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MacBook Pro has intermittent random crashes after hardware upgrades...


GeoFan49
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Any suggestions?

I have just upgraded my MacBook Pro: installed 8GB memory (4GBx2 is max RAM for this MacBook Pro) and a new 1TB internal hard drive. It took me a day to install Mac OS X on the new internal drive, restore the Time Machine backup and check things out. The 4GB RAM was adequate for my normal use, but 8GB is very nice to have, and I need it for a special QA project, which requires me to run Windows on this Mac. The new 1TB hard drive is just over half full now, and 7200 RPM with 16GB cache vs. 5400 RPM with 8GB cache seems peppier too. 

However, there may now be an intermittent problem. My Mac had not crashed in more than one year, and I often run it for a few weeks between rebooting. For now, I cannot trust the Mac, and I am saving my work every 5 or 10 minutes. 

 

Since installing the new hard drive and new DRAM, it has crashed twice in two days. One "crash" was just a hang. The other "crash" caused a very strange display on the external monitor. Rebooting took longer than usual, maybe 3 minutes vs. 1 minute, after each "crash."  

 

Here is the screen shot after crash #1 (hang):

 

post-1249956-0-26570100-1384283446_thumb.png


So, I ran the stand-alone (single user mode) memory test (memtest) overnight (5 passes takes about 10 hours with 8GB) and it did not report any errors. I have 12 more days to return the memory or exchange it at Fry's Electronics locally.   If it crashes again within a few days I will take the new DRAM back and try another brand.  
 
My MacBook Pro (mid-2009, 15", ) is now running OS X 10.6.8 (Snow Leopard) and want to upgrade to Mavericks (10.9) as soon as the hardware is solid for at least a few days. 
 
Also planning to install VMWare and Windows 7 for a special project as soon as the hardware is stable. 

For now, I plan to open the case, re-seat the RAM and run MEMTEST every night in standalone (single-user) mode.

Any other suggestions?  How to troubleshoot this and find out what is causing rare, random, intermittent crashes?
 
 

Hardware Overview:

 

  Model Name: MacBook Pro "Mid-2009" 

  Model Identifier: MacBookPro5,4

  Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo

  Processor Speed: 2.53 GHz

  Number Of Processors: 1

  Total Number Of Cores: 2

  L2 Cache: 3 MB

  Memory: 8 GB

  Bus Speed: 1.07 GHz

  Boot ROM Version: MBP53.00AC.B03

  SMC Version (system): 1.49f2

  Serial Number (system): ........7XJ

 

 
New Internal Hard Drive:
 

HGST HTS721010A9E630:

 

  Capacity: 1 TB (1,000,204,886,016 bytes)

  Model: HGST HTS721010A9E630                    

  Revision: JB0OA3B0

 

New DRAM:

 

Corsair 8GB (2 x 4GB) 1066MHz DDR3,  204-Pin SO-DIMM Laptop Memory,   Model # CM3X8GSDKIT1066,   Frys # 6391441. 

 

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  • 1 year later...

CORRECTION & Update:

 

Returned the Corsair RAM. (It was in an open box when I bought it, often not a good thing.)

 

I bought PNY brand 8 GB kit (4GB x 2) because it was the only UNOPENED one that was in stock locally. Ran MEMTEST overnight, in single-user mode. A-OKAY.

 

During the next few days, the MacBook Pro crashed or froze several times, randomly. So, I ran MEMTEST in single user mode overnight, three passes, and it failed on pass 3.

 

Returned the PNY brand and ordered online from Crucial. They offer a 45 day refund and lifetime exchange, which is much better than any local store offered. Arrived 2 days after ordering.

 

Crucial RAM = A-Okay!

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