Strange behaviour after being without power over longer period

[MacFro]

A friend of mine is experiencing issues with a Macbook Pro from 2010 running 10.6.8.

The laptop was powered down over a longer period (weeks). The battery naturally got drained during this period.

After a while he charged and continued use of the machine. At this point he found out he could no longer perform updates, downloads, install software or even mount a usb device. It's like the machine refuses all sorts of change to it's current state. Thus making it difficult to do backups and reinstall the os.

The battery and everything else seem to work as before.

Any idea on how to fix this without needing to format and loose data?

Yeah, i know, he should have had backups

 

[justperry]

A friend of mine is experiencing issues with a Macbook Pro from 2010 running 10.6.8.

The laptop was powered down over a longer period (weeks). The battery naturally got drained during this period.

After a while he charged and continued use of the machine. At this point he found out he could no longer perform updates, downloads, install software or even mount a usb device. It's like the machine refuses all sorts of change to it's current state. Thus making it difficult to do backups and reinstall the os.

The battery and everything else seem to work as before.

Any idea on how to fix this without needing to format and loose data?

Yeah, i know, he should have had backups

Reset SMC, and while you're at it also clear the PRAM.

Resetting the System Management Controller - Support - Apple

About NVRAM and PRAM

But, I think now the problem is permissions, so, first try to repair permissions, do this by opening Disk Utility and select the HD, then hit repair permissions.

 

[MacFro]

That was my first thought too, but didn't feel like i found the symptoms in the lists over what the smc and pram affects.

Is there any harm in doing these resets if the issue lies elsewhere? I haven't performed one in many years and don't really remember if there are any precautions one should take?

 

[justperry]

That was my first thought too, but didn't feel like i found the symptoms in the lists over what the smc and pram affects.

Is there any harm in doing these resets if the issue lies elsewhere? I haven't performed one in many years and don't really remember if there are any precautions one should take?

Resetting PRAM you can do infinite times without problems, resetting SMC should not be used on a regular bases but once in a while is OK.

So, this happened more than once?

Lithium doesn't discharge fast, if nothing is running when it's asleep than it takes a long time to completely drain, with the newer machines it's different, they do fetch mail at night time, what is it called, powernap I think.
When off it takes looonnnggg to discharge, if that was the case then something is wrong, it should not do this after a couple of weeks.

 

[MacFro]

Oh, overlooked the permissions part of your post. I'll tell him to try that first.

Thanks.

 

[MacFro]

Being told that neither smc nor v/pram resets did help. Bummer.

He will try performing a backup (somehow) and reinstall. If that doesn't do the trick, he will likely hand it in at a service station.

Wierd.