[michel]

hi all,

i have a nice little orange rev d imac 333. for the longest time it was operating as a file server in my design studio, but then it started freezing. i ended up replacing it with an emac (that now serves as our internal file server, backup server, and much much more).

i've taken the orange imac home and hoped to be able to fix it and give it to my fiancée's kids (4 and 6) for them to use, but i've been stymied as to why it's not working.

original config (that freezes)

- 256 meg RAM (128 in each slot)
- 60 gig hard drive

I've zeroed the hard drive and installed 10.3 a couple of times. Sometimes it freezes during the install.

I've pulled the memory, and it seemed to run fine with just one of the 128 meg chips (the one in the upper slot). So I went to OWC and ordered two 256 meg chips. Any combination of the chips causes a freeze. Sometimes the freeze happens within a few minutes of using the machine, other times it runs fine for hours and hours, and then freezes. Most often during internet usage.

- 256 meg (256 in low profile) = freeze
- 256 meg (256 in regular profile slot) = freeze
- 512 meg (256 in both slots) = freeze

I have a hard time believing that *all* this ram is incompatible with 10.3... so I'm wondering if maybe something else is amiss.

I've run TechTool (the applecare version that came with the emac, the OSX version), and it's found nothing. I ran RamGuage under os9, and it found nothing.

Any ideas?

Michel

[discotronic]

It does sound like a RAM problem. Is the RAM PC100 or PC133? Can you return it for exchange or refund?

[michel]

the ram is PC100. i thought it was ram too (which is why i purchased two new 256 chips from OWC), but i found it odd that it's freezing with 4 different ram chips. doesn't that seem unlikely?

the last time I had bad ram, RamGuage sussed it out no problem. I know that OSX is much more finicky about ram, so maybe I'll try OWC tech support and see what they say.

i forgot that i also replaced the motherboard battery (this was the first thing i did), and i've zapped the pram several times.

[Detrius]

If you put the original 128MB back in that you said it was not freezing with, does it freeze now?

If so, I'm thinking processor module/motherboard. If it does not, oddly, that points towards all the other RAM modules.

[michel]

you're right. i don't think i've tried the 128 meg chip on its own since trying the 256 meg chips. i'll give that a go, and hopefully that'll give me some insight.

[michel]

okay, i'm back to the original 128 meg chip. running fine for 3 hours.

so here's how it seems to be shaking out:

128 meg chip (low profile) - freeze
128 meg chip (regular profile) - seems to work

256 meg chip (low profile) - freeze
256 meg chip (regular profile) - freeze

so it seems that i have one 128 meg chip that's no good (for osx) and two 256 meg chips as well. i'm going to keep running on the 128 and see how it goes, and if i make it through the day without a freeze, will call OWC to see if they'll send me new 256 chips.

will keep you posted. as this may help other iMac rev D owners.

Cheers,

Michel