eMac freezes randomly, open window turns into broken up jibber

i deleted RadeonATI8500GlDRiver.bundle

and it still freezes


what extension should i try now?

Well, I just got a call from Apple Store saying my emac is repaired - was bad caps- at no charge.

Look, there seems to be a lot of anxiety and frustration re this process. But, really it's not difficult.

I emailed s_jobs@apple.com and within 24 hours an exec called and we discussed the problem, she gave me a case # and said if it was a cap problem Apple would repair it at no charge. I took it in on 6/2 and just got a call from the store saying it was ready to pick up and that they replaced the logic board.

Granted,I don't know yet how it works, but I'll post once I've tested it. mj

Willoughby, go here:

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=431517&tstart=135

It's an FAQ which has a list of all of the ATI extensions to move (ie create a folder somewhere on the desktop and move all the files to it so they are not where they "should be" and thus will stop working).


MHCJ - The reason most people are apprehensive over dealing with Apple about this problem is that most people who have simply called up through the "normal" channels have been declined so much as acceptance that they indeed have a problem.

When I called and explained that I'd looked inside and seen leaking and bulging caps, there was no "Oh that isn't a good thing, let's see what we can do..." - the reply was "Well take it to an Apple tech [but we wont actually pay for anything to be repaired]".

The thing to be learned here, is to email s_jobs@apple.com, as if nothing else the person who deals with that email address will have to start getting an idea that there is indeed a problem.

I believe my eMac is also starting to exhibit this problem. I get small lines whenever there is moving video on the screen. The longer the machine is on, the worse the problem gets: currently if I turn it off and on again it stops for about an hour. No freezing, or anything like that, but it gets bad enough that watching DVDs is impossible.

I bought my eMac at the end of July 2004, right in the middle of the 'bad capacitors' problem.

eMac 1.25, iBook 1.33 Mac OS X (10.4.6)

I also emailed jobs_apple.com and got a reply by phone within 24 hours. My eMac is freezing and would have to do a manual shutdown to fix the problem. I purchased my eMac in April 05, so just over a year old and I do not have applecare. I was given a case number and asked to take it to the local apple store. I am doing that today and will let you know how it turns out. This forum has been such a great help so far.

Well, I emailed as suggested, and about a week later, I got a call from an Apple Exectutive rep. He gave me the contact number, etc. As others have said, this person wanted me to take the eMac to the Apple Store nearest me (that'd be Troy, Michigan), so they could get pictures to prove the problem.

I didn't want to be without a computer for any length of time (email, etc), so I had my old PC lined up to to use. That was when I realized it had a NIC, but not a Modem. Until I can get a modem, I won't be taking the eMac in.

Luckily, I have been able to archive the video driver files and then deleted all of them as suggested here. I have not experienced lockups yet. Any graphics intensive stuff is done now on the PC, so this machine is only for limited internet. (not an online gamer anyway).

Others have said they have gotten there computer back within a week, but I don't trust my area. Also, I'd like to read more of people sending in their eMac and getting it fixed Free No Charges. Having no job puts a real damper on paying extra costs 😟

What's the belief on the extent of this problem over time? (ie, how long do I have before just removing drivers won't stop lockups)

Well, here is the reply, I took my eMac to the Apple Store at 10:00 am Saturday morning after making an appointment with the genius bar over the internet. I gave them the case no. and the name and number of the technition I talked to at Apple Tech Support. They said they would call me if it was infact a logic board problem or leaking capacitors. They also told me they had not heard of this and have not had any come in with problems like this. Well 7 hrs later, they called me and told me to pick it up, that is was fixed, they put a new logic board and the bill came to $399.98 but no cost to me. I was elated. I love apple. Come to find out I purchased this computer on 3-7-05 and got it fixed on 6/10/06. Alot of credit to apple and to all the help on this board. It seems to be working just fine. Thanks again and I hope this can help somebody.

