I only have problems with randomly appearing red or green squares when I launch iPhoto and occasionally when watching video. A reboot usually fixes it until I launch iPhoto again. Anyone else see this happening?
iMac (27-inch Mid 2010), iOS 5.1
not a software problem. No one is seeing Apple scramble to write special code for these aging iMacs. They're swapping hardware out, and in some cases they're replacing entire machines. They are lemons. Why, I think relates to the generation of hardware, its compatability, cabling, sensitivity to heat and dust. The OS version doesn't matter.
Take it to the Genius Bar. Pay to get it fixed. Once they repair it, look very closely for the issue to reappear. Stay at the Genius Bar and watch it. If it's fixed, congrats, if not, chances are they'll replace your iMac or credit you toward a new purchase. Either way, it's pinned on Apple to correct the problem 100%. Don't try it on your own, because you might replace an entire machine to isolate the issue. Apple hasn't figured it out, what makes us think we can?
Agree with Soulnation that this does not seem to be something that we can troubleshoot. Still not convinced if it's a software or hardware issue but that's beside the point. It seems as though the best success has been a fresh re-install of everything. However multiple people have been finding a temporary fix only.
The only thing that ended up being successful was documenting the issue in detail and showing the Genius Bar. Was offered a significant discount on a new one and still have my old machine that I can use for a second monitor or may sell to cover more of the cost. Just not worth the time to continue troubleshooting this issue IMO.
If you take it to the apple store for repair, make sure you spend time testing it in their store afterwards. I've found just scrolling back and forth in finder quickly works well to reproduce the issue.
I understand that there is a recall for 27" iMacs from 2011. This hasn't helped me as my iMac is mid 2010.
The affected iMacs contain serial numbers with the last four characters of DHJQ, DHJW, DL8Q, DNGH, DNJ9, DMW8, DPM1, DPM2, DPNV, DNY0, DRVP, DY6F, or F610. The errors have been previously noted on both the MacRumors forums <http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1225604> and the Apple Support forums <https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3255699?start=0&tstart=0> .
I've already posted a few times in this thread, but I'll mention mine is also a mid-2010 and my video glitches do not look anything like the screenshots in either of those 2 forum links.
Also, I have never changed out my factory-installed RAM so I don't thnk 3rd party RAM is the issue as some are guessing.
:-/
I am just writing to also comment that I am still on original factory ram, not third party. Seems that we are also running the same machine and the squares that I see are different than the two recent links.
My video issues are different than the links that susanmargaret posted, too.
My issues are driving me crazy, because the machine is freezing up in the Finder so frequently - also when changing users.
So, I took the plunge to take my mid-2010 27" iMac to the Genius Bar - even though AppleCare is expired.
They, of course, insisted that the video card (~ $250) is bad. I'm going to bet that the video card replacement won't fix the issue, and I'm hoping that Apple will take responsibility somehow.
I'll report back the outcome of my "plunge".
steinmanal wrote:
They, of course, insisted that the video card (~ $250) is bad. I'm going to bet that the video card replacement won't fix the issue, and I'm hoping that Apple will take responsibility somehow.
I'll report back the outcome of my "plunge".
yeah, this is really the big question about how Apple is approaching the cost to repair to a "t". With a pentalobe-protected MBA, they give you 1 price to fix everything. With these iMacs, my thinking is they're doing diags and then tailoring charges accordingly. I think they reserve the right to keep replacing stuff and charging multiple times. If this scenario holds true, it's why I'll never buy an iMac again.
EDIT: I'll also add that I'm getitng varying freeze/glitch finder issues away from the pixel norm issue, and I think it's a Mavericks interaction with the junk hardware in these boxes. For example, you roll back to 10.6.8, chances are the iMac lights up like a Christmas tree instead of diplaying an etch-a-sketch melee.
The tech at Apple assured me that, if the video card doesn't fix the issue, then 100% of the cost of the video card would go toward whatever the next repair might be. It's not super re-assuring, since they could replace a bunch of increasingingly expensive hardware - and then issue could persist.
hahaha, awesome, way to go, Apple. 21st Century shanti auto-repair in effect right here.
"We think it's your transimission, but if it ain't, we'll say, 'aw shucks' and replace the engine next."
Thanks for putting us in the loop steinmanal. I hope they the Genius Bar knows something we don't.
jmf
steinmanal wrote:
The tech at Apple assured me that, if the video card doesn't fix the issue, then 100% of the cost of the video card would go toward whatever the next repair might be. It's not super re-assuring, since they could replace a bunch of increasingingly expensive hardware - and then issue could persist.
Yea it's definitely the video card. Called several fruits bars And apple repair centers and they all said the same thing. Apple knows about it they aren't coming up to the plate. Does anyone have corporate contact info because that's my next step I'm going to take.
My Apple Certified Repair guy replaced the video card in mine under AppleCare before Christmas. I'm following up with the fact it has not yet displayed the issue since before the video card has been replaced.
Two actions were taken:
Video card replacement, and it was time for a good dusting.
I take it to my guys for a dusting every year due to the fact we have pets.
I wonder if the dust collects on the already questionable video card and heats up which would explain the better cold performance, lack of squares?
Mine is the iMac (21.5-inch, Mid 2011)
Just to add myself to these statistics.
Late 2009 quad iMac, model 11.1
Feb 8th, evening... slight occurence of little squares, green, pink or sometimes yellow in Firefox.
Feb 9th, afternoon, frequent crashes and freezes
Feb 10th, morning. Typing this from Safe Mode, seeing 5 evenly spaced vertical pink stripes across my screen.
