Frequent System Crashes

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Level 1

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Frequent System Crashes

I have OS 10.4.9 on a G4 Quicksilver, and I've three system crashes within the last day or two. Below are some of the crash reports, from which hopefully someone will be able to offer a diagnosis. The only recent change I've made to the computer was a memory upgrade. A week ago I installed three 512MBs, which boosted my RAM to 1.5 GB.

I've also been working with some large media files through iDVD and iMovie HD (versions 6.0.3). The crashes happened while iMovie was importing an .avi file of about 700 mb. The first two crashes came while my screen saver was running, so I turned that off. Then the third crash came, again with iMovie running.

Another problem I've noticed is that on at least three occasions, I got an error message stating that my external firewire drive had been improperly disconnected, even though its icon remained on the desktop, and I had done nothing to disconnect it. I might add that the drive was perhaps 3/4 full, and I was transferring data from that drive to the internal drive at the time this occurred.

In any case, here are the crash reports.

******************************************

Date/Time: 2007-06-30 15:56:51.171 -0400
OS Version: 10.4.9 (Build 8P135)
Report Version: 4

Command: grep
Path: /usr/bin/grep
Parent: sh [673]

Version: ??? (???)

PID: 675
Thread: 0

Exception: EXC BADACCESS (0x0001)
Codes: KERN INVALIDADDRESS (0x0001) at 0x60001f98

Thread 0 Crashed:
0 grep 0x00001bf4 0x1000 + 3060
1 grep 0x00001b8c 0x1000 + 2956

Thread 0 crashed with PPC Thread State 64:
srr0: 0x0000000000001bf4 srr1: 0x000000000000d030 vrsave: 0x0000000000000000
cr: 0x24000022 xer: 0x0000000020000000 lr: 0x0000000000001bec ctr: 0x000000000000007c
r0: 0x0000000000001bec r1: 0x00000000bffffc20 r2: 0x0000000060001f98 r3: 0x0000000000000000
r4: 0x0000000000000000 r5: 0x0000000000000054 r6: 0x0000000000000030 r7: 0x0000000000000a03
r8: 0x0000000000000000 r9: 0x00000000a000fe18 r10: 0x00000000a000fdf8 r11: 0x0000000000000004
r12: 0x0000000090008d40 r13: 0x0000000000000000 r14: 0x0000000000000000 r15: 0x0000000000000000
r16: 0x0000000000000000 r17: 0x0000000000000000 r18: 0x0000000000000000 r19: 0x0000000000000000
r20: 0x0000000000000000 r21: 0x0000000000000000 r22: 0x0000000000000000 r23: 0x0000000000000000
r24: 0x0000000000000000 r25: 0x0000000000000000 r26: 0x00000000bffffcc4 r27: 0x000000000000000c
r28: 0x0000000000000002 r29: 0x00000000bffffcc8 r30: 0x00000000bffffcd4 r31: 0x0000000000001ba4

Binary Images Description:
0x1000 - 0x18fff grep /usr/bin/grep
0x8fe00000 - 0x8fe52fff dyld 46.12 /usr/lib/dyld
0x90000000 - 0x901bdfff libSystem.B.dylib /usr/lib/libSystem.B.dylib
0x90215000 - 0x9021afff libmathCommon.A.dylib /usr/lib/system/libmathCommon.A.dylib

****************************************************
Date/Time: 2007-06-30 05:38:07.982 -0400
OS Version: 10.4.9 (Build 8P135)
Report Version: 4

Command: perl
Path: /usr/bin/perl
Parent: sh [409]

Version: ??? (???)

PID: 414
Thread: 0

Exception: EXC BADACCESS (0x0001)
Codes: KERN INVALIDADDRESS (0x0001) at 0x42800d44

Thread 0 Crashed:
0 libperl.dylib 0x96d4a584 Perl padfindmy + 96
1 libperl.dylib 0x96d2f388 S pendingident + 284
2 libperl.dylib 0x96d25640 Perl_yylex + 68
3 libperl.dylib 0x96d376d0 Perl_yyparse + 244
4 libperl.dylib 0x96da0dc8 S_doeval + 628
5 libperl.dylib 0x96da23a0 Perl pprequire + 4140
6 libperl.dylib 0x96d6c214 Perl runopsstandard + 64
7 libperl.dylib 0x96d18eb4 Perl callsv + 1144
8 libperl.dylib 0x96d1cf1c S call_listbody + 92
9 libperl.dylib 0x96d1cb48 Perl calllist + 340
10 libperl.dylib 0x96d43790 Perl_newATTRSUB + 3324
11 libperl.dylib 0x96d40194 Perl_utilize + 1060
12 libperl.dylib 0x96d38438 Perl_yyparse + 3676
13 libperl.dylib 0x96d18148 S parsebody + 3864
14 libperl.dylib 0x96d17108 perl_parse + 920
15 perl 0x000029a8 0x1000 + 6568
16 perl 0x00002120 0x1000 + 4384
17 perl 0x00001fc0 0x1000 + 4032

