Need help with G5 Dual 2GHz
Discussion
My 3 year old powerMac has recently started misbehaving so if anyone could give me any ideas as to what it is that would be much appreciated!!!
Symptoms are always the same:
Start with the pinwheel for about 30 secs, before the computer emits a noise a little like bowing a high violin string very quickly (sounds electricity related though...). This is then followed by a loud clicking/chirping in a repetitive pattern. If you listen carefully it has different pitches that alternate, but always in the same pattern repeating over. This lasts around 15 secs on average but can vary, it'll pause for around 10 secs then continue again.
Occasionally it'll then give me a couple of secs of normal HDD noise and return to normal (for around 10 secs) but usually it's game over as I'll have the pinwheel (which is still rotating) and nothing else responding. 'Off at the button'. This is intermittent, as sometimes my computers good as gold, though unfortunately happening far more regularly...
Symptoms are always the same:
Start with the pinwheel for about 30 secs, before the computer emits a noise a little like bowing a high violin string very quickly (sounds electricity related though...). This is then followed by a loud clicking/chirping in a repetitive pattern. If you listen carefully it has different pitches that alternate, but always in the same pattern repeating over. This lasts around 15 secs on average but can vary, it'll pause for around 10 secs then continue again.
Occasionally it'll then give me a couple of secs of normal HDD noise and return to normal (for around 10 secs) but usually it's game over as I'll have the pinwheel (which is still rotating) and nothing else responding. 'Off at the button'. This is intermittent, as sometimes my computers good as gold, though unfortunately happening far more regularly...
Bit more info on RAM amount and how many processes you have running when this occurs, would be very useful and helpful.
What version of OS X are you running?
At a quick guess, it could sound like a HDD about to fail - there's one or two SMART drive utilities you can run (OnyX has it in-built for its Leopard version), which can be found on versiontracker.com
That said, how much space free is on the drive?
What version of OS X are you running?
At a quick guess, it could sound like a HDD about to fail - there's one or two SMART drive utilities you can run (OnyX has it in-built for its Leopard version), which can be found on versiontracker.com
That said, how much space free is on the drive?
1Gb RAM, and it seems in no way related to the number of processes as it'll do it whether running Logic, surfing the 'net, watching a film, or running on idle.
It's a 250Gb hard drive and I've got around 30Gb left.
I was worred it sounds hard drive related so I've backed everything up, but it's been doing it for around 3 months now without a catastrophic failure...
Running 10.3.9
I've also run TechTool diagnostics and it's confusingly come up with nothing.
ETA: OS
It's a 250Gb hard drive and I've got around 30Gb left.
I was worred it sounds hard drive related so I've backed everything up, but it's been doing it for around 3 months now without a catastrophic failure...
Running 10.3.9
I've also run TechTool diagnostics and it's confusingly come up with nothing.
ETA: OS
Edited by brayash on Thursday 14th February 12:06
Edited by brayash on Thursday 14th February 12:07
1Gb RAM, and it seems in no way related to the number of processes as it'll do it whether running Logic, surfing the 'net, watching a film, or running on idle.
It's a 250Gb hard drive and I've got around 30Gb left.
I was worred it sounds hard drive related so I've backed everything up, but it's been doing it for around 3 months now without a catastrophic failure...
I've also run Techtool diagnostics and confusingly it's come up with nothing.
Running 10.3.9
ETA: OS
It's a 250Gb hard drive and I've got around 30Gb left.
I was worred it sounds hard drive related so I've backed everything up, but it's been doing it for around 3 months now without a catastrophic failure...
I've also run Techtool diagnostics and confusingly it's come up with nothing.
Running 10.3.9
ETA: OS
Edited by brayash on Thursday 14th February 12:06
Edited by brayash on Thursday 14th February 12:07
brayash said:
Start with the pinwheel for about 30 secs, before the computer emits a noise a little like bowing a high violin string very quickly (sounds electricity related though...). This is then followed by a loud clicking/chirping in a repetitive pattern. If you listen carefully it has different pitches that alternate, but always in the same pattern repeating over. This lasts around 15 secs on average but can vary, it'll pause for around 10 secs then continue again.
