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I need to restart my computer?

H

hikeNM

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Sep 29, 2004
537
0
Somewhere close to a dairy in East Texas
Howdy all. Kinda freakin here.

I just received a used 800 mhz iBook I purchased a few days ago. It has 10.4.3 installed. I turn it on and within a few minutes, a gray screen appears telling me I must restart my computer and hold down the restart button to do it. It also tells me this in several languages.

So I do as it says. When it restarts a screen pops up saying that I can get a report on the why OS X quit or I can go on with my life by clicking cancel. For kicks I click on get report. Then I get a kernal panic with black and white text overlaying the desktop.

Have to hard restart. When it's up and running I get another gray screen telling me I have to restart. Apparently it's not going to not tell me I have to restart.

I've never had this happen more than a few times and never all the time like this.

What can I do? Will re-installing my OS fix it? Will updating to 10.4.6 help? Is it a software issue? God help if it's a hardware issue.

Any help is appreciated.
 
M

MacAficionado

macrumors 6502
Oct 5, 2002
435
0
An awesome place
Basically you either re install to take out the posibility of this being a software issue, or you check:
RAM- Make sure it is not third party and that is seated properly or take it out.
Airport Card- Make sure it is seated properly, the antenna cable is attached properly or take it out altogether.

If none of these are the issue it could be a bad HD, logic board, etc.:cool:

Good luck.
 
grapes911

grapes911

Moderator emeritus
Jul 28, 2003
6,995
10
Citizens Bank Park
hikeNM said:
Ok, now we're off subject, but I have to ask. A business can't sell a used computer without any CD's?
Click to expand...
No one can sell a computer loaded with any software (including an OS), if they don't provide a license for the software. It appears you do not have a license for Tiger.
 
M

MacAficionado

macrumors 6502
Oct 5, 2002
435
0
An awesome place
hikeNM said:
Ok, now we're off subject, but I have to ask. A business can't sell a used computer without any CD's?
Click to expand...

I think it is pretty shady that they sell you a machine that came with 10.3 and then install 10.4 and don't give you the CDs. Are these people a national chain or is it a Brazillian shop?:D
 
H

hikeNM

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Sep 29, 2004
537
0
Somewhere close to a dairy in East Texas
MacAficionado said:
I think it is pretty shady that they sell you a machine that came with 10.3 and then install 10.4 and don't give you the CDs. Are these people a national chain or is it a Brazillian shop?:D
Click to expand...

I wouldn't call them a national chain I don't guess. They have a website(yes I know, who doesn't?) I called and talked to them personally. Liked the price on what they were selling. It was here in a week.

I guess I'm naive. Sorry folks.
 
mad jew

mad jew

Moderator emeritus
Apr 3, 2004
32,191
9
Adelaide, Australia
It should have come with system disks. If it didn't, call them back and demand some. If it did come with system disks but they're for Panther, then install Panther. :)
 
jsw

jsw

Moderator emeritus
Mar 16, 2004
22,910
44
Andover, MA
It's entirely possible that your RAM is loose - that would cause similar symptoms and might have occurred during transit (unlikely, but possible). Might be worth looking into....
 
H

hikeNM

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Sep 29, 2004
537
0
Somewhere close to a dairy in East Texas
jsw said:
It's entirely possible that your RAM is loose - that would cause similar symptoms and might have occurred during transit (unlikely, but possible). Might be worth looking into....
Click to expand...
I've checked that, along with resetting PRAM and repairing disk permissions to no avail. I'm installing Panther now, and keeping my fingers crossed.

Bombed out. Got an error message.
 
H

hikeNM

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Sep 29, 2004
537
0
Somewhere close to a dairy in East Texas
Nermal said:
Was the computer sold as a working system?
Click to expand...

Yes. The "company" I bought it from will have to do something about it.

I got it for $489 shipped. 800mhz, 60GB HD, 640 MB RAM, and combo drive---I thought I was getting a great deal. Guess it was too good to be true. And I've got a bad feeling about returning it. I'm just wondering what my options are if the "company" says too bad?

With the software not installing, it seems to be a hardware issue. So that leaves either the hard drive or logic board, doesn't it? I was just wondering how much those cost if I'm stuck with it.
 
mad jew

mad jew

Moderator emeritus
Apr 3, 2004
32,191
9
Adelaide, Australia
What sort of install were you doing? You'll have to do a full erase, format and install because the Mac won't let you install an older OS over the top of a newer one. :)
 
T

thecheda

macrumors 6502
Apr 9, 2006
255
0
Los Angeles
diagnose.

I remember when the gray screen of death popped onto my powerbook 12inch. I felt a cold sweat coming on, but realized that it was my hard drive. Maybe your internal is dead too?
 
H

hikeNM

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Sep 29, 2004
537
0
Somewhere close to a dairy in East Texas
Ok folks, how about this?

I use my Techtool Pro cd that came with my applecare for my G5. It goes through the motions of checking the processor, RAM, video RAM and when it gets to checking the hard drive I get my gray screen of death saying to restart!

Do yall think this means its a bad hard drive?
 
lamina

lamina

macrumors 68000
Mar 9, 2006
1,757
69
Niagara
hikeNM said:
Ok folks, how about this?

I use my Techtool Pro cd that came with my applecare for my G5. It goes through the motions of checking the processor, RAM, video RAM and when it gets to checking the hard drive I get my gray screen of death saying to restart!

Do yall think this means its a bad hard drive?
Click to expand...

Yes. I also think that this company is putting you through a good amount of BS. This happened to me once, and I reported it to my credit card company, and they issued a refund to me and chargeback to the company.

I know this was mentioned before, but did you try taking out that extra RAM?
 
H

hikeNM

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Sep 29, 2004
537
0
Somewhere close to a dairy in East Texas
lamina said:
Yes. I also think that this company is putting you through a good amount of BS. This happened to me once, and I reported it to my credit card company, and they issued a refund to me and chargeback to the company.

I know this was mentioned before, but did you try taking out that extra RAM?
Click to expand...

I agree about the BS. When you complained and got a refund, I assumed you sent the computer back?

Yea, I've checked the RAM. It's OK.
 
H

hikeNM

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Sep 29, 2004
537
0
Somewhere close to a dairy in East Texas
Update: It's a bad hard drive. I installed Panther on an external drive and it booted to the external and has been running happily for over an hour now.

I wonder what my options are now. I sure do hate to have to go through the hassles of returning it when a hard drive replacement will fix it!
 
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