I'm having kernal panics even in single user mode

My new Mac Pro has been having kernal panics left and right. I've done everything suggested here plus everything the Apple people have been telling me to do both on the phone and at the local Apple store. Nothing helps and the last call I made the Apple tech suggested I install a new hard drive which he is sending me. I also have his extension number so I can call him when the install is done. In the meantime while I'm waiting for the new hard drive I manage to reinstall the system after a couple of tries and just for grins boot into single user mode and let the computer sit for awhile. When I get back I find the computer has once again crashed and this one line stands out "simple lock deadlock detection". What this means I have no clue but I'm beginning to suspect what I have is a real lemon. If anyone has some insight they'ld like to share on this I'm open to suggestions.
P.S. And just to let you know I've done the following:
1. I've booted into safe boot mode and it crashes
2. I've booted off the install DVD and let it stand and it crashes
3. I've disconected everything but the mouse and keyboard and it crashes
4. I've reinstalled the system numerous times and it still crashes
5. I've taken it to the local Apple store where they replaced the memory and it still crashes
6. I've called the Apple help line and followed their suggestions which included unplugging the computer for 15 seconds to clear the SMU and it crashes even worse.
7. I've zapped the pram and reset the nvram and it still crashes
8. Even when I left it at the local Apple Store where they used their monitor, mouse, keyboard, and power cord it still crashes
9. It crashes on startup from time to time
10. And last but not least it crashes in single user mode even though I've done fsck -fy and then let it just sit
11. Oh yes and one more thing, the crashes are completely random and unpredictable.
Mac Pro duel core intel xeon 2.66mhz   Mac OS X (10.4.9)  

Well I finally resolved my issue, hopefully. Upon installing the new hard drive I had no problems for a week or so and decided to add a second drive and put my old system on it and see what would happen when I booted from the second drive. All went well for a week and then boom the crashes began again. I then switched back to the new drive with the fresh system and all went well for a little over a week when boom the panics returned. I called Apple and they made an appointment for me at the local Apple store. After looking at my files which included about 7 phone calls and several visits to the Apple store the best solution was a brand new Mac Pro. All this has been covered under warranty which is awesome. The only crashing I've had to date had to do with something called "mdimportserver" whatever that is. I also can only use one ethernet connector which is strange. I figured it might have to do with the new hard drive so I booted over to the old drive and everything is working fine except for the ethernet port which I haven't tried yet. I figure for now it's best to let that sleeping dog alone since everything else is working so good. When I'm sure this new Mac is working ok I'll wipe the new drive and use Super Duper to clone this system over rather than use Apple's migration assistant which evidently didn't do such a good job of migrating my system over. I'll let you all know how it goes several weeks from now hopefully.

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    New install of Leopard, all updates applied, permissions repaired.

    I can't picture what is doing this other than something missing or muxed, but perhaps it's time for a relatively painless Archive & Install, which gives you a new/old OS, but can preserve all your files, pics, music, settings, etc., as long as you have plenty of free disk space and no Disk corruption, and is relatively quick & painless...
    http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107120
    Just be sure to select Preserve Users & Settings.

  • Command Line Expert Needed: Deleted hostconfig (+ others) - boots to single user mode only !

    Mac OS X Tiger 10.4.11
    Deleted folders/files when logged in as root user. (don't ask!)
    On restart , wont boot up , get grey screen with white apple logo the black screen with command line: localhost:/ root#
    Started up from install cd - repaired permissions (ran twice) &amp; verified hard drive . All okay.
    Restarted but still goes back into command line with same localhost:/ root prompt
    Tried a bunch of different things as per advice on these boards - discovered that there is no hostconfig file.
    Restarted into verbose mode.
    Here are the lines that i think may reveal exactly what I messed up - and hopefully someone out there has an idea how I can try to fix without having to do an archive/install.
    BSM auditing present
    disabled
    rooting via boot-uuid from /chosen: (here a very long string of numbers and letters looks like a password)
    Then a long line about
    "got boot device = IOService:/MacRISC2PE ........."
    Then, the following
    "BSD root: disk0s3, major 14, minor 2"
    "CSRHIDTransitionDriver::stop"
    "IOBluetoothHCIController::start Idle Time Stopped"
    (AND HERE'S THE BIGGIE:)
    /etc/rc: line 93: /etc/hostconfig: No such file or directory
    Apr  1. 06:01:44 launched: /bin/sh on /etc/rc terminated abnormally, going into single user mode
    localhost:/ root#
    I'm pretty sure I messed thing up pretty well - was mainly network/server folders and files - definitely samba, which I think I deleted, and under "network" in the finder, I also might have deleted my computer from the server list
    As an aside in case this provides any insight, when I go to the terminal app when starting up from install cd, the prompt reads :
    "bash-2.05b"
    I'm also able to see the contents of my hard drive when using disk utility from install cd and and trying to "mount image" ---
    Everything looks intact in terms of folders/files in my user account, but in the /root folder, there's only /library - which is empty.
    Any help, insight, troubleshooting and even scolding - will be welcome! I need this thing booted
    Cheers

