MacbookPro cannot boot OS X

Hi all,

I have a MacbookPro and it was working fine this morning. That is until i did the following that caused my MBP unable to boot up OSX (leopard) with internal HD.

Below are chronology of whati have done. That hopefully will help you to help me.

1) i restore my window bootcamp HD partition all Mac partition using bootcamp application. No problem there. Restored to all Mac partition.
2) Run BOOTcamp to create window partition again for bigger partition. That is when error saying disk failed and ask to run disk utility to repair.
3) Run disk Utility (from HD) -> first aid -> verify disk permission and then repair disk permission. No error message appeared
4) Run disk Utility (from HD) -> first aid -> verify Disk. Error message "Invalid node structure". Cannot run repair disk because launched disk utility from HD
5) In order to do disk repair. Re-boot MBP with installation disk and then use disk utility -> run disk verify (same errror"invalid node structure"). Ran repair disk but failed. Error message saying "invalid key length" Try several times but all failed but some time error message saying "invalid node structure"
6) After that restart MBP with internal HD. Cannot start OSX. Stucked at screen with apple logo and rotating wheel..After some time. it poweroff itself.

Panicking now.. what shld i do??? i can still boot up with the installation disk. Anything i can do save my data???No backup? Can i still do restoration.

BTW, when i boot up with installation disk and run disk utility, i can still see the HD?? Just cannot boot from there...???

Lastly i run verbose-mode during bootup and error message says "disk0s2 I/O error". Does that mean my HD crashed. But i can still see it and scan
the files in disk utility?? why

Anyone pls help...

i don't suppose you can get your hands on a copy of disk warrior?
DiskWarrior 4

unfortunately this isn't the cheapest fix, but would probably work

Smackintosh: Thanks for your response
I am afraid i dont have diskwarrior.

Someone suggested i install leopard on a external USB HD and then boot from there. From there i can access the problem internal HD and try to recover some data. Do you think it is worth trying this way

I am just afraid i might make it worst.. What u think?

If u boot off the installation disk you should have the option of archive and install - that way you get a new OS but still have access to previous files

Collin Bl said:

If u boot off the installation disk you should have the option of archive and install - that way you get a new OS but still have access to previous files

Click to expand...

Thanks..
This might just be what i am looking for..

As u know, i dont have backup. Can this make the problem worst on the HD thus entirely corrupts all data that may still be ok prior?

Which is a better options/bet
1) Do archive and install (with "Preserve Users and Network Settings" checked) and then accesss the previous data --OR---
2) Install OS on another ext USB HD and boot from there and try to access the problem HD and access previous data

Main thing is i can copy the old data and i dont make thing worst for the problem HD & corrupt more data.

Ok assumptions here - as your MBP wont boot you must have another computer to be posting here - so if it is a Mac - connect it to the MBP with Firewire start MBP and immediately hold down T key and a firewire symbol should come up on screen. Go to Mac at other end of fire wire and you should see MBP HD icon on the desktop which in turns give you the chance to copy important files off of that before you install new OS on MBP.

Collin Bl said:

Ok assumptions here - as your MBP wont boot you must have another computer to be posting here - so if it is a Mac - connect it to the MBP with Firewire start MBP and immediately hold down T key and a firewire symbol should come up on screen. Go to Mac at other end of fire wire and you should see MBP HD icon on the desktop which in turns give you the chance to copy important files off of that before you install new OS on MBP.

Click to expand...

Colin:
Actually i am posting from a window laptop, so no luck to do firewire....unfortunately.

Anyway, you have comments of which of the 2 options is best??

If i were you i would install to an external and and copy everything you need from the internal to the external. Format the internal (to fix any errors) Then use superduper to clone the new install (from the external) to the internal.

the reason i would do it this way is that if your internal drive has errors it probably needs to be formatted if it cannot be repaired.

Smackintosh said:

If i were you i would install to an external and and copy everything you need from the internal to the external..

Click to expand...

Do you suggest i do a manual copy&paste whatever important 1st (to avoid another meltdown) OR use Time Machine and backup everything OR other application like Migration/SuperDuper.??

I would try migration assistant firsts. if that wouldn't work then i would do it manually or with time machine.