Frequent kernel panics with MPB 2.0 with 2GB RAM

Question

I have been having frequent kernel panics with my MPB. I have 2GB of RAM that came pre-installed from the factory. This seems to happen most often when I am using external firewire drives. Has anyone out there had similar problems?

Answer 1

I've done the permission repairs. Also zapped the
PRAM. Ran the hardware test off the installer DVD
and it immediately came back with an error code
(4MEM/1/60000000:) and told me to contact Applecare.
I called Applecare and they were not very helpful.
The operator I spoke with had no idea what the
error code meant. He told me that RAM either works
or it doesn't. The PRAM zap was done at his
suggestion. Hasn't changed a thing. The kernel
panics have only grown more steady over the past
couple of weeks. More frustrating are frequent and
repeated application crashes (even simple stuff like
Safari, Mail, Address Book and Preview). Applecare
suggested I do a clean install of the OS. But it
sounds like a hardware issue to me. The app crashes
are occurring in different accounts on my MPB. I
don't want to spent a half-day reinstalling all of
my software only to have the issues continue. I'm
going to try to re-seat the RAM and then make an
appointment at the genius bar to have them take a
look at this. It had been running perfectly for the
first few weeks.
If you had an error code during the Hardware Test your MBP has a problem. The 4MEM/1/60000000: maybe linked to bad RAM or not seated correctly. If not seated correctly it will not boot, so it sounds like a bad RAM slot or memory stick.
William