07-02-2008, 04:41 PM

The top menu bar in Finder > Desktop fails to load completely. Startup and Login works fine, Dock appears, as do all desktop icons. Mouse is working.

As items load into the top menu bar, at the top right, the Smart Reporter and dialup accelerator symbols appear, followed by Spotlight - and no more. The Spotlight symbol appears for a second or two and then disappears for 5 seconds, only to reappear. The process then repeats continuously.

At this stage the keyboard no longer works. It allows Login after restart however (this thread is being typed on my other Mac). Restarts do not cure the problem, and I cannot use Onyx because I cannot type my password.

I have run Permission Repair from Disk Utility. It has not cured whatever may be wrong. Still no loading of Clock, Volume, Keyboard, Dialup symbols. It gets stuck at the now-you-see-me, now-you-don't Spotlight. Mouse functions continue to work.

The Cause
Trying to Select All > Copy > Paste the contents of the Applications folder to TextEdit, which brought on massive constipation (of the OS). TextEdit seized, Force Quit didn't work, I had to quit all other open applications. Mouse > Restart failed to work, I had to force shutdown. Thereafter, on Restart, the menu bar problem emerged.

07-02-2008, 05:12 PM

Update: Verify Disk provides this message ...
Volume Header Needs Minor Repair
d.",1
Macintosh HD
Error: The underlying task reported failure on exit

1 HFS volume checked
Volume needs repair

What should be done to effect this repair - installation disk?

07-02-2008, 05:19 PM

Did you run Repair disk with Disk Utility from the install disk?
(EDIT: just saw your other post, so yes to repair disk!)

07-02-2008, 05:47 PM

Originally Posted by hughvane

Volume needs repair
What should be done to effect this repair - installation disk?

Thank you Soulwar. Installation Disk > Disk Utility > Repair Disk completed. Not successful. Report as follows:

Reserved fields in the Catalog Record have incorrect data

Extended Attribute File
Keys out of order.

Although Disk Utility from the Installation disk stated HFS Volume Repaired, the problem as first posted in detail is recurring. I have changed keyboards but that hasn't made any difference.

Archive and Install - this replaces the OS without affecting any other items, am I right?

07-02-2008, 05:58 PM

Job for DiskWarrior if you have it. Great utility.

07-02-2008, 06:13 PM

Originally Posted by hughvane

Thank you Soulwar. Installation Disk > Disk Utility > Repair Disk completed. Not successful. Report as follows:
Reserved fields in the Catalog Record have incorrect data
Extended Attribute File
Keys out of order.

Grasping at straws perhaps, but I wonder if deleting the keyboard prefs might fix the problem?

And thanks harryb, DW for OS X not available to me.

07-02-2008, 06:26 PM

Originally Posted by hughvane

Grasping at straws perhaps, but I wonder if deleting the keyboard prefs might fix the problem.

And now, to add to the tangled mess, external USB drive(s) won't unmount. I can shut down and then disconnect the drive(s) but that's the only way. It appears some Finder functions are also adversely affected by the Mac HD problem.

07-02-2008, 06:57 PM

The "keys out of order" indicates several filesystem corruption.

You could give this a try, it may or may not work though.

1. Boot into Single User mode.
2. Type fsck -yf
   
3. Note the filesystem. (For example /dev/disk0s9 )
4. You can also get the info from Disk Utility, under disk identifier, by selecting your named HDD and select info from the toolbar.
5. When and if the repair fails..
6. Type fsck_hfs -r /dev/disk0s9 (replacing disk0s9 with your info for filesystem) It should start repairing.
7. Type reboot

If it doesn't help, you may want to consider the archive and install or backup what you need, and do the erase and install option.

07-02-2008, 08:52 PM

Moved to more suitable forum.

07-02-2008, 09:30 PM

Originally Posted by Soulwar

The "keys out of order" indicates several file system corruption. Boot into safe mode.

Unfortunately Safe Mode won't work, despite numerous attempts. Startup just continues to my Login process.

Two choices:
1. Disk Warrior
2. Reinstall OS Tiger (archive & install)

•The first option is not presently available to me, and it is expensive
•The second option is readily available - but will it fix the file system problem? I understand that Keys Out of Order is serious.

07-02-2008, 09:59 PM

Originally Posted by Soulwar

The "keys out of order" indicates several filesystem corruption.

You could give this a try, it may or may not work though.

1. Boot into Single User mode.
2. Type fsck -yf
   
3. Note the filesystem. (For example /dev/disk0s9 )
4. You can also get the info from Disk Utility, under disk identifier, by selecting your named HDD and select info from the toolbar.
5. When and if the repair fails..
6. Type fsck_hfs -r /dev/disk0s9 (replacing disk0s9 with your info for filesystem) It should start repairing.
7. Type reboot

If it doesn't help, you may want to consider the archive and install or backup what you need, and do the erase and install option.

Did you try that yet?

Originally Posted by hughvane

Unfortunately Safe Mode won't work, despite numerous attempts. Startup just continues to my Login process.

Two choices:
1. Disk Warrior
2. Reinstall OS Tiger (archive & install)

•The first option is not presently available to me, and it is expensive
•The second option is readily available - but will it fix the file system problem? I understand that Keys Out of Order is serious.

If what I posted earlier doesn't work, then try the Archive and Install.
It would mostly depend if it's just corruption or a mechanical problem, in the HDD. I haven't seen any evidence of a hardware problem yet.

07-02-2008, 10:29 PM

Originally Posted by Soulwar

The "keys out of order" indicates several file system corruption. You could give this a try, it may or may not work though..[*]When and if the repair fails.. of lines, ending with "assume yes[*]Type fsck_hfs -r /dev/disk0s9 (replacing disk0s9 with your info for filesystem) It should start repairing.[*]Type reboot[/LIST]If it doesn't help, you may want to consider the archive and install or backup what you need, and do the erase and install option.

Unfortunately (again) the second Single-User repair option didn't work either, just spewed out a list ending with "y: assume yes" or something. I'll keep trying.

07-02-2008, 11:18 PM

Originally Posted by Soulwar

Did you try that yet?
If what I posted earlier doesn't work, then try the Archive and Install.

Please read the Fault Report attached. I don't understand most of it. Reboot following that process brings back the original problem, even though fsck -yf found no problems on the second run through.