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bottom RAM slot in my powerbook is fried

Thanks for the info. That and an AppleCare plan sounds like a safe bet. Just for clarification, is crappy RAM gonna do that all the time (basically if I send it back for a different chip by the same brand is this always gonna happen)? Do I need to shell out for the Samsung RAM (it's like $50 more) or can I just try to get another random chip?


CanadaRAM said:
I'm going to guess the NewEgg RAM is to blame. Someone who really knows may be able to confirm, but perhaps the memory controller in that machine populates the memory in the top slot first, then the bottom. So if you had flakey RAM in the top slot, it would crash right away, whereas having it in the bottom slot won't give a problem until you start using a lot of RAM.

Anyway, regardless of the reason, there is no way the RAM 'has' to go in one slot or another, so if it crashes when the 1 gb is in the top slot, send it back for a refund. It'll come back and bite you later if you leave it in the bottom slot.
Click to expand...
 
Same here!

I just got my 15" PB Alum back from Apple 2 days ago. I sent it in because I had a problem at start-up, the lower memory slot wasn't registering and I kept getting kernal panics (I purchased this laptop brand new from Apple in May 2005--4 months ago!!!).

Currently I'm running 10.4.2 and I have the original 512 + 1 GB that I added in the upper memory slot. I just checked the "About this Mac," and once again it is only registering 1 GB. This is ridiculous! I'm am seriously considering switching back to PC if they don't fix this problem soon.

Apparently, people are trying to file a class action lawsuit on this matter. I've joined the fight in hoped that Apple will address this situation.

Here's the link, if you're interested.

https://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/caseapple_powerbook_classaction




edere said:
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.
Click to expand...
 
15.2" PB RAM Crash

Wow, after reading of everyone else's issue's it's nice to know I'm not alone. I was working on my PB (15.2, 1.5Ghz, 80hd, 1.25ram,SD, OS X.4.2) two weeks ago today, when it went out on me. I couldn't even get it to boot. I called Apple the following Monday, they said I needed to verify my Date of Purchase. I purchased this machine new the end of June from Tech For Less for over $200 less than Apple was selling it Refurb. The D.O.P. Apple had was when Tech For Less bought it. I even registered it online the day I got it... Anyhow, I fax in the invoice from both Tech For Less and UPS establishing purchase and delivery last Monday(the 19th). I wait 2 days and call back, repeat my story verbatim, the tech guy starts the RMA process and then comes back on saying they have not verified my D.O.P.. Thursday night I try to turn on the PB again VIOLA! It starts right up like nothing was wrong (I did reset the RAM in the slots). The PB ran great til Monday afternoon, then it crashed again and all I could get was the Blue Screen once in awhile and the Beeps. So I call Apple again, repeat story again even with the case # the new people always want to verify your story. I'm told again they have not verified D.O.P. But the tech guy says he'll personally look into it and call me back. Nobody calls me back, I call back on Tuesday. Same story we're looking into it - we'll call you back. Of course every time I'm on the line they want me to go through the basics IE: reset Pram, safe boot etc... One woman put me on hold for almost 20 minutes and then I was disconnected. I call back yesterday, repeat, repeat finally I ask the guy, should I just re-fax the info. He thinks that would be a good idea. I get all the information together again, write a terse cover letter and send it in. I call back today to verify, yada, yada, yada wait nearly 20 minutes...Finally they have found yesterday's fax, but it will take 5-7 days to process the Date of Purchase. I get firm with the guy, "This is the 2nd time I've faxed it in, you guys lost the first one from nearly two weeks ago, meanwhile I'm unable to work on my machine for 2 weeks - you must expedite this!" He tells me they can't, that that dept (D.O.P.) processes them as they get them and that I should call back next Weds or Thursday to begin to RMA... In the end, they will fix it, lower ram slot, logic board etc... but I'll be without my PB for about a month! Good thing I still have my trusty iBook!
 
