Can'y zap Pram, can't repair permissions and more!

Hi folks

I'm using a G4 (circa 2001) Power PC OS 10.3.9 with 512MB RAM and 13 gigs of HD space out of a total of 30 gig. Classic is installed.

Last night my son started Classic and opened Word for Mac. Everything was fine until he pressed the delete ket at which point all the open windows on the desktop shrank down to little windows and the Desktop picture darkened.

I shut everything down re-started and when I tried to type text, well, only some of the keys on the keyboard work but not all. Also, if I press 'H' for instance I get hy64. Not all the keys do that just some.

Then it got weirder.

Suddenly everything I typed came out in symbols not letters as if I was holding down the option key while typing.

It looked like this Ïw«¨¬ö¿¹

I've read about Repair Permissions so I gave that a shot but initially I tried Repairing without the install disk just from Disk Utilities. I tried it again and again and I kept getting the following message

Repairing permissions for Classic 9
Determining correct file permissions.
We are using special permissions for the file or directory
./Library/ColorSync/Profiles/Displays. New permissions are 16893
We are using special permissions for the file or directory
./Library/ColorSync/Profiles. New permissions are 16893
We are using special permissions for the file or directory
./System/Library/Filesystems/cd9660.fs/cd9660.util. New permissions
are 33261
We are using a special uid for the file or directory
./private/var/at/jobs. New uid is 1
We are using a special uid for the file or directory
./private/var/at/spool. New uid is 1
The privileges have been verified or repaired on the selected volume

Permissions repair complete

(When I first installed OS X 18 months ago I named the system Classic 9)

I then tried Disk Utility from the install disk. First I tried Repair Disk and got this message

Repair attempted on 2 volumes. HFS volume repaired. 1 volume could not be repaired.

I ran Repair disk again and got this message

Repair attempted on 1 volume. HFS volume repaired.

That scared me.

Tried to run Repair Permissions again (from install disk) and now it hangs about a quarter of the way through the process and I get this message

Disk Utility has lost its connection with the Disk Management Tool and cannot continue. Please quit and relaunch disk utility.

If I click quit I get this message

Disk Utility has operations in progress. Quitting in the middle of some operations can leave a disk nonoperational.

Well I clicked quit restarted and I'm still experiencing the same problems and more. For instance there's a little 'black flag' that has attached itself to the cursor. Can't really describe it any better than that. Anyway the list of oddities goes on and on.

Oh yeah tried to Zap Pram by holding down the four appropriate keys but P and R won't work so I can't do that!

Also I'm not clear on how to clear Library/Cache. There are 27 foders in there. Do I just drag them all to the trash. This is the Library/Cache that's found in the little house on the left side is that right?

What the heck is going on?

two words,...


RE LOAD

(backup date of course)

say what?

MacsWork said:

two words,...


RE LOAD

(backup date of course)

Click to expand...

Hey not fair!

I like to think I've got a great sense of humor but I have no idea what that's supposed to mean.

Re Load? Re Load what, the OS? If that's what you meant couldn't you have said reinstall OS?

Backup date? Sorry I'm a one woman guy.

I tried to give as much info as I could. Honestly folks I'm stumped and cryptic messages aren't helping.

Please don't assume everyone is 'on the same page' here ok?

I apologize,...

Yes,..I'd suggest a reinstall of the OS. Backup date was a typo for backup data.

You may ba able to perform an "Archive and Install" successfully which will allow you to preserve user accounts and settings. This option is given when booted to the OS disc and preparing to reinstall.

Sorry, I was in panic mode!

Thanks for the info.

And I apologize if I came off as a bit 'snippy' - I was in panic mode. I love my Mac and it pains me when something goes wrong.

The story does get stranger however.

I turned the Mac on this morning and everything is back to normal! Yesterday I couldn't even open folders - double clicking did nothing. As I said in the original post the list of wacky things it was doing was quite long and now... well, now my Mac is back!

I'm tempted to take a wait and see position before doing an Archive & Install but I'm going out this weekend and picking up Disc Warrior. I've been using Norton but I keep reading horror stories about it so it's time to move on.

Please don't hesitate to let me know if you think the wait and see attitude is a bad idea!

Again, thank you for your advice and patience.

Hows about the backup data and wait and see angle?

There is almost NEVER a time when a reload of the OS is needed. This is obviously not one of those times.
I would not even bother with the archive and install.
I would definitely get rid of the Norton, though.


Word of advice, leave your Mac on 24/7. The OS is designed to be left on all the time. If you do, then it will run the daily maintenance scripts which could have avoided this issue. I don't ever turn off or put my Mac to sleep, there is really no reason to do so.:black: