RAM video error

You may have a problem with the video chip.

Here is how to tell...

Shutdown your machine. Hold down the shift key. Poweron. Bootup will be longer.

Wait awhile while you harddrive is being checked.

An article on how to boot into safe mode.

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1455

Runs OK in safe mode...

Running in Safe mode leaves out some video drivers. Which results in your machine not using advanced video hardware. As luck would have it, you can run the safe mode video drivers in normal mode.

Here is how:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3263472?answerId=16057567022#16057567022

Look through the above thread. See the second page. You don't have to read through the first page. Just go to the part where I try a solution that works.

Summary of G5 problems. Includes instructions on a hardware fix for the brave at heart:

See -Rotten Apple- articles in both of these threads.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4023152?tstart=0

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4043819?answerId=18700825022#18700825022

--------------------------------------------------------------

See if it works in safe mode. This should tell you whether or not it is the video chip.

The video chips are fairly big. Should be able to look at board and see manufactures name on chip. Do a google serch on chip number to verify.

Apple doesn't get down to board level repairs.

i read in a post by japamac that there were solder problems in he g5 mac. I read were people successfully re-flowed the solder on their G5 boards.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4867356?tstart=0

Thanks for your quick response, so once I'm on SM I must move and, if gone fine, delete all ATI files, right?

Yes. I'd move the files to another folder on the desktop or someother folder (not embedded in this folder). In case of problems.

As soon as I get home, will try! I hope it fixes, because many people say it's a logic board issue.

The video chip is on the logic board. So, they are technically correct.

Good luck.

Robert

Move the files to another folder

I'll repeat. Move the files to another folder. I used /System/Library/ExtensionsDisabled . This way if you move an incorrect file, you can restore the file by using safe mode or single user console.

I'd move all the files that began with ATI .

--------------------------------------------------------------

To difinitely determine the files to leave out, look at the bottom of the first page in this thread. I explain the procedure I used to figure this out.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3263472?start=0&tstart=0

Boot in safe mode. Find out what files were loaded. Do the same command in normal boot. Compare results. Only for ATI files.

Here is another way of listing the extensions. It's the command line version of System Profiler

Macintosh-HD -> Applications -> Utilities -> Terminal

system_profiler SPExtensionsDataType

system_profiler -h

for some help on system_profiler

Thanks, in case of problems just move back into the original folder in Safe Boot then normal restart?

Yes. That's the idea. Always plan for recovery before doing something big like this.

Me too. I don't want to have to recreate what I did. I am amized that I was able to figure this out.

Robert

I feel bad about the outcome. I was hoping the video issue would be resolved.

It's been awhile since I've worked on this. I have not worked on a g5 nor a machine with the problem. I have to simulate it on my g3. I have removed the ati files on my machine for a test & my machine worked.

Your procedure had extra steps but should have worked. You have increased your risk of making an error by 3.

I guess my instructions were not clear enough. I was thinking you would create a new folder on your startup drive ( which is usually Macintosh HD ) and move all the ati files to this folder.

You keep on using the work delete which I didn't understand why. I decided to stop making an issue about it.

I think that you thought you needed to get this files off of you harddrive, but you needed only to get them to an other folder.

--------------------------------------------------------------

and restarted normally, I've checked the same folder in normal boot and I don't see them anymore, but nothing has changed...

But, things worked fine in safe boot?

Movies cannot be run with VLC cause OpenGL error (a message pops up in a flash and it doesn't open)..

We have discovered that you will not be able to run movies with safe mode drivers.

I'm running 10.4.11. My machine is a little slow so I'm not able to run movies.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Restart in Safe Boot, copied all ATI files in original folder, restart normally....a message appeares saying "ATIRadeon9700.kext" hasn't been well installed and cannot be used.

Movies cannot be watched with VLC...

You need to restore "ATIRadeon9700.kext".

Maybe "Archive and Install" could be sane?

If you cannot find this file, you have these choices:

1) try to download the 10.5.8 combo update & fish it out of there

2) if not there, use pacifist to try to fish the file off of you install dvd.

3) "Archive and Install" That would seem to be the easiest approach. I've never had to do it.

I do only know I made one step behind...

I should have mentioned the it would be best if you had a full backup of the hd. I'd get anything important off the machine before proceeding.

What do you want to do now? I assume you want to get you machine back to how it worked before.

Do you want to try again? I'd then re-do the procedure on my machine to re-fresh my memory. I'd try to get someone else involved.

You could take the machine to the apple store. They will look at it for free.

I want to very that the video problem goes away when you boot in safe mode.

--------------------------------------------------------------

I did those actions: I started in Safe Boot, created a new folder and saved in desktop,

moved (copied) all files into new folder,
deleted original files, restart normally...

I have not done the procedure in awhile. I guess I should have done it again to refresh my memory.

I do not understand why you had to delete the files. Maybe you only had read access to the files. Then how did you delete them. Obviously, I forgot something.

I tried to keep original files into its folder, but nothing changed...

You mean the newly created folder, I assume.

I have a Time Machine backup, I could try to restore at a date before this issue compared...

Cannot you fish the missing file out of the timemachie backup?