iBook G4 Freezing

T

tidjane.deme

Registered
Hi all.
I am very far from any Apple Store so I thought I'd bring this up here.

I bought my laptop in October 2004 and up to yesterday here was my config :

iBOOK G4 , CPU : 1Ghz, RAM : 256 +256 (Kingston), HD : 30 GB, Airport Extreme Card
OS: 10.3.8

A few days ago this iBook froze for the first time.

Mouse and Keybords not responding. CTRL + OPTION +ESC neither. Nothing. I had to reboot (CMD + OPTION + POWER).

A few minutes later it froze again. And it kept freezing more and more until I could't even complete te booting process. Since then I t has kept freezing very regulary at any stage (before the apple splash screen, during the loading of the login window, after i logged in, ... anytime).

Here is what I did (and it all didn't work):

- I removed the extra RAM card and the Airport Extreem Card.
- I uninstalled the latest app (Sony Pupy fingerprint ID).
- I repaired permissions, reparied the disk.
- I run and Apple Hardware Test (3 freezes in the process but the one that came through read OK for everything).
- I did and "Archive and Re-install" from the DVD (10.3.4) during one of those lucky 30 mn without a freeze. It actually froze many times while booting on the install CD but one of my attemps got me though the whole install process and I even pulled a Software Update Through so I ma now again back to an up to date 10.3.8.

- I run it in Single User mode and it still freezes




Well I may have tried othe rextra things not worth mentionning. Like not moving the laptop, moving it, holding it it various positions. It really seems the freeze happen more ofteb if I move the computer but note that if I manage to close the lid beofre its freezes I can carry it in the bag and open it again without a glitch.


There. That's the spot I am in now.

Anybody who's been through this ?

PS: a shame, I was sooooo proud and boastfull with the mac, people around me were actually getting convinced it was the best computer ever made. I still am but there goes my "Prosyletizing carrer" I guess :)
 
If your system freezes even while booted to your Apple Hardware Text CD (which uses NONE of the software installed in your system) then you are likely having serious hardware issues. Reinstalling your OS X and other software troubleshooting won't accomplish much, except more frustration.

Sony Pupy fingerprint ID ? If this is a USB device, have you disconnected this and re-run the Apple Hardware Test.? Have you used your system with this disconnected?
 
Hi and thanks Delta.

Yes Sony Pupy is a USB device.
Yes I tried running without this device. Actually first thing I did was remove it and it software. No result.

I do agree with it has to be a hardware issue as it freeze 1) when booting on my HD 2) When booting on the CD 3) When running the AHT. So i concluded it's has to be hardware. Hence trying to remove my extra RAM and even Airport.

But I am miffed the Apple Hardware Test is saying 1) Airport OK 2) Logic Bord OK 3) HD OK 4) RAM OK, 5) Video Card OK. 6) Modem Detected. So what's left ?

Or is AHT not good enough ?

I also want to know if somebody had this issue whether the 1 year Guaranty will take care of it and how and how fast ?

---
Ford: it 's in times like this I wish i listenned to my mum.
Arthur: er.. what did she say ?
Ford: I don't know. I didn't listen.
 
Apple Hardware Test is a pretty good, basic hardware test. An authorized Apple Service center will have more involved utilities. Apple provides one called Apple Service Diagnostics, which does a more in depth test.
But, you said your system is freezing during the testing, so, good test or not, your system isn't working well enough to do those tests reliably, although sometimes it does, and no problems are found - but only when it didn't freeze - the diagnostic is not needed to report that the system froze. You already knew that.
So, what to do? If you have removed your RAM, and all external devices except the power adapter, and your system is freezing when booted to the hardware test CD, then that leaves you with possibly: a bad or failing hard drive, a bad or failing combo drive (less likely), or a faulty processor or logic board. Any of these would be replaceable under your warranty, and you can call Apple and request a box to ship the iBook direct to Apple for repairs. Apple even pays for shipping both ways. (Oh, leave the 3rd party memory out for now. Apple will easily blame that for the whole problem)
 
It is quite possible, that this occured due to your usb-device. Probably the courrent it takes from usb is too high - maybe because it is broken.
This can usualy occur if you use external HDD without external power-supply. Very often they take more than the permitted 500mA by USB, often nothing happens but it might.

So you should absolutely should have checked (repaired) this finger-print device, befor pluging it again.

Hope you get your things repaired!
Good luck CarrotMan
 
Well I guess you guys are right.

I 'll bet for a logic board issue or processor issue too. (I removed the usb device after the first freeze never to plug it again)

Thanks for the tips.

I'll try and get the iBook to Apple. Though I don't know how on earth I 'll manage that from where I am right now (Dakar, Senegal, West Africa). :)

And Apple's takeover of the senegalease market (I was preaching really!!!) is seback for a some time. :(
 
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