Try re-seating the RAM. If it boots, even once, then your RAM's acceptable. Where did it come from?

It's probably software-related - have you tried checking the console logs to see if there's anything in there?

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simon

The RAM came from funkygiraffe on eBay, he has 99.4% / 6,371 and there's no doubt it's genuine RAM.

The only ways in which the Pro is fucked about are: the swapping of the standard system disc for a 10kRPM one; the addition of 3 extra 500gig drives; the addition of 3 gigs of RAM.

The RAM booted fine first time. It always boots, but quite often goes straight into the GCOD after restarting. Usually the GCOD is caused by Parallels.

One of the memory modules gets marginally hotter than the other, but it would almost be strange if it didn't. It's slightly concerningly hot (80 Celsius) but Kingston's web site doesn't provide any temperature specs, unbelievably.

I'll check the console logs, once I work out how ;-)

But... software related?? I thought modern operating systems were supposed to be resilient to such things.

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I have considered heatsinking them myself but he listed them as "KINGSTON 1GB DDR2 PC2-5300 FULLY BUFFERED MAC PRO" so I'll get back to him in the first instance if I do suspect them to be the culprit. Currently I'm looking slanty-eyed at Parallels and stroking my machete.

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I'd be tempted to remove the RAM in stages and see if the problem goes away ("Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer doooooooo....")

There's an app called 'Console' in your Utilities folder, for inspecting system logs. Check ~/Library/Logs/CrashReporter/* and /Library/Logs/panic.log
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simon

I'd bet a pint of the creamy stuff that it's hardware.

Check your cooling and the internal temperature. There are utilities out there for that.

Make sure your RAM is adequately seated. Chips that come loose are a prime cause of these sorts of problems. Also check cabling.

If you've replaced your RAM, check it is compatible.

Get a system test utility that runs low level diagnostics and leave it running overnight. Make sure it creates and flushes a log file.

Do a Google search for kindred spirits and learn from the path they've trodden.

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stevepa

Just now Asha was watching a video on the Mini next door, streaming it from my Mac Pro, while I was doing some work on my laptop.

Suddenly a shout of "DAD! Why's it paused? I didn't pause it!", and Lo! There was no more Harry Potter.

I wiggled the mouse so the Pro would come back to life, and as the monitor awoke the GCOD revealed itself. Bloody marvellous, I thought.

So I take the side off, reseat all the RAM modules, swap the banks over for good measure, take all the discs out and push them back in (I love the engineering on this thing), and restart.

Bang. GCOD.

So I restart again.

Bang. GCOD.

So I look up how to do a safe boot, and do one.

Blissful silence. No GCOD.

So I check the console logs, and find numerous references to "ParallelsConnectUSB".

Splock. The dropping of a penny. Moments before the scream from Asha, I'd plugged my phone in to the USB socket on the front of the Pro to charge up.

So, blame fairly and squarely at Parallels' feet, I feel.

How to uninstall? I've made a backup of the VM in case I remember there's stuff there I need, but dragging the Parallels folder into the Trash still leaves loads of droppings everywhere... like Preferences and Library. Is there a standard way to "destroy all evidence" of a program once you've fallen out of love with it?

Thank you, wonderful technical folk, for your help, all much appreciated as usual.

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Check /Library/Receipts and see if there's anything Parallels related in there.

If it was drag and drop from a disk image, you'll probably have to find the bits and fish them out by hand - if you care, and generally I don't.

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simon

http://forum.parallels.com/archive/index.php/t-140.html
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simon

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stevepa