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Dejlight · Dec 21, 2002, 03:47 PM

I recently bought iMac TFT 17'. At first it was great, Jaguar looked stable and well, until it started crashing all the time. Control-click on desktop showed blank space, new folder command caused crash. I tried every posslibele remedy, reinstalling erasing the disk, using utilities, even taking it to authorised dealer where they repeated procedure with different software, wiht all updates, no luck.
Is it possible, I never had to reinstall windows and I had ten PC-s.
I have 512 Mb Ram added (checked) and no aditional hardware that could disturb???

Who can convince me that Mac is good thing ??? I can�t be the only guy with that problem?

If only somebody could give me the answer...

MickS · Dec 21, 2002, 04:07 PM

Sounds like a hardware problem. I've got 6+ Macs running at the moment and none are experiencing the problems you are reporting.

Terri · Dec 21, 2002, 04:12 PM

Sounds like you have a bad RAM chip. I have Mac OSX running on two older Macs and while they are a bit slow they have never crashed even once.

I'm just waiting for a few apps that I need to come out for Mac OSX and then I will be running it on my design computer as well.

_

tr · Dec 21, 2002, 04:13 PM

yeah, maybe it's a hardware thing. hell, why don't you bring it back to the dealer, tell them that it's still buggy, and tell them you want a replacement. nothing manufactured out there is perfect, it's like getting an audio cd that skips. it's rare, but they are out there.

and i've had 1 pc at work, and had to install windows 7 or 8 times over a 2 year period.

tr

CheesePuff · Dec 21, 2002, 04:36 PM

Yeah, that shouldn't happen and doesn't here on the 4 Macs I have running Jaguar. Are you running 10.2.3 by chance?

raviruddarraju · Dec 21, 2002, 05:22 PM

Originally posted by Dejlight:
I recently bought iMac TFT 17'. At first it was great, Jaguar looked stable and well, until it started crashing all the time. Control-click on desktop showed blank space, new folder command caused crash. I tried every posslibele remedy, reinstalling erasing the disk, using utilities, even taking it to authorised dealer where they repeated procedure with different software, wiht all updates, no luck.
Is it possible, I never had to reinstall windows and I had ten PC-s.
I have 512 Mb Ram added (checked) and no aditional hardware that could disturb???

Who can convince me that Mac is good thing ??? I can�t be the only guy with that problem?

If only somebody could give me the answer...

I don't get this fairy tale. If you took it to the dealer, it should make sense to send it back to apple immediately. These are rare problems that can happen anywhere with any engineering system.

CyberGreg · Dec 21, 2002, 05:45 PM

Originally posted by Dejlight:
I recently bought iMac TFT 17'. At first it was great, Jaguar looked stable and well, until it started crashing all the time. Control-click on desktop showed blank space, new folder command caused crash. I tried every posslibele remedy, reinstalling erasing the disk, using utilities, even taking it to authorised dealer where they repeated procedure with different software, wiht all updates, no luck.
Is it possible, I never had to reinstall windows and I had ten PC-s.
I have 512 Mb Ram added (checked) and no aditional hardware that could disturb???

Who can convince me that Mac is good thing ??? I can�t be the only guy with that problem?

If only somebody could give me the answer...

1. What changed? You added a 512MB DIMM and now you have problems. I've experienced a Mac with OS X and a bad DIMM, Finder doesn't like it at all and will do very strange things. You say you had it checked. I'd send it back and ask for a replacement, clearly it is causing problems.

2. You sound like you're already convinced that your Windows PC's were better and if you owned 10 PC's and never had to re-install Windows then you didn't use your PC for much.

PS Who and how was your RAM checked? Machines that check DIMM's cost quite a bit.

So let us know once you have your defective RAM replaced OR if you're still unsure, just remove the 512 DIMM and see if your iMac doesn't indeed run better.

Good luck

TheIceMan · Dec 22, 2002, 03:16 AM

Originally posted by tr:
yeah, maybe it's a hardware thing. hell, why don't you bring it back to the dealer, tell them that it's still buggy, and tell them you want a replacement. nothing manufactured out there is perfect, it's like getting an audio cd that skips. it's rare, but they are out there. tr

My thoughts too. Although people who have used Apple products say it's stable (I'm a "switcher" too), nothing is perfect. Sounds like, unfortunately, you just got yourself a bad product. This does seem uncharacteristic of Apple. Yes, take it back and demand a new one. You're working way too hard, that's suppose to be the computer's job.

