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

I don't know if this is just coincidence or not, but since updating my iMac to 10.6.3 it keeps on crashing. On 3 separate occasions today, whilst using my Mac the screen has gone completely black with thin white lines down it.....see pic below:

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/6SYzhCgVYEU5TBKqRfOQ1Q?feat=directlink

The fans and hard disk are still running but it will not respond to any keyboard or mouse presses - I simply have to turn it off by holding the power button in.
It will then restart as usual.

Anyone got any ideas? Do you think that if I was to re-install Mac OS X from my original install disk it could solve the issue?

Thanks

Darren

24" intel imac 2.8Ghz, Mac OS X (10.6.3)

Posted on Mar 31, 2010 2:43 PM

Reply
1,804 replies

Mar 24, 2013 3:27 PM in response to DazzaG

I have been using the original kext solution with success up until 10.8.3. The original solution copies the 10.6.2 files ATI2400Controller.kext, ATIFramebuffer.kext, and ATISupport.txt into into /System/Library/Extensions.


Then did:

chown -R root /System/Library/Extensions/ATI*

xattr -src /System/Library/Extensions/ATI*

kextcache -system-prelinked-kernel

kextcache -system-caches


When I updated to 10.8.3, instant freezes, so I did the usual. I got an error message this time about mach_kernel 32 architecture.. did not write it down though.. should have. There are no hangs, but any moving video slows the system down to a crawl, so it is not even usable.


Anyway, I have a 7,1 iMac with the ATI Radeon HD 2400 XT 128 MB card, and wondered if others had issues with the kext solution in 10.8.3?



Thanks! Jeff

Mar 24, 2013 4:09 PM in response to Community User

10.8.3 seems to be treating me right. I've got 20" early 2008 with Mountain Lion, which I installed a few weeks ago. It's been freezing as described (movable mouse, but nothing else) at least once a day. I was all set to fall back to the earlier kexts yesterday, then saw that it wanted to do the upgrade to 10.8.3, so I let that happen. Before swapping out the kext files I checked to see if they were updated. They were. Decided to leave it alone to see if there was any improvement. My system has been running smoothly since, and even seems faster. yay!


>find /System/Library/Extensions/ATIFrameBuffer.kext/ -type f | xargs ls -l

-rw-r--r-- 1 root wheel 2354 Mar 10 21:38 /System/Library/Extensions/ATIFrameBuffer.kext//Contents/Info.plist

-rwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 147280 Mar 11 17:20 /System/Library/Extensions/ATIFrameBuffer.kext//Contents/MacOS/AMDFramebuffer

-rw-r--r-- 1 root wheel 158 Mar 10 21:42 /System/Library/Extensions/ATIFrameBuffer.kext//Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeDir ectory

-rw-r--r-- 1 root wheel 80 Sep 10 2012 /System/Library/Extensions/ATIFrameBuffer.kext//Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeReq uirements

-rw-r--r-- 1 root wheel 1745 Mar 10 21:42 /System/Library/Extensions/ATIFrameBuffer.kext//Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeRes ources

-rw-r--r-- 1 root wheel 4064 Mar 10 21:42 /System/Library/Extensions/ATIFrameBuffer.kext//Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeSig nature

-rw-r--r-- 1 root wheel 466 Mar 10 21:41 /System/Library/Extensions/ATIFrameBuffer.kext//Contents/version.plist


>find /System/Library/Extensions/ATISupport.kext/ -type f | xargs ls -l

-rw-r--r-- 1 root wheel 2421 Mar 10 21:38 /System/Library/Extensions/ATISupport.kext//Contents/Info.plist

-rwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 500384 Mar 10 21:38 /System/Library/Extensions/ATISupport.kext//Contents/MacOS/AMDSupport

-rw-r--r-- 1 root wheel 154 Mar 10 21:42 /System/Library/Extensions/ATISupport.kext//Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeDirecto ry

-rw-r--r-- 1 root wheel 76 Sep 10 2012 /System/Library/Extensions/ATISupport.kext//Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeRequire ments

-rw-r--r-- 1 root wheel 1745 Mar 10 21:42 /System/Library/Extensions/ATISupport.kext//Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeResourc es

-rw-r--r-- 1 root wheel 4064 Mar 10 21:42 /System/Library/Extensions/ATISupport.kext//Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeSignatu re

-rw-r--r-- 1 root wheel 466 Mar 10 21:41 /System/Library/Extensions/ATISupport.kext//Contents/version.plist


find /System/Library/Extensions/ATI2600Controller.kext -type f | xargs ls -l

-rw-r--r-- 1 root wheel 4976 Mar 10 21:38 /System/Library/Extensions/ATI2600Controller.kext/Contents/Info.plist

-rwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 1856344 Mar 11 17:24 /System/Library/Extensions/ATI2600Controller.kext/Contents/MacOS/AMD2600Control ler

-rw-r--r-- 1 root wheel 161 Mar 10 21:42 /System/Library/Extensions/ATI2600Controller.kext/Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeD irectory

-rw-r--r-- 1 root wheel 80 Sep 10 2012 /System/Library/Extensions/ATI2600Controller.kext/Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeR equirements

-rw-r--r-- 1 root wheel 1745 Mar 10 21:42 /System/Library/Extensions/ATI2600Controller.kext/Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeR esources

-rw-r--r-- 1 root wheel 4064 Mar 10 21:42 /System/Library/Extensions/ATI2600Controller.kext/Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeS ignature

-rw-r--r-- 1 root wheel 466 Mar 10 21:41 /System/Library/Extensions/ATI2600Controller.kext/Contents/version.plist

Mar 25, 2013 1:16 AM in response to joel387

Hello everybody. My machine with this video card

Jeu de composants : ATI,RadeonHD2400

Type : Processeur graphique (GPU)

Bus : PCIe

Longueur de la voie PCIe : x16

VRAM (totale) : 128 Mo

Fournisseur : ATI (0x1002)

Identifiant ** périphérique : 0x94c8

Identifiant de révision : 0x0000

Révision de la ROM : 113-B2250A-207

Version ** gestionnaire EFI : 01.00.207


Is running faster and stable from now several days. Kext applied with combo download.There is only one exception : when running a virtual machine (Windows) with VMWare Fusion, system freeze or slow down dramaticaly. Any idea is welcome.


Regards.

Mar 25, 2013 6:44 AM in response to Community User

Jeff,


I have the same Mac, same ATI Radeon HD 2400 XT 128 MB card. Updated to 10.8.3 via combo update. Worked for about 1.5 hrs. Then froze. Subsequent restarts even froze the mouse. Continued to try to restart. Eventually started. I had kext fix files in a folder on my desktop for just this emergency. Quickly ran it … All is OK one week later.


It appeaers that for some with ATI 2600 combo update works but for ATI 2400 not so much.

Suggest you use Flash Disk or DVD copy Mountain Lion and Time Machine to revert to an earlier system. Copy the kext files to your desktop. Try combo update again. You will have problems getting it to do a stable restart but it will for a while. It finally did for me. Then quickly run kext fix.

Must Include:

ATIFramebuffer.kext

ATISupport.kext

As well as controller. kext files

Bob

Mar 25, 2013 7:24 PM in response to Roelof2

I'm not sure if I did the combo update or not.


Software OS X 10.8.3 (12D78)


But I'm pretty sure it was the same list of fixes:

About OS X Mountain Lion Update v10.8.3 (Combo)

The 10.8.3 update is recommended for all OS X Mountain Lion users and includes features and fixes that improve the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac, including the following:

  • The ability to redeem iTunes gift cards in the Mac App Store using your Mac's built-in camera
  • Boot Camp support for installing Windows 8
  • Boot Camp support for Macs with a 3TB hard drive
  • A fix for an issue that could cause a file URL to quit apps unexpectedly
  • A fix for an issue that may cause Logic Pro to become unresponsive when using certain plug-ins

A fix for an issue that may cause audio to stutter on 2011 iMacs

Includes Safari 6.0.3


In any event, it's been up for 26 hours now.

Mar 26, 2013 5:28 AM in response to benimac

It appears that some logging in here are new, and have not heard of Krysztof Turek's kext fix for this problem. His fix is for ATI cards in older iMacs. After 10.6.3 (2009) these Macs have been crashing. My understanding is that it has something to do with some dispute between ATI and Apple. Anyhow Apple keeps trying to rewrite drivers for the cards and they don't work. We have to go back to the drivers pre-10.6.3. This brilliant Krysztof Turek came up with this fix that reinstalls the older drivers. Nearly every upgrade since 10.6.3 has needed this fix because apple upgrades overwrite them. The files are dated Aug 3, 2009.

I can't find the source of the files anymore. I downloaded them a while back and stored them in my desktop.


Directions are on Krysztof Turek's blog at: http://blog.krzysztof-turek.com/apple-imac-8-1-freeze-problem-solution-en/


I zipped and placed all the files and the install app on my public Dropbox. Anyone can download it here: (hope this works!)


https://dl.dropbox.com/u/90315541/Krysztof%20Turek%27s%20Fix.zip


Good luck


Bob

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

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