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dreamersrevenge · Feb 22, 2009, 12:06 AM

I'm not sure if this a hardware problem or (hopefully just) a software problem. I noticed a strange pair of lines under inactive windows tonight. For example, I'll be replying to a message in xchat or looking for something in the finder while leaving Firefox or MAMP open. So far it only seems to be doing it with MAMP/Firefox and not my other open apps, but I think it's still cause for concern. I'm running 10.5.6 on the white C2D macbook.

Here is a screenshot (kinda big pic). The lines are under Firefox and the MAMP windows.

AKcrab · Feb 22, 2009, 04:12 AM

Does it persist after a reboot? Does it happen on another user?

dreamersrevenge · Feb 22, 2009, 04:17 AM

I'll have to check on the reboot. I just checked the other user account and it does the same thing with that one as well. On another note, the issue also happens with Safari, but not Opera. I mentioned it to someone on IRC and got to trying different browsers, so it isn't limited to Firefox like I first thought.

dreamersrevenge · Feb 22, 2009, 04:22 AM

I just rebooted after posting that (I was going to put it off until I got home) and it seems to have resolved it... for now. If this problem occurs again I'll post again.

ghporter · Feb 22, 2009, 08:02 AM

Those looked kinda like sketchy horizontal scroll bars to me...maybe the machine thought there was something odd about the screen resolution. If that's the case, this issue is history (until it gets confused again). But since the bars/lines were associated with only some windows, I'd say that they were almost certainly software related anyway...

seanc · Feb 22, 2009, 10:55 AM

I noticed some artifacts to the left top edge of some of the windows that were open.

Could be early signs of GPU failure or just a temporary driver issue. Keep an eye on it.

dreamersrevenge · Feb 22, 2009, 02:39 PM

Originally Posted by seanc

I noticed some artifacts to the left top edge of some of the windows that were open.

Could be early signs of GPU failure or just a temporary driver issue. Keep an eye on it.

oh wow, I just double-checked that pic and I see it now. Looks like I'd better keep that spare laptop handy..

seanc · Feb 22, 2009, 02:44 PM

Originally Posted by dreamersrevenge

oh wow, I just double-checked that pic and I see it now. Looks like I'd better keep that spare laptop handy..

I assume you have some form of an 8600m GT in your MBP - Apple should replace that your logic board free if it fails. This is a known issue.

dreamersrevenge · Feb 22, 2009, 02:49 PM

seanc, It's a Sept 2007 (I think) white macbook. It's the first model that came with the intel x3100 graphics chip.

seanc · Feb 22, 2009, 02:58 PM

Originally Posted by dreamersrevenge

seanc, It's a Sept 2007 (I think) white macbook. It's the first model that came with the intel x3100 graphics chip.

Oops, i read MacBook Pro!

Have you upgraded your RAM recently?

dreamersrevenge · Feb 22, 2009, 03:12 PM

Originally Posted by seanc

Oops, i read MacBook Pro!

Have you upgraded your RAM recently?

lol, that's ok. Actually I upgraded the ram almost immediately after I bought it. However if the ram is flaking that'd be the perfect excuse to bump it up to 3 or 4gb.

tooki · Feb 22, 2009, 05:46 PM

If it's just happened this one time, then it's probably from a random RAM error and absolutely nothing to worry about. Only if it happens repeatedly would I invest any more thought in the matter.