Tempo ATA133

[Slowmac]

I just got a Sonnet Tempo ATA133 PCI card for my digital audio G4 Mac.
In the installation instructions it says you have to backup all data and format the hard drive before it will show up on the desktop.

When I installed the card I connected my system drive to it and it booted (slowly) but then the Mac started crashing.

Is this card supported under 10.5?

Do I have to go through all the trouble of formatting the drive for it to be stable?

The drivers on Sonnet's website are for OS9. There are OS X instructions however.

I'm at a loss. I don't want to go through all the trouble of formatting if it isn't going to improve anything.

I don't understand why a format would be required in the first place.

[frost]

A format shouldn't be required, no.  I used an ACARD PCI card, and didn't have to format.

So there's no new firmware updates for the card?  I bought another Sonnet card, and it had a firmware update (installed it without any drives attached, just in case).  Was an OS X installer package, went smoothly.

Also, it might be worthwhile to pick up an SATA card - ATA is going away.  The larger drives aren't even being made with ATA/IDE anymore.

Anywho, Sonnet was very helpful when I emailed them - maybe that'll help?

First thing I'd do is check the system.log and scroll to when the machine crashed.  Also, check the PanicReporter logs, if the machine is kernel panicking.

[Slowmac]

Sonnet does have a firmware update for the card but it is a OS9 only file. Shitty
I'm not sure if it needs the update or not
I'll check the crash logs but this Mac has been having troubles for some time now. I thought I had it stable before I connected the PCI card.
I think I have gotten all the Lexmark drivers out of the system at this point.

I'm about ready to do an archive and install on this Mac if this continues.

IIRC this OS install was originally done on a beige G3 years ago.

[frost]

I kept an OS 9 drive around, for firmware updates and whatnot.  Did the Power Mac G4 firmware update on mine (might not apply to your model).

Check System Profiler, it might list the firmware version on the card (in the PCI cards section).

For an OS install that old, I'd reinstall anyway.  I'm sure you'll see some speed with a reinstall.

[Slowmac]

Ya system profile shows the firmware up to date.

Should I do an archive and install or should I do a clean install and move the users over to it? Wouldn't that be doing the same thing?

[frost]

Pretty much.  Archive and Install is a clean install, essentially, but with less hassle (it moves over the whole Users folder, though, which is more than I save when I do it by hand).

[Slowmac]

Well this sucks. I did and archive and install but the install failed. It said the package was corrupted. So I deleted everything on the drive except for the previous systems folder. Now I no longer have the option to archive and install. So I tried a fresh install but that also failed. It said the media was bad and to contact the author for a replacement copy. Well that would be Apple, and I know my leopard DVD is fine.....

Now I'm in the process of copying the complete previous system folder over to my macbook so I can format the hard drive.

What is the best process of moving the users and the applications into the new OS X install, once I get it installed?

[frost]

Migration Assistant is good.  You can do it by hand, too.

If you're going to do it by hand, open two windows - one with the new OS X install, and one with the old OS X install.  Move everything from one to the other, a folder at a time.  Every folder should be easy, but when you get to the /Users/YOU/Library folder, be careful.  Don't move over the SyncServices folder from the old OS X install, that'll mess things up.

In fact, I'd only move over the things that you definitely want to keep, and throw out everything else.  Or, just go with Migration Assistant - that does the same thing, but automates it.

If it's an old HD, I'd run a surface scan (TechTool - even the free AppleCare version - will do it).  Erase with zeroes to map out the bad blocks.  Oh, and keep backups of everything, in case something goes wrong!

If you need a hand, let me know!  I'll PM you my AIM screenname.  If you've still got my number, that works too (but I'll have to duck out for dinner at some point).

[Slowmac]

If you have time to chat that would be great.

[frost]

Sure, check your PMs!

[Slowmac]

OK, I downloaded a GUI app for memtest. The first time I ran it I had it scan 2 times and it found no problems. Pissed, I ran it again and it failed. Every time I run the test it fails now.

From what I understand, it can only test the memory space not being used by the OS. So, is there a startup disk I can burn to run memtest?

Next, should I be 100% convinced at this point that I have a stick of bad memory or could it still be the processor at this point? If the processor is causing errors I would think this would cause memtest to fail.

I only have 2 sticks of 512MB of memory in this Mac, will Leopard let me boot with one stick of memory? If so memtest isn't going to be able to test much of the memory since it will take over most of it at startup.

What should I do at this point?

1) I want to be sure that it's not the processor.
2) If it is the memory how do I tell what stick is causing the problems?

I've enjoyed using this Digital Audio farnkinmac. If the problem is with the processor it's not worth fixing and I'll sell the parts off. If the problem is the memory I would be happy to sink more money into it for memory. I would most likely use it to serve up this website.

Running Applejack now with memtest installed instead of using the GUI version completely booted in OS X

[frost]

You're correct, it can run memory tests only on RAM not in use.  Send me those serial numbers, and I'll send you something better for testing the RAM (and the rest of the hardware).

Any luck with the command-line version of memtest?  You're able to repair your HD via the command line, so I don't see why it wouldn't also test the RAM.

[Slowmac]

Applejack memtest failed with both sticks of ram installed. So I pulled out one stick and ran the test again. That test passed. So I put the other stick of memory in and ran another test. Looks like that test is going to pass as well.

Next I plan on testing with both sticks of ram in again and see if it fails again.

I'll look up my g4s sn the next time I reboot

[Slowmac]

OK, I just don't get it.....

With both sticks of RAM installed I ran memtest with Applejack. Applejack runs the test 3 times in a row. It takes a good 6 hours for all the test to run. All three times it passed.

Umm ok

I let the Mac run idle in single user mode all day with Applejack waiting for it's next command. I came home and started another memtest without rebooting. I just told Applejack to run another test.

I have failure after failure.

WTF I just don't get it.

I'm sure that if I rebooted all the test would pass once again.

This is driving me nuts!

Sorry Frost I have yet to get you the SN for this Mac. The last time I tried to boot into OS X it hung on the blue screen.

I replaced the logic board in this Mac about a year ago. The old logic board was a gigabit ethernet the new logic board is a digital audio.

Yes, both sticks of RAM are PC 133 512MB.

The Gigabit ethernet logic board was giving me the same troubles as this one.

Now I think it's a heat issue but you would think during the 6 hours of running memtest at some point it would heat up and fail the first time not the second test after being idle all day long with the case open.

The memtest errors are never the same bits.
Also when in normal use you would hear the hard drive park two or three times within a short span of time before kernel panicking.
This logic board is not in the Apple designed case
I have a heat sink on the IC on the back of the logic board but it's not the one that was installed by Apple.

Any ideas?

[frost]

Ha, many potential points of failure there.

Yeah - send me the serial number, and we'll go from there.  Hopefully, it'll be more accurate, but as you've heavily customized the machine, you never know.

EDIT: Actually, nevermind on that (the G4's serial number).  I think I know what's needed, as both machines are almost identical.  Hop on AIM sometime and I'll send this your way.

Send me the serial number of the other Macs if you're still interested, though.