G5 won't shut down

Hi gang, sorry if this isn't FCP-related (but it is affecting my time spent editing!).

Simply put, my system won't shut down. Finder goes away, desktop clears, but the wallpaper stays put and it just sits there frozen. My only option is to hold the power button down. So far, I've done this about a dozen times and I'm sure that's not a good thing.

I haven't installed anything new in the past few months, only Apple-related "Pro Support" and Quicktime updates. I've checked forums at Apple, MacTalk, CNET, MacWorld, MacFixIt, etc. but none of their remedies are solving my problem. I'm running 10.4.10 on a dual 400 G5.

Here's what I've done so far:

- Zapped PRAM
- Trashed preferences
- Tried a "soft boot"
- Unplugged all peripherals
- Unplugged power supply for 1 hour
- Repaired permissions on all drives (says all drives okay)
- Used Disk Utility First Aid on drives
- Booted the system from another drive with an older OS (10.4.9), no luck
- Used SpeedTools & TechTool utilities (says all drives are okay)

- Other recommendations include running a utility called Onyx or replacing the PRAM battery (?) which I haven't tried yet.

Before I pay AppleCare to simply tell me to reinstall 10.4.0 and send me back to the Dark Ages, has anyone has had this problem and successfully conquered it?

Thanks for your help!
Mac

Well I guess if you did all that then you must of figured out how to turn it off, which is pretty much pull the plug or turn off the power strip it is plugged into. In any event, pull the plug. Wait 10-15 minutes to cool off then restart. See what happens. If it does it again, it might be time to reinstall the OS which is not a big deal. Just a hassle. Just Archive and install.

[docs.info.apple.com]

Michael Horton
-------------------

Try OnyX do a complete clean and repair

Have you checked the Directory structures or Volumes with Techtool? Its not that reliable on certain issues and I find DiskWarrior is better for this.

I have had this issues once or twice before on Panther (not Tiger touch wood) and it was caused by many different things including a bad HDD.

How much free space is on the HDD? it could be having a spat due to low free space.

As a real pessimistic question. What brand of HDD is it? Look up the serial on System Profiler then search in Google. If its maxtor think about buying a replacement by Hitachi, Western Digital or Seagate and Cloning your disk ASAP.

Ben



For instant answers to more than one hundred common FCP questions, check out the LAFCPUG FAQ Wiki here : [www.lafcpug.org]

Generally these sorts of things are caused by third party conflicts or badly seated ram or bad ram or just plain ol OSX problems. Often a reinstall will cure it. Might pull your ram and reseat it, for fun.

Michael Horton
-------------------

This might also be a bad power controller card in your G5. This is the board that allows you to have you computer plugged into the wall but shut off.

When you push the front panel power button, on the G5 the power control board enables the power supply to turn on. It also enables the PS to shut off when you select Shutdown from the Finder.

Thanks for all the tips. I'm downloading OnyX right now. All directories are A-OK apparently. The HDD is partitioned and the startup disk has plenty of room. Couldn't figure out what kind of hd it was with the serial number (maybe I'll pop it open and have a look). I'll definitely check the RAM while I'm at it. I hope it doesn't come down to a new power controller...yikes. We'll see what happens...it's annoying me like crazy!

<<<I hope it doesn't come down to a new power controller...it's annoying me like crazy!>>>

It's a new power controller.

Boot the system from the install CD. (Put the CD in, Hold "C" during boot)

English.

Quit the installer. Select "Startup Disk" from the drop-down, then "Startup Disk" from the upper bar, and Shut Down.

If it doesn't go, then the Power Controller is not recognizing the shutdown system. There's one more test you can do from Single User Mode, but that's seriously exotic and probably won't prove anything (plus I'd have to look it up).

That's one of the few things you can't check ahead of time (that I know of). If none of your tests have turned up anything so far, then there's nothing broken--except that one line--probably one actual wire--that has to activate only during shutdown.

Koz

OK, now it's all about me.

While researching that answer, I had to do it on my PowerBook because my Intel Mini will not boot from the CD. Will not.

Boot-"C" doesn't work.

Further, even if the CD (DVD) is in the machine, Apple, Preferences, System, Startup Disk will not give me an option to boot from the DVD.

I swear it used to work.

?????

Koz

Yep, it does here Koz (both tricks).

Tried holding option? Optical drive working ok otherwise?

Kozikowski Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>There's one more
> test you can do from Single User Mode, but that's
> seriously exotic and probably won't prove anything
> (plus I'd have to look it up).
>
> Koz

Dropping into single user mode is the best way to do a proper file system check and repair as it goes as close to the metal as you can get. The command you issue in single user mode is:

fsck -y

I believe. The last time I did this I got the drill from the "Mac OSX Hints" website. It's not that difficult when you have a cheat sheet to draw from.

Another way to shutdown a machine that has been hanging in the past is to use UNIX Terminal.app in the utilities folder but before you exit the finder. Once launched you issue this command:

sudo shutdown -r now

it will ask for your admin password and then begin the shutdown/restart sequence if you want to do a shutdown without a restart issue this command.

sudo shutdown -h now

again password will be asked for and the shutdown sequence begins. If this doesn't work then your machine needs at the very least some file system maintenance as has been outlined in some of the posts.

I found it. I need to change an article.

Don't start the machine from A System CD, start the machine from The System CD.

An Intel machine (my first) will not start from a Motorola startup disk.

My bad.

Koz

Thanks everyone. I tried almost every single tip but in the end it was solved by re-installing Tiger. Now my G5 shuts down as it always did. I think I'll stay put at 10.4.6 until Leopard comes out!

Quote

I'm running 10.4.10 on a dual 400 G5

Pardon me, folks...has anyone entertained the fact that there's no such thing as a "dual 400 G5"?? The smallest "G5 Dual" was a dual 1.8 Ghz back in 2004.

Joey

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

Whoops...I meant dual 2.0 gHz.

Well its worth a try doing a few things before you resort to a reinstall - I've just had to run OnyX on my system because since the new Keyboard and driver my Mac has been exhibiting startup weirdness in the form of not recognising my Wacom and/or keyboard. All sorted now though...

Glad you got it sorted!

Ben



For instant answers to more than one hundred common FCP questions, check out the LAFCPUG FAQ Wiki here : [www.lafcpug.org]