Software or Hardware problem?

I'm honestly not sure if this is a hardware or software problem so forgive me if I'm posting in the wrong place. I'm starting with Software though since I have a crash log to go with my post and maybe that will help shed some light as to whether it is a hardware or software problem.

I recently purchased a used MacBook Pro 4,1 early 2008 the details of which I'm including below. I seem to be experiencing TWO PROBLEMS which could possibly be related to each other? I'm not sure. Any answers would be appreciated!

Mac OSX 10.6.8
2.5 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
4 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM

Model Identifier: MacBookPro4,1
Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 2.5 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 2
L2 Cache: 6 MB
Memory: 4 GB
Bus Speed: 800 MHz
Boot ROM Version: MBP41.00C1.B03
SMC Version (system): 1.27f3
Serial Number (system): W881224ZYJY
Hardware UUID: C4DDD340-4709-5C62-8BBB-147220BF855D
Sudden Motion Sensor:
State: Enabled

NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT:

Chipset Model: GeForce 8600M GT
Type: GPU
Bus: PCIe
PCIe Lane Width: x16
VRAM (Total): 512 MB
Vendor: NVIDIA (0x10de)
Device ID: 0x0407
Revision ID: 0x00a1
ROM Revision: 3212



1) There will be frequent trackpad/keyboard pauses where I can't do anything for a quite a few seconds at times. The computer itslef does not seem to be pausing though. The clock still shows it's seconds ticking away. I just can't give it any input from the keyboard or trackpad at this time. This problem seems to be at it's worst when I startup a Windows 7 Virtual machine under VMWare Fusion. At that point the "pauses" seem to happen a lot more frequently and it becomes almost impossible to get any work done. I thought this might just be something damaged in my Snow Leopard operating system but I seem to get the pauses booting up under a different partition with Mountain Lion as well.

2) My machine now crashes at least once a day. I'm also including the crash log below

Interval Since Last Panic Report: 65313 sec
Panics Since Last Report: 1
Anonymous UUID: ADB31DC9-7157-42EB-9F4F-697C37FCC6E0

Fri May 10 13:58:03 2013
panic(cpu 1 caller 0x2abf6a): Kernel trap at 0x5c29c359, type 14=page fault, registers:
CR0: 0x8001003b, CR2: 0x00000035, CR3: 0x00100000, CR4: 0x00000660
EAX: 0x00000000, EBX: 0x0b1ad880, ECX: 0x00000000, EDX: 0x00000002
CR2: 0x00000035, EBP: 0x55443e78, ESI: 0x0bd60c00, EDI: 0x00000002
EFL: 0x00010246, EIP: 0x5c29c359, CS: 0x00000008, DS: 0x07370010
Error code: 0x00000000

Backtrace (CPU 1), Frame : Return Address (4 potential args on stack)
0x55443c68 : 0x21b837 (0x5dd7fc 0x55443c9c 0x223ce1 0x0)
0x55443cb8 : 0x2abf6a (0x59e3d0 0x5c29c359 0xe 0x59e59a)
0x55443d98 : 0x2a1a78 (0x55443db0 0x80 0x55443e78 0x5c29c359)
0x55443da8 : 0x5c29c359 (0xe 0x48 0x55440010 0x550010)
0x55443e78 : 0x5b5ab549 (0xbd60c00 0xb1ad880 0x1 0x1)
0x55443ee8 : 0x5b5af794 (0xbd60c00 0x7561e1c 0x1 0x231c92)
0x55443f08 : 0x5b5bd1f1 (0x7561e00 0x1 0x1 0x1)
0x55443f48 : 0x5b5bd4cb (0x7131000 0x0 0x175dcf0 0x854)
0x55443f78 : 0x230235 (0x7131000 0x0 0x55443fc8 0x227cea)
0x55443fc8 : 0x2a179c (0x863ea0 0x0 0x10 0x0)
Kernel Extensions in backtrace (with dependencies):
com.apple.iokit.IOUSBHIDDriver(4.2.0)@0x5c29b000->0x5c2a1fff
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOHIDFamily(1.6.6)@0x5b5a5000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOUSBFamily(4.2.4)@0x5b545000
com.apple.iokit.IOHIDFamily(1.6.6)@0x5b5a5000->0x5b5e0fff

