unable to reach Applications

Posted:
in macOS edited January 2014
My spare Mac G4 desktop has four hard drives attached. It was working fine until recently, but the present problem seems to have appeared just after the last OSX security update or the one before that. But that's only a guess.



When I cllick the primary drive Icon, I get the first layer of files, but when I click the Applications folder icon, it aborts and returns to the desktop. When I click the secondary internal drive, it aborts at the first level. Two external hard drives are attached, and they both abort at the Applications icon. In all cases, I revert back to the desktop.



Can you suggest how to proceed?

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 15
    xoolxool Posts: 2,460member
    Sounds "fun". Have you used Disk Utility to verify the drive?
  • Reply 2 of 15
    gfishergfisher Posts: 17member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Xool

    Sounds "fun". Have you used Disk Utility to verify the drive?



    No, I haven't, because Disk Utility is one of the Applications that I can't reach.
  • Reply 3 of 15
    Have you tried using Spotlight to reach any of your apps?
  • Reply 4 of 15
    xoolxool Posts: 2,460member
    You might also be able to launch the App using the terminal, but it sounds like launching the Terminal will even be problematic.



    What about Command-Clicking items in your dock. Does it open the Applications folder that way?



    Meanwhile, you probably should just boot off your OS CD and run Disk Utility from it. That or use Target Disk Mode and check the disk from another machine.
  • Reply 5 of 15
    gfishergfisher Posts: 17member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by speed_the_collapse

    Have you tried using Spotlight to reach any of your apps?



    That's a splendid idea, and no I hadn't thought of it. But when I just tried to get Disk Utility that way, it tells me it will have to index the whole thing. So that will take an hour or so, but it is a clue of some sort that something else is wrong.

    I'll report later on what happens after it indexes.
  • Reply 6 of 15
    gfishergfisher Posts: 17member
    Well, I got disk utility by using spotllight, thank you. But I'm afraid that running Disk Utility permissions repairs -- didn't fix the underlying problem with bomb outs on Applications.



    Please have some more good ideas.
  • Reply 7 of 15
    xoolxool Posts: 2,460member
    Disk Utility can also examine your drive structures for problems, Verify or Repair Volume rather than Verify or Repair Permissions. However, you can't repair a volume that you've booted from and doing live verification is damn slow. My gut says that data corruption is the cause of your problems.
  • Reply 8 of 15
    gfishergfisher Posts: 17member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Xool

    Disk Utility can also examine your drive structures for problems, Verify or Repair Volume rather than Verify or Repair Permissions. However, you can't repair a volume that you've booted from and doing live verification is damn slow. My gut says that data corruption is the cause of your problems.



    Maybe here's a clue:

    As suggested, I ran disk repair on three of the four hard drives (the primary drive, as you stated, won't permit it). The Iomega and LaCie external drives were reported to be free of errors. But the secondary internal drive responds to the disk repair by saying "CANNOT UNMOUNT DRIVE". What does that mean? Does it lead to an idea for fixing the situation?
  • Reply 9 of 15
    kickahakickaha Posts: 8,760member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by gfisher

    Maybe here's a clue:

    As suggested, I ran disk repair on three of the four hard drives (the primary drive, as you stated, won't permit it). The Iomega and LaCie external drives were reported to be free of errors. But the secondary internal drive responds to the disk repair by saying "CANNOT UNMOUNT DRIVE". What does that mean? Does it lead to an idea for fixing the situation?




    Boot off of the CD/DVD that came with the computer, and run Disk Utility from there. DU can't repair the main boot volume drive anyway, so if there is a problem there, it still won't be able to repair it for you.
  • Reply 10 of 15
    xoolxool Posts: 2,460member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by gfisher

    Maybe here's a clue:

    As suggested, I ran disk repair on three of the four hard drives (the primary drive, as you stated, won't permit it). The Iomega and LaCie external drives were reported to be free of errors. But the secondary internal drive responds to the disk repair by saying "CANNOT UNMOUNT DRIVE". What does that mean? Does it lead to an idea for fixing the situation?




    If the drive is in use (perhaps Spotlight is trying to index it?) it won't be able to unmount it to perform a repair.



    I suggest you do as Kickaha and I have said and boot of your OS DVD and run Disk Utility from it.
  • Reply 11 of 15
    lundylundy Posts: 4,466member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Xool

    If the drive is in use (perhaps Spotlight is trying to index it?) it won't be able to unmount it to perform a repair.



    I suggest you do as Kickaha and I have said and boot of your OS DVD and run Disk Utility from it.




    And you can run Terminal from the boot DVD also, to list the Applications folder.



    I think...



    Look in the menu and see.
  • Reply 12 of 15
    gfishergfisher Posts: 17member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by lundy

    And you can run Terminal from the boot DVD also, to list the Applications folder.



    I think...



    Look in the menu and see.




    You guys have been very helpful, and I'm ready to reboot from the CD to see where that gets us. However, I hesitate to boot from a Tiger disk when I am already up to 10.4, imagining problems with word size or whatever. Do you think this will work, or should I go to my other location and get a current OS CD?

    That will take a couple of days, whereas I have the Tiger disk readily available.
  • Reply 13 of 15
    ipeonipeon Posts: 1,122member
    Hmmm... so how did you get to 10.4 if you don't have the CDs?
  • Reply 14 of 15
    bergzbergz Posts: 1,045member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by iPeon

    Hmmm... so how did you get to 10.4 if you don't have the CDs?



    I think he meant to say that he has 10.4.4, but the cd he has is 10.4.0. I think....



    Had a hard time unserstanding the last post. Don't really understand what the concerns are about booting from the cd.



    --B
  • Reply 15 of 15
    lundylundy Posts: 4,466member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by gfisher

    You guys have been very helpful, and I'm ready to reboot from the CD to see where that gets us. However, I hesitate to boot from a Tiger disk when I am already up to 10.4, imagining problems with word size or whatever. Do you think this will work, or should I go to my other location and get a current OS CD?

    That will take a couple of days, whereas I have the Tiger disk readily available.




    Booting from the 10.4.0 (Tiger GM) disk is fine. It won't cause any problems.
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