Kernel panic on startup, G5 dual 2.3

[tatosantiago]

Hi, new to this forum but not to mac.
I have 2 internal HD, one with 10.4.9 and a clone that still has 10.4.6. Now the first one is giving kernel panic at startup. (Panic we are hanging here...thing). I am able however to boot in safe mode. The hang occurs as the kernel starts to load, i think. I ran Techtool 4.5, Disk Warrior 4.0, Disk utility booting from the other HD.
At first it showed allocation overflow in 3 files (mach, mach.sym, other can't remember). I then deleted them as instructed elsewhere, and finally Disk Util and Tech tool said Disk OK, but it still happens. I did the pram thing also.
Before doing archiving and install, should i try copying the mach_kernel file from the working internal, or is that a stupid thing to do? Is there a way to fix the kernel, or is that what archive and install is supposed to fix? I am reluctant to do the archive install, as you can see.
Thanks for any light shed on this problem.

 

[mad jew]

If you have two systems running from the same machine, why are you reluctant to do the Archive & Install? I ask this because I reckon it'd be simpler and safer to do a total reformat and reinstall of the 10.4.9 drive to ensure the proper kernel files are loaded. Is this an option? Are you well backed up? It's just that I'm not sure the Archive & Install will necessarily help you.

 

[tatosantiago]

Thanks, friend...Yes, i know i probably should just reformat, the two systems are pretty similar, but there are some apps that i've lost the registrations since i moved...some midi and audio recording settings that cost me some time to get ...it ran sooo smoothly. And besides, who doesn't want to beat the odds and fix something by learning how it works?
I want to know why i can safeboot but can't do it normally. I've seen the sequence of events, but don't know enough to pinpoint the failure. And that makes me try. I've seen the verbose safe boot and the verbose KF. Right after the kernel starts it hangs, but sometimes it goes farther and fails on some network issue. And strangely, there are no logs of the events...i can't tell if launchd has failed...
But you're right, i will go ahead and reformat...

i hope

 

[mad jew]

And besides, who doesn't want to beat the odds and fix something by learning how it works?

Fantastic! Okay, well let's start with what Safe Boot does:

• It forces a directory check of the startup volume.
• It loads only required kernel extensions (some of the items in /System/Library/Extensions).
• In Mac OS X 10.3.9 or earlier, it runs only Apple-installed startup items (some of the items in /Library/StartupItems and /System/Library/StartupItems - and different than login items).
• Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger only: It disables all fonts other than those in /System/Library/Fonts .
• Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger only: It moves to the Trash all font caches normally stored in /Library/Caches/com.apple.ATS/(uid)/ , where (uid) is a user ID number such as 501.
• Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger only: It disables all startup items and any Login Items.

Logically, your problem should lie in one of the disabled items here...

 

[tatosantiago]

Well, I am back from a loong gig which took me to 3 countries...and I solved the problem (sort of). I compared the verbose KP with the verbose startup of the other HD 10.4.6, and it seemed to hang right before determining Ethernet address, so i disabled ipv6 and DHCP and voila! normal boot. Then i enabled DHCP, created a new Location and it ran ok... haven't had chance to restart because i'm working on a music i have to deliver today, i'll do it later tonight, to check if the problem still occurs. If it happens again, i'll have to figure out which files are causing it, maybe network prefs, old Locations, i have no clue..

Thanks, Mad Jew, for your advice.

 

[mad jew]

Strange solution. Thanks for getting back to us.