Unable To Resolve Disk Utility Failure

OS Tiger 10.4.11, iBook G4

I learned, while researching this, that it is usually an issue with iTunes that causes Disk Utility to return the warning: "Disk Utility has lost its connection with the Disk Management Tool and cannot continue. Please quit and relaunch Disk Utility." (Most of what I read seems to occur with Panther, however. I bought this iBook a few years back with Tiger; it never had Panther installed.) I did what was suggested; moving the iTunes app to the desktop and deleting all but the most current receipt then relaunching Disk Utility but to no avail. I also not only uninstalled iTunes, but removed any reference to it from my iBook and Disk Utilities still returns this message. It doesn't matter if I access it from the Finder or from the start up disk. I tried to repair permissions using the Terminal, but it just sat there for several hours "determining permissions" and never progressed. I tried with Cocktail with the same result, never progressing.

I can think of no change to my normal routine that would have caused this and, as I said, iTunes is presently not on my laptop.

Does anyone have experience with this issue or perhaps a theory as to what else may be causing this? I'd appreciate any input.

Even though everyone including Apple is pointing towards this iTunes resolution, it sounds more like a HD problem to me.
First off I would boot off the install disc and try using disk utility from there.
Next up, I would install the combo update Mac OS X 10.4.11 Combo Update (PPC) and then try again.

Thank you, 6string. I also can't see how iTunes can be responsible for this, especially since no remnants of it exist on my laptop, anymore. I can't get disk utilities to get past the warning booting up from the disk either but I'll try that combo update and see if that has any effect. I appreciate the suggestion!

Taking it a step further if the combo update doesn't do the trick... I would use something like AppCleaner Apple - Downloads - System/Disk Utilities - AppCleaner to remove iTunes, making sure that you uncheck your music if it comes up, and then OnyX Download OnyX for Mac - OS X maintenance & optimization tool. MacUpdate.com making sure that you pick the one for tiger, and use the automation tab, and see how it goes from there.

Just to confirm - you booted from the install disk and used Disk Utility from the Top Finder menus? You could also try Safe Boot, which includes a disk repair.

Resolve startup issues and perform disk maintenance with Disk Utility and fsck

Well.... interesting development...

After trying the combo update, the iBook won't reach the login page on restart. (And I'm now out of town with no startup disks.)

I hit that link you gave, gsahli, and, after logging in with Single User Mode, I used fsck. After it went through its phases and I received the message that everything was "ok", I typed "reboot" but it's still just sitting here, wheel spinning.

Resetting PRAM hasn't helped; neither has Safe Boot. Apparently, the combo upgrade (which seemed to progress normally, ending with instructions to click "Restart" to finish installation) has done something which is causing the iBook to stall on restart. However, fsck reports that the volume is OK.

I'm just sitting here, staring blankly at it.


Edit: Also just tried holding down Option/Command/O/F (Open FIrmware) but no joy.

I suppose there's no command to uninstall the last upgrade?

That sucks.
definitely sounds like the HD dying or dead as I suspected in the first place.
The only way to trouble shoot it is having that startup disk to make sure it still boots off the install disc still?

Normally I don't recommend hard restart, but this is one of those times that I do since you are stuck without an install disc.
Power off with button until it shuts down, wait around half a minute, and then reboot.

6string said:

That sucks.
definitely sounds like the HD dying or dead as I suspected in the first place.
The only way to trouble shoot it is having that startup disk to make sure it still boots off the install disc still?

Normally I don't recommend hard restart, but this is one of those times that I do since you are stuck without an install disc.
Power off with button until it shuts down, wait around half a minute, and then reboot.

Click to expand...

It definitely does muddy things not to have the start up disk with me.

I'm afraid a hard restart behaves in the same manner. Same stall. My volume is journaled, but running fsck -f returns a message that the volume "appears to be OK". I type "reboot" and get back to the gray screen but I'm in spinning wheel ****.



Well.... shut it down and wait to get back to the disks? (I suppose there's no way to start up in some sort of command mode that will force a log in?)

Not that I'm aware of.

I've never heard of anyone having a problem with the combo updates, where as there have been many with the software update from the software updater in the  menu.
Even though running the fsck is giving you the all clear, I really believe that your HD is a goner.
Just out of curiosity, how much free space was on your HD?

6string said:

Not that I'm aware of.

