HELP!! Can't bootMBP & SD backup now dead!!

[flyfish29]

MacBook Pro running 10.5+ Won't start up.

Was running great, have not installed anything new for weeks and have not moved any files around.

Searched and tried the following:

I have reset PRAM, SMC, tested hardware with DVD (quick 3 min. hardware test came out good).

I was able to press C with the DVD install disk in and get the install/reinstall options to come up, but have not done an archive and install just yet. (not sure this is what I should do)

I could NOT boot from install DVD using option on start-up(as pax described above)

I could NOT boot into safe mode???

I have a two month old super duper BU. However, I tried to boot from that superduper backup and it seems to boot up weird. One time I could get to the log-in screen but no futher, and another time I got into my main login, was able to view all the files, but the finder froze up and when I relaunched finder everything went away except fro my background desktop pic.

NOW THE PORTABLE HARD DRIVE WITH MY SD BACKUP WON'T WORK!! My portable hard drive in partitioned. I have a super duper backup on one partition, and I just copied my main user folder to the other as a secondary backup plan. However I CAN'T ACCESS EITHER NOW EVEN ON ANOTHER COMPUTER!!!

Unfortunately my time machine backup failed several weeks ago and I have not had time to trouble shoot that and resume the backups. (of course now I am forced to troubleshoot!)

So what should I do next? Archive and install? other?

 

[vansouza]

Why not just reinstall with Archive feature... it will save all of your settings...

 

[flyfish29]

Why not just reinstall with Archive feature... it will save all of your settings...

I am a little worried to do anything at this point.

What makes no sense is this:

my hard drive on the MBP quit booting up

I could mount the external SD backup drive to my wife's laptop just fine.

After trying to boot up the MBP from the SD backup drive unsuccessfully, I can no longer even mount the drive to my wife's computer.

 

[flyfish29]

So I did the longer hardware test and got an error0- anyone know anything about it.


error was

4HDD/11/40000004:SATA(0,0_

I assume my HD is screwed? What worries me is the fact that my portable drive wasn't working either....if it is the HDD- is all data lost or just not easily accessable?

 

[Yavanna]

Have you tried to repair the HD with the Install Disk? Since your MBP will start up with the disk, go to Utilities, choose disk Utility, your HD, and repair. See if that will do the trick. Worth trying, anyway, and you might get more info about the problem if it doesn't work.

 

[flyfish29]

Have you tried to repair the HD with the Install Disk? Since your MBP will start up with the disk, go to Utilities, choose disk Utility, your HD, and repair. See if that will do the trick. Worth trying, anyway, and you might get more info about the problem if it doesn't work.

Actually I have not been able to get it to boot properly with install disk. I can get the installer to boot, but not OSX.

also, when I put the portable HDD onto my wife's laptop it not doesn't mount and when I try to view it using Disk Utility it shows up there, but won't let me check or repair anything on the portable drive....

so I guess I will try the apple reseller in town here and see what they think about recovering any of my data on either drive. Then I will deal with getting the MBP fixed....which luckily is under warranty, but I am MUCH MORE CONCERNED about my data (and why both HDD seem to be failing or unable to now mount!) This makes me think there is something that CAUSED the HDD failure besides just the HDD to bite the dust.

 

[bluskale]

can you get your laptop into target disk mode? you could attempt to copy your data off that way, assuming that the hard drive is operable, that is.

I find it odd that you can't access your external anymore. In the very least, you should have the option to erase it (not that you want to) and verify/repair it.

I don't know if this is relevant to your case, but I had a situation where one of my ram chips in my powerbook g4 suddenly died, and in the process, screwed up my osx installation, AND my backup. Anyway, it is possible that your external hd disk info was somewhat damaged when you booted from it... perhaps a more heavy duty disk repair program would be able to help you?

 

[flyfish29]

can you get your laptop into target disk mode? you could attempt to copy your data off that way, assuming that the hard drive is operable, that is.

I find it odd that you can't access your external anymore. In the very least, you should have the option to erase it (not that you want to) and verify/repair it.

I don't know if this is relevant to your case, but I had a situation where one of my ram chips in my powerbook g4 suddenly died, and in the process, screwed up my osx installation, AND my backup. Anyway, it is possible that your external hd disk info was somewhat damaged when you booted from it... perhaps a more heavy duty disk repair program would be able to help you?

So I downloaded a copy of the demo for Data Rescue on my wife's computer, but I am nervous about trying that. I think I am going to take it by my local apple specialist and see what they say. I dont' have an extra hard drive right now anyway to recover the drive to so I have to wait anyway.

if anyone has anymore advice let me know.

I am just so frustrated that my main computer and my backup are useless right now. I have a psuedo backup uf some files, but not very well organized and will for sure lose some files. I thought making a Time Machine backup and a separate HD with a super duper backup would be enough....obviously not in this case...DAMN!