Managed to get hold of a dual 2GHz G5 machine.

FRESH install of 10.4.10 with a basic 512Meg of RAM

Flushed HD too.

Only devices connected are the apple keyboard and a Turbomouse (both confirmed as AOK)

The problem -

more often than not, when under light load (ie doing a task, such as a download, whilst surfing or installing some software), the machine will TOTALLY freeze.

No "wheel of fortune" mouse - just a regular frozen mouse.


Now, the interesting bit is that this machine has been back to Apple, where it has been bench-tested for 2 whole weeks. (by the sounds of it, it's been left on, but no actual tasks being done).....


Any ideas what it might be? Faulty RAM, Logic board or video board?

Dan

 

how about the HD? Could this realistically cause a freeze?

Dan

 

You're going to look like a tool doing this, but it's worth it. Open up the machine, wait until it freezes and then put your ear close to the hard drive and listen to it. Does it seem to be clicking? It could be the drive, as ther are VM and cache files being read/written to/from the drive. I've done this on many occasions, ie; listening to the drive, and have heard it clicking, never a good sign. I did not hear this above the noise of the fans with the case closed, hence the reason for doing the "tool move"

If you have another drive available, pop it in and see if that makes a difference.

If you have the system disks that came with the machine, bung in the Apple Hardware Test disk and run the basic tests, see if it throws up anything, if not, try the advanced ones.

Memory is also a possible culprit, you could fire up System Profiler and see if it's picking up all the chips.

 

Worth resetting the Power Supply control unit (or something like that). There is a button on the motherboard in the bottom left corner (google it)

Also check the processor performance setting in Energy saver control panel/options. I used to run on highest but now leave it on reduced. sometimes the fans would kick in and I did used to get the odd hang.

Also try reseating the RAM but you've probably tried that....

 

thanks guys - just running Rember at the moment. Testing the RAM.

Strangely, last time it hung, I've restarted at tried to put back on a fresh install of OSX. Wouldn't get past the penultimate "blue" screen.....

A zap of the PRAM, and it came back up 2 restarts later. wierd.

Pretty sure it's not the HD now

I too have the processor set to high (due to Logic Pro 7 requiring it) - the setting didn't seem to make any difference to the freezes.

More investigation, me thinks!

DAn

 

Interesting. I've just had it crash again (loading up Safari).

Let it stay there for a second, now the fans have kicked in and gone bananas!!

Any bearing on the problem?

DAn

 

hmmm, sounds like something ive had that does...

can you see any red lights on the motherboard from the front?

Mine went back to Apple not long after I bought it... Came back fixed and has been fine since. Not 100% sure what the problem.

 

Can't see, but it's going back to the repair shop next week!!

In the meantime, I'll have to make do with my MacBookPro

Dan