i think my ram is fried

[furcalchick]

i'm posting this on my pc right now, as my macbook has been going through kernel panics the last hour or so. last thing before the panics was me frantically trying to shut down some programs as the ram was reaching max point, and it couldn't, and then i shut it down, and apon restart, the kernel panics start. i tried pressing c, pressing d with the restart disc in there, and nothing but the stupid kernel panic screen comes up. i thought it was an application, but i decided to go diggging in my ram, and guess what? apparently, there are white marks all over it, and i don't remember any kind of ram looking like that.

i'm going to try to get over to the local apple store in the morning and see what i can do.

 

[ABQ-Y2KSE]

The white stuff on the RAM is white lithium grease. It is used to aid in assembly on the MacBook line. I freaked out the first time I pulled the RAM from my MacBook and saw what I thought looked like corrosion. After a quick google search, I learned that it was lithium grease. This does not rule out the possibility of bad RAM in your case.

 

[CanadaRAM]

The white, chalky residue marks on Apple factory RAM are normal, it's a lubricant used during the assembly of the machine.

However that isn't to say you are not correct, it may be a defective RAM module. If you have 2 modules (which you should, it being a MacBook), try using the machine with one, then the other, singly, to isolate which one it is.

If you have the machine with a single stock module, call Applecare.

 

[furcalchick]

i don't know what to do now...i tried everything to restart this thing, and all i get is kernel panic all the time...anything else i should consider before going to the apple store?

also, i need to back up my data in case they need to erase it all for some reason...any way to do this now?

 

[iToaster]

i don't know what to do now...i tried everything to restart this thing, and all i get is kernel panic all the time...anything else i should consider before going to the apple store?

also, i need to back up my data in case they need to erase it all for some reason...any way to do this now?

If you can't start it properly, the best I could think of would be target disk mode, where essentialy, the mac is an expensive external HD, but that's the best I can come up with. Are you close to an Apple store, you might want to go see them about this.

 

[CanadaRAM]

If you can't start it properly, the best I could think of would be target disk mode, where essentialy, the mac is an expensive external HD, but that's the best I can come up with. Are you close to an Apple store, you might want to go see them about this.

FC - did you try the one RAM at a time experiment already?

If the RAM truly is fried, or the logic board, then Target Disk Mode aint gonna work either.

 

[furcalchick]

it's way too late for the other stuff, i'll just try to buy a external hd at wal mart in the morning as well as see what's wrong with the computer. something tells me something big went kaput.

 

[furcalchick]

i think the motherboard is the one that is fried...when i started up the computer, it has the sound of trying to start up, then just stops, it's like it's on it's last legs...

 

[CanadaRAM]

i think the motherboard is the one that is fried...when i started up the computer, it has the sound of trying to start up, then just stops, it's like it's on it's last legs...

OK, stop panicking. It's what, 3 or 4 in the morning there? Consider leaving this til morning.


Starting up then stops is classic bad RAM or improperly installed RAM symptoms.

Would you please answer whether you have tried installing each RAM module singly?

When you install the RAM you have to push quite hard with both thumbs. The RAM will slide in and sort of go "Thunk" and stop. You then have to push it 1/8" further in to make contact.

 

[furcalchick]

OK, stop panicking. It's what, 3 or 4 in the morning there? Consider leaving this til morning.


Starting up then stops is classic bad RAM or improperly installed RAM symptoms.

Would you please answer whether you have tried installing each RAM module singly?

When you install the RAM you have to push quite hard with both thumbs. The RAM will slide in and sort of go "Thunk" and stop. You then have to push it 1/8" further in to make contact.

still getting the kernel panic screen when singling out ram (either both rams are bad or it's something else). i think the ram has burned out. at least i'm still under warranty when i go to the apple store a bit later.

so the sound of the computer starting up then just clunking is bad ram? and also, my install disc got stuck in the optical drive and i can't get it out at all. grr.

 

[furcalchick]

back on the mac.

came back from a visit to the apple store (glad i live 15 minutes from the closest apple store). turns out the problem wasn't hardware, but was isquint. it froze my computer and was very annoying. went there first thing this morning and i'm back up, fully online, nothing wrong.

but next thing is that i'm getting a external firewire hard drive today so i can back up my data.

 

[damir.hara]

came back from a visit to the apple store (glad i live 15 minutes from the closest apple store). turns out the problem wasn't hardware, but was isquint. it froze my computer and was very annoying. went there first thing this morning and i'm back up, fully online, nothing wrong.

but next thing is that i'm getting a external firewire hard drive today so i can back up my data.

good! im glad everything worked out.