G4 powermac 10.8.2 in endless loop on sign-on

[yellowrose]

When I try to sign on, the accepts my password and all seems ok but immediately it reverts to sign-in window.
Previous worrisome happenings:
Yesterday, upon awakening my computer from sleep, strange messages appeared superimposed on the desktop such as "System failure info for cpu 1: Exception state (SV = BLAH BLAH BLAH; backtrace terminated unaligned frame address BLAH BLAH.
While waiting for local Mac service guy to return my call I used First Aid from my CD INSTALLER DISK 1 which stated eventually: "Repairing volume; repair completed."
But to return to the strange messages, local guy says: not to worry unless such occurs frequently such as every day--it has not happened since--and it might be a software problem or maybe a sign my computer is going bad.
So I breathed a sign of relief only to have the following happen:
I tried to install TurboTax (I should be doing taxes instead of talking with you, by the way) and it unexpectedly quit.
I might add that frequently my Microsoft Word for OS 10 frequently quits also, as does AOL and yesterday, before this all started even Safari.
What to do?
I don't want to have to reinstall my system.But right now my G4 is useless.
Thanks for any help.

 

[yellowrose]

I intended to say that the sign-in problem surfaced right after TurboTax unexpectedly quit.

 

[yellowrose]

I also forgot to add that sometime in between the time TurboTax crashed (I had just installed it) and the sign-in screen stopped working I first tried to rebuild my desktop which I fear may no longer be a viable action, and then I zapped the PRAM. THANKS FOR ANY HELP.

 

[Kyomii]

Hi yellowrose and welcome

As well as repairing the volume did you do a hardware test with the Apple hardware CD?

Also, have you tried repairing permissions, because the programs quitting could be caused by damaged permissions.

Have you added any new memory to the G4 recently?

 

[yellowrose]

I got desperate, and probably too anxious, awaiting this forum's answer so took it to a technician who tells me tonight he has repaired 80 permissions errors but still same problem with password so now he is doing something about the file structuralization, which he explained are like tree branches in the wrong place. He tells me this might take all night.
Thanks for your suggestions; I was not aware that I should have done a hardware test with the hardware CD. For future references, would that be the Developer Tools disk or one of the installer disks?
Evidently when Word or AOL or Safari, or TurboTax for that matter, unexpectedly quits, it is because of the permisson errors which I have never understood.
I have not installed any extra memory lately. but I think my major problem occurred after I installed TurboTax. Probably had nothing to do with the password screen problem. Thanks for your reply. I have been using Mac's since 1984 and it is nice this site is still in place with people willing to help.

 

[Ric]

Hi there yellowrose and welcome,

He tells me this might take all night.

I hope he's not charging by the hour... ;-)

The '80 repaired permissions' is relatively normal even on a 'known good' system...this is done via Disk Utility.

You should run a 'Repair Permissions' before and after installing any software...helps keep you Mac running nicely.

The initial problem... login loop could have just been a corrupt preference file...and then it sounds like you had a 'Kernel Panic'...

You'll have to let us know how he gets on..

regards

Ric

 

[yellowrose]

Hello Ric: Sorry it has taken so long to reply to your sage advice. The CompUSA tech determined the problem was with the OS and he had to do a clean install. This he told me on Mar 21 - he had been sick and he is our local CompUSA's only regular Mac technician; issue was with core OS files and thus I picked up my repaired G4 on Mar 25. They charge $99 for labor which was the total bill, a big relief since they had my computer almost two weeks. He was able to save all my files except it seems my latest version of Norton anti-virus has disappeared. Thanks for your help and I will try to take you advice and run the Repair Permissions more often.

 

[Ric]

Hi there,

I'm glad you got it sorted.

When I get chance I shall have to put up a guide on what and how to do a Full Install whilst keeping your Data...then we can save someone else a few dollars !

Nortons and OS X don't generally play nice...so you may best without it.

regards

Ric