BSD process name corresponding to current thread: kernel_task

Mac OS version:
10K549

Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 10.8.0: Tue Jun 7 16:33:36 PDT 2011; root:xnu-1504.15.3~1/RELEASE_I386
System model name: MacBookPro4,1 (Mac-F42C89C8)

System uptime in nanoseconds: 9156892684281
unloaded kexts:
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBTCKeyEventDriver 201.6 (addr 0x5bb48000, size 0x8192) - last unloaded 8072859489025
loaded kexts:
com.vmware.kext.vmnet 0073.02.98 - last loaded 8009091184232
com.vmware.kext.vmioplug 0073.02.98
com.vmware.kext.vsockets 90.1.5
com.vmware.kext.vmci 90.1.1
com.vmware.kext.vmx86 0073.02.98
com.iospirit.driver.rbiokithelper 1.21
at.obdev.nke.LittleSnitch 2.3.09
com.apple.driver.AppleHWSensor 1.9.3d0
com.apple.filesystems.autofs 2.1.0
com.apple.driver.AudioAUUC 1.57
com.apple.driver.AppleUpstreamUserClient 3.5.7
com.apple.driver.AppleMCCSControl 1.0.20
com.apple.driver.AppleIntelPenrynProfile 17
com.apple.Dont_Steal_Mac_OS_X 7.0.0
com.apple.GeForce 6.3.6
com.apple.driver.AppleHDA 2.0.5f14
com.apple.driver.AudioIPCDriver 1.1.6
com.apple.driver.AppleBacklight 170.0.46
com.apple.kext.AppleSMCLMU 1.5.2d10
com.apple.driver.SMCMotionSensor 3.0.1d2
com.apple.iokit.AppleYukon2 3.2.1b1
com.apple.driver.AirPortBrcm43224 428.42.4
com.apple.driver.ACPI_SMC_PlatformPlugin 4.7.0a1
com.apple.driver.AppleLPC 1.5.1
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBTCButtons 201.6
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBTCKeyboard 201.6
com.apple.iokit.SCSITaskUserClient 2.6.8
com.apple.iokit.IOAHCIBlockStorage 1.6.4
com.apple.BootCache 31.1
com.apple.AppleFSCompression.AppleFSCompressionTypeZlib 1.0.0d1
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBHub 4.2.4
com.apple.driver.AppleFWOHCI 4.7.3
com.apple.driver.AppleAHCIPort 2.1.7
com.apple.driver.AppleIntelPIIXATA 2.5.1
com.apple.driver.AppleEFINVRAM 1.4.0
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBEHCI 4.2.4
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBUHCI 4.2.0
com.apple.driver.AppleHPET 1.5
com.apple.driver.AppleSmartBatteryManager 160.0.0
com.apple.driver.AppleRTC 1.3.1
com.apple.driver.AppleACPIButtons 1.3.6
com.apple.driver.AppleSMBIOS 1.7
com.apple.driver.AppleACPIEC 1.3.6
com.apple.driver.AppleAPIC 1.4
com.apple.driver.AppleIntelCPUPowerManagementClient 142.6.0
com.apple.security.sandbox 1
com.apple.security.quarantine 0
com.apple.nke.applicationfirewall 2.1.14
com.apple.driver.AppleIntelCPUPowerManagement 142.6.0
com.apple.driver.AppleProfileReadCounterAction 17
com.apple.driver.AppleProfileTimestampAction 10
com.apple.driver.AppleProfileThreadInfoAction 14
com.apple.driver.AppleProfileRegisterStateAction 10
com.apple.driver.AppleProfileKEventAction 10
com.apple.driver.AppleProfileCallstackAction 20
com.apple.iokit.IOSurface 74.2
com.apple.iokit.IOBluetoothSerialManager 2.4.5f3
com.apple.iokit.IOSerialFamily 10.0.3
com.apple.driver.DspFuncLib 2.0.5f14
