CTO iMac, 3.6Ghz i5, 8Gb RAM random freezes

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Level 1

133 points

CTO iMac, 3.6Ghz i5, 8Gb RAM random freezes

Hello to you all,

from day 1, October the 13th, my CTO iMac freezes randomly; it has frozen a total of 8 times, 3 of them during the last Apple Keynote, on October the 20th.

When it freezes and there is sound going, it continuously repeats the last sounds, very fast, and the first time this scared me a lot: the first time I thought the loudspeakers broke up (loud scratchy noises, like bangs).
In the other cases, the iMac just freezes, stays there, no heat, no fans going. So here what I've already done:

(1) Contacted Apple, they suggested to (and I did):
(2) Check disk - no problems
(3) Check permission - no problems, solved some inconsistencies
(4) Zap PRAM
(5) Run Hardware Test (I ran the full HW test, all is ok)

And I:

(6) Updated to 10.6.5 and to what System Update was telling me to. (10.6.5 was updated from Combo, as I always do with large system updates)
(7) Checked the temperature of the processor and other temperatures, are all ok
(8) Stressed the iMac with Call Of Duty 4, with the help of a gamer, he played for two hours two times, no freeze.

Until the end of october I had the iMac connected to my router with a Ethernet to power line communication adapter, so thinking that the problem could be related to noise on the power line, I stopped using them and, until today, the problem seemed solved.

Today, after 22 days after the last freeze, I've launched a check of one of my external HD with Sophos Antivirus (I have some Windows files there) and went to lunch. When back, the iMac was frozen, keyboard unresponsive, black screen (should this coming from power save mode).

Details:

(a) iMac i5@3.6 Ghz 8 Gb RAM, all of them same brand (0x80AD)
(b) Bluetooth keyboard and mouse
(c) Time Machine active, the TM HD normally is off, I decide when to make it.
(d) I have the full system.log; there are some errors that I can't explain, but they not always are followed by the freeze.

I've deleted the Chrome App, that was active in some cases; and almost always Safari was running.

I report pieces of my system.log just before the freezes:

(I)

Oct 13 15:07:01 Bugfixer PubSubAgent[298]: SQL Error: SQLITE_CANTOPEN[14.0]: Database file not found
Oct 13 15:09:53 localhost com.apple.launchd[1]: * launchd[1] has started up. *
Oct 13 15:09:57 localhost DirectoryService[15]: Improper shutdown detected

(II)

Oct 15 20:13:03 Bugfixer configd[13]: Hibernate Statistics
Oct 15 20:13:03 Bugfixer configd[13]: Kernel WDDMService com.apple.powermanagement.applicationresponse.cancelled
Oct 15 20:13:13 Bugfixer configd[13]: PMConnection mDNSResponder com.apple.powermanagement.applicationresponse.slowresponse 759 ms
Oct 15 20:13:49 localhost com.apple.launchd[1]: * launchd[1] has started up. *
Oct 15 20:13:53 localhost DirectoryService[15]: Improper shutdown detected

(III, this happened TWO times in a very similar way)

Oct 20 18:53:44 Bugfixer [0x0-0x28028].com.google.Chrome[288]: objc[302]: Class TaskOperation is implemented in both /Applications/Google Chrome.app/Contents/Versions/7.0.517.41/Google Chrome Helper.app/Contents/MacOS/../../../Google Chrome Framework.framework/Google Chrome Framework and /Applications/Google Chrome.app/Contents/Versions/7.0.517.41/Google Chrome Framework.framework/Internet Plug-Ins/PDF.plugin/Contents/MacOS/PDF. One of the two will be used. Which one is undefined.
Oct 20 18:53:44 Bugfixer [0x0-0x28028].com.google.Chrome[288]: objc[302]: Class WorkerPoolObjC is implemented in both /Applications/Google Chrome.app/Contents/Versions/7.0.517.41/Google Chrome Helper.app/Contents/MacOS/../../../Google Chrome Framework.framework/Google Chrome Framework and /Applications/Google Chrome.app/Contents/Versions/7.0.517.41/Google Chrome Framework.framework/Internet Plug-Ins/PDF.plugin/Contents/MacOS/PDF. One of the two will be used. Which one is undefined.
Oct 20 18:54:49 Bugfixer [0x0-0x28028].com.google.Chrome[288]: 2010-10-20 18:54:49.788 Google Chrome Helper[302:207] __CFServiceControllerBeginPBSLoadForLocalizations received error 1100 from bootstrap lookup2
Oct 20 18:58:50 Bugfixer fontd[171]: query/build result time = 0.216912 sec
Oct 20 19:42:14 Bugfixer com.apple.backupd-auto[362]: Not starting scheduled Time Machine backup - time machine destination not resolvable.
Oct 20 19:51:37 localhost com.apple.launchd[1]: * launchd[1] has started up. *
Oct 20 19:51:42 localhost DirectoryService[15]: Improper shutdown detected

