OK, I need some help here. I have a a 15" Powerbook. 1.5 ghz, 2 gig of RAM, and the 128mb video card. I am running 10.4 and all of the updates are done. Unfortunately, I don't have any hardware test disks or anything at the moment. They were a casualty of a move and I have yet to unpack/find them. Unfortunately, my computer is randomly freezing up, or the screen will scroll down transparent gray, and I will get the restart symbol in the center with multiple languages telling me that I need to restart my computer. Now does this sound like bad RAM, or is my logic board starting to go? Anyone have any ideas for me. I need to know what I am up against here. I have repaired all permissions and reset the PRAM, etc. Anybody with any ideas what might be wrong or if there is a way to fix it without it going to Apple?
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Random Crashed and gray screens with the restart symbols with multiple languages
- Thread starter yoda13
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Mac Guides: Kernel panic
Not good if it happens again and again. Have you added some 3rd party RAM to the machine? If so you could try to remove that and see if it stops freezing.
Also: Is there some software (other than OS X) that is running while the Mac freezes? (Something like torrent applications.)
Not good if it happens again and again. Have you added some 3rd party RAM to the machine? If so you could try to remove that and see if it stops freezing.
Also: Is there some software (other than OS X) that is running while the Mac freezes? (Something like torrent applications.)
yoda13 said:
This is a kernel panic, and could be caused by a hardware problem, which is more likely from what i've read before.
Have you recently installed anything new ? Airport? RAM?
If yes, then take them out and try that. Keep doing this until the problem is gone.
Failing that, find your restore disks and re-install.
Good luck.
Rich.
Nope, the computer is just like it has been since the day I got it a couple of years ago. No new installs nothing. I am going to check out that guide that one of you posted. Interesting this time, I got a different reaction from the computer, a screen full of black text talking about failures and kernel panics, darwin, etc. Now I recognize that as kernal panic. No problem. I just didn't realize the other screens were examples of that as well. Oh well, live and learn. Aren't most kernel panics caused by hardware issues?
Two, is it possible that RAM that had been good for a couple of years would all of a sudden start failing and would it fail gradually, or does this seem to be more of a logic board problem?
The only thing ever running when it crashes is normal apps like iLife, Safari, or Mail, but it is not consistant with any particular application. No torrents or hacks or anything like that though.
Two, is it possible that RAM that had been good for a couple of years would all of a sudden start failing and would it fail gradually, or does this seem to be more of a logic board problem?
The only thing ever running when it crashes is normal apps like iLife, Safari, or Mail, but it is not consistant with any particular application. No torrents or hacks or anything like that though.
yoda13 said:
Nearly all of them.
Does good RAM go bad? Yes, it does. I can attest to this myself.
OK, well, I could not confirm that it was in fact a hardware problem. So I have done a clean re-install, and so far, everything is fine. Tech Tools or whatever comes with AppleCare said that I had a bad directory. I regularly back everything up, so I am good to go there. The computer finally got to where it wouldn't boot up bast the spinning gear. Now we are obviously past that. Anyway, I will keep you updated, but right now it looks like it was software related, but I have only used it for about an hour so far, and I haven't copied back over my home directory. It is at home, and I am at work. But I am keeping my fingers crossed.
yoda13 said:
Thanks for the update. If a bad directory was was reported, then you had a hard disk, not an OS-related problem. A clean install would fix it, but only because the drive is reformatted in the process. A disk utility program such as Tech Tool or Disk Warrior would probably have done the trick without the clean install.
Kingsly said:
Only when the PRAM has been well and truly reset and permissions are nicely repaired.
FWIW, I really think this was probably a job for fsck. Sometimes the file system gets a little messed up and fsck is there to straighten things out.
You can check the disk using Terminal but you have to boot into Single User Mode to make any changes (repairs) to the best of my knowledge.
Kingsly said:You're big on fsck, aren't you? oh well, it wouldn't be proper to question the logic of a 603
He's not the only one.
Really, if you reinstall OSX without running fsck at a minimum, you are doing yourself a terrible disservice.
Yup, I did myself a terrible disservice, I had used this in the past on an old TiBook of mine and in the interim had forgotten all about. Ouch. Hopefully, in the future, I shall remember this. Thanks for all the help guys. The computer is still working great, but I could have saved myself some hassle I think.