Lost finder

[Chris Gough]

Latest stage (prior to doing the shopping...) - I used Apple Disk Utility from the OSX install disk and partioned the drive. That was the easy bit. The installer now shows the ext HD as well the Mac, but sez "You cannot install Mac OSX on this disk. You cannot start up your computer using this disk."

Ho hum. shopping here we come...

Cheers, C.

 

[Danster]

I'm a little worried about where your data is now after doing a software archive/install.

I'm really sorry chris, that was the only solution I could think of and it seems to have made your situation 10 times worse

I remember I tried it and it worked out fine for me but unfortunately not for you.

Once again a thousand apologies.

 

[Chris Gough]

Not to worry Danster, hardly your fault - after, if I'd backed up properly in the first place instead of prevaricating, I wouldn't be in this tangle now! Cheers, C.

 

[Ric]

Once again a thousand apologies.

Don't apologise D:

There was nothing wrong with your advise !! Fault finding someone else's system remotely, without having access to that machine is very hard !

If Chris had been able to do 'just one' archive/install, then it may well have fixed it.

Alsadr's advise would of probably worked if he'd got in sooner,lol.

Everyone is always learning on computers-its always changing new things to learn.

This type of situation happens to everyone I have ever known that uses computers, this is the situation that gets people to then think about their own backup strategy !!

If the data is backed up, then it is always just a case of "ho hum, reinstall the os and copy the data back on." No harm done.

The only point that I was trying to make was that if the data on someone drive is "critical" then the first thing to do is walk away from it: and let someone who knows what they are doing recover the data for them. This obviously is not always possible.

You should never really try anything that alters data on the drive, ideally boot of a rescue disk (CD/DVD or external Drive) and then try and copy all the data off - or use recovery software such as this.

Any help is and should always be, welcome...whether it works or not.

regards

Ric

 

[Ric]

...prevaricating...

Ric's off to thesaurus.com

Ric has no idea?

 

[Ric]

...The installer now shows the ext HD as well the Mac, but sez "You cannot install Mac OSX on this disk. You cannot start up your computer using this disk."

First off if anyone else is reading this thread and wants to know how to do an 'archive and install' then have a read of this first.

Should have said before have need to format the drive as HFS+ (Mac OS Extended with journaling on).

Let me know before I babble on...

Edit: is the drive is connected via firewire, I take it?

 

[Ric]

This is not really relevant now, but someone else might have tried this or have info...

I have not yet had time to delve that deep into the inner workings of OS X yet.

But if we had used Pacifist to just reinstall the 'Finder' only: I wonder if that would have worked, anyhoo maybe for someone else...

Ric's back off to thesaurus.com to learn some more words...

 

[Chris Gough]

Re the ext HD - I've formatted it as Mac OS extended. I dunno about 'journaling on', no reference to it on screen; I'm using the 'partition' tab in Disk Utility, running off the OSX install disk, the only 'extra' options on offer are 'locked for editing' (which I've left unchecked) and 'install Mac OS9 drivers', which I've checked.

I'm connected via USB, I don't have Firwire on the iBook.

Re your earlier post telling Danster not to apologise, I wholly agree with what you say here re problems, learning and everybody hitting something like this some time or another, well said. I took a look at the Prosoft Data Rescue tool you mentioned - looks impressive, do you think I should give it a try? (After I've done Sunday lunch...or maybe not!)

 

[Ric]

Hi Chris,

Don't worry about the Journaling bit...I'll have to have another think later can't remember if you can boot off external 'USB', there was problems with this in previous versions of OS X.

Don't go buying any software - to recover your drive yet ! Unless of course you're loaded, well go buy what ever you want, lol.

Out for the day, so I will have another think later, my online activities are normally after 9pm GMT.

I think that we may have to use the terminal (in single user mode) and have a look what's on your disk. Get rid of a few preferences,extra System folders from the Archive and Install process, then we can see if it will boot.

I will get in to this later, if that's okay...I just have a funny feeling that you may not be able to boot of an external USB 1 Drive...and so we will have to get at your data a different way.


Regards

Ric

 

[Chris Gough]

Hi Ric -

Again, thanks for all the time and attention - the least I can do is allow you an afternnon off! I'll await yr next thoughts...

Re the rescue software, it's not that I was keen to rush off and spend money (loaded? I don't think so...) but rather that if/when we get to the end of other workable or try-able options, then $90 or whatever it is didn't seem to too steep a cost for retrieving all that I might otherwise lose - but if we can do it between us without buying software, then so much the better!

Cheers, C.

 

[Ric]

Away longer than I thought today...

A few things to try till tomorrow, and more questions !

What is the actual state of the iBook, will it boot or is it still straight to panic?

Did you have Classic/OS 9 installed on the iBook?

Can you boot into single user mode?

If you can then type

ls

and give us a list of what you can see, thanks.

Regards

Ric

We will get your data back tomorrow...

 

[Ric]

As a side note, I am relatively certain that you cannot boot OS X from a USB device...Note here.


Unless anyone else knows otherwise ?