(IV)

Oct 20 20:19:47 Bugfixer Nikon Message Center 2[198]: terminate
Oct 20 20:19:47 Bugfixer com.apple.launchd.peruser.501[163] (com.apple.CSConfigDotMacCert-bugfixer@me.com-SharedServices[189]): Exited with exit code: 1
Oct 20 20:20:40 Bugfixer login[217]: USER_PROCESS: 217 ttys000
Oct 20 20:22:30 Bugfixer [0x0-0x17017].com.apple.Safari[223]: FlateDecode: decoding error: incorrect data check.
Oct 20 21:27:18 localhost com.apple.launchd[1]: * launchd[1] has started up. *
Oct 20 21:27:21 localhost DirectoryService[15]: Improper shutdown detected
(V)
Oct 27 19:31:48 Bugfixer apsd-ft[204]: <APSCourier: 0x1022076f0>: Stream error occurred for <APSTCPStream: 0x102103e00>: Error Domain=kCFErrorDomainCFNetwork Code=2 UserInfo=0x10223f400 "The operation couldn’t be completed. (kCFErrorDomainCFNetwork error 2.)"
Oct 27 19:31:49 Bugfixer ntpd[25]: bind() fd 25, family 30, port 123, scope 4, addr fe80::cabc:c8ff:fe89:f4b8, in6is_addrmulticast=0 flags=0x11 fails: Can't assign requested address
Oct 27 19:31:49 Bugfixer ntpd[25]: unable to create socket on en0 (7) for fe80::cabc:c8ff:fe89:f4b8#123
Oct 27 19:31:52 Bugfixer configd[13]: network configuration changed.
Oct 27 19:31:52 Bugfixer configd[13]: Sleep: Success - AC - Software Sleep
Oct 27 19:31:52 Bugfixer configd[13]: Wake: Success - AC - EHC2
Oct 27 19:31:52 Bugfixer configd[13]: Hibernate Statistics
Oct 27 19:32:02 Bugfixer SoftwareUpdateCheck[351]: Checking for updates
Oct 27 19:32:05 Bugfixer apsd-ft[204]: <APSCourier: 0x1022076f0>: Received connected response OK
Oct 27 19:32:08 Bugfixer ntpd[25]: time reset -0.514471 s
Oct 27 19:32:22 Bugfixer loginwindow[35]: no spins reported for this wake
Oct 27 19:32:22 Bugfixer [0x0-0x31031].backupd-helper[343]: Not starting Time Machine backup after wake - failed to resolve alias to backup volume
Oct 27 19:33:59 Bugfixer SoftwareUpdateCheck[351]: SWU: scan found 0 products:
Oct 27 19:33:59 Bugfixer com.apple.launchd[1] (com.apple.suhelperd[352]): Exited with exit code: 2
Oct 27 19:33:59 Bugfixer com.apple.launchd.peruser.501[164] ([0x0-0x33033].SoftwareUpdateCheck[351]): Exited with exit code: 102
Oct 27 19:48:58 Bugfixer com.apple.backupd-auto[369]: Not starting scheduled Time Machine backup - time machine destination not resolvable.
Oct 27 19:52:50 localhost com.apple.launchd[1]: * launchd[1] has started up. *
Oct 27 19:52:56 localhost blued[17]: Apple Bluetooth daemon started
Oct 27 19:52:56 localhost DirectoryService[15]: Improper shutdown detected
(VI)
Oct 29 20:35:23 Bugfixer [0x0-0x6c06c].com.google.Chrome[650]: objc[704]: Class TaskOperation is implemented in both /Applications/Google Chrome.app/Contents/Versions/7.0.517.41/Google Chrome Helper.app/Contents/MacOS/../../../Google Chrome Framework.framework/Google Chrome Framework and /Applications/Google Chrome.app/Contents/Versions/7.0.517.41/Google Chrome Framework.framework/Internet Plug-Ins/PDF.plugin/Contents/MacOS/PDF. One of the two will be used. Which one is undefined.
Oct 29 20:35:23 Bugfixer [0x0-0x6c06c].com.google.Chrome[650]: objc[704]: Class WorkerPoolObjC is implemented in both /Applications/Google Chrome.app/Contents/Versions/7.0.517.41/Google Chrome Helper.app/Contents/MacOS/../../../Google Chrome Framework.framework/Google Chrome Framework and /Applications/Google Chrome.app/Contents/Versions/7.0.517.41/Google Chrome Framework.framework/Internet Plug-Ins/PDF.plugin/Contents/MacOS/PDF. One of the two will be used. Which one is undefined.
Oct 29 20:35:23 Bugfixer [0x0-0x6c06c].com.google.Chrome[650]: [650:24579:7185168778315:ERROR:/b/slave/chrome-official-mac/build/src/net/socke t/clientsocket_poolbase.cc(935)] No pending request for backup job.
Oct 29 20:37:14 localhost com.apple.launchd[1]: * launchd[1] has started up. *
Oct 29 20:37:18 localhost DirectoryService[15]: Improper shutdown detected
(VII)
Nov 21 13:01:27 Bugfixer Safari[523]: Error: Embedded profile header length is greater than data length.
Nov 21 13:01:27 Bugfixer [0x0-0x43043].com.apple.Safari[523]: Sun Nov 21 13:01:27 Bugfixer.local Safari[523] <Error>: Error: Embedded profile header length is greater than data length.
Nov 21 13:01:27 Bugfixer Safari[523]: Error: Embedded profile header length is greater than data length.
Nov 21 13:01:27 Bugfixer [0x0-0x43043].com.apple.Safari[523]: Sun Nov 21 13:01:27 Bugfixer.local Safari[523] <Error>: Error: Embedded profile header length is greater than data length.
Nov 21 13:03:17 Bugfixer SafariSyncClient[535]: LightweightMallornLoginSession is registered.
Nov 21 13:03:17 Bugfixer [0x0-0x46046].com.apple.Safari[532]: 2010-11-21 13:03:17.506 SafariSyncClient[535:903] LightweightMallornLoginSession is registered.
Nov 21 13:06:43 Bugfixer mDNSResponder[26]: Double NAT (external NAT gateway address 10.35.235.89 is also a private RFC 1918 address)
Nov 21 13:37:19 localhost bootlog[39]: BOOT_TIME: 1290343027 0
Nov 21 13:37:08 localhost com.apple.launchd[1]: * launchd[1] has started up. *
Nov 21 13:37:21 localhost fseventsd[31]: event logs in /.fseventsd out of sync with volume. destroying old logs. (9521 14 10864)
Nov 21 13:37:21 localhost fseventsd[31]: log dir: /.fseventsd getting new uuid: ACDF7605-4E75-445B-8081-3DBAA31EE377
Nov 21 13:37:22 localhost DirectoryService[36]: Improper shutdown detected
Thanks for your attention.

