouncing forever and there is no way to force quit them. Even the Command + Option + Esc doesn't bring up the force quit window. Some applications like Safari will start but the beachball will come up and they are unusable. It is definitely not the operating system, it is a fresh install from two months ago and I didn't install anything weird lately. I tried repairing permission (the disk utility thankfully works) and the permission repair works at a good speed for about half of the process but it then suddenly stops and starts beachballing forevermore. That is what made me suspicious that it might be the hard drive that is failling. It definitely doesn't look like it is an operating system problem because the few things that works, works well and are snappy. The weird part is that the S.M.A.R.T is verified. Unfortunately, I am on a trip to Toronto so I don't have my OS install disk to try reinstalling or to run the hardware test. I'll try to meet a genius at an Apple Store tomorrow. I would like to know if you think the hard drive is the most likely problem? Also, since this would be my fourth repair and that it is not the only problem (uneven backlighting is getting a lot worse, trackpad is intermittent, etc), do you think it warrants a replacement under Applecare?
Thanks,
Fred
I have a problem with my iBook. Since a few days, the operating system works and a few software (mainly firefox) but most software are just bouncing in the dock and they never start. They'll just keep bouncing forever and there is no way to force quit them. Even the Command + Option + Esc doesn't bring up the force quit window. Some applications like Safari will start but the beachball will come up and they are unusable. It is definitely not the operating system, it is a fresh install from two months ago and I didn't install anything weird lately. I tried repairing permission (the disk utility thankfully works) and the permission repair works at a good speed for about half of the process but it then suddenly stops and starts beachballing forevermore. That is what made me suspicious that it might be the hard drive that is failling. It definitely doesn't look like it is an operating system problem because the few things that works, works well and are snappy. The weird part is that the S.M.A.R.T is verified. Unfortunately, I am on a trip to Toronto so I don't have my OS install disk to try reinstalling or to run the hardware test. I'll try to meet a genius at an Apple Store tomorrow. I would like to know if you think the hard drive is the most likely problem? Also, since this would be my fourth repair and that it is not the only problem (uneven backlighting is getting a lot worse, trackpad is intermittent, etc), do you think it warrants a replacement under Applecare?
Thanks,
Fred
