iMac G5 blue screen freeze before login

[epiazza]

Getting right to the point...

My iMac G5 (running 10.4.11) freezes at the blue screen, after recognizing the mouse, but before the login window. Some form of energy saver must be working because after the blue screen dims, moving the mouse will brighten it.

Steps I've taken:
Hardware test - everything passed (RAM, logic board, airport, display, etc...)
Zeroed the computer (7 times) and fresh reinstall

I CAN boot up in Safe Mode, Single User Mode, and Verbose mode. I can boot from CD, Knoppix CD, and into Target Disk mode (thank god for this MacBook I'm on now...)

Here's the system log (I've edited in comments and out personal info):


// reboot and power on

[SIZE="2"][FONT="Tahoma"]Jan 6 21:19:02 users-imac-g5 shutdown: reboot by user:
Jan 6 21:19:02 users-imac-g5 SystemStarter[102]: authentication service (110) did not complete successfully

// gray apple screen with spinning progress bar

Jan 6 21:19:35 localhost kernel[0]: standard timeslicing quantum is 10000 us
Jan 6 21:19:35 localhost kernel[0]: vm_page_bootstrap: 124630 free pages
Jan 6 21:19:35 localhost mDNSResponder-107 (Mar 20 2005 20: 31:47)[38]: starting
Jan 6 21:19:35 localhost kernel[0]: mig_table_max_displ = 70
Jan 6 21:19:35 localhost kernel[0]: 89 prelinked modules
Jan 6 21:19:35 localhost kernel[0]: Copyright (c) 1982, 1986, 1989, 1991, 1993
Jan 6 21:19:35 localhost DirectoryService[36]: Launched version 1.8 (v346)
Jan 6 21:19:35 localhost kernel[0]: The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Jan 6 21:19:35 localhost kernel[0]: using 1310 buffer headers and 1310 cluster IO buffer headers
Jan 6 21:19:35 localhost kernel[0]: AppleKauaiATA shasta-ata features enabled
Jan 6 21:19:35 localhost kernel[0]: DART enabled
Jan 6 21:19:35 localhost kernel[0]: MacRISC4CPU: publishing BootCPU
Jan 6 21:19:35 localhost kernel[0]: FireWire (OHCI) Apple ID 52 built-in now active, GUID 001124ff fed008d2; max speed s400.
Jan 6 21:19:35 localhost kernel[0]: CSRHIDTransitionDriver::probe
Jan 6 21:19:35 localhost kernel[0]: CSRHIDTransitionDriver::start before command
Jan 6 21:19:35 localhost kernel[0]: Security auditing service present
Jan 6 21:19:35 localhost kernel[0]: BSM auditing present
Jan 6 21:19:35 localhost kernel[0]: disabled
Jan 6 21:19:35 localhost kernel[0]: rooting via boot-uuid from /chosen: 95D83CB0-689C-3E7D-830B-148E09996E89
Jan 6 21:19:35 localhost kernel[0]: Waiting on <dict ID="0"><key>IOProviderClass</key><string ID="1">IOResources</string><key>IOResourceMatch</key><string ID="2">boot-uuid-media</string></dict>
Jan 6 21:19:35 localhost kernel[0]: Got boot device = IOService:/MacRISC4PE/ht@0,f2000000/AppleMacRiscHT/pci@3/IOPCI2PCIBridge/k2-sata-root@C/AppleK2SATARoot/k2-sata@0/AppleK2SATA/ATADeviceNub@0/IOATABlockStorageDriver/IOATABlockStorageDevice/IOBlockStorageDriver/WDC WD1600JD-40HBC0 Media/IOApplePartitionScheme/Untitled@3
Jan 6 21:19:35 localhost kernel[0]: BSD root: disk0s3, major 14, minor 2
Jan 6 21:19:35 localhost kernel[0]: AppleSMU -- shutdown cause = 2
Jan 6 21:19:35 localhost kernel[0]: CSRHIDTransitionDriver::stop
Jan 6 21:19:35 localhost kernel[0]: [HCIController][start]
Jan 6 21:19:35 localhost kernel[0]: [AppleUSBHCIController][StopIsochPipeRead] - mInt1IsochInPipe = 0 - numReadsPending = 0
Jan 6 21:19:35 localhost kernel[0]: [start] 1
Jan 6 21:19:35 localhost kernel[0]: Jettisoning kernel linker.
Jan 6 21:19:35 localhost kernel[0]: Resetting IOCatalogue.
Jan 6 21:19:35 localhost kernel[0]: Matching service count = 0
Jan 6 21:19:35 localhost kernel[0]: Matching service count = 2
Jan 6 21:19:35 localhost kernel[0]: Matching service count = 2
Jan 6 21:19:35 localhost kernel[0]: Matching service count = 2
Jan 6 21:19:35 localhost kernel[0]: Matching service count = 2
Jan 6 21:19:35 localhost kernel[0]: IOHWMonitor - no Params Version !!
Jan 6 21:19:35 localhost kernel[0]: AppleSMU:: getProperty partitionAddress or length zero on partition number 0x05
Jan 6 21:19:36 localhost diskarbitrationd[30]: disk0s3 hfs 95D83CB0-689C-3E7D-830B-148E09996E89 computername /
Jan 6 21:19:37 localhost kernel[0]: UniNEnet: Ethernet address XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX
Jan 6 21:19:37 localhost launchd: Server 313f in bootstrap 1103 uid 0: "/usr/sbin/lookupd"[35]: exited abnormally: Hangup
Jan 6 21:19:37 localhost kernel[0]: AirPortPCI: Ethernet address XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX
Jan 6 21:19:38 localhost lookupd[55]: lookupd (version 365) starting - Tue Jan 6 21:19:38 2009
Jan 6 21:19:40 localhost kernel[0]: [HCIController][setupHardware] AFH Is Supported
Jan 6 21:19:40 localhost mDNSResponder: Adding browse domain local.

