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Apple's line of PowerBook laptops was intended for the professional and power users. The PowerBook line includes the PowerBook 100, Duo, 500, and 5300 Series; the PowerBook 1400, 2400, 3400; the PowerBook G3, G4 Titanium, and G4 Aluminum.

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Why does PowerBook freeze when attaching files?

I am working an a friends Powerbook G4 1.5 GHz 15". Whenever I attempt to attach a file, located in applications, downloads, desktop, when composing an email (any mail application, Yahoo!, etc), the Powerbook will begin the spinning beach ball and hangs there. The only way to proceed is to power it off. Force quit doesn't work.

I have run diagnostics with DiskWarrior, TechTool, and even performed an Archive and Install with the Leopard install DVD. One possible clue. There was a Kernel Panic when I tried to start from the Disk Warrior DVD. I was only able to use it through Target Disk Mode from my iBook.

I also tried re-seating the Airport Extreme card and both RAM cards. I may try to disconnect the DVD drive next but wondered if this question might ring a bell for someone out there.

Thanks in advance!

Randy

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Hi Dan,

The hard drive is bad after all. I decided to load the test version of Smart Utility to my friends machine since he didn't have it (such a great tool). The drive is failing. Smart Utility also showed that the drive has over 1700 hours on it. Not that much time really, but not exactly "new".

Samsung Spinpoint. This may be another piece of evidence for staying away from inexpensive HDs or maybe just a fluke.

Thanks so much for your help!

Randy

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Sounds like your OS and/or mail application has some file corruptions. Hopefully its just a Btree/FAT file table error. If not your HD maybe going bad.

You may need to reformat the HD and re-install the OS & apps. Do you have an external firewire HD with which to backup your files onto and make as a bootable volume? If so yo could try using it as your boot disk and run Disk Warrior again. If that fails you need to reformat the disk and run the disk tests for a while to make sure the drive is OK.

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Thanks Dan,

The hard drive is fairly new, although that may not mean anything. Do you think that a format and new install of the OS would be an advantage over the Archive and Install that I've done? I can try DW again from a boot volume, but it seemed to be good on the last test from my iBook in Target Disk Mode.

Let me know if you think a complete new install of Leopard may be the ticket.

Thank you much!

Randy

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If you connected the system in question in disk mode to another system and you ran DW it sounds like the drive is OK but you still have a file or two that has become corrupted some how.

Connect again in disk mode and re-install the OS and the Apps from the original DVD/CD's. Don't forget to run OS Update as soon as you can.

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Hi Dan, The hard drive is bad after all. I decided to load the test version of Smart Utility to my friends machine since he didn't have it (such a great tool). The drive is failing. Smart Utility also showed that the drive has over 1700 hours on it. Not that much time really, but not exactly "new". Samsung Spinpoint. This may be another piece of evidence for staying away from inexpensive HDs or maybe just a fluke. Thanks so much for your help! Randy

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