[Chopper3]

Just upgraded my wife's Alu-iMac (2.4, 4Gb, 320, 28") to 10.5, froze within 10 minutes - this is ridiculous - what is apple doing about this problem? doesn't seem like anything. I'm tempted to take it back to be honest, after over a decade of Mac usage I'm disgusted.

[mduell]

Did you have reason to expect it would?

[imitchellg5]

A software upgrade won't fix a hardware problem. Duh!

[mduell]

I thought it was a driver problem.

But the ATi HD 2000 series is such a disaster I wouldn't be surprised if it was hardware.

[Chopper3]

Originally Posted by imitchellg5 

A software upgrade won't fix a hardware problem. Duh!

Are you not aware that there is a very well known and publicised problem with the Alu-iMac affecting thousands of owners? I was just hoping that a totally-different OS might fix the problem, guess I was wrong.

[mduell]

It's not a totally different OS... may even be the same drivers.

Does the problem happen in Windows? I haven't really been following it.

[MichiganRich]

Yours is broken. Don't be tempted to take it back, just TAKE IT BACK. Mine has worked fine since the day I brought it home.

[Macvoid]

I am relucant to respond, fearing I will jinx my computer. But, I have had my iMac since late August, and have had absolutely no problems. Having said that, I agree with a previous poster, take it back. I would, given your situation. I came from a G4, which was problem free. I would be livid, having spent $2k+.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12684757@N02/1325401526/

[casey]

Its a software problem that Apple and ATI are working on, a patch will be out soon,lots of Imacs are having this problem including mine just give Apple a little more time to test out the fix,im sure it will come soon now that leopard is out the door.

[rmiller]

I think apple has updated the ATI drivers with Leopard. Under OS 10.4.10 I could not play Luxor 2 full screen without it being jerky, but with Leopard it plays fine full screen. ( Alum. 24" 2.8ghz)

[casey]

From what I have read on this board its the same ATI driver in Tiger that is in Leopard so no change there.

[macflyer]

Greetings all, just a quick poll: I know that all of the hubub around the imac freezing has been with the alum. models, but I was just wondering if anyone with pre-intel isight models is having the same problems. I have one that I bought just prior to the intel release, and it exhibits EXACTLY the same probs that all the alum users are reporting. I know about the video/power warranty extension, but mine is just outside the "afflicted" serial range. And my warranty has long expired.

[neoben]

Howdy. Thought I'd chime in with my experience with this issue....

I have a 24" iMac 2.4 2GB. Everything was great with 10.4.10...

When 1.1 came out I updated. Started getting freezing every 10 mins or so.

So, I rolled back to 1.0. No worries. Everything was good again.

Then, Leopard comes out, so I upgrade. All of a sudden, my freezing is back again..

So, I call AppleCare. They tell me they are aware of the issue, that 5% or so of all iMacs are having this problem (paraphrasing here). To get that answer involved nearly 2 hours on the phone (1:50 of which was on hold). Considering Apple's recent financials, you'd think they could hire a few extra techs for a month or two after the roll-out of Leopard.

They told me to take it to my Apple store with a case #, and they'd likely replace it. So, I wiped the drive and packed it up.

Went to the Apple store, gave them case number. The 'Lead Genius' seemed astounded. Never heard of it before! Can't do a replace! Must be a software issue!

I couldn't duplicate it because I had wiped the drive and put 10.4 back on. D'oh!

So, they test it out with Leopard. They 'claim' they test for 5 hours under load and no crash or freeze.

So, I pick it up and take it home. Reinstall my apps (4 hours later...). Starts freezing again randomly...

I STORM back to the Apple store with 10.5 still installed... I demo the freezing for the Genius (not a tech, just a desk genius). He confirms the freeze.

3 hours later I get a call from a tech who tells me that he's had it under load for 5 hours (no kidding! 3 hours after I drop it off. Silence on the phone when I explain that anomaly to him...)... Says it's crashed once in five hours...

So, I tell him to open the screen-saver prefs for arabesque and leave it running. Then open iTunes visualizer, then scroll quickly back and forth over the dock.

...it freezes in 20 seconds.

They're ordering parts to fix it now. I'm pissed, but internalizing it. What else is there to do?

I'll post again when I get it back.

-Ben
---------------------------------------------------------
neo-fight.tv - {The Weekly Technology Podcast}

[rubaiyat]

The symptoms strongly suggest the videocard is overheating when under load.

