Is my Macbook defective?

[Rebelins]

Background:
I'm a long time windows user, and I bought a BTO 2ghz macbook, and got it at the end of September. It is very unstable, and not really knowing OSX previously, I just want to know if this behavior is normal, or if I should take it in (I got applecare on it). Ever since new I have gotten about a kernel panic on average of every 4 or 5 days. Apps crash very frequently, for example firefox quits unexpectedly maybe 6 times a day, and eventually I can't even open it before it quits expectedly and I have to restart the computer to be able to use it again. I don't think that I have an app that hasn't quit on me at some time. I was kind of living with all of the app crashing and kernel panics, then today I was watching a movie in iTunes and iTunes crashed. I tried to re-open it and it caused a kernel panic. So, I restarted my computer and opened itunes and it said that my iTunes library file was damaged, and it had to reload everything, even though it was missing every song that I hadn't moved over from my old computer. I re-added the whole library then I decided to backup all of my music in case it was a hard drive problem, so I closed itunes then when I reopened it, it said that my library file was damaged again and it had to reload everything.

What I've tried:
I have repaired permissions. I also did a disk check and it gives me an error message it says

"Disk Utility stopped verifying “Macintosh HD” because the following error was encountered:

The underlying task reported failure on exit"

then in the app it says:

"Verifying volume “Macintosh HD”
Checking HFS Plus volume.
Checking Extents Overflow file.
Checking Catalog file.
Keys out of order
The volume Macintosh HD needs to be repaired.

Error: The underlying task reported failure on exit


1 HFS volume checked
Volume needs repair"


except the repair option is shaded so I can't repair the disk. I checked the disk last week sometime when I was getting sick of the kernel panics, and it checked out fine, today it started doing this and the itunes problem.

So, what should I do? All of these problems can't be normal. I've been using windows PCs since windows 3, so I don't really know how to troubleshoot a mac. I searched and people have said that RAM can be the culprit, my computer has 1gb of ram BTO from apple, so it isn't aftermarket. I don't have any peripherals attached or any hardware not installed BTO. I read in an old thread that the computer came with a diagnostic disc, I am going to try that next, I am just waiting for all of my data to backup and thought I would get suggestions in the mean time. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

-Wes

 

[WildCowboy]

No, it's not normal.

In order to repair the drive, you'll have to boot from your install disc.

 

[mad jew]

You should be able to repair the disk if you boot from the OSX DVD that came with your machine. Unless you use fsck in Single User Mode, you can't repair the disk you booted from, as the humble and reserved, yet well-liked WildCowboy said.

 

[Rebelins]

So, now I have bigger problems. First, I ran the hardware test program on the install disk, and it came up with the following hardware error "4MEM/1/40000000". Then I ran the disk repair utility because it said that I had an error, and part way through fixing my disk it came up with the same error message that I posted earlier, and it aborted repairing the disk, and now the computer won't boot to OSX. I turn it on, and it comes up with the gray apple screen with the little black dial, and the dial just spins for a while, then the computer shuts off (I'm posting this on my PC). So, I am guessing it is time to use my applecare. To use applecare do I take the computer into the apple store (which is only like 15-20minutes away), or do I call and have to send it somewhere?

Thanks for the help!

-Wes

 

[Chundles]

Your hard drive is rooted - it sucks but it happens.

Take it in and get it looked at, it's still under warranty so any repairs will be free.