Macbook Leopard 10.5.6 cannot open any applications on hard drive or CD drive. Pulldown menus not functioning. all f keys function normally. Ran disk utility and checkout ok for hardware test, disk and file repair. Can not get system to bring up OS in safe mode. Am I dealing with a virus?

You will need some install disks to even begin working on your issue.
Your options:

• Find someone with the same model MacBook Pro and borrow the disks.
• Buy a copy of Leopard (10.5) or Snow Leopard (10.6) and use them. If you are going to buy a set you might as well update to Snow Leopard (10.6)
• Check eBay for install disks but make sure they are for the same model MacBook Pro.
• Contact an Apple service center and purchase a replacement set of install disks.

Once you have a install CD, I would recommend backing up your system by making a disk image of the hard drive to an external drive. Then doing a clean install and then using the Migration Assistant to restore your user files to the clean install on your hard drive.

font.f1 { font: 12px Helvetica; } Thanks for asking your question with Fixya Support. I will be glad to assist you.

What you are experiencing is what is called a Kernel Panic.
A Kernel Panic, is a internal fatal error, detected by your system from which it
cannot recover from safely. Such an error can be the result of a software
function or operation failing to execute as it normally does, or halting without
warning, or even a hardware component, suddenly ceasing to operating
or simply shutting down. In either scenario, the system will display the frozen
black and white screen with the languages text listed.

Normally a simple reboot of your Macbook Pro will resolve the issue, but in some cases it can take a specific procedure to correct and prevent a kernel panic from occurring again.

So here are a few procedures you can use to resolve and prevent further kernel panics:


• First, hold in your power button for approximately 10 seconds to do a hard shutdown, if your Macbook Pro is still turned on.

• Once your Mac is shutdown, you will need to perform what is called a PRAM reset (Parameter RAM)

• Locate the following keys on the keyboard: Command, Option, P, and R. You will need to hold these keys down simultaneously .

• Turn on the Macbook Pro.
• Press and hold the Command-Option-P-R keys. You must press this key combination before the gray screen appears.

• Now, hold the keys down until the computer restarts and you hear the start up sound for the third time.

• Release the keys and allow the Macbook Pro to start up.

If your Macbook Pro starts up normally and does not go into another kernel panic, then you should be able to resume normal session activity on your Macbook Pro.

However, should the kernel panic return, then you can use an SMC Reset to correct the kernel panic:

-SMC RESET-
The System Management Controller is an integrated circuit (computer chip) that is usually on the logic board of your Mac portable.

It is responsible for power management of the computer. It controls back-lighting, hard disk spin down, sleep and wake, some charging aspects, trackpad control, and some input/output as it relates to the computer sleeping.

Shut down the computer.
• Disconnect the MagSafe power adapter from the computer, if it's connected.
• Remove the battery.
• Press and hold the power button for 5 seconds.
• Release the power button.
• Reconnect the battery and MagSafe power adapter.
• Press the power button to turn on the computer.

Once again, when you are back up to your main desktop, resume your normal session activity.
At this point there should be no further issue a the kernel panic rearing its ugly head once again.

If it does, then you will need to take more intensive steps such as inserting your Mac OS X installation disc and booting up to that disc and running Mac OS X's Disk Utility, to repair the hard drive and permissions of the Mac OS X system you are using.

I will leave you with that procedure, in the event you need to run Disk Utility:

Insert your Mac OS X Startup disk
•Reboot your Mac
•At the Apple Chime, press the C key and hold it until you see a White screen, gray Apple and eventually a Spinning gear.
• Release the C key only after you see the Spinning gear.
•Mac will boot from the start up disk to the Installer environment
• From the Installer Menu bar, click Utilities > Disk Utility and open up Disk Utility application.
• Click on on the hard drive at the top of the window in the left sidebar and
• Select "Repair Disk"
**Let Disk Utilities run this repair the disk until completion
• At the end of this process, reboot your Macbook Pro
Return back to you main desktop and again, resume your normal session activities.

Any more kernel panics after this, you may want to consider taking your Macbook Pro in for service at your local Apple retail store Genius Bar or local Apple authorized service provide in your area.

I hope this information proves helpful for you.

