random lockups

[brendon2020]

I've got the original 2.66 dual mac pro and for the longest time the mac would randomly lock. It would be on for a couple of days and just lock, sometimes it would be a few weeks. I checked the console and did not see anything as to why, just that the logs stopped.

I started by taking out drives (have 3 drives) which did nothing, then i started with the ram. I've got 2gigs of apple ram (4x512s) and 2x2gb of non apple ram. I first removed a gig of the apple ram (2x512) and noticed from multiple weeks it doubled the time i would see lock ups (could be a coincidence). I finally removed the last 2 sticks of apple ram and my machine hasn't locked up since.

I haven't tried just the apple ram, so i'm wondering if this is a common thing? I've been buying ram from this company (forgot the name) for all of my macs and never had any issues. Is it better to not mix brands when it comes to memory.

I also have a mac pro at work (2.8, penryn) also with apple ram and the 4gigs of ram from this vendor and no issues what so ever.

 

[brop52]

The RAM might have something to do with it. A PRAM reset might be in order. Hold command-option-p-r at startup until it chimes twice and let go. As for the correct configurations for Mac Pro RAM I'm going to defer to someone else. I know there is a certain order to it.

The other thing you can do is run the Apple Hardware test buy holding down d at startup with your install disk and running the extended test on a loop.

 

[cmaier]

I find it weird that you removed the apple RAM, and not the non-Apple RAM. I would have removed anything I, myself, added (i.e.: non-Apple RAM).

i still think you should swap back in the apple ram and remove the 3rd party ram, and see what happens. It could be that all of the RAM is fine, but that mixing the two types is causing the problem.

 

[milk242]

That is how you install ram
http://eshop.macsales.com/how_to_install/Apple/Mac_Pro_Memory_800Mhz_2008

And yea, its usually not advised to mix different brands, especially if you want max performance out of them.

 

[Dr.Pants]

Well, you never know. The OP could have gotten a bad stick of Apple RAM. Statistically, it has to exist

Although yes, I would have thought that a third-party addition would be the cause of the problem, too, but I wouldn't rule anything out, Apple or not. Paranoid? Yes, but effective.