Can Not Boot To Safe Mode

[PGB1]

Here's goofy one-
I can't boot to Safe Mode on one of our MacBook Pros. It is a 2006, so it is stuck in 10.6.8. But, it boots fine in Normal Mode & works well.
I boot to safe to do a clone, per the suggestion of the program's documentation (SuperDuper!)

I will push Power, as soon as the screen lights up, I hold the left shift key until the Apple logo & a progress bar appear. After a short time, the bar is about 1/3 of the way filled & it stalls. I have left it for over an hour & it does not move. I tried several times.

What I Tried-
Disk Utility- Verify HDD Verification came back OK
Disk Utility- Repair Permissions
Reset PRAM
Reset SMC Controller
Onxy- Verify SMART Status Result came back OK
Onyx- Verify Startup Volume Result came back OK
Onxy- Maintenance Scripts
Onyx- Repair Permissions

I don't have any external devices connected & bluetooth is off. I also do not have disk encryption.

I tired starting in Verbose (cmd-v) mode to see if anything showed up. The pages all went past quickly & the computer started OK (Not Safe mode- Normal mode)

Do you all see some repair that I missed? This has me stumped because I've booted to safe many times.

Thanks Very Much. Your help is appreciated.
Paul

 

[pigoo3]

I will push Power, as soon as the screen lights up, I hold the left shift key until the Apple logo & a progress bar appear.

Can we assume that you're releasing the Shift key after you see the Apple logo?

In case you haven't read it already. Here's an Apple document on Safe Mode:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201262

Note that it mentions that it may take longer to get to the login screen or desktop than usual. But if you've left it like this for an hour…I would say something's not right.

- Nick

 

[harryb2448]

Don't bother going into Safe Mode as it is not necessary and you will not clone any important extras you may have installed. Just run it as is.

 

[PGB1]

Hi Nick & Harry
Thanks for taking time to reply.
I'm releasing as soon as the Apple logo appears. The reason for safe during clone was mentioned in the application documentation was background operations possibly corrupting the process. But, I can terminate most of them with a command-option-escape force quit. The remaining one, CrashPlan, has a Terminal command to stop the engine & the Java environment that it runs in.

Oddly, I did get the verbose mode to run during a safe boot. (It didn't do it the first time I tried.) There are two items of interest that probably mean something to you guys, but despite a couple of hours of internet searching remain a mystery to me.

The first one that is on the screen says: Kext_Kernel_is not loadable during safe boot; omitting its personality

The second one is where the system hung up. I let it stay there for 1-1/2 hours this time. No luck. Here's that message:
Failed to issue COM reset successfully after 3 attempts. Failing...
That is where the screen stayed for the whole 1-1/2 hours until I forced the computer to shut down.

Are those messages helpful?

Thanks Again,
Paul

 

[harryb2448]

Too lomng ago to remember Snow Leopard lol, however try booting from the DVD and running Repair Disk. Think something is quite wrong somewhere. If you have a backup of the Snow Leopard machine, maybe an erase and clean install will fix it if the hard drive is reported well and good, and Migrate things over.

 

[PGB1]

Thanks Harry.
I tired booting to the Snow Leopard retail install disk & running Disk Utility. The hard drive didn't show up on the list. Next, I booted to a clone & tried Disk Utility repair for the hard drive that is in the machine from there. It reported the disk was OK. Hmmm... So, back to Onyx for a SMART Status check & Verify Start Up Volume. No problems were found.

I am going to take your advice. I'll back up all the documents that have changed since the last clone, as well as the Mail folders and erase the drive. Then I'll install 10.6 & do all the updates. Next, I will use the clone to migrate things over (Set Up Assistant or Migration Assistant- Not sure which to use yet), lastly replacing the Document folder & Library/Mail folders with the ones I saved today. (They have some stuff that isn't on the clone.)

Then, I will report back with great news that all is good and working well. Hopefully I can do this today or tomorrow. (Yeah, sure...)
Thanks Again!
Paul

 

[harryb2448]

Fingers crossed. You might look for a little app in the App Store called SmartReporter which never lies and is more thorough then Disk Utility. DiskWarrior is the best but at over $100 not worth it any more as you can buy a disk for that, or a fair chunk of an SSD. One thing the Snow Leopard disc is not silver grey colour I trust, but white with the cat onn it?

 

[PGB1]

So Much For An Easy Task!

