[CitizenKane]

I have a G5, first gen. I have never had an issue until today. I was going to swap the master hard drive for a new one today. I took out the original one, and put in the new one, to format. I also removed all the ram except the stock ram. Now wen I turn the G5 on, I only get a gray light in the front that will flash from time to time. My monitor ADC 17" Flast Screen (Apple) also does not light up, but the light will flash from time to time.

I have tried moving the ram to different slots. I put the stock hard drive back in. I'm at a loss to what the problem could be. I have done the PMU reset.

I do notice a constant red light on now just below the top ram. If I'm looking at the number right it says, D58 and the number below is R1229.

HELP!!

[reader50]

When the light flashes, count the flashes. It's giving you the results of a power-on diagnostic. Unfortunately, Apple has changed the flash code a bit on different models. I found the keys for early G4s and G5 xServes. They are given in that order, G4/G5. Hopefully your PowerMac G5 matches one of those.

1 flashes - not used / no valid RAM detected
2 flashes - no valid RAM detected / incompatible RAM installed
3 flashes - incompatible RAM installed / all RAM banks failed the tests
4 flashes - all RAM banks failed the tests / possible ROM damage

Most likely answer: it's not seeing the factory RAM. Reinstall your 3rd party RAM. If it's seen, proceed. Later on you can figure out why the factory RAM isn't being seen.

[CitizenKane]

Originally posted by CitizenKane:
I have a G5, first gen. I have never had an issue until today. I was going to swap the master hard drive for a new one today. I took out the original one, and put in the new one, to format. I also removed all the ram except the stock ram. Now wen I turn the G5 on, I only get a gray light in the front that will flash from time to time. My monitor ADC 17" Flast Screen (Apple) also does not light up, but the light will flash from time to time.

I have tried moving the ram to different slots. I put the stock hard drive back in. I'm at a loss to what the problem could be. I have done the PMU reset.

I do notice a constant red light on now just below the top ram. If I'm looking at the number right it says, D58 and the number below is R1229.

HELP!!

After taking the ram out and changing it around, I got it to boot. I would assume I have some bad ram. Is this red light under the ram supose to be on? It is always on. I had not noticed it before.

[CitizenKane]

This is weird, I got it going. I had to stagger the ram in different slots. It shows the right amount of ram now, and the light is out. I wonder if the issue is with single ram slot?? Because when I put extra ram in, it shows the wrong amouint.

[reader50]

I'm not familiar with your red light. RAM has to be added in matched pairs, in the corresponding upper and lower slots. A correct configuration could look like this:

Upper bank
A: 256 MB stick
B: 512 MB stick
C: empty
D: empty

Lower bank
A: 256 MB stick
B: 512 MB stick
C: empty
D: empty

If a slot in one of the banks does not match the contents of the other bank's corresponding slot, that RAM stick won't be accepted.

[Turnpike]

Originally posted by reader50:
RAM has to be added in matched pairs, in the corresponding upper and lower slots. A correct configuration could look like this:

Upper bank
A: 256 MB stick
B: 512 MB stick
C: empty
D: empty

Lower bank
A: 256 MB stick
B: 512 MB stick
C: empty
D: empty

If a slot in one of the banks does not match the contents of the other bank's corresponding slot, that RAM stick won't be accepted.

According to the G5's manual, the correct configuration is:

Upper bank
A: empty
B: empty
C: 512 MB stick
D: 256 MB stick

Lower bank
D: 256 MB stick
C: 512 MB stick
B: empty
A: empty

in other words, they should be mirrored, not matched. Inside most go together, outside most together, and so on. This is from the Power Mac G5 Setup Guide (it should have come with your computer).

Also from the manual, the flash codes for the G5:

2 flashes: no RAM installed
3 flashes: incompatible RAM installed
4 flashes: no good DIMM banks
5 or 6 flashes: contact an Apple Authorized Service Provider.


It does sound like you may have a bad RAM slot. Can you tell, by the amount that it says you have, which set of RAM slots is somehow being passed? (eg, if you have 2x512 and 2x256, you could see that one set is not showing up in ASP. Try reversing which set is where, to see if it is ignoring 512 in the form of 1x512 or 2x256).

good luck solving your problem!

[reader50]

This is what I get for not owning a G5 yet. Ought to fix that.

Thanks Turnpike.

[Detrius]

Originally posted by Turnpike:
According to the G5's manual, the correct configuration is:

Upper bank
A: empty
B: empty
C: 512 MB stick
D: 256 MB stick

Lower bank
D: 256 MB stick
C: 512 MB stick
B: empty
A: empty

in other words, they should be mirrored, not matched. Inside most go together, outside most together, and so on. This is from the Power Mac G5 Setup Guide (it should have come with your computer).

Also from the manual, the flash codes for the G5:

2 flashes: no RAM installed
3 flashes: incompatible RAM installed
4 flashes: no good DIMM banks
5 or 6 flashes: contact an Apple Authorized Service Provider.


It does sound like you may have a bad RAM slot. Can you tell, by the amount that it says you have, which set of RAM slots is somehow being passed? (eg, if you have 2x512 and 2x256, you could see that one set is not showing up in ASP. Try reversing which set is where, to see if it is ignoring 512 in the form of 1x512 or 2x256).

good luck solving your problem!

I'd just like to point out that because of the ordering of the A, B, C, and D, he wasn't technically incorrect. However, it was not a direct map of how the RAM would be laid out.

[Turnpike]

Originally posted by reader50:
This is what I get for not owning a G5 yet. Ought to fix that.

Thanks Turnpike.

No problem. I still owe you about 10.