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bottom RAM slot in my powerbook is fried

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tekmoe

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Feb 12, 2005
1,726
551
i attempted to use some ram by the brand name Infineon (it came from a thinkpad). it is CL 2.5, DDR2700, 512mb. same exact specs as the ram that came with my powerbook. so i turn the powerbook off, add the Infineon into the top slot. boot it up, seems to be working fine. check the system properties, but it still only says 512mb. so i figure i just didn't push the ram into the slot all the way. i shutdown, check the memory again, and it is pushed all the way in. i switch the ram modules, where the Infineon goes in the bottom, and the apple ram goes in the top. try to boot and get 3 beeps. i shutdown the powerbook, and then take out the apple ram from the top slot. try to boot and it still does 3 beeps. i take out the Infineon, and put the powerbook back to how it was, where the apple ram was in the bottom slot, adn the top slot was empty. turn it on thinking everything will be back to normal...nope, still getting 3 beeps. at this point, i am starting to sweat. pondering about it for a moment, i shut the powerbook off, and put the apple ram to the top slot. bingo, it works. but what's wrong with the bottom slot? it can't be the ram. so i call apple. they have me do the apple option o r to reset something or another. still doesnt fix the bottom slot. they have me take the battery out and hold the power button for 5 seconds. then turn it back on to reset the nvram. bottom slot still doesnt work. they finally give me the option to send it in, or take it to the apple store.

at this point, my powerbook works because the top slot is ok, but i guess my question is, has this ever happened to anyone?

if you were in my shoes, which option would you take? send it in, or take it to the apple store?

my powerbook is the new rev d' model. 15". with a bad bottom slot.

thanks
 
saunders45

saunders45

macrumors 6502a
Jul 29, 2004
513
0
Do you have 10.3.9????? It fried my bosses lower slot in his PB. It has happened to quite a few people I hear. I took it and dropped it off at the Apple store to be sent in. It seems there is a firmware upgrade thats like a friggin' time bomb.
 
T

tekmoe

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Feb 12, 2005
1,726
551
interesting enough, i just updated to 10.3.9 about a week ago.........
 
saunders45

saunders45

macrumors 6502a
Jul 29, 2004
513
0
Yeah.. thought so. "Unofficially" there is a firmware update problem with 10.3.9. Supposedly it was prevelant in 10.3.8 for 15" PB's and spread to the rest in 10.3.9. Most Apple folk deny it, but I was told off the record that it exists.
What really sucks is that I have a rev c 15" PB too. Exact same model as his, and I had 10.3.9 longer, and yet mine works fine. I call a friend of minewho has the rev B 15" PB and he is screwed over too.

All I can suggest is take it in.
 
Toeknee

Toeknee

macrumors regular
Sep 24, 2003
193
0
San Antonio, Texas
How odd havent had my slot go out on me ... yet. Although I did order a 1GB stick from Newegg a while back that didnt work with the Rev. A models. I had to return it to my dismay really wanted that stick to work. I wonder if this only "affects" the newer models and not the Rev. A. One thing I do know is that the next laptop I get will be the PowerBook G5.... when ever the hell that is.
 
saunders45

saunders45

macrumors 6502a
Jul 29, 2004
513
0
Dunno which models it affects exactly. However on the memory issue, what exactly did you get and for how much.

I just bought another gig from Crucial for $195. Not the "Official" PB ram, but the EXACT same stuff for about 150$ less than their "matched" ram.
 
Toeknee

Toeknee

macrumors regular
Sep 24, 2003
193
0
San Antonio, Texas
It was a while back but it was a 1GB stick Kingmax brand that I got for about $200. The computer wouldnt run in Auto or lowest performance, only in Highest . I just said screw it and returned it, I can now get a stick of a gig for $180 from Other World.
 
D

D*I*S_Frontman

macrumors 6502
May 20, 2002
461
28
Appleton,WI
Wow. Same thing happened to me. My 15.2" AlBook is in Apple's Memphis shop right now, getting this fixed. All as a result of the 10.3.9 upgrade? That will prove to be a VERY expensive mistake, if this is a universal problem.