RAM is 3rd party and Apple
Mountain Lion, updated. Mavericks never installed.
No experimental tinkering with this computer.
No esoteric software or hacks.
No Bootcamp.
Disk utility not showing any HDD issues.
Inigine Heaven benchmark results in mess, freeze & crash.
I am afraid it sounds hardware-ish, but as many of you mentioned, it might not be...
Murphy's Law observed: Finalizing PhD. Time is short. Apple Store is far away. I have to move back to Europe in 3 weeks. Apple care does not apply anymore. Will shipping this back to Europe mean I am shipping junk? Well, there ARE worse things in life....
Cheers everyone.
...
Great many products, not only Apple, are produced today substandard (or "consumer" as they call it). those things still cost a lot, mind you. Shoes, clothes, food, electronics, machines... The resources are being spent for production of mostly un-recyclable junk. Might be my seasonal down, but... We're doomed! 😉
For the first time, instead of freezing completely, my iMac rebooted itself and generated a report with the crash information. Otherwise it was typical instance of lots of artifacts, then freeze. So perhaps this gives us a clue of what kernal extentions to go after: com.apple.iokit.IOAcceleratorFamily and com.apple.AMDRadeonX3000
Sun Feb 9 22:40:27 2014
panic(cpu 0 caller 0xffffff8007adc19e): Kernel trap at 0xffffff7f897affc1, type 14=page fault, registers:
CR0: 0x0000000080010033, CR2: 0xffffff815a73eb04, CR3: 0x00000001c1ab6000, CR4: 0x0000000000000660
RAX: 0x0000000080000000, RBX: 0x00000000000000f1, RCX: 0xffffff816938baf0, RDX: 0x00000000000000f1
RSP: 0xffffff816938ba40, RBP: 0xffffff816938ba60, RSI: 0xffffff815a73e740, RDI: 0xffffff80238cd500
R8: 0xffffff816938baf0, R9: 0xffffff8159f2ffa8, R10: 0xffffff816938b700, R11: 0x0000000000000000
R12: 0x000000000000000f, R13: 0xffffff802399ac00, R14: 0xffffff815a73e740, R15: 0xffffff80238cd500
RFL: 0x0000000000010202, RIP: 0xffffff7f897affc1, CS: 0x0000000000000008, SS: 0x0000000000000010
Fault CR2: 0xffffff815a73eb04, Error code: 0x0000000000000002, Fault CPU: 0x0
Backtrace (CPU 0), Frame : Return Address
0xffffff816938b6d0 : 0xffffff8007a22f69
...
Kernel Extensions in backtrace:
com.apple.iokit.IOAcceleratorFamily(98.7.1)[024BF8EC-2925-3C4B-ADBB-CFE36F7D41C 5]@0xffffff7f89704000->0xffffff7f8975cfff
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.8)[447B4896-16FF-3616-95A2-1C516B2A1498]@0xffffff 7f880ba000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily(2.3.6)[38E388A5-92D6-3388-B799-F2498E582287]@0 xffffff7f88480000
com.apple.AMDRadeonX3000(1.1.4)[4333F950-8969-31AB-93E2-DF7D2DE76A9F]@0xffffff7 f89769000->0xffffff7f89b09fff
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOAcceleratorFamily(98.7.1)[024BF8EC-2925-3C4B-ADBB-CFE36F7D41C 5]@0xffffff7f89704000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.8)[447B4896-16FF-3616-95A2-1C516B2A1498]@0xffffff 7f880ba000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily(2.3.6)[38E388A5-92D6-3388-B799-F2498E582287]@0 xffffff7f88480000
BSD process name corresponding to current thread: PluginProcess
Mac OS version:
13B42
Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 13.0.0: Thu Sep 19 22:22:27 PDT 2013; root:xnu-2422.1.72~6/RELEASE_X86_64
Kernel UUID: 1D9369E3-D0A5-31B6-8D16-BFFBBB390393
Kernel slide: 0x0000000007800000
Kernel text base: 0xffffff8007a00000
System model name: iMac11,3 (Mac-F2238BAE)
System uptime in nanoseconds: 342652282491946
Model: iMac11,3, BootROM IM112.0057.B01, 4 processors, Intel Core i5, 2.8 GHz, 12 GB, SMC 1.59f2
Graphics: ATI Radeon HD 5750, ATI Radeon HD 5750, PCIe, 1024 MB
Memory Module: BANK 0/DIMM0, 2 GB, DDR3, 1333 MHz, 0x80CE, 0x4D34373142353637334648302D4348392020
Memory Module: BANK 1/DIMM0, 2 GB, DDR3, 1333 MHz, 0x80CE, 0x4D34373142353637334648302D4348392020
Memory Module: BANK 0/DIMM1, 4 GB, DDR3, 1333 MHz, 0x857F, 0x483634353155363446393333334700000000
Memory Module: BANK 1/DIMM1, 4 GB, DDR3, 1333 MHz, 0x857F, 0x483634353155363446393333334700000000
AirPort: spairport_wireless_card_type_airport_extreme (0x168C, 0x8F), Atheros 9280: 4.0.74.0-P2P
Bluetooth: Version 4.2.0f6 12982, 3 services, 23 devices, 1 incoming serial ports
Network Service: Ethernet, Ethernet, en0
Serial ATA Device: WDC WD1001FALS-40Y6A0, 1 TB
Serial ATA Device: HL-DT-STDVDRW GA32N
Red and green square dots?