iMac 3.6Ghz i5,8Gb - iPhone 3G, iPad, Mac OS X (10.6.5)

Posted on Nov 21, 2010 12:30 PM

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Answer 1

babowa

Level 9

78,562 points

Nov 21, 2010 12:52 PM in response to Bugfixer

Do you have this antivirus software installed on your Mac OS or Windows partition (if you have one)?

I am not at all familiar with those products, but I have read several posts here of quite a few of them causing havoc on the Mac OS and, looking through the log entries, it seems that bugfixer is causing a problem. Again, I'm not familiar with antivirus software since I don't have it (and there are no viruses for Mac at this time) - is this "bugfixer" part of that app? Take a look at their Mac forum which has several threads on freezes:

http://openforum.sophos.com/t5/MacTalk/ct-p/FTT_MAC

Also, did that software also install an app called Growl? Several people have had problems with that one.

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Answer 2

Bugfixer Author

Level 1

133 points

Nov 21, 2010 1:14 PM in response to babowa

Barbara Daniels1 wrote:
Do you have this antivirus software installed on your Mac OS or Windows partition (if you have one)?

I am not at all familiar with those products, but I have read several posts here of quite a few of them causing havoc on the Mac OS and, looking through the log entries, it seems that bugfixer is causing a problem. Again, I'm not familiar with antivirus software since I don't have it (and there are no viruses for Mac at this time) - is this "bugfixer" part of that app? Take a look at their Mac forum which has several threads on freezes:

http://openforum.sophos.com/t5/MacTalk/ct-p/FTT_MAC

Also, did that software also install an app called Growl? Several people have had problems with that one.

