Laptop Update

Hamilton, Bermuda

Still dead. However, I have learned the following:

  • Resetting the PRAM and the NVRAM did not help.
  • I wasn’t able to boot from the CD or Hard drive even explicitly from Open Firmware.
  • I cannot boot from a Macbook Pro in Target Disk mode, although I can see the drive in my options.
  • The aforementioned MBP could not boot from my hard drive although it too could see it in the boot options.
  • Mounting my target disk mode Powerbook to the MBP would allow it to mount. I could access it from the shell (Terminal) and was able to list the root folder.
  • Navigating into the /System/Library/CoreServices/ folder, I verified that BootX was there.
  • All folders under /Users/ were missing. That sucks.

So, after all that, I still don’t know what the problem is. I’ve stumped those I work with, and I can’t seem to find a similar problem on the Internet. I’m not sure a call to Apple Support is going to help, and since I’m out of warranty, it is likely to be costly. I’d like to extract my drive and try it in an enclosure, but 2.5 inch Firewire enclosures are not easy to come by in Bermuda.

If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know.

Written by Colin Bate