Won't start up correctly, but gets to finder

Ok so after having read a bunch of forums i thought i would throw up my problem since it seems a little different than most i have seen thus far.
My iBook starts correctly, but once it gets to the finder nothing works, the dock loads and all of the images on my desktop do, but if i move the cursor over the dock it just spins for eternity. the images that load on desktop are also missing around half of the letters in their names, some are missing the image. I cannot do a single thing from the desktop, cannot click on anything or use any commands.
Have ran the hardware tests disc and everything came up peachy, so wondering if i am going to have to reinstall the OS? Any help would be appreciated, even if its just a link to what could be a possible solution to this problem. Thanks
iBook G4 Mac OS X (10.4.7)

How much free disk space do you have? If it is less than 5%-10% of your total drive space that could be causing problems as you have described. If that is the case you will need to remove some things from your drive to create enough space for OS X to function properly.
Also, have you done any routine maintenance on your iBook? There is some information on what to do here;
http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/maintainingmacosx.html
I would start with the basics, repairing disk permissions, checking the disk for errors and such. If that doesn't help then follow the steps as listed in the following FAQ:
http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/repairprocess.html

Similar Messages

My macbook pro won't start up. I get the white screen and the grey apple icon   the spinning wheel......and it doesn't change !

My macbook pro won't start up. I get the white screen and the grey apple icon   the spinning wheel......and it doesn't change !

Take each of these steps that you haven't already tried. Stop when the problem is resolved.
To restart an unresponsive computer, press and hold the power button for a few seconds until the power shuts off, then release, wait a few more seconds, and press it again briefly.
Step 1
The first step in dealing with a startup failure is to secure the data. If you want to preserve the contents of the startup drive, and you don't already have at least one current backup, you must try to back up now, before you do anything else. It may or may not be possible. If you don't care about the data that has changed since the last backup, you can skip this step.
There are several ways to back up a Mac that is unable to start. You need an external hard drive to hold the backup data.
a. Start up from the Recovery partition, or from a local Time Machine backup volume (option key at startup.) When the OS X Utilities screen appears, launch Disk Utility and follow the instructions in this support article, under “Instructions for backing up to an external hard disk via Disk Utility.” The article refers to starting up from a DVD, but the procedure in Recovery mode is the same. You don't need a DVD if you're running OS X 10.7 or later.
b. If Step 1a fails because of disk errors, and no other Mac is available, then you may be able to salvage some of your files by copying them in the Finder. If you already have an external drive with OS X installed, start up from it. Otherwise, if you have Internet access, follow the instructions on this page to prepare the external drive and install OS X on it. You'll use the Recovery installer, rather than downloading it from the App Store.
c. If you have access to a working Mac, and both it and the non-working Mac have FireWire or Thunderbolt ports, start the non-working Mac in target disk mode. Use the working Mac to copy the data to another drive. This technique won't work with USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth.
d. If the internal drive of the non-working Mac is user-replaceable, remove it and mount it in an external enclosure or drive dock. Use another Mac to copy the data.
Step 2
If the startup process stops at a blank gray screen with no Apple logo or spinning "daisy wheel," then the startup volume may be full. If you had previously seen warnings of low disk space, this is almost certainly the case. You might be able to start up in safe mode even though you can't start up normally. Otherwise, start up from an external drive, or else use the technique in Step 1b, 1c, or 1d to mount the internal drive and delete some files. According to Apple documentation, you need at least 9 GB of available space on the startup volume (as shown in the Finder Info window) for normal operation.
Step 3
Sometimes a startup failure can be resolved by resetting the NVRAM.
Step 4
If a desktop Mac hangs at a plain gray screen with a movable cursor, the keyboard may not be recognized. Press and hold the button on the side of an Apple wireless keyboard to make it discoverable. If need be, replace or recharge the batteries. If you're using a USB keyboard connected to a hub, connect it to a built-in port.
Step 5
If there's a built-in optical drive, a disc may be stuck in it. Follow these instructions to eject it.
Step 6
Press and hold the power button until the power shuts off. Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed to start up, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Use a different keyboard and/or mouse, if those devices are wired. If you can start up now, one of the devices you disconnected, or a combination of them, is causing the problem. Finding out which one is a process of elimination.
Step 7
If you've started from an external storage device, make sure that the internal startup volume is selected in the Startup Disk pane of System Preferences.
Start up in safe mode. Note: If FileVault is enabled in OS X 10.9 or earlier, or if a firmware password is set, or if the startup volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Post for further instructions.
Safe mode is much slower to start and run than normal, and some things won’t work at all, including wireless networking on certain Macs.
The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know the login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.
When you start up in safe mode, it's normal to see a dark gray progress bar on a light gray background. If the progress bar gets stuck for more than a few minutes, or if the system shuts down automatically while the progress bar is displayed, the startup volume is corrupt and the drive is probably malfunctioning. In that case, go to Step 11. If you ever have another problem with the drive, replace it immediately.
If you can start and log in in safe mode, empty the Trash, and then open the Finder Info window on the startup volume ("Macintosh HD," unless you gave it a different name.) Check that you have at least 9 GB of available space, as shown in the window. If you don't, copy as many files as necessary to another volume (not another folder on the same volume) and delete the originals. Deletion isn't complete until you empty the Trash again. Do this until the available space is more than 9 GB. Then restart as usual (i.e., not in safe mode.)
If the startup process hangs again, the problem is likely caused by a third-party system modification that you installed. Post for further instructions.
Step 8
Launch Disk Utility in Recovery mode (see Step 1.) Select the startup volume, then run Repair Disk. If any problems are found, repeat until clear. If Disk Utility reports that the volume can't be repaired, the drive has malfunctioned and should be replaced. You might choose to tolerate one such malfunction in the life of the drive. In that case, erase the volume and restore from a backup. If the same thing ever happens again, replace the drive immediately.
This is one of the rare situations in which you should also run Repair Permissions, ignoring the false warnings it may produce. Look for the line "Permissions repair complete" at the end of the output. Then restart as usual.
Step 9
If the startup device is an aftermarket SSD, it may need a firmware update and/or a forced "garbage collection." Instructions for doing this with a Crucial-branded SSD were posted here. Some of those instructions may apply to other brands of SSD, but you should check with the vendor's tech support.
Step 10
Reinstall the OS. If the Mac was upgraded from an older version of OS X, you’ll need the Apple ID and password you used to upgrade.
Step 11
Do as in Step 9, but this time erase the startup volume in Disk Utility before installing. The system should automatically restart into the Setup Assistant. Follow the prompts to transfer the data from a Time Machine or other backup.
Step 12
This step applies only to models that have a logic-board ("PRAM") battery: all Mac Pro's and some others (not current models.) Both desktop and portable Macs used to have such a battery. The logic-board battery, if there is one, is separate from the main battery of a portable. A dead logic-board battery can cause a startup failure. Typically the failure will be preceded by loss of the settings for the startup disk and system clock. See the user manual for replacement instructions. You may have to take the machine to a service provider to have the battery replaced.
Step 13
If you get this far, you're probably dealing with a hardware fault. Make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store, or go to another authorized service provider.

