ebert@arisia.Xerox.COM (Robert Ebert) (07/31/90)
Our Mac II running System 6.0.4 hangs when I try to rebuild the desktop without running the Desktop Manager init. I've tried many variations with and without multifinder, booting from a system floppy, deleting the remains of the old desktop (NOT db and df) file. This means, effectively, that we cannot boot this machine with any disk other than it's hard disk, or a specially prepared (with Desktop Manager) floppy. What happens when you boot with a non-DM floppy (or with DM not running) is that the message "This Disk needs minor repairs" comes up, as expected. Clicking yes starts a desktop rebuild. The cursor spins for two or three minutes (it takes 5 or 6 to rebuild with DM) and then then machine hangs. I've got to use the programmers switch to get it to restart. The disk is a CMS 140MB drive. I've run CMS's disk check software, and it doesn't find any problems. I've run Disk First Aid, which also says the disk is clean. Disinfectant found a file whose resource fork was in a bad format, but I trashed that file and still can't rebuild the desktop. With MacsBug (the one with the bomb icon) running, I get a Bus Error. Again, this happens with straight system software, off a known clean floppy, with no strange inits. I have re-installed system 6.0.4 on the hard disk, no help. Tomorrow I'm going to try the MacTools deluxe programs, and Sum if I can find someone who owns them. Does anyone have any idea what might be happening here? I mean, I like Desktop Manager a lot, but occassionally I do need to boot without it. --Bob bebert.osbunorth@xerox.com ebert@arisia.UUCP
werner@cs.utexas.edu (Werner Uhrig) (07/31/90)
my FIRST GUESS is that you went through the "sound barrier" of the max number of resources that can be stored in the Desktop (ca. 2700) SOLUTION: back up using the Desktop Manager and partition your disk to reduce the number of files/resources that the Desktop file in each partition has to keep track of . my SECOND GUESS is that you may have some bad blocks in the system area (bootblocks or other system file) SOLUTION: look for the problem with DiskFirstAid, then the Norton Disk Utilities and/or the formatting software you had used to initially format the drive (if it has a test feature)