PowerMac G5 keeps crashing

I found a similar topic that was archived and unanswered so I'll start it again to see if I can get some help here.

Problem: At random times in my work flow my Mac will freeze up and a screen will come up with the alert to restart my computer in three different languages.

I have tried the solution of removing the memory that I installed about six months ago and it worked well for about six hours. Then this morning while I was working again it did the same thing to me. Any help would be much appreciated. I'm just about to the point where I take the whole thing in to a specialist in Phoenix.

Mac G5, Mac OS X (10.3.9)

Posted on Jan 3, 2007 10:33 AM

24 replies

Jan 3, 2007 4:56 PM in response to p&t

I have the same problem with my g5 tower. Except i
think my kernal panic was something different. It
didn't say nvidea, Do you think mine could be caused
from the same thing. If I put my computer in target
disk mode then it will run as long as i need it to.
or when i was doing the aht it ran until i shut down
the computer. I went to install the orignal software
and the computer and the computer wont last thru the
setting up of the hard drive. Any help would be
greatly apperciated.

Try the same things that were recommended earlier in this thread: run AHT, memtest, applejack, etc. The latest kernel panic log can also be useful.

Jan 4, 2007 8:21 AM in response to Steve Boultbee

Thanks for the tutorial. The towers were purchased at the same time and both at the end of 2004. So I'm going to try it to see what I can come up with and I'll let you know what I find out. When the crashes started to happen I was just completing a project so I'm in a good place to upgrade my system. I'll let you know what I come up with.

Jan 4, 2007 9:24 AM in response to PapaSnowSmurf

I have installed the other AGP card and they are the same card. I'll let you know if it crashes again then I'll post the new panic log. Thanks again for all of you usefull knowledge.

Do you know of a place where I can get a new AGP card if that is my problem.

Jan 4, 2007 10:07 AM in response to PapaSnowSmurf

Should you need a new video card, OWC has several for sale. http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/video/hardware/

Jan 4, 2007 10:37 AM in response to Steve Boultbee

So far so good with this other card. Now, how do I dertermine that this is my problem? Does it just take time to figure out.

Jan 4, 2007 10:47 AM in response to PapaSnowSmurf

It's just time, really. If you can go longer with this new card longer than you ever could on the old card, then it's likely the problem. You could also try putting the card you removed into the other G5 and see if it causes that one to kernel panic. Just make sure that any data that's on the other computer is backed up... You don't want to lose anything due to a kernel panic.

Jan 4, 2007 1:11 PM in response to Steve Boultbee

Well, I have switched cards from the machines. Neither one has crashed in the space of an hour an a half. I don't know what else to do besides getting Applejack or memtest. For right now I think I'll just wait unless you have any other idea's.

Jan 4, 2007 1:24 PM in response to PapaSnowSmurf

Well the card that has given me problems has now crashed the other PowerMac and is asking me to shut down. Now I know that is what it was. Thanks so much for your help in this situation and I hope now I won't have to go through this again.

Jan 4, 2007 2:15 PM in response to PapaSnowSmurf

Glad you were able to get it sorted out.

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PowerMac G5 keeps crashing