`my macBook Pro won't start up. Just get that gray blueshy kind of screen and don't go nowhere.

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Try a safe boot.
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2570
This boot takes longer than a normal boot, be patient. If it boots login, and see if it seems normal. If so, logout and reboot normal.

Help my laptop won't start up - I just get a white screen

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Windows won't start and can't get system repair disc to run

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How can I get the "D" drive to open to try and use the system repair disc?
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The error messages all says:
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I'm using IE9 and my OS is Windows 7
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Many thanks

As per your instructions, I removed the install.txt file and the ocx file that
I listed in my previous post.
My problem now is that I am unable to view the video at this particular
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have the most current Flash Player installed.
I am so confused. I was under the impression that the files installed
under my sysWOW64 folder were indeed the most current Flash Player
files. But when I go to download and install whatever program that I
might reach via the link on that "safari" website, I end up back where I
was which prompted my original post a few days ago.
I really would like to be able to view this website. But I don't want to
be going through all this hassle again. Why is this particular website
not recognizing that I indeed have the most current Flash Player installed?
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Hello Abdulrahman Almannai,
The Apple Knowledge Base article found here may help.
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hope that helps some,
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Store 112 in Thousand Oaks, CA
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Hi
I download the SAP Portal 7 and installed it as typical installation on Win XP. During the install it was asked from the wizard to put the master password. I did it and the installation was successfully finisched. Trying to start the server from the administration console i was asked to authenticate and put the username and password. After typing of the credential data i get in a message box: "invalied credential, start faild: 2" and the start of the server fail. I retyped and even reinstall the Portal 2 times to be sure that i do not make a mistake by typing the master password but each time i get the same error!!!!!
I installed it later again as custom installation and step by step put all neccessary passwords and the result was the same
Please help to resolve this problem and get the portal a start
Thank you for your help

