Help diagnosin my G5!

I have a late 2004 PPC G5 (the last they release before starting with intel processors) that keeps going into kernel panics. I have reinstalled the OS via the erase and install, run the hardware test several times and no hardware gives error and eve replace the PRAM battery. When you start the computer from cold (meaning that it hasn't been used for several hours) the computer start fine but after a couple a minutes running freezes and after that you get the prohibitory sing and the only way it will start up is is you reset the PRAMs an after it boots it crashes almost immediately. After a couple of reboots using the reset the prams method it wont boot up any more and the only thing you can do is wait for a couple of hours. Any ideas? This computer is not imperative it was our entertainment computer (being a cable cutter) but if there is an answer out there that won't be too expensive I'll give it a shot.

The computer is a Dual 2.0 ghz G5 PPC Running MAC OS 10.5 with original HDD of 160g and 2gbs of RAM. Again, no hardware has come up with errors in the hardware test and I have run both the short and the long several times and in both states before the OS reinstall and after.

Here is a crash log for those of you who understand that.




Interval Since Last Panic Report: 1592 sec
Panics Since Last Report: 2
Anonymous UUID: 63FE4B88-BD6C-45ED-A2A3-3F7D28817F03

Wed Dec 31 18:03:16 1969


Unresolved kernel trap(cpu 1): 0x600 - Alignment DAR=0x000000000475005F PC=0x00000000000AD208
Latest crash info for cpu 1:
Exception state (sv=0x4ccc6280)
PC=0x000AD208; MSR=0x00009030; DAR=0x0475005F; DSISR=0x42000000; LR=0x0024A77C; R1=0x54C676C0; XCP=0x00000018 (0x600 - Alignment)
Backtrace:
0x000E2C68 0x00252748 0x0010A2D4 0x000EB3C8 0x000EC160 0x000FAF00
0x000FB278 0x000FB314 0x003100AC 0x000B4448 0x400000C1
backtrace terminated - frame not mapped or invalid: 0xBFFFDBC0

Proceeding back via exception chain:
Exception state (sv=0x4ccc6280)
previously dumped as "Latest" state. skipping...
Exception state (sv=0x4ccfe500)
PC=0x97C0AA24; MSR=0x0000F030; DAR=0x0010300A; DSISR=0x42000000; LR=0x911E8884; R1=0xBFFFDBC0; XCP=0x00000030 (0xC00 - System call)

BSD process name corresponding to current thread: launchctl

Mac OS version:
Not yet set

Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 9.8.0: Wed Jul 15 16:57:01 PDT 2009; root:xnu-1228.15.4~1/RELEASE_PPC
System model name: PowerMac7,3

System uptime in nanoseconds: 21644168223
unloaded kexts:
(none)
loaded kexts:
com.Logitech.Control Center.HID Driver 3.1.0 - last loaded 642447740
com.roxio.BluRaySupport 1.1.3
com.apple.iokit.IOUSBHIDDriver 3.4.6
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBComposite 3.2.0
com.apple.driver.AppleFileSystemDriver 1.1.0
com.apple.driver.PioneerSuperDrive 2.0.9
com.apple.iokit.SCSITaskUserClient 2.1.1
com.apple.driver.XsanFilter 2.7.91
com.apple.iokit.IOATABlockStorage 2.0.6
com.apple.iokit.IOATAPIProtocolTransport 1.5.3
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBHub 3.4.9
com.apple.iokit.IOUSBUserClient 3.5.2
com.apple.driver.ApplePMU 2.5.6d2
com.apple.driver.AppleK2SATA 1.0.4f2
com.apple.driver.AppleGPIO 1.3.0d0
com.apple.driver.AppleVIA 1.5.1d1
com.apple.driver.MacIOGPIO 1.3.0d0
com.apple.driver.AppleCPUThermo 2.0.0a0
com.apple.driver.AppleMPIC 1.5.3
com.apple.driver.AppleI2C 4.0.0d2
com.apple.driver.AppleK2SATARoot 1.0.5b1
com.apple.iokit.AppleGMACEthernet 1.5.9f1
com.apple.driver.AppleFWOHCI 3.9.7
com.apple.driver.AppleKauaiATA 1.2.1f4
com.apple.driver.AirPortBrcm43xx 367.91.22
com.apple.driver.AppleK2 1.7.2f1
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBEHCI 3.4.6
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBOHCI 3.4.6
com.apple.driver.AppleSPU 2.5.6d2
com.apple.driver.AppleMacRiscPCI 3.4.0
com.apple.driver.AppleCore99NVRAM 1.1.1
com.apple.driver.AppleFlashNVRAM 1.0.5
com.apple.security.seatbelt 107.12
com.apple.nke.applicationfirewall 1.8.77
com.apple.security.TMSafetyNet 3
com.apple.BootCache 30.4
com.apple.driver.DiskImages 199
com.apple.driver.AppleMacRISC4PE 2.0.4d9
com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIMultimediaCommandsDevice 2.1.1
com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIBlockCommandsDevice 2.1.1
com.apple.iokit.IOBDStorageFamily 1.5
com.apple.iokit.IODVDStorageFamily 1.5
com.apple.iokit.IOCDStorageFamily 1.5
com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIArchitectureModelFamily 2.1.1
com.apple.iokit.IOFireWireFamily 3.4.9
com.apple.iokit.IOATAFamily 2.0.1
com.apple.iokit.IO80211Family 216.1
com.apple.iokit.IONetworkingFamily 1.6.1
com.apple.iokit.IOKeyLargo 1.7.2f1
com.apple.iokit.IOUSBFamily 3.5.2
com.apple.iokit.IOHIDFamily 1.5.5
com.apple.iokit.IOStorageFamily 1.5.6
com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily 2.6
com.apple.driver.IOPlatformFunction 1.8.7d5
panic(cpu 1 caller 0xFFFF0006): 0x600 - Alignment
Latest stack backtrace fop