!

Wow, ok.

My PowerBook (15", 1.25 Ghz) just experienced a severe fit of crashing a couple of weeks ago, followed by a single RAM error message (that I cannot recall word for word) after starting up one time. (However, since that time... I have no really experienced much trouble, go figure.)

I took it to the Apple Store in NY and one of the tech guys proclaimed the logic board to be dead. No good. He claimed that it was busted because the computer no longer recognizes the correct amount of RAM in the lower slot. [It reads the RAM as half the amount of what it really is.]

So, I called Apple and set up a pickup so I can have my logic board replaced... I'm expecting a DHL box this week.

Now, tonight... I removed the 1GB stick of Crucial RAM that I had installed, and re-installed the other 256MB stick in the machine.

I restarted, and System Profiler reads the correct amount of RAM.

What gives?

Am I suffering from a fried logic board, or is my Crucial RAM defective?


This issue is so thoroughly confusing me...
 
as the creator of this thread, i am happy to say that i finally sent in my powerbook last week to get the logic board replaced. i think i have found a buyer for my powerbook and i told them i would get the logic board replaced before we conduct the transaction.
 
ape said:
I have no idea what is wrong now, check this out:

http://www.aqua-soft.org/board/showthread.php?t=28424&page=2

My PowerBook is now reading the correct amount of 1GB Crucial RAM in the lower slot.

I ran Hardware Test with both the two original 256MB sticks and one 256MB + 1GB Crucial installed, and everything passed.

So confused.
Click to expand...


Something's obviously rotten in Denmark but hopefully it's not serious. Could be that the Crucial stick got dis-lodged or something. Just keep an eye on it.

My 5 month old PB has just had a new logic board. I'm keeping an eye on 'about this mac'!
 
i am happy to say i received my powerbook today. all is well.
 
I'm really disappointed

This whole lower slot thing is killing me. It sets in motion a whole host of problems even though I'm still under warantee. Every Apple phone tech I've talked to says they've never heard of this problem, which has caused a lot of yelling on my part, and they are refusing to fix it because the RAM is 3rd party. Now I'm stuck with a non-expandable computer with a useless warantee. So if I DO want to fix it, I have to pay for it, and buy a 1G chip to put in the upper slot so it can run everything it's supposed to do in the first place. I have been loyal to Apple for years, but their denial of this obvious widespread problem is pretty dispicable. Between the iPod batteries, the iBook issues, the Nano screens and now this??? Apple is hardly the innovative, inspirational product line it once was. Although they are still as expensive as ever, aren't they?
 
missbhavens said:
This whole lower slot thing is killing me. It sets in motion a whole host of problems even though I'm still under warantee. Every Apple phone tech I've talked to says they've never heard of this problem, which has caused a lot of yelling on my part, and they are refusing to fix it because the RAM is 3rd party. Now I'm stuck with a non-expandable computer with a useless warantee. So if I DO want to fix it, I have to pay for it, and buy a 1G chip to put in the upper slot so it can run everything it's supposed to do in the first place. I have been loyal to Apple for years, but their denial of this obvious widespread problem is pretty dispicable. Between the iPod batteries, the iBook issues, the Nano screens and now this??? Apple is hardly the innovative, inspirational product line it once was. Although they are still as expensive as ever, aren't they?
Click to expand...

i don't see how they could refuse to replace your logic board, if that's what the problem is, especially if your powerbook is still under warranty? ram is a user replaceable part. it's not like you voided the warranty by putting a stick of ram in there. i would suggest you call apple corporate and ask to speak with customer relations. and please, try to refrain from yelling. it will only make things worse... :eek:
 
Me too

15" 1.5GHZ, 1gb Ram, 128vram
lower mem slot failure last week.

