weatherr

Q: System Failure

When I started up my G5 imac yesterday, it instructed me to do a restart - nothing else on the screen.  My only option was to use the power button to shut it down.  When I attempted to start up again, I received a dozen lines of "info" which I understood nothing of except for the words "system failure".  Can anyone tell me what this probably means?  I am hoping this implies a circuitry issue, and not a hard drive failure.  I haven't been as regular as I should at backing up files, etc.  Any ideas/help would be appreciated.  Thanks.

iMac, Mac OS X (10.4.11)

Posted on May 28, 2014 9:39 PM

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Q: System Failure

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  • by K Shaffer,Helpful

    K Shaffer K Shaffer May 29, 2014 11:33 AM in response to weatherr
    Level 6 (14,542 points)
    Desktops
    May 29, 2014 11:33 AM in response to weatherr

    You may have gotten a screen that implies that a 'kernel panic'

    has taken place, and there usually are certain probable causes

    behind such an event. Without actually going through the iMac

    to see what other crash logs in Console may suggest, or start

    up in SafeBoot (if it will) to try & do basic assessment of the

    status of the computer, its hardware (RAM & HDD) or look in

    to other possible sources, one has to troubleshoot. Or through

    a process of elimination, try to find the problem & resolve it.

     

    The general causes of and certain information to troubleshoot

    or find the cause of the issue are covered in following pages.

     

    •Resolving Kernel Panics:

    http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/kernelpanics.html

    (older Support page links in reference may not work)

     

    •Technical Note TN2063: Understanding & Debugging Kernel Panics

    https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/technotes/tn2063/_index.html

     

    •OS X Resolving Kernel Panics - Support:

    http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3742

    (this may imply a later OSX than you have)

     

    Hopefully these will offer some depth to understand & resolve the issue.

    Usually poor quality or failed RAM can be a cause of kernel panic. Or

    some software that is corrupted or not compatible with your OS X.

     

    Good luck!

  • by weatherr,

    weatherr weatherr Jun 9, 2014 8:34 AM in response to K Shaffer
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 9, 2014 8:34 AM in response to K Shaffer

    Thanks for your help.

    I was out of town for awhile but am now back to it.

    I was able to do a "hardware test" from an "options restart", and it detected a memory problem.

    Unfortunately, the issue was not with the 2 gig, which was in the slot, but with the built-in 512, which is apparently soldered to the logic board.

    I took it to a service center and their suggestion was either to replace the whole board or abandon the computer all together.

    If you have any other ideas at this stage, I would appreciate your input.

    Otherwise, I guess I will be moving on to an alternative computer.

    Again, thanks very much for your efforts.

  • by K Shaffer,Helpful

    K Shaffer K Shaffer Jun 9, 2014 12:05 PM in response to weatherr
    Level 6 (14,542 points)
    Desktops
    Jun 9, 2014 12:05 PM in response to weatherr

    There are companies who can repair the logic board, so you don't have to pay the full tilt replacement cost; but that would mean the board would have to be removed and certain parts that come off easily, taken off, in order to send the board into a testing and repair facility.

     

    I'd check to see if anyone has posted a how-to youtube video on how to use a fine de-soldering tool to remove a failed memory chip on a logic board, and a fine soldering tool to install a suitable spec like-build replacement RAM chip on the logic board. There are some about how people fixed portable Mac computer boards, and this has been going on since some users chose to fix out-of-warranty iBook G4s in the later model years that had the cory allen and other effect issue. A solder service where re-balling helped some of those more permanently, since some did not require chip replacement.

     

    To have a company test the board beyond just a failed on-board RAM, would help resolve the possibility that the graphic processor chip could also be among those with a partial failure history. Some users of the G5 iMac were able to resolve issues by resoldering or replacement of on-board other components. A few newer intel-based iMacs have also seen user-innovation where unprescribed actions were used to re-solder logic boards in a household oven at melty temperatures over a certain time. Not too melty, and all at once.

     

    To contact some company that has a major workstation for resolding even the processor and graphics cards, to logic boards or other parts, would be one to ask. Some of them do their own work and offer spares that are either new-old-stock or ones they have in-house tested and thoroughly; and repaired, then retested. I'd call a company such as wegenermedia with the product serial number, and model identifier, and ask. Another source may be powermax, powerbookmedic, owc, and maybe to get another possible shocker, ask places that may not even deal in older hardware at all. Just to see what they say. If the cost is to high, you can check into these companies repaired older models, should you have software for a specific vintage you need to use.

     

    Not sure how accurate the iFixit take apart guides or repair guides are, but a matter of detailed assembly or disassembly that involves  down time, tends to let people who only do one of these in their life, forget important details and the on-the-fly learning of fine motor skills you were careful to use during takeapart... Before the orginal fixed part or suitable replacement finally arrives. An advantage to getting the original repaired, is that the serial number would likely be the same, if not flashed.

     

    Usually capacitors or power supply items are a demise of these G5s, and some G4s.

     

    So your choice is to ask some questions by email and free 800 number service people to see what they say; then if the news and level of difficulty is not worth the explorative surgery, then a replacement device may be an answer. There are several Intel-based Macs, restored & repaired, that could run older OS X if that's where your software needs are. Newer hardware usually necessitates other upgrades, as you know.

     

    Good luck & happy computing!

  • by weatherr,

    weatherr weatherr Jun 10, 2014 8:14 AM in response to K Shaffer
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 10, 2014 8:14 AM in response to K Shaffer

    Thanks for these ideas - I will look into this.

    In the meantime, I have located a mid 2010 mac mini, which will allow a partitioned harddisc, 10.6 on one half, 10.9 on the other.  Hopefully, I can have access to older files (Appleworks), plus access to newer browsers, etc between the two operating systems.  Any thoughts on this plan would be appreciated.

    Thanks again.

  • by rccharles,

    rccharles rccharles Jun 10, 2014 2:19 PM in response to weatherr
    Level 6 (8,521 points)
    Classic Mac OS
    Jun 10, 2014 2:19 PM in response to weatherr

    With an intel mac, you could look into virtual machine software like Parrallels or Virtual PC Box from Oracle.  This would like you run 10.6 server edition in a virtual mahcine.

     

    Robert