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Archive for the ‘Mac Pro’ Category
2.66GHz MacPro problems
Intel Macs, Mac OS X, Mac Pro, Troubleshooting / 1 Comment
Well, my trusty 2.66GHz MacPro failed two months out of AppleCare warranty. Right before it failed, the screen image developed a very faint herringbone pattern of thin horizontal yellow rectangles which look to be about 1/4″ x 1/16″ rectangles. The computer gets through the chime and through the Apple screen and to the blue screen with mouse pointer in the upper left. The drive is being accessed, but nothing happens on-screen though the cursor does track mouse movements while leaving a fixed mouse pointer at the original position. The yellow pattern is consistent through multiple reboot attempts. I pulled the drive and hooked it up to my Intel Mac mini and it mounts to the desktop and I can see all files in the Finder.
In the past, the video card failed and was replaced under AppleCare. I tried the usual tricks individually with reboot attempts between checks (checked 3v lithium battery, PRAM reset, pulled extra memory, reseated video card, move drive to different bay, disconnected all external devices except keyboard/mouse/DVI. Same result on all counts. Checked for dust build-up on memory and video heatsinks. Not much there. I installed a brand new WD Caviar Black drive and tried to install the OS (Discs supplied with MacPro) on a new drive. It makes it through installation Disc 1 to the RESTART button. When it reboots, I get a grey screen in multiple languages saying to restart. Can’t make it to Disc 2. Tried re-installing with drive in 2nd bay, same thing.
Hardware Details:
- 2.66GHZ Dual Xeon Macpro 2006-7 unit bought from Power max
- 4GB memory installed (1GB x 4)
- Mac OS 10.5.8
- Monitor: Dell Ultrasharp 24″ using DVI
- Boot Drive: 7200.10 Seagate 750GB
I apologize for the long e-mail. It is frustrating when stuff breaks right out of the warranty period.
I would appreciate any advice on further diagnostics and options for repair.
The symptoms you’re describing do seem to relate to a video card failure. The Kernel Panic on restart may also point to a video card failing to identify correctly. How long ago was the video card replaced? If it was recent enough, it would be worth checking with the repair center that performed the replacement. In some cases, the repair on the video card, has it’s own warranty, and may qualify you for a replacement. I hope this information has been helpful for you.
Dennis Beaman
PowerMax Support
My aging G5 needs to be replaced, but should I wait for new Mac Pros?
G5, Hardware, Mac Pro / 0 Comments
My aging Mac G5 Dual 2.7 Ghz can no longer use the latest Mac OS, and I am a heavy Photoshop user, who cannot even update to the newest Elements, without an Intel processor.
Should I get one of the (also aging) Mac Pro’s, or wait until a new Mac Pro is released by Apple?
Any idea when that might be? It has been significantly over a year now since that model was updated.
- Phil
Mac Pros are due for an update but Apple has been slowing down Mac development on the Pro side. We will often get indications of a future update via long delivery times or short supply in the channel. We have not see any of those signs of change with the Mac Pro. If you need a Mac Pro in the next 60 days, I would get the one you want now but that is just a educated guess.
Hope that helps
- Jacob
My Mac Pro will not power on …
Mac Pro, Power Supply, Troubleshooting / 0 Comments
Jacob,
My brand new Nehalem, which has been running fine since I got it, will not power on – no response to the power button. I tried the SMC reset twice but no luck … Is there anything else I can do?
- Sean
With the unit off, try holding in the power button for a long time until you hear Tone from the speakers. Release the power button and after a short time it should chime and boot. If that fails, than your Mac Pro could have a power problem. For diagnostic sake move it to a new outlet and directly connect the computer to the wall, bypassing any power strips. If it still will not work, then it will need to be looked at by an Apple Authorized service center.
Hope this helps, let me know,
- Jacob
Is a 2006 Mac Pro limited to 500GB storage per drive bay?
Hard Drive, Mac Pro, Storage / 0 Comments
Jacob,
Looking to add more hard drive capacity to my 2006 Mac Pro. I’ve heard I might be limited to 500GB in each bay for a total of 2 TBs. Is that true or is more possible? Also, any brand recommendations would be appreciated. Currently it runs off the base 250GB SATA.
Thanks
- Nancy
Hi Nancy,
There is no drive size limit for SATA based Macs, like yours. You should be fine going up to 2TB in each drive bay. Take a look at our internal hard drives, as we carry both Western Digital & MCE. These brands will certainly fit the bill for your storage needs.
- Jacob
How can I revert OS X to a previous version?
Mac OS X, Mac Pro / 0 Comments
I recently updated my 2009 Mac Pro quad-core to 10.6.3 and now my second monitor is not visible. It is not even being detected in displays in System Preferences or in More Info in About this Mac. Googling the issue seems to suggest that this is a known issue with 10.6.3.
How can I go back to 10.6.2?
Thanks,
Sean
The easiest way to get your Mac Pro back to an older version of the OS is to do an Archive and Install of the Mac OS. Mac OS 10.6 introduced a simplified way of doing this. Now when you chose a basic install of 10.6 on a newer version of the same OS, it will simply downgrade you without asking to to chose Archive and Install.
Before you go that route, you may want to Zap your PRAM by holding down [command] + [option] + [P] and [R] keys on start up. Let the System chime three times before letting go of those keys. You may also want to shutdown the System and then hold in the Power Button until you hear a long tone sound. The computer will restart. If all that fails, Downgrade to 10.6 from your install DVD and then use the 10.6.2 combo updater.
- Jacob
Is there much of a speed difference between dual 2.66 and the dual 2.93 GHz Nehalem Mac Pros?
Comparisons, Mac Pro / 0 Comments
I’m interested in a Mac Pro for heavy Photoshop graphics use. Is there a noticeable speed difference between the dual 2.66 and the dual 2.93 GHz units?
- Bob
With the 2009 Mac Pro, I do not think it is going to be too noticeable of a difference in the single processor (4 Core) systems. In the Dual Processor (8 Core) Systems, there is a considerable difference between the 2.93 and 2.26 models. Look at these charts from Bare Feats’ Nehalem Mac Pro performance tests.
This should give you some idea of the differences but there is no surefire way to determine how your workflow will ultimately perform. Get as much as your budget will allow, but make sure you have tons of RAM as part of the config. Always bet on RAM 
- Jacob
