A cautionary tale about downgrading to Quicktime 7.3

[I Bloom]

Just so the knowledge is out there. I recommended to a client that they downgrade to Quicktime 7.3 using Pacifist software. They unfortunately confused Tiger version with the Leopard version of the quicktime update. Without Pacifist, the normal installer won't allow this. The result is FUBAR. A system that won't boot. I tried monkeying it for a couple hours, but it's going to Tekserve on Monday instead.

IBloom

 

[Adrian T.]

Did you try save boot mode by pressing the shift key during startup?

 

[I Bloom]

Did you try save boot mode by pressing the shift key during startup?

Oh big, I've tried it all.

Shift Key,
C Key,
Option Key,
It won't boot from an OSX install DVD.

I'm going to try a few more things tommorow as well. I was able to reinstall quicktime 7.4 for Tiger, using the installer from the console. But now it automatically boots the console, I can't figure how to make it load the windowing system again.

IBloom

 

[Steve Freebairn]

Another word of advice is that even systems with tiger and using pacifist to downgrade quicktime with the tiger version doesn't always work. At a client's office one machine was able to downgrade, the other, had to have OS X installed after downgrading made quicktime unusable.

 

[Adrian T.]

But now it automatically boots the console, I can't figure how to make it load the windowing system again.

Type "exit" and the boot process continues with the windowing system. Then choose the startup disk in the system preferences. This should reset it.

Or else, reset the parameter RAM by pressing Command-Option-P-R during startup.

 

[I Bloom]

Type "exit" and the boot process continues with the windowing system. Then choose the startup disk in the system preferences. This should reset it.

Or else, reset the parameter RAM by pressing Command-Option-P-R during startup.

Thanks man, I tried both, exit gets me a login prompt but then I log in and it dumps me back to console.

IBloom

 

[Jim McKinney]

Just so the knowledge is out there. I recommended to a client that they downgrade to Quicktime 7.3 using Pacifist software. They unfortunately confused Tiger version with the Leopard version of the quicktime update. Without Pacifist, the normal installer won't allow this. The result is FUBAR. A system that won't boot. I tried monkeying it for a couple hours, but it's going to Tekserve on Monday instead.

IBloom

Yes, I had this happen to me the day before my shoot this Wednesday. Fortunately, I had a laptop to back me up for the shoot day. Took the iMac to the shop the day after. bummer.

 

[Adrian T.]

Thanks man, I tried both, exit gets me a login prompt but then I log in and it dumps me back to console.

IBloom

That's weird. Sorry I'm out of ideas now...

 

[Alex Carr]

It Wont boot from an install DVD? What the hell does that have to do with installing an older version of Quicktime? Absolutely nothing... Unless the DVD Drive is busted it will always boot, A simple solution would be to install Tiger or Leopard on another HDD and boot from it, fix the problem on the other HDD and continue working. I keep a Partition on a external FW that can always boot and fix these sort of problems, I use the same method for experimenting on video drivers for MAC os x86. You will need to do it this way so the QT system files are not locked by being in use...

If it still wont boot from a DVD, install Mac osx on a HDD in another Mac and then put the Sata drive in the -not happy to boot- one and fix the problem.

OR Hook up another drive (FW,SATA,USB) and while in Console, just copy all the needed files off to another drive, reformat and reinstall it with 10.5 and update QT and OS manually.