MacPro broken?

M

moroandrea

Registered
Hi Guys

unfortunately I think my MacPro has gone. After have replace the HD, the video card (buying a new Radeon 3870), initialized the HD with a fresh Leopard setup, removed the spare ram that I added next I bought the Mac (but I also remove completely the orginal one - removing the plug-ing card) my mac when boot or when resume from wake process start to show scrambled coloured images.

Suddenly the mouse stops to respond to the clicks and keyboard too. I need to hard turn-off the Mac.

I suspect it's the CPU (a Xeon) or even the mother board, but the Apple diagnostic doesn't reveal anything strange. All tests pass without fails (also on the whole amount of ram).
I tried an additional memory test.

I reset the PRAM ... what else before bring the Mac to Apple Center?

Is it really possible there 1 year only of guarantee?
 
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Have you tried removing all unnecessary USB devices? Try using the Mac with only the keyboard and mouse connected to USB.
 
I did it. Just left the pen tablet instead of the mouse, passing via a usb hub from which I removed everything.
But I'm using the same tablet and hub now, from a macbook pro, without problems.

Thanks
 
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If you're using a tablet instead of a mouse and connect it through a hub, you're EXACTLY doing *NOT* what I've wanted you to test, namely: Does the thing work with only _original_ equipment connected. It working on another Mac doesn't help finding the problem here. Simply try it with its original keyboard and its original mouse or an Apple replacement. *WITHOUT* a hub. So again:

1.) Remove *all* external devices except the keyboard, mouse and monitor.

2.) Push the start button and immediately hold down Command-Option-P-R to zap the PRAM. Hold down the keys until you hear the startup sound for the third time.

3.) Let it start up and don't start any applications. Just use the Finder. Open a window, close it, move around the file system.

Does the problem occur now as well? That's your starting point.
 
fryke said:
2.) Push the start button and immediately hold down Command-Option-P-R to zap the PRAM. Hold down the keys until you hear the startup sound for the third time.
Click to expand...

Three times? Why 3?

I've finder replaced with path finder, is the same?
 
Of course it's not the same. If you truly want to test the hardware, you'd have to use a test user that doesn't use PathFinder instead of Finder or - better - use a clean system, newly set up. (Maybe install on a different partition or a different harddrive.) - Btw.: Logic board, motherboard - same thing. Doesn't really matter which term you use.
 
Anyway, three or two times ... I did. Attached all the original equipment and now it seems crazy ... the apple logo is displayed at the startup, but when the os finish to run, instead of appear the desktop, I got a funny fuzzy blinking display with a rainbow rainbow colors everywhere

Restarted once. Arrived at the desktop, but unable to go over, because the mouse pointer show me "loading symbol" waiting for something.

No keyboard input available, mouse can move but can't click.

Should I try to reboot pressing the S key to run in Single / Safe mode as http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1492 doc says?

........

update 19:02

Did a Single user mode boot. After the Finder appear and some software runs (skype, path finder) mac hang up again.

I think it's something link to the heat generated into the mac? Is this possible? Both the fan is working, but I'm not able to see if the CPU fan works. Does the Mac have one?
 
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Well the copy currently running it's not older than 10 days. When I massively started to experience this problem, the first thing I tried to do has been save my data (manually, just some folders), and initialize the disk with a fresh install of Leopard.

Installed back the software and restored manually my folder data. So no OS restore function, avoiding all possible OS data corruption damage.

I don't think it's an OS problem, because I also bought a new disk and did pratcically the same, fresh install with the same result :(
 
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Hm. But you've already managed to install PathFinder, so it's not exactly "clean".
 
Yes ... because on those time the problems was just when resuming from wake. Now the problem is more accentuate.

Anyway, I'm not able to imagine how a software that has worked fine for 1,5 years, suddenly gone crazy and hangs my mac.

PathFinder, on the MacBook works fine as well. And just to exclude it, it has been some days during last week, that after 3-4 reboot (done hard powering off), when I finally was able to have mac running, I was able to work for 12 hours per day (leaving it turned on) without no matters.

Wake up, resume ... bang.
 
I'm not saying it's not the hardware at fault, I'm just trying to explain that in order to make sure it *is* the hardware, you have to take the software _out_ of the equation, and that only works with a "clean" setup. But by your logic (it works on the other computer or "it has worked before"), Microsoft Office would never crash on any computer, because on mine it doesn't.
 
Well, ok i think it is a worth try again with a clean install. I will obtain in every case a mac wiped out of all sensitive data, so it won't be all time lost.

Do you think is better install tiger as my mac originally ships and then upgrade to leopard, or is it the same install immediately with leopard?
Is possible that some required file for those late 2007 mac were present only on those tiher's DVD?

Thanks
 
moroandrea said:
Hi Guys

unfortunately I think my MacPro has gone. After have replace the HD, the video card (buying a new Radeon 3870), initialized the HD with a fresh Leopard setup, removed the spare ram that I added next I bought the Mac (but I also remove completely the orginal one - removing the plug-ing card) my mac when boot or when resume from wake process start to show scrambled coloured images.
Click to expand...

I'm not understanding this. You are saying you replaced the HD, video card, fresh OS install, and RAM and now you're having problems? Or you've done all this because you're having problems and are still having issues? I think this needs to be sorted out before you follow along and Nuke & Pave your drive.
 
i'm having problem despite I did all you read.

A note about the ram. I have the two memory card filled in with 8 x 512 and I tried to remove one card x time, but in both case the problem persisted
 
fryke said:
I'm not saying it's not the hardware at fault, I'm just trying to explain that in order to make sure it *is* the hardware, you have to take the software _out_ of the equation, and that only works with a "clean" setup. But by your logic (it works on the other computer or "it has worked before"), Microsoft Office would never crash on any computer, because on mine it doesn't.
Click to expand...

Definitely it's the hardware. It sticks around "preparing the installation" process while booting from dvd.
It starts with some black line, then some scrambled color ... then all input devices doesn't respond to the control.
 
moroandrea said:
Definitely it's the hardware. It sticks around "preparing the installation" process while booting from dvd.
It starts with some black line, then some scrambled color ... then all input devices doesn't respond to the control.
Click to expand...

Take in to a repair shop.
 
This thread is turning into a wild goose chase and nobody can make sense of what you are explaining because you are doing a very poor job of clarifying things. The only thing I can offer is these things commonly have issues with video cards with blown capacitors or the fans on the video cards just failing. I know you said something about replacing the card, but again there is too much miscommunication on this thread?
 
I don't see other people complaining about my exposition and I think to have been pretty clear on the test I did and result I continue to get, also after having done some test suggested by fryke.

Which hardware part didn't you understand I changed?

Thanks
 
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