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I think my iBook G4 has a virus!!...what to do?

Two things: first, if you can get it booted, open up disk utility and see what the SMART status is. If it says verified, see if you can find a SMART reader out there to get more comprehensive info (I used to have a link to it; if you search the forum, you'll probably find it, or search sourceforge).

I'm betting it's the hard drive and that it is a problem with the #5 test, which is allocated space for dead blocks. Still, there are a myriad of things it could be. Try removing all added RAM, your airport card, and any peripherals, and boot into safe mode and see if you're getting any of the same problems. From there, work backwards.
 
When I saw that disk utility was giving you an error about not being able to unmount the HD, that's a big red flag for me for HD failure.

Does your G3 iBook HD have a S.M.A.R.T sensor? Check the status of it, it may be indicating failure is imminent.
 
Well before I called Apple...I restarted the iBook after repairing the Permissions, and it started quicker and some problems were resolved like downloading and app viewing and quiting...but it is still somewhat slow and scewy sometimes. I will try to repair the disk again off the CD to see if it gives me an error again. If it does I will call Apple.
 
Boot off an external firewire drive or go to target mode. Then you can repair disk. But dude you need a new hard drive. I had that same computer and it was great. Just upgrade. PUt in a superdrive while you have the machine open. SHould work great.
 
California said:
Boot off an external firewire drive or go to target mode. Then you can repair disk. But dude you need a new hard drive. I had that same computer and it was great. Just upgrade. PUt in a superdrive while you have the machine open. SHould work great.
Click to expand...
How exactly should I boot off my External HD or go to target mode to repair the HD? And If I explain my sypmtoms to Apple, should they realize its the HD and replace it?
 
Well, the SMART status says verified under Toshiba MK3025GAS. So Does that mean that its not the HD after all?
 
It does not have a virus. It just doesn't.Macs don't get viruses. AlmightyG5 is not a nOOb to macs, but thats one of the hardest things for noobs to cmprehend. MAcs simply don't get viruses.
 
AlmightyG5 said:
And If I explain my sypmtoms to Apple, should they realize its the HD and replace it?
Click to expand...
My PowerBook 15 had a HD failure. Apple replaced the HD.

I was covered by AppleCare.

So if in fact it is really a HD failure/problem, and you are still under warranty, they should replace it.
 
imacintel said:
It does not have a virus. It just doesn't.Macs don't get viruses. AlmightyG5 is not a nOOb to macs, but thats one of the hardest things for noobs to cmprehend. MAcs simply don't get viruses.
Click to expand...
Yea...we realized its not a virus...But someone explain this,,,SMART says verified, but I have clicked Repair permission 3 times and everytime it repairs the same stuff and more. My last repair gave me this:


Repairing permissions for “Macintosh HD”
Determining correct file permissions.
We are using special permissions for the file or directory ./Library/ColorSync/Profiles/Displays. New permissions are 16893
We are using special permissions for the file or directory ./Library/ColorSync/Profiles. New permissions are 16893
We are using special permissions for the file or directory ./System/Library/Filesystems/cd9660.fs/cd9660.util. New permissions are 33261
Permissions differ on ./System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Apple80211.framework/Versions/A/Resources/APBinary3.dat, should be -rwxr-xr-x , they are -rw-r--r--
Owner and group corrected on ./System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Apple80211.framework/Versions/A/Resources/APBinary3.dat
Permissions corrected on ./System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Apple80211.framework/Versions/A/Resources/APBinary3.dat
Group differs on ./private/etc/authorization, should be 80, group is 0
Owner and group corrected on ./private/etc/authorization
Permissions corrected on ./private/etc/authorization
We are using a special uid for the file or directory ./private/var/at/jobs. New uid is 1
We are using a special uid for the file or directory ./private/var/at/spool. New uid is 1
Group differs on ./private/var/log/install.log, should be 80, group is 0
Owner and group corrected on ./private/var/log/install.log
Permissions corrected on ./private/var/log/install.log
The privileges have been verified or repaired on the selected volume

Permissions repair complete

Thats the most I ever got, and thats my 3rd time. I will run Tech Tool Delux off the Apple Care CD tommarow. And post the results.
 
Sorry, I know that has been posted before, but it really compels me to say that when I see the title of the thread.

