So I have spent a good hunk of the last two days trying to fix computers. Namely, our iBook(old Mac laptop) that we’ve have since 2003, and our 2006 MacBook (new mac laptop-thanks Dad). The first sign when something is wrong is when a dark grey screen descends and your computer tells you to restart in 5 different languages.

So I go through the usual restart thing, try to book into safe mode, single user mode, from an emergency startup disk. Always the same evil grey screen. Even booting into target disk mode( basically making the computer into an external hard drive) so I can try to copy the info off, causes the evil grey screen to happen on whatever computer I plug it into.

So this is hosed, must go to backup, (always backup your computer) Oh look, my back up is a month old, guess the lazy person. So off to the MacBook to restore my files onto it. However it seems to have this thing where it decides to shut down randomly, with no warning. One second running a software update to bring things up to speed then click, all off.

Pull up third computer to search Apple.com/support to find the cause, Oh need to upgrade the firmware. Which would happen if I could just run the Software Update, but oh yeah it just keeps crashing and turning off.

Just in case, I pull out the department’s spare laptop(yes 4th computer) and begin to restore backed up files to it, USB hard drive, “estimated time remaining 2 hours and 23 minutes”. Great
look at support pages again find another option for iBook, doesn’t work. Look in apple support again, find solution for MacBook, download firmware restore, burn it onto a CD. However a disk recovery/repair CD is stuck in the drive of the MacBook and can’t get it out since when I try to start up the computer it just keeps shutting down again. Figure that out, put in Firmware Restore CD run that. then Upgrade Firmware( which is what was causing the random shut downs), get that back up to speed. Look at the clock it’s time to go pick up McKelvey from school, I have spent 5 hours on this(plus my 3.5 hours last night)

After picking McKelvey up, I restore the backed up files onto the MacBook and then have to tweak the settings for the Dial-up internet and email to get them working again.

So we have the MacBook up and running, files duplicated on the work laptop(mental note must erase) and the iBook which has only one trick up it’s sleeve, and that is Frustration I mean the grey of complete evil.

Time to sell things on ebay so we can buy a new Hard Drive for the iBook.

Or just beat it with a stick.