Menu bar with missing pixels

[NYhoosier]

Over the last 2 weeks, I've been traveling some and when gone, my new retina iMac gets shutdown. Upon startup, the menu bar looks as though it doesn't fully load, but it's easily corrected if you drag the cursor over it.

Have you seen this before or know the cause? Is it Yosemite? Graphics card? Bad RAM (upgraded with crucial)?

machine details: i5, 295x, 256 SSD, upgraded with 16gb crucial in addition to the stock 8gb (total 24gb). I ran the diagnostics at startup and no problems were detected.

I'm not overly worried about it but I would like to understand what's causing it.

thanks for help and knowledge

 

[sharon22]

My hunch is that it is a hardware issue.

I just found out, yesterday from another member, that there exists an "Apple Hardware Test." I googled it for you:
http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201257

You might run it.

If it's not a hardware issue (like a problem with the GPU graphics processor), it may be a "software issue."

When I say "software issue," that could mean either you have a corruption in your software, or, the software you already have installed needs to be updated (Apple provides updates/tweaks at intervals).

Therefore, I would make sure everything is up to date (run Software Update), and also make sure everything is "fixed" as best you can, e.g. boot up from your recovery partition and run Disk Utility's "Repair Disk," and, repair permissions, reset PRAM, all that good stuff.

And, finally, I would suggest that you go into System Preferences and create a New User. Log yourself out, and then log back in as the New User, and see if the problem persists. Doing this is one of the ways to help determine if it is a "software" issue.

After typing all of this, I have a new "gut reaction." Here's what I think:

It's probably a software glitch. If enough people have this same problem and report it, there will probably be a "fix" for it in the next Software Update. I would, though, make sure it wasn't a hardware issue.

 

[NYhoosier]

Thank you for the quick reply and help.

The diagnostic test is the one I ran earlier. After running it 2 times, the results were the same: ADP000.

My initial reaction is that it's software related - as no other issues appear when using it for hours at a time.

The only reason I consider the RAM might be possible is when booting up prior to the addition of the 16gb, I got to enjoy the full duration of the boot-up progress bar and apple logo. After upgrading to 24gb, the progress bar starts and progresses some but then the screen goes black (both progress bar and apple disappear). As soon as screen goes to black, the cursor appears with nothing else on screen. Then there's one last brief check-in of the apple logo and progress bar (progress bar fully filled in) before the desktop comes up. It might be coincidental if it's corrupt software, but it only started to see it after adding the extra ram.

 

[sharon22]

Everything is probably okay.. but that RAM symptom would annoy me.

Also, what I would do is fire up "Console" (located in Applications/Utilities), and click on the ALL system messages button, and read through that, particularly at the exact boot-sequences time where the screen goes black.

It would be interested to figure out what's happening.

 

[redheeler]

The only reason I consider the RAM might be possible is when booting up prior to the addition of the 16gb, I got to enjoy the full duration of the boot-up progress bar and apple logo. After upgrading to 24gb, the progress bar starts and progresses some but then the screen goes black (both progress bar and apple disappear). As soon as screen goes to black, the cursor appears with nothing else on screen. Then there's one last brief check-in of the apple logo and progress bar (progress bar fully filled in) before the desktop comes up. It might be coincidental if it's corrupt software, but it only started to see it after adding the extra ram.

Mine does that as well and it's normal, most likely having to do with how Yosemite handles the extra RAM.

As for the menu bar problem, try booting from a clean install of Yosemite and seeing if the problem persists. I haven't heard of this happening on other Retina iMacs and certainly not on mine.

 

[Thermonuclear]

Odds 99 to 1 it's a hardware problem.

Swap out the third party RAM and re-install only the factory chips.

 

[NYhoosier]

Thanks everyone for the help.

I'm going to give it a few more days before calling it fixed, but I think the culprit is 1password. On 11/5 1password was updated - coincidently 1 day after the additional memory was installed. Looking at the event log in console (thanks sharon22 for the suggestion), the only non-Apple event loading was 1password mini. After disabling it, the problem has not reoccurred.

Hopefully it is this simple...

thanks again all, much appreciated.

 

[sharon22]

Please definitely post back (if you have the time), if this fixes the issue. That way if others have the same problem, there will be something for them to try.

Good luck! (And, you're welcome! for the Thank You you gave me!).

 

[WilliamG]

Thanks everyone for the help.

I'm going to give it a few more days before calling it fixed, but I think the culprit is 1password. On 11/5 1password was updated - coincidently 1 day after the additional memory was installed. Looking at the event log in console (thanks sharon22 for the suggestion), the only non-Apple event loading was 1password mini. After disabling it, the problem has not reoccurred.

Hopefully it is this simple...

thanks again all, much appreciated.

I'm using 1Password, and haven't had this issue, but 1Password mini has been disabled since day 1, since I don't like it..