This is the first I've heard that the lower RAM slot failure is a known issue (albeit a denied one). I have never been burned by an Apple Update before. With all the cold, hard cash from iPods around, Apple has no excuse for not thoroughly testing all updates on all current hardware before unleashing havoc upon their faithful user base. I am a Mac user precisely because I don't want to deal with crap like this. My Pismo had about 7 days of downtime in the entire three years I owned it--and my new G4 Powerbook has exceeded that in the first 60 days!

I would like Apple to own up to this one, and I want assurances that they've FULLY ADDRESSED the issue. I don't want it back to have the lower RAM slot fry again in a week.
 
T

tekmoe

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Feb 12, 2005
1,726
551
D*I*S_Frontman said:
Wow. Same thing happened to me. My 15.2" AlBook is in Apple's Memphis shop right now, getting this fixed. All as a result of the 10.3.9 upgrade? That will prove to be a VERY expensive mistake, if this is a universal problem.

This is the first I've heard that the lower RAM slot failure is a known issue (albeit a denied one). I have never been burned by an Apple Update before. With all the cold, hard cash from iPods around, Apple has no excuse for not thoroughly testing all updates on all current hardware before unleashing havoc upon their faithful user base. I am a Mac user precisely because I don't want to deal with crap like this. My Pismo had about 7 days of downtime in the entire three years I owned it--and my new G4 Powerbook has exceeded that in the first 60 days!

I would like Apple to own up to this one, and I want assurances that they've FULLY ADDRESSED the issue. I don't want it back to have the lower RAM slot fry again in a week.
Click to expand...

i am totally with you on this one. i've been searching the web, and there is also a small article on pbzone.com. i sent the editor an email expressing my frustration.

i have already called apple and went thru the troubleshooting with them. they have given me a case number and told me to call back whenever i am ready to ship my powerbook to them.

i am going to sit and wait to see what apple says/does about this issue. i am also interested to see how many more people post about it. there is a post on the official apple forums which has several people complaining about this problem. http://discussions.info.apple.com/webx?128@244.mShba9XtSx7.524729@.68acd68e
 
S

shambolic

macrumors regular
Oct 27, 2003
126
5
Staten Island, NY
Raising my hand..

Another one here. Failed last Thursday - though it had been running 10.3.9 for about six days by that point.

Latest 15" SD model, only a couple of months old.

I can't bear to be parted from it (yet) though, so I'll keep chugging along with just the 1GB in the upper slot for a while longer. (To be honest, I've not seen much of a performance drop-off)

The Apple discussions boards (http://discussions.info.apple.com) have plenty of other reports about this issue - I'm hoping that at some point Apple may acknowledge the problem in the same way that they did for the G3 iBook logic boards.

Of course I wouldn't turn down a magic firmware fix that saves me having to send the PB away to Memphis for repair..
 
T

tekmoe

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Feb 12, 2005
1,726
551
weird things are happening. my safari unexpectedly quit when i was running a broadband speed test. my adium instant message client crashed several minutes before that.

this sucks...
 
California

California

macrumors 68040
Aug 21, 2004
3,885
90
I feel so bad for all youse guys with these 10.3.9 problems...

Something in my gut told me NOT to update to 10.3.9 as I am perfectly happy on 3.8.

I think it was because Tiger was coming out so soon on 3.9's heels.

I hate to postulate against the company that I have been absolutely loyal to since 1989, BUT could it be a glitch ridden update to get the unsuspecting Mac user to buy Tiger?

Hate to even think that but theyhad better have a fix on it if all this is true.

I'm not switching to Tiger for a looong while.
 
F

Faraday

macrumors member
Mar 25, 2004
38
6
Melbourne Australia
wow, how strange. I just picked my powerbook up this morning after having the same problem fixed.

I have a 1.5 GHz, April 2004 model. I bought it with a 512 MB stick of apple ram, and I added a second 512 MB stick of no-name RAM, which worked fine.

I took it in a week or two back for a problem with the sleep light, for which they replaced the logic board under warranty.

