Major problems - G5 - pretty paperweight

[billycole]

I've had this machine for about 5 months now (1.8Ghz G5). Last month
I started to get a bunch of random application crashes. No rhyme or
reason to any of the crashes, but they were all kernel exceptions/bad
instruction types. So I finally decided to bite the bullet and re-install the
OS. Well, during the installation process the machine would kernel panic
most of the time. Other times it would get a little further. I somehow finally
got to where the OS is installed, but it took me hours and hours working
through these crashes. Now it still crashes randomly (i.e. sometimes it will
boot, other times the kernel will throw a rod before the initial blue screen
appears). I'm trying to upgrade to Panther now and it keeps having gnarly
kernel panics (screen goes black with a stack dump).

So, any ideas? I've seen things like this on PCs and I usually suspect a bad
memory stick so I took out my memory upgrade (leaving the stock 256M)
and it still crashes. I really don't know what to do at this point. I don't
know Macs well enough to troubleshoot. It seems like a hardware problem
but I don't know where. Is there a way I can modify the system settings? I
mean DDR timing, caches, etc.

Anyway, I'd appreciate any input. I hate to think that I spent all this money
on a paperweight. The machine is virtually useless to me at this point. Also,
if I can't get this fixed, what are my options? Can I send it to apple? I bought
it at Fry's so maybe they have a warranty. Thanks again, bye.

~billy

 

[witeshark]

try repair permissions. After every software update, and about every 2 weeks: close all apps and log totally off. Log on, go in Finder, Applications. Utilities, Disk Utility. After the message -getting disk information- select volume (below the hard drive name -upper left corner). Just highlight it. Now look to the lower two things are there near the middle, verify permissions, repair permissions. Click repair permissions. Also make sure you run cron tasks Finder, Applications. Utilities Terminal type (switching to root - superuser) sudo sh /etc/daily > this needs to be done /weekly (instead of daily) and monthly. again with all apps closed

 

[johnnyluu]

Call apple technical support. You may have a problematic hard drive. Some of the first generation G5's had a problem with the HD cooling system's heat sensor not doing its job properly. The HD could overheat and malfunction. Some of the latest software updates addressed this problem but as you've yet to upgrade to panther the fix may not have been applied to your system, or the damage was already done in the early months of you owning it. My Dual G5 HD messed at the beginning of this year. The machine started to freeze up often, wouldn't boot, wouldn't format, I couldn't reinstall the OS etc. I was in the middle of some coursework so I had to buy a second HD, but I got my original replaced by Apple, took about 10 days, now my machine runs like a dream (except for how frickin' loud the 9800 pro graphics card fan is! ).

People tend to forget that the HD is the heart of the entire system and needs to be monitored regularly. The OS is on there and all of the data you're trying to access. If you can't access the OS or your data correctly, doesn't matter how amazing the other other components are, your whole system is f**ked! Don't use the G5 as a paper weight, take the HD out and use that instead.

I could be wrong though. Let me know so I don't offer this same advice to anyone else with similar problems!

 

[Absolute Zero]

If he reformatted, repairing permissions, and crons (which Mac OS X does automatically every night at 3-6 AM) definetly wont help.
It could be more than the hard drive. Definetly call Apple.

 

[billycole]

Major problems - G5 -- Update

To recap, my power mac started to have random app crashes so I wiped the
disk and tried to re-install the OS. Each time I try to install, I'll have either
a kernel panic, or the machine will just hang in various stages of the install
process.

So, I swapped out the memory sticks and the problem stayed. I bought a
new SATA HD and the problem is still here. What the freak is going on?! I
just don't understand this. Does anyone have _ANY_ ideas or input for me?
I'm at the end of my rope here with this machine and it sucks because I
really like this computer and really want it up and running. Plus, I got a
couple really cool games for it and that just makes it 10x worse! So, any
ideas are greatly appreciated. I've noticed people talk about reflashing these
motherboards. Is that something I may be in need of? I highly doubt it, but
am just curious. I will have to take it in for repair if I can't fix it. Anyway,
thanks for reading and thanks for any input. Bye,

~billy

 

[trpnmonkey41]

i would have apple support check out the logic board on it

 

[Graeme43]

Did you do the hardware test that comes on cd or dvd with macs? that may help find the problem

 

[kmatthews]

I have the same issue on a G3-350MHz (320Mb RAM) with OS 10.3. Randomly I will have the machine stop abruptly and the screen gets littered with black and text appears in white definining a stack dump.

