DazzaG

Q: 24" iMac Screen Freezes since 10.6.3 update - pls help!

I don't know if this is just coincidence or not, but since updating my iMac to 10.6.3 it keeps on crashing. On 3 separate occasions today, whilst using my Mac the screen has gone completely black with thin white lines down it.....see pic below:

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/6SYzhCgVYEU5TBKqRfOQ1Q?feat=directlink

The fans and hard disk are still running but it will not respond to any keyboard or mouse presses - I simply have to turn it off by holding the power button in.
It will then restart as usual.

Anyone got any ideas? Do you think that if I was to re-install Mac OS X from my original install disk it could solve the issue?

Thanks

Darren

24" intel imac 2.8Ghz, Mac OS X (10.6.3)

Posted on Mar 31, 2010 2:43 PM

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Q: 24" iMac Screen Freezes since 10.6.3 update - pls help!

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  • by spokes46,

    spokes46 spokes46 Apr 15, 2011 7:43 AM in response to CWGuide
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 15, 2011 7:43 AM in response to CWGuide
    I did this because I was so frustrated with the random freezes and Apple wasn't able to diagnose, and so far so good (5 days), but my machine didn't freeze for 2weeks after 10.6.7.

    I'm now concerned that I may have given someone access to my Mac by having installed this. Is that possible?
  • by amygilbert,

    amygilbert amygilbert Apr 15, 2011 6:12 PM in response to DazzaG
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 15, 2011 6:12 PM in response to DazzaG
    I had this same problem on my iMac 8,1 2.8 ghz with ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro. I now think Apple may have fixed it in 10.6.7. I have not had any of these issue since the last update, maybe the last two updates even. Honestly, it's been awhile since I've had one of these "screen freezes". I'm wondering if apple finally fixed it.

    Has anyone had the same experience?
  • by jaycee1980,

    jaycee1980 jaycee1980 Apr 18, 2011 3:46 PM in response to DazzaG
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 18, 2011 3:46 PM in response to DazzaG

    I am using the Lion Dev Preview #2 and I still get the lockups on my ATI 2400 based iMac.

     

    It is *NOT* a hardware problem as Apple claim. There is a simple test for this - install Windows, and install the ATI drivers from AMD (you need to force the device type as the PCI ID is different). I could not make my iMac freeze or produce any artefacts under Windows XP despite heavy 3DMarking and other "GPU Torture Tests" such as FurMark. As is well known by game developers, the Windows drivers push the hardware much much harder than the equivalent OS X drivers.

     

    If it really is a hardware errata that did not occur under 10.6.3's drivers, it can be detected and worked around in software. IMO, Apple simply cannot be bothered to do this, and would rather tell you your Mac is broken and you need to buy a new one, thus increasing their revenue.

  • by Eminemdrdre00,

    Eminemdrdre00 Eminemdrdre00 Apr 19, 2011 7:11 PM in response to jaycee1980
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 19, 2011 7:11 PM in response to jaycee1980

    This is not good.... we need them to fix this problem in Lion! As you said, it can't be a hardware problem. My iMac has worked fine since 2008 when I got it with Leopard. It wasn't until 10.6.3 that I started to have problems with freezing. I'm currently running 10.6.7 using the 10.6.2 ATI drivers and haven't had a problem since.

  • by spokes46,

    spokes46 spokes46 Apr 20, 2011 8:11 AM in response to Eminemdrdre00
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 20, 2011 8:11 AM in response to Eminemdrdre00

    Agreed.  My Mac was good for 2 weeks after installing 10.6.7, then starting freezing with a vengeance. Frustrated, I installed the 10.6.2 ATI drivers and haven't had a problem for 10 days.  Need 10 more before I feel it's fixed.

     

    I still worry that by using this unauthorized fix that I may have exposed my machine to others somehow.  Does anyone with more knowledgable out there know if that's possible?

  • by mediaguru2,

    mediaguru2 mediaguru2 Apr 21, 2011 9:06 AM in response to jaycee1980
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Apr 21, 2011 9:06 AM in response to jaycee1980

    I am curious know if you have tried the 10.6.2 kext files fix with the OS Lion Preview? I think a lot of us who have done this fix in Snow Leopard want to know if the same fix will work going forward.

  • by riccardofromroma,

    riccardofromroma riccardofromroma Apr 25, 2011 12:32 PM in response to mediaguru2
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 25, 2011 12:32 PM in response to mediaguru2

    I have the same problem, after snow leopard upgrade my imac8.1 start to randomly freeze...after several disk verify and some errors found, I finally decide to replace the hard drive and reinstalling the OS...

    yesterday, while installing my apps, the system freeze again!! you think that the kext files fix can solve my issue?

  • by mediaguru2,

    mediaguru2 mediaguru2 Apr 25, 2011 5:58 PM in response to riccardofromroma
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Apr 25, 2011 5:58 PM in response to riccardofromroma

    It will fix the problem temporarily, just follow the instructions posted further back. We don't know what will happen with the next OS Lion update, but all I can say is using 10.6.6 with the 10.6.2 kext files, my system has not frozen once since mid February!

