iMac freezing - using 10.5 with newest 24" Intel

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iMac freezing - using 10.5 with newest 24" Intel

I've read a lot of posts about iMacs freezing and they seem to be mainly with the older gen's of them.

In my case, my 24" Intel iMac freezes and the mouse will not move, the force quit won't work as the keyboard doesn't respond, nothing works, basically I just have a screen and nothing happens.

I can only force shut down and restart the computer. The same problem has happened at least once to my wife and she did the same thing except put the computer to sleep with the power button and restarted with the power button and she got a message that the mouse wasn't synced up with the bluetooth.

Can this problem have anything related to using the wireless mouse and keyboard? I also read something about issues with freezing and that it was addressed with the newest software update.

thanks for the help

iMac 24" Intel, Mac OS X (10.5.6), In addition, running an older PBG4 laptop 1.33 & G4 Desktop 733

Posted on Apr 27, 2009 6:18 PM

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Answer 1

Apr 27, 2009 7:37 PM in response to Teal

Me too. It froze during a video, then every time I open InDesign...the same thing. I get the spinning ball and the only thing to do is use restart. This has all been in the past two hours that I've had it out of the box!!!

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Answer 2

Teal Author

Level 1

19 points

Apr 27, 2009 9:13 PM in response to debdesigner

For my problem I don't get the spinning ball, just a frozen screen and nothing responds.

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Answer 3

straleno

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0 points

Apr 27, 2009 9:26 PM in response to Teal

Actually, most of the recent posts have been about the latest iMacs. It's a widespread problem that arises if you use wifi, but it looks like Apple is working on it:

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1977351&tstart=0

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1978213&tstart=0

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Answer 4

Apr 27, 2009 10:05 PM in response to Teal

Hello,

*"restarted with the power button and she got a message that the mouse wasn't synced up with the bluetooth"*

To set up a Bluetooth device to work with your computer:
Choose Apple menu > System Preferences and then click Bluetooth.
Click Add +
Choose the type of device you want to set up and follow the onscreen instructions and when you are finished restart the iMac.

If the iMac still freezes...

Try resetting the SMC, instructions here. http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1543

Try resetting the PRAM and NVRAM, instructions here. http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379

Check the hard disk. Insert Installer disk and Restart, holding down the "C" key until grey Apple appears.
Go to Installer menu (Panther and earlier) or Utilities menu (Tiger and later) and launch Disk Utility.
Select your HDD (manufacturer ID) in the left panel.
Select First Aid in the Main panel.
(Check S.M.A.R.T Status of HDD at the bottom of right panel. It should say: Verified)
Click Repair Disk on the bottom right.
If DU reports disk does not need repairs quit DU and restart.
If DU reports errors Repair again and again until DU reports disk is repaired.

*"Can this problem have anything related to using the wireless mouse and keyboard? I also read something about issues with freezing and that it was addressed with the newest software update"*

The most recent software update was for iTunes, so I'm not sure which software update you are referring to.

Carolyn 🙂

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Answer 5

Teal Author

Level 1

19 points

Apr 28, 2009 9:58 PM in response to Teal

Contacted apple and recommended the SMC and PRAM reset which I did. I also disabled airport and connect to internet via ethernet only.

Problem came about again this evening where when my wife was using FF to browse the internet the computer froze (no spinning ball just frozen) and had no response from the mouse or keyboard as we couldn't force quit.

We put the computer to sleep via the power button, waited a second, hit the power button again and the computer awoke and everything worked then on and the mouse and keyboard kept synced up.

+Could this freezing issue be related to the wireless might mouse and wireless keyboard somehow having connection problems? I never had freezing issues on my older g4 desktop or g4 pb laptop!+

Apple said that the only ongoing issues with the imacs were the ones with the ati 4850 grafix card and there was no issue with the nvidia card that I have on my imac.

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Answer 6

Teal Author

Level 1

19 points

Apr 28, 2009 10:25 PM in response to Teal

One more thing ...

I started up from the install disc and ran disc first aid:

SMART status was verified and then repaired the disk: all checked out OK

I also ran verify permissions and it found some problems with permissions with stuff like itunes, printers, etc. but I left it alone and didn't repair them.

+Again like my previous post/reply could this freezing issue be related to the wireless might mouse and wireless keyboard somehow having connection problems? I never had freezing issues on my older g4 desktop or g4 pb laptop!+

All four times the computer froze we when we were browsing the internet with both safari and firefox and not doing other tasks; i.e. using Adobe lightroom, burning discs, installing software, etc.

Any ideas on the mouse/keyboard possibility?

Thanks for all the replies.

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Answer 7

Teal Author

Level 1

19 points

Apr 29, 2009 7:10 PM in response to Teal

bump ...

Spoke to apple today again and they mentioned doing a safe boot. What will this accomplish if the problem with the mouse/keyboard freezing up occurs intermittently? Would I have to run in safe mode until the problem occurs again; safe boot won't allow me to do a lot of things that I need to do.