com.apple.iokit.IOAudioFamily 1.8.3fc2
com.apple.kext.OSvKernDSPLib 1.3
com.apple.driver.AppleBacklightExpert 1.0.1
com.apple.nvidia.nv50hal 6.3.6
com.apple.NVDAResman 6.3.6
com.apple.iokit.IONDRVSupport 2.2.1
com.apple.iokit.AppleProfileFamily 41
com.apple.driver.AppleHDAController 2.0.5f14
com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily 2.2.1
com.apple.iokit.IOHDAFamily 2.0.5f14
com.apple.iokit.IO80211Family 320.1
com.apple.driver.IOPlatformPluginFamily 4.7.0a1
com.apple.iokit.IOFireWireIP 2.0.3
com.apple.iokit.IONetworkingFamily 1.10
com.apple.driver.AppleSMC 3.1.0d5
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBMultitouch 207.7
com.apple.driver.BroadcomUSBBluetoothHCIController 2.4.5f3
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBBluetoothHCIController 2.4.5f3
com.apple.iokit.IOBluetoothFamily 2.4.5f3
com.apple.iokit.IOUSBHIDDriver 4.2.0
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBMergeNub 4.2.4
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBComposite 3.9.0
com.apple.driver.XsanFilter 402.1
com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIMultimediaCommandsDevice 2.6.8
com.apple.iokit.IOBDStorageFamily 1.6
com.apple.iokit.IODVDStorageFamily 1.6
com.apple.iokit.IOCDStorageFamily 1.6.1
com.apple.iokit.IOATAPIProtocolTransport 2.5.1
com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIArchitectureModelFamily 2.6.8
com.apple.iokit.IOUSBUserClient 4.2.4
com.apple.iokit.IOFireWireFamily 4.2.6
com.apple.iokit.IOAHCIFamily 2.0.6
com.apple.iokit.IOATAFamily 2.5.1
com.apple.iokit.IOUSBFamily 4.2.4
com.apple.driver.AppleEFIRuntime 1.4.0
com.apple.iokit.IOHIDFamily 1.6.6
com.apple.iokit.IOSMBusFamily 1.1
com.apple.security.TMSafetyNet 6
com.apple.kext.AppleMatch 1.0.0d1
com.apple.driver.DiskImages 289
com.apple.iokit.IOStorageFamily 1.6.3
com.apple.driver.AppleACPIPlatform 1.3.6
com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily 2.6.5
com.apple.iokit.IOACPIFamily 1.3.0
Model: MacBookPro4,1, BootROM MBP41.00C1.B03, 2 processors, Intel Core 2 Duo, 2.5 GHz, 4 GB, SMC 1.27f3
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT, GeForce 8600M GT, PCIe, 512 MB
Memory Module: global_name
AirPort: spairport_wireless_card_type_airport_extreme (0x14E4, 0x8C), Broadcom BCM43xx 1.0 (5.10.131.42.4)
Bluetooth: Version 2.4.5f3, 2 service, 12 devices, 1 incoming serial ports
Network Service: AirPort, AirPort, en1
Serial ATA Device: ST1000LM014-1EJ164, 931.51 GB
Parallel ATA Device: MATSHITADVD-R UJ-867
USB Device: Built-in iSight, 0x05ac (Apple Inc.), 0x8502, 0xfd400000 / 2
USB Device: IR Receiver, 0x05ac (Apple Inc.), 0x8242, 0x5d100000 / 2
USB Device: Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad, 0x05ac (Apple Inc.), 0x0230, 0x5d200000 / 3
USB Device: BRCM2046 Hub, 0x0a5c (Broadcom Corp.), 0x4500, 0x1a100000 / 2
USB Device: Bluetooth USB Host Controller, 0x05ac (Apple Inc.), 0x820f, 0x1a110000 / 3
MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.8), Early 2008 2.5 GHz

