Can only start up in Safe Mode, please help!

[ero87]

Hi friends, I need your help!

I woke up this morning and my iMac G5 (w/ Leopard) was frozen. I restarted it manually, but it would freeze on a blue screen without loading the OS. It can start up fine in safe mode, but that's it! I've tried repairing permissions and zapping the PRAM - any other ideas?

What can I do in Safe Mode that might fix my comp? I haven't recently installed any applications, and I have all "open at login" items turned off.

Thanks for your help!

Ellis

 

[ero87]

so i even tried running an app that checked my corrupted preference files, restarted, and I still get the blue screen! My computer can still only start up in Safe Mode.

The question is: Should I do an Archive & Install? Is there any risk to that?

 

[Darkfire]

Try booting from OS X CD, run Disk Utilities.
If still dead, try archive and install.

 

[ero87]

So I finally resorted to an Archive & Install, and my computer still won't turn on unless I enter Safe Mode (by holding the Shift key). Help!

Do I have to Erase and Install? Is my computer just totally fried?

 

[Darkfire]

Unfortunately, probably.
I'd try booting to a different drive, such as a firewire drive.
Hold option, then select the other drive.
If you can't get that far, then I'm sorry, I'm out of ideas.

 

[dome]

I am having the exact same problem with my iMac g5 and have done everything under the sun to it to get it to work but it will still only start up in safe mode. I even tried starting up off each of my two external fire wire drives with no luck (it froze on the fire wire screen with both drives - a Maxtor and a Western Digital). I am thinking that something on the mother board has died so that normal booting is prevented but safe mode booting is allowed. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Don O.

 

[jessetwelch]

I'm a little late to this party, but I'm having the same problem. G5 iMac w/Tiger. I have tried everything everyone else has tried, including an Erase and Install. The problem persists. The Mac passes the Apple hardware test, and it hasn't had a hardware change in ages.

Safe mode works fine. Otherwise, I get a blank screen at the point in the boot process when the login window should be running (according to the system log, the login process is running). The logs don't show anything that looks like a problem to me, but I'm no pro.

Anyone have any ideas? I'd be happy to try any experiments anyone can suggest.

Thanks,
Jesse

 

[stagger]

no avail

i have tried everything for this problem on my g5 1.8 dual. it does not make sense that safe mode works great while the machine cannot start up normally from a new drive or external firewire drive and i have tried all systems from 10.3 up to 10.5 with the same result. i would postulate that if it functions well for hours in safe mode that the hardware is fine. i am currently trying to find out wjhat safe mode disables to perhaps get a clue as to why i works and nothing else does. i also have no problem starting up on a system or utilities disc but despite everything checking out fine, this problem persists.

i have been trying to fix this for 3 days and the bills are mounting. new ram was not the issue... new pram battery did not fix it.

if anyone has had success on any level please let us know ... it is amazing how this seems to be happening to us all just out of warrenty... built in obsolesence? i think so!

i have to say that this machine was an utter dissapointment from the get go... 64 meg video card and 256 ram? what kind of scam are they running here? if i cannot resolve this issue, i will sooner start a smeer campaign agaist mac than shoot them a grand to fix it.