PowerBook 10.3.5 problems: freezes constantly, won't wake after sleep, no sound!...

[diehldun]

So far, my PowerBook running on Panther 10.3.5 has been running fine... had all the updates, but recently, it's been quite naughty...

When I start the PowerBook, it won't make the start-up noise (volume on max), when I open AOL IM, Safari, Microsoft Word, or iTunes, it'll crash (once in a while- every day; today the PB crashed 3 times on diff. applications). Also, when I close the lid to put it to sleep, and when I open the lid, the PB comes back awake but the screen stays black (and I have to manually turn it off by restarting using the power button).

I have repaired permissions, and so far nothing is working. I bought this computer last December... what should I do? Is something wrong here (because the whole reason I bought this PowerBook in the first place from my Dell- which NEVER crashed on me was that it would NEVER crash and fail on me!)

Thanks a bunch!

 

[diehldun]

BTW...

when the "freeze" happens, I can move my cursor, but the dock won't "magnify", the windows won't move, and when I try to force-quit, the window freezes, and none of the windows can move. the sound is also dead, and the only way to fix it (for now, as it seems), is to restart by pushing the button. it gets REALLY annoying.

and also, I constantly get the beach-ball when using Safari or Microsoft Word. I know this is not normal, right? (considering that's the ONLY application that's open...)

is something wrong inside (hardware?)?

 

[stoid]

This is extremely abnormal. Did you install any third party RAM? If so take that out and do a fresh install of the OS. If you are still having the problems with only Apple RAM and a fresh OS install, you may have a bad logic board. Call Apple, and they will replace it for you.

 

[JFreak]

why the 3rd party ram is always stated as the worst enemy? apple doesn't make memory chips so it also uses 3rd party ram, only that apple might test them before the chips are installed. but even that is unknown to us, it's only an assumption.

back to topic, i think there's something very wrong with the 10.3.5 os version. digidesign still hasn't qualified it to be used in protools production systems, which is very strange as the 10.3.4 was qualified very fast. if the os is good, the qualification tests are smooth, and now that the tests have clearly not been very smooth at all, it seems that the os version is a bad apple.

revert to 10.3.4 even if it's a pain-in-the-ass to re-install your system. wait for a 10.3.6 which i believe will come sooner than we think.

 

[spasticmutant]

why the 3rd party ram is always stated as the worst enemy? apple doesn't make memory chips so it also uses 3rd party ram, only that apple might test them before the chips are installed. but even that is unknown to us, it's only an assumption.

back to topic, i think there's something very wrong with the 10.3.5 os version. digidesign still hasn't qualified it to be used in protools production systems, which is very strange as the 10.3.4 was qualified very fast. if the os is good, the qualification tests are smooth, and now that the tests have clearly not been very smooth at all, it seems that the os version is a bad apple.

revert to 10.3.4 even if it's a pain-in-the-ass to re-install your system. wait for a 10.3.6 which i believe will come sooner than we think.

I get an unusual freeze too - when I have several apps open along with X Windows, the dock will stop magnifying when I mouse over the icons. Oddly enough, sometimes jiggling the mouse's USB cable can help clear it up, but not always. I'll get total system freezes occasionally too, but usually the mouseover of the dock is what freezes up partially. My system is current with all patches installed, 10.3.5 et al.

It only happens when X Windows is running. Maybe it's a big ol' memory hog. My 15" 1.5 Ghz powerbook has 1 gig of Apple installed RAM, though, and it doesn't take many open applications to reproduce the problem.


Anne Marie

 

[Duff-Man]

why the 3rd party ram is always stated as the worst enemy? apple doesn't make memory chips so it also uses 3rd party ram, only that apple might test them before the chips are installed. but even that is unknown to us, it's only an assumption.

Duff-Man says...because all to often that ram has been the problem. Yes, you are right in that Apple does not make ram, but when dealing with 3rd parties there is ram and then there is ram - some people always will go for the cheapest deal not realizing that sometimes you get what you pay for. It is also an easy test to do - remove the extra ram - problem gone then it's the ram...it is just the first step in troubleshooting the problem....oh yeah!

 

[advres]

Let me ask a real stupid question.

Are you by any chance running FileVault. I made that mistake and had very similar problems. It turned out that the sparse image of my home folder got corrupted.

