My 2.8 ghz iMac has not had any freezing issues, and I have 4GB of Samsung "Apple Recommended" RAM from 18004memory.
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iMac Software update 1.3
- Thread starter Tom Sawyer
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phillipjfry
macrumors 6502a
This is the very reason why I haven't taken my iMac (white, not ALU) to the
store for my random hardware issues. I hope you ALU peeps get a good update soon. Nothing like having a machine that freezes up all the time to spoil the Apple love around here.
Yateball
macrumors regular
That's the thing with mine too... the Mushkin RAM is supposedly "apple certified" where Crucial doesn't advertise this at all...
RRK
macrumors 6502
I have a 2.8ghz version and I only had one freeze. It was before the 1.1 update and it happened after I closed Doom 3. I bumped up the fan speeds just to be safe and everything has been great for me, especially after Leopard. I only have 2gig of ram all from Apple.
Anyone benchmark these new drivers yet?
Anyone benchmark these new drivers yet?
You won't have to suffer through this if you call Apple technical support over the phone. If you complain, they will e-mail you a pre-paid Fed Ex label to send it back and over night another Mac to you. At least, thats what they did for me last time I recieved a faulty Mac.
You have to COMPLAIN. Or you will be treated like crap. Its the way it works.
I have a 2.4 20" with the 1 gb of RAM that it came with, which is barely enough to turn the damn thing ON, and it still does not have this issue.
I mean, it has occasionally locked up for no reason, but I'd have to say maybe 3 or 4 times since I've purchased it. That would be right after launch.
I mean, it has occasionally locked up for no reason, but I'd have to say maybe 3 or 4 times since I've purchased it. That would be right after launch.
I'm quite sure this is not hardware
I've got a MacPro with the very same symptoms (random gui freezes about once a week) since the last minor system update (10.4.10). Assuming it is the same problem as for the iMacs (GUI is blocked, mouse continues to work, remote login still works).
From all I can tell it is a simple dead lock. These can be hard to fix, though. Also since it involves a race condition, how often it happens can depend a lot on usage patterns and the drivers involved.
Damn, I used to be proud of my rock solid system...
Daran
I've got a MacPro with the very same symptoms (random gui freezes about once a week) since the last minor system update (10.4.10). Assuming it is the same problem as for the iMacs (GUI is blocked, mouse continues to work, remote login still works).
From all I can tell it is a simple dead lock. These can be hard to fix, though. Also since it involves a race condition, how often it happens can depend a lot on usage patterns and the drivers involved.
Damn, I used to be proud of my rock solid system...
Daran
hi everyone,
i just wanted to chime in. i've got a 2.8 Ghz, 24" aluminum iMac. it has had freezing issues since day one. it only froze once before the tiger 1.2 update, then froze multiple times a day after installing 1.2. i reverted back to 1.1 and while i did get an occasional freeze (maybe once or twice a week) it was much better than the multiple times per day uner 1.2.
after upgrading to leopard, it was back to daily multiple freezes. now, after installing 1.3 for leopard, it still freezes. 🙁 no better, no worse. i reset the PRAM after installing 1.3 as well. hardware tests don't show any errors, btw.
the issues range from a screen freeze, to a screen "black out", to white streaks accross the screen. i can force a freeze by openeing the screen saver panel, select arabesque and either moving the control panel or moving my mouse quickly accross the dock. often, time machine will cause a screen blackout, as will front row.
i have no 3rd party RAM installed.
i just wanted to chime in. i've got a 2.8 Ghz, 24" aluminum iMac. it has had freezing issues since day one. it only froze once before the tiger 1.2 update, then froze multiple times a day after installing 1.2. i reverted back to 1.1 and while i did get an occasional freeze (maybe once or twice a week) it was much better than the multiple times per day uner 1.2.
after upgrading to leopard, it was back to daily multiple freezes. now, after installing 1.3 for leopard, it still freezes. 🙁 no better, no worse. i reset the PRAM after installing 1.3 as well. hardware tests don't show any errors, btw.
the issues range from a screen freeze, to a screen "black out", to white streaks accross the screen. i can force a freeze by openeing the screen saver panel, select arabesque and either moving the control panel or moving my mouse quickly accross the dock. often, time machine will cause a screen blackout, as will front row.
i have no 3rd party RAM installed.
No problems with 2 x 2GB of Hynix RAM in my 24 inch iMac 2.8GHz.
My machine is on 24/7, not a single graphics freeze yet over the twothree weeks or so I've had this machine.
My machine is on 24/7, not a single graphics freeze yet over the twothree weeks or so I've had this machine.