Thread 0 crashed with PPC Thread State 64:
srr0: 0x0000000096d4a584 srr1: 0x000000000200f030 vrsave: 0x0000000000000000
cr: 0x42244284 xer: 0x0000000020000004 lr: 0x0000000096d4a594 ctr: 0x0000000090003380
r0: 0x0000000001800d44 r1: 0x00000000bfffe460 r2: 0x000000000182f8b8 r3: 0x0000000000000002
r4: 0x0000000001800c44 r5: 0x00000000fefefeff r6: 0x0000000080808080 r7: 0x0000000000000063
r8: 0x0000000000000061 r9: 0x0000000000000008 r10: 0x000000002361feff r11: 0x00000000000280e9
r12: 0x00000000000280e9 r13: 0x0000000000000000 r14: 0x0000000000000001 r15: 0x0000000000000000
r16: 0x0000000000000000 r17: 0x0000000000000000 r18: 0x0000000000000000 r19: 0x000000000000012c
r20: 0x00000000a6d175e4 r21: 0x0000000000000000 r22: 0x0000000000000000 r23: 0x0000000001800c44
r24: 0x0000000000000000 r25: 0x0000000000000000 r26: 0x000000000000021e r27: 0x0000000001800400
r28: 0x0000000000366eb8 r29: 0x000000000000000b r30: 0x0000000042800d44 r31: 0x0000000096d2f27c

Binary Images Description:
0x1000 - 0x3fff perl /usr/bin/perl
0x8fe00000 - 0x8fe52fff dyld 46.12 /usr/lib/dyld
0x90000000 - 0x901bdfff libSystem.B.dylib /usr/lib/libSystem.B.dylib
0x90215000 - 0x9021afff libmathCommon.A.dylib /usr/lib/system/libmathCommon.A.dylib
0x96d15000 - 0x96df0fff libperl.dylib /System/Library/Perl/5.8.6/darwin-thread-multi-2level/CORE/libperl.dylib

*********************************************************

Date/Time: 2007-06-30 15:56:54.820 -0400
OS Version: 10.4.9 (Build 8P135)
Report Version: 4

Command: sh
Path: /bin/sh
Parent: sh [670]

Version: ??? (???)

PID: 673
Thread: 0

Exception: EXC BADACCESS (0x0001)
Codes: KERN PROTECTIONFAILURE (0x0002) at 0x00006784

Thread 0 Crashed:
0 libSystem.B.dylib 0x90007030 szone_free + 1700
1 sh 0x0002e760 0x1000 + 186208
2 sh 0x0002e418 0x1000 + 185368
3 sh 0x0004171c 0x1000 + 263964
4 sh 0x00026cf0 0x1000 + 154864
5 sh 0x00029e50 0x1000 + 167504
6 sh 0x0002b058 0x1000 + 172120
7 sh 0x0002b26c 0x1000 + 172652
8 sh 0x00013cdc 0x1000 + 77020
9 sh 0x00011040 0x1000 + 65600
10 sh 0x00011f48 0x1000 + 69448
11 sh 0x000121e8 0x1000 + 70120
12 sh 0x000112e0 0x1000 + 66272
13 sh 0x000416d4 0x1000 + 263892
14 sh 0x000040c0 0x1000 + 12480
15 sh 0x000031a0 0x1000 + 8608
16 sh 0x00002220 0x1000 + 4640
17 sh 0x000020c8 0x1000 + 4296

Thread 0 crashed with PPC Thread State 64:
srr0: 0x0000000090007030 srr1: 0x000000000000d030 vrsave: 0x0000000000000000
cr: 0x44242222 xer: 0x0000000020000005 lr: 0x0000000090006ff4 ctr: 0x0000000090014ca0
r0: 0x000000003c400008 r1: 0x00000000bfffee80 r2: 0x0000000044242222 r3: 0x000000000000000d
r4: 0x0000000000000000 r5: 0x000000000000000d r6: 0x0000000080808080 r7: 0x0000000000000003
r8: 0x0000000036373300 r9: 0x00000000bfffedb5 r10: 0x0000000000000000 r11: 0x0000000044242222
r12: 0x0000000090014ca0 r13: 0x0000000000402064 r14: 0x0000000000000003 r15: 0x0000000000000020
r16: 0x0000000000400060 r17: 0x0000000000000000 r18: 0x000000000030305c r19: 0x000000000000001f
r20: 0x0000000000402004 r21: 0x0000000000000007 r22: 0x0000000000000002 r23: 0x0000000000400000
r24: 0x0000000000000305 r25: 0x0000000000303050 r26: 0x000000000000677c r27: 0x0000000000303070
r28: 0x0000000001800000 r29: 0x0000000000303050 r30: 0x0000000000000000 r31: 0x00000000900069a0

