New Mac Pro has died! Ideas?

kalibre

kalibre

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Doug
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Hi all,

So my new Mac Pro had some updates to install but it hung for like 6 hours right at the end (moving files or something). So in the end I just turned it off. Now it won't boot and just sits at the grey booting screen with the spinning dodah.

This is what I've tried:

1) Tried booting in safe mode - No effect
2) Booted in Verbose Mode - Nothing obviously wrong
3) Cleared the NVRAM - No change
4) Repaired Permissions (via Disk Utility) - No dice
5) Repaired Disk (via Disk Utility) - Nada

So now I've created an image of the disk (.DMG) via Disk Utility and am on the verge of doing an Archive and Install.


My question:

I have a lot of files outside of the user/home area that will not be moved by the archive, so I'm reluctant to do it. If I start with a clean install can I then browse the .DMG image and cherry-pick the stuff I want to copy back to the new OS? Or can I only use the DMG image to do a full-on restore and therefore potentially return back to a non-working install?

:bonk:

Thanks in advance....
 
Advice directly from the Apple support site is as follows.

http://support.apple.com/kb/ts1411



You see a blank, gray screen

Make sure the latest firmware for your computer is installed. Check Apple Downloads for the latest versions.

Disconnect all peripheral devices, except for the Apple keyboard and mouse. This includes ADB, serial, USB, FireWire, SCSI, and PCMCIA devices. If this resolves the issue, connect one device at a time, restarting after each one, until you've determined which device is causing the issue.

Remove third-party hardware upgrades such as memory (RAM), microprocessor upgrade cards, and PCI cards. If this resolves the issue, add back one item at a time, restarting after each one, to isolate the issue. Note: Apple does not provide technical support for Mac OS X when used with third-party microprocessor upgrade cards.

Start up from your Mac OS X installation disc and check the hard disk with Disk Utility or, if necessary, fsck.

If you are comfortable doing so, reset your computer's Power Management Unit.

Specific directions are available elsewhere in the Knowledge Base.
Additional tips may be available in this document.
 
Thanks repap, should have mentioned that I'd found that article and tried everything in it up to the archive and install bit, sorry.

Do you know if the DMG will be browsable after the reinstall?
 
Do you have access to a second Mac?

If answer is yes then start your computer in TARGET mode, holding down "t" whilst starting and then plug your firewire port into the other computer's firewire port. You can then read the hard disc off your new machine using the other machine (it will just appear as an external drive). With this in place you can copy whatever you like off the machine, re-install it and copy it all back again.
 
Did your Mac Pro come with multiple hard drives? If so then simply take out the volume that has your files on it and then do a clean install on the second volume just to make sure it works fine.
If so then put the 1st volume back in and copy the files off it onto the new volume.
 
If you can get to run the Terminal application then try

/sbin/fsck -fy

Keep running it again and again (may take 4 or 5 goes) until it tells you that your volume appears to be OK. Then type reboot.
 
Hi all, thanks for the advice.

In the end I did a reinstall of osx after creating an image on the second drive. In snow leopard it seems to automatically do this as an 'Archive and install'. After the installation was complete I was pleased to see that everything was exactly as was, including all the files outside of the user areas and all of my applications.

Happily I was also able to mount and browse the DMG on the second drive even though I didn't need to in the end.

Panic over, I can get back to work now! lol.
 
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