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TICKET ARCHIVE -> Invalid memory access

RobbieDinwoodie - Nov 18, 2007 - 3:41 pm

I just got an new iMac and wanted to give my 4-year-old PowerMac to my son. It was getting a bit slow and intermittently refused to burn disks.

So I did a complete reinstall, wiping the hard disk. The machine wouldn't accept my Tiger OSX disk so I reinstalled the original 10.2.3 disk that came with the computer. That's as far as I've got. I had hoped I would now be able to reinstall Tiger but the machine just keeps rejecting the disk.

That's when I tried the Apple Hardware Test disk, which came up with:

"Invalid memory access at %SSR0: aee0ac0108 %SRR1: 0c01086f
Apple PowerMac6, 14.5.9f1
BootROM built on 02/18/03"

I am then aske to type in mac-boot (or boot-mac?) but when that fails I have to type in shut-down.

I'm not sure what to try next. My son would like access to Tiger, with widgets, cover-flow etc. but we appear stuck.

Anyone got any ideas?

Thanks

earthsaver - Nov 19, 2007 - 10:21 am

Your Power Mac sounds too young not to have a DVD-capable drive. I wonder if the solution is as simple as zapping PRAM. To do this, restart the Power Mac and hold Command+Option+P+R and wait for the third startup chime to sound. Try the DVD again on the next restart.

Alternatively, connect the two computers with a FireWire cable and restart the Power Mac in Target Disk Mode (hold T on startup until the FireWire logo appears). Insert the install disc in the iMac, where the Power Mac's hard disk will also mount, and run the install from there.

First, though, a curiosity: you mention cover flow as a feature you want your son to access, one that isn't featured in Tiger. Are you sure you're not referring to Leopard? That's what would have come with your new iMac if you bought it in the last few weeks. Just a clarification.

- Ben

RobbieDinwoodie - Nov 21, 2007 - 3:42 am

Ben,

Many thanks for your help. I don't know what "zapping PRAM" means but I followed your advice and it worked a treat. Tiger is now reinstalled on my old Mac and my son is delighted.

As to your point about cover flow, I was referring only to within iTunes, not more widely as it works in Leopard.

Thanks again. That was a great service

Robbie