Barbara,

Sophos is installed on MacOS, but I've installed it only a couple of days ago. And tonight I've removed, I don't need it anymore.

Bugfixer is my nickname and also a String I've used to replace the name of my iMac before posting on Apple Discussions.

Growl is NOT installed. Thanks for your visit.

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Answer 3

Paul_31

Level 6

14,172 points

Nov 21, 2010 1:16 PM in response to Bugfixer

It might be worth uninstalling Sophos as it seems some people seem to have problems with it looking at the forums:
http://openforum.sophos.com/t5/Sophos-Anti-Virus-for-Mac-Home/bd-p/FTTMACMAGNET
http://openforum.sophos.com/t5/forums/searchpage/tab/message?location=Board%3AFT TMACMAGNET&q=bootcamp#message-list
Sophos should have put an uninstaller in your Applications folder to make it easy. If it proves not to be the problem you can easily re-install.

Edited: Ignore me, I see you've already uninstalled it - our posts crossed in the night 🙂

Message was edited by: Paul_31

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Answer 4

WZZZ

Level 6

13,238 points

Nov 21, 2010 4:18 PM in response to Bugfixer

Did you remove Sophos before or after the latest freeze? Nothing is really popping out from those logs. One thing you could try -- but since these are so random it might not be that worthwhile -- is to see if you get these freezes logged in from a new Admin Account.

You may have mentioned this already, but what USB devices, besides the keyboard and mouse, do you have plugged in? If you have any, I would remove all of them and then put them back in one by one.

Message was edited by: WZZZ

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Answer 5

Bugfixer Author

Level 1

133 points

Nov 21, 2010 11:29 PM in response to WZZZ

WZZZ wrote:
Did you remove Sophos before or after the latest freeze? Nothing is really popping out from those logs. One thing you could try -- but since these are so random it might not be that worthwhile -- is to see if you get these freezes logged in from a new Admin Account.

You may have mentioned this already, but what USB devices, besides the keyboard and mouse, do you have plugged in? If you have any, I would remove all of them and then put them back in one by one.

Message was edited by: WZZZ

WZZZ,

Sophos was removed after the last freeze, and installed a couple of days before, so maybe the last freeze could be related to that.

USB devices: keyboard and mouse are bluetooth, so no USB devices are normally connected. It has to be said that when I had the most frequent freezes I had a aluminum keyboard connected with a mouse attached; and I had the very first freeze while trying to connect my old TM backup coming from my previous Mac... Is there something I don't know about USB and iMac freeze?

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Answer 6

WZZZ

Level 6

13,238 points

Nov 22, 2010 4:35 AM in response to Bugfixer

USB devices can be responsible. I was using an SD card reader that would cause freezes. But I'm not assuming your USB was the culprit. Maybe it was the Sophos. Time will tell.

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Answer 7

Bugfixer Author

Level 1

133 points

Nov 24, 2010 8:46 AM in response to WZZZ

WZZZ wrote:
USB devices can be responsible. I was using an SD card reader that would cause freezes. But I'm not assuming your USB was the culprit. Maybe it was the Sophos. Time will tell.

WZZZ,

This remembers me that my old keyboard and mouse were connected to the iMac with a D-Link USB hub. Thinking...

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Answer 8

Nov 24, 2010 11:43 PM in response to Bugfixer

Hi Bugfixer.

I following you in others topics becouse I've the same problem and the same configuration in my Imac.
Last week I took my computer to be repaired to a premium reseller store. I have been told they have done several tests of HW, and have not found any problems. All tests have been passed correctly. No freezes during the tests.
Now they will test the system. If you have any news that might help you as you commented.

Greetings

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Answer 9

Bugfixer Author

Level 1

133 points

Nov 25, 2010 1:33 AM in response to navginrau

navginrau wrote:
Hi Bugfixer.

I following you in others topics becouse I've the same problem and the same configuration in my Imac.
Last week I took my computer to be repaired to a premium reseller store. I have been told they have done several tests of HW, and have not found any problems. All tests have been passed correctly. No freezes during the tests.
Now they will test the system. If you have any news that might help you as you commented.

Greetings

Hi navginrau,

thanks, let's update the threads as soon as we've got news, It's the better thing to do. At the moment I'm working on an USB-related influence, but I'm keeping the system USB clear for more days before to connect again my USB hub from D-link. In the meanwhile it seems that USB disks don't give any problem.

-- B.

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Answer 10

Nov 27, 2010 6:22 AM in response to Bugfixer

Hi.

