Good morning, After a couple of days of no random freezes I’m becoming confident a solution has appeared. The initial problem I feel was RAM being moved a fraction whilst the computer was being transported, screen down, in my car.
I focused on testing RAM one stick at a time and moving it around into various bays. Plus resetting PRAM, SMC, reinstalling the OS from recovery, held D on restart for a test process to commence, but still the freezes would come. One thing I didn’t do very well was the restarting procedure. I don’t normally have to restart the iMac, so wasn’t familiar with how long to hold the power button for. Once I read on the Apple support description on adding RAM "Your iMac performs a memory initialisation procedure when you first turn it on after upgrading memory or rearranging DIMMs. This process can take 30 seconds or more, and the display of your iMac remains dark until it's finished. Make sure you let the memory initialisation complete.” I realised I had probably been interrupting this. I then held the power button for about half a second to get it going and walked away until it did it’s thing and bingo, the iMac has stayed running correctly. Simple really….. :-) Thanks > On 30 Oct 2020, at 1:07 am, Daniel Kerr <wa...@macwizardry.com.au> wrote: > > No worries, fingers crossed something there resolves it! Good luck with it :) > Kind regards > Daniel > > --- > Daniel Kerr > MacWizardry > > Phone: 0414 795 960 > Email: <daniel AT macwizardry.com.au> > Web: <http://www.macwizardry.com.au> > > > **For everything Apple** > > NOTE: Any information provided in this email may be my personal opinion and > as such should be taken accordingly, and may not be the views of MacWizardry. > Any information provided does not offer or warrant any form of warranty or > accept liability. It would be appreciated that if any information in this > email is to be disseminated, distributed or copied, that permission by the > author be requested. > >> On 29 Oct 2020, at 10:51 pm, Tim Law <t...@peoplehelp.com.au> wrote: >> >> Getting somewhere I think Daniel. Thanks heaps >> >> Tim's red iPhone >> >>> On 29 Oct 2020, at 10:07 pm, Daniel Kerr <wa...@macwizardry.com.au> wrote: >>> >>> Hi Tim >>> >>> Generally I use the bottom slot, as that tends to be the first one it >>> checks. (And Apple ship in the bottom two by default,..so I assume that >>> first one is the first one it checks). >>> Kind regards >>> Daniel >>> >>> --- >>> Daniel Kerr >>> MacWizardry >>> >>> Phone: 0414 795 960 >>> Email: <daniel AT macwizardry.com.au> >>> Web: <http://www.macwizardry.com.au> >>> >>> >>> **For everything Apple** >>> >>> NOTE: Any information provided in this email may be my personal opinion and >>> as such should be taken accordingly, and may not be the views of >>> MacWizardry. Any information provided does not offer or warrant any form of >>> warranty or accept liability. It would be appreciated that if any >>> information in this email is to be disseminated, distributed or copied, >>> that permission by the author be requested. >>> >>>> On 29 Oct 2020, at 9:23 pm, Tim Law <t...@peoplehelp.com.au> wrote: >>>> >>>> Always helpful Daniel >>>> >>>> Does it matter which slot I have the RAM in? >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Tim's red iPhone >>>> >>>>>> On 29 Oct 2020, at 9:12 pm, Daniel Kerr <dan...@macwizardry.com.au> >>>>>> wrote: >>>>> >>>>> Hi Tim >>>>> >>>>> When you removed and replaced the RAM, did you put it all back or test it >>>>> separately? >>>>> That would be one check, is just run it on one stick of RAM at a time. It >>>>> will be slow, but this can narrow down if a stick is faulty. >>>>> >>>>> Also, you can check the drive as well to ensure that’s ok. >>>>> I recommend the following SMART Utility. (You can run it in Shareware >>>>> mode) >>>>> https://www.volitans-software.com/apps/smart-utility/ >>>>> This will check the drives and advise is “Passed” (green), “Failing” >>>>> (orange) or “Failed” (red). It works with Fusion Drives as well and will >>>>> test both HDD and SSD separately. >>>>> I’ve used it to find faulty drives even before Apple Disk Utility finds >>>>> them. So it’s a good little tool. >>>>> >>>>> That would be my first things to try anyway, just to rule out a stick of >>>>> RAM and drive is ok. >>>>> Also try an SMC reset and PRAM reset. (I have steps on my FAQ page of my >>>>> website if you’re not familiar with that. >>>>> >>>>> Try those and see how you go. >>>>> If no success, and seeing you’re up Duncraig way I’d recommend MacWorx >>>>> Joondalup. (Delage Street, Joondalup) - www.macworx.com.au >>>>> >>>>> Hope