I bought my RAM pre-installed by apple at an apple store, so I have no idea what brand it is, but I would hope that it is apple. I have 2GB, and have the freezing problem.
It's very interesting that we're still trying to reach a consensus on what's causing this. With users reporting freezing with different hardware confiqurations, is it possible that there are two (or more) distinctly different issues causing this? Third party RAM causes the problem for some, bad drivers cause what appears to be the same problem for others?
Just trying to throw out some alternatives.
EDIT:
Another possibility that has been mentioned (but not seriously considered) is that the graphics card needs to be reseated. Yes, I agree the symptoms don't directly point to it, but again, this could be a separate issue that could be causing what appears to be the same problems that others are having.
Just trying to throw out some alternatives.
EDIT:
Another possibility that has been mentioned (but not seriously considered) is that the graphics card needs to be reseated. Yes, I agree the symptoms don't directly point to it, but again, this could be a separate issue that could be causing what appears to be the same problems that others are having.
I have had some freezing - less than once a week - accelerated when I installed Leopard (no 3rd party RAM)...seemed to happen when some Quartz Extreme visual candy was being exercised in Time Machine or fast user switching etc. Nothing since update last night.
I think there are probably a number of different issues being drawn into this big tent. Some sound like RAM problems and others like motherboard issues. I had a lot of trouble with my logitech mouse making system unresponsive until downgraded LCC software to previous version.
Love my computer and am sure my problem will/has been resolved
I think there are probably a number of different issues being drawn into this big tent. Some sound like RAM problems and others like motherboard issues. I had a lot of trouble with my logitech mouse making system unresponsive until downgraded LCC software to previous version.
Love my computer and am sure my problem will/has been resolved
I have 20" Alum Imac and I'm only experiencing freezes when Im' using Aperture, but other than that everything is ok. I have added a 1 gb after-market RAM (G-Skill) and dont have any freeze problem too. This is both on Tiger and Leopard.... didnt upgrade to 1.3 yet... coz im afraid that i may ran into the same problem you guys are having...
SaSaSushi
macrumors 601
I think it would be more valuable if you changed that 3rd choice to simply Aluminum iMac with no freezing issues and then maybe added a 4th N/A choice. It sort of skews the percentage of unaffected aluminum iMacs otherwise.
snickelfritz
macrumors 65816
I'm confused! Is "not having no freezing problems", the opposite of "having no freezing problems"?
kkat69
macrumors 68020
Sad thing is I had 2 neighbors over the other night, and they both were thinking of buying a Mac. They wanted to see and after my machine froze a few times they kinda shook their heads and said (verbatum!) "Vista doesn't even crash this much, we'll just stick with it!"
I tried to explain the situation but you can't really blame them for the initial reaction.
I was about to buy my wife the new macbook and she also said something similar "as much as I hate vista it runs better than your os, just go get me a dell"
Now you can't argue with their reactions. Human nature will judge based on what they see. Even when I tried to explain it's just the system I have (Al iMac) and let's go into the store and re-judge which she agreed to. But honestly, this is the impression people will get after seeing something like this and not knowing that it's system specific. As far as an average user will see, it's APPLE specific and shy away.
I still love my iMac and the OS. I'm glad I switched, but really, I can't even work for an hour straight without crashing and now I can't even pull files out of timemachine without crashing.
I tried to explain the situation but you can't really blame them for the initial reaction.
I was about to buy my wife the new macbook and she also said something similar "as much as I hate vista it runs better than your os, just go get me a dell"
Now you can't argue with their reactions. Human nature will judge based on what they see. Even when I tried to explain it's just the system I have (Al iMac) and let's go into the store and re-judge which she agreed to. But honestly, this is the impression people will get after seeing something like this and not knowing that it's system specific. As far as an average user will see, it's APPLE specific and shy away.
I still love my iMac and the OS. I'm glad I switched, but really, I can't even work for an hour straight without crashing and now I can't even pull files out of timemachine without crashing.
My iMac has developed a very sporadic freezing behavior.
1) The 1.1 update caused more freezing than had happened when I bought in August. Freezes were maybe 1 every other day, with very light video use, as opposed to 1 in the month from when I bought it.
2) Updating to Leopard made the freezing almost unbearable. Happened at least 5 times a day - in Front Row, Time Machine, VMWare Fusion, even just the Finder. This was from Friday night until Monday.
3) Didn't freeze all during the work week until yesterday Camino, iChat, and iTunes were n use when it froze. During the week I successfully used all of the apps listed in 2) with no freezing.
4) Since I updated to 1.3 last night, I've not had an issue. I did a mild stress test in iTunes and Time Machine with no freezing.
