MacBook Pro doesn't boot (Kernel Panic), even CD/DVD doesn't work anymore

Question

It is a very long story how I came to the point I am at right now, so I'll try to keep it really short:
My MPR stops booting and shows that Kernel Panic message (30s after starting the boot procedure with the grey screen and Apple logo), telling me to reboot. It even does not boot from CD/DVD anymore. Zapping PRAM doesn't help. Booting into Safe Mode doesnt work. Booting into Single User Mode and repairing the drive (/sbin/fsck -fy) did help a couple of times; scanning the system with Onyx and removing faulty preferences even helped a lot as well, everything seemed to work fine. But after the next system crash (happened during memtest procedure), I had the same problem again, this time even Single User Mode doesnt help. Booting from external FW-drive doesnt work. Every time: Kernel Panic.
Since I put in 4GB RAM four weeks ago (without any problems until last week), I replaced the new RAM with the old RAM. Still: Kernel Panic.
How I ran into the whole trouble? I replaced the original internal drive with a new 500GB WD drive. Now problems, until I accidently wiped the whole drive with BootCamp assistant.
At some point, I managed to boot from CD/DVD and (deep-)clean / format the whole internal disk, reinstalled 10.5.4, imported the settings and software from my old internal disk, and maybe f*ed everything up again by doing so. ONYX helped me to isolate a couple of preferences that went bad after that import, and after deleting them, everything seemed to be alright, especially after updating to 10.5.6. Until the system crashed next time, during a memtest. Memory seems to be ok though; as I already said, swapping it against the old RAM doesnt change anything, and TechTool didnt find anything. HD seems to be ok as well, neither Disk Utility nor ONYX nor TechTool did find any hardware fault.
After every crash so far, pcscd.pub was corrupted, with 17 instead of 16 blocks (Single User Mode fsck -fy fixed that), which is more than strange since I don't use any smart card stuff which that file is used for.
Now, even fixing that file doesnt help anymore.
Verbose mode shows that the boot process stops right after
Feb 15 18:00:43 localhost /System/Library/CoreServices/loginwindow.app/Contents/MacOs/loginwindow[57]: Login Window Application Started -- Threaded auth
Feb 15 18:0046 localhost mDNSResponder-176.3 (Sep 30 2008 16:59:38)[56]: starting
AirPort: Link Down on en1
It could be interesting to put back in the old internal drive, but I'd like to avoid that at almost any cost since putting back the cases lid was such a p. i. t. a. It doesnt seem to be necessary as the drive itself seems to be ok technically.
The thing that amazes me most is the fact that I can't boot neither from CD/DVD nor from external FW-drive(s) anymore.
Now I'm sitting here with a beautiful 2,5k$ brick and I'm wondering if anybody has a clue what I could do or who to ask (Apple Care won't be available before tomorrow). Thanks a lot in advance!

