Which log file?

[Analog Kid]

I'm setting up a hand-me-down MP 2013, which is requiring a fair amount of data transfer from various sources onto new hardware. Occasionally I'm finding the MP has restarted itself but I'm not sure why yet.

I've started searching the logs to see what's going on right before the restart, but I'm not finding my familiar system.log, secure.log, etc.

Where's the best place to start looking, and does anyone have any tips on how to use the new console program effectively? It seems like it could be quite useful, but the interface is completely foreign to me.

I at least partially suspect a TB RAID array (the last restart was when I was doing a large diff on directories, one of which is housed on the RAID). Though just while typing the first version of this post, the mouse first froze up, there was a delay of a minute or so, then a restart-- so software sounds like a possible culprit as well.

 

[chown33]

1. What OS version?

2. MP = Mac Pro, right?

3. I suggest running the hardware diagnostics. I was seeing unexpected crashes on my 2012 MacBook Pro, and initially suspected the HD. I was wrong: the hardware diagnostics told me it was a bad RAM DIMM. Replaced it, and it's been fine since.

 

[Analog Kid]

1. What OS version?

2. MP = Mac Pro, right?

3. I suggest running the hardware diagnostics. I was seeing unexpected crashes on my 2012 MacBook Pro, and initially suspected the HD. I was wrong: the hardware diagnostics told me it was a bad RAM DIMM. Replaced it, and it's been fine since.

I'm running Sierra 10.12.1 on a Mac Pro 2013 (the gray cylinder thingie).

Hardware diagnostics by pressing D on boot? I haven't tried that, I'll give it a go-- you're probably on to something though because my 64GB of RAM is now 48 and "About my mac" shows only 3 DIMM slots occupied when there are, in fact, 4 modules...
[doublepost=1480900838][/doublepost]I reseated the RAM module, ran the diagnostics, and it came up saying "all good". Logged back in, opened a browser, mouse seized, one CPU pegged to 100% on some system task (I couldn't move the mouse to open anything to figure out what task), then it restarted.

Now I don't have confidence in my RAID or my RAM...

 

[chown33]

Now I don't have confidence in my RAID or my RAM...

Pull all the RAM. Start with only one DIMM. Run the diagnostics. If it fails, swap it for another one, in a different socket.

By switching RAM DIMMs out and using only one at a time, you're testing the RAM itself. By using a different socket, you're testing the sockets.

If all DIMMs fail, try them again in different sockets. If they all fail in all sockets, it's probably something else.


You didn't mention whether the mouse & keyboard was USB or Bluetooth. I suggest USB. I don't recall how many USB controllers that Mac model has, but try plugging the mouse and keyboard into different USB sockets directly on the machine. The idea is to test as many USB controllers as possible, and if one fails consistently, well, you've found a likely problem.

 

[Analog Kid]

Pull all the RAM. Start with only one DIMM. Run the diagnostics. If it fails, swap it for another one, in a different socket.

By switching RAM DIMMs out and using only one at a time, you're testing the RAM itself. By using a different socket, you're testing the sockets.

If all DIMMs fail, try them again in different sockets. If they all fail in all sockets, it's probably something else.


You didn't mention whether the mouse & keyboard was USB or Bluetooth. I suggest USB. I don't recall how many USB controllers that Mac model has, but try plugging the mouse and keyboard into different USB sockets directly on the machine. The idea is to test as many USB controllers as possible, and if one fails consistently, well, you've found a likely problem.

Thanks for staying with me on this.

Keyboard and mouse are Bluetooth.

I'm becoming convinced there's a system issue. I pulled the new RAM and put the old modules back in and it held up better for a while, but then eventually crashed in the same way. That doesn't rule out a socket problem, but that's not something I can fix myself anyway. I've also had each of two Thunderbolt devices spontaneously disconnect. In it's previous life it would sometimes lose the thunderbolt display connection if a USB device was plugged in.

If I had to guess, there's an intermittent connection somewhere between circuit boards, but I think this is something I should let the pros diagnose... I'm going to wipe the internal drive, and do a clean install without my data (the Apple Store may ask for the password to check logs and try starting it up themselves). If I can get that configuration to fail, it's off to the doctor.

 

[Analog Kid]

Pull all the RAM. Start with only one DIMM. Run the diagnostics. If it fails, swap it for another one, in a different socket.

By switching RAM DIMMs out and using only one at a time, you're testing the RAM itself. By using a different socket, you're testing the sockets.

If all DIMMs fail, try them again in different sockets. If they all fail in all sockets, it's probably something else.


You didn't mention whether the mouse & keyboard was USB or Bluetooth. I suggest USB. I don't recall how many USB controllers that Mac model has, but try plugging the mouse and keyboard into different USB sockets directly on the machine. The idea is to test as many USB controllers as possible, and if one fails consistently, well, you've found a likely problem.

Hey, a much delayed follow up, but it turns out I had both a RAM problem and an SSD problem. Returned the bad RAM and replaced it with new DIMMs and all went well. The problem with the SSDs involved TRIM. Turns out that trimforce and SSD RAIDs don't play nice together. I disabled TRIM and everything has been running like a charm.