I know I have a problem, but it doesn't present itself in any predictable manner, so for right now I'm going to give the 1.3 update a positive vote.
I am using the 1GB of Apple RAM with a 1GB stick form Crucial. Everything else is stock.
1) The 1.1 update caused more freezing than had happened when I bought in August. Freezes were maybe 1 every other day, with very light video use, as opposed to 1 in the month from when I bought it.
2) Updating to Leopard made the freezing almost unbearable. Happened at least 5 times a day - in Front Row, Time Machine, VMWare Fusion, even just the Finder. This was from Friday night until Monday.
3) Didn't freeze all during the work week until yesterday Camino, iChat, and iTunes were n use when it froze. During the week I successfully used all of the apps listed in 2) with no freezing.
4) Since I updated to 1.3 last night, I've not had an issue. I did a mild stress test in iTunes and Time Machine with no freezing.
I know I have a problem, but it doesn't present itself in any predictable manner, so for right now I'm going to give the 1.3 update a positive vote.
I am using the 1GB of Apple RAM with a 1GB stick form Crucial. Everything else is stock.
longofest
Editor emeritus
from early results of our poll, I'd say this issue does NOT have entirely to do with 3rd party RAM.
The issue that people seem to be having with 3rd party RAM is most likely a separate problem altogether. A bad stick of RAM or one with mis-matching specs can definitely lead to the kind of graphical corruption and freezing that folks are experiencing. I have had this kind of experience myself...
The main issue at hand I think is more related to the GPU drivers, which ever since being updated with the iMac 1.2 update, have been very unreliable for some folks.
The issue that people seem to be having with 3rd party RAM is most likely a separate problem altogether. A bad stick of RAM or one with mis-matching specs can definitely lead to the kind of graphical corruption and freezing that folks are experiencing. I have had this kind of experience myself...
The main issue at hand I think is more related to the GPU drivers, which ever since being updated with the iMac 1.2 update, have been very unreliable for some folks.
This update has made things MUCH worse. Can't even get to the WoW login screen. Computer freezes everytime. Before the update, I played for more than two hours last night without a hitch. Does Apple even QC their software before releasing it to the wild? There should be a way to undo this nonsense. I am PISSED!
SaSaSushi
macrumors 601
If I had an iMac that had a guaranteed way to cause the freeze and didn't just do so randomly I would send it back to Apple faster than you can say "freeze".
You paid for a working machine and you clearly have a defective one. Not to mention that since you can tell them how to produce the freeze on your machine perhaps the Apple engineers could use it to help pinpoint and solve this problem for the freezing community at large.
This is not an aesthetic issue like the supposed "gradient defect" some claim on the new iMacs.
As much of a hassle as it is I urge all those who have these problems and can force them to occur and have now suffered them through 2 or 3 updates to send the machines back to Apple for repair or replacement under the warranty.
There's no reason you have to suffer this crap while Apple "figures it out" and the only way they WILL is by having hands on access to more machines with the problems.
Freezing problem?
I have an aluminum iMac. I have 3rd party RAM. I installed it myself and not through an Apple reseller/certified tech.
The only freezing that I have noticed is that (I'm a recent Windows switcher), in general, the Mac UI is NOT multi-threaded and does NOT deal very well with reporting errors. Most often, if an app experiences a wait it simply locks up... It locks the universal menu bar. It locks it's own window. And if that App happens to be Finder, then there's no hope. Also, apps have a tendency to simply "disappear" rather than reporting any kind of error and, so far, I haven't found any central place to go find out about what those errors could be (probably a console log somewhere...).
Anyhow, I know Apple is supposed to be "great" with UI design. But, so far, my experience simply shows that they are simply different, not better at all. And way less mature.
For all that people complain about MS, at least MS listens to their customers on issues like this (at least, with a much higher frequency).
I am experiencing buyers remorse.
I have an aluminum iMac. I have 3rd party RAM. I installed it myself and not through an Apple reseller/certified tech.
The only freezing that I have noticed is that (I'm a recent Windows switcher), in general, the Mac UI is NOT multi-threaded and does NOT deal very well with reporting errors. Most often, if an app experiences a wait it simply locks up... It locks the universal menu bar. It locks it's own window. And if that App happens to be Finder, then there's no hope. Also, apps have a tendency to simply "disappear" rather than reporting any kind of error and, so far, I haven't found any central place to go find out about what those errors could be (probably a console log somewhere...).
Anyhow, I know Apple is supposed to be "great" with UI design. But, so far, my experience simply shows that they are simply different, not better at all. And way less mature.
For all that people complain about MS, at least MS listens to their customers on issues like this (at least, with a much higher frequency).
I am experiencing buyers remorse.