    I do not have a backup. Should I back up before I try doing a reinstall of the os x?
    That's also known as shutting the barn door after the horse has bolted.
    It can't hurt, but it's not going to help much.
    Camelot: when you say "apps and user content should stay intact" - doesn't sound very definitive. Are there any variables that come into play?
    No.. generally it's pretty reliable, but yours is an odd situation. I wouldn't expect to lose any user data, just CYA
    I do have a start up disk along with some apps that I created in retrospect many years ago ....(I think it's os x 10.2.8) Can I use this to boot up and then just navigate to my user files so I can get some things done that I need to?
    Unlikely. For one have you even tried restoring from your Retrospect backup? (it's not the most reliable system).
    Secondly, you can't boot from your Retrospect backup, so you'll need to restore that system to boot from it. Have you got a second disk to restore to (you do NOT want to restore 10.2.x over your 10.4.x system).
    in terms of "random deleted files" : not entirely random
    Ok, maybe not entire random, but it's also somewhat unknown. You need to have some idea of what files you're trying to restore, but if you haven't got them in a backup where are you going to get them from?
    You cannot just take old copies from your 10.2.x system and hope they'll work (in case that's what you're thinking).
    The BEST solution is to boot from the 10.4.x installer disk and let it do its thing.
    And for what its worth, Unauthorized access attempts, in and of themselves, are not a cause for concern since they were clearly caught by the OS. It's the access attempts that succeed (and are not logged) which are more of an issue.

  • My blk MacBook wouldn't start and is now stuck in Single user mode

    Hello all-
    I recently inherited my brothers old black macbook when he got the new "macbook air" and while surfing the web land safari froze, I tried to force quit- nothing happened. I held the power button until it went off. When I tried to reboot it got stuck on the blue screen with the apple logo and the spinning (loading) circle, it never get to the log in screen. After hours it just becomes a blue screen. After reading forums I tried rebooting in single user mode and I haven't been able to complete the process because i can't enter commands. Here's what the bottom part said i can give the rest if needed:
    +nfs_boot : networking is not initialized+
    +panic(cpu 0 caller 0x002C561D): fsbootinit failed with 6+
    +Debugger called: <panic>+
    +Backtrace, Format - Frame : Return Address (4 potential args on stack)+
    *soooo then there were lots of codes after that (let me know if you need them)*
    Kernal version:;
    Darwin Kernal Version 8.11.1
    Sooooo I don't know what to do....Please help
    I don't have apple care and the nearest apple store is 3 hrs away and I cant get there til monday, any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks soo much
    Jade:)

    What you've gotten is a kernel panic. There are a few things that can cause this.
    The first thing to do is get your hands on the disks and follow my last set of instructions for verifying and repairing your hard disk.
    While you wait for them, however, there are a few more things to try:
    1) Hold down the commandoption+pr keys while you turn the computer on. Continue holding them until the Mac restarts a second time. This will reset your NVRAM.
    2) Reseat the RAM modules inside the MacBook. Poorly-seated RAM modules are one of the leading causes of kernel panics at startup. To do this, follow these instructions:
    http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=303721

  • Can't enable root user in single user mode

    hey, im having a problem. I cant enable the root user in single user mode. This is what I do:
    1.boot in single user mode
    2.I run the command /sbin/fsck -fy
    3.I run the command /sbin/mount -uw /
    4.I run the command passwd
    5.I type the password and then I retype it, but it gives me an error saying passwd: cant change password for root the account is not enabled (thats not exactly what it said, but you get the point)
    this worked in leopard, why dosent it work now? can someone give me an alternative way or tell me what im doing wrong?
    P.S. give me an actual answer not a why enable root? and I dont want to use directory utility.

    The command is wrong man. Do the following:
    Boot into S.U. Mode (Cmd+S).
    once the terminal prompt opens, type the following:
    mount -uw / ("mount"+space+"-uw"+space+slash)
    launchctl load /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.opendirectoryd.plist
    passwd root
    (after you press enter it will ask the password for the root user. Type it, even if it won't show any character. Then type again to confirm. Once you had finished type: exit).
    Test it and post the results.

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