My G5 Is Under Repair…, I'm a poor lonesome moderator Options

[lepetitmartien]

Well, I wasn't a lot around for 8 days as my G5 1.8 from 2003 decided to freeze on spot since last wednesday. It freezed at choice during boot (rotating thing), loading OS X (blue screen) or right during/after login.

The lithium battery was dead but not at first when I checked it, when I could change it it went slightly more "normal" as I could try to start from the Apple Hardware Test. Else I could only boot in Open Firmware and Single User Mode.

When I tried to startup on the install CD/DVD of 10.2.7, panther, tiger it froze too. However, after the lithium battery change I could install a 10.2.7 on the remaining drive (freeze in the middle but the system seems 100% on the drive).

The drives were OK, as the RAM (checked with memtest, while in SUM it can test 97% of you RAM including lower part not available another way), I counsel Applejack too which enables you to check drives, permissions, clean caches, check preferences while in SUM.

When I tried the AHT i went into something I found out is a commun bug instead of launching AHT i ended up in OF with this:

CODE

Invalid memory access at %SRR0: 000000000.6000d300 %SRR1: 100000000.40003030

Pretty impressive… but not meaning a lot.

As I knew my RAM was ok (even bought 1 GB more to check), the drives too, I tried in turn without the DVD burner, each SATA drives. I had no graphic card to try but overall it looks bad, only the hot pot, the temp sensors, the motherboard and the CPU are left, and no Applecare I have either (sorry Mr Apple, too expensive and never a mac has left me this way, NEVER). It's at the repairshop here in Paris since yesterday, and I ressucitated ye olde timer BW G3 last evening.

I'll buy tomorrow a FW external enclosure for the SATA drive on which I had saved my keychains/mail/etc as here I have no mail (it's my old mail database but I'm under tiger for a few months now and the databases are not compatible).

So in the end, it looks like it's something on the motherboard wich is blown in some way, so it'll $$$ in the end I know chips/components do die, but it's heartbrake, this was a fabulous computer. I'll know for sure in ten days.

Really, I need a macbook… (and no money for it s…t!)

[lepetitmartien]

It's the CPU, and the bill will be 470.27€, which is half the price of the G5 second hand now… sigh!

Now I should have it next week YEAH!

[lepetitmartien]

Update on Tiger on the G3: 9 times out of 10, I have problem to closed down the computer or some deep freeze of the finder/dock, it seems software related, I'll try to check that once the G5 will be back, it should be around in the next days.

The more I go around in Tiger on the G3 the more I see it may be snappier (well…) than Panther, it also no more optimized for the G3 on other sides like quicktime.

hmmm the G5

[Mac Daddy]

Yo, lepetitmartien!

Who knows what to say to the Master except: Sorry to hear you're Computer is "Down" great wise one. Makes me very nervous... If this can happen to you what about me! Be cool. Be clever. Don't Bb.

Grasshopper

[LWinston]

It's the CPU, and the bill will be 470.27€, which is half the price of the G5 second hand now… sigh!

Now I should have it next week YEAH!

Why don't you have Applecare? With Applecare, your repair would be FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

[lepetitmartien]

Because it has never been of use for desktop computers in 14 years for me… That's why.

I would have saved about 120€ with applecare (anyway, i could not have subscribed to, as i bought it second hand and it was just out of the year limit). But it raises issues, it's not Apple aim to have computers going down in the 3 years span of Applecare, it costs them money, save if they make way more money by selling unused applecare than they have to make repairs. So there's definitely a problem somewhere here, I'm not the only one in this situation with either the "hot pot" and thermal sensors, the motherboard or the CPU to change on G5s. It's a shame on such wonderful computers. If applecare starts to be mandatory because desktops are not as rock solid as they were (my G3 is 7 years old! my 7100 is still somewhere thriving) Apple should understand people will start to add the Applecare price in the bill, making Apple expensive again in the Apple/PC price battle. So it's not to the benefit of apple such short to middle term issues go up.

For the G3 shut down problem, it was the USB hub! 10.4.7 is running fine on it. (now, it's deadly slow in regard to a G5 and not useable save for emergency or very basic browsing/mail use (3 weeks of this, ooch).

The G5 is back since yesterday, it's been a PLEASURE to see things go faster again (patting the G5)

btw, still no macbook coming in from a mysterious admirer, my seduction capacities are failing!

Who knows what to say to the Master except: Sorry to hear you're Computer is "Down" great wise one. Makes me very nervous... If this can happen to you what about me! Be cool. Be clever. Don't Bb.

Thanks!

Nice to see you around!

I've detailed as much as possible my case with hints and procedures in this thread and in a few others so that members will have the ropes somewhere. I've still to check up things so that I have not forgotten something.