USB Devices hard freeze/lock-up 2011 iMac

[ZMacintosh]

2011 iMac 3.4Ghz i7 SSD+2TB 2GB AMD 16GB Corsair RAM

I noticed I was experiencing random lock-ups and freezes during the first few weeks of owning the iMac.
I went down the line of changes I made to the system.
RAM Upgrade, software installs.
I went with a bare OS, stock memory, still experiencing lock-ups.
added everything back, still experiencing lock-ups.

kept everything unplugged for two weeks, played itunes movies in quicktime on loops (10 total, 5 form the ssd and 5 from the hdd) to see if one or the other would crash the system. Two weeks straight no crash.
Plugged my iPhone in to sync and update, after a few hours over 8hours) i came back to the system froze & locked. no mouse movement or keyboard input (caps lock key wont turn on and the seconds in the top clock were stuck).

hard restarted, left it run for a week nothing, plugged in my apple wired keyboard, the next day hard freeze/lock-up.
this was repeated with each usb port, within a few hours to a few days the system lock-up freeze with any usb devices plugged in.
it would not do this with FIreWire devices or audio cable or ethernet cable attached just USB.

is there any way to resolve this without getting the logic board replaced? or is this a firmware/software issue?

other than that the system is amazingly fast and one of the best.



edit:
this is also the Error message I get in Console:
8/17/11 6:10:01 AM com.apple.usbmuxd[38] HandleUSBMuxDictionary client 0x10030a560-iTunes/com.apple.iTunes using library usbmuxd-211 built on Jan 13 2011 at 04:19:31, running usbmuxd-211 built on Feb *8 2011 at 13:49:43
8/17/11 6:11:01 AM com.apple.usbmuxd[38] HandleUSBMuxDictionary client 0x10030a560-iTunes/com.apple.iTunes using library usbmuxd-211 built on Jan 13 2011 at 04:19:31, running usbmuxd-211 built on Feb *8 2011 at 13:49:43
8/17/11 6:12:01 AM com.apple.usbmuxd[38] HandleUSBMuxDictionary client 0x101d00920-iTunes/com.apple.iTunes using library usbmuxd-211 built on Jan 13 2011 at 04:19:31, running usbmuxd-211 built on Feb *8 2011 at 13:49:43
8/17/11 6:38:53 AM DirectoryService[11] Improper shutdown detected
8/17/11 6:38:52 AM com.apple.launchd[1] *** launchd[1] has started up. ***
8/17/11 6:38:53 AM blued[17] Apple Bluetooth daemon started
8/17/11 6:38:55 AM mDNSResponder[18] mDNSResponder mDNSResponder-258.21 (May 26 2011 14:40:13) starting
8/17/11 6:38:55 AM configd[15] network configuration changed.
8/17/11 6:38:55 AM configd[15] setting hostname to "ZMacs-iMac.local"
8/17/11 6:38:56 AM com.apple.kextd[10] Can't load /System/Library/Extensions/IOSerialFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/InternalModemSupport.kext - no code for running kernel's architecture.
8/17/11 6:38:56 AM com.apple.kextd[10] Failed to load /System/Library/Extensions/IOSerialFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/InternalModemSupport.kext - (libkern/kext) requested architecture/executable not found.
8/17/11 6:38:56 AM com.apple.kextd[10] Load com.apple.driver.InternalModemSupport failed; removing personalities.
8/17/11 6:38:56 AM fseventsd[48] event logs in /Volumes/Macintosh HD 2/.fseventsd out of sync with volume. *destroying old logs. (249678 1 251431)
8/17/11 6:38:56 AM fseventsd[48] log dir: /Volumes/Macintosh HD 2/.fseventsd getting new uuid: 129AD7BD-08D0-46CC-BA19-0949EEA1F589
8/17/11 6:38:56 AM fseventsd[48] event logs in /.fseventsd out of sync with volume. *destroying old logs. (249828 4 251431)
8/17/11 6:38:56 AM /System/Library/CoreServices/loginwindow.app/Contents/MacOS/loginwindow[44] Login Window Application Started
8/17/11 6:38:56 AM bootlog[55] BOOT_TIME: 1313588332 0
8/17/11 6:38:57 AM com.apple.usbmuxd[36] usbmuxd-211 built on Feb *8 2011 at 13:49:43 on Feb *8 2011 at 13:49:43, running 64 bit
8/17/11 6:38:57 AM fseventsd[48] log dir: /.fseventsd getting new uuid: FCEA12C2-52A7-426E-93BD-6FF4A42D4221
8/17/11 6:38:58 AM airportd[66] failed to snag beacon
8/17/11 6:38:58 AM loginwindow[44] Login Window Started Security Agent
8/17/11 6:38:59 AM loginwindow[44] Login Window - Returned from Security Agent
8/17/11 6:38:59 AM loginwindow[44] USER_PROCESS: 44 console
8/17/11 6:38:59 AM com.apple.launchd.peruser.502[98] (com.apple.ReportCrash) Falling back to default Mach exception handler. Could not find: com.apple.ReportCrash.Self
8/17/11 6:39:01 AM configd[15] network configuration changed.
8/17/11 6:39:01 AM UserEventAgent[118] **** ERROR: SCNetworkSignatureCopyActiveIdentifiers returned nil
8/17/11 6:39:01 AM com.apple.launchd.peruser.502[98] (com.apple.Kerberos.renew.plist[124]) Exited with exit code: 1
8/17/11 6:39:01 AM com.apple.usbmuxd[36] HandleUSBMuxDictionary client 0x101c043b0-iTunesHelper/com.apple.iTunesHelper using library usbmuxd-211 built on Jan 13 2011 at 04:19:31, running usbmuxd-211 built on Feb *8 2011 at 13:49:43
8/17/11 6:42:52 AM com.apple.usbmuxd[36] HandleUSBMuxDictionary client 0x101c045e0-iTunes/com.apple.iTunes using library usbmuxd-211 built on Jan 13 2011 at 04:19:31, running usbmuxd-211 built on Feb *8 2011 at 13:49:43
8/17/11 6:42:52 AM WindowServer[73] kCGErrorFailure: Set a breakpoint @ CGErrorBreakpoint() to catch errors as they are logged.
8/17/11 6:42:52 AM com.apple.WindowServer[73] Wed Aug 17 06:42:52 ZMacs-iMac.local WindowServer[73] <Error>: kCGErrorFailure: Set a breakpoint @ CGErrorBreakpoint() to catch errors as they are logged.
8/17/11 6:49:00 AM /System/Library/CoreServices/CCacheServer.app/Contents/MacOS/CCacheServer[130] No valid tickets, timing out
8/17/11 6:55:09 AM [0x0-0x19019].com.apple.iTunes[173] Successfully connected to the Intel plugin
8/17/11 6:55:09 AM [0x0-0x19019].com.apple.iTunes[173] Version from driver for Certificates 1
8/17/11 6:55:12 AM com.apple.launchd.peruser.502[98] (com.apple.AirPortBaseStationAgent[126]) Exited: Killed
8/17/11 6:55:12 AM com.apple.launchd.peruser.502[98] ([0x0-0xb00b].com.apple.iChatAgent[134]) Exited: Killed
8/17/11 6:55:12 AM loginwindow[44] DEAD_PROCESS: 44 console
8/17/11 6:55:12 AM shutdown[208] halt by maxstanley:
8/17/11 6:55:12 AM shutdown[208] SHUTDOWN_TIME: 1313589312 459712
8/17/11 6:55:12 AM mDNSResponder[18] mDNSResponder mDNSResponder-258.21 (May 26 2011 14:40:13) stopping
8/17/11 6:55:12 AM DirectoryService[11] BUG in libdispatch: 10K549 - 1960 - 0x10004004
8/17/11 6:55:12 AM imagent[127] Quit - notifying about shutdown
8/17/11 6:55:12 AM WindowServer[73] hidd died. Reestablishing connection.
8/17/11 6:55:12 AM imagent[127] Quit - shutting down daemon
8/17/11 6:55:12 AM imagent[127] [Warning] imagent shutting down
8/17/11 6:55:12 AM imagent[127] Unable to create APS daemon connection: (ipc/mig) server died
8/17/11 6:55:12 AM imagent[127] Unable to set enabled topics: (ipc/send) invalid destination port
8/17/11 6:55:12 AM /Applications/FaceTime.app/Contents/PrivateFrameworks/IMCore.framework/imagent.app/Contents/MacOS/imagent[127] BUG in libdispatch: 10K549 - 1960 - 0x10004004
8/17/11 6:56:38 AM com.apple.launchd[1] *** launchd[1] has started up. ***
8/17/11 6:56:39 AM blued[17] Apple Bluetooth daemon started
8/17/11 6:56:39 AM mDNSResponder[18] mDNSResponder mDNSResponder-258.21 (May 26 2011 14:40:13) starting
8/17/11 6:56:39 AM configd[14] network configuration changed.