Regards,

-Mactechtrainer

Your hard drive might be failing.
If you have the original install discs that came with your computer, insert disc 1 into your computer. Then turn off your computer and then turn it back on again while holding down the Option (alt) key and double click on the CD icon that pops up. Then when the computer boots from the DVD, click on Utilities and the open up the Disk Utility application. Run "Repair Disk" with your internal hard-drive selected. If this program cannot fix your problem, you may need to invest in purchasing a new hard drive and replacing the one in your computer.

The first thing to do would be to check that the usb cable or firewire cable (depending on which you are using) is functioning. Also check that the usb or firewire port is functional. This will rule out as to whether the disk or the cable and ports are at fault. The other thing you can do is go to the applications folder and then into the utilities folder and open up disk utility. In the left hand column if your disk is showing up single click on it and then in the top left of the disk utility window click on mount. Then at the bottom right hand corner of the disk utility window click on repair disk this will verify and then repair the disk. Hope this helps.

Thanks for contacting FixYa Support, I will be glad to assist.

Here are some 3 sets of troubleshooting steps you can try in order to work and resolve this issue:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Procedure #1

Here are some steps you can try to resolve the issue:
• First, hold in your power button for approximately 10 seconds to do a hard shutdown.

• Once your Mac is shutdown, you will need to perform what is called a PRAM reset (Parameter RAM)
This should help with the freezing issue:

• Locate the following keys on the keyboard: Command, Option, P, and R. You will need to hold these keys down simultaneously .

• Turn on the computer.
• Press and hold the Command-Option-P-R keys. You must press this key combination before the gray screen appears.

• Now, hold the keys down until the computer restarts and you hear the startup sound for the third time.

• Release the keys and allow the Mac to start up.

If this does not work go to Procedure# 2

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Procedure # 2

Perform an SMC Reset (Have to provide you the link from Apple for this procedure, due to not having enough space to type this our for you.
Macbook SMC Reset Processes

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Procedure# 3
One final step I would recommend you try regardless, is to repair the folder and file permissions on your Macbook, which, do get damaged sometimes and can hinder the optimum performance of your Macbook using Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard or 10.6 Snow Leopard. This will require

font.f1 {font: 13.0px 'Myriad Pro'} -RUN DISK UTILITY WITH STARTUP DISK-

1. Insert your Mac OS X Startup disk
2. •Reboot your Mac
3. •At the Apple Chime, press the C key and hold it until you see a White screen, gray Apple and eventually a Spinning gear.
4. • Release the C key only after you see the Spinning gear.
5. •Mac will boot from the startup disk to the Installer environment
6. • From the Installer Menu bar, click Utilities > Disk Utility and open up Disk Utility application.
7. • Click on on the hard drive at the top of the window in the left sidebar and
8. • Select "Repair Disk"
9. **Let Disk Utilities run this repair the disk until completion
10. • At the end of this process, reboot your Macbook

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

These are all helpful procedures used by many Apple techs and Mac users to help resolve system and application interrupts, as you have described.

I hope this will help resolve your issue so you can resume using your Macbook. Let me know if I can be of further assistance.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Regards,

Mactechtrainer

Hello yang2699tlk,
Try this instead of using your Leopard Disc.

1. Immediately after the "bong" press and hold down "Command + S".
2. Wait for blinking cursor and then type fsck -y (exactly like that).
3. If you receive an "Appears to be OK" then type reboot and hit the return key.
4. If you receive a "Disk has been modified" then repeat the fsck -y command until you get an "Appears to be OK" then type reboot and hit the return key.

This set of commands entered in "Single User Mode" will repair your disk. If this does not work remove the hard drive, plug it into another Mac and transfer your data to a different computer. Then install a new hard drive and reinstall Mac OS X.

Hope this helps, don't forget to vote. Thanks.

It appears there may be a possible startup item or issue with your firmware, which may be causing this issue, so I am going to provide some procedures in order to help you resolve this gray screen issue. But first, let me help you remove that disc first:

font.f1 {font: 13.0px Myriad Pro} font.f2 {font: 14.0px Myriad Pro} Procedure #1 - Ejecting CD from drive
Here are some steps I recommend you try to resolve the issue with the disc not ejecting properly

• Reboot your Mac
• Hold down your Mouse button(s) prior to the Apple Chime
• Keep holding the mouse button down while your Mac boots up
• The disc should eject before you reach your Desktop
• When it does, simply release your mouse buttons.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
If this does not help resolve ejecting the disc in your Macbook's drive, you are going to have to take more of a command-line approach:

font.f1 {font: 12.0px Helvetica} -EJECTING DISC USING TERMINAL-

From your Desktop:
•Click anywhere on a blank space on your desktop. Now you should see Finder listed near the Apple menu icon.

