JMBHAIR1

Q: I am having a problem w/my Emac. I upgraded my memory 2yrs. ago w/2 512memory cards.My mac now reads that I am back to 256mb and one slot is empty. Do the memory cards go bad? I noticed my mac was getting slower...

I am having a problem w/my Emac. About two yrs. ago I upgraded the memory. I put in two 512mb cards in the two slots. It read that I had the upgrade fine. Lately I noticed my mac was slowing down. I read on system profiler that I only have 256mb of ram and one slot empty. Do the cards go bad or is there something I can do? Thanks

Emac G4, Mac OS X (10.4.11), 125Ghz,1GB,combo,512kb

Posted on Dec 11, 2011 4:12 AM

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Q: I am having a problem w/my Emac. I upgraded my memory 2yrs. ago w/2 512memory cards.My mac now reads that I am back to 256mb and o ... more

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  • by Allan Jones,Helpful

    Allan Jones Allan Jones Dec 11, 2011 9:34 AM in response to JMBHAIR1
    Level 8 (35,151 points)
    iPad
    Dec 11, 2011 9:34 AM in response to JMBHAIR1

    Try removing and then reinstalling the RAM modules.

     

    If that doesn't help, and you still have your original gray system install/restore disks, find the disk marked as containing Apple Hardware Test (AHT) and run it. if you get an error code, post it and we'll see if that points to a particular problem.

     

    The thing that bothers me is that an inordinate number of eMacs with 1.25Ghz procesor were affected by a severe logic board problem that is, today, not worth fixing. Affected comptuer fell in these ranges;

     

    • G8412xxxxxx- G8520xxxxxx
    • YM412xxxxxx - YM520xxxxxx
    • VM440xxxxxx - VM516xxxxxx

     

    Just becasue your computer falls in one of these ranges doesn't mean you have the Curse, just that it is known to exist in other computers in that range.

     

    The good thing is that your symptoms are not classic for the logic board curse.

  • by JMBHAIR1,Helpful

    JMBHAIR1 JMBHAIR1 Dec 11, 2011 1:35 PM in response to Allan Jones
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 11, 2011 1:35 PM in response to Allan Jones

    Thanks, I will try first doing the modules. That's to bad w/these Emacs.Mine is a YM412.... Ahhhh it's been a good ole girl though! Maybe if I can't fix it Santa will bring me a new Imac!!! See Ya!

  • by JMBHAIR1,

    JMBHAIR1 JMBHAIR1 Dec 11, 2011 2:39 PM in response to Allan Jones
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 11, 2011 2:39 PM in response to Allan Jones

    Hi Allen, So I did open her up and there was a bit of dust! My bad! I took out the ram modules and put back in. Then did the Hardware Test and came up w/an error code of "0/2048 DIMM0/J2, DIMM1/J1" It doesn't look good?

    Thanks, John

  • by Allan Jones,

    Allan Jones Allan Jones Dec 11, 2011 3:01 PM in response to JMBHAIR1
    Level 8 (35,151 points)
    iPad
    Dec 11, 2011 3:01 PM in response to JMBHAIR1

    Hmmmm. does look unattractive. J1 and J2 refer to the two RAM or "DIMM" slots. It al,most makes me think that the RAM is incompatible but. where that the case, trouble should have apperas as soon as you turned it on after the upgrade.

     

    Try this--insert the RAM one at a time in the first slot and then do the same for the second. On other words. each module will be in one of the slots at some point. Start the computer and use Profiler to look at the module and post the details Profiler provides.

     

    Here's whe that report look like on an Intel iMac;

     

    Screen shot 2011-12-11 at 2.50.10 PM.png

     

    I'm hoping the four right-hand columns might hold a clue.

     

    The logic board issue was primariy bad capacitors. This plague affected not only Macs but many PCs as well--apparently one manufacturer of these devices made a bigh run of bad parts and sold them all over the world.

     

    While you have the RAM door open, look at the capacitors around the RAM slots and see if any look like the ones indicated as bad in this image:

     

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/freshyill/2211776435/

     

    If so, you are definitely affected. The fact that no bad caps show in the RAM door doesn't indicated you are free of trouble (there are others you can't see) but probably reduces the odds of having the Curse somewhat.

  • by JMBHAIR1,

    JMBHAIR1 JMBHAIR1 Dec 11, 2011 6:36 PM in response to Allan Jones
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 11, 2011 6:36 PM in response to Allan Jones

    But it did work for two yrs.?

  • by Allan Jones,

    Allan Jones Allan Jones Dec 12, 2011 9:07 AM in response to JMBHAIR1
    Level 8 (35,151 points)
    iPad
    Dec 12, 2011 9:07 AM in response to JMBHAIR1
    But it did work for two yrs.?

     

    That's what has me puzzled, as i metion (with bad typos!) in the first paragraph of my last post. Having two RAM modules go bad after two years is "rarer than rare."

     

    Has the computer been  in constant use since the RAM install or was it stored for a period of time?

     

    And let's get this variable out of the way---how full is the hard drive?

  • by JMBHAIR1,

    JMBHAIR1 JMBHAIR1 Dec 12, 2011 12:28 PM in response to Allan Jones
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 12, 2011 12:28 PM in response to Allan Jones

    Hello Allen, It has been in use all the time.It was a bit dusty as I said when I took it apart. The hard drive has about 5.79gigs to go and has 37.15gigs stored.

  • by JMBHAIR1,

    JMBHAIR1 JMBHAIR1 Dec 15, 2011 4:10 PM in response to Allan Jones
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 15, 2011 4:10 PM in response to Allan Jones

    Hello Allen, So I finally got round w/messing w/the modules.

    #1 I put both in and it read Dimmo/J2 256 ok and Dimmi/J1 Empty

    #2 Switched them and it read Dimmo/J2 Empty and Dimmo/J1 ok

    #3 Used only 1 ram module and nothing worked in both slots. The computer Binged!

    #4 Put back the other ram module in both slots and worked reading ok and 256 ok

     

    So, I thought I had upgraded the ram to the max of 512 of ram in each slot through "Crucial".

    Do i need to buy new 512 modules? Can My Emac handle that? Were they guaranteed for life? Or what do you think? I am thinking of upgrading to a new Imac anyway but I would like to sell this for a couple hundred bucks if I could.Thanks, John

  • by JMBHAIR1,

    JMBHAIR1 JMBHAIR1 Dec 18, 2011 4:58 AM in response to JMBHAIR1
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 18, 2011 4:58 AM in response to JMBHAIR1

    Buying two new 512 ram modules. We'll see