Binary Images Description:
0x1000 - 0x85fff sh /bin/sh
0x8fe00000 - 0x8fe52fff dyld 46.12 /usr/lib/dyld
0x90000000 - 0x901bdfff libSystem.B.dylib /usr/lib/libSystem.B.dylib
0x90215000 - 0x9021afff libmathCommon.A.dylib /usr/lib/system/libmathCommon.A.dylib
0x9654c000 - 0x9657afff libncurses.5.4.dylib /usr/lib/libncurses.5.4.dylib

G4 Quicksilver, Mac OS X (10.4.9)

Posted on Jun 30, 2007 2:04 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Jun 30, 2007 3:48 PM in response to SyracuseMug

Hi--

These aren't system crashes you've posted. On the one hand, they're just your run of the mill application crashes (i.e., grep crashed, perl crashed, and sh crashed). On the other hand, it's unusual for at least grep and sh to crash. I've crashed perl, but under somewhat specialized circumstances.

I think your post has an important clue, though, and that's the new RAM. I'd suggest taking out one or two of the RAM sticks and running it like that for a while to see if it stabilizes. Then put the RAM back in and see if the crashes return. Keep track of the RAM and swap parts of it out until you can determine which one is bad.

Another thing you can do is to run the Apple Hardware Test that came with your Quicksilver and see if it flags any RAM as bad. You might need to run it overnight, and make sure you set it to the extended test. It can be handy for flagging a bad stick of RAM.

charlie

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Answer 2

Andrew J

Level 3

790 points

Jul 1, 2007 6:17 AM in response to Charles Minow

I agree. A RAM chip installed improperly will cause this problem. They may not be fitted correctly, or even damaged by electrostatic discharge during handling.

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Answer 3

Jul 4, 2007 1:12 AM in response to SyracuseMug

Exception: EXC BADACCESS (0x0001)
Codes: KERN INVALIDADDRESS (0x0001) at 0x60001f98

Thank you for posting this.

I run a Mac Mini here; what that machine is supposed to do is provide a link between some shared backup facilities and some Linux PCs. The transfer protocol used is FTP.

As of recently, this Mac Mini will crash in the middle of a copy file process and issue the error listed above. There is no other manipulation that could be blamed for this. The Mac Mini was ordered directly from Apple (so it does not contain any add-on modifications such as unknown RAM or anything); it's a 1.83 GHz Intel Core Duo computer equipped with 2 GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, preconfigured from Apple's web store.

What we changed recently was to install the Apple XCode tools on top of an existing installation. That's all we changed. Beforehand, that problem did not occur.

As there is no explanation, and no solution, provided by Apple, leaving us with the problem of increasingly unreliable Macs. Maybe a true Mac aficionado would try to blame something "non-Mac" for it, but all we use is the FTP protocol to transfer data.

Now trying OS X re-installation.

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Answer 4

Jul 4, 2007 10:24 AM in response to Wolf Schweitzer1

I re-installed OS X on the Mac Mini. The initial 10.4.7 worked flawlessly on FTP transfers.

But after updating the OS X version to the current one, including the security updates, FTP file transfers kept crashing OS X ("blue screen" of OS X with the transparent overlay appearance) just as before. Both an external firewire Iomega REV 35 disk, and an internal harddisk, are rendered useless for backup purposes in this way.

We are now moving backup solutions away from the Apple computer platforms, as, unfortunately, they appear not to be able to sustain cross-platform file backups using the FTP file protocol any more.

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Answer 5

Jul 4, 2007 12:17 PM in response to Wolf Schweitzer1

Interesting web find, pointing to this being a rather serious issue:

http://archives.neohapsis.com/archives/fulldisclosure/2006-11/0542.html

Maybe, OS X 10.4. after 10.4.9 or associated "security update" re-introduced an error that could likely be associated with a variable type (32 instead of 64 bit, maybe).

Also, that weblink points out that the results of that bug on x86 could be different from Power PC - and as far as I can tell, it takes a larger amount of files (around 1500 to 2000) to trigger that crash.

Apple may have to release a patch for this.

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Answer 6

Jul 5, 2007 7:08 AM in response to Wolf Schweitzer1

Thanks for posting this. I have been experiencing exactly the same problems with notification of improper removal of hardware when no hardware was removed. My PowerBook simply and suddenly will show a message indicating that I have to do a hard re-boot. And I have not installed any new hardware or software before this began to occur. Seems to be since the last update, I think.

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