// blue screen

Jan 6 21:19:43 localhost kernel[0]: ATY,Aphrodite_A: vram [98000000:08000000]
Jan 6 21:19:43 localhost kernel[0]: ATY,Aphrodite_B: vram [98000000:08000000]
Jan 6 21:19:45 users-imac-g5 configd[28]: setting hostname to "users-imac-g5.local"
Jan 6 21:19:58 users-imac-g5 kernel[0]: AppleSMU::PMU vers = 0x000d006b, SPU vers = 0x2b, SDB vers = 0x01,

// 21:20:40 - mouse pointer shows up
// 21:22:00 - manual reboot to safe mode
// 21:22:30 - power on in to safe mode

Jan 6 21:23:57 localhost kernel[0]: standard timeslicing quantum is 10000 us


Thanks for any info you can provide me!

[nilsOhm]

hi there!
i have exactly the same problem!
did you find a solution?

/Nils

[epiazza]

bad news. the capacitors on the logic board were about ready to pop. i'm now the proud (and broke) owner of a new iMac. the pre-Intel processors tended to get really hot. if you take off the back of the computer and look for the chrome/silver battery-looking things that are attached to the logic board (aka motherboard), they should all be flush. if they're not, you're SOL. sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

a new logic board will run you around $800. a new computer is not much more. good luck to you, and i hope i'm wrong!

[nixgeek]

Originally Posted by epiazza

bad news. the capacitors on the logic board were about ready to pop. i'm now the proud (and broke) owner of a new iMac. the pre-Intel processors tended to get really hot. if you take off the back of the computer and look for the chrome/silver battery-looking things that are attached to the logic board (aka motherboard), they should all be flush. if they're not, you're SOL. sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

a new logic board will run you around $800. a new computer is not much more. good luck to you, and i hope i'm wrong!

I was hoping you guys weren't having this same problem, but it doesn't surprise me. The iMac G5s have all had issues with bad capacitors due to the capacitor plague from a few years ago. I have a 2nd-gen iMac G5 that's had its board replaced twice within the same year last year. Thankfully, Apple did have a repair extension program so I was covered even though my 1-year warranty was up. Apple was REALLY helpful in replacing the parts and at no cost. Unfortunately, that program expired this past December. However, there have been times when Apple has been known to replace the parts anyway, and at the very worst they will probably just charge you for labor. I knew someone with an eMac that had the same issues and though the repair extension program for that Mac was over, the parts were replaced at no charge to her. So you might want to take it to the Apple Store regardless. Be persistent, but be polite. They will be sure to help you if you're persistent but polite.

If you search the forum for threads regarding the iMac G5 and the problems they've had, you'll see some links I've posted in those threads that you can use and print out to show them that you've done your research.

Good luck to you guys.