Also, If this is the case, I was unable to turn off FileVault. It would get 30% through releasing my home from its grasp and through an error saying it couldn't complete the request.

If you are running FileVault, I have more info on how I resolved the situation but I won't bore you or anyone else with more details for now.

 

[diehldun]

Let me ask a real stupid question.

Are you by any chance running FileVault. I made that mistake and had very similar problems. It turned out that the sparse image of my home folder got corrupted.

Also, If this is the case, I was unable to turn off FileVault. It would get 30% through releasing my home from its grasp and through an error saying it couldn't complete the request.

If you are running FileVault, I have more info on how I resolved the situation but I won't bore you or anyone else with more details for now.

I do have FileVault on! (but only on two of the three accounts on my PowerBook, inlcuding the account that constantly freezes!)

So do you think that's it? Because I didn't install third-party RAM...

 

[advres]

I do have FileVault on! (but only on two of the three accounts on my PowerBook, inlcuding the account that constantly freezes!)

So do you think that's it? Because I didn't install third-party RAM...

It very well could be causing the problems. I can only speak that all my problems went away once I turned it off.

I posted a thread about a week or so back. Read this

Then, if you need to see some more info from Apple about FileVault go to their website, click support and type FileVault (no spaces).

Here is a way to verify if your home folders and see if they are corrupted ---> here

Good Luck and let us know your progress, or lack their of!

 

[diehldun]

also screensaver...

when I "awake" the computer from my screensaver/screen-sleep, for about three seconds, the screen turns into this fuzzy, colorful screen (obviously not supposed to be there; similar to static on TV when switching channels w/o cable?...)

am I supposed to assume that's not normal either...?

 

[yoda13]

Well, I would definately do the fresh install of OSX. However, your last post suggests to me that your logic board might be going. I had this happen to me numerous times on an iBook and this was always the first way that it begin to manifest itself. You might also try running the hardware test cd that came with your computer. But I fear that you might have to give Apple a call, or take it to the store. Good luck.

 

[osprey76]

When I start the PowerBook, it won't make the start-up noise (volume on max), when I open AOL IM, Safari, Microsoft Word, or iTunes, it'll crash (once in a while- every day; today the PB crashed 3 times on diff. applications). Also, when I close the lid to put it to sleep, and when I open the lid, the PB comes back awake but the screen stays black (and I have to manually turn it off by restarting using the power button).

You don't understand. These behaviors are features of 10.3.5. You should consider yourself lucky to get a full-featured install. Many don't even see a difference from 10.3.4. How lame, eh?

Actually, the advice given here already is good. I have nothing to add to it.

 

[diehldun]

You don't understand. These behaviors are features of 10.3.5. You should consider yourself lucky to get a full-featured install. Many don't even see a difference from 10.3.4. How lame, eh?

Actually, the advice given here already is good. I have nothing to add to it.

EH? This is normal... FOR A MAC?
So based on the posts above, should I assume that I should take my PowerBook to the Apple Store? What will they probably do? Confiscate it and fix it? Great. That's just what I needed.

 

[yoda13]

EH? This is normal... FOR A MAC?
So based on the posts above, should I assume that I should take my PowerBook to the Apple Store? What will they probably do? Confiscate it and fix it? Great. That's just what I needed.

Run the hardware test cd and reinstall the OS before you take it in. It might save you a trip to the store and a prolonged absense of your PB.

 

[Logik]

Ok, try this.. create a new user name and run it on that for a bit... see if it does the same thing.. don't ask.. mine did the same thing... not quite as severe as yours.. but give it a try and see

 

[diehldun]

Run the hardware test cd and reinstall the OS before you take it in. It might save you a trip to the store and a prolonged absense of your PB.

But then that means backing-up all of the info stored on my HD?

 

[diehldun]

Ok, try this.. create a new user name and run it on that for a bit... see if it does the same thing.. don't ask.. mine did the same thing... not quite as severe as yours.. but give it a try and see

Run the hardware CD?

 

[diehldun]

well...

FYI the PowerBook had crashed again (this time running PowerPoint)

I guess I shall have no choice but to bring it in to the Apple Store...

 

[advres]

FYI the PowerBook had crashed again (this time running PowerPoint)

I guess I shall have no choice but to bring it in to the Apple Store...

