Hi Alastair,

You seem to be avoiding my questions on backup which I've asked in replies to 
your original problems...  “Do you have a Bootable Backup” or a Backup system 
in place?

I personally would prefer to do a clean “Erase & Install” of Tiger. But as you 
have another partition on the drive, and I have a feeling you might not have a 
bootable backup or backup, this might not be an option for you.

Alastair, everything I mention below is given to you with care, but I take no 
responsibility it it doesn’t solve the problems or causes loss of data (as I 
suspect it may not correct your problems, as your PB does not have much RAM and 
is showing signs of wearing out).

The FIRST thing you have to do is Repair your Mac OS X Startup Disk!

NOTE: Archive and Install may not solve the problem:

For example, if the source of the problem is a corrupted file in one of the 
Users folders, such as a preference or cache file in your Home folder, 
performing an Archive and Install with the Preserve User and Network Settings 
option will not solve the problem as the corrupted file will be retained.
===================================

If you wish to go ahead and do an Archive & Install you need to have:
* The full Mac OS X Tiger v10.4 Retail Package DVD 

*Sufficient free or available disk space for a second, full installation of Mac 
OS X on the volume on which the Archive and Install will be performed. The 
available space should meet the value specified for available disk space in the 
system requirements for the version of Mac OS X to be reinstalled. This is 
generally: 5 GB for Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger.

A: Repair your Mac OS X Startup Disk

1. Start up from your Mac OS X Install Disc (by holding the C key). Wait for 
the Installer window to load.
2. Select your language.
3. After the Installer window appears, select Utilities > Disk Utility from the 
menu bar.
4. After Disk Utility opens, click the First Aid tab.
5. Select your Mac OS X startup disk. Normally, this will be the volume 
Macintosh HD.
6. Click Repair Disk

If step 6 either finds errors that Disk Utility cannot repair, or fails with 
error code -9972, then you will probably need to use a third-party disk utility 
to repair the selected volume, such as DiskWarrior or TechTool Pro. 
Be sure to write down the problems noted by Disk Utility, copying the exact 
text of the messages.

7. After Repair Disk completes Quit (Command-Q) Disk Utility. Then returns to 
the Installer.
8. Select the Volume you wish to install Tiger to (which probably is already 
selected)
9. Click Options
10. Select “Archive and Install”
11. Select the Volume which already has Mac OS X installed
12. Select “Preserve Users and Network Settings, if you are going to preserve 
network and Home directory settings.
13. Click OK
14. Click continue to begin the installation

<http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1710?viewlocale=en_US>

B: Update OS X 10.4 to OS X 10.4.11 by installing the Combo Update

Mac OS X 10.4.11 Combo Update (PPC)
<http://support.apple.com/downloads/Mac_OS_X_10_4_11_Combo_Update__PPC_>

C: REPAIR PERMISSIONS
D: Run Software Update and install all updates
E: REPAIR PERMISSIONS again.

Cheers,
Ronni

=====================
On 10/12/2011, at 9:22 AM, alastair taylor wrote:

> Hi Ronni
> Sorry about the new thread - can't get into Mail and forgot the name of the 
> old one. I have 70gig free and 50 used on the partition in question.would 
> that do? The bloke in pro byte in bunbury also suggested an archive and 
> install, so if you think so too that's the clincher. I have a panic log but 
> it might as well be in Urdu! Don't have tech tool or similar unfortunately. 
> PB currently booted from another partition on the hd.
> Thanks so much for help
> Best
> Alastair
> 
> ----- Reply message -----
> From: "Ronda Brown" <ro...@mac.com>
> Date: Fri, Dec 9, 2011 12:48 pm
> Subject: dodgy powerbook strikes again
> To: <wamug@wamug.org.au>
> 
> Hi Alastair,
> 
> I had to search back through the archives to find the problems you were 
> experiencing with your Powerbook.
> It’s always good to keep the same ‘Subject' so we know what problems you were 
> experiencing and what suggestions we have already given. Its hard to remember 
> every members problems...
> 
> Your original Subject: Re: applications quitting on powerbook: 09/11/2011 to 
> 17/112011
> 
> We did find you had a dodgy Memory Slot which you felt you had fixed by 
> rubbing the contacts on
> the dimm with a pencil eraser.
> 
> In my last post to you back then I mentioned:
> 
>> I expect you do have a good 'Backup Plan' in place though.
>> Just in case the PowerBook is wearing out, and this may not be a permanent 
>> fix.
> 
> ================================
> 
> On 08/12/2011, at 7:24 PM, alastair taylor wrote:
> 
>> Dear all
>> The ol' pb has been going fine - thanks for the help - until today when it
>> had a couple of kernal panics and then after booting from the cd to try a
>> permission repair I could no longer find the startup disc to revert to my
>> main partition. The partition is still there - it's in the sidebar and
>> shows in disc utility, and apparently doesn't need repairing, but it
>> doesn't appear in Startup Disc. I've reset pram and pmu to no avail. Any
>> suggestions please?
>> 
>> thanks
>> alastair
> 
> 
> So, how have your booted the powerbook to send this email to the mailing list?
> 
> You need to boot from the CD/DVD to repair the hard disk, did you do that?
> If you have TechTool Pro,  Disk Warrior or Drive Genius to try to repair the 
> disk?
> 
> Do you have a bootable backup?
> How much ‘Free Space’ do you have on the Hard Drive? I don’t think you have 
> enough to do an “Archive & Install”.
> 
> A kernel panic is an action taken by an operating system upon detecting an 
> internal fatal error from which it cannot safely recover.
> When a kernel panic occurs, a log of the event  is usually saved (in Tiger OS 
> X 10.4.11), in the file “panic.log” in the Mac HD > Library > Logs folder.
> 
> Double click the panic log and a new console window will open.
> New panic logs are added to the end of panic.log.
> 
> 
> Cheers,
> 

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