something there helps. >>>>> Kind regards >>>>> Daniel >>>>> >>>>> Sent from my iPhone 12 Pro >>>>> >>>>> --- >>>>> Daniel Kerr >>>>> MacWizardry >>>>> >>>>> Phone: 0414 795 960 >>>>> Email: <daniel AT macwizardry.com.au> >>>>> Web: <http://www.macwizardry.com.au> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> **For everything Apple** >>>>> >>>>> NOTE: Any information provided in this email may be my personal opinion >>>>> and as such should be taken accordingly, and may not be the views of >>>>> MacWizardry. Any information provided does not offer or warrant any form >>>>> of warranty or accept liability. It would be appreciated that if any >>>>> information in this email is to be disseminated, distributed or copied, >>>>> that permission by the author be requested. >>>>> >>>>>> On 29 Oct 2020, at 8:39 pm, Tim Law <t...@peoplehelp.com.au> wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>> Hello folks. >>>>>> >>>>>> I have an unhappy iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2017) >>>>>> 40Gb RAM >>>>>> 10.15.7 >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> Problem is random restarts. >>>>>> First symptom is the mouse freezes then about 30 seconds later the >>>>>> computer turns off and restarts. This happens enough to be very >>>>>> annoying, and has occurred whilst I was drafting this message. >>>>>> >>>>>> The problem first occurred after I had transported the computer, screen >>>>>> down, on the seat of my car. No physical external damage is apparent. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> Problem does occur in Safe Boot mode, though not as frequently as in >>>>>> normal mode. >>>>>> >>>>>> EtreCheck shows nothing out of order >>>>>> Rebooting into recovery mode and running both Disk Utility and reload >>>>>> latest operating system have been done. >>>>>> >>>>>> *** MCA Error Report *** >>>>>> CPU Machine Check Architecture Error Dump (CPU: Intel(R) Core(TM) >>>>>> i5-7500 CPU @ 3.40GHz, CPUID: 0x906E9) >>>>>> CATERR detected! No MCA data found. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> I had assumed it was a hardware problem triggered by moving the machine >>>>>> but nothing is showing up in any errors that I have seen. I have >>>>>> removed and replaced the RAM. When running, it functions normally as >>>>>> expected. >>>>>> >>>>>> Any thoughts on what else I could do before taking it to the doctor? >>>>>> Which doctor is recommended. >>>>>> I live in Duncraig area. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> Thanks >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List -- >>>>>> Archives - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml> >>>>>> Guidelines - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml> >>>>>> Settings & Unsubscribe - >>>>>> <http://lists.wamug.org.au/listinfo/wamug.org.au-wamug> >>>>> >>>>> -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List -- >>>>> Archives - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml> >>>>> Guidelines - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml> >>>>> Settings & Unsubscribe - >>>>> <http://lists.wamug.org.au/listinfo/wamug.org.au-wamug> >>>> >>>> -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List -- >>>> Archives - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml> >>>> Guidelines - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml> >>>> Settings & Unsubscribe - >>>> <http://lists.wamug.org.au/listinfo/wamug.org.au-wamug> >>> >>> -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List -- >>> Archives - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml> >>> Guidelines - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml> >>> Settings & Unsubscribe - >>> <http://lists.wamug.org.au/listinfo/wamug.org.au-wamug> >> >> -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List -- >> Archives - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml> >> Guidelines - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml> >> Settings & Unsubscribe - >> <http://lists.wamug.org.au/listinfo/wamug.org.au-wamug> > > -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List -- > Archives - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml> > Guidelines - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml> > Settings & Unsubscribe - > <http://lists.wamug.org.au/listinfo/wamug.org.au-wamug> -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List -- Archives - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml> Guidelines - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml> Settings & Unsubscribe - <http://lists.wamug.org.au/listinfo/wamug.org.au-wamug>
