Possible Boot ROM firmware issue

[eldudorinio]

I have a late 2008 alumunium Macbook 2.4GHz, upgraded to 4GB RAM, running Snow Leopard 10.6.2

Due to a kernel panic earlier today I went through the websites shown in this thread:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/849569/

As I was doing some of the procedures, I came across a website about EFI and SMC firmware updates for Intel-based Macs shown below:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1237

According to that website the Boot ROM Version on my late 2008 Aluminium Macbook, should be MB52.008E.B05 .
Instead it is MB51.007D.B03

If I understand correctly, the support website probably has a typo, because my Macbook is coded Macbook 5,1 and not 5,2.

Also on this website:

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL974

it says MacBook5,1 will update to MB51.007D.003, which is still not the number I have in the System Profiler. Of course the above website has Mac OS X 10.5.7 as a requirement, so I'm not sure if the number changes in Snow Leopard.

If anyone knows something about this, it would be much appreciated. I just want to know if the Boot ROM Version in my System Profiler is ok, or if something is wrong.

Thank you

 

[lbodnar]

I have 2.0GHz 13" MacBook5,1 and it has exactly the same BootROM version as yours. It runs 10.6.2 and have all the updates installed.

Suspect your RAM! This is most probable reason. If you can reliably force kernel panic by stressing your RAM/CPU then start swapping the RAM modules in and out and see if one is flaky.

 

[eldudorinio]

Thanks. Then I suppose I should start looking elsewhere. The kernel panic occurred when I opened the screen to wake the Macbook from sleep. The only applications that were open were Adium and Skype. I already uninstalled and re-installed both apps, removing all .plist files.
Also did a Startup disk repair with the Snow Leopard install disk, repaired disk permissions and reset PRAM.

Will probably do a RAM test as well just in case.

 

[lbodnar]

Will probably do a RAM test as well just in case.

You need to do a variety of tests to get RAM to fail. It depends on its chips temperature, RAM access pattern, etc. Google Macs stress testing and throw anything you find at it. Simple RAM test is not enough. Just a few days ago I have found a bad RAM module in my old PowerBook G4. It has been in use for 4 years and I could not figure out why it panicked once every few month and this got really bad after upgrade to Leopard. I had to install one module at a time to make sure I nail the sucker. Having replaced the bad module it is now steady as rock.