Is 320MB enough RAM for running OS X? Additionally, is it always a good thing to accept the OS updates assuming it fixes bugs, makes platform more stable...etc?

Kind regards,
KEN

 

[ApplejustWorks]

I have the same issue on a G3-350MHz (320Mb RAM) with OS 10.3. Randomly I will have the machine stop abruptly and the screen gets littered with black and text appears in white definining a stack dump.

Is 320MB enough RAM for running OS X? Additionally, is it always a good thing to accept the OS updates assuming it fixes bugs, makes platform more stable...etc?

Kind regards,
KEN

Apple recommends atleast 256..I recommend at least 512, and thats 512 on a system that isn't exactly..."limited" by the processor...

 

[Padawan]

Apple recommends atleast 256..I recommend at least 512, and thats 512 on a system that isn't exactly..."limited" by the processor...

True, the more RAM the better, but before I upgraded to 768 MB my G3 AIO ran Jaguar quite well with only 256 MB and the processor at 266 MHz.

 

[beck11488]

I will buy it

I will buy it, manely because I am a person who likes to buy junk computers and repair them(if possible) and then if repaired either offer it back to the owner or sell it. I have worked on about 12 G5's with this problem and I find it is kinda hard because you have to take out the logic board. If interested email me at [email protected]

 

[billycole]

Update on the original problem. And, is mac going out of biz?

That machine was still in factory warranty so I ended up taking it in to Fry's
(where I bought it) to have them look at it. It turned out that the mother
board was bad (I think someone here mentioned to look at the "Logic board"
but I'm not sure if that means motherboard in Mac terms or what). So, they
gave me a full refund and I bought a dual G5 and it's been running like a
champ ever since. I heard also that a few of the macs had this same problem.
Anyway, so that's that.

To change the subject, I heard someone saying the other day that Apple
may be dropping their Mac product line or going out of business or something
big like that? It was quick and basically an "in passing" conversation and I
hadn't had my coffee yet so I don't really remember what was said, but.. does
anyone know anything about this? It bums me out because, although I've
been a PC/Windows person for several years, I really enjoy macs a lot and
got my wife one too. So, any truth to this?

~billy

 

[Avalon]

Good, so your problem is solved...

for the record:
a logic board normally simply is a board with electronics, but often it's also used to call motherboards like that.
logic board = motherboard = mainboard
It's not a Mac term, but general electronics

And for the old mythos (in the PC world) that Mac will go out of business...just forget it. They've been there since thebeginning of the computer aera, and even if they don't have a big marketshare, it's a quite stable part of the market they own. And, as a company, they are doing quite well, still doing lots of money...so don't worry about that.

 

[billycole]

>And for the old mythos (in the PC world) that Mac will go out of >business...just forget it. They've been there since thebeginning of the >computer aera, and even if they don't have a big marketshare, it's a quite >stable part of the market they own. And, as a company, they are doing >quite well, still doing lots of money...so don't worry about that.

Well, what I was talking about was something that was a specific recent
announcement by apple. They were going to drop some product line or
they were going to stop building computers entirely or something like this.
It was something they said they were going to stop doing. I will check the
website, but I thought that maybe it was big and everyone here would know
right away. But, I'm mucha happier that it's not something that is known
here because this could mean it's not true. Also, is the number of mac apps
growing? I read that there are only around 300k developers. Thanks,

~billy

 

[rberry88]

I think you might be talking about Apple dropping the iMac G4 line, which did happen a month or two ago in favor of the new iMac G5 line. Basically, out with the old and in with the new.

 

[billycole]

I think you might be talking about Apple dropping the iMac G4 line, which did happen a month or two ago in favor of the new iMac G5 line. Basically, out with the old and in with the new.

Ok, that's fine then and, like you say, the usual stuff. Ok cool, no worries
then. Thanks,

~billy