Finder/Dock won't load

[DeKa]

Hi guys,

I've got a bit of a problem. I'm running OSX 10.2.1 (whatever the latest is, I ran Software Update fairly recently)

When I turn on my iMac, it runs through the motions of starting up - you get the grey screen with the rotating 'thingy' at the bottom, then you get the blue background and the 'Welcome to Macintosh' window where the blue bar goes from left to right.

Then the blue screen comes up, and you'd normally expect the desktop to load, with finder and the dock, but that's it. I'm just stuck on the blue screen. It occasionally flickers but that's it.

I did a bit of searching on here, and I've tried apple-s at startup, and typing fsck -y but the same errors came up.

The errors I get are under 'Checking Catalog File' and are:
"Overlapped extent allocation (file <a number goes here> )"

I tried putting my Jaguar CD in and booting on that, and then running the Disk Utility to verify and then repair the hard drive.
It looks the same as fsck -y? The same errors came up anyway, and it said repair complete, but my poor iMac still doesn't boot.

THe last software I installed was ircle (the irc software for OSX) if that helps.

Anyone have any ideas? Help please Anything is greatly appreciated.

Derek
--from Sydney Australia.

 

[Chaszmyr]

Okay one: How long did you wait and it not come up? If less than 2 minutes then you just didnt wait long enough.
Two: Did you use MOX Optomize or any other program like that?

 

[DeKa]

I left it while I was eating dinner (20 mins or more) so it was quite a while.

When I came back to it it was still sitting on the blue screen, and occasionally flickering on and off. THere's no noise from the hard drive that I can tell.

I should have said it's a 17" flat screen iMac.

No I haven't used MOX Optimise.

Thanks for your reply
Derek.

 

[DeKa]

OK, another possible development.

I can boot into OS9.2 when I use the OS9 cd that came with the iMac (I've only had it a month or so and this is my first Mac)

Do you think maybe deleting ircle (an irc program and the last program I installed) could be a possible option?

Derek

 

[Chaszmyr]

If you boot into OS9 and check your libraries, are all three of them there and have files in them?

 

[irmongoose]

Originally posted by DeKa
Do you think maybe deleting ircle (an irc program and the last program I installed) could be a possible option?

Derek

I don't see how that could help. Do you have Norton? You could try repairing the drive with that. If not, I think the only option left is erasing the drive, unless someone else has a solution.

Maybe you should try looking on Apple's Knowledge Base or help forums.

[edit] Did some searching myslelf, and came up with this. It seems that a broken OS 9 font might be doing it.. or something. Anyways, check this out.



irmongoose

 

[DeKa]

I'm just booting up into 9.2 now - takes a while.
At least I've got another computer (PC) here!

No I don't have Norton...
What I don't understand is there are these 8 files that fsck comes up with that are 'overlapped extent allocation' and it says it repairs them but then it clearly doesn't. What causes that sort of thing?

I had a look on Apple's site - it suggested for Jaguar holding down Shift as you boot to boot into Safe Boot mode but that didn't work either - it crashed in the same place

OS9 just said the hard drive couldn't be read and needs to be initialised I just restarted it again and it's loading into OS X so the hard drive is still readable but inevitably it'll crash again.

Is there a better way to restart it than holding the power button in until it switches off, and then pressing it again?

Thanks for your replies.
Derek.

 

[DeKa]

OK,

I got it to start up into OS9 again, and yes the libraries are there and have files in them.

It pauses/stops JUST as the Dock should load. It then sits there on the blue background screen.

I followed the instructions on that page you gave me irmongoose - the fonts, and then the third party startup items (the only one I was sure of was Norton Anti Virus.)

If I was to just reinstall Jaguar over the top of the current system, what would happen? Would I still be able to use my same account and files etc?

Thanks again,
Derek.

 

[Nipsy]

Have you tried repairing the volume permissions?

This is an option when you boot from the CD, in the repair app.

After that I would suggest DiskWarrior from OS9.

Use Norton as a last resort...

 

[DeKa]

Thanks Nipsy,

I just tried the permissions, and it did fix a few things, but still no go unfortunately

I read on Apple's site that you need to run fsck -y until you don't get the message "**File System was modified**" anymore. I've probably run it 10 times so far and I still get the error message so I guess I'll just keep going.

I had a look at Alsoft's Diskwarrior page. I see I can download it which is great (I'm in Australia) but am I going to be able to burn it on a PC? That's the only type of computer that I have access to that has a burner.

If you don't know I'll get in contact with them I guess.
Thanks,
Derek.

 

[Nipsy]

If you have 9 and X on separate partitions, you can run it on your X partition from 9.

If not, I would think they would offer an ISO 9660 CD download, which will burn on a PC.

 

[crassusad44]

This is clearly work for Diskwarrior. Hope you get a hold of it soon.

Forget Norton. Norton is useless if you do not use it regularly with FileSaver installed.

Good luck

 

[DeKa]

I just bought Diskwarrior this morning and have finished running it. It fixed some errors, but it still won't go past the blue screen when booting

I guess I'll have to format and start again?
What's the process? I have a Jaguar 'Upgrade' CD and I have 6 'System restore' CD's...

Sorry, I'm new to macs.

I've burnt all my data to CD from OS9 thankfully!

Derek.

 

[irmongoose]

Originally posted by DeKa
I just bought Diskwarrior this morning and have finished running it. It fixed some errors, but it still won't go past the blue screen when booting

I guess I'll have to format and start again?
What's the process? I have a Jaguar 'Upgrade' CD and I have 6 'System restore' CD's...

Sorry, I'm new to macs.

I've burnt all my data to CD from OS9 thankfully!

Derek.

Like I said before, FORMAT!!! hehe... anyways, boot off the Jaguar CD (hold down c at startup), and go to Disk Utility. Look around in there.

Good luck.



irmongoose

 

[Nipsy]

Is Norton installed on your OSX drive?

If so, there are some problems with Norton for OSX which have caused this behavior, so find and remove the files in 9.

Also, there is a kybd command to get to the login box (search Apple knowledge base).

From the login box, type:
>console

This gets you into a terminal session.

From there you can create a root account (don't have the procedure on the top of my head, but it is documented here somewhere).

Get back to the login box by typing logout, and log into your MacOSX system using root.

I'll be better available to walk you through this in about 3 hours after my Giants have won the World Series....