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TICKET ARCHIVE -> Random Emac Lock Up

ichoosedeath - Jul 1, 2005 - 9:20 pm

As of late my eMac, which has always run like a champ, has been locking up..

There is no real rhyme nor reason which I can attest as to why it is happening.. I am never doing one specific thing when it happens. It can happen when coming back from *sleep*, it can happen while the screen saver is running. It can happen while surfing the Internet, and it can happen when I'm in Adobe Photoshop CS; it doesn't seem to really matter!

I installed the Apple Temperature Monitor. It doesn't seem to be overheating (Unless it happens super fast before I can get a reading!).

I ran the Hardware Test CD, and it passed with no problems. Afterwords, I tried to do a format / system restore.. But during the "Checking System Disk" portion of the setting up of OSX, it locked up! What am I to do?!

Here are my specs:

*eMac 1GHz G4 (ATI Graphics)
*512MB PC2100 Memory (2x256MB) (Had the same RAM setup since I got it!)
*CD-ROM ONLY drive
*Airport Extreme
*Standard Apple USB Keyboard and Mouse

This bad boy is running OS X.3 (Panther). Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

-Drew

DeltaMac - Jul 1, 2005 - 9:32 pm

My first impression is that you have a failing hard drive.
If you have already erased the drive, you could boot to the OS X installer CD. At the first screen, click on the Installer menu, and choose Disk Utility. Click on your drive (not the volume your created, but the line with the manufacturer info).
Click on Erase, and click on the Options button. Click Zero Out Data, then click OK, and click the Erase button. This will take quite a while to complete, maybe up to an hour or more. If your hard drive is failing, this may help, or speed up the death... If it completes, try to restore your system - you may be OK. If this fails, look into replacing the hard drive, you won't get the system on this drive again.
good Luck!
Let me know how it goes
- Dale

ichoosedeath - Jul 1, 2005 - 9:40 pm

Hmmm good call. It definitely could be.. Luckily enough, the install failed during the time when the System Disk was being "checked," so it crapped out before anything was erased. I can still get into OSX.

Is there any software I can run to check the status of the disk in OSX? (IE SMART diagnostics in the PC world)? If not I would be happy to experiment with zeroing out the drive! Also, if it turns out I do have a dead HDD, I have a regular old 40GB Ultra ATA Drive sitting around: Would that be a decent replacement?

Thank you ever so much for the fast response.. I really appreciate it!

-Drew

DeltaMac - Jul 1, 2005 - 10:16 pm

Well, sure...
You can check the SMART status in your Disk Utility, just select the drive from the list, and you'll see the SMART status at the bottom with some other tech info.
You can't run a Repair disk, unless you're booted from another drive, You can do this before doing an erase, after booting to the installer CD.

ichoosedeath - Jul 1, 2005 - 11:06 pm

Dale,

Thanks for all your help thus far! But, I think I have some bad news:

I booted from the OS X.3 Install Disk, and while it was doing its initial stuff, I went across the hall in our apartment building to my friends house who has a PC running Windows XP. I went over there so I could Wipe the Partition on the new *replacement drive*.. After that, the guy had about a bazillion questions about wireless networking, so I shot the crap with him for awhile, and then came back to check on the *patient*. When I got back, it was locked up, at the initial OS X Setup screen.. Before even evaluating the hard drive or anything.. I'm starting to think the issue might be deeper. I'm a PC repair guy by trade, and in this instance, I would start with looking at the RAM.. Should I start there in this instance? Any help would be splendid!

Thanks again!
-Drew

DeltaMac - Jul 1, 2005 - 11:30 pm

Sometimes a bad IDE device can load down the whole bus. If you still have the same hard drive in the eMac, I suspect it's time to pull it out. Just replace it, because of the other symptoms.
Possibly memory?? Sure, that's possible. Swap some known good memory in, and use the system. In this case, installing OS X is a pretty good test.
Take care of the hard drive first, I really think that's the culprit.

If you are going to test a drive in a PC, just don't waste your time by putting an NTFS partition on it. The Mac can't write to NTFS (yet) Just wipe it, and don't install a partition from the PC. do that from Disk Utility on the Mac....

- Dale

ichoosedeath - Jul 1, 2005 - 11:33 pm

Exactly%21+I+went+into+Disk+Management+and+Just+erased+the+partition%2 C+so+now+it+is+just+ as+fresh+as+it+was+if+it+came+from+the+factory%21%0D%0A%0D%0AIt%27s+ge tting+kind+of+late%2 C+so+I+will+try+these+things+tomorrow+and+let+you+know.+Will+you+be+th e+%2Atech%2A+I+deal+ with+until+this+thread+is+%2Acompleted%3F%2A+Either+way+Dale%2C+it+has +been+a+pleasure%21% 0D%0A%0D%0A-Drew%0D%0A

DeltaMac - Jul 1, 2005 - 11:36 pm

What happened to your last post?
- Dale

ichoosedeath - Jul 1, 2005 - 11:42 pm

Wowie, I have no idea! I just filled it out as I always did. It looks like it was parsed by safari? You knoe PercentSign 20 = a Space, etc?

Anyways, I just wrote that I deleted the partion, and didn't write any new partition to the HDD, so it's basically just like it came out of the box. I will try your ideas in the AM, as it is getting late, but I was also wondering if you will be working on this "case" until the end?

Either way, it has been a pleasure working with you!

-Drew

(lets hope this isn't garbled!)

DeltaMac - Jul 1, 2005 - 11:45 pm

I'll be here - i'm always here... (sigh heavily)

- dale

ichoosedeath - Jul 2, 2005 - 6:09 pm

Well, I can honestly say that I am glad you are!!! I dismanteled the entire eMac. Swapped the Drive for a Totally blank and unpartitioned Maxtor Drive. I booted from the OSX Disk and went into the disk utility to make a partition.

I did that, but now when I try to select that drive to be the drive OS X installs onto, I get a message which says:


You cannot install Mac OS X onto this Volume. You cannot boot from this volume.

Or something to that effect! Help!!

ichoosedeath - Jul 2, 2005 - 6:28 pm

Well Dale, you might be disappointed in me. I forgot the cardnal rule, A+ 101: If there is ever an issue, reboot the system!

I am working on the install right now, however it already got past the "System Disk Check" Section of the install.. So *knock on wood* I'm hopeful!

-Drew

DeltaMac - Jul 2, 2005 - 7:07 pm

I got into a habit when I used to work on PCs to shutdown after making a new partition, and I still do that. I used to run debug a lot, then shutdown-restart, fdisk-restart, then Win install, find the drivers, install, install, install -ah - those were the bad ol' days...
sorry, just reminiscing - hope that everything is now ok for that eMac.

If you get a failure the first time for the OS X install, try wiping the disk surface (soft,dry cloth) and try again.

- Dale

ichoosedeath - Jul 3, 2005 - 3:04 pm

By-george.. I think you've got it! Been running without a hitch since last night at 7..

I owe you a beer, or three.

-Drew