Cipher13 · Dec 22, 2002, 04:38 AM

OSX will KP under a bad dimm 90% of the time.

Either way...

1. bad processor connection (unlikely)
2. bad video card
3. bad ram
4. bad mobo

Emotionally Fragile Luke · Dec 22, 2002, 05:00 AM

Do you install ANY 3rd party apps before this starts to happen?

Right after a clean install with no other apps or haxies does this still happen? If so I would have to say it is the RAM. Take out one chip and see what happends.

RGB · Dec 22, 2002, 05:04 AM

Originally posted by Cipher13:
OSX will KP under a bad dimm 90% of the time.

Either way...

1. bad processor connection (unlikely)
2. bad video card
3. bad ram
4. bad mobo

I think 90% is a bit high... my bad dim caused huge Finder problems, and applications refusing to launch, random logging out problems, etc...

dru · Dec 22, 2002, 05:16 AM

Who can convince me that Mac is good thing ??? I can�t be the only guy with that problem?

If only somebody could give me the answer...

Likely you won't be convinced. This looks suspiciously like a troll to me. Anyway, you ARE (likely) the only guy with this problem. It is in *no way* common place. This situation, if true, is highly likely due to a hardware problem.

The first thing to suspect is the supposedly "checked" 512MB RAM you installed yourself.

solitere · Dec 22, 2002, 05:59 AM

Originally posted by Dejlight:
I recently bought iMac TFT 17'. At first it was great, Jaguar looked stable and well, until it started crashing all the time. Control-click on desktop showed blank space, new folder command caused crash. I tried every posslibele remedy, reinstalling erasing the disk, using utilities, even taking it to authorised dealer where they repeated procedure with different software, wiht all updates, no luck.
Is it possible, I never had to reinstall windows and I had ten PC-s.
I have 512 Mb Ram added (checked) and no aditional hardware that could disturb???

Who can convince me that Mac is good thing ??? I can�t be the only guy with that problem?

If only somebody could give me the answer...

Does the iMac come with the "Apple Hardware Test CD". The Dual mirror G4 comes with that test cd. You could try to run that CD if you have it. It should detect bad Dimms.

JLL · Dec 22, 2002, 06:49 AM

Originally posted by solitere:

Does the iMac come with the "Apple Hardware Test CD". The Dual mirror G4 comes with that test cd. You could try to run that CD if you have it. It should detect bad Dimms.

I wouldn't rely too much on that app.

booboo · Dec 22, 2002, 09:31 AM

[B/]
I have 512 Mb Ram added (checked) and no aditional hardware that could disturb???

Who can convince me that Mac is good thing ??? I can�t be the only guy with that problem?

If only somebody could give me the answer... [/B]

Nobody likes to read a story like this. You have our sympathy.

If you get no satisfactory solution from your dealer, call Apple directly, and demand it.

Something is definitely wrong - this is not normal behaviours at all. Bad RAM would seem most likely.

I haven't had one crash in Jaguar, but I have had some wierd behaviour and freezes before I removed all traces of Norton Utilities/Antivirus including any extensions (kexts) from the System. Antivirus may not have been the problem, but I felt it appropriate to end my relationship with Norton at this point...

Also, I've personally witnessed the nightmare that HP print drivers can wreak in a small office of iMac's - the machines just get slower and slower and eventually freeze. 10.2.3 may fix this, though, I don't know yet. Otherwise, there are cumbersome workarounds....

You say 'no additional hardware that could disturb' does this mean you do have additional hardware (but that is supposedly safe - see HP note above?) And what 3rd party s/w did you install?

Good luck, and may this get sorted out quickly, so you can begin to appreciate all the positive aspects of going the Mac route.

TheIceMan · 06:18 PM

Does the iMac come with the "Apple Hardware Test CD". You could try to run that CD if you have it. It should detect bad Dimms.

