Can't Log in To Leopard

[crashkup]

I am in a spot and I have no idea what to do. I have an old Macbook Pro that I was resuscitating for various reasons (media center.) Anyway it was Tiger and I just loaded Leopard (it can't run Snow Leopard.) Problem is after loading Leopard I get this message at login:

"Your FileVault-protected home folder did not open and needs to be repaired.
Click OK to repair the folder and continue logging in.
Click Cancel Login to log in as a different user."

But -- there are no other users and the only message that follows this after entering my password is:

"You are unable to log into the filevault at this time."

I found a fix that involved having the OS disk in to boot from -- but the computer will not boot from it and just takes me tot his screen.

I launched it in TARGET MODE. In target mode I copied the sparse file over to my Snow Leopard computer. And now I just want to get the Leopard computer working (no longer fearing the loss of anything on the computer because I copied everything over.)

Since I can't get it to boot from the DVD or launch into terminal -- Is there anything I can do in Target Mode to fix this? I would reformat but I don;t know how to do that in Target Mode (I did read how to do it if I was formatting FROM the target but not to it.

Thanks!

 

[Kaveman]

Are you sure you can get into that Sparse Image, File Vault is HEAVY and when it goes bad you're got real problems?

To reformat the drive, start it in Target Mode and use Disk Utilities from the other Mac.

 

[crashkup]

Kaveman,

Thanks. Yes, i was surprised too. Although fileVault prevented me from logging in once I put it onto this computer it opened up just fine.

So is this what i do:

1. Erase and reformat the drive while it is in target mode and then
2. reboot it with the Leopard disk in its DVD drive?

Thanks for the help.

 

[crashkup]

After erasing could I load Leopard onto the disabled pre-Intel Macbook Pro it when it's the target drive from my Intel Snow Leopard Macbook Pro? This could be simpler since the screen isn't working. but I can also wait until tomorrow and hook it up to an external screen and then load from its own DVD player.

Are you sure you can get into that Sparse Image, File Vault is HEAVY and when it goes bad you're got real problems?

To reformat the drive, start it in Target Mode and use Disk Utilities from the other Mac.

 

[Kaveman]

ok, its not a MacBook Pro if its PPC.

I'd say in Target Mode, Use Disk Utility to Partition the drive, this will reformat and check for bad blocks. Ensure that you click Option and make it PPC.

Then boot from the DVD and do a standard install, if it will.


Just a note, All of those older restore DVDs only install on the models they came with, especially not from the Intel Mac, it must be a full Retail version.

 

[crashkup]

Right. A Powerbook. It looks like one. i was confused. So I guess I'll try to load through a firewire. IU was a little afraid I'd accidentally load it onto the host computer. But I guess it'll work.

Thanks.

 

[crashkup]

I seem to be more stuck now. I reformatted the Powerbook as advised for PPC. Everything good. I then tried to instal Leopard in target mode from my Intel Macbook Pro. However disk utilities tells me I must format the Powerbook as GUID. But that is what I cannot format it as because it is not Intel. (It is a G4 1.67.

How can I format from an Intel to a Powerbook over firewire in target? Anyone know? Thanks

 

[Kaveman]

You need to go to Partitions set 1 partition, don't leave it on current, then go to Options and ensure its on Apple Partition Map.

If this doesn't work you'll need to get an older Mac to do this from.

 

[crashkup]

Kaveman, thanks you've been most helpful. I was able to reformat with the APM partition. The issue that arose is that when I then attempted to format from my Macbook Pro it would not permit me to format onto an APM drive -- even one that was only a target drive. I could try to format as GUID and then install Leopard -- but this is risky. Apparently some PPC's can boot from GUID -- but I have no idea how to tell. If you now way around this I would be very interested. Or perhaps I have to look for a PPC computer that would allow me to install onto a targeted APM.

Again, thanks.

 

[Kaveman]

this is risky

agreed.

And you still have the problem that you can't install a PPC OSX from a Intel Mac.