I've never heard of anyone having a problem with the combo updates, where as there have been many with the software update from the software updater in the  menu.
Even though running the fsck is giving you the all clear, I really believe that your HD is a goner.
Just out of curiosity, how much free space was on your HD?

Click to expand...

I had 15 GB available. I'm trying to backtrack in my mind....

Someone gave me an iPod touch last week. I plugged it into my iBook, but got the message that it had to have iTunes 10 and, knowing that I was running Tiger and couldn't upgrade to 10, I simply unplugged it and didn't try again. No issues, the iBook shut down every night and restarted every morning after that. *thinking*

You know... today is the first time I've tried to restart the iBook since removing iTunes (because of the Disk Utility resolution I started this thread with). Is it far-fetched to wonder if the upgrade attempted to address iTunes (which had been removed from the iBook) and this is what's blocking the restart? But wouldn't it have interrupted the upgrade process if it had encountered a problem? (Wondering if I should reinstall iTunes via firewire....)

Groping in the dark, here. I guess it just must be the HD, after all.

I had 15 GB available

Click to expand...

This could have been the problem.... bare minimum of free space, and OS X really doesn't like that.

Is it far-fetched to wonder if the upgrade attempted to address iTunes (which had been removed from the iBook) and this is what's blocking the restart?

Click to expand...

I wouldn't think so.

(Wondering if I should reinstall iTunes via firewire....)

Click to expand...

Anything is worth a try at this stage, but I really can't see it happening.

You just got me thinking, that you could try booting in Target Disk Mode.
This way you can at least see if you can access your data.

How to use and troubleshoot FireWire target disk mode

Thanks for the Firewire link, 6string. I'm wondering, though.... three Macs with me and 12 in storage, including my old Mac Classic II, which still runs great, with its little floppies... because Mac users never throw one away....

But of the three here, one is a G4 desktop (but only running Panther) and the other is a Macbook, running Snow Leopard and, of course, my lowly, sick iBook, running Tiger. Must two f/w-connected Macs be running the same OS?

No.... they don't even both have to be Macs.
With Macs connected to a Windows PC in target disk mode, you have read but not write ability

I have a Simpletech Blueberry 160GB mini harddrive

This little jobber, here...

The good news is that I've recently saved most of my content to it. Too back I can't boot up to it. ;D

Thanks for the F/W link, again. I'll at least try to get in to peek around.

Glad you at least have most of your stuff backed up.
It's for reasons like this, that as well as my time machine backups, I always have my trusty clones made by Carbon Copy Cloner Carbon Copy Cloner - Home.
Before making any major changes to my Mac, I clone it, and when I know everything is good, then I clone it again.

I'm still thinking that you have a corrupt or failing HD, and that a clean install may do the trick as long as you dump some content and free up a lot more space, but perhaps a new HD is in order.
Time will tell when you get back to your install discs.

As a general rule, min 20% free space on HDs, although I like to keep at least 50% free space personally.

I can probably ditch the vast majority of what's on my HD now that I've backed it up, so when I"m back in town, I'll snag those start-up disks and see what a clean install will do. Overall, the iBook G4 was a good little machine and this one has been great; looks like crap but has been faithful until now. I can't just let it become a paper-weight. ;D

I'll stop back by and let you know how it turns out. Thanks!

Yep, those iBook G4s are great little machines.... served me well, as did the Macbook.

For sure, keep us posted, and have a happy new year

6string said:

Yep, those iBook G4s are great little machines.... served me well, as did the Macbook.

For sure, keep us posted, and have a happy new year

Click to expand...

Happy New Year!

Interesting (and disappointing) turn of events: I can't find my firewire but I did manage to get the start-up disks (gray iBook G4 disk set that came with the iBook when I bought it from Apple). The problem is that I can't start the iBook from the start up disk, because the drive won't accept it. There's nothing already in the drive, but the start up disk won't go all the way in, so I can't start up the iBook by holding down the C key.





EDIT: Resetting PMU didn't help. *heavy sigh* So I can't try starting from disks because..... well, it won't take the disk.... vicious circle.


2nd EDIT: Forget it. The question now becomes "How do I manually remove a stuck installation DVD from a dead iBook's slot optical drive, when the iBook will no longer even try to power up?" It's dead now; black, silent, a paperweight. Any chance of recovering my disk before I move on?

Last EDIT: (I promise.) I've managed to remove the DVD. Thank you, everyone, for your suggestions regarding the original issue; you were very helpful. I've simply fried the little iBook into ashes, though, so this thread is now an official "fail".