Hi
Once you power on your unit keep tapping the F10 key go to Diagnostics menu Run the Hard drive & Memory test in case any test fails you need to replace the part. If both the test passes please let me know.
Let us know how it goes!
"I work for HP."
****Click the (purple thumbs up icon in the lower right corner of a post) to say thanks****
****Please mark Accept As Solution if it solves your problem****
Regards
Manjunath

IMac won't start up, can't get past the white screen

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will it start in Single User Mode ? (Hold Command + S after hearing the chime)
If so, follow the fsck section at http://support.apple.com/kb/ts1417
and when/if you (finally) get a 'volume appears to be OK' message
don't restart afterwards.
then, still in single user, type the command df/ followed by enter
making sure that the result shows Capacity at some reasonable level, like 90% or less.
df means 'display free disk space', you're checking that the drive isn't so horribly full that attemoting to start might further risk your data
if Capacity is ok- reboot as per the article; if not, post back.
If you can boot in Single User & have done the above, but still can't start normally - try
Safe Mode to see if you can copy your files off.
If Single works, but nothing else, it's probably possible to copy your files in that mode, using typed commands.
if you can't start at all -
Checking your exact model at http://www.ifixit.com/ will show how hard it is to remove the HD yourself... some are pretty easy with the right-sized screwdrivers, and the drive can then be taken to anywhere with a computer & the right cable/adaptor to copy your files.
or
Target Disk Mode : http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1661
if it works for you, would let someone with a computer & firewire port access any of your files that are intact. Apple may, as mentioned, say it's too old for them to look at.
finding the dvd's/getting replacements would be best.

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I would like to be able to start up to my desktop and take off some files on the hard drive that were not backed up, but I can't get to the desktop.
Can anyone give me any ideas what might be wrong, or how I might be able to get to my desktop?

Thanks much, Carolyn! I had forgotten about Safe Mode and all that, but I have Pogue's book, "Mac OS X Leopard Edition," and it explained how to do it. So I booted the computer into Safe Mode and did the fsck -y business, with the result that the computer went through a long routine of self-checking and repairing, and when it was done, everything was back to normal, and the Mac now starts up normally again! As soon as I got the desktop, I quickly backed up everything valuable onto an external drive, which I should have done before this happened, but I tend to forget. I need to get Time Machine going, I guess.
Well, I don't know what cause this problem, but whatever it was, it's fixed, and thanks again for the help!
Tom

Tomcat6 won't start at reboot, but no problem manually

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If I reboot the system, systemd tries to start Tomcat, but fails. Unfortunately, it gives no details as to why it died, other than that it entered a failed state. Furthermore, the tomcat6 and Subsonic logs don't show any information relative to why it couldn't start.
However, if I try to manually start tomcat using "systemctl start tomcat6", it starts up without a hitch and works like a charm. I can start and stop it all day long, and it always works. It's just when the system reboots, Tomcat fails to come up automatically. Is there something obvious that I am missing here?

Err, I might have posted too soon? Looking at the systemd unit for tomcat6, I noticed that the daemon was being started by jsvc, and it had the parameter "-wait 10". I decided to up that to "-wait 20", and that seemed to fix my problem. I guess something else that tomcat6 relied on wasn't available at boot? If anyone has seen this before, I would be curious, since my "fix" seems more like a band-aid.