  • by spokes46,

    spokes46 spokes46 Apr 26, 2011 6:18 AM in response to riccardofromroma
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 26, 2011 6:18 AM in response to riccardofromroma

    Freezers Unite!  I had my imac on the bench for 3 days.  No fix.   Had Apple people recommend a new hard drive. Frustrated, I tried the kext files and it's been 16 days with no freeze.  I still worry about having installed a non-authorized fix and that I somehow also installed spyware.

     

    We who have had this problem need to write to Apple and urge them to not ruin our machines by programing the FREEZE (kext 10.6.3) into Lion.

     

    Perhaps a more knowledgeable person can explain the whole kext thing and those of us who have suffered through these freezes (expense, data loss, meeting disasters, IM issues, on and on) can all sign on and send it to Apple.  Apple needs to get Lion right.

  • by jaycee1980,

    jaycee1980 jaycee1980 Apr 26, 2011 7:18 AM in response to spokes46
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 26, 2011 7:18 AM in response to spokes46

    A kext means "kernel extension". In Windows terms, a driver. The kext's in question here are the ones that deal with the handling of the ATI 2400 XT graphics chip.

     

    You haven't opened your machine to spyware or anything like that - the replacement kext's are simply the files from 10.6.3, as built by Apple. Nothing suspicious about them.

     

    As for Lion, well I am a developer, and unfortunately the freezing is present as of the latest Lion Developer Preview version. AS they are now on 10.6.7 I really doubt they are going to fix it.

  • by spokes46,

    spokes46 spokes46 Apr 26, 2011 7:53 AM in response to jaycee1980
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 26, 2011 7:53 AM in response to jaycee1980

    Thanks jaycee.

     

    Mine is ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro.

     

    Let me have a stab at writing a letter, referring to this discussion.

     

    God knows how many owners threw up their hands and bought a new computer because unless you found this, how could you possibly know what's wrong.  Apple is saying everything except the truth of this so we as owners keep paying because they won't acknowledge the problem.

     

    Does the fix work with Lion?

  • by jaycee1980,

    jaycee1980 jaycee1980 Apr 26, 2011 8:04 AM in response to spokes46
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 26, 2011 8:04 AM in response to spokes46

    I've not tried with Lion but it is likely that it will not due to kernel changes.

     

    The proof it is not a hardware fault is very easy to confirm - install Windows XP or 7, install the ATI drivers from AMD (not the ones Apple bundle with Bootcamp), and thrash it with some games, or 3DMark. No freezes, no artifacts, nothing. If that doesn't crash it, then neither should OS X.

  • by spokes46,

    spokes46 spokes46 Apr 26, 2011 10:00 AM in response to jaycee1980
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 26, 2011 10:00 AM in response to jaycee1980

    OK.  HERE IS A DRAFT OF A LETTER.  WHO SHOULD WE SEND IT TO?  IT MUST REACH SOMEONE WHO CAN INITIATE SOME ACTION.

     

    To:  Apple

     

    Subject:  iMac24” Random Screen Freezing after 10.6.3 Release.

     

    There is a discussion thread on https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2384136?start=0&tstart=0 that was a cry for help for an iMac 24” user.  (Most threads therein address this specific problem).

     

    Briefly, what this discussion uncovered is that when 10.6.3 was installed, the freezing began on iMac 24’s with ATI 2400 and 2600 (maybe others).  A man named Krzysiu Turek discovered that version 10.6.3’s kext files were the cause, and subsequent versions up to 10.6.7 had the problem too.  He gave a way to re-install certain 10.6.2 kext files (see: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2384136?start=405&tstart=0) and viola, no more freezing.

     

    The problem has affected many, many machines.  There have been repairs, downtime, interruption of meetings (Skype, etc.), work and data loss, and countless other issues a freezing machine causes. Mac users don’t see stuff like this so we paid for service and repairs because we thought it was hardware, but none of that fixed the freeze.  Apple was recommending we repair what wasn’t broken, instead of looking at what was.

     

    And God knows how many owners threw up their hands after buying hard drives and graphics cards, and eventually just bought a new computer (probably not a Mac) because unless they found the above discussion, how could they possibly know what's wrong?   Apple is guessing at a diagnosis instead of listening, so we as owners pay in dollars and frustration because you won’t acknowledge the real problem, making an OS solution impossible.

     

    The proof of what we are saying in contained in the above discussion, which has 491 threads and over 125,500 views.  The cause is clearly identified and a solution is clearly given. 

     

    Apple needs to fix this problem on Lion.  It may not be too late to do the right thing.

     

    iMac Owners

  • by mediaguru2,

    mediaguru2 mediaguru2 Apr 26, 2011 10:24 AM in response to spokes46
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Apr 26, 2011 10:24 AM in response to spokes46

    Be careful what you post here. I just had a post removed because I suggested an online ...... The moderator suggests using the Apple Feedback to contact them, but a lot of us have already tried that and have not had any luck.

  • by jaycee1980,

    jaycee1980 jaycee1980 Apr 26, 2011 10:28 AM in response to mediaguru2
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 26, 2011 10:28 AM in response to mediaguru2

    I fully expect this thread will be noticed, deleted, and i will probably be cautioned or have my account closed because I have posted my experience as a developer here.

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