Lets start by backing up your machine (presumably you do this anyway)

Next boot from your Snow Leopard disc and running repair permissions and repair disk.
instructions here, if you haven't done it before. Once done quit out and reboot normally.

Next download and install Onyx for Snow Leopard
Run Onyx and tick everything on the Automation tab, let it run.

Now that complete reset your PRAM/SMC
About NVRAM and PRAM

Now retry and see if you're still experiencing issues. Let us know how you get on

mrplow said:

Lets start by baking up your machine

Click to expand...

Just in case the missing 'c' is throwing you off, he means backing up the machine.

toMACsh said:

Just in case the missing 'c' is throwing you off, he means backing up the machine.

Click to expand...

Ooops

Corrected

Thanks for the reply!

I do regular backups although I'm in the process of moving all my backups to a new external drive. Once that is complete, and I get off work, I will do the other things you suggested and get back to you tonight.

I've also tried repairing permissions from the Snow Leopard DVD however there are quite a few things as I recall that it just would not repair. I will do it again and see if I can get a report out of it.

Backing / Baking

toMACsh said:

Just in case the missing 'c' is throwing you off, he means backing up the machine.

Click to expand...

LOL. Good. I was beginning to wonder if I had been keeping my machine too cold ;-)

How much Ram have you allocated to Windows when you are running the VM

As member louishen asked..... are you running a virtual machine of any kind because VMWare Fusion is loading five kexts? If you're not running a virtual machine of any kind I suggest removing VMWare Fusion. Use their uninstaller, do not drag it to the Trash.

louishen said:

How much Ram have you allocated to Windows when you are running the VM

Click to expand...

I have the VMWare recommended amount of 1024 MB. This seems to do fine for me since I'm only using Windows for work because I have to use Internet Explorer. Any other applications I need are all on the Mac side.

chscag said:

As member louishen asked..... are you running a virtual machine of any kind because VMWare Fusion is loading five kexts? If you're not running a virtual machine of any kind I suggest removing VMWare Fusion. Use their uninstaller, do not drag it to the Trash.

Click to expand...

I am running a Windows 7 VM under VMware Fusion. I was running it at the time of the crash as well. Maybe it's time to uninstall (not trash) and upgrade at the same time? That will leave me with the problem of finding the original installation software since it was a paid download without paying extra for the physical disk. I've been purchasing upgrades ever since. I'll have to check on that.

mrplow said:

Lets start by backing up your machine (presumably you do this anyway)

Next boot from your Snow Leopard disc and running repair permissions and repair disk.
instructions here, if you haven't done it before. Once done quit out and reboot normally.

Next download and install Onyx for Snow Leopard
Run Onyx and tick everything on the Automation tab, let it run.

Now that complete reset your PRAM/SMC
About NVRAM and PRAM

Now retry and see if you're still experiencing issues. Let us know how you get on

Click to expand...

Alright MrPlow.

I'm back at it. After I finally got off work I did what everyone does which of course is solving computer problems. But...

I discovered today, because I remembered what I had to do to my old MacBook Pro 4,1, that when removing the battery the intermittent trackpad/keyboard issues go away. I did however follow all the steps you mentioned to do some cleaning up. I'm still confused why VMware Fusion would cause this problem to get worse. You would think that, if it was a hardware problem, that running VMware fusion wouldn't cause it to be worse so I'm still confused. It didn't even crash today like it normally does and I hadn't even done any of your suggestions yet.

I would like to use my Mac with the battery and not have to worry about this problem. I'm going to run the computer for a couple days with and without the battery and see if anything has changed. I will report back later.

I just wanted to add that I had posted this problem and another problem in the Apple support forums but no one ever answered me. I can tell THIS is the place to go and for all those that did answer, whether you solved a problem or not, you're all getting a vote from me!



Thanks

I just stuck the battery back in, mind you this is a new replacement battery, and the problem comes back. If you have any suggestions let me know. I will probably bring this up in the hardware forum now

I would still suggest running through the same diagnostics. Especially the pram reset

mrplow said:

I would still suggest running through the same diagnostics. Especially the pram reset

Click to expand...

I did do the pram reset. I also have TechTool Pro so I ran the hardware tests that came with it although they don't seem all that extensive. What I don't have are the original Apple OS disks that shipped with this computer. I may have my old disks around however. I will have to search. It was basically the same model (4,1) although it was 2.4Ghz instead of the 2.5Ghz so there were some differences such as the graphics card. Would you suggest something else?

toMACsh said:

Just in case the missing 'c' is throwing you off, he means backing up the machine.

Click to expand...

It's funny, Maybe MrPlow had a good idea here after all.
Amazing! How I fixed a mac book Logic board! With a torch!

slehman805 said:

It's funny, Maybe MrPlow had a good idea here after all.
Amazing! How I fixed a mac book Logic board! With a torch!

Click to expand...

Are we all invited to the party when it's done?

toMACsh said:

Are we all invited to the party when it's done?

Click to expand...

Sure thing!. It's going to be a wild time. Gives a whole new definition to being baked. Tickets by the way are $600. All proceeds go towards my new, or factory refurbished, MacBook Pro. ;-)