I'm not that familiar with the G5 but it sounds like the machine is heating up, shuts down and then refuses to boot until it sufficiently cools off.

The dual G5 machines were problematic anyway. One of our G5 guys should be along to help out, so stay tuned.

The late 2004 is not the last model prior to Intels - the late 2005 Dual and Quad Cores were. However is the plastic air stream deflector in place? If so have you opened her up and given it a good clean out? Dust is the enemy of all computers.

Also try boot from the Leopard install disc and running Repair Disk from there and see what is reported. KPs are generally hardware related. Installed any third party PCI cards or similar?

harryb2448 said:

The late 2004 is not the last model prior to Intels - the late 2005 Dual and Quad Cores were. However is the plastic air stream deflector in place? If so have you opened her up and given it a good clean out? Dust is the enemy of all computers.

Also try boot from the Leopard install disc and running Repair Disk from there and see what is reported. KPs are generally hardware related. Installed any third party PCI cards or similar?

Click to expand...

Yes I have cleaned the dust from inside and the air deflector is in place. I did ran the Repair Disk from the Leopard install disk an that did not fix the issues it was in fact one of the first things I did. Now that you ask I forgot that I had installed a USB PCI card. I'll try removing that, but somehow I don't believe that will fix the issue. What are KP's?

Thanks for your reply. I'll report back after removing the PCI card what happens. and if there is anything else you can think of please let me know.

KPs are Kernel Panic Attacks which is what you are experiencing and are usually hardware related. You said booted from leopard disc and ran Repair Disk. Were any problems reported?

USB PCI cards are just the thing to cause sleep and KP problems.

Good luck.

If you remove the USB PCI card and the problem persists, I'd say it's either the logic board or the memory. Sometimes issues can even sneak past the Apple Hardware Test.

Gotta ask these few things first:
Has it ever been bumped, hit, or dropped, hard enough to dislodge anything?
Have you ever taken out the processor?
Have you recently upgrade hard drive(s)?

First, try resetting the SMU: How to reset the SMU on a Power Mac G5 (Late 2004) or Power Mac G5 (Late 2005)

Next, I would try this:
A-
1. Remove all PCI and graphics card from the G5.
2. Turn it on and reset the PRAM.
If the problem persists, you can rule out those cards being a problem, and will need to also remove the ram.
3. Unplug the machine. Let it sit for a few minutes, then press the power button(while it's unplugged).
4. Place only 1 ram stick into the first slot.
5. Plug the power cord back in and perform a PRAM reset.
At this point, you are looking for the machine to turn on and and stay on. If it doesn't, perform steps 3-5 while placing the 1 ram stick in the second slot, then 3rd slot, and so on through both banks(I believe your G5 has two ram banks) . Do this for all the ram sticks you have. This just checks for problems between your ram slot, and your ram sticks.

If the problem remains, I would next look at the heatsink of the processor, and heat sensors...though, you didn't mention if you noticed the fans speeding up.

There could be lots of potential problems, one of the worst being old sauder wearing out from too much heat, and not allowing a proper electrical connection to flow through. From other problems I have read, I actually believe this could be the problem.

This might sound weird, but I've read about people leaving a fan right in front of their G5 that are having this problem and it actually helped a bit. You could try this too, during the first boot up of the day.

I'll try to look up some more trouble shooting info on this.