Mac Pro not booting... ideas?

[kirkbross]

I have an early 2008 Mac Pro running the latest Snow Leopard.

Cleared the PRAM. Every attempt to boot normally results in the gray progress wheel freezing after ten seconds or so (on the normal gray screen w/ white apple logo). Every attempt to boot from the Snow Leopard DVD results in a kernel panic screen of death.

I'm trying some RAM swapping now...

Any ideas?

 

[666sheep]

Remove 8800GT from your Mac and use SSH to access it remotely. 99% it's the card.

 

[derbothaus]

Also try holding shift key at boot.

 

[kirkbross]

Remove 8800GT from your Mac and use SSH to access it remotely. 99% it's the card.

Hey Sheep! Glad to see you here again Now that I think about it... I have been having some bizarre video behavior the past few months leading up to this so that would make sense.

I'm ashamed to say I don't know what SSH is or how to use it. How do I get video to my monitor without the 8800GT?

Derbo... tried safe boot (Shift key) and that didn't work... it looked like it was going to work because it lasted longer, but ultimately froze on the spinning gray progress wheel.

 

[666sheep]

OK, SSH could be a bit complicated... so there's another way:

You need: another Intel Mac and firewire cable.
- boot this other Mac from MP's HDD using Target Disk Mode
- once you'll be there, enable Screen Sharing in System Preferences: http://lowendmac.com/zisman/08az/leopard-screen-sharing.html
- select proper boot drive on this other Mac (its own this time)
- power off both Macs
- remove 8800GT from MP
- turn them on and connect to MP using screen sharing (both should be connected to your home network or linked with FW cable first)

http://mac.appstorm.net/how-to/os-x/using-screen-sharing-in-os-x-leopard/

If you'll be able to use MP via Screen sharing (without gfx card installed) - card is shot. You can try to bake it (google "baking 8800GT") or just buy replacement one (Radeon 5770, 5870 for instance).

 

[derbothaus]

Derbo... tried safe boot (Shift key) and that didn't work...

Bummer. Looks like 666sheep has you covered.

 

[kirkbross]

.../ or just buy replacement one (Radeon 5770, 5870 for instance).

I'm going to try to bake it and if that doesn't work, I'm going to buy a 5770.

Will this 5770 work? It says it's for the "mid 2010" MP... will I find one much cheaper anywhere else?

http://bit.ly/aZAmlo

 

[kirkbross]

Well holy smokes... baking my card worked!! Unbelievable. You can find YouTubes of this process, but basically:

• I removed the card from the MP.
• I removed the black HSF chassis from the card by unscrewing the dozen or so screws on the back.
• I cleaned off the thermal paste from the GPU and carefully removed the white thermal pads from the other chips and kept them in position on the other half (HSF chassis).
• I placed the my 8800 GT on three tin foil balls on a cookie tray and baked it at 390º for ten minutes.
• I turned off oven and let it cool down for five minutes still inside oven.
• I took the cookie tray out of the oven and let it cool down for an hour.
• I put some new thermal paste on the GPU, reassembled it and put back into my MP.
• Voila... working computer/money saved.

 

[666sheep]

Glad to see you made your MP up and running again... and saved some $ too

 

[kirkbross]

Glad to see you made your MP up and running again... and saved some $ too

Thanks to you!! This is the second time you have saved me You are a blessing to this forum! Thank you again.