[yticolev]

In the middle of July just after upgrading my original Ti500 to OS X, I started having apparently random hard crashes (requiring control/apple/power rebooting) on text entry in a variety of programs and operating systems. After posting here, there were a number of suggestions given including updating to to 10.2.6. I did this and it solved the problem for two months. It is now back.

I initialized the drive and put a clean copy of 10.2.7 and 9.2.2 on it to give to my sister (I just bought a new Al15) and while I was demonstrating it to her, it crashes multiple times, much to my surprise. Very embarrassing. And I was able to narrow the problem a little more. Although sometimes repeatable, the timing of the crash was usually unpredictable, but always after hitting the "n" key. It is not a corrupt font because it would also happen while hitting the apple key for a non text entry keyboard shortcut. When it crashed during text entry, sometimes the "n" would print on screen, and sometimes not.

Can anyone help? I am thinking that it is not software, not keyboard, and not RAM. Possibly firmware corruption caused by the original installation of OS X (which is likely coincidental), firmware issue in general, possibly assembly language (probably showing ignorance here), or is Apple still using a proprietary OS chip that is screwing up? Very strange behavior!

Thanks in advance.

[Spheric Harlot]

If it is happening erratically and seems to be linked to you hitting the "n" key, it is VERY LIKELY a hardware issue, and very likely the RAM, which is located just under the keyboard.
Possibly it has become slightly dislodged.

Shut down your computer, remove the keyboard, remove the extra RAM, put it back in and be sure to re-seat it firmly. Do the same with the Airport card, should you have it installed.

See if the problem goes away.

-s*

[yticolev]

Wow! Thanks so much! I'll bet anything that you are right. The "n" key sits just above the lower right corner of the upper RAM module where the contacts are. So pushing on it can apply pressure to the contacts which certainly could cause a freeze. I pushed on the module before taking it out and although firmly in place, there did seem to be a little movement pushing on that corner. So I swapped the upper and lower modules and the upper seems rock tight now. A small amount of testing with extra pressure to the "n" did not cause any freezes but like a cancer "cure", it will require time to be sure it does not come back. If it does, perhaps removing the upper module and doubling the RAM in the lower (both are 256 right now) will effect a permanent cure.

That RAM has been in place since I bought the Ti500 almost 3 years ago. Pretty amazing.

Thanks again!