This is a sad tale of a Mac user but don't worry it has a happy
ending. I am writing this for the newbie whose system goes fubar and
needs some help. But please, read the whole thing before taking
action!

So I'm on my eMac minding my own business when software update says
"There is a new version of Quicktime would you like to download it
now?" Sure, why not? I don't use quick time but...

The computer gets through 90% of the download and 4 hours later it is
still going. So I try force quit. Nada. I turn it off by the power
strip because I didn't know that I could use control+comand+ power
button to make it shut off. So I reboot and get the blue screen of
death. This is similar to the blue screen of death on a pc except it's
a slightly different shade of blue. Mouse works but nothing to click
on. Hmmm....

I reboot several more times with varing results but can't get anything
to work. So I look in the book that came with my eMac. I can go to
www.apple.com HA HA HA - uh my computer isn't working. OH - I have a
hardware test disk. GREAT! I put in the hardware test disk and the
hardware test disk hangs. Those of you really familiar with emacs are
probably laughing at this. Ok, if your mouse is plugged directly into
your mac, when you boot the hardware test disk it won't work. It has
to be plugged into the keyboard. I didn't know that. Also to boot
your computer to the CD rom drive press down the "c" key while booting
up. Or you can try hitting the option key while booting up and it
will give you your choice of your hard drive or anything in the CD
rom. You can also try booting up in safe mode by restarting and
holding down the shift key.

None of this is working for me. I call apple help and they explain to
me that they will help me for the low, low price of $50 I explain I am
a single mom money is always tight and the reason I paid $600 more for
an apple was so I wouldn't have problems like I do on the PC's at
work. They explain that they can help me for the low, low price of $50
dollars. I explain that I know two people considering buying macs and
for a little bit of help they will gain two new customers and at least
$2500 in business. They declined this offer. Well I wasn't going to
pay $50 because I have more time than money and I KNEW I could figure
this out.

OK time to call in the calvery. I call my brother and borrow his lap
top, hook to the internet and find these message boards (THANKS GUYS-
they were helpful). I read that a few people have had my problem of
the operating system going kaput. So I find out if I restart the
computer in single-user mode by holding down

control+command+s

I will get into a unix type environment (I'm still not sure if it is
unix or linux)
anyway if you type in "fsck -y" without the quotes it will scan your
hard drive and try to fix things. Apple's online help suggest you run
this several times until it says your system is OK.

Well after 25 times my system still wasn't working. I found out if I
can find another hard drive with a lot of free memory I can do a
restore command and save my data on another computer. I figure if I
can get the hardware test to run out of this environment maybe it can
fix the problem.

I figure out if I type in "man" without quotes it asks me something
like 'what command would you like defined' and then you type in "help"
with no quotes you get all the help comands - also found the tutorial
(will have to explore this more at a later date :)
My brother comes over to help and eventually we give up. I still don't
know how to access the CD rom from this environment. Hmmm....

I go to run the install disk figuring I will lose all my stuff and I
hit the option key on one of the install screens. It asks me if I
would like to make an archive. Why yes, I would love to. System
boots up with an archive and appears to be working fine.

Except the next day I can't print. Well the printer is almost out of
toner. A red light is flashing on it, but the computer says there is
no driver. Well, I have the disk. Install comes up but there are no
words on the install screen. Ok so maybe the printer is sending a
message to the computer and that is why it isn't working. I put in
toner - still not working - I read that I may have a printer driver on
disk two of my software restore disks. OK - I put the disk in and I
get the same blank software install screen with errors. Ever get that
sinking feeling in your stomache. I make back ups of every thing on
my system and find out when I go to pickup more CD-R's...

Staples offers a help service for $20 for a month. Rasberries to apple
care, but I'm still not buying - after all I'm a glutton for
punishment.

So this time when I download the operating system I hit the option
button and chose to wipe the system.

The next morning...I'm thinking what about that hardware test CD, I
wonder if that will work now. I put it in and the mouse freezes
because I STILL haven't figured out I have to plug it into the
keboard. So I figure maybe its the disk. I take the disk to comp usa
because they sell Macs and ask them if they can see if it works.
"Well your hardware disk is made for your emac and can not be used on
another emac." Kid at the store tells me its almost never the disk
and I may have damage to my hard disk. He aparently doesn't know you
have to plug it into the keyboard either. That's ok, I'm glad I
figured out I'm an idiot all on my own.

I run first aid on my hard drive and hardware disk. It fixes several
permissions on my hard drive and the disk seems to be fine. I call my
other brother. He says, "Look if it is your hard drive, a new one
will cost about $40 for fourty gigs and we can replace that
ourselves." Good to know. Well, I search around a little more and
find out I have to plug the mouse in my keyboard. Who knew. HA HA HA
HA HA. I run the extended test and my hard disk is fine. PHEW!

Hopefully, you do not have these problems. If you are an experienced
user I hope you can at least get a laugh out of this and if you are a
newbie with similar problems I hope this helps.

Either way,
Good luck

PS Just for the record I did put in the search term "Hardware disk
hangs" in apple support and google groups and did not find the answer.
I also at some point did try plugging in the mouse into the keyboard
after I booted up and it didn't work... c'est la vie

PPS AND after reading about other peoples fiascos with certain mac
downloads I think I will wait a few months after the initial offer
before downloading anything from mac.

PPPS My neighbor and another brother were considering buying macs and
have decided to buy cheaper PC's because at least they can get
customer service. I still love my mac and after a year and a half of
NO major problems would consider buying another one but...whereas
before I did not even look at pc's, now I would.