Bad Memory

Hi Guys,

I am trying to locate problems of a Mac Pro (Power PC 2.7G, 4GB RAM). This computer has been an awesome machine for my work since 2005. Just now, it starts to show some funky manners.

1. How do you know when the memory chips have gone bad?
2. How do you know when the graphic card has gone bad?

Thank You

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bludebkk said:

Just now, it starts to show some funky manners.

Click to expand...

Describe what you mean by "funky manners"...and maybe we can narrow things down to what the problem could be.

- Nick

tell tale signs of a dead/dying graphics card: constant graphic glitches, or patterns coming across the screen.

tell tale signs of bad RAM: frequent kernel panics, issues booting.

robduckyworth said:

tell tale signs of a dead/dying graphics card: constant graphic glitches, or patterns coming across the screen.

tell tale signs of bad RAM: frequent kernel panics, issues booting.

Click to expand...

OK it isn't the graphic card then.

It doesn't boot up. I got nothing on the display. Sometimes I have to wait days. Then it will boot up. In the pass few days, I will draw a line and it would go to sleep. I have to log in again and again. I would never knew what trickers it all the sudden it would quit.

I shut it off yesterday and today no luck yet so far.

I couldn't reinstall my Photoshop. Is that has anything to do with it?

bludebkk said:

OK it isn't the graphic card then.

It doesn't boot up. I got nothing on the display. Sometimes I have to wait days. Then it will boot up. In the pass few days, I will draw a line and it would go to sleep. I have to log in again and again. I would never knew what trickers it all the sudden it would quit.

I shut it off yesterday and today no luck yet so far.

Click to expand...

Have you tried booting this computer from a Mac OS install CD/DVD?

If the computer will boot from a CD/DVD...and not from the hard drive...then your hard drive could be dead (or almost dead).

- Nick

pigoo3 said:

Have you tried booting this computer from a Mac OS install CD/DVD?

If the computer will boot from a CD/DVD...and not from the hard drive...then your hard drive could be dead (or almost dead).

- Nick

Click to expand...

Not yet. I will if I get it to boot up next time.

Another thing is, it won't stay sleep. I didn't want to power down so I would put it to sleep. Most of the time it will wake it self up. Sometimes I've had to do it 3-4-5 times to put it to sleep and all the sudden in the middle of the night it would wake itself up.

bludebkk said:

Not yet. I will if I get it to boot up next time.

Click to expand...

That's not really the way it works. You can boot the computer from an OS install CD/DVD anytime...you don't have to wait for it to boot from the hard drive. In fact...if the hard drive is currently completely dead...it will never boot from the hard drive.

- Nick

pigoo3 said:

That's not really the way it works. You can boot the computer from an OS install CD/DVD anytime...you don't have to wait for it to boot from the hard drive. In fact...if the hard drive is currently completely dead...it will never boot from the hard drive.

- Nick

Click to expand...

Yes, Nick. I can't get the CD tray to open when it's not booted up. When I power on. It sounds like the computer is working but I have nothing on the display and the keyboard is not working.

bludebkk said:

Yes, Nick. I can't get the CD tray to open when it's not booted up. When I power on. It sounds like the computer is working but I have nothing on the display and the keyboard is not working.

Click to expand...

hold down the mouse button at startup

bludebkk said:

Yes, Nick. I can't get the CD tray to open when it's not booted up. When I power on. It sounds like the computer is working but I have nothing on the display and the keyboard is not working.

Click to expand...

Like "robduckyworth" mentioned...you can hold down the mouse button on startup...and this will open the CD/DVD drive tray.

And (if you have an Apple keyboard), in the upper right area of the keyboard...there's a key with a triangle symbol with a horizontal line under the triangle...that when depressed...also opens the CD/DVD tray.

- Nick

I have been using Mac for 20 years, I have 14 Macs and never once have to start up with the mouse but thank you. I will try this option. As far as the triangle thing, I'll see if I can find it.

I didn't mean to be rude. What I meant is if I can't get the keyboard to work then I can't open the tray. I didn't know about the mouse option after all these years. Never have to use it that way. I am very familiar with all Macs. Sent 20 years with them. I have a design studio. I take good care of my machines and never have had this unfamiliar problem. Never have any of them go out on me except one of my older G4. The rest are still working very well. Even with my G3.

bludebkk said:

I didn't mean to be rude.

Click to expand...

Didn't think you were let us know how you get on, lets see whether that drive is past it's prime or not.

bludebkk said:

I didn't mean to be rude. What I meant is if I can't get the keyboard to work then I can't open the tray. I didn't know about the mouse option after all these years. Never have to use it that way. I am very familiar with all Macs. Sent 20 years with them. I have a design studio. I take good care of my machines and never have had this unfamiliar problem. Never have any of them go out on me except one of my older G4. The rest are still working very well. Even with my G3.

Click to expand...

I didn't think you were being rude either.

Regarding your Macintosh experience. Hey lots of great experience there...but like with most things in life...if you've never run into a specific problem...you generally never needed to know what the solution is.

It sounds to me from the info so far...that you may have a dead or dying hard drive. This is just something that happens...no way of predicting it. This is why I was suggesting booting from a Mac OS CD/DVD.

If you can successfully boot from a CD/DVD...and not from the hard drive (at least not in the normal amount of time)...then the hard drive is dead/dying...or there could possibly be some sort of data or OS corruption on the hard drive (which a reinstall of the OS may solve).

- Nick

bludebkk said:

I have been using Mac for 20 years, I have 14 Macs and never once have to start up with the mouse but thank you. I will try this option. As far as the triangle thing, I'll see if I can find it.

Click to expand...

By the way...there is yet a 3rd way to open up the CD/DVD drive tray without being able to boot from the hard drive.

On a Powermac G5:

- With your fingers...you manually slide down the aluminum door where the optical drive tray comes out.
- Thru the opening (may need a flashlight to see)..you should see a small hole (left side of the optical drive) that a straightened paperclip will fit into.
- insert a straightened paperclip into the hole & push...and the CD/DVD drive tray will slide out.
- you need to tug on it gently to get it all the way out

Now you can insert your OS install CD/DVD...press the power button on the computer...then hold down the "c" key on the keyboard to auto-boot from the OS disk in the optical drive.

- Nick

p.s. I just did this on my Powermac G5...no problems.

Well it is not a Mac Pro with 2.7GHz, and sounds like a Dual processor G5. These models are liquid cooled and coolant leaks lead to the problems you are describing. This is what to look for:-


http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/systems/G5_coolant_leaks.html

harryb2448 said:

Well it is not a Mac Pro with 2.7GHz, and sounds like a Dual processor G5. These models are liquid cooled and coolant leaks lead to the problems you are describing. This is what to look for:-


PowerMac G5 Coolant Leaks/Repairs

Click to expand...

I was thinking it might be a G5.... certainly no Power PC Mac Pros. lets hope it's not leaked, cause that spells disaster.

Well, no luck.
Tried to boot it up this morning. Got white screen with Apple. Both Keyboard and mouse don't work. Just like every other times, I can hear the fans start going up and up. I powered it down.

What do you think? Has this one seen better days? I hate to waste a good hardware. I don't know if it's a wise choice to try and fix it. Being the Power PC and all.