iMac g5 won't boot

[kriskauf]

Please help with advice if you can. My less than 6 month old flat panel g5 running 10.3.9 won’t boot up.

The chimes sound, screen goes grey, and the gear spins and spins until the screen goes black and I see

Disk0s3:I/O error

/etc/master.passwd: No such file or directory

Disk0s3:I/O error

Disk0s3:I/O error

/etc/master.passwd: No such file or directory

Disk0s3:I/O error

Disk0s3:I/O error

-sh2.05b#

Booting of the test CD I get this error message during the test when it gets to the mass storage section

2stf/8/3:s-ATA bus0 - master

Is it possible the hard drive crashed already??

Thank You for any help or advice you may have.

Kris Kaufmann
412-318-1425

[e-mail]

North Hills High School

Video Club Advisor

[yellow]

See my post here: http://www.daniweb.com/techtalkforums/thread23846.html

It references the master passwd problem..

However, the IP problem is worrying. To me, that sounds like a failing/failed hard drive. You should boot from the installer DVD and make sure you verify the S.M.A.R.T. status on the drive. Then, you should be calling Apple and try to work out a replancement drive, since you're still inside your 1 year warranty. Hopefully you have a back up?

[kriskauf]

It cannot verify the drive.

[yellow]

I meant to say I/O earlier.. not IP, but I cannot edit the post..

Anyway,

Cannot verify.. is not a good sign...

I'd get on the horn with Apple and get some support through them.

[kc0arf]

Hello,

I am in agreement. I think the drive is doomed.

Christian

[kriskauf]

Thanks for the posting advice and -

I called Apple who authorized me to take it to our local apple store for warranty work.

As for back ups, of course I have the original source tapes, but we are a PC district, :( and it was a fight to get this Mac. So naturally there was no budget for back up media, and even if I backed up to CD, there's no other machine I would be able to continue the work on while this machine is out. (There are a scarce few other Macs here but I don't have access to them) And I'm sure mine won't be back before the end of the school year. So, back to my trusty Panasonic AG 7750 AB roll system and analog editing. With this years yearbook sales we'll buy a back up drive.

Thanks for your help

[yellow]

What does the school year end?

[kriskauf]

I took the iMac to the Apple store. They could access the data, so I'll have them back it up. (I bought a LaCie with my own money for them to do it on and then we'll keep the drive so we'll finally have our own back up device in the future)

If they can't repair the drive, Apple will replace it under warranty but the 250 GB drives are on a 7-10 day back order. That's not unreasonable to me, but it cuts my deadline close (school ends June 10 and we have to have about 150 vhs copies of the video by then) so I'll continue on analog.

There was a fifty dollar back up fee, and of course I didn't have to buy the drive, but it seemed like a good way accomplish two goals at once.

I'll post with the resolution on this.