Anyway, it seems your permissions are not the problem. Your HD or Mobo could be dying. 🙁
 
My Powerbook had the same symptoms. I wound up running a few tests with Techtool and found a few bad blocks. I did a low level reformat and reinstall. It worked great...for about 3 weeks, then it started acting weird again. I started-up off an external firewire and ran disk utitility and it failed saying that the directory was corrupt. I used Diskwarrior to replace the directory and it booted okay after that. The next day, I got the spinning cursor and a grey screen on startup. By then I knew my drive was toast. I replaced it with a 72rpm Hitachi and it's been great ever since. And faster I might add!

Not all drives die at once. They fail over a period of time. The platters start shedding metal flakes, lose ability to hold magnetic charges (bad blocks) and that is the beginning of the end. As a matter of record, a drive starts failing the very first time you hit the start button.
 
I agree with the others.. hard drive. My advise would be to back up everything you care about now while you are still able.
 
If it's saying smart status is verified, then at least your HD isn't going to blow up on you right now (hopefully)
 
AlmightyG5 said:
Well, the SMART status says verified under Toshiba MK3025GAS. So Does that mean that its not the HD after all?
Click to expand...

No, it just means that all the parameters that SMART checks for are within reasonable operating ranges. In other words, 90% of the signs that your drive will definitely fail are not there.

Ok, let's go back to the beginning here. What are your exact specs? And when did the comp start slowing down? Just after the update from 10.3 to 10.4? Just after the most recent security update? Did you do anything, anything at all no matter how insignificant, between the time it was running well and the time it wasn't?
 
If you still have Applecare, they will replace the hard drive.

If not, replace it anyway. Good project for the fearless. Just make sure to get one of those plastic sticks to open up the case. While it's open drop in a superdrive. Soup her up. I did this to your exact machine, ran great on the upgrades, and burned dvds!
 
THX1139 said:
I replaced it with a 72rpm Hitachi and it's been great ever since.
Click to expand...
Wow, that must be a very low energy hard drive. Probably slow too! 😛 😀

Note, just teasing. I realize that you meant 7200rpm drive.

Glad to hear your computer is working better now.
 
disconap said:
No, it just means that all the parameters that SMART checks for are within reasonable operating ranges. In other words, 90% of the signs that your drive will definitely fail are not there.

Ok, let's go back to the beginning here. What are your exact specs? And when did the comp start slowing down? Just after the update from 10.3 to 10.4? Just after the most recent security update? Did you do anything, anything at all no matter how insignificant, between the time it was running well and the time it wasn't?
Click to expand...
It is an iBook G4 1.07 GHz 256 RAM. Bought in June 2004. The computer started slowing down a few months after installing Tiger. It was just slow, not problems. But in the past week I couldn't download, Apps wouldn't start or quit, unexpectantly quit, and it takes like 5 min. to just startup. I am going to run TEch Tool Delux now, and I'll post the results.
 
OK, Tech Tool Delux found an error (-4) Surface Scan found bad blocks. So does this mean the fate of the HD is grim and I should tell Apple about this test when I call?
 
AlmightyG5 said:
OK, Tech Tool Delux found an error (-4) Surface Scan found bad blocks. So does this mean the fate of the HD is grim and I should tell Apple about this test when I call?
Click to expand...
It's a strong indicator for sure.

And yes, of course, you should tell Apple.
 
Look these 30 gig 4200 2mb cache oem Apple drives are a piece of crap. However, if it is free to replace it because you still have applecare, go for it. Have Apple open up the computer and put the new drive in. Just tell them your drive has bad blocks. It needs to be replaced.

If you don't have Applecare, get a much bigger faster drive and have it replaced. In the two years since your machine was put out there, hard drives have come a long way, and so has their technology.

Just get the sucker replaced.
 
Update

Well it starting working fine again after repairing permissions for the 3rd time...but yesterday I turned on the iBook and 2 hours later it still did not get past the startup screen! I called Apple and he said I bet the HD is dead. We run Apple Hardware Test and everything passes 🙁....He was amazed. We try to install tiger again but no HD shows up to install. Click Disk Utility and The HD is in Red saying Fatal Error, Failing. The guy set me up with a send in repair and I should recieve the box by monday to send it in. I'm glad the damn iBook finally failed so I can get this fixed!
 
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