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TICKET ARCHIVE -> Os X Is Crashing Every Day

knightly - Jul 18, 2005 - 3:23 pm

To anyone who might be able to help:

In march I bought a new powermac G5 (single processer).
I am running ox 10.3.9.
Typically 1-3 times per day my whole system crashes. I get the "spinning beach ball of death" (SBBOD) and I cannot access the apple menu to force quit. I have to restart.

Today I did an erase-and-install of the operating system.
I added just the 2 programs I need for my work:
X11 (from apples website)
and
TeTex (a latex package, downloaded with i-installer)
The usual problem occurrs: everything runs fine for several hours. Then I notice that the Latex compiler slows down.
(I use the command line to compile latex- in the terminal window, and I use vim to edit my file.)
Then I try to put the computer to sleep (I find the fan noise distracting when I'm not on the computer).
But instead of sleeping, I get the SBBOD!

As I said this has been happening since I got the computer brand new in march. With Apple care, I've tried everything-
New logic board, new memory, new hard drive. Nothing solves the problem.

Apple care wants me to erase and install without adding ANY third party software- but this is difficult since I need latex at work. And because the problem is intermittent, I can recreate the crash just by fooling around for a few minutes.

By the way, I originally used fink's latex. This time I used the one from i-installer to see if it was fink causing the problem.
(It wasn't).

Any help would be greatly appreciated! I've spent countless hours trying to get this taken care of. Even though I paid for apple care, they seem extremely evasive and reluctant to just send me a new computer (even after all these fixes). They insist that I recreate the problem on a clean install of os X.

Thanks a lot!

Andy

Jeremie - Jul 18, 2005 - 4:01 pm

Ok andy I am going to tell you right now

It sounds like that version of Latex might be causing the issue, it may be unstable for what ever reason.

Can you perhaps find a previous version of Latex that you could use that is perhaps more stable?
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Jeremie Bell

knightly - Jul 18, 2005 - 7:37 pm

Hi Jeremie,
Thanks for replying.
I have used 2 different versions of latex, with the same trouble. I should also say that I have had crashes at times I wasn't using latex or x11 at all (so I suspect it's not a software problem). Eg. it has crashed immediately upon logging in in the morning (spinning wheel- I never get logged in). It has also crashed after restarting when the only program I had open was terminal (which I use to ssh to check email). Probably 90% of the crashes occur when I'm putting the computer to sleep though. (The fan on my machine is annoying- that's why I put it to sleep a lot.)

The local Apple repair guy has run every kind of diagnostic and it always passes with flying colors.

Andy

knightly - Jul 18, 2005 - 7:40 pm

Just noticed a typo in the original message-
it should have said:
And because the problem is intermittent, I _can't_ recreate the crash just by fooling around for a few minutes.

Andy

knightly - Jul 18, 2005 - 7:58 pm

I just found another guy on this site who has exactly the same problem as me (it sounds like). It is here:
http://www.macosx.com/content/faq.ph...9-Freezes.html

Is there any way I can post on that guy's question thread,
or get in touch with him?

Thanks so much,

Andy

ps: I have no external 3rd party stuff attached to the computer (USB or otherwise).

Jeremie - Jul 18, 2005 - 9:44 pm

Well lets take some random stabs, cause you cant post on that topic anyway.

Try ressetting the PRAM, you seem very knowledgable of the Mac OS X interface (i say that with admirance) but if your not sure how to do this let me know

I think well get this fixed
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Jeremie Bell

knightly - Jul 21, 2005 - 10:12 am

Hi Jeremie,
I reinstalled os x (erase and install), this time with absolutely no 3rd party software (not even apples x11). (Would this have reset the PRAM?) This morning when I restarted, I got a gray screen with a spinning wheel that never went away. I'll call apple care again and see what they say.
Thanks for your time,

Andy

Jeremie - Jul 21, 2005 - 10:27 am

No a clean install wont Reset the PRAM

When it starts up and you hear the chime immediately hold down Command>Option>P>R until you hear the chime again

Tell me if anything improves
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Jeremie Bell

Jeremie - Jul 27, 2005 - 12:03 pm

Has anything improved with your operating system?

I havent heard from you so i htought i would check ^_^

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Jeremie Bell

knightly - Jul 28, 2005 - 11:31 am

Hi Jeremie,
Nothing has improved... but I am negotiating now with apple to
try and get them to replace the machine.
of course they keep coming up with new diagnostics to run
(for the millionth time) before they will commit.

Thanks,
Andy

Jeremie - Jul 29, 2005 - 11:56 am

Well Andy, to tell you the truth, I dont thing that you will need to replace the ENTIRE machine

I cant be sure, and to tell you the truth the diagnostic program from apple really doesnt work too well and most of their "techniques" will turn up nothing

I have but one more theory, your motherboard or processor might have a problem, this of course might just be easiest to replace the whole unit

Tell me if Apple finally gives in

knightly - Jul 29, 2005 - 3:05 pm

Hi Jeremie,
I agree it seems drastic... But I have already replaced:
1. The power supply
2. The motherboard
3. The RAM
4. The hard drive
My apple service provider ran diagnostics on it for 2 days and it passed everything fine.
Also, yesterday I installed Tiger just to see if that fixed it. It didnt- 2 crashes already today

What else is there? the video card?
Now apple is reviewing my log files. (there's nothing there- I check them myself after each crash.)
I'll let you know!
Thanks a lot,
Andy

Jeremie - Jul 30, 2005 - 8:51 am

This is BY FAR the strangest case I have EVER seen (especially for the beautiful G5)

Ok Andy I am going to side with you on this one it could be the video card, but if that is not it I would push for a replacement from Apple.

This is part of something that I call the mystery of hardware basically it menas, something has gone wrong but no matter what you replace etc... it still fails.

P.S. I know this probably sounds silly, but did you reset the PMU? Its just for my curiosity.
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Jeremie Bell

knightly - Aug 10, 2005 - 3:51 pm

Hi Jeremie,
Just as a followup,
Today Apple care _finally_ agreed to send a replacement.
Interestingly, just after they gave me word, I found
the following website:

www.g5freeze.com

which is devoted to this problem!
Seems I'm not the only one.

Actually, I can now confess that this is my _second_
computer in a row with this issue.
The first machine I bought kept freezing in the first
week, and they took it back as dead-on-arrival.
When my second machine had the same issue, I secretly
began to wonder if it was some electric field my body was
exuding....

Andy

Jeremie - Aug 12, 2005 - 3:51 pm

Well now that you mention it

Is your computer by a radio, TV, stereo system etc??

That could be part of it

Please let me know if the third one is a bust, if it is, perhaps you might want to get a Powerbook like me :P hehe just a thought

regards
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Jeremie Bell

knightly - Aug 15, 2005 - 3:19 pm

Hi Jeremie,
No my machine isn't near any other electronics.
It seems to be an issue that affects all users of the single processor 1.8 G5 which were manufactured between October 2004 and around July 2005. (See the link above). Pretty shoddy that Apple knows about the issue but doesn't alert their technicians about it (or issue a recall).
Note they have discontinued the single model.

Andy

Jeremie - Aug 15, 2005 - 5:51 pm

Very interesting

Well I am glad it all worked out for you.

I wish you only the best of luck and happiness with your computer.

Cheers,

P.S. I will close the ticket but feel free to post a new ticket if you need help
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Jeremie Bell