Technology OS X Kernel Panic Errors

[Caverject]

I have an older dual chip G4 Power Mac and it keeps on giving me a kernel panic error. I can not place an activity that I am doing that causes it. It just sort of seems to happen. All my programs tend to shut down without warning as well. Does anyone have any suggestions?

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[southerndoc]

I have an older dual chip G4 Power Mac and it keeps on giving me a kernel panic error. I can not place an activity that I am doing that causes it. It just sort of seems to happen. All my programs tend to shut down without warning as well. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Can't give you any help as I've never experienced such a thing.

 

[Shroom]

Typical Mac

 

[deleted87716]

Typical Mac

Kernel panics are usually caused by bad hardware on a USB or Firewire port. Same thing happens on a Winblows machine...it's just called a BSOD.

 

[MrMunkily]

This could be a hardware problem - bad or loosely seated RAM. Also might be a software problem. What system is it running? Updated? Any software weirdness other than the panics?

The only time I've ever had a panic was when I lost power during a system update. That left the system unbootable and it bricked the whole computer. I had to restore from a backup.

 

[deleted87716]

The only kernel panic I've ever gotten was caused by rebooting with a third-party USB floppy-disk drive (remember those?) attached. If I just plug it in after the computer boots, no problemo...but if it's attached at boot time, BLAMMO. I don't think I've used it since I bought it, though, so no biggie.

 

[Shroom]

Kernel panics are usually caused by bad hardware on a USB or Firewire port. Same thing happens on a Winblows machine...it's just called a BSOD.

I plug in crappy hardware on my USB port my system just says "USB Device Malfunction" and what you can do to try and fix it, no BSOD or anything like it at all.

 

[Caverject]

Typical Mac

after owning my computer for 4 years, this is the first time I have ever experienced a problem

with that said, go fuc* yourself

 

[Caverject]

Kernel panics are usually caused by bad hardware on a USB or Firewire port. Same thing happens on a Winblows machine...it's just called a BSOD.

Maybe it has something to do with my external hard drive that has been crapping out on me lately...

If it is, the weird thing is that I works fine on my macbook and only causes it to occur on the G4. Who knows!

 

[mustangsally65]

Have you checked your Panic Log to see if it will give you clues as to what's causing the Panics?

Go to your Hard Drive, Applications Folder, Utilities Folder, and then Console. It may take a while to read through all the info, but maybe it will help.

One other option is to run diagnostics using your AppleCare CD or your discs that came with your Mac.

If not, take your Mac to a Genius Bar. They'll figure it out.

 

[deleted87716]

I plug in crappy hardware on my USB port my system just says "USB Device Malfunction" and what you can do to try and fix it, no BSOD or anything like it at all.

Super. I'm still unclear as to how a PC user responding to a Mac-related thread helps the OP in the slightest.

 

[Shroom]

Super. I'm still unclear as to how a PC user responding to a Mac-related thread helps the OP in the slightest.

You Mac guys are so touchy about your systems.

 

[deleted87716]

You Mac guys are so touchy about your systems.

Um...yeah, that's it.

 

[Caverject]

You Mac guys are so touchy about your systems.

naaaa....there just needs to be rules against stupidity

 

[Scalpel]

Repair permissions through Disk Utility - boot from the install disk and select it from the menu.

You *might* need to bite the bullet and format the drive (possibly consider partitioning the drive so you don't need to move your home folder onto another drive the next time you install the system, especially when X.5 comes out).

 

[Caverject]

I think you maybe right.....

At least the process to reformat is painless

 

[Caverject]

after disk reformat, and re-installation of operating software, I am continuing to have the same problem

 

[deleted87716]

after disk reformat, and re-installation of operating software, I am continuing to have the same problem

If it happens with no external devices attached and a fresh OS install, it could be bad RAM.

Have you looked at the panic log? This can sometimes provide a clue to the problem. Open the "panic.log" file located on your startup disk at:

/Library/Logs/

Helpful info from Apple: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=25392