Question about harware?

[kroc_kroc]

OT maybe but I was wandering if anyone here could advise me as I can't get any answers in any mac forums. I had a problem a few months ago with not being able to shut my imac down properly. It would just go to a screen that said 'You need to restart your computer' in different languages. The only way I could restart was to use the power button. Anyway after re-installing the System software it seemed to go for a few months. I then upgraded to Panther and recently I've been having the same problems. So far using Panther I've reinstalled my System Software 3 times. Each time it works fine for a while and then the same thing again? When I run Disk Utility it says there are no problems? Is there anything else I can try before having to buy something like Disk Warrior?

[galactica]

this screams bad/incompatible memory...........
you add any recently?

[kroc_kroc]

not recently but it has happened since I installed some a while back.

[deadsierra]

Run your hardware test CD. Its not a perfect test, but it can show you if something is wrong.

[kroc_kroc]

Just ran that Apple Hardware Test and it says everything is fine including the memory. My computer is shutting down fine now for the last few days after reinstalling the System Software. But I'm worried 'cause I know it's going to start again.

My disc tray is also opening in a funny way. It kind of slowly opens and stutters as it's coming out?

Do you think the shutting down problems would have anything to do with applications? I have Limewire (not professional just the freebie) but never really trusted that program?

[thoughton]

It might be to do with any kernel extensions (kext files) you've installed (the shutting down problem, not the drive door). I also occasionally get shutdown errors since I added a bluetooth dongle, so it could be caused by hardware too.

[kroc_kroc]

The only other hardware I have is a USB ADSL modem and a LACIE external drive. I had the problems before the LACIE but not before the BT Voyager ADSL modem. Are there any other checks or soloutions I can try?

If it starts to happen again should I try taking the memory out?

[deadsierra]

If it starts to happen again should I try taking the memory out?

Absolutely. The Hardware Test CD can only tell you if the memory is bad, it cannot tell you for sure that it's good.

[kroc_kroc]

Once again sorry for bringing this up in this forum but I don't know who else to ask. Thanks for your help.

OK - I'll wait to see if it happens again. You definately don't think it's an application problem? It's just I don't understand how it's OK for like 1 month and then it starts having problems?

[deadsierra]

Once again sorry for bringing this up in this forum but I don't know who else to ask. Thanks for your help.

OK - I'll wait to see if it happens again. You definately don't think it's an application problem? It's just I don't understand how it's OK for like 1 month and then it starts having problems?

If it keeps panicking on a restart, even after multiple re-installs, I'd think it was hardware based. I could be wrong though. Trying to remove the RAM seems like a good testing step.

[WiseWeasel]

Here's a (rather long) list of all the kernel extensions I have installed on my G5, which I'm pretty certain are just the default Apple ones. See if there are any extra ones you have (located in your /system/library/extensions folder, which you can go to by hitting command-shift-g in the Finder, and pasting in "/system/library/extensions"):