ARG my system just suffered this problem too! My RAM was cut in half.
Tiger was suddenly running very slowly, and upon running xbench it reported only 512mb of RAM installed. :eek: This is SO annoying... I gotta back everything up, send the computer over to Apple, and wait a week or so while they fix the only computer I own. Luckily I am still covered by the warentee! If I had to pay for this B.S. problem to be fixed I would be foaming at the mouth about now.

Time for apple to start a program similar to the iBook logic board replacement program, which I also had the displeasure of using. my last mac (iBook g3 700mhz) had a defect as well and would break about every 3 months. Why I do continue to buy apple products? :mad:
 
tekmoe said:
i don't see how they could refuse to replace your logic board, if that's what the problem is, especially if your powerbook is still under warranty? ram is a user replaceable part. it's not like you voided the warranty by putting a stick of ram in there. i would suggest you call apple corporate and ask to speak with customer relations. and please, try to refrain from yelling. it will only make things worse... :eek:
Click to expand...

Oh, I know. But after being bumped around and put on perma-hold, and being told "too bad, lady" one gets testy. They are claiming that I HAVE violated my warantee by not only putting RAM in there, but also opening it up the back to move RAM around to see what the deal was. Now it's all on a new case number with all the details and I can't very well pretend I didn't do it. But if you are telling me to seek a higher customer service authority, I certainly will. They also have mangled the paper trail of this problem beyond recognition (I bought the computer and the Apple Care was transferred to me). Apparantly SOME kind of hardware has been replaced on this machine (logic board? Hard Drive? No one seems to know) and Apple has no record of it, even though the kid who sold it to me gave me the care number. The whole phone service from Apple has been dismal. But I will try again in a calmer fashion!
 
This bottom ram slot problem is so common its sick. Luckily I have not experienced this yet. Looks like its the 1.5ghz powerbooks getting this. Anyone with a 1.67ghz have this problem yet?
 
missbhavens said:
...They also have mangled the paper trail of this problem beyond recognition (I bought the computer and the Apple Care was transferred to me). Apparantly SOME kind of hardware has been replaced on this machine (logic board? Hard Drive? No one seems to know) and Apple has no record of it, even though the kid who sold it to me gave me the care number. The whole phone service from Apple has been dismal. But I will try again in a calmer fashion!
Click to expand...
You bought your machine used, with a transfer of Applecare? unfortunately you are going to run into more roadblocks that way.
You can't void your warranty by replacing RAM. In fact, you can't void your warranty by taking the back off it, unless Apple can prove that you did damage by doing so.
BUT - if the previous owner monkeyed with the hardware before you got it, and did some damage or replaced non-user installable parts, that might be a problem.
 
CanadaRAM said:
You bought your machine used, with a transfer of Applecare? unfortunately you are going to run into more roadblocks that way.
You can't void your warranty by replacing RAM. In fact, you can't void your warranty by taking the back off it, unless Apple can prove that you did damage by doing so.
BUT - if the previous owner monkeyed with the hardware before you got it, and did some damage or replaced non-user installable parts, that might be a problem.
Click to expand...


Well, I'm glad to hear about the "voiding" issue. I get a different story every time I talk to them. The previous owner had problems with 10.4 software, and had sent it in at Apple's behest, and Apple replaced the hard drive because it couldn't solve the software troubles (although, since they have crappy records of this, it may have been the logic board) came back with small dents above the keyboard and on the lid, which the kid called them on, and opened another case #. I bought it from him knowing this, knowing that APple had offered for him to mail it back and have THAT fixed ,too, but couldn't spend two weeks without it so didn't bother. I could care less about a dent, so I was basically biding my time till something bigger warranted a trip to the repair shop. So when this happened (first no start- up happy mac noise then disappearing RAM) I called, started "RAMgate", and inquired about the dent etc. That's when things got confusing. That case number is tied to the original software issue, and somehow the dent, but the phone guy couldn't stitch together the whole story based on the notes in his computer about the different repairs. The whole thing is too frustrating. Now, if I want to try and fix this, I have to throw in the cost of a back up hard drive large enough to copy everything because I'm worried about taking to the Apple Store (a whole other pain) it in and losing it all. It just makes me really sad.
 