Thanks, Harry, for the SmartReporter. I just downloaded & ran it. No errors found.

After looking at the OS X log files and seeing hundreds upon hundreds of entries "tried to access a compressed file of unregistered type 8" & "tried to access a compressed file of unregistered type 7" in several separate files, I was positive it was best to have a "Do Over" by erasing the hard drive & re-installing the OS & migrating data, as Harry suggested.

So, after backing up a few files that changed since the last clone:

I started the computer to the OS X 10.6 Retail Installer Disk (the white one I bought in the apple store).
That's when things went sideways.

A) After choosing a language, I selected Utilities - Disk Utilities.
The hard drive to be erased did not appear on the list in Disk Utility. Only the installer DVD & the DVD drive itself appeared.

B) I tried this routine a few times. It never appeared on the list.

C) I tried the Install DVD in an external DVD drive. The computer's hard drive is still not on the Disk Utility list when booted to the Install disk.

D) Next- A regular boot to the hard drive: The hard drive IS on Disk Utility's list. But, of course I can't erase it while booted to it.

E) Then, I booted to the clone which is on a Firewire external drive & inserted the OS X installer disk. I chose "Disk Utility".
The hard drive is NOT on the list in Disk Utility from the installer
But it IS on the list if I open Disk Utility from the clone's Utilities folder. But only on the application- Never on the Installer DVD list.

F) I left the external clone attached while booting to the installer DVD. I looked at the installer's Disk Utility. The clone appears but the Hard Drive does not.

G) In booted to the installer disk in the other computer. It shows that computer's hard drive in Disk Utility on the installer. So I guess the disk is OK.

H) I concluded that the hard drive exists because I can see it in Disk Utility while booted to OS X (and can use it).
But only the Installer does not think it exists.

I) Plan B- Grey 10.4 disks that came with the computer. Bad Plan...
The screen is scrambled with those disks. That, I think, is because a few years ago Apple had an extended warranty on the graphics chip & replaced the logic board with one that had an improved chip, thus making the computer incompatible with the original "Hold onto like grim death" disks (I love that mantra!)
Our other MacBook Pro's grey original disks cause a kernel panic screen, as expected. (Worth a try, I guess)

So, it seems that my only option is to:
1) Boot to the clone
2) Erase the hard drive while booted to the clone using Disk Utility that is on the clone's OS X (not the installer)
3) Insert the Install DVD and hope the now empty & formatted hard drive is now visible to the installer.

But, I am nervous that when I have a newly erased hard drive and wish to install 10.6 on it, the Installer DVD won't find it.
Or, perhaps erasing will fix whatever is preventing the installer from seeing the hard disk?
The installer did, indeed, find the hard drive when I originally installed the drive some time back. And OS X finds it while booting to it or to a clone. And, DU, Onyx & SmartReporter find no problems with it.

Do you think it is safe to erase the hard drive while booted to a clone or will I end up with a dead forever drive?

Thanks For Your Advice!
Paul

 

[harryb2448]

Suggest booting from the cloned external drive, and when it is running, go to Disk utility there and see if the internal drive is highlighted. I would suggest you erase from there, turn off the clone, reboot from the internal and pop in the DVD as soon as the chime sounds. Turn off probably by using the on/off switch, reboot and hold down 'C' immediately until you see the 'gear wheel' spinning, and let go of 'C' and hopefully you will then have the option to install and then update to OS X.6.8 using the Combo Updater. You can use Migration Assistant to bring everything over from the cloned external drive later at your convenience.

You have nothing to lose Paul as you may be able to go into Apple Hardware Test from th Tiger discs. You did say in Post #1 you can boot in normal mode - I would leave it at that. I have used SuperDuper for manybyears and have never gone into Safe Mode to do it. In fact, in 26 years of using Macs I am yet to go into Safe Mode, but I have probably jinxed myself now good and proper! And a ten tear old computer could well have problems from wear and tear with maybe the logic board, SATA cable etc.


https://support.apple.com/kb/DL1402?locale=en_US

 

[PGB1]

Thanks Again Harry for your guidance.
I can see the hard drive when booted to the clone, so that tells me I will be able to erase & install; so if worst comes to worst.....
But last evening after reading your most recent reply, I decided to go with your suggestion to leave stuff alone. I did a SupeDuper! clone without Safe Boot and it is fine, just like you said. The only thing I did do before hand was to turn off the CrashPlan engine via Terminal.

