64 bit xeon macpro won't wakeup

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64 bit xeon macpro won't wakeup

I have an older 8 core 64 bit xeon macpro that acts like it's asleep and won't wake up even after powering off and back on. I believe that it's running 10.6 but I am not 100% sure. I just know that I haven't updated the OS in a long time because I have software that won't run on more current OS's.

When I press the start button it powers up without the chime, the fans start, and the led over the power button flashes like its asleep. Pressing the return key does not wake it up, and the mouse does not appear to receive power.

Anyone have an idea of what I can try?

I removed the hard drive and checked it as an external on another mac and there is no problem with it powering up or being read. The RAM DIMMS and video card are all firmly in place, I just have no idea what to try next.

Posted on Apr 18, 2015 2:39 PM

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Answer 1

Apr 18, 2015 2:45 PM in response to Moosetrax

Flashing power light at startup says, "Not enough working RAM to start up."

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Answer 2

Moosetrax Author

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Apr 18, 2015 2:58 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

I have 16GB of RAM installed and it was running fine until about a week ago.

Is it possible that more than one DIMM has gone bad at the same time and that is causing the problem?

Not that I doubt what you are saying I just want to be sure before replacing the RAM.

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Answer 3

Apr 18, 2015 4:45 PM in response to Moosetrax

If one of a pair is Bad, they are both unusable. You could try shuffling them around in a deterministic way, hoping to eventually get a pair that can work together.

But it may be time for some new ones.

If they have a Vendor's sticker on them, they may have a lifetime warranty.

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Answer 4

Moosetrax Author

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Apr 18, 2015 6:28 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

I'll give it a try and let you know how it turns out.

It may be a week or so until I have some free time, but, if that's what it is... it's cheaper than a new computer.

Thanks for the help!

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Answer 5

Moosetrax Author

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Apr 19, 2015 2:41 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Thank you Grant Bennet-Alder!

I made some time to check on the RAM and while it is the problem, I have a couple new questions.

When I started the macpro with the side off there were red led's on the second and third DIMM slot of both memory cards. Would this suggest that there were problems on one or both of those two slots?

After pulling all eight DIMMs I tried each pair, one at a time, in the first slot (shutting down and restarting between each pair) to see if any of the DIMMs did not work. The macpro started every time until I tried putting DIMMs in the second slot. Would this suggest that I have problems with the second (and potentially third) DIMM slot on one or both of the memory cards?

If so, were would you recommend looking for replacement memory cards?

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Answer 6

Apr 19, 2015 4:48 PM in response to Moosetrax

When I started the macpro with the side off there were red led's on the second and third DIMM slot of both memory cards. Would this suggest that there were problems on one or both of those two slots?

No, that suggests the DIMMs in those slots at that time did not pass the power-on self test and get their lights turned off. DIMM failures are thousands of times more likely than slot or card failures.

In the case of two DIMMs, the pair is installed in slot one on each card. In every other case, they are installed in pairs in adjacent slots on the same card.

There are some DIMMs available in the US on amazon, from seller KomputerBay. Be sure you are buying ECC DIMMs specifically for the Mac Pro. These have been found to run cooler and be less expensive than a lot of other outlets.

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