The Apple diagnostic CD is not very effective. It doesn't find or fixes much. They throw you a bone in the form of "TechTool" man what a joke. Let DiskWarrior fix it. This is what those Apple folks use when you bring it in for repair. It has fixed many problems that other disk utility programs haven't been able to fix. Good luck.

raviruddarraju · Dec 23, 2002, 12:03 AM

Originally posted by dru:

This looks suspiciously like a troll to me.

I would like to agree.

Homer1946 · Dec 23, 2002, 12:31 AM

Originally posted by raviruddarraju:

I would like to agree.

I bet it is not a troll, but just a true switcher who is having problems. It happens. This just has the ring of true frustration.

(Honda's are great cars, I love them, but I have known buyers who just got lemons)

Rick

ZackS · Dec 23, 2002, 12:59 AM

I agree that this is a troll. Look at the topic title.

"Why did I switch to Mac? Fool???"

That is flame bait if I've ever seen it.

Moose · Dec 23, 2002, 10:15 AM

Originally posted by TheIceMan:

The Apple diagnostic CD is not very effective. It doesn't find or fixes much. They throw you a bone in the form of "TechTool" man what a joke. Let DiskWarrior fix it. This is what those Apple folks use when you bring it in for repair. It has fixed many problems that other disk utility programs haven't been able to fix. Good luck.

DiskWarrior, sadly, can neither detect nor fix memory problems, which is the problem to which you were replying. Well, I guess it could inadvertently detect one by crashing....

DannyVTim · Dec 23, 2002, 11:21 AM

Make sure that the DIMMs are order from the largest one to the smallest one starting in slot one. My window server would crash out and take me back to the log in screen until I reordered the DIMM modules. Thus is also true on the Windows machines by the way and not a specific platform issue.

SMacTech · Dec 23, 2002, 11:33 AM

Originally posted by Dejlight:
I recently bought iMac TFT 17'. At first it was great, Jaguar looked stable and well, until it started crashing all the time.
Is it possible, I never had to reinstall windows and I had ten PC-s.

He may not be a troll, but he certainly was a lucky man for not having to reinstall Windows ever on 10 machines.
I vote for the bad DIMM, remove it and test it again. I also wonder why he hasn't returned to make another post or thank those who tried to help him.

SmileyDude · Dec 23, 2002, 02:06 PM

Originally posted by DannyVTim:
Make sure that the DIMMs are order from the largest one to the smallest one starting in slot one. My window server would crash out and take me back to the log in screen until I reordered the DIMM modules. Thus is also true on the Windows machines by the way and not a specific platform issue.

The order of the DIMMs should not effect the performance of the machine. If re-ordering them fixes a crash problem, it's only because the bad memory is now in a different part of the memory map. Since you specifically mentioned the window server, my bet is that since the window server is always started at the same time, it was always in the same area of memory. Now that you've re-ordered them, the window server is on a different DIMM, and it isn't being corrupted anymore.

Get that memory checked out, or you'll suffer in the long run.

DannyVTim · Dec 23, 2002, 04:38 PM

Originally posted by SmileyDude:

The order of the DIMMs should not effect the performance of the machine. If re-ordering them fixes a crash problem, it's only because the bad memory is now in a different part of the memory map. Since you specifically mentioned the window server, my bet is that since the window server is always started at the same time, it was always in the same area of memory. Now that you've re-ordered them, the window server is on a different DIMM, and it isn't being corrupted anymore.

Get that memory checked out, or you'll suffer in the long run.

That is logical; however it is not correct. Loading the largest DIMM in slot one is correct. I didn't think the order of the DIMMS mattered until I spoke with several people who assured me that having the biggest one on slot one matter and it does.

Don Pickett · Dec 23, 2002, 05:20 PM

Shouldn't the title of this thread be, "I pity the fool that switched to Mac!!!!"

Dejlight · Dec 23, 2002, 06:07 PM

Originally posted by SMacTech:

He may not be a troll, but he certainly was a lucky man for not having to reinstall Windows ever on 10 machines.
I vote for the bad DIMM, remove it and test it again. I also wonder why he hasn't returned to make another post or thank those who tried to help him.

Thanks for your trouble, but I aready solved it. It was my mistake, apparently I copied every time some of my preferences back, some of them trivial I thought. I tried logging as root admin and I erased user and suddenly all was o.k.

When you erase, you have to erase all of it, without restoring any preferences.