Macbook Pro Blue Screen -tried various fixes-

[LaurenLaptop]

My Macbook Pro is freezing at the blue screen when it is booted in regular mode. The grey apple loads, but then it sticks at the blue screen. It never goes past this point.

HOWEVER, it works fine in safe mode. When it gets to the desktop, there are some visual artifacts around the cursor. (A series of horizontal grey lines around the cursor in a small rectangle, but nothing happens.)

I have tried:
-repairing permissions (but no matter how many times I repair, it still needs to repair the same items)

-verifying the disk (no problems)

-resetting PRAM

-removing battery and power and holding the power button for >10s

-removing all login items

-these commands in sequence in singleuser mode:
/sbin/fsck -fy
/sbin/mount -uw /
rm -rf /System/Library/SystemConfiguration/ApplicationEnhancer.bundle

....and none work.

I am overseas and do not have access to my mac disk to repair. :-(

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[davidlv]

Is there an Apple store close by? Take it in and ask for help?
Borrow a SL Install DVD? Update to latest version via downloaded combo updater, or just try the later part from a safe boot?
Sorry, can't think of anything else.

 

[LaurenLaptop]

I'm in Bhutan. No real chance of an apple store. :-\

Can I ask what a downloaded combo updater is?

 

[blunderboy]

If you want to apply the latest Combo Update to your MBP, then go to the Apple menu, then "Software Update." If you see anything mentioning a Mac OS X update (it should be labelled as a combo update), download it.

 

[LaurenLaptop]

I can't connect to the internet on the macbook, but I can download a combo update from the apple website. However, this takes a few days due to the internet connection out here.

If I have Leopard 10.5.8, will I be able to use the combo 10.5.8 update? I know that it's the same version, but I'm hoping that I'll be able to restore whatever has been damaged. Will it let me run it?

I'm not sure I have any other recourse because I don't think there is a 10.5.9 or higher.

 

[LaurenLaptop]

Hm. Well, it let me run the combo update, but it still freezes on the blue screen at startup, unless I run safe mode.

Any other ideas?