desperate for G5 solutions...

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hi. I'm new here. But desperate for some solutions or suggestions...
I have 2 Power Mac G5s. One is a 1.6 single processor from 2004, the newer one is a 2.3 dual (2005). Both have problems.
I switched to the 2.3 for more power as I am a composer and use mem-heavy samples. The 1.6 used to make loud sudden crashing noises when I used my sequencer program and samples, it was awful.
I had been using the 2.3 for everything until the other day when it started to freeze. Then within a few hours I couldn't boot.
So I switched the two discs in it (which seem ok) to the 1.6 just to be able to work, although it's useless for music audio work and I cannot get any sound. Also, programs (anything, browsers, applications, music notation program...) all just vanish from the screen regularly so I have to save almost every few seconds to be sure not to lose anything. Hopeless.

Now, the big problem with the 2.3. It now has 1.5gig RAM. (Before, it had 3gig) I have a useable disc in it which booted up just once in the hundreds of times I tried, into OS 10.4.11. Nearly all the times I try, it fails to boot. Most times nothing appears on the screen. The next best is the apple screen. But now it never gets past the apple screen.
If I leave the apple screen on, the machine overheats and fan noise increases.
I cannot boot from the CD, same problem.
If I keep the on button pressed I get a tone and then the text screen saying enter 'mac-boot'. This always leads to the same place, apple screen then overheat.
The machine doesn't recognise the opening command to use the apple hardware test.
I have tried pressing the CSU button on the logic board.
I have tried swapping the battery on the logic board.
Apart from 'you need another computer', does anyone out there have any suggestions as to what else I could try?
Very grateful for any ideas... with both 1.6 and 2.3 actually.
I also have 2 faulty G4 laptops... but that's for another time. This place is full of bust macs...
Thanks so much.
Frustrated, from the UK
 
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There are two what is known as 2.3GHz, a DP DUal Processor and a Dual Core which was released in late 2005 and uses DDR2 memory and comes equipped with PCIE slots.

Pop the original system install disc into the 2.3 and reboot holding down 'C' after the chime and run Repair Disk. If all is well then reboot and hold down 'D', assume that is what you are doing tom access AHT, to run Apple Hardware Test. Also you might resetting the SMU (System Management Unit) and see if that brings any joy.

How to reset the SMU on a Power Mac G5 (Late 2004) or Power Mac G5 (Late 2005)
 
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G5 problems reply to Harryb2448

Hello Harry, thank you for your reply.

Since writing earlier I managed to get the 2.3 to boot. Just once, out of literally hundreds of attempts.....Once booted, it seemed fine, turned off the right way, next time... back to the same old nothing or apple screen.

CD: Trouble usually is getting the CD INTO the Mac... It powers on, fans start, then most times... nothing. Or, the HD may start to boot and the apple logo appears. Then no more, just fan increasing.

The only way to get a CD into the machine I discovered is to hold the on button until the tone (maybe 1 out of 4 times), wait for the firmware screen, press the CD eject. Then when I enter 'mac-boot' the CD opens... However, I cannot do any more with it after that, because the apple logo appears then nothing more.
Incidentally there is never any chime.

Could the version of the firmware be a problem?
Firmware info is:power Mac7,3 5.2.4f1 built 03.25.05
It gives a wierd current date: 01/02/1904.... hmm.
Then says 'reducing system power...'...

I have already pressed the SMU button on the logic board.

Again, thanks a lot.
 

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I wonder if the PRAM battery is dead? What makes me wonder is that strange date. I know a lot of Power PC Macs will not even light the screen if the PRAM battery is dead. Just a guess.
 
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hello, thank you both for suggesting the PRAM battery. However..... I thought of that, and swapped the one in the 1.6 which is working (although with frustrating problems of its own) The same problem, most it gets to is the apple, then a few HD boot sounds then...... stop.
I am wondering if the firmware date is preventing the machine from booting now?
Maybe both batteries are pretty much dead, except the one in the 1.6 is on the edge and just about working! I wonder if new ones will make a lot of difference?
I fear the 2.3 has a more serious hardware fault which I can't fix...
Keep the suggestions coming if possible. Thanks so much.
 
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PRAM battery not the problem!

hi. A week ago I posted a thread about my 2 g5 power pcs. In particular the 2.3 (actually it's a 2.0ghz)
The 2ghtz dual processor machine started to freeze, then failed to boot. It boots haphazardly, but only maybe less than 1% of the time. Maybe 10% of the time it gets as far as the apple screen, then stops and the fans increase.
Sometimes chimes, sometimes not. Sometimes the chime is late.
Never gets past the apple logo these days. Used to be able to get into firmware by holding the power button but that doesn't work anymore now, have to use the 'OF' keys. The date in the firmware was skewed (about 1906 or something) but that was cured by resetting, so it's not that.
I have tried various hard disks.
I have reset the VDRAM, defaults and reset-all in firmware.
I have zapped the PRAM.
I have pressed the button on the logic board.
Now I have replaced the 3.6 battery.
Just the same, if not worse. :Not-Amused:

Getting nowhere now.
Is there anything else I could try before admitting defeat and biting the financial bullet?

Thanks a lot.
 

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Sorry to hear that the new PRAM battery didn't solve things.

I think that the very very strange thing that has me confused is...how could something like this happen on two G5 computers at the same time!

Did the problems you're experiencing really start at the same time?.

