iMac G5 - Kernel Panic?

PureFiction · Feb 20th, 2007, 09:33 PM

Hello all (apologies for the long post, I tend to drone on),

I have an iMac G5 that I've had for a little over a year with no problems... until today. When I left this morning, it was sitting on my desk, happily downloading, same as every day. When I got home 12 hrs later, the screen was off, the light wasn't blinking and the fans were on full blast. I couldn't restart it using the mouse, the keyboard or the power button, so I eventually unplugged it. When I plugged it back in, I was able to restart it just fine, and I used it normally for about 1 1/2 hours.

Then, when I was ejecting a CD, suddently it told me that the connection to my bluetooth keyboard was lost, and then the whole computer completely froze up. The cursor wouldn't move, the clock stopped moving, etc. I was able to turn it off by holding the power button the back, and then I turned it back on.

When it go to the grey startup screen with the darker grey apple and the spinning lines, the lines spun for a few minutes and then froze. I waited a few minutes and then turned it off and back on again. This time it made it to the login screen before freezing (cursor wouldn't move, etc). Off, on, frozen at the grey screen. Off. Wait a few minutes, on again. This time I logged in and was able to use it for a few minutes before the BT connection was lost and computer froze completely. The screen has since shut off as per the settings.

I googled the symptoms, and the results indicated that I've having kernel panics. I'm not techy enough to really understand this. Am I going to have to haul it down to somewhere and have a professional take a look, or is there something I can do for it at home? I've done nothing out of the ordinary to it lately, either on the hardware side or the software side.

Also, in Edmonton, is Westworld my best option to have someone take a look at it? I live in the west side, so its the closest (alas, no car, so I'll probably be cabbing it, unless I can con someone into driving me somewhere) but I would fork out the cash to take it somewhere else if I had a better option. (They always seem overpriced to me.)

This has never happened to me before, so of course I am freaking out. Luckily I just got my iBook back into working condition so I have internet access throughout this ordeal.

Thanks in advance,

Catherine

MacDoc · Feb 20th, 2007, 09:36 PM

Need to know a bit more

Speed and RAM config.

PureFiction · Feb 20th, 2007, 09:51 PM

17" 1.9 GHz, 512 ram

Bought in Nov. '05, not long before they announced the Intel machines.

(Its really tedious posting from my old G3. I'd forgotten how slow 633 MHz is.)

HowEver · Feb 20th, 2007, 09:52 PM

We can assume no AppleCare?

MacDoc · Feb 20th, 2007, 09:58 PM

Well that's an important piece of info.

1.9s very reliable.

First step run your hardware test.

Then report to us.

PureFiction · Feb 20th, 2007, 10:10 PM

Finally found the install CDs, after hunting through piles and piles of poorly labelled CDs and DVDs. Note to self, organize disks.

Am running the extended tests. Will report back upon completion.

~C

BTW, fans are on uber-high mode. I've never heard them so loud before. The computer does not feel unusually hot.

gordmcc · Feb 20th, 2007, 10:11 PM

I also had the same problem with my 20" iMac G5, coincidentally about a year after I had purchased it, as well. I do have AppleCare, but we were not able to correct the problem over the phone, so they suggested I take it in to the shop, which I did.
Unfortunately, when I picked up the computer, only the receptionist was there, so I didn't get a chance to talk to the technician who did the servicing, but judging from the invoice (and the relatively low cost), it wasn't too difficult for them to fix. Everything has just been tickity boo since then. I suggest taking it somewhere.

PureFiction · Feb 20th, 2007, 10:52 PM

Alas, no AppleCare. The computer itself used my whole scholarship and some of my tuition money. By the time I'd saved enough to add in AppleCare, the year would have been over, and that would have defeated the purpose of getting a new computer for schoolwork.

The monitor is currently turning all sorts of funky colors, so I'm assuming its testing the Video RAM (or it's time for me to lay off the 'shrooms). Still, it doesn't look healthy, and I'm getting a little concerned.

If anyone doesn't believe in karma, here's yet another example in my life that when I do bad things, bad things happen to me. I kinda did bring this on myself, by doing something that I know I shouldn't have. I realize this sounds crazy, but when I knowingly do bad things, something particularly nasty happens to me soon after.

Is my screen supposed to be ocean green with thin black lines? Is that part of the hardware test, or am I having issues?

PureFiction · Feb 20th, 2007, 10:58 PM

Aight, 33 minutes later, hardware test is complete. No hardware problems have been detected. Where does this leave me?

The only software that I installed was Thunderbird 2.0, a couple of days ago. I can't think of how that would cause problems.

The lock up seems to happen every time my bluetooth connection is lost. Perhaps these are related for some reason? But I've lost the connection before with no ill results.

Yeah, I'm grasping for straws here. I have to get up at 5.30 tomorrow morning and I just want to go to bed, but I want some resolution or I won't sleep properly.

MacDoc · Feb 20th, 2007, 11:10 PM

Yes we've seen bluetooth cause random lockups before.

Be patient - we'll get there.

First up - let skip some intermediate steps and do an archive and install from your installer DVD

Boot off it and you will be given an install option that is archive and install.
Go ahead and do it - you will lose no data.

Just don;t choose erase.

This install is a big test in itself.