"FF:FF:FF:FF:FF:FF - you must restart your computer" and other glitches

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Level 1

15 points

"FF:FF:FF:FF:FF:FF - you must restart your computer" and other glitches

Help, please. Mt ibook sometimes starts and runs ok, other times i get the grey screen with "FF:FF:FF:FF:FF:FF - you must restart your computer".
I have searched elsewhere on discussions and found that this refers to a kernel panic, details pasted below.
I have performed hardware test from the cd, everything is fine.
I have reset the PRAM, but there is nothing wrong with date or time which leads me to look to another cause.
The one thing I haven't done is reinstall the OS. I am reluctant to do this as I am running 10.2.8, and the install disk is a much earlier version, 10.1.5. Can I perform a software restore without wiping out data or causing other conflicts?

My other question is about Disk Utility. How often should you run this, and does it prevent kernel panics?

Thanks for any help on this.

anyway, this is the error log:

Fri Oct 20 16:58:32 2006

panic(cpu 0): mapping_remove: attempt to unmap a permanent mapping - pmap = 002C8800, va = 002AF000, mapping = 01958060

Latest stack backtrace for cpu 0:
Backtrace:
0x000857F4 0x00085C24 0x000287B4 0x0008842C 0x00087484 0x0005F550 0x0008F554 0x000927B8
Proceeding back via exception chain:
Exception state (sv=0x150E6A00)
PC=0x00093308; MSR=0x00009030; DAR=0x002AFAD8; DSISR=0x0A000000; LR=0x1FCA54B8; R1=0x0FEE3020; XCP=0x0000000C (0x300 - Data access)
Backtrace:
0x1FCA54A8 0x1FCA5564 0x1FCA518C 0x1FCAC4A0 0x1FCB28F4 0x1FCAC4A0 0x1FCAF24C 0x1FCAE598
0x000C6DA0 0x001BBAE0 0x000AC854 0x000AEE58 0x000AE82C 0x001B9940 0x000BE64C 0x001DB0C4
0x0020FF8C 0x00092950 0xFF00225F
Kernel loadable modules in backtrace (with dependencies):
com.apple.iokit.IOStorageFamily(1.2.3)@0x1fca1000
Exception state (sv=0x14FFB500)
PC=0x90006C6C; MSR=0x0000F030; DAR=0xBFFFEEB0; DSISR=0x42000000; LR=0x900192D4; R1=0xBFFFF270; XCP=0x00000030 (0xC00 - System call)

Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 6.8:
Wed Sep 10 15:20:55 PDT 2003; root:xnu/xnu-344.49.obj~2/RELEASE_PPC

---------anybody speak kernelese?---------

ibook 700Mhz, Mac OS X (10.2.x), 640MB RAM

Posted on Oct 24, 2006 7:52 AM

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Answer 1

Oct 24, 2006 11:34 AM in response to Alan_01

Hi, Alan.

It is, indeed, possible that you could benefit from running Disk Utility.

A simpler way to repair the hard drive (and the only way, since you don't have the proper Install CD) is to boot into Safe Mode. This will take quite awhile longer than a normal startup because it does a file check and repair of the hard disk, the same as if you had run Disk Utility from the Install CD (which, apparently, you do not have).

You will see your normal desktop. Once completely started up in Safe Mode, restart normally, and go to Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility. Select the named boot volume in the left sidebar, ("Macintosh HD" unless you've renamed it). What is the hard drive capacity and how much space remains available on it? Repair permissions on it.

See if a little hard drive maintenance helps things out.

No, you can't go back to an earlier version of the OS without erasing the hard drive. If problems persist, you may want to consider purchasing OS X 10.2 from AppleRescue so that you can try an Archive and Install, and also so that you have the proper version of the Install CD to do maintenance. I wouldn't recommend upgrading to a newer version of the OS unless and until you get your problems sorted out.

Good luck.

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Answer 2

Dec 10, 2006 6:12 PM in response to Alan_01

You're welcome.

Enough Dual USB G3 iBooks suffered from the logic board problem that Apple began the iBook Logic Board Repair Extension Program in January of 2004. Check out the FAQ page and if the symptoms look familiar, give Apple a call. If your iBook qualifies, it's a free fix.

You can find the original purchase date of the iBook, by entering its serial number into the box toward the bottom right of the main support page under "About Your Support Coverage."

If it is past the three-year time limit (which it probably is), try calling (800) 767-2775 and ask for Customer Relations (NOT Customer Service--they can't help you) and ask them to please make an exception to the three-year limit in your case.

If the answer from Apple is absolutely, positively, "NO!" you may want to consider trying the shim fix suggested by John Sawyer elsewhere here in the Displays Forum:

[Y]ou can often fix this yourself by removing the iBook's bottom housing, and placing a shim of any sort, about 1mm to 1.5mm thick, onto the raised square on the bottom shield. I use a Scotch mounting square--you can get them in hardware stores and many grocery stores. When you reinstall the bottom case, it will press against this shim, which will press against the graphics chip, and may allow the chip to come into better contact with the logic board.
John Sawyer
CJS Macintosh Repair

Instructions for removing the lower case:

http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/50.5.0.html

If Apple doesn't come through for you and the shim fix doesn't work (or you're leery of trying it), DT & T Computer Services in Fremont, California offers the cheapest repair I've found. They have a six-month warranty on the repair.

Once you get it fixed, try never to pick it up by the left front corner alone. Rumor has it that can contribute to logic board failure when the case flexes, causing the graphics chip to come loose from the logic board. If you're picking it up in your left hand (as I often do mine), pick it up in the center under the trackpad.

Good luck.

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Answer 3

Alan_01 Author

Level 1

15 points

Dec 10, 2006 5:35 PM in response to Ronda Wilson

Wow thanks for the response Ronda,

despite subscribing to this posting, I wasn't informed that I'd had a response!

since posting the problem has deteriorated to the ridiculous!
More times than not, the ibook would start up, go to the desktop screen, then freeze, or some distorted horizontal lines would appear on the screen, flickering and then going blak and freezing. Then of course I'd get the "you must restart your computer" in 4 languages.

Anyway, following a call to the helpful man on tech support, I was informed that it sounded like a logic board problem, which is common on the 700mhz dual usb ibook.

He advised me to reboot, holding down t (hard drive mode), and i have tried holding down shift (safe mode) on restart as well. either of these have worked. So i took te matter into my own hands, attempting a software reinstall (saving current settings), which i had enough space for 2.5 Gig.

It gets towards the end of installation, then error!
I try again, still error at the same point.
Now I can't boot up at all! (flashing exclamation), and can't reinstall the software...

Thankfully, I was able to back up my entire ibook on to an equally twitchy ipod, and transferred to my lovely new macbook pro.

Still, is there anything i can do to save my ailing ibook?

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