kernal panic?

[Gregg]

My son will be coming home for break today. He'll be at the Genius Bar tomorrow. His iBook is 2-1/2 years old, still covered under AppleCare - I think. The OS is whatever vintage the iBook is - no upgrades.

I only have sketchy information, but maybe someone can make a suggestion or two. It is a sporadic problem. Sometimes it boots. Sometimes it stops at a grey screen, sometimes the screen remains black.

I told him to bring his OS CD home. Maybe we can boot from that? Do you still hold down the "C" key in X?

Once in () should we repair permissions? How do you do that?

Anything else???

Thanks!

[weldiger]

Start computer by holding down the on button till it chimes or beeps about 3 times.  This should start with gray screen showing just type.
Type in  mac-boot -  and then hit return.  It will probably start correctly.  However, this is usually a sign of bad ram, or loose connection on one or both chips.
Then go to resolving kernel panics

and also go to  this site and read up on what else.
Mark both of these as you will need them from time to time.
HTH

I haven't used a start up disk in a while, but I think that holding down the c key is correct.

[kelly]

Yes the C Key still works.

Your Mac won't start up in Mac OS X (Mac OS X 10.3.9 or earlier)

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106464

[Gregg]

Thanks guys. Maybe tomorrow I can try these things and avoid the trip to the Maul. (missspellled on purpose)

[Gregg]

Gotta love it. It started on the second try, but ejected the OSX installation disc before booting. It's still going in to the Apple Store to see if they can really fix it.

[Gregg]

Drats! No appointments were available for "common folk" like us. You have to be a ProCare member to see a Genius. That is frustrating.

I don't know if it will be any better on a weekday, but the whole idea of going today was to get it in ASAP and get it back before next weekend. That's not going to happen.

It's kind of ironic that you have to pay $99 for something that's free.

[Xairbusdriver]

You're not paying for something that's free, you're paying for the privelege of keeping those of us who are too cheap from getting what is free. I heard quite a few say they think it is well worth it, But I never visit any kind of store on a Saturday, anyway, worst day of the week to 'shop', IMHO. You might also try calling the store and setting up an appointment, they used to have a machine that was for doing it while at the store, also.

[RobW]

Each time I've needed to, I've found that at the Apple Store around Philadelphia ("King of Prussia"), I can get a "same day" appointment online through the Apple website by setting it up early AM or after closing the night before. Whenever I'm there, it's very busy--but I've never waited more than a few minutes later than my time.

Recently, they took me 20 minutes early. FWIW, I've had to use them a few times for my older daughter's iBook and my dad's Mac Mini. Each time they've been courteous and clearly knew what they were going. Last time I was there, I felt a tap on my shoulder--and it was the guy from the genius bar that had helped me with my dad's Mac a few months prior to then. "How's your dad's Mac Mini?" he asked. I was shocked he remembered. Another time when I was there I told the guy who was helping me how  courteous he was. I'll never forget when he said "I like the company I work for." You don't hear that very often, do you??

[Gregg]

QUOTE(Xairbusdriver @ Mar 10 2007, 02:54 PM) [snapback]121568[/snapback]

aYou might also try calling the store and setting up an appointment, bthey used to have a machine that was for doing it while at the store, also.

a You can't call the store. You can call a robot in Cupertino; that's it.

b The machine is called a computer. You walk in and sign up - except when all appointments are already taken by ProCare members, which was the situation today. A friend of my son who used to work at this store says that weekdays are busier than weekends.

[RobW]

Gregg, as I mentioned above--if you find your local Apple Store here, you can go to the area that says "Apple Store Concierge" and look for the link to "Make A Reservation." This is the link for the King of Prussia store. I'm assuming that your local store has that option online. You don't have to call a robot, or go to the store to the computer to do it--you can do it on yours. At home.

Heck, Here's the link to make a reservation for the store in Mayfair, Wisconsin. Again, you should do it very early of the day you want or possibly the night before.

[Gregg]

Thanks Rob. I tried it just now, and got this:
Unfortunately, there are no more reservations available today. Please check back tomorrow.

I must have skipped over your post yesterday in my haste. My son suggests that it might not render a different result until after midnight, but we'll try after the store closes and see if our experience is the same as yours. It was my recollection that it was impossible to schedule an appointment unless you are a ProCare member. Are you? But, that first screen gives me hope!

To ask a specific question about the symptoms...
Does a grey or black screen tell you that it could be a kernal panic?

I'm going to check the other links above, and if he can get it to boot up, we'll try to repair permissions, just on the outside chance that it might help. Or maybe not, unless I find instructions on how to do it.

[RobW]

Gregg, yep, at best, you probably need to make the reservation at the time they open--but I wouldn't wait that long. I think I've been able to do it for the next business day after the store closed--but it may have been after midnight as your son suggests.

This will show you what the kernel panic looks like. I've never seen it without the print message in the box.

[RobW]

Oh--I'm not a ProCare member. As you see, there's a separate reservation schedule for them.

[Gregg]

It doesn't appear to be a kernal panic. I had come to that conclusion after reading the info in the links Weldiger provided.

We had booted it up today, but it was very slow, and there was a "louder than normal" noise coming from the upper left corner of the iBook.  Then we tried to run Disk Utility. That would only allow verifying or repairing permissions. (so that answers one question) It would not allow us to select Verify or Repair Disk.

We just restarted in Safe Mode. The Safe Boot was also slow, but the Restart afterwards occured more quickly; seemed to be normal. But, it's still made more noise that it used to. So I don't know if the Safe Mode disk repair has cured it of its ills or not.

[krissel]

Sounds like the drive may be on its way out, though it is in the lower left corner. It's not a replacement you'd want to attempt.

http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/