How To Diagnose a Crash/Freeze

[vlug]

Hi All,

My system Freezes from time to time. Sometimes it has 3 very loud beeps other times not.

I understand from googling that 3 beeps means its probably RAM? even so. Can someone educate me on how or where to check system logs confirm this?

Whenever I have a Crash/Freeze I normally check Console Logs but I never know what I'm looking for specifically.

Is it System Diagnostic Reports or User Diagnostic Reports or just All Messages?

There is so much info there none of it stands out as specific information to a Crash. Is there a way to delete the console logs to see whats current to narrow it down? the Date/Time or crashes dont seem to correspond with System and User Diagnostic reports.

Due to a freeze is the Mac even having time to record logs on a full crash/freeze?

On Windows you'd get a BSOD and you'd log the Error Codes is there some debug mode or option to enable to have a similar screen on crash?

Any help appreciated please.

 

[Weaselboy]

Open Finder the click the Go menu then Go to Folder... then paste in the path below and enter. There should be a crash log there listed by date/time of the crash.

~/Library/Logs/CrashReporter

Like you said, three beeps is bad RAM.

You might try running the Apple Hardware Test to see what that shows.

 

[vlug]

Thanks for responding. The Logs folder you suggested is empty?

Apart from a sub-folder with mobile devices in it.

The AHT test on my MBP doesn't seem to work, no matter what I try keyboard shortcut wise from that guide. I'm sure I tried a different way with an Apple tech support guy on a GPU issue sometime ago.

Would bad ram generate a crashreport? Seems strange it's empty when I've had literally tens of crashes.

 

[Weaselboy]

Thanks for responding. The Logs folder you suggested is empty?

Apart from a sub-folder with mobile devices in it.

The AHT test on my MBP doesn't seem to work, no matter what I try keyboard shortcut wise from that guide. I'm sure I tried a different way with an Apple tech support guy on a GPU issue sometime ago.

Would bad ram generate a crashreport? Seems strange it's empty when I've had literally tens of crashes.

Also try this folder. Yes, there should be a crash report.

/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports

There are different ways to run AHT depending on how old your Mac is. Some older models ran it from the second grey installer DVD.

 

[vlug]

Also try this folder. Yes, there should be a crash report.

/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports

There are different ways to run AHT depending on how old your Mac is. Some older models ran it from the second grey installer DVD.

Only 4 Crash Reports in there, no where near the amount of crashes ive had over the weeks/months and they all seem to be due to my Logitech Mouse drivers.

Do those reports in there actually refer to a System Crash/Freeze or would this mean the application Logitech Control Center just crashed not the actual computer?

Once again, I appreciate you responding

 

[Weaselboy]

Only 4 Crash Reports in there, no where near the amount of crashes ive had over the weeks/months and they all seem to be due to my Logitech Mouse drivers.

Do those reports in there actually refer to a System Crash/Freeze or would this mean the application Logitech Control Center just crashed not the actual computer?

Once again, I appreciate you responding

It can be either a system crash or just an app or driver crash like the LCC you mentioned.

I suppose if you have bad memory and things just abruptly stop, it could happen with no log created.

 

[vlug]

I have new memory on order from Crucial so will replace and see what happens, but at least I know where the crash logs are stored now so thanks for that.

See how it goes when the new memory is installed I guess.

Cheers