[SOLVED - partly] Minidlna won't start on boot, but OK otherwise

I am using an up-to-date system as of 2012-11-13. The problem is that minidlna fails to start on boot:
minidlna.service - minidlna server
Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/minidlna.service; enabled)
Active: failed (Result: exit-code) since Tue, 2012-11-13 07:53:55 CET; 1h 33min ago
Process: 401 ExecStart=/usr/sbin/minidlna -P /var/run/minidlna/minidlna.pid (code=exited, status=255)
CGroup: name=systemd:/system/minidlna.service
Nov 13 07:53:59 earth minidlna[401]: [2012/11/13 07:53:54] minidlna.c:754: fatal: No IP address automatically detected!
So I guess it has to do something with the network, I am using DHCP, with systemd + net-auto-wired.service.
I have found this: https://ask.fedoraproject.org/question/ … r-dhcp-has
They have solved the problem by changing the after part in the unit by adding: dbus-org.freedesktop.NetworkManager.target
Since I do not use networkmanager, this is not an option for me. The current, unmanipulated state of the minidlna unit is:
[Unit]
Description=minidlna server
After=network.target
[Service]
Type=forking
User=nobody
ExecStart=/usr/sbin/minidlna -P /var/run/minidlna/minidlna.pid
PIDFile=/var/run/minidlna/minidlna.pid
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
What I have noticed is that it refers to a network.target in the after section, but it seems to me that I don't have one.
I only have:
UNIT LOAD ACTIVE SUB JOB DESCRIPTION
basic.target loaded active active Basic System
cryptsetup.target loaded active active Encrypted Volumes
getty.target loaded active active Login Prompts
graphical.target loaded active active Graphical Interface
local-fs-pre.target loaded active active Local File Systems (Pre)
local-fs.target loaded active active Local File Systems
multi-user.target loaded active active Multi-User
remote-fs.target loaded active active Remote File Systems
sockets.target loaded active active Sockets
sound.target loaded active active Sound Card
swap.target loaded active active Swap
sysinit.target loaded active active System Initialization
LOAD = Reflects whether the unit definition was properly loaded.
ACTIVE = The high-level unit activation state, i.e. generalization of SUB.
SUB = The low-level unit activation state, values depend on unit type.
JOB = Pending job for the unit.
12 loaded units listed. Pass --all to see loaded but inactive units, too.
To show all installed unit files use 'systemctl list-unit-files'.
Edit: having run the command again with the --all prefix:
Notice: network.target loaded inactive dead Network
UNIT LOAD ACTIVE SUB JOB DESCRIPTION
basic.target loaded active active Basic System
cryptsetup.target loaded active active Encrypted Volumes
emergency.target loaded inactive dead Emergency Mode
final.target loaded inactive dead Final Step
getty.target loaded active active Login Prompts
graphical.target loaded active active Graphical Interface
local-fs-pre.target loaded active active Local File Systems (Pre)
local-fs.target loaded active active Local File Systems
multi-user.target loaded active active Multi-User
network.target loaded inactive dead Network
nss-lookup.target loaded inactive dead Host and Network Name Lookups
nss-user-lookup.target loaded inactive dead User and Group Name Lookups
remote-fs.target loaded active active Remote File Systems
rescue.target loaded inactive dead Rescue Mode
shutdown.target loaded inactive dead Shutdown
sockets.target loaded active active Sockets
sound.target loaded active active Sound Card
swap.target loaded active active Swap
sysinit.target loaded active active System Initialization
syslog.target loaded inactive dead Syslog
umount.target loaded inactive dead Unmount All Filesystems
LOAD = Reflects whether the unit definition was properly loaded.
ACTIVE = The high-level unit activation state, i.e. generalization of SUB.
SUB = The low-level unit activation state, values depend on unit type.
JOB = Pending job for the unit.
21 loaded units listed.
To show all installed unit files use 'systemctl list-unit-files'.
My question is what should I add to the after part to make minidlna work upon booting? Wouldn't a graphical.target be an overkill?
Thanks in advance.
Last edited by szebenyib (2012-12-02 16:45:26)

szebenyib wrote:(However I cannot access the internet that way, maybe because of a bad network file. Honestly I have some space to improve my network knowledge.)
In the case of the possible bad network file. here is what it expects. First, you need to know the router's IP address. In the following I will assume 192.168.0.1 for the router's IP address.
192.168.0.1 is common for D-Link routers, but it does vary by router manufacturer and model. I believe 192.168.1.1 is common for Linksys.
/etc/conf.d/network
interface=eth0 # ethernet port to activate, usually eth0
address=192.168.0.110 # IP address you want the minidlna computer to have. the first 3 triads must be the same as the router's IP addr in this case 192.168.0 the fourth triad can be from 5 to 250
netmask=24
broadcast=192.168.0.255 # the first 3 triads must be the same as the router's IP address and the fourth triad should be 255
gateway=192.168.0.1 # the IP address of your router
In a terminal window, enter:
systemctl restart network.service
ping -c5 127.0.0.1
which is localhost. The -c5 means ping 5 times then quit. If you get: 5 packets transmitted, 5 received, 0% packet loss then the ping was successful, which means
that the ethernet port (usually eth0) is active. If this ping is not successful, go back and check the syntax and spelling in both /etc/conf.d/network and /etc/systemd/system/network.service
If the ping is successful:
ping -c5 192.168.0.1
and ping the router.
If you cannot ping the router's IP address, then there is still something wrong in one of the two involved files. or the router's settings need to be changed.
If you can ping the router's IP address successfully and still cannot get to the internet, you probably have DNS server issues.
ping -c5 google.com
ping -c5 8.8.8.8
If you cannot ping google.com but can ping 8.8.8.8 then you have DNS problems, see Arch WIKI resolv.conf
My network is a mixture of DHCP and STATIC IP addresses. In my router, I have the DHCP server enabled to give IP addresses between 192.168.0.10 and 192.168.0.60
this gives the router 50 DHCP addresses to work with which is more that enough for my home network. The rest of the addresses between 192.168.0.61 and 192.168.0.250
can be used as static addresses. Just an example, this can be changed as necessary.
HTH
Pudge

Mavericks won't start after reboot, just getting circular icon seems like forever.