When I got the machine back with the new logic board I found only the top RAM slot was working. Either the Apple RAM or the 3rd party RAM was fine in the top slot, but putting either stick of RAM in the bottom slot got either 3 beeps at startup if it was the only stick installed, or no beeps at all if both slots were filled, and the machine booted with only the top slot of RAM recognised. Both the install DVD hardware test and the Apple Service Diagnostic reported problems with the RAM in the bottom slot.

I had upgraded to 10.3.9 just prior to taking it in for the original sleep light problem, and I don't remember if this caused a problem with the RAM at this time, though I couldn't be sure.

The solution was a 3rd logic board, which seems to be OK. The machine is now running OK on 10.3.9 with both 512 MB sticks recognised.
 
saunders45

saunders45

macrumors 6502a
Jul 29, 2004
513
0
Wow. I knew some people had it but..... Freakin' A... This sucks. I find myself always checkin "About this mac" waitning for it to show only 1 gig. I realy can't afford to lose my computer for 7-10 days. I would be screwed.
 
J

JasonL

macrumors regular
Feb 13, 2004
212
0
Ware, MA
Wow. This happened to me too. I noticed that my system performance deteriorated abruptly a couple of months back, and sytem profile showed 512MB RAM instead of the 1GB I had installed. I haven't had a chance to send it in to Apple (it will be covered under AppleCare) as I need my computer on a daily basis until the end of the semester. What I did to hold me over was buy a 1GB stick from DMS (awesome prices and service, btw) and installed it in the top slot. Now, after my computer gets fixed I'll have 1.5GB of RAM...which is cool I guess.
 
V

vinnie

macrumors newbie
May 3, 2005
1
0
10.3.9 fried my memory slot too

Me too, my lower slot was fried after the 10.3.9 update.

I know it was the upgrade because I was running Final cut pro right before the upgrade, and then minutes after it when I tried to start up FCP again it said there was insufficient memory, which is how I discovered the lower slot problem.

I've left it in to be fixed as I only have 12 days left in my warranty. If my warranty was expired I'd be hopping mad and insisting Apple fix it free of charge.
 
T

tekmoe

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Feb 12, 2005
1,726
551
i still haven't sent my powerbook in. it is working fine with the ram in the top slot. i have about 10 months of warranty left. i wish apple could somehow reverse the effect with a software patch. seems like if software broke it, software could fix it.

i hope more people continue to post on this thread. so far, it is the biggest thread concerning this issue.
 
S

sejanus

macrumors regular
May 3, 2005
105
0
me too....

15" PB 1.5ghz

have 2 x 1gb sticks.

when I first got the laptop the 2nd ram slot didn't work at all. had to get logic board swapped which was a pain as the laptop was sent away for 7 business days. that was around this time last year.

Now 2 months ago I noticed my machine was starting to thrash the disk and slowdown a bit in photoshop. lo and behold the 2nd slot had stopped again.

i thought it as just another logicboard failure but if it is 10.3.8 or 10.3.9 - that really stinks!!

as i type this my powerbook is at the service centre getting fixed....I'm typing this on a cruddy ibm laptop.
 
D

dmcalerney

macrumors newbie
May 5, 2005
1
0
Me Too?

Howdy,

In the past month or two, My ram has crapped out as well. Except i'm running an imac that i bought a year and a half ago. Could this be the same problem?
 
M

mcwotan

macrumors newbie
May 23, 2005
3
0
Austria
same problem wth. tiger

I have the same problem but with osx 10.4.1!! I installed Tiger about 3 weeks ago and upgraded to 10.4.1 a few days ago. yesterday my screen froze and after rebooting my lower ram slot was dead!! I don't get they didn't fix this problem at apple...! Any similar experiences? If so, anybody knows how long repairing takes in Europe (Austria)?

thx -mcwotan
 
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Mpowerbook182

macrumors newbie
Nov 17, 2004
21
0
Man this sucks pretty sure mine is done too, just posted about it, I was just worried about apple trying to blame it on the non-apple ram, sounds like none of you had that problem so i guess I will head down to the apple store, wish i never installed 10.3.9 :mad:
 
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edere

macrumors member
Feb 22, 2005
31
0
i've had the lower slot fail on me on my powerbook running both under 10.3.9 and 10.4. and both times it has been a logic board failure. apple has a great OS, but horrible hardware.
 
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