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    Boot Up Problem

    Discussion in 'Apple and Mac OS X' started by nonamebowler, Jun 3, 2009.

  1. nonamebowler

    nonamebowler Notebook Evangelist

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    Hey Guys, I am having some trouble with my Unibody Macbook. Like a week ago, I began to have issues with my Macbook where after being booted up for a while programs would close and new ones would not open, and I would have to reboot. To me this sounded like a memory issue where there was a bad sector on the memory that was randomly used, which is why there was no pattern to when this problem would show up. It could have started at boot up or after hours of using the computer. It worked like that for a couple of days, and since I decided that it was probably the memory, I would just by 4 gigs of memory to replace these bad ones because I was planning on doing it sooner or later, it just gave me an excuse to do it. Then over the weekend, my mac would no longer boot up. It chimes, and gets to the gray apple boot up screen and then just spins for a while until it turns off. I just put the new 4 gigs in there and that did not fix my problem. Also, for something that it did last week for a couple times, is that when it booted up it would do 3 beeps, which I was told meant a memory issue. I would really like to get this fixed without having to re install the OS or going to the Apple Store, but of course if it cant be helped it cant be helped. Can you guys please help me, thanks.
     
    nonamebowler, Jun 3, 2009
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  2. D3X

    D3X the robo know it all

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    Definitely sounds like a memory incompatibility. Did you get the upgrade from Apple store?
     
    D3X, Jun 3, 2009
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  3. nonamebowler

    nonamebowler Notebook Evangelist

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    No it was 4 GB Crucial kit. But it is doing the same thing now with the 4 gig kit as it did with the original 2 gig set.
     
    nonamebowler, Jun 3, 2009
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  4. D3X

    D3X the robo know it all

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    Try booting your system with the original OS X Install DVD. If it works, then perhaps the memory errors caused corruption on your hard drive. You will need to reformat or install the correct the problem.
     
    D3X, Jun 3, 2009
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  5. nonamebowler

    nonamebowler Notebook Evangelist

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    I can boot up to the install disk. What do you guys think is the best way that I can get my files off of there before I format the drive.
     
    nonamebowler, Jun 3, 2009
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  6. D3X

    D3X the robo know it all

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    Did you do a TimeMachine back up? If you have then I wouldn't worry too much about it, just do a restore.

    If not, I would spend a little bit on getting an external hard drive so that you could boot into the DVD again, access the files you need and copy them over to the external. Then format the drive and then install a fresh copy of OS X.

    I'd suggest actually using Time Machine after this... it has saved me more than once...
     
    D3X, Jun 4, 2009
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  7. nonamebowler

    nonamebowler Notebook Evangelist

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    I have an external drive that I can put stuff on to, but I couldnt find where in the boot up CD where you can get to all the files I had on there. What I want to get is the stuff that was in my Pictures and Downloads folders.
     
    nonamebowler, Jun 4, 2009
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  8. D3X

    D3X the robo know it all

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    Go to Users > Your-UserName >

    You'll see both your Pictures, Documents and Download folders there.
     
    D3X, Jun 4, 2009
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  9. nonamebowler

    nonamebowler Notebook Evangelist

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    Where is that? I see no where where you can select user when I boot up to the install disk.
     
    nonamebowler, Jun 4, 2009
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  10. Luke1708

    Luke1708 Notebook Virtuoso NBR Reviewer

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    try resetting your pram.
     
    Luke1708, Jun 4, 2009
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  11. nonamebowler

    nonamebowler Notebook Evangelist

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    I have already tried to reset the pram. How do I get to the place where I can put my files onto a external drive. I really need to get some of these files off, then I have to problem formatting.
     
    nonamebowler, Jun 4, 2009
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  12. NgCir

    NgCir Notebook Consultant

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    Just to clarify, when you boot off the install disk you are unable to see your hard drive?

    Have you tried running disk utilities from the install disk? Is that able to see your hard drive?
     
    NgCir, Jun 5, 2009
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  13. Luke1708

    Luke1708 Notebook Virtuoso NBR Reviewer

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    it should have appeared on disk utilities. try unlugging and replugging it. also i suggest you bring your laptop to an apple store. maybe there is a hardware problem with it.
     
    Luke1708, Jun 5, 2009
    #13