memory question for G3 233

Welcome to Apple Discussions.

PC133 RAM may not work with older iMacs. I never had problems with my iMac 400MHz though. To check if the RAM is there open Finder> Apple Menu > Apple System Profiler > Memory - then look what is available in each slot.

As your machine has not made odd beeps at start-up (a sure sign of iffy RAM) the issue is more likely this:

OS 9 does not have dynamic memory handling even though you have installed more (great!) you now need to tell each individual application to use it. (OS X removes this issue and automatically assigns memory.)

If you click on an Application icon within the Finder (Your web browser - M$ Internet Explorer?) before you load it and choose Finder> File Menu > Get Info down at the bottom you will see Minimum and Prefered Memory boxes. Increase both of these from the normal pathetically small sizes they are and this will allow you to increase the memory assigned to that particular application. Then load the application.

If you go to Finder> Apple Menu > About the Finder (? or similar) you will see a graph of memory usage against open applications.

Hopefully that will solve your problem.

Always back-up your data before conducting an OS upgrade

Before you install Jaguar you must update your iMac's firmware. Please see the following page before letting OS X near your machine.

regards

mrtotes

Here it is step by step. (I haven't done this for about 4 years (the Mac world has moved on!!!) so I may get the exact phrasing slightly wrong.

First check how much RAM your iMac has:

• Once the computer has started up go to the Apple Menu > Apple System Profiler
• Click the Memory Tab
• Look for J13/DIMM 32Mb / J14/SODIMM 256Mb or something similar. Is your new RAM there?

If yes:

How to change memory assignment to an Application/Programme:

• Open Macintosh HD
• Open Applications
• Single Click on the Programme you want to change the memory assignment of (i.e. IE).
• Go to the File Menu and select "Get Info"
  
• Look in the Get Info dialogue Box for "Minimum" and "Prefered" memory sizes.
  
• Increase these two values in 10% steps until your programme works correctly.
  

NOTE:

• You cannot change the memory allocated to the programme whilst it is loaded.
  
• OS 9 and this memory allocation is very last century - hence the odd system and lack of books.
  

Go to Apple Menu > "About this Mac" to see a chart of memory usage against programme.

As for the logic board: You currently have a 233MHz board which has 2Mb or 6 VRAM and a ATA/33 IDE and no Firewire. You may be able to fit a 333MHz logic board with 6Mb VRAM and still no Firewire. The 233Mhz - 333MHz iMacs were called "Tray Loaders". You have a Revision A or B iMac. The 350MHz - 700MHz iMac logic boards are a different shape and belong to the "Slot Loading" iMacs. The 400MHz logic boards and above feature Firewire (very very useful).

Is that slightly clearer? I do have difficulties elocuting myself sometimes!! ;-)Anything else you need just shout...

mrotes

thanks for explaining that more clearly - it's been so long!!!

Diamond,

I made a couple of slight errors in the exaxct phrasing:

To check how much memory each Application is using:

Click Apple Menu > choose "About this Computer". This will tell you the total RAM in your computer and how much each application loaded at that instant is using.

To see How much RAM is available in Each Slot:

Click on the Apple Menu > Choose Apple System Profiler > Click on the "System Configuration" tab > Click on the "memory" arrow > and click again on the "Built-in Memory" arrow.

You should now see a list of two items (one for each memory slot). My Powerbook has slots labelled J13/J14, the iMac may have different numbers. This allows you to confirm that your RAM is installed correctly (I'm sure it is! - Crucial are good for this kind of thing.)

You should have Virtual Memory switched on at 1Mb more than the amount of physical RAM you have. i.e. 321MB VM if you have 64Mb and 256Mb memory cards.

RAM Disk should be off unless you know what you need it for.

mrtotes

To me this means one of two things:

• You were sold a 128Mb DIMM.
• Your iMac isn't recognising the DIMM.

I'd suggest taking your RAM back to the supplier to start with (perhaps with a print out of a screen grab of Apple System Profiler to prove your point).

To do a screen grab on a Mac hold down <apple><shift> and <3> togther (if you have the volume up you'll hear a camera shutter noise) then a picture file will be saved to the desktop named "Picture 1".

Here's some more detail about your iMac (If you have 6Mb VRAM (check in Apple System Profiler!) you have a Revision B rather than A but they were much the same.)

mrtotes

I got an SD card with the wrong sticker on it (luckily I got 2Gbs when I paid for 1Gb) so it's easily done.

RAM Speeds are as follows:

• PC133 = 133MHz
• PC100 = 100MHz
• PC66 = 66MHz.

Your iMac's memory bus speed is 66MHz RAM so regardless oif whether you get PC66/100/133 RAM your iMac will force it to to run at 66MHz (as that's all your iMac can do!) - it conforms to the lowest common denominator - which in this case is the iMac's memory bus.

Some newer PC133 RAM doesn't run well at the lower speeds though - hence why I said in my first post to you that PC133 may not be compatible with your iMac.

Just shout if you need any further assistance.

regards

mrtotes