[averla]

RE: early MacBook Pro (Core Duo) OSX 10.6.8 with latest Onyx and Maintenance

Never had any problems with any version of Onyx over several years on 4 different Macs (G3, G4, 2 Intels). Recently downloaded Maintenance and have used it several times, with no problem until today.

[And even today, at the same time, I also ran Maintenance on a newer MacBook (Core 2 Duo) with the same OSX (but no BootCamp partition), with no problem.]

Today, after running Maintenance (default, plus scripts), system refused to launch OSX upon restart. Little wheel just goes round and round forever. System will start from Windows XP partition, and will start from System Restore CD.

I ran Disk Utility from the Restore CD. Found permission faults in the Library Core in several (non-English) language files. Utility claims it "repaired" these permissions. No errors from "Verify Disk."

However, system still refuses to start. Repeating Disk Utility, once again, same permission errors are found. In fact verifying permissions immediately after repairing permissions indicates that repairs were not successful, although reported "successful". The error is with the first 2 items in the permissions strings: it is "dr"; should be "-r". Same error for the several files with faults.

I can't imagine why these files would be so critical at startup; although I do use Spanish in Thunderbird and Word.

There must be a way out of this using commands from the terminal, running under the Restore CD, but I have no idea what to command.

Please, can you help?

Thanks.

[averla]

I have a little progress with this problem.

I tried a "forced" boot, by holding down "x" while booting. No help.

I tried a "verbose" boot by holding down "cmd v" while booting. This showed that the boot was hung on launching the Dashboard.

I tried "booting to safe mode" by holding down "S" while booting. This was successful. Then I ran TechTool Deluxe. It states that there are problems with the disk structure. But the product is no longer supported, and could not download the necessary files for repair.

This doesn't make Apple's Disk Utility look so good, if TechTool is correct. Problem remains unsolved.

[Titanium]

the product is no longer supported, and could not download the necessary files for repair.

?? Sorry I don't understand! Download what??

If you have problems with the disk, you must restart on DVD and repair the errors with Disk Utility or another similar utility.

[averla]

"Download what?"

Apparently the TechTool Deluxe utility disk/application provided by Apple as part of my extended warranty is merely diagnostic. If it detects a fault, it goes online (to Microsmat.com) to download the necessary repair modules. However at this time, neither Apple nor Micromat support this version of the utility.

"...restart on DVD and repair the errors with Disk Utility or ..."

As I stated above, I repeatedly used Disk Utility tools from the Restore Disk before trying Techtool. The result was, repeatedly: "Disk Verified OK" " Permissions had some faults" "Permissions were reported to have been successfully corrected" But a further permission check, finds the same permission faults, in System Library Core Services.

Then I turned to TechTool Deluxe, which reports disk error, but does not attempt repair--because repair modules are no longer available. TechTool did not find permission faults. I have occasionally used this diagnostic in the past on this system; it never found any faults, therefore never performed any repairs.

Let me reiterate that prior to this problem, I had no known problem, and Maintenance ran to completion without any sign of trouble. The problem first appeared upon the attempted restart, after Maintenance. The HDD is only about 1-year old after a routine upgrade from a smaller HDD. Onyx has run many times on this system, in the past. Maintenance has only run a few times.

So, while it appears that Disk Utility finds permission faults, it fails to repair them.
And while TechTool Deluxe, finds other disk fault, it is no longer empowered to attempt repair.

Sounds like you are leaning towards my trying another disk utility.
I could try Disk Utility from within my "Safe" Mode to check and repair permissions. And I could run Disk Utility from another OSX 10.6.8 system to "Verify" this disk. However, why might I expect a different outcome, from running from the Restore disk, as I have already done?

[Titanium]

As I stated above, I repeatedly used Disk Utility tools from the Restore Disk before trying Techtool. The result was, repeatedly: "Disk Verified OK" " Permissions had some faults" "Permissions were reported to have been successfully corrected" But a further permission check, finds the same permission faults, in System Library Core Services.

These messages are informative messages, no errors, and you can ignore these messages!

Read here: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1448?viewlocale=en_US

[averla]

These messages are informative messages, no errors, and you can ignore these messages!

Good news! It was hard to believe that the files referred to in these messages were hanging the boot process.

I tried a "verbose" boot by holding down "cmd v" while booting. This showed that the boot was hung on launching the Dashboard.

I don't have the exact message at hand, but roughly it was from a process called "launchctrl" and it instructed that this Dashboard file should be "changed" in some way to "launchd". I rarely use the Dashboard widgets and I really don't care if it is launched as part of the boot.

Is there a work-around or fix for this? There must be a "boot list" of some sort, where one can remove or disable this trouble-maker.

[Titanium]

I don't have the exact message at hand, but roughly it was from a process called "launchctrl" and it instructed that this Dashboard file should be "changed" in some way to "launchd". I rarely use the Dashboard widgets and I really don't care if it is launched as part of the boot.

???? launchd allows you to load daemon... Sorry, I don't know relation between launchd, Dashboard and this "lanchctrl" process (??).