OS 9 could, though !

I think OS X can try and boot on a USB device, but part way through OS X resets the USB bus and bump it loses the drive.

Will try it myself when time permits, nice 1 GB flash USB2 drive to try and squeeze a copy of OS X onto. Pear PC and Carbon Copy Cloner come to mind (for those that are interested !!)

 

[Chris Gough]

Ric, good morning...

iBook will boot in single user mode, otherwise either goes to panic message or to 'you need to restart' message panel.

Yes, OS9 is installed.

typed 'ls', got "no active package", that's all.

You sound encouragingly confident!

Cheers, C.

 

[Ric]

Hi Chris,

good morning...

When you boot into single user mode, are the last three lines you see:-

 If you want to make modifications to files 
run '/sbin/fsck -y' first and then '/sbin/mount -uw /'
localhost:/ root#

Can't believe I haven't asked this yet, but what version of OS X are you running?

With your OS X disks do you have an OS 9.xx boot disk, or any OS 9 recovery software disks such as Nortons, Disk Warrior etc. 'Just an alternate approach, if needed.'

 

[Chris Gough]

Hi Ric...

Nope! All I get is an Apple copyright statement followed by "Welcome to Open Firmware, the system time and date is... To continue booting...etc etc"

Re version (and again revealing how fundamentally disorganised I am!), not sure... the current install disc - from which I attempted the install/archive - is OSXv10.2 (1of2 disks). The original installation was upgraded by disk to v10.2.3 and subsequently by download to (I think...) v 10.3.4

I have an OS9 install disk (and also what appears to be a basic OSX disk - ie it's OSX but only in grey/white livery, not the fancy Jaguar style). Also have original disks for iBook Software Restore and iBook Apps if of any relevance.

I don't have any Mac utility disks like Norton etc I'm afraid.

Hope his helps...

Chris

 

[Ric]

Can you boot into safe mode?, 'restart, when you here the chime, hold down the shift key - until you see the words 'Safe Boot' on the progress bar box.

Edit:

Also can you try this:

1. Instead of typing "mac-boot" at the Open Firmware prompt, type: reset-nvram
2. Press Return.
3. At the Open Firmware prompt, type: reset-all
4. Press Return.

Mac should now reboot, let us know.

 

[Ric]

...I have an OS9 install disk (and also what appears to be a basic OSX disk - ie it's OSX but only in grey/white livery, not the fancy Jaguar style). Also have original disks for iBook Software Restore and iBook Apps if of any relevance.

Try and stick in the OS 9 cd and see if you can get it to boot up from the cd, if it does, and can you get past the installer (don't install !) and see you Hard Drive's, then copy off your data to the external Hard Drive...

If nothing works by the end of the day then I can possibly send you a recovery CD, via snailmail.

This is so much easier when the machine is in front of me... LOL

Regards

Ric

By now I would have either ripped the drive out of the iBook, thrown it into a firewire hard drive enclosure from Maplins, and copied all the data off etc.....or ran Techtool pro, Nortons etc...

...life gets more frustrating as a non smoker - must keep hands busy ! Nasty nicotine....

 

[Chris Gough]

Ric...this is getting really exciting! Booted off OS9 no problem, it didn't even want to install - currently copying iPhoto library across to HD. It's going to take some time, but thought I'd let you know asap.

Sorry to hear about the nicotine cravings - I can sympathise being currently on a rather strange diet for health reasons, that among other things excludes all dairy, all wheat and - aarghhhh - all acohol. It's OK as long as I can keep the shakes under control...

I'll report back once I've copied everything I can find!

Regards,

Chris

 

[Ric]

Thanks, nicotine cravings under control -just !

No dairy, thats tough !

Glad it's copying, if you get everything off, then once you're happy it is definately on your External HD then I would suggest you unplug the HD, shutdown first ! and then do an erase and install of your iBook, then once it's got all it's relevant updates of the internet etc, you can replug in your ext HD and copy your Photo's etc back.

Once, you start to erase internal HD we won't be able to get anything off it, so please be sure that the data you want is on the ext HD.

If everything goes to plan, once the iBook is back playing nice, and you have copied all the data across from the ext HD, I would wipe the Ext HD, so that it's nice and 'fresh' and then implement your new backup procedure - however you decide to do it.

First thing you will want to do is make a OS X 'rescue' or 'Boot CD'. For future use.

If possible could you do a screengrab of what your HD looks like, list view, I am interested in what the archive install did - for privacy you could email it, if you wanted to.

Do you use OS 9, if so you might have to install that first depending on what's on your other disks...if you don't need OS 9/classic then just do the OS X install.

Regards

Ric

 

[Chris Gough]

Cheers Ric - it all seems to be humming along, messages popping up with the odd damaged file here and there, but I guess only to be expected. Currently copying contents of iTunes across, which looks like taking some hours!

Yes of course I'll happily send you screengrab of HD as and when I've secured what I can.

In the meantime, I'll continue to report progress (assuming anything of interest happens).

Have a good evening...

C.