The case was made "thinner" as some crazy marketing gimmick, and probably has affected the internal airflow particularly around the videocard. Others have commented how hot the case gets and hot electronics fail.

Apple will not be making you happy in a rush because this is a combination of poor physical design and some videocards that are closer to the fail point than others.

Apple's software solution will make the fan run harder and louder and/or slow your computer down, neither of which will make you happy little campers.

[analogika]

So what about the iMac update that just came out today?

[prominence]

Originally Posted by analogika 

So what about the iMac update that just came out today?

I am updating my software right now. This is the info about the update (though I have had no freezing problems prior; I have 2.8GHz 2gigRAM):

---------------
This update provides important bug fixes and is recommended for 20-inch and 24-inch iMac models with 2.0, 2.4, or 2.8GHz processors.

For further information on this Update, please visit this website: About iMac Software Update 1.3 for Leopard
--------------

[analogika]

well?

[angelmb]

No, this doesn't fix it… iMac freezes now without any intensive GPU action, just waking up…

iMac 24" 2.4 GHz
4 GB RAM - 500 GB HD

[Big Slick]

Just wanted to chime in with a question: I've posted my own thread on my similar issues and currently have an "open" case number. I'm supposed to take my iMac down to my authorized repair centre for them to run a few tests and maybe change out the hard drive. They've already replaced the logic board and ram, but I still freeze whenever I need to restart. How long is my open case number or claim good for? I just haven't had time to take it in, and unless I restart, my mac seems okay.

BTW, I realize that swapping out the hd probably won't solve the freezing from what I've read on some of the threads here, but...

[Mindflux]

I have a Late September built iMac (Week 39). No freezes with Tiger w/ 1.1 or Leopard w/1.3

[angelmb]

my iMac freezed today again… :-/

[theonegod]

Originally Posted by imitchellg5 

A software upgrade won't fix a hardware problem. Duh!

This is a hardware problem AND a driver problem.

There is a hardware problem on all the IMacs that are freezing in this way, the hardware problem in question is amplified by the drivers in IMac update 1.1 which are the same drivers in Leopard. You need to take your IMac back and have it exchanged. No driver update will fix this problem for you becuase no new driver release is going to disable the features casuing this freeze. The reason the drivers in IMac update 1.0 caused less freezes is that they did not support many 3D effects in that revision.

I had this same issue on my IMac and it was instantly resolved with an exchange. if this was a driver issue only it would affect ALL IMacs. Think about it a bit.

[theonegod]

Also as stated above the video cards with this issue can be predictable frozen within seconds of being turned on. the best way to get an exchange is to do a clean install of leopard and have a blank user profile. No software at all.

It should freeze right away if you goto preferences and then screen saver and try to see the word of the day screen saver. or any 3D saver really.

Now, take it to a Apple store. Show them it is a clean install and demonstrate the reproducable freeze with the screen saver. Don't let them try a load test. The load test will not test the graphics it only tests for freezes related to heat and other defective hardware but has no 3D testing to its cycle.

I called ahead to all my local apple stores to find one with Imacs of my model in stock. Helped that I bought mine in a apple store and purchased the stock setup with no hardware upgrades so a swap was hard for them to argue against.

[angelmb]

Thanks for such great info… what if the iMac doesn't freeze with the 'Word of the Day' screensaver?, does that exclude a hardware problem?, my iMac have freezed several times and I got graphics artifacts, but neither 'Word of the Day' nor 'the RSS Visualizer screensaver freeze the iMac.

[reemas]

i'm in a bit of a jam - my imac has frozen many many times in the last 2-3 days.

however, i cannot get it to freeze on command through any of the mentioned tests. the genius i saw was very unhelpful and lugging a 24" imac around is NOT fun.

what do you all recommend? i know there are other who cannot replicate the freeze 100% of the time.

[Big Slick]

Hey!!! I'm not totally positive, but I think the latest apple update 1.2.1 actually fixed my freezing at re-start problem. BTW, it's for my 24" 2.8 aluminum iMac. Time will tell...

[Big Slick]

Update: Nevermind!! My iMac still freezes when I go over the dock right after a re-start.

[angelmb]

so sorry to hear that

[casey]

1.2.1 fixed my imac in Tiger no more freezes works great now,leopard still freezes though and Apple still says a patch will fix it soon.

[angelmb]

I got two freezes today… no overload, iMac is not being stressed at all… I was able to use an Apple Service Diagnostic DVD aimed to this mid-2007 iMac and test were OK… helpful as hell… :-/