ACard62xxM.kext
ACard67162.kext
ACard671xSCSI.kext
ACard6885M.kext
ACard68xxM.kext
ATIRadeon.kext
ATIRadeon8500.kext
ATIRadeon8500DVDDriver.bundle
ATIRadeon8500GA.plugin
ATIRadeon8500GLDriver.bundle
ATIRadeon9700.kext
ATIRadeon9700DVDDriver.bundle
ATIRadeon9700GA.plugin
ATIRadeon9700GLDriver.bundle
ATIRadeonDVDDriver.bundle
ATIRadeonGA.plugin
ATIRadeonGLDriver.bundle
ATIRage128.kext
ATIRage128DVDDriver.bundle
ATIRage128GA.plugin
ATIRage128GLDriver.bundle
ATIRagePro.kext
ATIRageProGA.plugin
ATITVOut.kext
ATTOExpressPCIPlus.kext
Adaptec290X-2930.kext
Adaptec29160x.kext
Adaptec39160.kext
Adaptec78XXSCSI.kext
Apple02Audio.kext
Apple16X50Serial.kext
AppleAD741x.kext
AppleADBButtons.kext
AppleADBDisplay.kext
AppleADBKeyboard.kext
AppleADBMouse.kext
AppleADM103x.kext
AppleADT746x.kext
AppleAirPort.kext
AppleAirPort2.kext
AppleAirPortFW.kext
AppleAltiVecDVDDriver.bundle
AppleBlower.kext
AppleCPUThermo.kext
AppleCore99NVRAM.kext
AppleCore99PE.kext
AppleCuda.kext
AppleDallasDriver.kext
AppleFCU.kext
AppleFPButton.kext
AppleFWAudio.kext
AppleFan.kext
AppleFlashNVRAM.kext
AppleGPIO.kext
AppleGossamerPE.kext
AppleGracklePCI.kext
AppleHWClock.kext
AppleHWSensor.kext
AppleHeathrow.kext
AppleI2C.kext
AppleI2S.kext
AppleIntel8255x.kext
AppleK2.kext
AppleK2Driver.kext
AppleK2Fan.kext
AppleK2SATA.kext
AppleK2SATARoot.kext
AppleKauaiATA.kext
AppleKeyLargo.kext
AppleKeyswitch.kext
AppleKiwiATA.kext
AppleKiwiRoot.kext
AppleLED.kext
AppleLM7x.kext
AppleLM87.kext
AppleLM8x.kext
AppleLMUController.kext
AppleLSIFusionMPT.kext
AppleMIDIFWDriver.plugin
AppleMIDIIACDriver.plugin
AppleMIDIUSBDriver.plugin
AppleMLANAudio.kext
AppleMPIC.kext
AppleMacRISC2PE.kext
AppleMacRISC4PE.kext
AppleMacRiscPCI.kext
AppleMaxim6690.kext
AppleMediaBay.kext
AppleMesh.kext
AppleNDRV
AppleOnboardAudio.kext
AppleOnboardDisplay.kext
ApplePCCard16ATA.kext
ApplePCCardATA.kext
ApplePMU.kext
AppleRAID.kext
AppleRTL8139Ethernet.kext
AppleSEP.kext
AppleSPU.kext
AppleStorageDrivers.kext
AppleSym8xx.kext
AppleThermal.kext
AppleUSBAudio.kext
AppleUSBDisplays.kext
AppleVIA.kext
AppleVSP.kext
Apple_iSight.kext
AudioDeviceTreeUpdater.kext
BootCache.kext
CMD646ATA.kext
CMD646Root.kext
DSACL.ppp
DSAuth.ppp
DVFamily.bundle
EAP-RSA.ppp
GeForce.kext
GeForce2MXGLDriver.bundle
GeForce3GLDriver.bundle
GeForceFXGLDriver.bundle
GeForceGA.plugin
HeathrowATA.kext
I2CGPIO.kext
ICAClassicNotSeizeDriver.kext
ICAFWKodakProDriver.kext
IOADBFamily.kext
IOATAFamily.kext
IOAudioFamily.kext
IOBluetoothFamily.kext
IOBluetoothHIDDriver.kext
IOCDStorageFamily.kext
IODVDStorageFamily.kext
IOFireWireAVC.kext
IOFireWireFamily.kext
IOFireWireIP.kext
IOFireWireSBP2.kext
IOFireWireSerialBusProtocolTransport.kext
IOGraphicsFamily.kext
IOHDIXController.kext
IOHIDFamily.kext
IOKeyLargo.kext
IONDRVSupport.kext
IONetworkingFamily.kext
IOPCCardFamily.kext
IOPCIFamily.kext
IOPlatformFunction.kext
IOSCSIArchitectureModelFamily.kext
IOSCSIParallelFamily.kext
IOSerialFamily.kext
IOStorageFamily.kext
IOUSBFamily.kext
IOUSBMassStorageClass.kext
IPFirewall.kext
ImmersionForceFeedback.kext
KeyLargoATA.kext
L2TP.ppp
LogitechForceFeedback.kext
MacIOGPIO.kext
NKEMgr.kext
NVDANV10Hal.kext
NVDANV20Hal.kext
NVDANV30Hal.kext
NVDAResman.kext
PPP.kext
PPPSerial.ppp
PPPoE.ppp
PPTP.ppp
Radius.ppp
SharedIP.kext
System.kext
UltraTek100.kext
UltraTek133.kext
UltraTek33.kext
UltraTek66.kext
VLabKernelAdditions.kext
VirtualAudioDriver.kext
cddafs.kext
com.aol.net.ppp
iPodDriver.kext
msdosfs.kext
ntfs.kext
smbfs.kext
udf.kext
webdav_fs.kext

[miksu]

Have you tried resetting parameter-ram? Guide can be found at www.apple.com, somewhere in support. It's easy solution to many problems

Basically, process is somethin' like "press alt+command and somethin' during boot"

[deadsierra]

Have you tried resetting parameter-ram? Guide can be found at www.apple.com, somewhere in support. It's easy solution to many problems

Basically, process is somethin' like "press alt+command and somethin' during boot"

Cmd+Opt+P+R for PRAM 8)

[live4ever]

Also try installing OS X on the LaCie drive and booting from it (hold Option after turning it on). If you keep having panics then it's most likely hardware based.