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

morpho wrote:
Scrap my last comment, I just got a full blown kernel panic: page fault in kernel mode.
Guess who was the culprit: com.apple.ATIRadeonX2000.

(Yes, I ran AHT, I NEVER saw a panic on this machine and - to be honest - ruling out faulty RAM a page fault in kernel mode is hardly a hardware problem...)

Could you sent me your crash-logs?

Message was edited by: tommie_c

It's encouraging, in a weird sort of way, to find a really current discussion of a problem that just showed up this a.m. (And I was wondering what I would do today!!)
I honestly don't know what update we are running, but we did update within the past few weeks. btw, do the numbers stand for the release date? 10.6.4--does that mean June 4, 2010??

Never any previous problems with the 24" iMac. Today I was using Safari, had just logged into my course management program (I teach online), then opened a new browser window, went to ClassReport.com to find someone who I think could help one of my students and zoned out watching the slide show of deceased classmates. That's when the iMac shut down--died in sympathy?! I had my ergonomic keyboard plugged in (USB) and the headphones were plugged in.

Problem: Once I turned the computer back on with the switch in the back, continuous restarts began, never getting past the white screen with the grey apple. No cursor, colored rotating ball, just the screen. Time before restart varies from 20 seconds or so to several minutes.
I tried a whole range of usual stuff, but to cut to the chase, holding down the option key, the shift key, and even the D key when powering up, made no difference whatsoever. Well, the D key did delay the appearance of the apple, just a permanent white screen, no hardware check or whatever that is supposed to result in. Does anyone know what this indicates? (I'll brace myself.)

The machine did get rather hot. I'm wondering if the fan gave out (although I'm not usually aware of hearing any fan!) and overheating caused some dire damage.

Thanks for being there!

morpho wrote:
Scrap my last comment, I just got a full blown kernel panic: page fault in kernel mode.
Guess who was the culprit: com.apple.ATIRadeonX2000.

(Yes, I ran AHT, I NEVER saw a panic on this machine and - to be honest - ruling out faulty RAM a page fault in kernel mode is hardly a hardware problem...)

If you haven't already, please send your kernal panic info to http://www.apple.com/feedback/

Usually, when I see this issue, no panic log is created (probably because in my case, only the user interface or WindowServer freezes)

Done, it's on rdar://8160934 ( http://www.openradar.me/8160934 for us mere mortals).

<technical mumbo-jumbo>
Upon close inspection, it's a NULL pointer dereference (CR2=0x00000000) happening while copying a texture buffer. It is triggered from some IOKit call made by WindowServer (I don't know which, userland stack traces aren't saved), so it may be related to other problems described in this thread.
</technical mumbo-jumbo>

I assume you saw the note on the Open Radar page:

"*Please note*: Reports posted here will not necessarily be seen by Apple. All problems should be submitted at bugreport.apple.com before they are posted here. Please only post information for Radars that you have filed yourself…"

So did you submit this to bugreport.apple.com?

R C-R wrote:
So did you submit this to bugreport.apple.com?

Yes, I did. The OpenRadar link is just a reference for other people besides myself and Apple.

Exactly same problem here. Still present with 10.6.4.

Happy (and cheap!) resolution.
Turned out to be an optical cable that needed replacing. Total cost charged by Apple Store: $12.50 plus tax.

@all.ears - Could you please provide a little more information? I would go to the apple store tomorrow if it is only a cable to replace… First time I took it had to change the hard drive and restore the system… that did not fix the issue, the only thing that works for me is to keep the computer from sleeping, it usually freezes right after waking up.

Thanks!

all.ears wrote:
Happy (and cheap!) resolution.
Turned out to be an optical cable that needed replacing. Total cost charged by Apple Store: $12.50 plus tax.

Probably just a coincidence, since I don't have any optical audio cable attached to my system and the panic was caused (beyond any doubt) by a software fault.

We only have two solutions at hand: downgrade to 10.6.2 or wait for Apple to release a fix. Trying to disable all OpenGL-related software (almost all Apple-provided and Composer-based screensavers, Quartz Extreme, games, etc.) might be a workaround, but I won't recommend it as it would be hard to implement and undo.

Just another update. My iMac started the screen/freeze/flicker/distortion after 10.6.3 combo update. I have talked to Applecare six times. Did all the trouble shooting. Still having same problem. If I stay in safe mode the machine is stable enough for me to work. I have been watching this discussion to see if there is a fix available.

Make sure that the "reduce brightness before display goes to sleep" is not checked. I have one machine with the screen going almost black and you have to power-off via the button on back. Since I unchecked that box in the System Pref, Energy Saving screen it does not happen anymore.

Al

Exact same issues on iMac 24 that was solid and stable for two years on 10.5.8. Now crashes daily since 10.6.3 upgrade. I just got the grey screen with vertical lines today. This is killing me. I'm probably going back to 10.5.8 if I can find the time to do it.

Well, re-installing combo didn't last. It got to the point where the screen would not come on at all at boot. Apple sent a repair person to the office and replaced both the logic board and the video card. Works fine now.

Al
www.ancins.com

I have had the problems for a while since I updated my OS to 10.6.4 I recently went back and reinstalled 10.6 and did the combo update to 10.6.2 and have yet to have the problem. All my problems started when I went to 10.6.3 I was really hoping it wasn't graphics card or logic board, and not since I have not had the problems for over 2 weeks, I really think it was the software.