Boot Problem

[ShouldBackUp]

I was using my 12" G4 Powerbook yesterday and all of a sudden it started to slow down and wasn't respinding. I could move the cursor but thats it. So I rebooted and then after the grey apple screen I get the dreaded black screen with
/etc/master.passwd: No such file or directory
/etc/master.passwd: No such file or directory
-sh-2.05b#

now I have tried a few things that were mentioned in the apple support forum and googled the issue but nothing has worked so far.

Now the kicker is I have a DVD stuck in the drive...been there for a year (yes I know..I have smacked myself already for this numerous times) so reinstalling or booting from a CD is not an option.

How can I tell if my drive is at least still working and possibly recoverable?

ANY help would be appreciated

Thanks

 

[Plumbstone]

I would try booting up in Target Firewire mode (hold down T whilst re-starting). If you get a blue screen with a firewire symbol on it then you should try and find another mac. Plug a firewire lead between the 2 with yours still in target mode and hopefully your damaged system drive will mount on the others desktop. This will let you at least recover your data, and should allow you to run some recovery software on it (disk warrior etc.)

 

[ShouldBackUp]

if I reboot holding down "option" it does show my drive with OSX on it.....but when I click the arrow and it begins to boot up it gets to the grey screen and then quickly jumps to the balck screen and gives me the master passwd errors again.

and it does allow me to boot in Target Firewire mode so would that mean that my drive is likely still ok?

 

[yellow]

Start as single user (hold down Apple-S while turning on machine)
Run fsck (tests filesystem - runs fine and no problems found)
/sbin/mount -uw /
/bin/ln -s /private/etc /etc
/bin/ln -s /private/var /var
/bin/ln -s /private/tmp /tmp
/sbin/reboot

 

[ShouldBackUp]

when I run fsck I get this

** /dev/rdisk0s9
** Root File Sytem
** Checking HFS Plus Volume
fsck_hfs: Volume is journaled. No Checking performed.
fsck_hfs: Use the -f option to force checking


when I run
/sbin/mount -uw /
I get the usual single user prompt

/bin/ln -s /private/etc /etc
I get file exists

/bin/ln -s /private/var /var
I get file exists

/bin/ln -s /private/tmp /tmp
I get file exists

rebooting brings me back to the same master.passwd error screen

 

[bokdol]

hold down the mouse button to eject the disk as you start up the computer. that should pop out the dvd. also target disk mode as what Plumbstone said will allow you to run disk utilities on it. from another computer.. if you have another mac available.

 

[ShouldBackUp]

hold down the mouse button to eject the disk as you start up the computer. that should pop out the dvd. also target disk mode as what Plumbstone said will allow you to run disk utilities on it. from another computer.. if you have another mac available.

believe me I have done everything to try to get that DVD out...hence why it has been in there for a year. I believe the superdrive itself died while burning a dvd because my system won't even recognize that it is there.

and if things couldn't be any worse I sold my other mac last week

 

[yellow]

Use fsck -fy to force the fixing.

So, what were you doing before this happened?
Did you rename or delete any folders or files?

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106908

 

[ShouldBackUp]

Use fsck -fy to force the fixing.

So, what were you doing before this happened?
Did you rename or delete any folders or files?

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106908

I get a Volume Check Failed

and I was working in Photoshop...nothing out of the ordinary except is started to run slow when saving a file and then when I rebooted it hasn't worked since.

and I have tried doing what it says in the apple docs but it doesn't work...

 

[yellow]

Volume Check Failed?

Sounds bad.

Unfortunately you have 3 choices:

1) Take it to an authorized apple repair center.
2) Get your DVD fixed so you can reinstall OS X.
3) A combonation of 1 + 2.

 

[ShouldBackUp]

Volume Check Failed?

Sounds bad.

Unfortunately you have 3 choices:

1) Take it to an authorized apple repair center.
2) Get your DVD fixed so you can reinstall OS X.
3) A combonation of 1 + 2.

ugh..I was afraid of that.
I love this powerbook....it has been great...only thing that ever went wrong with it was the power cord needed to be replaced last year.

thanks for your help