G5

BoA


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iMac G5, 17", 160 GB, 512RAM/ iPod 1gen, 15G/iPod video black
Okay, so two weeks ago I come in and my iMac is acting weird (iSight G5, rev c. 17" with standard RAM because Crucial hasn't arrived yet). By weird I mean the fonts are skewed, I cannot open programs and if they do open they all go white. Finder is messed up and won't load certain folders. I cannot open Preferences either. So, I reboot a few times and it still does this and when I would get to the login screen it would be all scrambled but I could login by typing my password and it would go back to the messed up desktop. I reinstall OS X (Tiger) and then update. Now, two weeks later I keep getting the White/Grey Screen of Death (You must Reboot your computeR) every so often (every two days) and the computer crashes a lot. Tonight I get back upstairs after about three point five hours of making bread and watching television and the screen is black and will not respond and the fans are running non-stop!

So, I re-boot and I would like to know *** is the problem? Do I need to get a new iMac or something? I was not even running anything when I left it but Firefox with four tabs and Zudeo (Azureus) with two torrents. This started happening (White/grey screen) a month after I first bought it (Jan 06'). Silly me, it was a gift and I could not afford AppleCare at the time so I never got it. X_X

What can I do? I bought this computer in December 05' and now it decides to mess up. Will the ram help? Is this a Kernel problem?

Good news is I'm waiting on my MB to ship out, but with the iMac problems I'm considering returning it and just going back to PC (ugh) and finding something to do with this iMac...

Any ideas?

Cross posted on Mac Rumors!
 
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Wrong thread. Sorry. I was trying to post in this thread.

Good luck with your iMac. Sorry I can't help. +Rep for my mistake.
 
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You reinstalled Mac OS X and then all was OK... for a while? If that is the case, the hardware is probably OK.

Does this happen only after you have had the Mac running for a while? Could it be heat related?

Is there any possible correlation between the oddball behaviour and some new program you have just installed recently and started to run?

How full is your hard drive? Is it possible that you are pretty much maxed and virtual memory is starting to thrash?
 
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MacHeadCase

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Just in case Mac Rumors didn't come up with something first... :bomb:

Check to see if your serial number isn't on this list, iMac G5 Repair Extension Program for Video and Power Issues: Frequently Asked Questions. Prolly not, I think these were the first gen iMac G5 but just in case they would have added some models in the bunch lately...

Also run the Hardware Test in Extended mode and see if that doesn't pick anything up.

And I would take it in at an Apple Store anyway, just in case it would be part of the iMac G5 problems but that they never made a public recall of the model. The worst case scenario is, it isn't covered and they'll charge you for the repairs, in which case you can decline if you don't want to pay for it. You can then take it back and sell it for the working parts or something.
 
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BoA

BoA


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Haven't installed any recent programs now, but when the old OS X copy messed up I had installed this program to distribute files via email a few days before. It was a legit looking website, and lots of people in newsgroups I post in use it to distribute small video clips and walkthroughs (~5MB). I cannot remember the name as I deleted the email so as not to re-install the program when the computer started messing up last time. But since the re-install of OS X the programs on here that are not from Apple are: Photoshop, Azureus, Adium, MP3 trimmer, iSquint, WMV player/Flip4Mac, VLC, Switch, and an update for the Zip program that comes installed... Oh and Office 2004 Student.

I still need to run Hardware Test though...
 
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...and since your last reinstall, without the email blaster, are things stable? Do all those programs you have listed run OK?
 
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If you have upgraded to 10.4.9, you could have problems..

some people have experienced problems with 10.4.9
 
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MacHeadCase

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I could be wrong but I think his problems predate the release of the 10.4.9 update just by looking at the date he started his thread, Dean.
 
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BoA

BoA


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Update:

Okay, it is doing the weird fan thing again tonight/this morning. ****! And before my external HD gets here so I can back everything up. The thing is it will not turn on really. The light comes on, it chimes, and then the fans start running fast but the screen stays black. I can do nothing on it except charge my iPod. And what is worse is I turned off file sharing on it this morning I think. Other wise I could access it from my mac book :[[.

Any ideas?
 
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OK, this sounds bad, really bad. If it won't boot at all, there are two possibilities: (1) corrupted OS, and (2) hardware issue.

I would tend to omit (1) since you have repeatedly reloaded. (2) seems the more likely option. I know that there are a number of good hardware diagnostic programs out there, but I am not sure if any of them come on a "rescue disk" type CD which you can boot from separately.

M-F readers: who knows of a good emergency CD for Macs, that can be booted from and contains all the right hardware diagnostics (or at least supports copying data off the main drive ... if it still working)?
 
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BoA

BoA


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It turned on this morning, but I still would like a good hardware testing program...

Still waiting on the external HD, which should be here this week :D. Then, the long haul to Tampa to the Apple Store.
 
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MacHeadCase

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Just in case Mac Rumors didn't come up with something first... :bomb:

Check to see if your serial number isn't on this list, iMac G5 Repair Extension Program for Video and Power Issues: Frequently Asked Questions. Prolly not, I think these were the first gen iMac G5 but just in case they would have added some models in the bunch lately...

Also run the Hardware Test in Extended mode and see if that doesn't pick anything up.

And I would take it in at an Apple Store anyway, just in case it would be part of the iMac G5 problems but that they never made a public recall of the model. The worst case scenario is, it isn't covered and they'll charge you for the repairs, in which case you can decline if you don't want to pay for it. You can then take it back and sell it for the working parts or something.

Did you run Apple's Hardware Test? You could also buy TechTool Pro.
 
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Thanks MHC. Just what the (Mac) doctor ordered!
 
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BoA

BoA


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*Sigh* Yep, but the computer won't turn on... :(

It WAS on but I had errands to run today before I saw your post(s) and we had a power outtage so I got home and it was off and won't turn on only does the fan thing. I don't think the computer is actually 'on' when it does that because the iPod doesn't show the little (\) when it is plugged in. Discs also will not go in so I can't try and press 'c' or anything (Does C still work or was that just the old iBooks?)...

At least my MB works... Awaiting the day it turns on so I can back everything up and then take it in... But! I did take a video of what the computer does so when I take it in if it doesn't do the problem for the Apple Tech I can show them the video...
 
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That sux BoA. There is nothing worse than an erratic non reproducable problem, particularly one that is holding your files hostage. I hope you do manage to get it to run at least once more and back things up, before you have to take it in for repair.
 
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Sorry to read about your problems BoA ... and great stuff mac57 and MacHeadCase for sticking with BoA through this horrible situation.
 
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BoA

BoA


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Yep, Yep, THANKS Mac57 + MacHeadCase :D.
 

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