Possible to view POST Error Log?

[pl1984]

This morning I decided to run the Apple Service Diagnostics on my 17" PowerBook. In order to power on the system I had to first reset the power manager using the "shift-control-option-power" key combination (though it looks as if only the power key might be necessary). This resets the date and time (a problem I've been having with the system).

Upon starting ASD it stated POST detected an error but there was no additional information provided (such as what the error was). Is there a means to read the POST errors? If so what is the procedure to do so?

Previous runs of ASD revealed no issues with the system so this POST error code might be what I'm after in tracking down the boot issue.

 

[eyoungren]

This morning I decided to run the Apple Service Diagnostics on my 17" PowerBook. In order to power on the system I had to first reset the power manager using the "shift-control-option-power" key combination (though it looks as if only the power key might be necessary). This resets the date and time (a problem I've been having with the system).

Upon starting ASD it stated POST detected an error but there was no additional information provided (such as what the error was). Is there a means to read the POST errors? If so what is the procedure to do so?

Previous runs of ASD revealed no issues with the system so this POST error code might be what I'm after in tracking down the boot issue.

I would bet that is a cache error.

Do you have the 1.0Ghz model?

Open up Apple System Profiler and look under Diagnostics. If there is a cache failure it will tell you there.

Cache failure seem to be common among the early 17s.

What is cache failure? That's the onboard CPU L2 (or L3) cache. If there is a failure there, it means you no longer have that cache.

It's entirely possible to keep using the Mac. I used one of my old 17s with this failure for at least five years after I bought it on eBay. The system will just run a little slower.

Which is probably why you decided to use ASD.

 

[pl1984]

I would bet that is a cache error.

Do you have the 1.0Ghz model?

Open up Apple System Profiler and look under Diagnostics. If there is a cache failure it will tell you there.

Cache failure seem to be common among the early 17s.

What is cache failure? That's the onboard CPU L2 (or L3) cache. If there is a failure there, it means you no longer have that cache.

It's entirely possible to keep using the Mac. I used one of my old 17s with this failure for at least five years after I bought it on eBay. The system will just run a little slower.

Which is probably why you decided to use ASD.

It's a 1.5GHz model. Aside from the booting issue (i.e. I am unable to get it to boot unless I leave it unplugged and the main battery [which I do not have so this is supposition] or reset the power manager) everything appears to work fine.

I pull up the SP diagnostics in a few hours. Right now I'm running ASD for a few hours to see if anything pops up (previous tests reveal no errors so I thought I'd do a "burn in")

 

[pl1984]

Thanks for the advice Eric. It turned out to be a DIMM which needed to be properly seated. Oddly eight hours worth of testing with ASD did not detect the issue (though I suspect the system disabled it and therefore the ASD testing didn't know to test it).

Unfortunately it didn't address the startup issue I am experiencing.