Class Action - Lower ram slot failed

Your not alone.

Apple are behaving terribly on this issue.

I have been through 3 logic boards this year. My powerbook has spent over 4 months in service being repaired.

I have tried every way to contact Apple Australia via phone, emails, faxes, writing letters they just ignore me. Taking it to an Apple center just get the response its going to cost me $1200 to fix it. I know now 3 times that it will not be fixed.

i am out of warrantee and its still broken and not of my doing. I believe it was the upgrade to 10.4 others have a different view of the reason. Suffice to say it a design flaw.

There is a class action and i urge you to submit you details to the firm handling the issue.


Class Action against Apple.

US Law firm Wolf Popper LLP have just issued a class action against Apple Inc. for all of us who have this problem and Apple refuses to help and acknowledge there is a problem at all.

In August 2005, we filed a class action complaint against Apple Computer, Inc. on behalf of all purchasers of Apple PowerBook G4 laptops alleging defects with the lower memory slot. In October 2005, defendant answered the complaint. There is an initial pretrial hearing scheduled with the Court on January 13, 2006. Prior to that, there is a meet and confer between the attorneys for the parties to discuss scheduling of discovery and other matters.

People with this lower ram slot problem need to register with them and list the specific extent of the problem they are having.

Got to: http://lowermemoryslot.editkid.com/ and follow the links!

This is what we have been all waiting for! Viva the revolution!
 
I have had the bad RAM slot problem for months and have been wiating to hear that someobody has had a permanent fix before i send it in. It's really frustrating and I am considering trying to get apple to upgrade my machine as I know they have done for one or two people over on the Appleinsider boards.

If anyone has any luck, keep posting.
 
My 15" PB (1.25 GHz with 1.5 GB RAM) running 10.3.9 is working flawlessly. I added OWC's Samsung RAM (1 GB + 512 MB) after taking about Apple's OEM RAMS from both slots. I did this about more than a year ago and I have not experienced any problem with my machine. Maybe this is a 15"/1.5 GB thing?
 
YS2003 said:
My 15" PB (1.25 GHz with 1.5 GB RAM) running 10.3.9 is working flawlessly. I added OWC's Samsung RAM (1 GB + 512 MB) after taking about Apple's OEM RAMS from both slots. I did this about more than a year ago and I have not experienced any problem with my machine. Maybe this is a 15"/1.5 GB thing?
Click to expand...


Nope, mine is a 1.67 and the logic board has gone twice now. It's a design flaw, pure and simple. Also a thing to note, is that when it went last time, I made sure I put the Apple supplied RAM in the lower slot. It still blew. Crap engineering and Apple are acting very poorly for not recognizing it.

I'm taking mine in to the store again to see what they can do with it.
 
