Impossible boot situation

[dlredbaron]

I am in a spot and I have no idea what to do. I have an old Macbook Pro that I was resuscitating for various reasons (media center.) Anyway it was Tiger and I just loaded Leopard (which is the cutoff -- it can't run Snow Leopard.) Problem is after loading Leopard I get this message at login:

"Your FileVault-protected home folder did not open and needs to be repaired.
Click OK to repair the folder and continue logging in.
Click Cancel Login to log in as a different user."

But -- there are no other users and the only message that follows this after entering my password is:

"You are unable to log into the filevault at this time."

I found a fix that involved having the OS disk in to boot from -- but the computer will not boot from it and just takes me tot his screen.

I launched it in TARGET MODE. In target mode I copied the sparse file over to my Snow Leopard computer. And now I just want to get the Leopard computer working (no longer fearing the loss of anything on the computer because I copied everything over.)

Since I can't get it to boot from the DVD or launch into terminal -- Is there anything I can do in Target Mode to fix this? I would reformat but I don;t know how to do that in Target Mode (I did read how to do it if I was formatting FROM the target but not to it.

Thanks!

 

[DewGuy1999]

If I understand what you're asking correctly, you've got the Leopard Mac booted into Target Disk mode and you want to reformat it from your Snow Leopard Mac, correct? If so, you should be able to launch Disk Utility on your Snow Leopard Mac and select the Leopard Mac's hard drive and reformat it.

 

[dlredbaron]

Just won't work

The problem is that the Powerbook can only boot from a APM drive. But the Macbook Pro will only format a GUID drive. Even when it is formatting a target. The target drive is crossed out because it is not a GUID drive.

 

[Mal]

The problem is that the Powerbook can only boot from a APM drive. But the Macbook Pro will only format a GUID drive. Even when it is formatting a target. The target drive is crossed out because it is not a GUID drive.

Not true, you just have to do it the right way. In Disk Utility, make sure you've chosen the Partition tab instead of the Erase tab, then click the Options button towards the bottom (after choosing how many partitions you want). From there you can select the Apple Partition Map.

 

[dlredbaron]

The problem restated more clearly

The problem is not partitioning. The Intel handily partitioned the PPC APM. The problem is that the Intel Mac will not install an OS onto an APM drive -- even if the drive is a target drive. And the PPC drive will not boot from a GUID drive so if I partitioned it GUID which would allow the Intel to install Leopard it would not boot the PPC.

in other words if you have a PPC that will only boot from APM and an Intel that will only install to GUID and you have to install from the Intel to the targeted PPC -- what do you do?

Not true, you just have to do it the right way. In Disk Utility, make sure you've chosen the Partition tab instead of the Erase tab, then click the Options button towards the bottom (after choosing how many partitions you want). From there you can select the Apple Partition Map.

 

[DewGuy1999]

The problem is not partitioning. The Intel handily partitioned the PPC APM. The problem is that the Intel Mac will not install an OS onto an APM drive -- even if the drive is a target drive. And the PPC drive will not boot from a GUID drive so if I partitioned it GUID which would allow the Intel to install Leopard it would not boot the PPC.

in other words if you have a PPC that will only boot from APM and an Intel that will only install to GUID and you have to install from the Intel to the targeted PPC -- what do you do?

Is the Leopard disc a black retail disc?

 

[dlredbaron]

Disk version

Not sure what that is. What difference would it make?

 

[DewGuy1999]

Not sure what that is. What difference would it make?

If it's a grey restore/install disc that came with a Mac it will only work on that specific configuration/model of Mac. If it's a black disc it's a retail version and can be installed on any Mac.

 

[dlredbaron]

Retail

it's a retail Leopard disk. But I'm still stuck between GUID and APM.

 

[Mal]

Can you boot the PPC Mac from the OS disk if it's in the Intel Mac (booted into Target Disk Mode)?

jW

 

[DewGuy1999]

Here's an idea. Can you boot the PowerPC Mac into Firewire Target Disk Mode and then boot your Intel Mac from the Leopard install disc and install to the PowerPC Mac?

 

[dlredbaron]

I wish

No, and no. The drive in the tiger computer seems to be having a problem. The Target Drive solution does not work because an Intel computer will only install to an GUID drive and a PPC computer will only boot from an APM drive. I booted PPC in target but when i go to install from the Intel the disk has a red line across it and a message: cannot install to APM drive (or something like that.)

 

[DewGuy1999]

No, and no. The drive in the tiger computer seems to be having a problem. The Target Drive solution does not work because an Intel computer will only install to an GUID drive and a PPC computer will only boot from an APM drive. I booted PPC in target but when i go to install from the Intel the disk has a red line across it and a message: cannot install to APM drive (or something like that.)

Are you booting the Intel from the optical drive with the Leopard disc in it?

 

[Mal]

I know this is hard to explain, but it sounds like you're operating from the wrong direction.

Start up the Intel Mac with the T key down (so it has the bouncing FireWire icon), with the DVD in it's drive.

Start up the PPC Mac with the option key held down. You should see the Install disk on the screen as a boot source. Choose it and complete the install.

This way, you're using the good drive in the Intel Mac, but booting the PPC Mac natively from the disk.

jW