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2011 iMac freezes in Windows

C

Chris5488

macrumors regular
Original poster
Feb 26, 2011
223
37
Belgium
EDIT: Just happened in OSX too! Starting to think it could be the RAM I installed extra (2x4GB 1333mhz from Crucial)

When I'm running Windows 7, my iMac freezes from time to time, suddenly.
Mouse even shuts down sometimes when this happens, also my attached HDD's are turning off when this happens (to save power when computer is off) during file transfer :mad:. Image on the screen remains, but it's just there as a picture, clock stopped, nothing moves, nothing happens...

The only thing I can do then is hold the iMac's power button or unplug the iMac to shut it down.

Also strange, but don't know if this is related: When I'm installing programs from the Superdrive, iMac becomes slow and programs/explorer often crash ("doesn't respond"). Everything responds very slow, even the windows updates! I was just downloading an 11MB update, which lasted 10 minutes (during a Superdrive setup) and was stil only at 25%, however when the installation was finished it jumped to 100% and everything is on speed again. Did anyone noticed this too in Bootcamp?? Why does the Superdrive affects the whole system?

:confused:

Things to know:
-Freeze has happened 5 times already in the last 3 days.
-Freeze only happens when I'm busy on the iMac. I have left it on, transfering files from the HDD's, for a whole night and nothing happened. I'm using the computer for an hour or two and BAM freeze, mostly when I'm doing multiple things at the same time.
-2011 iMac (i7) with 4GB RAM, later 2X4GB extra = 12GB RAM
-Windows 7 Pro 64 bit
-Logitech G5, Apple Wireless keyboard and Magic Trackpad in use
-Western Digital Mybook 1TB (NTFS formatted) transfering files when it happens
-Seagate Goflex Mac 1.5TB (NTFS formatted) transfering files when it happens
-Peripherals think the computer has shut down/USB ports don't deliver power anymore (happened 4 out of 5 freezes)

OSX runs fine
Click to expand...
 
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Well .. try to unplug any third party RAM you installed yourself..
If those things still happen .. that would sounds like failing unit, maybe the USB ports has problem.

Time to contact :apple: I suppose? While it´s fresh, you should bring it back to oven :)

Relax, you still under warranty
 
Yeah it could be a ram problem. They can be very bizarre and hard to track down. Is there a ram test program in OS X?
 
As others have suggested, put it back to the way it was when you got it and see if it still freezes.
 
its not the ram, its something with your usb devices. try to remove the ram and check
 
Alas, it happened again :mad:. This time while I was testing Flight Simulator X on Windows, during file transfer from my WD MyBook to the Seagate.

It worked fine for 2 hours, even installed FSX during the file transfer and everything went fine, but later when flying it happened again.

Could it be a faulty Firewire800 port which is causing this? The freezes always happened when the Seagate was connected (by FW800). The 1 time it froze in OSX only the Seagate was connected, however I wasn't using it. Or it could just be a coincidence...

Pff I was hoping it would be the RAM, now I have to bring it to a local Apple store and let them tear it up apart :mad:
 
Chris5488 said:
Alas, it happened again :mad:. This time while I was testing Flight Simulator X on Windows, during file transfer from my WD MyBook to the Seagate.

It worked fine for 2 hours, even installed FSX during the file transfer and everything went fine, but later when flying it happened again.

Could it be a faulty Firewire800 port which is causing this? The freezes always happened when the Seagate was connected (by FW800). The 1 time it froze in OSX only the Seagate was connected, however I wasn't using it. Or it could just be a coincidence...

Pff I was hoping it would be the RAM, now I have to bring it to a local Apple store and let them tear it up apart :mad:
Click to expand...

I think that Windows 7 is using the external hard drive as virtual memory (paging) - that's why it only happens when it's plugged in AND when you're using a lot of RAM: playing a game and copying stuff. So, when Windows 7 needs some extra RAM it'll speed up the external hard drive, to then use it, essentially, as RAM. This is when your computer freezes - it's waiting for the external hard drive to speed up.

To test this disconnect all external hard drives - if it doesn't happen again then I'm right. To stop it from happening, when you have external hard drives plugged in, buy more RAM.
 
Stick your extra RAM back in and seeif it still happens. If not then it's probably your external drive, try a different method to connect i.e. FireWire to eliminate a USB problem.
 
Sorry dude...Do you have to remove the screen and open it up every time to troubleshoot and add/remove the RAM?

If so I feel for ya...I wouldn't be able to handle the headache and stress of keeping that screen dust/fingerprint/gunk free.

More and more I'm thinking that BTO makes sense for me...I like saving money but I also like saving the hair on my head from falling (or being ripped) out.
 
i told u its not the ram man, its one of your external devices with combanation to windows 7 being used.
 
Same problem here. But I found a solutions in MacRumors older posts. My iMac freeze and I cant move anything. My BootCamp doesnt work either. And most comment problem is I dont see Windows Boot on Startup Disk everytime wants to boot I use ALT/Option key. I must to restarts 2 times than after open my windows but when I want to turn my OSX I must to 5 or 10 times restart and ALT/Option key combination and my OSX stuck on Blue Screen. Im really crazy about that 2 days. I cant boot from OSX DVD I try everything. I opened BootCamp but didnt work. Give me a errorlike that;

"Boot Camp Assistant cannot be used: You must update your computer's boot ROM firmware before using this setup assistant"."

I found a solution in this link for my problem your problem looks like a mein;

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/303233/

Solution:
1. Inserted OSX install DVD in drive.
2. Started the computer with Command+Option+P+R (PRAM option) and selected the OSX install DVD as startup disk.
3. Selected Disk Utility from Utilities menu and selected Repair Permissions. He said this is a bit different from the option we use from within an installed OSX.
4. Restart (I saw a small message- Boot Cache something.....)
5. He then installs a Performance Update. This one was apparently not shown in Software Updates.
6. Deletes a few preference files.... I could not see which ones.. but he removed at least 4-5. DO NOT DO THIS on your own.
7. 2-3 restarts and my mac is up and healthy. Boot Camp runs fine. Dual booting is fine too.

I used 1 to 4 and everthing works perfectly now. I seeing my Windows Boot on Startup Disk and no freeze everthing works. Very fast Booting. I get amazing performance.

PS: If your are using Tuxeda NTFS you must to delete on preferences panel on MAC.
 
Ok thanks for all the input everyone!

Problem is 'solved' :)

Apparently it's the Seagate drive, not the drive itself but more specifically it's FW800 cable/adapter.
I went to a local Apple Premium Reseller (no Apple store's here) and told them my problem.
They said it could be the external hard drive; according to the guy who helped me a faulty drive could damage the iMac (wrong power...voltage...thing) so a built-in safety-thing kicks in which results in a freeze.

He even told bad periphirals could damage the logic board :eek:. So "Unplug it and check if it still happens". Later when I came home I searched the internet and found more people who experienced freezes with some Seagate external drives, using USB3.0 or FW800. Well my Seagate also has an USB2.0 output-cable, and that worked fine on my PC a few weeks ago before I had my iMac, so I used that one now and no freezes anymore! Problem solved! Put my RAM back in since that wasn't the problem, and indeed everything goes fine now!

So the Seagate Firewire800 adapter is the problem. I'm not risking another FW800 adapter so I'll wait for the Thunderbolt adapters :D. In the meanwile USB2.0 will do fine.


Anyway thanks for the help! I hope others could learn from my experience knowing now that a freezing Mac can be caused by an external hard drive.
 
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