coachingguy said:
Wow, after reading of everyone else's issue's it's nice to know I'm not alone. I was working on my PB (15.2, 1.5Ghz, 80hd, 1.25ram,SD, OS X.4.2) two weeks ago today, when it went out on me. I couldn't even get it to boot. I called Apple the following Monday, they said I needed to verify my Date of Purchase. I purchased this machine new the end of June from Tech For Less for over $200 less than Apple was selling it Refurb. The D.O.P. Apple had was when Tech For Less bought it. I even registered it online the day I got it... Anyhow, I fax in the invoice from both Tech For Less and UPS establishing purchase and delivery last Monday(the 19th). I wait 2 days and call back, repeat my story verbatim, the tech guy starts the RMA process and then comes back on saying they have not verified my D.O.P.. Thursday night I try to turn on the PB again VIOLA! It starts right up like nothing was wrong (I did reset the RAM in the slots). The PB ran great til Monday afternoon, then it crashed again and all I could get was the Blue Screen once in awhile and the Beeps. So I call Apple again, repeat story again even with the case # the new people always want to verify your story. I'm told again they have not verified D.O.P. But the tech guy says he'll personally look into it and call me back. Nobody calls me back, I call back on Tuesday. Same story we're looking into it - we'll call you back. Of course every time I'm on the line they want me to go through the basics IE: reset Pram, safe boot etc... One woman put me on hold for almost 20 minutes and then I was disconnected. I call back yesterday, repeat, repeat finally I ask the guy, should I just re-fax the info. He thinks that would be a good idea. I get all the information together again, write a terse cover letter and send it in. I call back today to verify, yada, yada, yada wait nearly 20 minutes...Finally they have found yesterday's fax, but it will take 5-7 days to process the Date of Purchase. I get firm with the guy, "This is the 2nd time I've faxed it in, you guys lost the first one from nearly two weeks ago, meanwhile I'm unable to work on my machine for 2 weeks - you must expedite this!" He tells me they can't, that that dept (D.O.P.) processes them as they get them and that I should call back next Weds or Thursday to begin to RMA... In the end, they will fix it, lower ram slot, logic board etc... but I'll be without my PB for about a month! Good thing I still have my trusty iBook!
Click to expand...

Paragraphs are our friends.

But as to the issue, if I had a 15" Powerbook, NO WAY IN HECK would I put in Crucial or KVR (Kingston Value Ram) or even Infineon or any other brand but SAMSUNG.

Why? Because this is the ram Apple uses OEM. I don't think it's Apple's BAD manufacturing -- I think it is Apple high standards in their ram slot.

Case in point -- I bought some very cheap Infineon ram chips for two iBooks last month.

They were the right speed, the right size, everything -- but guess what?

They didn't even fit into the slot on the 'books. The owner of the company, who only deals with wholesale ram, said that he can't warranty ram on Apple products because their standards are so stringent.

I lost money on shipping back to him and learned a lesson: Samsung.
 
AlBDamned said:
Nope, mine is a 1.67 and the logic board has gone twice now. It's a design flaw, pure and simple. Also a thing to note, is that when it went last time, I made sure I put the Apple supplied RAM in the lower slot. It still blew. Crap engineering and Apple are acting very poorly for not recognizing it.

I'm taking mine in to the store again to see what they can do with it.
Click to expand...

I'm amending my previous post because of what you wrote here AlBDamned.

What kind of "Apple supplied ram" was it?
 
California said:
I'm amending my previous post because of what you wrote here AlBDamned.

What kind of "Apple supplied ram" was it?
Click to expand...

The RAM that was in the lower slot when it blew this time around was the Samsung 512MB stick supplied with the PowerBook. So that sort of blows your theory I'm afraid, California (though I sincerely wish it was just a case of cheap RAM doing it, it would be simple to fix...).

There is a design flaw that causes the logic boards to bug out. Pure and simple. It happens too frequently and too often to the same machines after they've been fixed already.
 
California said:
Paragraphs are our friends.
But as to the issue, if I had a 15" Powerbook, NO WAY IN HECK would I put in Crucial or KVR (Kingston Value Ram) or even Infineon or any other brand but SAMSUNG.
Why? Because this is the ram Apple uses OEM. I don't think it's Apple's BAD manufacturing -- I think it is Apple high standards in their ram slot.
Click to expand...

Umm.... There is ample evidence here and elsewhere that the lower slot problem is present on Apple genuine Samsung modules. Of course if you use out of spec RAM (of ANY brand) it won't work right. But there are reputable suppliers of Infineon, Siemens, Transcend and Samsung modules that are tested and compatible. The issue is with the logic board and SEEMS to be triggered by a firmware upgrade associated with 10.3.9 or 1o.4

Had a customer in today with a 15" 1.25 with a lower slot defective... 2 x Apple Samsung original 256's Out of warranty - it's gonna be a problem.
 
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