Answer 1

Alright, "Signal 4" means "illegal instruction", as "info signal" shows.
Rebooting in Single User Mode and doing another fsck -fy shows that everything is as before: a damaged pcscd.pub (incorrect block count) and a "succesful repair" with "FILESYSTEM MODIFIED". Exiting Single User Mode and continuing boot up works this time . Very strange. Verifying the volume using Disk Utility: everything is ok; some of the rights were corrupted though (in detail:
Die Zugriffsrechte unterscheiden sich für Library/Application Support/Apple/ParentalControls/ALRHelperJobs, Soll-Wert: drwxrwxr-x , Ist-Wert: drwxr-xr-x .
Die Zugriffsrechte unterscheiden sich für System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.usbmuxd.plist, Soll-Wert: -rw-r--r-- , Ist-Wert: -rwxr-xr-x .
Die Zugriffsrechte unterscheiden sich für Library/Application Support/Apple/ParentalControls/ContentFiltering, Soll-Wert: drwxrwxr-x , Ist-Wert: drwxr-xr-x .
Die Zugriffsrechte unterscheiden sich für Library/Application Support/Apple/ParentalControls, Soll-Wert: drwxrwxr-x , Ist-Wert: drwxr-xr-x .),
but repaired without problems. BTW, "Die Zugriffsrechte unterscheiden sich für..." means "Access rights differ...", "Soll-Wert" means "reference value", "Ist-Wert" means "actual value".
Testing CPU, RAM, video RAM and USB using TechTool Deluxe: everything is ok.
The crash log read as follows:
System Configuration:
Model: MacBookPro3,1, BootROM MBP31.0070.B07, 2 processors, Intel Core
2 Duo, 2.4 GHz, 4 GB
Graphics: GeForce 8600M GT, GeForce 8600M GT, spdisplayspciedevice,
256 MB
Memory Module: BANK 0/DIMM0, 2 GB, DDR2 SDRAM, 667 MHz
Memory Module: BANK 1/DIMM1, 2 GB, DDR2 SDRAM, 667 MHz
AirPort: spairportwireless_card_type_airportextreme (0x168C, 0x87),
1.4.8.0
Network Service: AirPort, AirPort, en1
Network Service: Parallels Shared Networking Adapter, Ethernet, en2
Network Service: Parallels Host-Only Networking Adapter, Ethernet, en3
PCI Card: pci168c,24, sppci_othernetwork, PCI Slot 5
Serial ATA Device: WDC WD5000BEVT-00ZAT0, 465,76 GB
Parallel ATA Device: MATSHITADVD-R UJ-857E
USB Device: Built-in iSight, (null) mA
USB Device: Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad, (null) mA
USB Device: IR Receiver, (null) mA
USB Device: composite_device, (null) mA
Problem Details
Sun Feb 15 15:18:32 2009
panic(cpu 0 caller 0x001A8CD4): Kernel trap at 0x640e50b7, type
14=page fault, registers:
CR0: 0x8001003b, CR2: 0x000000bc, CR3: 0x00e8f000, CR4: 0x00000660
EAX: 0x54d91630, EBX: 0x06884c04, ECX: 0x06725800, EDX: 0x00000000
CR2: 0x000000bc, EBP: 0x54d91668, ESI: 0x00000000, EDI: 0xffffffff
EFL: 0x00010246, EIP: 0x640e50b7, CS: 0x00000008, DS: 0x06720010
Error code: 0x00000000
Backtrace, Format - Frame : Return Address (4 potential args on stack)
0x54d91408 : 0x12b0fa (0x4592a4 0x54d9143c 0x133243 0x0)
0x54d91458 : 0x1a8cd4 (0x46280c 0x640e50b7 0xe 0x461fbc)
0x54d91538 : 0x19ede5 (0x54d91550 0x9 0x54d91668 0x640e50b7)
0x54d91548 : 0x640e50b7 (0xe 0x48 0x54d90010 0x64110010)
0x54d91668 : 0x640ecea0 (0xc1d00001 0x1000000 0x1000003 0x40)
0x54d916c8 : 0x640e1e2b (0x54d91858 0x6 0x0 0x0)
0x54d91828 : 0x640d4f12 (0x0 0x600d600d 0x7027 0x54d91858)
0x54d918e8 : 0x642a8942 (0xc1d00001 0x1000000 0x1000003 0x40)
0x54d91918 : 0x642b1d86 (0x46536000 0x1000000 0x88100090 0x3e)
0x54d938a8 : 0x64296056 (0x46536000 0x1000000 0x15 0x4653601c)
0x54d939a8 : 0x640cf572 (0x46536000 0x0 0x54d93ab2 0x80)
0x54d93a08 : 0x54f675a5 (0x6702800 0x0 0x54d93ab2 0x80)
0x54d93b38 : 0x54f68d74 (0x6702800 0x54f6c358 0x54d93bec 0x4)
0x54d93c08 : 0x54f54133 (0x6702800 0x1 0x0 0x13)
0x54d93c68 : 0x54f4d93a (0x6702800 0x2507 0x54d93d2c 0x65dfbe4)
0x54d93c98 : 0x40fc65 (0x6702800 0x65dfbe4 0x65dfbe4 0x0)
Backtrace continues...
Kernel loadable modules in backtrace (with dependencies):
com.apple.NVDAResman(5.2.8)@0x640ce000->0x6430dfff
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IONDRVSupport(1.5.2)@0x54f61000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.4.1)@0x54e54000
dependency:
com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily(1.5.2)@0x54f45000
com.apple.iokit.IONDRVSupport(1.5.2)@0x54f61000->0x54f6efff
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.4.1)@0x54e54000
dependency:
com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily(1.5.2)@0x54f45000
com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily(1.5.2)@0x54f45000->0x54f60fff
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.4.1)@0x54e54000
BSD process name corresponding to current thread: WindowServer
Mac OS version:
9E25
Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 9.4.0: Mon Jun 9 19:30:53 PDT 2008;
root:xnu-1228.5.20~1/RELEASE_I386
System model name: MacBookPro3,1 (Mac-F4238BC8)
Interestingly the Kernel version mentioned in the crash log is 9.4.0, while ONYX states it is 9.6.0.
Trying a reboot from CD and new clean install, then I'm planning to make extensive hardware tests.