In the mean time I am using a usb mouse and will try and use an older usb keyboard.

I still think it might be an issue with the two peripherals communicating with the imac via bluetooth or something; can someone correct me if I'm possibly wrong?

Thanks

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Answer 8

Apr 29, 2009 8:13 PM in response to Teal

Just here to say "me, too" and hoping to find an answer.

I've had my iMac for a week, and I get a full lockup at least once a day, and usually 2 - 5 times. I have a standard wired keyboard & mouse. The freezes typically happen when viewing a YouTube video, or a DVD, playing something in iTunes or loading a web page. Mouse and keyboard become unresponsive; nothing moves on the screen. Sometimes there's a bit of an audio thing that happens, sort of like a skipping record (if, like me, you're old enough for that simile to have any meaning). I have to power off, then start up again. Sometimes it takes two power-off-on cycles to get a reboot.

I've run Apple Disk Utility, Drive Genius, Disk Warrior and TechTool. I don't believe the disk is the problem, even though there have been some items fixed in all those utility runs. I think those minor disk problems might have been collateral damage from all the freezes.

I reformatted the drive, reinstalled the OS and restored all my files from backup. The problem persists. It's looking like a lemon to me. I hope there's a fix, but it's not encouraging to see similar messages to mine going back four years.

I'll be calling Apple Tech support tomorrow.

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Answer 9

Apr 29, 2009 8:27 PM in response to Teal

I was about to post this and saw you at the top. Mine is freezing like I have no memory. I get the spinning ball, my mouse will move and sometimes I can use the Command+Tad to try and switch and will see it scrolling through but the computer doesnt move. The fan is going loud. It started about two days ago and every since if I try to do two or three things i get frozen and sometime have to do a hard reboot, and I hate that. Help anyone. I repaired permissions.

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Answer 10

Teal Author

Level 1

19 points

May 1, 2009 9:18 AM in response to Teal

Follow up to my recent posts-
I have since switched to an old G4 desktop wired keyboard and I tried an older wired one button apple mouse but it behaved weirdly so I ended up switching to a USB kensington pro mouse. Been using it for a full day and this morning without any lockups on any peripheral.

Bluetooth disabled and hopefully I have isolated the problem to either an issue with the wireless mouse and keyboard or bluetooth module.

Looks like the next seed of 10.5.7 has some improvements in bluetooth stability so we'll see if that helps too. Next I think I am just going to request apple to exchange my wireless items for two wired peripherals in case the problem surfaces again.

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Answer 11

a brody

Level 10

84,263 points

May 1, 2009 9:36 AM in response to Teal

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Answer 12

Teal Author

Level 1

19 points

May 4, 2009 6:46 PM in response to Teal

After thoroughly exhausting apple tech support and doing everything they asked, it appears (knock on wood) that my problems went away after I went back to an old wired mouse and keyboard.

I asked apple at this point to replace/exchange the wireless mouse and KB for "wired" ones and the original person at apple said she didn't think she could help me! I couldn't believe it, especially after what I spent on the imac, my history of 5+ other macs in my family and that I bought the apple prot. plan.

After my call was dropped from apple the 1st time I called back customer sales and the rep. I spoke to this time had no problem taking care of me and sending out next day air a replacement wired mouse and keyboard at no cost, and crediting me for the wireless ones! He overly apologized for the poor service and response I originally got from them!

It pays to talk to the right helpful person and apple just reaffirmed my loyalty to them even more. I am still mad that I had the original problems and hopefully this will resolve my issues. I didn't want to wait for a possible update to 10.5.7 to possibly address the bluetooth issues.

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Answer 13

May 6, 2009 10:22 AM in response to Teal

I wish I knew who you talked to. I've tried several times with tech support, sales and customer service. They will not help me with the problem. I was told I'll just have to buy a new keyboard and mouse. Anybody want to buy a new iMac 24" 2.66? Time to give up on apple products. After all my years of support they stick it to me.

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Answer 14

May 6, 2009 12:43 PM in response to Teal

When the imac freezes, does anyone else get a black screen? (not a kernal panic, just a solid black screen.)
Or are you saying the screen remains the same, just unresponsive...

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Answer 15

May 6, 2009 1:07 PM in response to Darkimage

You can add me to the list of freezing iMac. I bought the previous generation (pre 2009). It is the 24" 2.8ghz. I have the stock 2600pro card in it.

It has happened a handful of times over the 1 1/2 weeks I have been using the mac. It will spontaneously lock up and freeze the screen. Occasionally it will lock up and the audio will go into a state of skipping like a cd player.

I have a long history with apple products so I have done the typical problem solving techniques. Unplugged for 30-60 seconds, reset with option-apple-PR. Repaired permissions. Last night a performed a clean install and I am just doing the software updates. Hopefully it cures the problem.

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