Mac Waiting (and waiting...) For Network

Chris Bauer · Post by **Chris Bauer** » 4 Mar 2006 8:28 pm

I got a new, used Mac today specifically to use with my Digi 002. I had a new internal boot drive installed and it worked great all afternoon following a clean installation of Jaguar. Now, when I try to start it, it waits a looooooong time at "Waiting For Network Initialization" and then takes an equally long time to 'see' the internal hard drives. Since starting this, it had been freezing a lot and has refused to allow Protools to fully install. Instead, with 132 items left to install, it sticks with the message, "Searching Hard Drive".

None of this was happening this afternoon and no new software has been installed on top of my clean Panther installation .

Anyone have any ideas???

Joey Ace · Post by **Joey Ace** » 5 Mar 2006 7:24 am

Sounds like a HD problem.
Try
Applications>Utilities>Disk Utility

Highlight the drive, and check the SMART status at the bottom of the screen. There should be no RED warnings.

Repair the permissions, using that same application.

It could also be RAM. Reseat your RAM, or remove any recently added to see if that makes a difference.

What MAC is it?[This message was edited by Joey Ace on 05 March 2006 at 07:26 AM.]

Chris Bauer · Post by **Chris Bauer** » 5 Mar 2006 7:36 am

Hi Joey -

Thanks. I actually had new RAM installed along with the new drive yesterday so it could be either or both, I guess. I'm hoping that the resident Mac guy is at CompUSA today (were I had it done) to take a look at it.

This morning I can't get it to see the drives at all so I can't get to disk utilities. If I can eventually get there, though, I'll give it a try.

It's a G4 dual 500.

Cal Sharp · Post by **Cal Sharp** » 5 Mar 2006 8:53 am

You might try booting from the install disk. You can run disk utilities from there. Also, check System Preferences/Startup Drive to make sure the proper drive is selected.

C#

Chris Bauer · Post by **Chris Bauer** » 5 Mar 2006 9:03 am

Thanks, guys. I was finally able to get to disk utilities and run permissions. No errors found so no luck. Nor did reseating the RAM set seem to help. (GRRRR!)

Any other thoughts? This is the first time - counting four Macs between my wife and me - that I've ever had anything but smooth sailing.

Cal Sharp · Post by **Cal Sharp** » 5 Mar 2006 10:29 am

I would create another account on this computer (if you haven't done so already) and log in from it and see if the problem persists. If it doesn't, then the problem is probably related to some (network?) settings in your main account and not to a hardware issue.

Joey Ace · Post by **Joey Ace** » 5 Mar 2006 11:14 am

If it worked before I'm guessing it's the RAM.

If you still have the original RAM, try going back to it.

Booting from an external Firewire drive would also be a good test.

Also, be sure you try Cal's suggestion and try creating a new user account. [This message was edited by Joey Ace on 05 March 2006 at 11:15 AM.]

Chris Bauer · Post by **Chris Bauer** » 5 Mar 2006 12:27 pm

No luck with swapping out the RAM, either. I dropped it back at CompUSA and they're supposedly going to get it diagnosed and repaired in the next two days. (I can't say I'm usually very impressed with their work but here's hopin'...) I'll let you know what it turns out to have been.

Chris Bauer · Post by **Chris Bauer** » 6 Mar 2006 7:19 pm

Got it back this afternoon and, as promised by the repair guy, it booted MUCH faster. He said that the previous drive (now a secondary) was badly corrupted and that taking care of that was all that was needed

I was thrilled until I went to update the OS on-line. It stalled in just the same way as Protools did before - this time it wouldn't write the full updated OS after downloading it - and timed out with a partially written OS. It still boots faster but is back to not seeing either hard drive and freezes over and over. (GRRRRR!)

Back it goes to CompUSA but anyone have any new ideas in the meantime?

Bob Hickish · Post by **Bob Hickish** » 7 Mar 2006 7:09 am

Chris
Maybe this will help .
file:///Macintosh%20HD/XPostFacto3.1/XPostFacto.html

Hick
edit
For some reason I didn't get the address right , but -- XPostFacto3.1 -- might help ! if I can find the right address I'll post it [This message was edited by Bob Hickish on 07 March 2006 at 07:15 AM.]
edit 2 http://eshop.macsales.com/OSXCenter/XPostFacto/Framework.cfm?page=XPostFacto3.html

There may be info here .[This message was edited by Bob Hickish on 07 March 2006 at 07:22 AM.]

Chris Bauer · Post by **Chris Bauer** » 9 Mar 2006 5:44 pm

Well, this certainly didn't end as I expected...

Twice more back to CompUSA. Each time, the machine ran better and better after they were through with it but, for some still unknown reason, it simply wouldn't install certain programs - Protools being one of them.

To my amazement, they allowed me to get credit for not only the hardware I'd bought but for the installation and labor charges as well and walk away with a brand new Mini 1.25. So far it works like a charm but I admittedly have yet to attempt the dreaded Protools installation on it.

Brian Herder · Post by **Brian Herder** » 15 Mar 2006 12:35 pm

If you're using the free version of ProTools, you have to start the computer in "Classic" OS 9. Even though that program will initialize Classic when you open it, it will freeze everytime. Just a thought.

Chris Bauer · Post by **Chris Bauer** » 15 Mar 2006 2:18 pm

Thanks Brian. I'm using 6.9.2. Now the Digi002 appears to have some hardware problems but they're getting fixed (at no charge) as I type this.

Chris Bauer · Post by **Chris Bauer** » 17 Mar 2006 1:05 pm

Seems the 002 needed a new power supply and power harness, something many of the earlier ones apparently need to have corrected. It was a free fix and - ta-dummmmm - everything now seems to be working like a charm.

joe wright · Post by **joe wright** » 23 Mar 2006 8:20 am

Look up the utility YASU. It might help those of you running sys 10+.

Its a house cleaning program....joe