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gameface

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 11, 2010
472
0
Boston, MA
So I have been running into a bunch of weird issues lately (got errors on emptying the trash, FCP is acting all crashy, couldn't unmount an internal disk to format it, etc) so I wanted to run the hardware test that is on the installer disk that came with my MP. Problem is, the machine won't boot from the disk. If I boot holding down the D key it boots to a grey screen and a dialog box pops up for a second and then *poof* the computer shuts down. It happens so quick there is literally no chance to read what it says. If I boot holding down option and try to click the install disk I immediately hang, the mouse doesn't respond anymore and I'm screwed and need to hard restart.

So I figured "hey I got a backup, I'll just reinstall OS X". Nope, still won't boot using the "install Mac OS X" from the disk. I click restart and I just get a grey screen again and nothing happens. I hear the drive spin up and then spin down and silence. Everything is disconnected from the computer except for my screen my keyboard and mouse.

Everything is up to date. Zapped pram, repaired permission and ran cron scripts via Onyx so I am at a loss what to do now. This is troubling because even if I have a problem I have no way of reinstalling the OS. I can work because the computer is working almost normally but this worries me.

This is a new MP 2.8.

Everything has been working tip top until this morning. Any ideas???

EDIT - I bought SL for my MBP so I have the retail disk. I was able to boot from that but it doesn't have the hardware test so it still looks like I am SOL for now.
 

MacForScience

macrumors 6502
Sep 7, 2010
481
5
USA
So I have been running into a bunch of weird issues lately (got errors on emptying the trash, FCP is acting all crashy, couldn't unmount an internal disk to format it, etc) so I wanted to run the hardware test that is on the installer disk that came with my MP. Problem is, the machine won't boot from the disk. If I boot holding down the D key it boots to a grey screen and a dialog box pops up for a second and then *poof* the computer shuts down. It happens so quick there is literally no chance to read what it says. If I boot holding down option and try to click the install disk I immediately hang, the mouse doesn't respond anymore and I'm screwed and need to hard restart.

So I figured "hey I got a backup, I'll just reinstall OS X". Nope, still won't boot using the "install Mac OS X" from the disk. I click restart and I just get a grey screen again and nothing happens. I hear the drive spin up and then spin down and silence. Everything is disconnected from the computer except for my screen my keyboard and mouse.

Everything is up to date. Zapped pram, repaired permission and ran cron scripts via Onyx so I am at a loss what to do now. This is troubling because even if I have a problem I have no way of reinstalling the OS. I can work because the computer is working almost normally but this worries me.

This is a new MP 2.8.

Everything has been working tip top until this morning. Any ideas???

EDIT - I bought SL for my MBP so I have the retail disk. I was able to boot from that but it doesn't have the hardware test so it still looks like I am SOL for now.

Any extra chimes at startup?

Bad hard disk would be my first guess.

Cheers
 
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