[ydl-gen] boot problems--workaround: forcing 'fsck' at boot allows system to boot properly

[andryski]

I was trying to upgrade my system from 320 MB of RAM (256+64) to 512 MB of RAM 
(256+256).
The problem occurs when trying to replace the 64 MB RAM memory module with a 
256 MB RAM memory module. With workarounds, the system boots and recognizes 
all of
the RAM memory present but tends to crash often, say, every hour or so. I've 
tried 4 different RAM memory modules with similiar results each time (with one 
RAM memory module, the system wouldn't even boot). Nonetheless, every time I 
go back to the 320 MB RAM memory configuration, my system works fine.

One person commented that Lombards can only handle 320 MB of RAM memory. 
Although that is the official position of Apple, that position was taken 
before larger low profile memory modules were available. Many people of 
upgraded the Lombards with 512 MB of RAM memory with no problems.

>From my experiences and people's comments, I think the problem is probably 
either the firmware (does firmware=BIOS?), or some hardware problem within the 
computer itself unrelated to the RAM memory modules.

Can the firmware be updated? If so, where and how? Must I have Mac OS 8 (in my 
case) installed?

Specifically, what diagnostic programs can I run with YDL? I only have YDL 
installed, no Mac OS.

>===== Original Message From Derick Centeno <aguilarojo at verizon.net> =====
>Do you mean that you are using memory sticks or memory storage
>accessible via USB devices together with the standard RAM in the
>Lombard?
>
>Your description reminds me of a memory failure problem I and others
>using the current Powerbooks reported a few months back.  As far as I
>was able to discover at the time the problem was faulty memory chips
>AND faulty receptors into which the chips were seated.  Sometimes if
>the chips were seated properly, problems disappeared, but not always.
>The shutdown process merely flushes the memory, but the problem itself
>is not removed.  You may need to consider seriously whether paying for
>an engineer to examine your system, repair it and so on is even worth
>the cost.  It may be cheaper and saner to let the system go and move on
>to a current system; at least you could get a current system repaired
>under Apple's warranty.
>
>A hard drive problem would express other symptoms such as not being
>able to boot up at all.  Nothing would work.  However, the presence of
>a partial memory or that the system sees only a portion of the memory
>available indicates a memory problem of the kind described above.
>
>Upgrading the kernel may not help in this situation.  Continuing to use
>G3 systems limits you seriously in regards to available resources to
>rely upon or explore to resolve this kind of problem.  The money issue
>IS a factor the more complex the memory and possible board design
>flaw/problem may reveal itself as being.
>
>IF you are really lucky you could attempt running an version of Norton
>or Micromat products which can analyze that version of Lombard from OS
>9 or OS 8.  You could start there to track down the problem.  From YDL
>you could run a diagnostic from within YDL 3/3.0.1 which is optimized
>for G3.  However what YDL reports will be more intricate and less
>"pretty" than what Norton or Micromat would report.  However, NO
>product can repair what actually may be wrong if the problem lies
>actually in a bad RAM chip, faulty design or board or bad  or improper
>"seating".
>
>Try to seat the memory very firmly and see if these problems remain.
>If the problems remain try borrowing chips which you know work and put
>those in.  If the problems disappear then go ahead buy yourself a new
>set of RAM chips, return those you borrowed of course.  However if the
>problems continue the problem may be the board itself; at that point
>you really have to consider whether sticking with a Lombard is useful
>to what you do as the cost to repair it may be just about the same
>price as a new ibook.
>
>On Oct 9, 2005, at 8:00 PM, andryski wrote:
>
>> I have a PoweBook G3 (Lombard) that reliably boots with 320 MB of
>> memory, but
>> hangs while attempting to boot with 512 MB of memory. Besides a memory
>> hardware problem (I get similar results with other memory sticks.) and
>> a
>> memory recognition problem (/proc/meminfo reveals 512 MB), what other
>> problems
>> could be causing this? Note that forcing 'fsck' at boot, via 'shutdown
>> -hF
>> now' or 'shutdown -rF now' allows the system to boot/reboot properly.
>> Does
>> this indicate a hard drive problem? If so, why does the computer boot
>> fine
>> with 320 MB of memory? Would a system re-install help? Would upgrading
>> my
>> kernel from 2.4.24-1.ydl.1.1016 to the newest version help? Is there a
>> bug
>> with memory, YDL and the Lombard? I thank everybody in advance for any
>> help or
>> suggestions.
>>
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>
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