Techsurvivors
Archives => 2003 => Topic started by: rosa3035 on February 17, 2003, 08:07:00 PM
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have been having this problem a long time. Mac 6400 freezes, nothing moves or works except mouse.This can last a few seconds then everything is back to normal, or I may have to use the escape route, or even reboot. Have TTP v3.0.9 and Norton Systemworks v1.0, both cannot find anything wrong. But that is checking when unit is NOT frozen. I have tried everything, posted problem everywhere, this is last chance to save my very trusty 6400.
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Hi Rosa! Check in your Date & Time Control Panel. Do you have "Use a Network Time Server" checked? Click on Server Options. Do you have it set to check automatically, every"?" hours, or manually?
If you're on Dialup and you aren't connected, it may be searching for the time server to coordinate your time, causing the freeze.
Uncheck either the use Network Time Server, or check the button to only do it manually.
[ 02-17-2003, 09:59 PM: Message edited by: jepinto ]
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Also, check your TCP/IP control panel. If you are not connected to a DHCP network, make sure it is not set to configure via: DHCP. If it is, those odd "pauses" are being caused by your computer searching for a DHCP server on a network.
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Durn, I forgot to mention one of the best resources for us 6400 users Tom Koon's 6400 Zone.
What OS do you have on the 6400?
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in reply to all three suggestions, all have been checked and all are ok.
thanks anyway.
OS 8.6
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Rosa: Let's not give up that easily! You said intermediate, but is there any common thread? Have you just quit using a certain program? Maybe you just quit printing?
How much ram do you have? You're using 8.6, did you do the font manager update?
Read this thread Here is another thread which also discusses random freezes in 8.6.
Here is the link to Font Manager Update
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Do you have a USB Card installed?
Jennie and I both have one of these machines.
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reply: have 136 mg RAM. have font manager update. And have USB card v2.0 installed and software for it. No problems with scanners or any other appliances added. Still printing OK.
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Rosa: Were you having the freezes before the USB card? My 6400 (upgraded via Sonnet, G3/400), 136 m ram, OS 9.1, hasn't acted "right" since I installed one, and I haven't had the time to take it out.
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Do you have a USB mouse Rosa?
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About the USB card, I tried removing it and operating without it. Meant using standard mouse and no printer. Still had these hangups.
Original Apple mouse wore out, replaced with Kensington one button. After installing USB card, replaced this mouse with Microsoft Optical Wheel mouse. Had no adverse effect.
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How big is your hard drive? How much free space is left on it?
Do you have it partitioned? How big are the partitions? How big is your system folder? Have you done a clean install recently?
When was the last time you trashed the preferences mentioned in RHP's weekly maintenance drill?
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Had to ask.
When my original Intellimouse had the bad cord problem it would cause it to freeze.
Drove me crazy thinking it was a software problem.
Yeah. What Jennie said. Also, how is it with just OS Base or All?
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for jepinto/Hard drive is 8.4GB, has about 6GB available, 4 partitions, 2GB each, system folder has 437 MB. Never done "clean install". RHP's trashing done yesterday.
for Kelly/ I unplugged the intellimouse, used the regular one button mouse, no difference.
I also tried the Base All and in rebooting everything locked up, couldn't even reboot without disabling extensions.
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Well. Could be a Hardware problem then. Or maybe you have a corrupt System.
You should try a Clean Install and see if that helps.
Mac OS: When and Why to Perform a Clean Installation
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=30691
If that doesn't help it's probably Hardware.
Have you Reset the Cuda Switch? Or as Tom calls it here, The Motherboard Reset.
http://www.zone6400.com/manual/files/L2cac...e_G3_cards.html
http://www.zone6400.com/manual/6400manual.html
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Clean install sounds like the next step. If the clean install solves the random freezes, it's either a corrupt preference, or an extension conflict.
Don't add back everything at once, do it in batches of 5, and see when the problem recurs. Then it's narrowed down to the last 5.
Another thought...and one of the others here may correct me.....but are your "regular" mouse control panel and your Microsoft Optical Wheel mouse CP and the Kensington mouse CP enabled? I ask because on my 6400 and my Imac I had to disable the "regular" mouse CP due to random "weirdness".
[ 02-23-2003, 07:29 AM: Message edited by: jepinto ]
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Rosa .......
I have similar problems but they almost always revolve around IE. Is it specific to a certain application. Do you perhaps have IE or some orther application running in the background??
The IE thing is something I've just learned to live with; when it seems to be frozen or just stuck - it's stuck. For the most part, if you don't fiddle with anything, it will unstick in about 2-3 minutes.
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I sometimes have the same problem which I encountered since upgrading to a G4 processor and new video card. I get a stall that may last for 15-30 seconds. It may happen once a day or maybe a few times. As Roger said, it is often when IE is running though not always. I think there might also be a relationship to one of my hard drives which I think may be getting on in years. Just living with it.
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I lean more towards hardware related problem. Did you try another monitor? I have a n Apple ColorSync with a keyboard/mouse adb port - it's been a persistant source of screen freezes if I disturb the cord in some mysterious way. (similar to Kelly's experience).
Also, your 6400 might be building up too much heat with all your add-on cards. Check your metronome (Apple drop-down), and look at your CPU temp. Should not exceed 65c. I have a NewTech that runs cool (35c) but my Sonnet on another ident box runs at 59c. I have read that if some of the chips on your cards get overheated (including ram), they can send systems into coronary arrest. An inexpensive fix ($2.95) I have used are CPU heat sink fans - an they are easy to install - you just jump them off any drive socket - remove a card door. Check out: http://www.pcsurplusonline.com/cat.cfm?catid=103
And as Roger F stated, - dial-up IE / ISP's can be the greatest source of brain freeze. I just went through a grueling bout of these last week in a two-day 40mph wind storm and I experienced numerous freezes - My ISP tech rep said that a modem is constantly looking for the cleanest 'noise-free' signal - once it connects and the noise gets worse after the connection - will always cause freezes by locking up the data flow without physically disconnecting.
FWIW - Wishing you the best .
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Yes. It's definitley Hardware or..... Software.
It's really hard to diagnose this stuff remotley sometimes.
It's not always that simple when it's right in front of you.
Just stick with it. We'll keep trying as long as you do.
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Just when I thought I was starting to believe in VooDoo cures for screen freezes - I started to get them - - - curses*^%##@%** - - -
The good news is - - - I have isolated my problem and it may be of some diagnostic interest to you First, I suggest checking out my other post "Free Mac-Agfa Scanners" for a little more background to my current problem.
I have since disconnected my external device daisy-chain and will attempt to reconfigure it to get my Microtek E3 scanner positioned in first place right out of the 'puter and my external drives last in line. Been running a day now without a freeze.
Similarly, you may want to reconstruct events just prior to your bout with screen freezes - - - i.e. your last (internal / external) hardware /software installation and remove it to see if it has any affect or performance improvement.
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I certainly appreciate all the replies this item has generated and I have tried them all, but I think that RHP had the best suggestion. As per his instruction, I did a CLEAN re-install of the OS yesterday. As of right now, have not had a freeze yet!
But it will all have been in vain come next Monday when I get started with DSL SBC/Yahoo
At least I hope so..