I assume this is in general use rather than start up. I assume the HDD sound is a whirr-click-click-click repeating. It sounds like the head is racing around trying to read (or move) fragments of data.If so, I've had exactly the same problem (G4 PowerMac, Panther, disk is listed as an "IBM-DTLA-305040"
.Bad news is I have no idea what causes it. Good news is that mine stopped doing it completely, several months ago.
Working through "things what I've done that may have solved it":
- Try Onyx: I strongly suspect it was this that fixed the problem.
- Archive & re-install Panther: I'm not sure I've had to do it on this machine, but it might work. My guess was that some directory had fragmented itself desperately, and a re-install might have created a new clean version.
- Software updates: same theory as a re-install. Are you totally up to date with Software Update?
- Transformer failed: Unlikely, and I think it solved itself before this happened. Possible theory is that power was failing to the hard drive first, so it was starting up then coasting down. Unlikely.
If I've described the right symptoms, try Onyx first. Under Maintenance, Repair permissions, Completely optimize the system, run all scripts, update all databases (no idea what all these do, but those are my settings, and it may well solve your problem). Good Luck
Wow - thanks for your replies guys
Mmm-five, 'spare' memory sounds great - I have been contemplating it for a while but since this is my first Mac and I know comparatively little about their internals I've never trusted myself to buy any. That, and I don't/wouldn't know how to install it!!! Keep me informed!!
HiRich, the symptoms you describe are similar but not bang on the money I don't think. A more accurate way to describe the repetitive clicking would be: "click-cluck-cloock-click click-cluck-cloock-click" etc. There isn't a whirring to speak of. I still can't fully decide whether the part of the noise that's changing, is possibly even coming from the speaker or not.
I've also put off archive and installing, mostly due to laziness. The process itself is fine, but I've done it before and all the patches I had to source/download to get Logic and Pro Tools working correctly and not argue with each other disappeared - and I'm worried I may not get them back again! Your reason for suggesting it sounds very feasible though so I may have to bite the bullet if Onyx doesn't work. Speaking of which, I don't have this program. I assume it's downloadable?
Either way thanks for your help guys, nice to have some opinions based on more than my hunches!
Mmm-five, 'spare' memory sounds great - I have been contemplating it for a while but since this is my first Mac and I know comparatively little about their internals I've never trusted myself to buy any. That, and I don't/wouldn't know how to install it!!! Keep me informed!!
HiRich, the symptoms you describe are similar but not bang on the money I don't think. A more accurate way to describe the repetitive clicking would be: "click-cluck-cloock-click click-cluck-cloock-click" etc. There isn't a whirring to speak of. I still can't fully decide whether the part of the noise that's changing, is possibly even coming from the speaker or not.
I've also put off archive and installing, mostly due to laziness. The process itself is fine, but I've done it before and all the patches I had to source/download to get Logic and Pro Tools working correctly and not argue with each other disappeared - and I'm worried I may not get them back again! Your reason for suggesting it sounds very feasible though so I may have to bite the bullet if Onyx doesn't work. Speaking of which, I don't have this program. I assume it's downloadable?
Either way thanks for your help guys, nice to have some opinions based on more than my hunches!
I think we're talking the same issue, we just can't describe it properly.
Onyx is free and here , an explanation of the features here
On other thing to try is Disk Utility/Repair Disk. Best to use the Installation Disks (grey) if you can. Restart on the disk (hold the C key down when you restart with the CD in the drive), when the Installer comes up, you'll find "open Disk Utility in the top menus.
As I said, I don't know the ultimate cause of the problem, just that it fixed itself. Disk Utility and Onyx are free, easy and quick. Try them first.
Onyx is free and here , an explanation of the features here
On other thing to try is Disk Utility/Repair Disk. Best to use the Installation Disks (grey) if you can. Restart on the disk (hold the C key down when you restart with the CD in the drive), when the Installer comes up, you'll find "open Disk Utility in the top menus.
As I said, I don't know the ultimate cause of the problem, just that it fixed itself. Disk Utility and Onyx are free, easy and quick. Try them first.
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