Operating Systems > macOS

Calling all doctors - diagnosis

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worker201:
The patient:
1st gen MacBook Pro (May 2006) - 200GB 7200RPM HD, 2GHz Intel Core Duo, 2GB RAM, Mac OS X v10.5.8

Old troubles:
- gets very hot.
- Superdrive recognizes CDs and some video DVDs, but does not recognize software DVDs, including the Leopard install DVD.

New troubles:
- when Firefox is running, sometimes a hair-thin horizontal line of gibberish pixels will appear across the window, this line is not always continuous.  Relaunching Firefox, or closing the window and opening a new one will clear the problem.  This occurs daily.
- usually only when Firefox is running, the entire OS will quit.  The mouse pointer can still be moved, but the computer is otherwise frozen solid.  Always fixed by cold restart.  This occurs usually not more than once every 2 weeks.
- sometimes, when the computer is in screensaver or powersaver mode, the system will go dead.  If in screensaver mode, the screensaver will freeze.  No data about whether Firefox is running when this happens, but since I keep Firefox running most of the time, it's likely.  Always fixed by cold restart.  Closing lid and putting the computer to sleep when I'm away prevents this problem.  Occurs usually not more than once every 10 days.

Actions taken so far:
- repair disk permissions and verify disk integrity.  There were a lot of problems with the permissions for internet plugin folders, but repairing them did not prevent the next failure.
- memory test passed.  I used the program Rember, which can run multiple cycles.  Although no other programs were running, only 724MB were available for testing.  Firefox had been running before testing, but had been closed.
- took the computer into an Apple store back in August because networking randomly quit working.  Actually, that's when I found out that the Superdrive was failing, because I couldn't reinstall the OS.  They did a reinstall for me at the store, and networking came back.  So the OS was refreshed less than 6 months ago, and has been properly updated since then.
- shocking how often Firefox seems to be mentioned in these symptoms.  About 2 months ago, I quit using nightly builds and started using release builds instead, just in case, but that hasn't helped at all.

If anybody has any ideas, please share.  This is my main computer, and I would be lost without it.  Can't afford a replacement for at least another 6 months.

Refalm:
Try to vacuum clean the fans. If dust gets in them, the laptop can overheat. Happened to me, up to the point where it shut down after 70

reactosguy:
Firefox? Try Chrome for Mac. And get Snow Leopard.

worker201:
I didn't know there was chrome for Mac yet, I will download that.  But why Snow Leopard?  What makes you think that 64-bit support is the key to my problems?

Refalm, my computer runs way hot.  It's at 62C right now, and can get as high as 108C, according to my temperature monitor.  I've been told that the temp issue is endemic to the early MBPs - this is the very first Intel line, and they weren't cooled as much as they should have been.

Lead Head:
Blow out all the cooling vents with that "Canned Air" stuff. Make sure your fans are properly functioning (Macs do have hardware self test features, right?) 108*C is far too hot for sustained operation and is very bad for overall longevity.

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