SD Locked Up - iMac Not Responding

[boboso]

My nightly back up (Smart Update) runs each night at 11pm. This morning I came out to find my iMac locked up (can move cursor, beach ball when over SD app window) and unresponsive, i.e. can move cursor but nothing else.

The SD app in the back up window shows a red header with the comment "cannot prepare Maxtor" (external hard drive to which I back up to).

So I did the before coffee stupid thing, and shut down and re-started the machine. It gets to the apple logo with the grey spinning wheel and then the fans come on like crazy but the screen remains locked with spinning wheel and logo.

I am at work now and cannot be at the iMac until later this evening, but any assistance would be appriciated.

[dnanian]

My guess is that your external drive has locked up. Disconnect all FireWire and other external devices, power them completely off (disconnect power), then start the iMac and you should be OK.

Once it's up again, you can reconnect the drive and power it on.

[boboso]

As always, thanks for the immidiate repsonse! I will give this a go tonight and post findings. Thanks!

Originally Posted by dnanian

My guess is that your external drive has locked up. Disconnect all FireWire and other external devices, power them completely off (disconnect power), then start the iMac and you should be OK.

Once it's up again, you can reconnect the drive and power it on.

[boboso]

Everything disconnected (including ethernet for cable modem) and no differance. Stuck on start up screen for 10 minutes now with fans blowing (or at least making nosie) and spinning grey disk. Attemped shut down and start up three times, same result.

Looks like a call to apple support is in order...?

Lucky we have the laptop and (god forbid) the windows PC.

[dnanian]

Hm. Reset your PRAM (hold down Cmd-Opt-P-R). Then, when you start, hold down Cmd V to see if it starts booting and logs some diagnostics...

[boboso]

Originally Posted by dnanian

Hm. Reset your PRAM (hold down Cmd-Opt-P-R). Then, when you start, hold down Cmd V to see if it starts booting and logs some diagnostics...

On the phone now with apple support, and have done the PRAM. We are now using install disc. Tried to repair permissions, which it could not find directory and now we are doing the repair disc option. reports are lost "catalog B" and many missing directories. Will keep you posted...

[dnanian]

Ooof. Sounds like a serious disk failure, Bob. Ow.

[boboso]

Originally Posted by dnanian

Ooof. Sounds like a serious disk failure, Bob. Ow.

Yep, reinstalling from Disc 1 at the moment. Hopefully I will be able to transfer user files from external (thanks to super duper) when it is done. Apple tech suggested not to boot from external as issue may have been copied over and since we have all app discs etc, as well as user files, we should be okay. Second time this has happened in 4 months were I had to do a full re-install... Not so happy

[dnanian]

Or migrate from the external to the internal... that might be even easier.

[boboso]

Originally Posted by dnanian

Or migrate from the external to the internal... that might be even easier.

Completed and success (and easy). Performing a full back up tonight and getting backups scheduled once again. Wife almost lost it when I told her about the re-format. You just can't replace years of photos of family and friends (not to mention my music!).

[dnanian]

No kidding. Given your luck, you might want to consider two backups, Bob!