Wiped Out Preferences

[BicyclePunk]

Ok...my G5 Dual 2GH machine has been flaking bad lately.I've been getting weird kernel panics where the screen goes a shaded gray and all that. These have been happening with no consistent reason at all. None. But over the last week after I boot up some preferences in Entourage have been missing. And now just this morning, my preferences in AdobeCS went bye bye. Has this happened to anyone else? Anyone know how to fix it? I'm running 10.3.3 (which, as I was installing several weeks ago, crashed my machine during the install....not good...had to reformat the drive?).

Honestly...I've had nothing but trouble with this machine since....well...even three months before I even got it...with the ordering and all. It took four months to get and then one of the processors fried after having it for a month...then the other one fried, too. I'm hating it right now.

Anyway....thanks.

 

[wrldwzrd89]

Ok...my G5 Dual 2GH machine has been flaking bad lately.I've been getting weird kernel panics where the screen goes a shaded gray and all that. These have been happening with no consistent reason at all. None. But over the last week after I boot up some preferences in Entourage have been missing. And now just this morning, my preferences in AdobeCS went bye bye. Has this happened to anyone else? Anyone know how to fix it? I'm running 10.3.3 (which, as I was installing several weeks ago, crashed my machine during the install....not good...had to reformat the drive?).

Honestly...I've had nothing but trouble with this machine since....well...even three months before I even got it...with the ordering and all. It took four months to get and then one of the processors fried after having it for a month...then the other one fried, too. I'm hating it right now.

Anyway....thanks.

Random kernel panics are always due to one of three things:
1. Bad RAM
2. External hardware that Mac OS X doesn't get along with
3. Corrupt Power Management Unit settings

Test for #1 first, then #2. If both tests come up negative, try #3. If #3 doesn't help either, the problem lies in something else inside the computer besides the RAM (such as the logic board).

To test #1, run the Apple Hardware Test that came with your G5.
To test #2, unplug all external accessories (except the keyboard, mouse, and monitor) and restart the computer. Test it for a while - if it doesn't kernel panic now, you've found the cause.
#3 cannot be tested for, but can be fixed by you, if you're willing to open up the G5. Somewhere inside, there is a button/switch/something-or-other that is used to reset the Power Management Unit (PMU). Once the PMU's reset, you'll lose the system date and time (which can easily be reset), but your Mac should return to normal like my iMac did after this was done.

 

[qubex]

I lost all my preferences - several times - owing to FileVault's dismal performance in 10.3.0 and 10.3.1.

Are you running FileVault?