Re: Blue screen limbo

Hugh Browton <useneth@**.not.uk> wrote:

On Mon, 6 Mar 2006 20:53:36 +0000, Jon B wrote
(in article <1hbsp9u.1tx5pj4rgs9pN%black.hole@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>):

Hugh Browton <useneth@**.not.uk> wrote:

Dear All â•"

Computer (Al PB 15") starts to start-up, goes through grey screen
(Unix?), and then enters blue (Aqua) screen of death (no it's not an
Intel PB!)

Single user mode fsck, and Disk Utility report no problems, and in FW
target mode I am able to back up the client's files.

But what is happening? Will I make it better with a clean install,
update, and restore of the client files, or is it more (hardware)
serious?

Reason I ask is because a) another client called with the same problem
and I didn't have an answer; and b) because I saw a new (for me) error
message from Disk Utility - something like "Disk utility has lost
contact with disk - do you want to quit?" Perhaps the disk is more
seriously ill?


Any ideas?


I'd boot from another external HD, if it boots suspect the PBs internal
HD [1], if it doesn't then would need to start looking more at the PB.


Or from the Install CD?

That too as it shows the hardware booting, but I do personally prefer
booting a known good HD as you can show a full os X booting rather than
the cut down for the CD, puts the hardware under more stress.

Also what happens if you leave it for about 15mins? I had a PB pass
through which had a knackered HD, that got past the grey screen, then
sat at one of the stages for about 10-15mins before you finally got the
log in screen as the HD was just about dead.


I'll try that tomorrow.

Not that it would do much after, but you could at least get it to boot.

[1] And I know mentioning this a bit lately but suddenly seem to be
getting a batch of 2.5" Toshiba HDs dieing and going on the symptoms and
error messages it would be my prime suspect.


I was interested because I got this "lost contact" message on the iBook where
I replaced the failed Tosh drive by a brand new Seagate!

Many thanks for ideas

I'll see if I can run some tests on some drives but I've not seen the
lost contact message.
--
Jon B
Above email address IS valid.
<http://www.bramley-computers.co.uk/> Apple Laptop Repairs.
.

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