HELP!! MBP keeps freezing on boot

[guitargoddsjm]

My early-2010 i7 MBP keeps freezing within minutes of boot. I just tried booting in safe mode, and it just froze for the 6th time in 24hrs (like the 4th in a row).

I'm really not sure what to do at this point... I've never performed a time machine backup with this computer (I got it about a month ago), so a full restore would be an absolute last ditch option.

Like I said, this keeps happening within a minute of boot. The screen is on, but everything completely locks up. The cursor can't be moved, keyboard doesn't do anything, etc. I have to keep forcing it to shut off w/ the power button.

Ideas?

EDIT:

a;sfja;slfjas;lfkjasdlfkj.

I really have no clue what's going on now. I just installed OS X onto an external HDD, and it booted up fine w/ the welcome animation and everything, and right when I was selecting a picture for the account, it locked up again. On an external HDD.

This is what I've tried:

• fsck
• booting into safe mode
• Creating a new admin account, and booting into that (normal and safe modes)
• Disk Utility on installed HDD (tried verify/repair permissions and verify/repair disk)
• Disk Utility off of CD-ROM
• Created a partition on an external hard drive and installed OS X onto that

I'm really desperate at this point. I have a number of files that I'd really like to recover that I created within the last month (which didn't make it onto a time machine back up). I tried running a time machine backup in safe mode an hour or two ago, but the system locked up after 6gb out of almost 300gb.

 

[Hellhammer]

http://guides.macrumors.com/Mac_doesn't_boot

Could be a bad HD

 

[guitargoddsjm]

http://guides.macrumors.com/Mac_doesn't_boot

Could be a bad HD

I really hope not!

Unfortunately I won't be able to boot from my install disk until I get home, but I'm really hoping Disk Utility fixes it... I was removing some Library files last night so I wonder if that trigged a problem (although the computer was, for the most part, working until I went to bed).

Let's see if zapping the PRAM helps...

Edit: Worked a little longer than it had been, but it just froze again

 

[guitargoddsjm]

Called Apple care... she told me to boot into single user mode and run fsck. It ran through and said "FILE SYSTEM WAS MODIFIED". Ran it again and it came back clean.

Since then it's been working fine! *knock on wood*

She also gave me a couple tips in case the problem comes up again. The best part was that she adapted to my skill level. She saw that I knew more than an average user, so she stopped detailing every small step. One of the many reasons why I love Apple tech support way more than other companies.




Crap. Spoke too soon. System just froze up.

 

[guitargoddsjm]

Booted w/ safe mode (it worked this time). I followed the advice the Apple tech gave me and had created a separate admin account earlier. I logged into this (just in case) and ran a verify/repair permissions with Disk Utility. Dang! I had a lot of broken permissions!


Again, it seems like it 's back to normal... but only time will tell!

I do know that I will be performing a time machine backup when I get home...

 

[guitargoddsjm]

a;sfja;slfjas;lfkjasdlfkj.

I really have no clue what's going on now. I just installed OS X onto an external HDD, and it booted up fine w/ the welcome animation and everything, and right when I was selecting a picture for the account, it locked up again. On an external HDD.

This is what I've tried:

• fsck
• booting into safe mode
• Creating a new admin account, and booting into that (normal and safe modes)
• Disk Utility on installed HDD (tried verify/repair permissions and verify/repair disk)
• Disk Utility off of CD-ROM
• Created a partition on an external hard drive and installed OS X onto that

I'm really desperate at this point. I have a number of files that I'd really like to recover that I created within the last month (which didn't make it onto a time machine back up). I tried running a time machine backup in safe mode an hour or two ago, but the system locked up after 6gb out of almost 300gb.

 

[Hellhammer]

Could be bad RAM or logic board. Have you ran the hardware test? If you have another computer, remove the HD from the MBP and put it in enclosure and copy the data to other computer so you'll be safe

 

[guitargoddsjm]

Could be bad RAM or logic board. Have you ran the hardware test? If you have another computer, remove the HD from the MBP and put it in enclosure and copy the data to other computer so you'll be safe

Haven't tried the diagnostic yet. Is there any way to run it other than the Applications disk? I only have the Mac Install disk with me at the moment...

I don't have any other computers with me, but I'm heading home tomorrow so I'll have access to other machines... If nothing works today, I'll put in order in for an enclosure.

I really hope it's not the logic board... I'd rather not send in my machine!

 

[Hellhammer]

Haven't tried the diagnostic yet. Is there any way to run it other than the Applications disk? I only have the Mac Install disk with me at the moment...

I don't have any other computers with me, but I'm heading home tomorrow so I'll have access to other machines... If nothing works today, I'll put in order in for an enclosure.

I really hope it's not the logic board... I'd rather not send in my machine!

You need the Applications disk I think. If you have lost it, give Apple a call, they can send you a new one.

 

[guitargoddsjm]

Just an update...

After trying a few different things (most of which are detailed here), I brought my machine into the Apple store. The tech looked at it, and we both agreed it was probably the logic board.

He told me I'd have to send the computer in (which was fine), but then he asked when I had gotten it. I told him it was almost a month old... He was surprised that it had failed so quickly, so he told me he would just replace the machine for me. He got a new computer out of the back and swapped the old HDD into the new machine. We booted it up and it froze again, exactly like before. He then put the new HDD back into the new machine and the system couldn't find its start up files (folder w/ question mark). He then got a completely new machine out of the back and I just took that.

I've spent the past couple of weeks reinstalling applications and restoring the data I moved onto an external, but everything is working smoothly *knock on wood*.

I heard Apple released an EFI update a couple days ago for these machines, so hopefully that will prevent any future problems!