My iMac has become a freeze again. I've noticed that keyboard and mouse are switched off completely, and the shift key does not turn on the light when the computer is locked. It can be the cause of the crashes?

Thanks.

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Answer 11

Bugfixer Author

Level 1

133 points

Nov 27, 2010 6:40 AM in response to navginrau

Interesting. Just a question: is the keyboard connected directly to the iMac or there is an external hub? Is the mouse connected to the keyboard? Btw, on the keyboard there is a USB hub.

Try - if you can - to use separated USB ports or, better, bluetooth keyboard and mouse...

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Answer 12

Nov 27, 2010 6:51 AM in response to Bugfixer

Bugfixer, my keyboard and mouse are bluetooth. I have taken my Imac to Apple Premium shop and have found no HW error. Have been used to perform the test keyboard and mouse cable. They have not been freezes before.

Is it possible that the keyboard and mouse is the cause?

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Answer 13

Bugfixer Author

Level 1

133 points

Nov 27, 2010 8:33 AM in response to navginrau

navginrau wrote:
Bugfixer, my keyboard and mouse are bluetooth. I have taken my Imac to Apple Premium shop and have found no HW error. Have been used to perform the test keyboard and mouse cable. They have not been freezes before.

Is it possible that the keyboard and mouse is the cause?

No, I don't think so. It could be a possibility if they were USB, maybe connected to a USB HUB; I think it would anyway be strange that Apple mouse and keyboard don't work with an iMac, right?

Have you any other USB peripheral connected?

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Answer 14

Nov 27, 2010 8:56 AM in response to Bugfixer

Do not have anything connected in USB, only one I have a FireWire hard drive, but sometimes freezed with nothing connected. Today I freezed, I put the log in case you find something strange.

Giner.local WindowServer[117] <Error>: kCGErrorFailure: Set a breakpoint @ CGErrorBreakpoint() to catch errors as they are logged.
27/11/10 14:13:16 apsd-ft[191] <APSCourier: 0x10190a070>: Stream error occurred for <APSTCPStream: 0x10181a750>: Error Domain=NSPOSIXErrorDomain Code=57 UserInfo=0x101a08b30 "The operation couldn’t be completed. Socket is not connected"
27/11/10 14:13:16 apsd-ft[191] <APSCourier: 0x10190a070>: Stream error occurred for <APSTCPStream: 0x101a31ae0>: Error Domain=kCFErrorDomainCFNetwork Code=2 UserInfo=0x10010b880 "The operation couldn’t be completed. (kCFErrorDomainCFNetwork error 2.)"
27/11/10 14:13:32 apsd-ft[191] <APSCourier: 0x10190a070>: Received connected response OK
27/11/10 14:54:30 com.apple.launchd[1] * launchd[1] has started up. *

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Answer 15

Bugfixer Author

Level 1

133 points

Nov 27, 2010 9:34 AM in response to navginrau

navginrau wrote:
Do not have anything connected in USB, only one I have a FireWire hard drive, but sometimes freezed with nothing connected. Today I freezed, I put the log in case you find something strange.

Giner.local WindowServer[117] <Error>: kCGErrorFailure: Set a breakpoint @ CGErrorBreakpoint() to catch errors as they are logged.
27/11/10 14:13:16 apsd-ft[191] <APSCourier: 0x10190a070>: Stream error occurred for <APSTCPStream: 0x10181a750>: Error Domain=NSPOSIXErrorDomain Code=57 UserInfo=0x101a08b30 "The operation couldn’t be completed. Socket is not connected"
27/11/10 14:13:16 apsd-ft[191] <APSCourier: 0x10190a070>: Stream error occurred for <APSTCPStream: 0x101a31ae0>: Error Domain=kCFErrorDomainCFNetwork Code=2 UserInfo=0x10010b880 "The operation couldn’t be completed. (kCFErrorDomainCFNetwork error 2.)"
27/11/10 14:13:32 apsd-ft[191] <APSCourier: 0x10190a070>: Received connected response OK
27/11/10 14:54:30 com.apple.launchd[1] * launchd[1] has started up. *

I've similar errors all around my syslog, they could be related. The WindowServer should be the process the graphics interface, and I've a lot of those messages around. I'll investigate.

The other message is related to a socket, this can happen if a process has no response from an internal or external process or resource, but I've seen on Internet that this kind of messages is close to a sleep/wake up sequence, so maybe a process could be not ready. "kCFErrorDomainCFNetwork error 2" could mean that the iMac is awake, but the network is still coming up, so a request fails.

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