I ran the Apple Hardware Test (forgot I had that). During the short test & the long test, the only error I got was a bad left fan. Ironically, I just replaced a fan in our other MacBook Pro. Guess this one got jealous.

Here's something pleasantly surprising:
I tried booting in Verbose Mode to Safe Boot today just so I could capture the message where it gets hung up. The machine booted to Safe fine. Huh? So I did a normal re-start and then tried Safe boot again. It booted fine. It seems that a problem disappeared by itself. Macs seem to have a self-repairing attribute. (Wish my truck had one).

Thanks Again For Sticking With Me On This One.
Be Sure To Enjoy Today!
Paul

 

[Slydude]

Has CrashPlan been off during all of the recent successful boots? If so, I wonder if there is something about CrashPlan contributing to the problem.

 

[harryb2448]

Didn't know about CrashPlan and it is something I would not let anywhere near my computer. For me as popular as anitvirus software.Do a Google on CrashPlan poblems and you will see a heap. Here is one to get you started:-


http://oleb.net/blog/2013/11/crashplan-experience/

 

[PGB1]

Good Question Slydyde! I was hours into diagnosing before I thought of preventing the CrashPlan engine from loading at boot.
CrashPlan was on during the first attempts to safe boot. Then I removed the start-up file from Launch Daemons & the problem remained. Then it dawned on me that Safe Boot prevents CrashPlan from starting by not loading the daemons.

After the Safe Boot magically repaired itself, it works with or without CrashPlan starting. But, Harry bailed me out on Safe Boot by letting me know that I do not need to use Safe Boot for my cloning. I just use terminal to stop the CrashPlan engine and probably don't have to even do that. SuperDuper! was worth every penny. It works great.


That is an interesting article about CrashPlan that you linked, Harry. That poor guy went through the ringer with CrashPlan. I have mixed feelings.
My chief complaint is that you have to use Java to use the application and it uses Java while it is running (in a sandboxed environment).

They have never lost a file of mine; but the interface application is awful. Plain awful.
They never came up with the native app that was mentioned in the article Harry linked- It's still Java based.
One thing I absolutely do not like is to use the application to restore or change something, you have to enable Java on the computer, then use the app, then remember to disable Java. The Java it uses while backing up is sandboxed, so it is not available for opening the application.

Another example is that when you want to restore, you're presented with a list of files & folders similar to Finder. But, some folders are open & some are not. It is random and a huge mess. So, lots of searching, drilling down, closing & opening is required. And, if you click one item, the list has to re-load itself so you can click another.
To be honest the only time I use them to retrieve a file is when I need one that is not yet on my local, incremental daily backup or my clone. Sometimes Excel will blow a spreadsheet that I am using to smithereens. A trip to CP will get me to a 15 minute old version. I suppose I would use their interface more if I had computers in two locations & wanted a file from one. But there are probably much easier ways to to that in this synchronized world.

On the backing up side, for me uploads are not slow at all except in the evening when our internet in general slows to a crawl. (Cable company blames Netflix)
I also can adjust the amount of CPU and RAM CrashPlan uses if I am 'present" (and adjust what 'present' means).
It (noticeably) slows the computer only when it is "Scanning Files". This happens once a day & takes 2 or 3 minutes for about 200 GB of data. I have it set for 6AM when I'm doing benign stuff like checking e-mail.

When I first signed up I chose that company primarily because they were the only ones that allowed version retention & versioning for OS X.
Another thing they were exclusive on was that they allow deleted files to be kept in their archive forever. For example, if I goof and delete the 2009 income tax returns and don't discover it until next year, the folder will be on CrashPlan's archives.

It doesn't mess up often, but when it does it is nearly impossible to find all but the most simple article on their support site. Their support people answer fast & explain stuff well, so that is a plus. A big plus.

So there are good & bad things about the service. Lots of people say they are great. Others hate them. Me? I'm neutral. I won't condemn them & I won't send them a blue ribbon.
I re-shop at renewal time, like I do with our other 'insurance' plans. When I find another provider that allows deleted file retention & versioning and DOES NOT use Java, I'll jump ship in a heartbeat- even if it cost more. Now that I am using 10.11, I would guess my choices of companies just became broader.

I won't ask in this post which service you guys like. I'll bet there are very good posts right on this forum already! Mac-Forums truly is Information Central.

Thanks Again Guys & Be Sure To Enjoy Today!
Paul