Hello,
Did a shutdown in the evening, and when restarted I just get the circular icon under the grey apple. Tried PRAM reset. Tried Option-retart.
Suggestions? Thanks in advance.

Take each of these steps that you haven't already tried. Stop when the problem is resolved.
Step 1
The first step in dealing with a boot failure is to secure your data. If you want to preserve the contents of the startup drive, and you don't already have at least one current backup, you must try to back up now, before you do anything else. It may or may not be possible. If you don't care about the data that has changed since your last backup, you can skip this step.
There are several ways to back up a Mac that is unable to boot. You need an external hard drive to hold the backup data.
a. Boot into the Recovery partition, or from a local Time Machine backup volume (option key at startup.) When the OS X Utilities screen appears, launch Disk Utility and follow the instructions in this support article, under “Instructions for backing up to an external hard disk via Disk Utility.”
b. If you have access to a working Mac, and both it and the non-working Mac have FireWire or Thunderbolt ports, boot the non-working Mac in target disk mode. Use the working Mac to copy the data to another drive. This technique won't work with USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth.
c. If the internal drive of the non-working Mac is user-replaceable, remove it and mount it in an external enclosure or drive dock. Use another Mac to copy the data.
Step 2
Sometimes a boot failure can be resolved by resetting the NVRAM.
Step 3
Press and hold the power button until the power shuts off. Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed to boot, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Use a different keyboard and/or mouse, if those devices are wired. If you can boot now, one of the devices you disconnected, or a combination of them, is causing the problem. Finding out which one is a process of elimination.
If you've booted from an external storage device, make sure that your internal boot volume is selected in the Startup Disk pane of System Preferences.
Step 4
Boot in safe mode. Note: If FileVault is enabled on some models, or if a firmware password is set, or if the boot volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Post for further instructions.
Safe mode is much slower to boot and run than normal, and some things won’t work at all, including wireless networking on certain Macs.
The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.
When you boot in safe mode, it's normal to see a dark gray progress bar on a light gray background. If the progress bar gets stuck for more than a few minutes, or if the system shuts down automatically while the progress bar is displayed, your boot volume is corrupt and the drive is probably malfunctioning. In that case, go to Step 5.
If you can boot and log in now, empty the Trash, and then open the Finder Info window on your boot volume ("Macintosh HD," unless you gave it a different name.) Check that you have at least 9 GB of available space, as shown in the window. If you don't, copy as many files as necessary to another volume (not another folder on the same volume) and delete the originals. Deletion isn't complete until you empty the Trash again. Do this until the available space is more than 9 GB. Then reboot as usual (i.e., not in safe mode.)
If the boot process hangs again, the problem is likely caused by a third-party system modification that you installed. Post for further instructions.
Step 5
Launch Disk Utility in Recovery mode (see Step 1.) Select your startup volume, then run Repair Disk. If any problems are found, repeat until clear. If Disk Utility reports that the volume can't be repaired, the drive has malfunctioned and should be replaced. You might choose to tolerate one such malfunction in the life of the drive. In that case, erase the volume and restore from a backup. If the same thing ever happens again, replace the drive immediately.
This is one of the rare situations in which you should also run Repair Permissions, ignoring the false warnings it may produce. Look for the line "Permissions repair complete" at the end of the output. Then reboot as usual.
Step 6
Reinstall the OS. If your Mac was upgraded from an older version of OS X, you’ll need the Apple ID and password you used to upgrade.
Step 7
Repeat Step 6, but this time erase the boot volume in Disk Utility before installing. The system should automatically reboot into the Setup Assistant. Follow the prompts to transfer your data from a Time Machine or other backup.
Step 8
This step applies only to older Macs (not current models) that have a logic-board ("PRAM") battery. Both desktop and portable Macs used to have such a battery. The logic-board battery is separate from the main battery of a portable. A dead logic-board battery can cause a boot failure. Typically the boot failure will be preceded by loss of the startup disk and system clock settings. See the user manual for replacement instructions. You may have to take the machine to a service provider to have the battery replaced.
Step 9
If you get this far, you're probably dealing with a hardware fault. Make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store to have the machine tested. If you can't get to an Apple Store, go to another authorized service provider.

Won't start up correctly, but gets to finder

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