• From the Finder menu, click on Go, then Utilities from the
drop-down menu. This will take you to your Utilities folder.

• Locate and open the Terminal utility
• At prompt, type: drutil eject

• Now press the Return key on your keyboard

(NOTE: If you have a CD/DVD drive with a tray, type: drutil tray open press the Return key on your keyboard )en
• This command line should eject the disc from the drive, unless there are mechanical issues with the drive within your Macbook.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
At this point the disc should be ejected from your Macbook. If this is the case, then I will now need to direct you back to Safe Boot mode, but with a little twist, from what you may have tried when you last when to Safe Mode:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

I am going to have you take your Mac into Safe Mode to see if we can't remove a possible folder(s) that may be affecting your Mac's start up function.

Try these steps:
-SAFE BOOT MODE-
• Reboot your Mac
• Upon restarting your Mac, press the Shift key.
• Hold the Shift key until you see a White Screen with Gray Apple icon and eventually a spinning gear.
• When you see the Spinning gear, release the Shift key.
• Allow the Mac to continue booting up. Also this may take a little while.
(NOTE: this may take anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes to load to the Safe mode screen depending on the performance of your Mac, but if it exceeds this time, shutdown your Mac and try just once more. It may have just frozen up the first time around for you.)
• You are going to enter the Safe Mode (which looks like your main desktop environment the only difference is certain start up items are disabled.)

• Once within the Desktop in Safe Mode
• From the Finder Menu, click Go> Go to Folder
• Type in this line: /System/Library/StartupItems
• This path, is going to take you to the System Library folder which has all of your Mac OS X Startupitems.
• Remove all of those folders to the Trash.

*Reboot your Mac normally and see if you can access your normal User desktop environment.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Post back to me, if these particular Safeboot procedure does not help. Thanks!

Regards,

-Mactechtrainer

Try holding down ALT while booting up and select Macintosh HD. If that doesn't work try inserting your mac osx install CD or DVD restart hold down ALT. Select the CD using the arrow keys after the CD has loaded go up to the drop down menus and go to disk utility, then click on your main boot disk (macintosh HD) and under the First AID tab (if your using osx) click verify permissions and restore permissions, then click verify disk and repair disk. Try to boot up. If this doesn't work restart leaving work mac osx CD in hold down D then follow the disk checker steps. This will tell you if there are any errors on your disk (hard drive). If there are you need to get it fixed or replaced. If none of this works you will need to buy a 8.1gb pen drive mac osx 10.6 update ($30 USD) then follow the instructions from http://www.maciverse.com/installing-snow-leopard-onto-an-external-hard-drive.html to create a temporary start up disk. Then go to your old Hard Drive Macintosh HD (should be on the desktop) and copy/backup important files and then turn off and get a new hard drive try Ebay and ask if it will fit your macbook by using your model number found under your battery. Find instructions for install or take the hard drive to a pc shop and ask for them to switch them over. If they don't copy your old files you will need to do a fresh install with your mac osx cd/dvd.
Note: You can use the pendrive as a temporary for as long as you want, to select it hold down ALT at startup and select the disk thats not macintosh hd or a cd/dvd. If you can't find an 8.1gb pen drive get a 16gb pendrive. sorry about the URL the link button wasn't working for some reason

Hello, The blinking file folder with the question mark can happen when the computer doesn't "see" your System. It can be caused by a faulty hard drive, or by a damaged operating system. You can try to reboot the mac, hold the mouse button during 20 seconds to eject the CD, then insert you installation DVD (leopard). Reboot the Mac again, and hold the "C" key. Select english, the go to the tools menu, and Disk Utility. Go to the SOS tab, select your drive and click "repair". If something red appears, it means that it has found something wrong on your hard drive. Best regards

I got error code 10657 when I tried to open a file in Finder on the external drive that I had used for a Time Machine backup before I reformatted the hard drive of my MacBook. When I started Time Machine on the MacBook (with Leopard reinstalled) and went to the backup date that held the desired file, I was told that I needed to recreate the containing folder (or choose another location for the restore). I chose recreate the folder, and the restored file was available in the new folder without any further problem.