OSX 10.4.5 - power failure - had to reload system

Twice now I've had power failures which have required reloading the OS - both times has been with 10.4 (okay, I finally bought a UPS) - but I'd still like to know what was wrong....
Symptons -
After the power failure - I started the system - it seemed to go through a normal startup - except that it reached a point where the cursor was on the screen and could even be moved with my trakball - the screen was solid blue (not any kind of background picture - just solid blue).
I could connect remotely from another Mac - work and save files across the network. The CD eject button on the keyboard worked.
Still no login (and so no desktop).
So I put the 10.4 orig disk in the drive - restarted with 'c' depressed and reloaded the OS - then did a 120MB upgrade to get it back up to current version.
I don't think I'll see this problem again (with UPS) - most power failures are momentary.
But I sure would like to know what's wrong.
Is there some configuration information that's kept with a battery (and battery is going out)? System is 4+ years old. Is this a problem with 10.4? Power failures were never a problem with earlier versions of OSX - except from sleep mode - when I had to open the system and push a button to reset something. That didn't resolve this problem.
This latest power failure happened with the system up and running.
Thank you.
Ken McNamara
Pittsboro, IN
[ Edited by Apple Discussions Moderator; _ ]
G4 Mac OS X (10.4.5)

Hi, Ken.
1. You wrote: "the screen was solid blue (not any kind of background picture - just solid blue)."That can indicate that the outage corrupted a Startup or Login Item, or a related cache on which such depends.
As to post-power failure troubleshooting, see my recent post here.
As macjack notes, power outages can cause all sorts of havoc, so much so that I have an entire chapter — "Protecting Against Power Problems" — in my book, including how a UPS works, selecting the right size UPS, surge protection, etc.
2. You wrote: "Is there some configuration information that's kept with a battery (and battery is going out)? System is 4+ years old."If your Mac has an internal battery, aka a "backup battery", the battery provides an infinitesimal amount of power to retain setting in PRAM and NVRAM. At 4+ years old, it's not a bad idea to replace the internal battery. See "Macintosh Family: Batteries and Part Numbers, Part 2."
To purchase a replacement battery, Radio Shack is usually the easiest place to find them. Batteries Plus is another chain of stores that carry unusual batteries. You can also try searching PriceWatch using the part number as your search criteria to look for the battery online.
3. FYI: I suggest you update your profile to show the specific Mac model you have, i.e. something more specific than simply "G4" since that covers a lot of ground. Having that info up-front can help others help you faster. Click the "My Settings" link in the upper-right corner of this page in the "Welcome kenmc" box and add the specific model. You'll note mine states I have two Macs:
"PM G5 Dual 2.3GHz, iBook 700, more!"
where PM = Power Mac, the large desktop line. Some use PB to abbreviate PowerBook. The more specific, the better.
Good luck!
Dr. Smoke
Author: Troubleshooting Mac® OS X

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OSX 10.4.5 - power failure - had to reload system

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