Why would you risk giving them your book to send away when you haven't taken all the proper steps to see if it is something you can fix first?

#1 - Turn off FileVault!

#2 - Run the hardware test CD which should have come with your Mac.

#3 - Reinstall the OS. You didn't want to go this route because you didn't want to back up your HD right? Well if I WAS going to bring the book to the Apple store I sure as hell would do a full backup anyway.

 

[diehldun]

Why would you risk giving them your book to send away when you haven't taken all the proper steps to see if it is something you can fix first?

#1 - Turn off FileVault!

#2 - Run the hardware test CD which should have come with your Mac.

#3 - Reinstall the OS. You didn't want to go this route because you didn't want to back up your HD right? Well if I WAS going to bring the book to the Apple store I sure as hell would do a full backup anyway.

I have done that, and to top it off, my powerbook COMPLETELY lost my ENTIRE iPhoto library! I had SO many vacation/family photos that are priceless (the camera was damaged so cannot be retrieved!!!!!; memory stick- someone else has it and unfortunately lost them)

is it normal for MacOS X to wipe out an ENTIRE iPhoto library? This is absurd. Is there a virus on my powerbook? (I have firewall, internet sharing OFF, etc...)

 

[IJ Reilly]

You have a hardware problem, almost without a doubt. If you haven't already do not go through the pain and agony of reinstalling the OS. It is beyond me why this suggestion is so common when it almost never cures anything and causes so much grief.

-Remove any RAM you are able (bottom slot). It does not matter if it was installed by Apple or came from a third party. I've had bad RAM right from the factory.

-Remove Airport card if installed.

-Reset open firmware. Search AppleCare for the instructions.

-Run fsck on the hard drive. If the Mac has crashed repeatedly, you have almost certainly done some directory damage. Fix it.

If none of this works, let Apple take a look because I'd bet it's a bad motherboard.

 

[tusalusa]

Possible solution. Worked for me.

I used to have the problems you all mention.

In my case the problem was with a hack in my OS I made after having read an article about a security issue in Panther (plain text passwords in swapfiles). This hack was about encrypting the swap.

After I reverted back to my original configuration the problem was gone.

In the faq of the solution there was a mention to a possible problem when it tried to create another swapfile and that could create freezes.

Hope this helps.

 

[monkeydo_jb]

I have done that, and to top it off, my powerbook COMPLETELY lost my ENTIRE iPhoto library! I had SO many vacation/family photos that are priceless (the camera was damaged so cannot be retrieved!!!!!; memory stick- someone else has it and unfortunately lost them)

is it normal for MacOS X to wipe out an ENTIRE iPhoto library? This is absurd. Is there a virus on my powerbook? (I have firewall, internet sharing OFF, etc...)

Most likely all of your pictures are still intact.

Your iPhoto index probably got wiped out, though.

 

[tzm]

I have exactly the same problems with my PowerBook G4.

I installed 10.3.5 and it worked as normal. But after I put an additional RAM into it something weird occurs, always. I don't know why the problem has to be on the 3rd party RAM. Is there really something to do with it?

Well, now not just applications unexpectly quit. But something I never saw before like a black window appears in front of me at the center of my monitor saying in four languages that I need to restart my computer for no reason and I can't really do something even to save my work! All I can do is restart.

Without the RAM I can't really work too, it is too slow. My RAM is sent from Singapore after I found out that the RAM that they put with this as a free RAM didn't work because it's a wrong model.

What should I do with it

 

[advres]

Well, now not just applications unexpectly quit. But something I never saw before like a black window appears in front of me at the center of my monitor saying in four languages that I need to restart my computer for no reason and I can't really do something even to save my work! All I can do is restart.

Well my friend what you are experiencing is called a Kernal Panic. I got them several times a day when I first put my new RAM into my PB. I spent a little time on the phone with Other World Computing (because that's where I got the chips from) and they had me run a series of tests to determine which chip was bad. It turned out that both the chips they sent me where bad. They Fedexed me some new chips over night and have had no problems since.

I would call whomever you bought the chips from and talk to them about it. The new PB's have been finicky about what RAM they like even if they are "supposed" to work.

Go with a reputable company and put those kernal panics aside.