[Buck_W]

My daughter's eMac has started freezing up recently. The mouse will still move around the screen, but absolutely nothing else is responsive. I've done the following:

* Removed all peripherals
* Repaired permissions
* Run Disk Warrior from the disk
* Completely reinstalled the OS

But sadly, after a short time, the entire system continues to lock up and freeze. I also ran the Hardware Test from the original eMac restore CD and everything passed.

In light of the fact that I completely formatted the HD and reinstalled the OS, does this sound like a hardware problem? Unfortunately I did not purchase the extended Apple Care. Anybody have any suggestions before I let a local computer repairman (who works on Apples) take a look at it?

[Tuoder]

Is the image on the screen scrambled or distorted at all?

[Buck_W]

Originally Posted by Tuoder

Is the image on the screen scrambled or distorted at all?

No, everything is crystal clear, just "frozen" (except for the mouse). It appears to happen most frequently when multiple applications are open and I'm trying to multi-task. Last night after reinstalling the OS, it froze up while I was attempting to reinstall MS Office and surf the web.

I wondered if one of the ram sticks had gone bad, but the Hardware Test said they both passed. I have 768 MB. I'm baffled and hoping that the fix is not going to involve an major and expensive repair.

[Buck_W]

I was wrong about the screen never being distorted. The screen was horribly distorted today just before if froze up. It was first time I had seen it, but my kids said that it had done that before. I'm in the process of checking to see if it is a bad ram stick.

I've pulled out the 512MB of crucial ram and it took a while, but it eventually froze up with just the stock 256MB of ram in it. I then swapped out the 256MB with the 512MB and it froze up almost immediately. Any suggestions?

How do you determine whether the problem is a bad stick or a bad slot?

[seanc]

I'd forget about the RAM and focus on this: Apple - Support - eMac Repair Extension Program for Video and Power Issues

[Buck_W]

Originally Posted by seanc

I'd forget about the RAM and focus on this: Apple - Support - eMac Repair Extension Program for Video and Power Issues

Thanks for the heads-up. The serial number on my eMac falls within the range noted on Apple's website, so we'll see

[Tuoder]

Originally Posted by Buck_W

Thanks for the heads-up. The serial number on my eMac falls within the range noted on Apple's website, so we'll see

That is why I asked about the distorted screen, it could be a dying logicboard. Happy you can get it fixed for free, though.