Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Mac Pro unexpectedly shutting down

D

Dale Gribble

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 31, 2009
16
0
Morning all, I have a refurb 2008 model Mac Pro, 2.8gHz quad that I bought only in January, and ever since it keeps crashing.

I'll just be doing day to day tasks which don't strain the computer in any way, and the screen will darken and a message will pop up saying something to the effect of "You Mac Pro must be restarted, please hold down the power button for 5 seconds".

This was an annoyance before but I just lost a couple of hours of Pro Tools work so now I'm really angry at it, I never have these problems with my Macbook Pro so I know its not a normal thing.

The error report says this:

Wed Mar 18 17:54:29 2009
panic(cpu 2 caller 0x001A9C68): Kernel trap at 0x003a2497, type 14=page fault, registers:
CR0: 0x8001003b, CR2: 0x00000000, CR3: 0x01027000, CR4: 0x00000660
EAX: 0x000005ac, EBX: 0x00000002, ECX: 0x31257c00, EDX: 0x000005ac
CR2: 0x00000000, EBP: 0x407df968, ESI: 0x00000000, EDI: 0x31253100
EFL: 0x00010206, EIP: 0x003a2497, CS: 0x00000008, DS: 0x06460010
Error code: 0x00000000

Backtrace (CPU 2), Frame : Return Address (4 potential args on stack)
0x407df718 : 0x12b4f3 (0x45b13c 0x407df74c 0x1335e4 0x0)
0x407df768 : 0x1a9c68 (0x464700 0x3a2497 0xe 0x463eb0)
0x407df848 : 0x1a038d (0x407df860 0x407df8b4 0x407df968 0x3a2497)
0x407df858 : 0x3a2497 (0xe 0x299e0048 0x407d0010 0x10)
0x407df968 : 0x24984c (0x31253100 0x5ac 0x5ac 0x1)
0x407dfa98 : 0x24724b (0x477a66c 0x407dfc38 0x539a0885 0x4301a8c0)
0x407dfc78 : 0x23bdc5 (0x31326900 0x14 0x407dfca8 0x47e2546c)
0x407dfcb8 : 0x23db47 (0x31326900 0x14 0x6 0x0)
0x407dfdd8 : 0x23db83 (0x31326900 0x0 0x407dfe48 0x136c00)
0x407dfdf8 : 0x229b3e (0x2 0x31326900 0x3c8ff1c 0x0)
0x407dfe38 : 0x218b47 (0x2 0x31326900 0x407dfe88 0x136e13)
0x407dfec8 : 0x215202 (0x41a6004 0x2 0x31326900 0x3eabf2)
0x407dfef8 : 0x21595b (0x52ad64 0x44120c8 0x31326934 0x407dff4c)
0x407dff68 : 0x215bb9 (0x0 0x31326900 0x0 0x433d4ac)
0x407dffc8 : 0x1a017c (0x433d484 0x0 0x1a30b5 0x3d683c8)
Backtrace terminated-invalid frame pointer 0

BSD process name corresponding to current thread: kernel_task

Mac OS version:
9G55

Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 9.6.0: Mon Nov 24 17:37:00 PST 2008; root:xnu-1228.9.59~1/RELEASE_I386
System model name: MacPro3,1 (Mac-F42C88C8)


Anyone have any ideas on how to fix it? I would prefer to sort it myself as I can't drive and getting a 30kg Mac Pro into town on a bus is something I'd prefer not to do.
 
You bought it January '09, I take it? Refurbs have the same warranty as new, so long as they go through all the proper Apple channels. Send it back. I know it's a hassle, but you never know what was wrong with a refurb in the first place. My last Mac was a refurb. It crashed within an hour and was dead within 48 hours. I sent it back and was sent another. It purred like a kitten for about 3 1/2 - 4 years, then the logic board went. I can't say this will happen to you, but after my own experience, I will no longer buy refurbs.

Sorry you are having this experience. Good luck.
 
Dale Gribble said:
I'll just be doing day to day tasks which don't strain the computer in any way, and the screen will darken and a message will pop up saying something to the effect of "You Mac Pro must be restarted, please hold down the power button for 5 seconds".
Click to expand...

Thats a Kernel panic. That is usually related to a hardware problem.

If you look at my sig you'll notice I have an X-Dual 1.8. About 8 months ago my computer could be sitting idling on the desktop not even doing anything and I would get the same message you did (after to fans reved up and the computer was frozen for about 30 sec). When I would restart it, it would run fin for hours until I noticed it only said 1X1.8 in the "about this computer" menu. I reset the PRAM, which brought back the processor, but then it would freeze again every single time within minutes. After each restart it would run fin with 1 processor. Brought it in, determined it was a bad processor and told it would be about $800CAD to replace it. I just had him remove it and it's sitting in a box now. Been working fine for 8 months (though now I know how right I was to buy the dual and not the single back in 04).

Who knows what your problem could be. Maybe procs or mother board. Maybe you have bad ram. Take it in to an apple store or authorized retailer and have them diagnose it. You should still have your warranty on it.
 
Bastard, I was hoping it was something simple like the RAM not being seated properly. Anyone else have any suggestions? If not I'll have to give Apple a call and hope they can arrange pickup.
 
Have you run Apple hardware test yet? Could be a problem with one of the memory modules. Do you have any 3rd party ram in your mac pro? If so remove it. If Apple hardware test shows a problem. With the ram or graphics card. You could just have Apple send you a new one and change it your self.

Word of advise when you call Apple. Start off buy telling them, You already did a erase and reinstall. They will probably want you to do this, first. I can assure you that this is a problem with hardware. Good Luck.
 
How would I do this hardware test? Sounds like a plan. No 3rd party RAM, hardware wise it's exactly as Apple delivered it.

Thanks for the tip about phoning them, doing a format would be an amazing pain at the moment.
 
Dale Gribble said:
How would I do this hardware test? Sounds like a plan. No 3rd party RAM, hardware wise it's exactly as Apple delivered it.

Thanks for the tip about phoning them, doing a format would be an amazing pain at the moment.
Click to expand...

I would still run a hardware test.
 
Ran the hardware test today, and the extended hardware test, and it said no problems.

This is irritating.
 
Getting a refurbished Mac means that it was returned once already, and despite best efforts, the original problem may have never been fixed. I mean, how many times have you had your car or something else act up on you, only to take it for repair and be told they couldn't do anything because it didn't act up for them. :( Or, what they fixed may not have been the actual problem.

Seriously, take advantage of the warranty and get it replaced. And tell them you want it replaced, not repaired, as it has already been repaired once. Taking it back is nowhere near the aggravation of having it die after the warranty runs out. Take my word for it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back