iMac 7,1 Crashing Constantly

[Category3]

Hi there!

I've tried fixing it myself, and gave up. I've recently purchased an iMac mid-2007 20" running with 4GB of RAM. I first started it up and went into Safari. The HD was already cleaned by the seller. About 15 seconds later, after staring at Apple.com, the machine froze. I was still able to move the mouse. Everything else was frozen. I force shut down and rebooted the computer. After about 2 weeks of setting up everything (the machine freezing about every hour of using it), I'd had enough and restored my machine to factory settings. And, to my surprise, the random freezing had continued.

I wouldn't be this upset if I didn't use this iMac for programming projects, but I do. Luckily I save before I compile, but the random freezing isn't necessarily convenient. I just ran the Apple Hardware Test (using the OS X 10.4.10 install discs; currently running OS X 10.7.4) and it returned "No Problems".

Please help!

Thanks,
Jacob

 

[Intell]

Sounds like your iMac has the GPU crash bug: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1262891/

 

[Dadioh]

Hi there!

I've tried fixing it myself, and gave up. I've recently purchased an iMac mid-2007 20" running with 4GB of RAM. I first started it up and went into Safari. The HD was already cleaned by the seller. About 15 seconds later, after staring at Apple.com, the machine froze. I was still able to move the mouse. Everything else was frozen. I force shut down and rebooted the computer. After about 2 weeks of setting up everything (the machine freezing about every hour of using it), I'd had enough and restored my machine to factory settings. And, to my surprise, the random freezing had continued.

I wouldn't be this upset if I didn't use this iMac for programming projects, but I do. Luckily I save before I compile, but the random freezing isn't necessarily convenient. I just ran the Apple Hardware Test (using the OS X 10.4.10 install discs; currently running OS X 10.7.4) and it returned "No Problems".

Please help!

Thanks,
Jacob

Sounds like memory. I would try removing 1 stick of memory and seeing if it continues. Then swap the other stick and see if the issue goes away.

Although you would expect AHT to pick up bad memory. I use memtest as a burn in tool to check memory.

The other possibility would be potential power supply failing and running right on the edge. But that would require a new power supply and opening the iMac to test the theory...

 

[Intell]

It isn't memory. It's a buggy driver for the ATI 2400/2600 card that was introduced with 10.6.7 and mostly fixed un 10.7.4, but some people still have it on 10.7.4.

 

[Dadioh]

It isn't memory. It's a buggy driver for the ATI 2400/2600 card that was introduced with 10.6.7 and mostly fixed un 10.7.4, but some people still have it on 10.7.4.

Interesting. I just read the other thread. Learn something new every day

 

[Category3]

OK. Thanks for the information.

I'm just an iOS developer, so I do not have access to 10.7.5 or 10.8. Has Apple fixed this issue in any of the releases?