After picking up and testing the logic board replacement, the emac seems to be working fine. There's a 90 warranty on both the part and the repair so I guess I'll try to use it constantly for the next, now, I guess it's 88 days. Good luck everyone and just to re-iterate, the method seems to be s_jobs@apple.com, wait for a phone call from an exec (even tho' it's kind of like a note in a bottle), take it in, get it fixed, pick it up. mj

Thanks Cosmic for the info on identifying bad caps on replaced board.

I did look at one visible "+" cap. Appears to have a gold stripe on the side but is impossible to see what, if any, numbers or letters are printed on the side.
Knowing would make little difference anyway. My long term solution was to purachase the service manual with take apart directions (and photos) so that if the mobo or any other part needs replacement in the future I can do it myself. I have training on handling CRTs. If any on this post are intrested in the take apart instrucions I can email them. POW

That's not necessarily true. It depends on what the capacitors are used for. The series of capacitors that are causing the freezing problems were used in MSI boards 2-3 years ago and are now causing similar issues. The computer will boot, but all sorts of weirdness would result, depending on which of the capacitors had failed. Dell computers also have had this same issue with the same capacitors. So this isn't just an Apple issue, but any computer manufacturer using these capacitors. You can replace them, but do so only if you know what you're doing with a soldering iron. Our district has replaced the capacitors on about 80 MSI motherboards with only 2 losses (the first two we tried). So it's up to you on whether to try it or not.

ok... now I'm sure... I reloaded my eMac completely and after a 2 hours it froze and part of the screen became jibber! I've got Mac since my first Mac Classic and this is the first time I have problems with a Mac!

OK, people who had theire eMac repaired for free, was your warrenty was expired?

Now it'S time to write to the s_job adress... cross my figers and hope Apple is the type of company I always taught they were!

eMac Mac OS X (10.4.6)

Chalk me up, too. Nothing new here. I bought a 1.25 GHz eMac on 9/21/04. My serial number is G8438 ****. I had the same problem with strange, random crashes and jibbered windows. I tried every diagnostic tool and cache cleaner I could find. I eventually, two days ago, zeroed my hard drive and reloaded my OS and the problems still persisted. I was about at the end of my rope last night when a friend hipped me to this thread. I read the whole thing; it unfolds like an epistolary horror novel. But I guess I'm not alone, after all. So much for my stable, reliable Mac!

Removing the ATI files helps a bit, but I'm still crashing. The caps that I can see are bulging, not yet leaking, but I was crashing twenty or thirty times a day until I moved those files. Yikes. This is not good.

I emailed Steve Jobs today and am keeping my fingers crossed. Good luck to all out there and lets hope they do something about this soon.

Yes, mine was expired (6 months past)

I've got the same freezing problem as everyone else here (serial # G8429****) purchased August 2004. Unlike most of you, I first spent 2 days on the phone with Apple tech support since the problem got considerably worse when I upgraded to 10.4.6 last week (it's been happening on and off since 3/06). We tried every test you can possibly imagine - even to the point of erasing the hard drive and reistalling the OS, twice! And now I find it's probably a hardware issue. I, too, emailed s_jobs@apple.com yesterday. No response today. I have more than lost patience with this.

Add this serial number to the list.

G84402MXQJ8

Our machine was purchased in December of 2004. We've had freeze ups for the last several weeks, where you have to do a hard shut-down or pull the plug. Weird jibbery lines. It's happening so often, it's rendering the machine virtually useless. Popped the hatch. Sure enough, a bulging capacitor, marked with a "+" at the base and HN(M) on the side. Other capacitor is a "K." I've been a devoted Mac owner since 1989, but I'm beginning to wonder if it's all been worth it. All the extra problems because most of the world is Windows. The higher cost of a Mac, and now this, which apparently Apple has no intention of addressing. It's very upsetting, especially considering that I had to save for almost a year to buy this piece of junk.



eMac 2004 Mac OS X (10.4.6) 1.25 GHz