I'm a first time poster, long time browser of the forums when trying to remedy any issues I come across. Typically I can find an answer easily, but after 3 days of running my head into the wall with this one, I figured it was time to ask specifics. It should also probably be noted that I'm not a computer guy in the super knowledgeable sense of the word: I can follow directions and use a bit of logic here and there, but this has really flummoxed me.
The issue at hand is a startup one, on a 2007 iMac running OS X 10.4.8. Originally, I received the circle with the bar through it symbol upon trying to boot. If I let it keep working, it would return to the grey screen, then the Apple logo, then a flashing file with a question mark on it. I had no trouble finding these problems in FAQ sections and How-To's and such, but have yet to have any luck in fixing it.
My first move was to put in the first installation disc and run Disk Utility. When Disk Utility opens, I see four options in the left hand side of the screen: the CD drive and installation disc below it, and above these two, a disk called "ST32508...(etc)" that contains the "Macintosh HD." The Mac HD text is greyed out as if inaccessible, but it is clickable. After you've clicked on it, though, "Verify Disk Permissions" and "Repair Disk Permissions" are unavailable for clicking, and running Verify or Repair Disk instead yields a screen full of "Missing thread records" with various ID numbers to scroll by, then a message saying "Invalid index key, Rebuilding Catalog B-tree" and then the message, in red, "The volume Macintosh HD could not be repaired, Error: The underlying task reported failure on exit, 1 HFS volume checked, 1 volume could not be repaired because of an error, Repair attempted on 1 volume 1 volume could not be repaired." I've read ad naseum about this message as well, with no fix.
Next I ran a hardware test, which said that there were no hardware problems, everything was fine. Phew. Right?
Next, I stumbled across these instructions: http://guides.macrumors.com/Mac_doesn't_boot
I followed them. I did the PRAM reset, tried a Safe boot, another hardware test, and then again tried to boot from the install disc. This is the ONLY TIME the HD seemed to actually mount properly. Feeling optimistic, instead of doing an Archive and Install, I decided to try Disk Utility. It failed again, and so then I returned to the install screen, and the HD had disappeared. I haven't been able to get back to this point despite my best (multiple) efforts.
I have a good bit of my data backed up on an external hard drive, but there are still hundreds of pictures, documents, and a few programs I would obviously rather not lose, and unless 10.4 has an automatic Time Machine feature that I don't know about, they aren't backed up. Is there anyway to salvage my computer and my data?
Many thanks...
The issue at hand is a startup one, on a 2007 iMac running OS X 10.4.8. Originally, I received the circle with the bar through it symbol upon trying to boot. If I let it keep working, it would return to the grey screen, then the Apple logo, then a flashing file with a question mark on it. I had no trouble finding these problems in FAQ sections and How-To's and such, but have yet to have any luck in fixing it.
My first move was to put in the first installation disc and run Disk Utility. When Disk Utility opens, I see four options in the left hand side of the screen: the CD drive and installation disc below it, and above these two, a disk called "ST32508...(etc)" that contains the "Macintosh HD." The Mac HD text is greyed out as if inaccessible, but it is clickable. After you've clicked on it, though, "Verify Disk Permissions" and "Repair Disk Permissions" are unavailable for clicking, and running Verify or Repair Disk instead yields a screen full of "Missing thread records" with various ID numbers to scroll by, then a message saying "Invalid index key, Rebuilding Catalog B-tree" and then the message, in red, "The volume Macintosh HD could not be repaired, Error: The underlying task reported failure on exit, 1 HFS volume checked, 1 volume could not be repaired because of an error, Repair attempted on 1 volume 1 volume could not be repaired." I've read ad naseum about this message as well, with no fix.
Next I ran a hardware test, which said that there were no hardware problems, everything was fine. Phew. Right?
Next, I stumbled across these instructions: http://guides.macrumors.com/Mac_doesn't_boot
I followed them. I did the PRAM reset, tried a Safe boot, another hardware test, and then again tried to boot from the install disc. This is the ONLY TIME the HD seemed to actually mount properly. Feeling optimistic, instead of doing an Archive and Install, I decided to try Disk Utility. It failed again, and so then I returned to the install screen, and the HD had disappeared. I haven't been able to get back to this point despite my best (multiple) efforts.
I have a good bit of my data backed up on an external hard drive, but there are still hundreds of pictures, documents, and a few programs I would obviously rather not lose, and unless 10.4 has an automatic Time Machine feature that I don't know about, they aren't backed up. Is there anyway to salvage my computer and my data?
Many thanks...