Because if so, the only explanation I can think of that could cause something like this would be some sort of electrical or power issue, such as:

- an electrical issue in your home
- an electrical spike of some sort in neighborhood
- a sudden electrical spike due to a thunder storm
- etc.

- Nick
 

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Not sure if you can see the actual system board (it might be covered up to keep things aesthetically pleasing), but if you can get to it, take a look at the capacitors on the board:

caps.jpg


The picture above shows capacitors that are going bad (notice how the tops are not flat), this is very typical of machines of this vintage - they will either poke up or electrolytic compound will come out of the tops.

In 2003-2004 a rash of bad capacitors were produced by a Taiwanese conglomerate and were widely distributed to systemboard manufacturers, including companies that supply Apple, Dell, HP and many others. After some time, they go bad and start to vary their storage traits, causing all kinds of odd behavior.

This is the first thing I look for when I hear this kind of complaint. If this is the case, you can either replace the capacitors (not easy unless you're handy with a soldering iron) or replace the entire board.
 

pigoo3

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In 2003-2004 a rash of bad capacitors were produced by a Taiwanese conglomerate and were widely distributed to systemboard manufacturers, including companies that supply Apple, Dell, HP and many others. After some time, they go bad and start to vary their storage traits, causing all kinds of odd behavior.

This is the first thing I look for when I hear this kind of complaint. If this is the case, you can either replace the capacitors (not easy unless you're handy with a soldering iron) or replace the entire board.

Did this capacitor problem extend to other Mac Models other than the infamous 1.25ghz eMac's?

I think that the one perplexing clue in this thread is that two G5 PowerMac's seem to have been affected at the same time (actually I'm trying to find out if this problem did happen at the same time).

- Nick
 

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Did this capacitor problem extend to other Mac Models other than the infamous 1.25ghz eMac's?

I think that the one perplexing clue in this thread is that two G5 PowerMac's seem to have been affected at the same time (actually I'm trying to find out if this problem did happen at the same time).

- Nick

As far as I know, any device that didn't use the ultra compact capacitors (like notebook systemboards) can be effected.
 
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Thanks everyone for your input, much appreciated. Will explore capacitors....

No the same problem doesn't affect both. Both are faulty, but I went from the 1.6 to the 2.0 because a) the 1.6 kept crashing, making huge roaring and crashing noises when trying to operate my pro music software, and b) I needed more power for the samples I was using.
I went back to the 1.6 because it's all I had after the 2.0 died on me. And it crashes all the time, twice every minute when you're trying to input musical notation is no joke... finger on apple-S the WHOLE time....
So I'm now on the 1.6, waiting for Firefox to crash any second.
Thunderbird mail.... just a joke, crash crash crash. Then kernel panic for good measure.
I have done a thorough apple hardware test on both computers. No problem.
Used memtes. No problem.
Getting seriously fed up with Mac. I hate to say, because I like Mac...
 

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Well it's certainly not a trait inherent to Macs. Most likely A failing systemboard. Also, is the memory original to the machine or aftermarket?
 

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Well it's certainly not a trait inherent to Macs. Most likely A failing systemboard. Also, is the memory original to the machine or aftermarket?

I was just going to ask the same thing!

"OP"...have you installed anything such as ram, or hard drives, or a video card on these computers before the problems started?

- Nick
 
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Checked my capacitors..... all nice and flat!
The RAM is a mixture, though some may be original. Some of it is new Crucial RAM. In the 1.6 now is all Crucial, 3gigs.
 

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Checked my capacitors..... all nice and flat!
The RAM is a mixture, though some may be original. Some of it is new Crucial RAM. In the 1.6 now is all Crucial, 3gigs.

Just for testing's sake, I would recommend reverting to all original memory in the problematic machine and see how it goes. Memory issues can be really tricky to figure out and this might help to eliminate them as a possible cause.
 

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Checked my capacitors..... all nice and flat!
The RAM is a mixture, though some may be original. Some of it is new Crucial RAM. In the 1.6 now is all Crucial, 3gigs.

Im guessing that your computer was running fine with all of the ram that's currently installed in it...but just as one more test to try, and eliminate as a problem possibility...you could pull all the ram...and see if that makes a difference.

- Nick
 
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As the guys suggest, remove all memory and run with the original to see if that gets you over the boot problems. If you have the install discs, pop in Disc 1, boot and hold down the 'D' key to get into Apple Hardware Test and run, if possible, full test which given memory a once over.

For a more extensive memory test, download Memtest or similar.
 
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I have given up on the 2ghz computer. I have no time to mess with a dead box.
The 1.6 is all I have, and I want to try and stop it crashing so much. Atg least it works.
It has 2 hard disks, one a maxtor 180gig and the other a seagate 140gig.
The 140 I have used a lot in the 2ghz machine, it has 10.4.11, the other has a 10.3.9 operating system which I occasionally boot from. I discovered that the programs I use crash less on the 10.3.9. Music notation software is my no 1 priority. Booting from the 10.4.11 disk, my software crashes almost every minute, but not the entire machine. On the 10.3.9 it has started to give me kernel panics instead of software crashes, and not quite so often.
But the system the way it is is obviously not right and I cannot function effectively. When I come to using my heavy sound samples in making music in Motu Digital Performer, I know I will have serious probs because the files can take several minutes to load, a pain if the machine kernel panics every few minutes.
Any help with this anyone? Thanks a lot.
 

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I don't think we ever heard back from you on the last recommendation - that is, revert to factory memory on one of the machines and report back as to whether the machine stabilizes.
 

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