macbook start up error

I get the error where it tells me to push the power button every time I start it up. just got done uninstalling bootcamp and putting the partition back to 1 part. I then reinstalled windows xp pro giving it a larger partition. Every time I try to boot into OS X it crashes How can I get my data off?

How do I reinstall os x or attempt to fix it?

 

Does it dim the screen saying some phrase in different languages? If so, that's a kernel panic. Now, with Boot Camp involved, I'm not sure what happened here, but you might have to reinstall. First let's see if we can't avoid that though.

First off, at which point in the startup procedure does this happen? Is it before the login screen or when you get to the desktop? Do you have automatic login enabled?

Second, try starting up in safe boot - when you hear the chime, hold down Shift and keep holding it down. If that makes it boot up, there is something starting up that causes the issue. One possible solution is to go to the blue Apple logo -> System Preferences -> Accounts ->Login Items and uncheck everything (you should have to unlock the padlock in the bottom left corner of the SysPref window to do this), then try restarting normally.

If safe boot does not work, or if that did not solve the issue, you should probably try a reinstall - if you have a backup, do an erase & install, if you don't and you have some space left on the hd, do an archive & install (preserving users and network settings). If you have another Mac, you should be able to connect them with a firewire cable and start the Macbook up in "target disk mode" by holding down the T key when you hear the chime and wait until a firewire symbol comes up and bounces around on the screen. Then you can let go and it should mount on the other Mac (assuming it's an OS X Mac at least) as an external hard drive so you can copy stuff from it.

Now, how to reinstall:
1) Put the "Install disc 1" in the drive. You can do this while it has the panic message up, it just needs to have power.
2) Restart the machine.
3) When you hear the chime, hold down the C key.
4) Keep holding the C key for a few minutes while it starts up from the install disc, until you see a screen asking you what language to use. Let go of the C key.
5) Choose language and continue. You go through another screen or two, including one where you have to agree to a software license agreement.

-- IMPORTANT --
Only proceed with steps 6-8 if you have a backup of your data, otherwise it will be lost!

6) When you get to the screen that asks you where to install, look in the top menu bar - you should see a "Utilities" menu there. Go there and select "Disk Utility".
7) In there you should see both your hard drive and the install disc in the left column. Your hard drive will be called something like "X GB brandname modelname". Ignore the "Macintosh HD" or whatever you called your OS X volume which is indented below that, just make sure the actual hard drive is selected.
8) You should see a few tabs to the right. Click on "Partition". Now, this is the important part where Boot Camp is concerned - does it show more than one partition still? If not, then you're good to go - go to the Disk Utility meny and quit. You will be dumped back into the installer where you left it. If it still shows two partitions, change the volume scheme to 1 partition, choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and click the "Partition" button in the lower right corner. After that is done, quit Disk Utility. Now you are sure you only have one partition (there are actually easier ways to check that, but doing it like that makes it absolutely certain)

9) Select your partition and click Options. In there, if you still have data left that you need to keep (and you have enough hd space for another copy of OS X), select "Archive & install" and make sure "Preserve users and network settings" is ticked. If you have a backup, select "Erase & install" instead.
10) You should have an option of customizing the installation also, I think that might be the next screen though. In there you can deselect extra printer drivers, trial versions of MS Office and iWork and other things you won't need that just take up space.
11) Continue with the installation. It will ask you for the second disc after a while.
12) Enjoy your fresh install - hopefully

If the issue still happens after an archive & install, do an erase & install. If the issue still happens after an erase & install, take it to an Apple Store or authorized service provider. You can find the closest ones to you on the Apple website ( http://www.apple.com/buy/locator/ (if you're not in the US, put your country code in between .com and buy, like this: http://www.apple.com/se/buy/locator/ for Sweden) - then select "Find service" and input where you are.

To be honest, I think this definitely sounds like a software kernel panic which will be resolved by a reinstall. Good luck! Oh, and if you have questions, don't hesitate to ask

 

This happened to me once when I was playing with a beta of Parallels and Bootcamp. In my case, even the OS X install disk kernel panicked. An Ubuntu disk I had lying around saved me though. I was able to mount the partition, copy my data, and then delete all the partitions, causing the install disk to stop exploding.