 

[Detrius]

There's nothing in that log that says anything useful. There are a few kernel extensions that failed to load because they're for the wrong platform, but that wouldn't cause intermittent freezing.

Boot the machine from a clean OS (e.g. just the OS install disk itself). Does it still freeze? Does it freeze from a clean, known-good OS?

 

[ZMacintosh]

Unfortunately yes. Its running 10.6.8 combo Update 1

I have installed Lion on the 2nd harddrive at one point and had devices plugged in and seemed that it was fine there so im not sure if its a botched OS on the discs that came with the imac that is causing it to freeze or what.

ill try a clean OS Install of SL in a few days when I can remove my data.
I ran AST & ASD on it but of course nothing hardware wise showed and signed of hardware issue or failure.

All of the techs from Apple and AASP's think its software related and one said it could be the SSD but that to me doesnt make sense. as ive been running looped content on the ssd and hdd for weeks straight without issue.



thanks for the info, if there is anything else you can suggest I do please let me know.

 

[Detrius]

Search the logs for USBF errors. If you find any, you may be able to track down the device based on the address given in the error and in the System Profiler.

 

[Detrius]

You're sending me PMs about this without any additional useful information. You didn't even tell me I had already replied multiple times to your thread. I had to figure that much out on my own.

I've already given you all of the information you need. It's either going to be software or hardware. If it works fine booted from a different OS (which you've said it does), then it's most likely going to be software, despite the fact that a hard freeze is almost never software. The only other possibilities are that you've either missed something important, or you have a bad logic board.

You have a 2011 iMac. Therefore, it's under warranty. All you have to do is get it to freeze under a known-good operating system, and then you know it's hardware (still might be a bad USB device). If you can't get it to do that, then something somehow has borked your OS install.