OS X not installing after another problem.

[GreyFox1221]

It started when my Powerbook G4 starting acting strange. Firefox, Rapid Weaver, Safari, and Flock all kept crashing and i would get kernel panics. I brought it to the Genius Bar and they guy told me that there was nothing physically wrong with the HD, but I needed to do an erase and install. I tried that but when i did i got an error. I tried it again and same thing. Now I am stuck with a PBook with no OS. Any suggestions

 

[mac-convert]

Can you post the errors that you are getting?

 

[GreyFox1221]

I can but I need to go through the installation process again so I need a little time.

 

[GreyFox1221]

Dec 3 11:36:45 root:bootstrap_look_up(): unknown error code
Dec 3 11:41:59 ERROR: Could not read archive file.- pax: End of archive volume 1 reached
Dec 3 11:42:01 : ERROR: Could not write file. - pax: Warning! These patterns were not correctly matched:-
Dec 3 11:42:59 Some files for Essentials may not have been written correctly.
Dec 3 11:42:59 root: 2006-12-03 11:42:59.639 Installer[108] Exception raised during posting of notification. Ignored. exception: Some files for Essentials may not have been written correctly. (code 1)
Dec 3 11:43:01 Install Failed
Dec 3 11:43:01 Error Detected
Dec 3 11:43:01 Reason: Some files for Essentials may not have been written correctly. (code 1)



I'm trying to install OS X 10.3, BTW.

 

[GreyFox1221]

It happens at "Installing Base System Part 2 - 44% complete" if that helps.

 

[robbieduncan]

Scratched install CD, dying DVD drive or dying hard drive in that order of likelihood (especially as it's always at the same point).

 

[mac-convert]

Just a guess, but check the media you are using to load from and make sure that it's clean and doesn't look damaged. I did a quick google search on the first two errors and that might be your problem. The other hint that I got was the way the hard drive gets partitioned - HFS HFS+ etc...

 

[GreyFox1221]

The disc is fine. The man behind the Genuis Bar said that my drive was OK just corrupted, but I'm starting to think he is wrong.

 

[GreyFox1221]

So is that it. Does anyone have any diagnosis that is less drastic?

 

[IJ Reilly]

So is that it. Does anyone have any diagnosis that is less drastic?

To begin with, the Genius gave you some very bad advice. An erase and install is not the solution for kernel panics, the vast majority of which are caused by hardware, not software or OS problems. So it comes as little surprise that your Mac isn't taking a reinstall, since the underlying problem was not addressed.

A "corrupt" drive (whatever that means) is not an okay drive. It could be corrupt in more than one way. The drive could be failing, or it could a corrupted directory resulting from the kernel panics. In either case, a reinstall is not the solution, in the first case because it won't help, and in the second because it's not necessary.

It's difficult to know where exactly to start given your situation, so I'd suggest hauling the PowerBook back to the Genius Bar and trying to find some other Genius to help you out of this mess.

 

[mklos]

Kernel Panics are more commonly caused my hardware failures than software failures from what I've observed. Yes, a software can cause one, but if you get them all the time, its more likely its from some type of hardware issue. You could try RAM to start off as something easy. I've had a bad stick of RAM cause OS X to not install, or it will get through the installation and then OS X doesn't work right.*

You could use something like DiskWarrior or TechTool Pro to test the HD. Some of tests it wont be able to perform since there's no OS on it.*

If you have an external FW hard drive you can try to install it to that and see what it does as well.*

Keep us informed! Good Luck!