Ibook loops on loginwindow

Question

i had my ibook for 2 years now, never made any problems, but yesterday i updated it to the 003 security update and had a kernel panic in boot time (the gray screen). i entered form single user mode, and deleted everything in startup items. the kernel panic never came again but instead the gray screen was stuck , i did verbose mode and it showed that the system was stuck on loginwindow loop.. (it kept calling loginwindow again and again)
so i searched the net and deleted the com.apple.loginwindow.plist and loginwindow.plist everywhere but still the same problem, i really need the computer to work now (its finals time) and yes i know i sould have backed up.
i did repair permissions before and after the update.
i really need help,
thanks in advance

Answer 1

Hi,
I never run in that problem but I recommend to do the following, this depends on if you an external firewire harddrive.
If not, go get one and use it for further backups.
1.0 plug the HD to the ibook
1.1 start the powerbook from the installer cd and install a mac osx version to the ibook´s plugged fire wire hd
1.2 set mac os x up
1.3 download the combo installer 10.46 from the Apple support website
1.4 install it to the build in hd of the powerbook, at this time you are working from the external hd
1.5 if it is installed, rebbot from the internal
1.6 if it works, copy all your work-files to the external hd
1.7 then completely reinstall your ibook, update it to 10.45 or 10.46
1.8 use a maintenance tool like onyx 1.7x regularly
There may be other or better ways but I do not have much time to spend here, sry.
Regards, Thorsten