2009 white MacBook going haywire

[Loren Miller]

Intel Core 2 Duo running MacOSX 10.5.8, 2GB RAM.

After changing the owner ID (enabling and logging in as Root and following Apple instructions) I had successful bootups, setting automatic login to my new ID.

I also renamed the hard drive from "Macintosh HD" to "Voyager."

I noticed that I had some files which I tried to move into a new folder-- they were COPYING rather than moving, (I was using Command-drag out of habit, I do file moves a lot-- realized later I shouldn't have to-- getting tired.) It was acting as though copying from volume to volume.

I ran into permissions issues. So I gave it my password. Still copying, not moving. So I did a Get Info, unlocked the system drive, authenticated, went into permissions section, selected "Apply to all enclosed folders" and left system, admin and everyone groups just as they were. System and Admin were set to Read/Write, Everyone is Read Only.

Permissions cranked for quite a while, probably rippling through the whole disk. Should havce checked it then but I was tired, shut down, went to bed.

Now after overnight rest, I boot up, it powers up, lights up the mirrored VGA desktop successfully, but the MiniDV is loose and the mirrored Acer flickers and goes dark. I restart.

Now when I boot, it merely cycles restart over and over, repeat forever.

Cannot load DiskWarrior, Apple Hardware test, or a retail Tiger DVD to archive and install. I zapped te PRAM five times. I have pulled the battery, let it out for half a minute and reinstalled it. Cycles over and over.

I can boot into the Startup Manager but selecting the sole Voyager icon merely continues the cycling. I can boot into the shell with command S. The drive is journaled. I forced an fsck -f-- it scanned, and disk reports OK.

Cycles over and over.

WTF??? A fouled permissions...?

Wisdom appreciated.

[trevor]

Quote: Originally Posted by Loren Miller After changing the owner ID (enabling and logging in as Root and following Apple instructions) I had successful bootups, setting automatic login to my new ID.

Can you tell us why you needed to change the owner ID? Even following Apple's instructions, I've never seen that really work, and it sounds like you're now experiencing that.

Oh, and I really really advise against automatic login, it's a huge security hole for your computer. I don't think that that is related to the issues you are having--the fault for that is changing the owner id. But automatic login is just a terrible idea, I really wish that Apple had never allowed it.

Quote: Originally Posted by Loren Miller I noticed that I had some files which I tried to move into a new folder-- they were COPYING rather than moving, (I was using Command-drag out of habit, I do file moves a lot-- realized later I shouldn't have to-- getting tired.) It was acting as though copying from volume to volume. I ran into permissions issues. So I gave it my password. Still copying, not moving.

Yeah. Sounds about right for what happens when you change owner ID.

Quote: Originally Posted by Loren Miller So I did a Get Info, unlocked the system drive, authenticated, went into permissions section, selected "Apply to all enclosed folders" and left system, admin and everyone groups just as they were. System and Admin were set to Read/Write, Everyone is Read Only.

Oh my goodness. After that, you're going to want to backup data files only (like documents, pictures, etc.) to another drive, wipe this one, then reinstall OS X and all your applications. Sorry, but that's about the worst thing you could have possibly done.

Quote: Originally Posted by Loren Miller Cannot load DiskWarrior, Apple Hardware test, or a retail Tiger DVD to archive and install. I zapped te PRAM five times. I have pulled the battery, let it out for half a minute and reinstalled it. Cycles over and over.

What version of OS X exactly is on the DiskWarrior disc? What version of OS X exactly is on the AHT disc? Is it the AHT disc that is designated for this specific computer?

The retail Tiger DVD is a lost cause, your computer shipped with some form of OS X Leopard or Snow Leopard. (There are three distinct white MacBook models from 2009 that use the Core 2 Duo, so I don't know exactly what version you have and hence exactly what OS shipped with it, but it's either 10.5.6, 10.5.7, or 10.6.1.)

I suspect that your DiskWarrior disc predates this computer, and that your AHT disc is for a different Mac, so you just need to get a disc that is either designated for this Mac or a retail OS X disc that is newer than this Mac.

Trevor

[DeltaMac]

Even if your MacBook came with Tiger installed, there is no version of the retail Tiger installer that would boot your MacBook. Apple never made a retail version of Tiger for intel Macs.

[Loren Miller]

Shortsighted of them!

Ah, well, when I pick up the Mac Pro I'll drop this off. I don't have the disk that came with it, the laptop belonged to dear old dad, now gone.

So, in the space of a few months, for some reason, my G4 2001 Quicksilver goes south, comes back form the dead (I'm using it now!) while all my newer Macs go south. WTF..??

Oh, I remember why-- ECP-- Event Cluster Phenomena. It's how the world works. Lottery tickets, job assignments, Mac crashes, girlfriends, you name it-- ECP.

Thank you all for being there. ECP at its best.

[trevor]

Quote: Originally Posted by Loren Miller Ah, well, when I pick up the Mac Pro I'll drop this off. I don't have the disk that came with it, the laptop belonged to dear old dad, now gone.

If you drop it off at an Apple-Authorized Repair shop, they can wipe the drive and reinstall the version of OS X that shipped with the computer. But that means that you will lose all the data files that you have on it--pictures, letters, music, etc.

Much wiser would be for you to back up those data files, then wipe the drive and install OS X yourself. As far as has been reported so far, there is no hardware problem with this Mac, just a badly messed up software install. If you get a valid OS X Install disc for this computer, you can fix the messed up software install yourself, for less money and preserving important files on the drive.

Even if you don't value ANY of the files on the drive, you'll want a valid OS X disc for the computer. Better to just buy it, then pay someone else to install OS X and still be without this vital component.

Trevor

[Loren Miller]

I'd like to preserve the data files. Would Target mode to another Mac be a possible access?

[trevor]

Yes, that would be the easiest.

Trevor

[Loren Miller]

Trevor wrote-
[Can you tell us why you needed to change the owner ID? Even following Apple's instructions, I've never seen that really work, and it sounds like you're now experiencing that.]

The authorized ACare tech agrees with you.

I tried target mode- came up "This disk is unreadable." So I brought it in.
Might have been because I was trying to load a 10..5.8 disk on 10.4.11 host, don't know.

Boy I learned my lesson. Ow.