Kernal Panic ... please help ?
iMac (old) 266 G3, OSX 10.5
I keep getting KernalPanics. I suspect it could be from a bad memory chip, but how do i tell ? Apple Hardware Test won't run on this computer. System Profiler identifies both 128MB chips OK.
Applications occasionally "quit unexpectedly", and sometimes the system crashes from a Kernal Panic. ... this seems to be more common if multiple apps are running (why i suspect a RAM chip).
I have also started in OS9, and it will crash when I start opening apps as well.
I would like to find someway of testing RAM without just removing it (that's a pain on this computer, especially for the second chip, which requires removal of heatsink and various parts on the motherboard).
Any help ? Thanks
I keep getting KernalPanics. I suspect it could be from a bad memory chip, but how do i tell ? Apple Hardware Test won't run on this computer. System Profiler identifies both 128MB chips OK.
Applications occasionally "quit unexpectedly", and sometimes the system crashes from a Kernal Panic. ... this seems to be more common if multiple apps are running (why i suspect a RAM chip).
I have also started in OS9, and it will crash when I start opening apps as well.
I would like to find someway of testing RAM without just removing it (that's a pain on this computer, especially for the second chip, which requires removal of heatsink and various parts on the motherboard).
Any help ? Thanks
Comments
The only advice that I can offer is this. I know quite a bit about the original iMacs and when they get hot, KPs and memory address problems occur (this happens after about 4+ hours of work usually) I don't know if later revisions had the same problems.
I took out the easy RAM, same problem (within 5 minutes of starting a cold computer)... except i can't even get Explorer to finish starting up (Have totally re-installed system onto a re-initialized hard drive ... so no Omniweb yet... and I doubt it's a system problem)
I guess i'll take out the other (suspect) RAM chip and put it into my iBook and run Apple Hardware Test on it there .... unless someone has an easier idea.
It seems that when an app tried to access the bad portion of the RAM, it would just quit the app (works as advertised) ... but apparently, when the SYSTEM tried to use that RAM, it would Panic ....
merely speculation, but I've gotten helpful information from these boards, so I thought I'd pass on my experience.
<a href="http://newertech.com/software/"; target="_blank">http://newertech.com/software/</a>;
I seem to remember that you have to run it from 9 (won't start up in X), but it should run a check on all of your RAM. If'd be a lot easier than taking apart your machine, and might give you some solid answers. Good luck!