unable to boot into safe mode or use install DVD

[kyleh613]

I am using a Late 2009 Mac Mini. This afternoon I did a software update, it was 4 programs that were updated. I didn't take a look at what was updated, which was a mistake, I know. But anyways, they installed fine, and the Mac rebooted, it got to just before the user select/login screen and hanged there. I was able to move the mouse around, but nothing else, and after a long period of time, I powered off my Mac, and now it is hanging at the Apple logo.

I tried booting into Safe Mode, and the grey progress bar would appear but and get half way through and then disappear. Next I tried inserting the Install DVD, hold down C while it was booting up but that wouldn't do anything. :/

I am out of ideas for what to try.

 

[spinnerlys]

Mac doesn't boot

 

[kyleh613]

If I am not using an Apple keyboard, are there alternative buttons to the command buttons I can press instead?

 

[spinnerlys]

If I am not using an Apple keyboard, are there alternative buttons to the command buttons I can press instead?

If you meant the COMMAND (CMD) key, then the Windows key has worked wonders instead of the CMD key.
Also CTRL is CTRL, and OPTION/ALT is ALT.

The rest should be the same, as S is S and R is R and Ü is Ü. Maybe Y and Z are the other way around though.

 

[IvanLasston]

I had the same issue with a G4 Mac Mini. Wouldn't boot, wouldn't eject the DVD and wouldn't boot off the DVD. It happened to me off of updates too.

I had to get a firewire cable hook up another Mac - hold down cmd-t to boot into target mode. Once I was able to do boot into target mode - I was able to run disk utility on the main disk from the other Mac on the targeted G4. Once everything was repaired it booted again.

 

[kyleh613]

If you meant the COMMAND (CMD) key, then the Windows key has worked wonders instead of the CMD key.
Also CTRL is CTRL, and OPTION/ALT is ALT.

The rest should be the same, as S is S and R is R and Ü is Ü. Maybe Y and Z are the other way around though.

Thank you very much. I got into my Start up disk finally, and it is repairing the permissions right now. So I am making progress. Hopefully after this, it will start working again.

Does it normally take a long time to go through all of this? The DVD sounds like it is chugging away, but its been at 2 minutes left for a while now.

 

[kyleh613]

Okay I finally got Mac OS back up and running.

Is there a log file I can look at that might give some hint into what happened?