Mac rarely boots, even in to other pre-OS option, pls take a look

[live4soccer7]

Macbook Pro Early 2011 (10.8.5 Mountain Lion)

So I was using the computer the other day when it froze and become completely unresponsive (no new hardware or software changes, it gets used for business purposes 95% of the time). I had to do a hard shutdown. Since I have had a very very hard time getting it to boot back up. It doesn't even want to go in to recover mode, safe mode, AHT, alternate booting options, boot from disc won't work either etc.... Every once in a while it will boot to safe mode. Mostly it will either show the apple logo and then the screen will go completely gray and it will just stay there until I do a hard shut down. Alternately, when booting in to safe mode, it will get part way through the load and shut down on it own before loading the progress bar all the way (was able to successfully get it in to safe mode a couple times).

I have tried other ram, one stick of RAM, switch the sticks in the single RAM slot etc... Still same symptoms. A couple times this screen popped up during boot. I will have a link to the photo right below.

I was able to capture an HDD scan log here when it did boot up by shear luck.

I was able to do repair as you see, but I don't think the HDD is the issue since it has problems even getting to the other boot modes (rarely will). The only one that I seem to be able to always get in to is 'Single User Mode' CMD+S

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/...3-0EAA-4CCB-A1F9-AD89CB9220B3_zpsrukocgoe.jpg

===== Display starts at offset 858,564 within file of length 986,564. ====

===== Use File->Reload (Cmd-R) to display more. ====

2014-11-05 23:34:40 -0800: Verifying volume “Macintosh HD”

2014-11-05 23:34:40 -0800: Starting verification tool:

2014-11-05 23:34:40 -0800: Checking file system2014-11-05 23:34:41 -0800: Performing live verification.

2014-11-05 23:34:41 -0800: Checking Journaled HFS Plus volume.

2014-11-05 23:34:41 -0800: Checking extents overflow file.

2014-11-05 23:34:41 -0800: Checking catalog file.

2014-11-05 23:35:55 -0800: Checking multi-linked files.

2014-11-05 23:35:55 -0800: Checking catalog hierarchy.

2014-11-05 23:35:55 -0800: Checking extended attributes file.

2014-11-05 23:35:55 -0800: Checking volume bitmap.

2014-11-05 23:35:55 -0800: Checking volume information.

2014-11-05 23:35:55 -0800: The volume Macintosh HD appears to be OK.

2014-11-05 23:35:55 -0800: Repair tool completed:

2014-11-05 23:35:55 -0800:

2014-11-05 23:35:55 -0800:

 

[pigoo3]

How full is the hard drive (gigs used & gigs free)?

- Nick

 

[live4soccer7]

Sorry for the formatting issues there, it is just out it copied and posted form disk

Mount Point : / Capacity : 239.71 GB (239,713,435,648 Bytes)
Format : Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
Available : 55.63 GB (55,631,740,928 Bytes)
Owners Enabled : Yes
Used :184.08 GB (184,081,694,720 Bytes)
Number of Folders : 257,731
Number of Files : 1,960,765


THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LOOKING AT THIS! I do have a complete backup of the system, but this computer is used for processing daily orders and somehow have managed to get it to work for just a few hours a day at the right time.


My perspective on the HDD is that shouldn't it go in to the pre-OSX items such as recover, utilities, AHT etc... regardless of how full the HDD is or if it is corrupt (doesn't appear to be corrupt/failing)?

 

[harryb2448]

Have you booted into Recovery and ran Repair Disk as yet?

 

[pigoo3]

The hard drive is about 77% full. We usually use 80% full as an approx. point of when it is getting too full to operate most efficiently. So you're getting close.

Much of what you mentioned does sound like the HD may be getting old…even if Disk Utility doesn't report any major problems.

You could try running the free maintenance app called "Onyx". Install and run Onyx and see if it helps.

Titanium's Software • Index page

If the problems persist…try freeing up some additional HD free space. If the problems continue to persist after this…then maybe it is the HD starting to fail.

- Nick

 

[live4soccer7]

Have you booted into Recovery and ran Repair Disk as yet?

I can not even boot in to Recovery. The computer will get to the apple logo then go completely gray and completely shut/power down. Sometimes the spinning wheel will momentarily come up (not beach ball) and then it will go completely gray and sometimes it will not come up before going gray. Not to mention I have seen the blue screen with lines, the gray screen with lines, and also a black screen with computer still running and the 'kernal panic' screen a couple times. I do not recall the exact scenarios that created each of these. They seem very random and all happen right after the initial chime on start. I have never noticed multiple chimes or flashing lights on the front.

I have done the SMC reset and the NVRAM as well. Nothing from those.

 

[live4soccer7]

The hard drive is about 77% full. We usually use 80% full as an approx. point of when it is getting too full to operate most efficiently. So you're getting close.

Much of what you mentioned does sound like the HD may be getting old…even if Disk Utility doesn't report any major problems.

You could try running the free maintenance app called "Onyx". Install and run Onyx and see if it helps.

Titanium's Software • Index page

If the problems persist…try freeing up some additional HD free space. If the problems continue to persist after this…then maybe it is the HD starting to fail.

- Nick

Which part of Onxy, specifically, should be ran? I do see maintenance, but there are several choices and I am not familiar with this program. Seems I will be very soon though and continue to use it.

I do have a secondary HDD in the macbook that I could do a recovery from time capsule/machine on to (assuming that the computer stays functional long enough). I believe you can boot from that hdd (hd expansion from owx, replacing the optical drive).

Let me know what you guys think?? The secondary hdd is much larger 750GB. All the files on the primary are simply files, nothing large like video/media so it is hard to free up any additional space. I have already deleted what I could and freed up about 5-7GB (you see that now in the specs I posted above).

 

[live4soccer7]

Onyx at program start:

Thursday, November 6, 2014 1:00:36 - Opening OnyX
Thursday, November 6, 2014 1:00:50 - Checking the SMART status
Thursday, November 6, 2014 1:00:50 - SMART status verified
Thursday, November 6, 2014 1:01:10 - Verifying the structure of the volume
Thursday, November 6, 2014 1:02:25 - The volume has been verified

 

[pigoo3]

Which part of Onxy, specifically, should be ran? I do see maintenance, but there are several choices and I am not familiar with this program. Seems I will be very soon though and continue to use it.

Click on the "Auto" button…then let do its thing.

- Nick

 

[live4soccer7]

Click on the "Auto" button…then let do its thing.

- Nick

Thanks! I did that and it froze on power down/reset.

I found in some logs while in single user that the GPU access was non-existent. It seems that the GPU is failing or the BGA has bad solder connections now. I have moved the files that tell it to use the stand alone GPU and only use the integrated one. It booted up first try and seems to be working now. If it works through the weekend then I should assume that is definitely the issue. The longest it has worked before is about 16 hours or so. Usually just a few if I can get it to boot and it would typically never restart. After tomorrow I will try and restart it. I want to keep it up until we can finish our work for the week. That way I have the weekend to do any additional trouble shooting. Will be looking for a mac mini to restore my time machine backup on so I have a secondary machine.

 

[live4soccer7]

Here is the link I found for moving the files: https://people.cam.cornell.edu/~zc227/extras/early2011mbp_graphics.html