Flashing light, dead RAM slot

Hi all,
So I woke up this morning to an unresponsive computer. I noticed the light on the front panel was flashing at an even, quick pace. After some research, I fiddled with the RAM (reseat, switch, PRAM, etc) and finally came to the conclusion that the bottom RAM slot is dead (not the RAM board). The computer will start now, but nothing shows up for the bottom RAM slot, even though there are RAM modules placed there. Is this a dying logic board?
Mac Pro, 2007
Thanks.
John

Not necessarily. A damaged RAM slot is not a sign that your logic board will fail, but the RAM slot is part of the logic board, so you can say that a small part of the logic board is failing.
You can carry on using your Mac if the rest of the RAM is enough for your tasks, but make backups of your files with Time Machine. If not, take the Mac to an Apple Store or reseller

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MacBook Pro mid 2012 15" - one RAM slot gone bad

Hi,
Has anyone ever had the issue with not working RAM slot? My MacBook Pro mid 2012 (non-retina) suddenly froze and after restart was beeping three times every few seconds. I found out that the beeping signals bad RAM. Bought new chips, and the problem still exists. My mac can now run on one slot with 4GB RAM.
I did check the placement of the chips in the slots, i also checked one slot at a time, and one of them has gone broken.
Any ideas on how to make it run again? or if it is possible to replace the slots?
Brgds
Marek
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The Apple-accepted cure for a dead RAM slot is a new logic board. Unless you ahve AppleCare, that will be an expensive fix.
An Apple service option is the "depot repair." Instead of working on your computer in the Apple Store, they send it to a centralized refurbishment facility where they fix anything they find wrong (except for cosmetic damage and damage from abuse like dropping) for a flat fee of a little over US$300. That is between 30 and 40 percent of the parts and labor charges if Apple installs a new board in an Apple Store. Sometimes they will install an new battery at the depot without increasing the flat fee.
The downside is that it takes about a week; for that level of cost savings, I could do without my computer for a week.
So take it to Apple and ask about a depot repair.
A low-tech and low-cost option is to expand on what you are doing now--using one slot. Although the official RAM limit on your model is 8GB RAM (two 4GB models), your model can actually handle a total of 16GB (two 8GB modules. You can ignore the dead slot and put an 8GB module in the good slot. My 2012 MBP has 8GB RAM and is completely happy running Mavericks.
Be sure to ONLY get the RAM from an Mac-savvy vendor. For over a decade I've bought all our Mac RAM from one supplier. This is their page for an 8GB module for your MBP model:
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/1600DDR3S8GB/
I would also trust Crucial on this one. For a change they recognize that your model can use more RAM than stated in Apple's outdated specs:
http://www.crucial.com/usa/en/compatible-upgrade-for/Apple/macbook-pro-%2813-inc h-and-15-inch%2C-mid-2012%29

Powerbook G4 15in 1.5GHz Dead Lower Ram Slot

My Powerbook G4 has a bad lower Ram slot, but the problem is intermittant. If I put both 512mb ram in and start up, sometimes I get the 3 beebs and sometimes it will boot and show a full 1gb ram but locks up moments later.
I've been running on 512mb and it is not fun!
I can not afford a new logic board or a new mac. I am a web designer and need my PB for work.
How can Apple not Recall these machines and fix them?

Did the 2 RAM modules come with your Mac? Have you tried swapping the RAM modules to opposite slots and do you get the same failure in that slot? Make sure the modules are securely connected in the slot.
To eliminate RAM modules being the problem, Look at this link: Testing RAM @ http://guides.macrumors.com/Testing_RAM Then download & use Memtest & Ramber.
Do you have an Apple Hardware Test disc (the AHT is on the Install/Restore DVD that came with your Mac)? Running the Apple Hardware Test in Loop Mode is an excellent troubleshooting step for finding intermittent hardware problems. It is especially useful when troubleshooting intermittent kernel panics. If Loop Mode is supported by the version of the Apple Hardware Test you are using, you run the Extended Test in Loop Mode by pressing Control-L before starting the test. Looping On should appear in the right window. Then click the Extended Test button.The test will run continuously until a problem is found. If a problem is found, the test will cease to loop, indicating the problem it found. If the test fails, be sure to write down the exact message associated with the failure.In some cases, RAM problems did not show up until nearly 40 loops, so give it a good run.
 Cheers, Tom

Strange noise and flashing lights -- can this be battery/power-related?

I have had two occurrences of a very strange sound and never-before-seen flashing of a light on my TiBook. Here is what happened:
I recently got a new battery (a NewerTech Extend 4800) for my 3 year-old PowerBook. I carefully followed the directions that came with the battery and installed it, then plugged in the power adapter to charge it up. I then started the computer so I could see the battery’s progress. Upon start-up, a “whooo” sort of sound came out of the computer for a few moments and the little sleep indicator light flashed several times (as did the apple light on the back of the computer lid). Nothing appeared to be out of order and the computer started normally otherwise. I was able to monitor the battery’s progress and since everything seemed to work normally and no one I talked to seemed to think I’d damaged anything, I just used the computer normally for the next two weeks with no problems.
Then last night the computer just shut down all by itself – I did not put it to sleep and it is not set to go to sleep on its own (my power saving setting is only set to dim the screen), nor did I click “shut down.” I thought perhaps somehow the power cord had not been attached and the battery had run down, although the new battery has been warning me properly when the battery is getting low, so that doesn’t make sense. It would not wake, so I restarted it. Upon restart, the same noise and flashing light situation occurred again.
I called the company that sold me the battery and the tech guy’s suggestion there was to reset the PMU and he gave me an Apple article to instruct me on how to do that. I have done that, but there is no evidence that that has solved whatever the issue was. I am hoping that someone can identify the sound and lights pattern and advise me as to whether it is some more serious issue, or if it’s nothing to worry about. It has been suggested to me that it is possibly a power adaptor issue, but since I’ve run down and recharged the battery without incident several times in between the two occurrences, that doesn’t seem logical either. Is there a known signal a computer makes when there is some power/charging issue?
Thanks for any help you have or for at least posting if you have had a similar experience. So far, no one I’ve talked to has ever heard of this before.
15" Powerbook G4 (tiBook), 1 Ghz, 1 GB, Super Drive Mac OS X (10.4.3)

Hi ChloeB,
Your description of the "moaning" sounds at startup sounds like something I'm dealing with. I came across the following post by EWW in the "My Powerbook Won't Start Up". I recommend the link and wish to specifically credit EWW with the posting, as I found it helpful. The URL is
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=380101&tstart=0
Begin Pasted Posting
Hi, limberlingo, and welcome to Apple Discussions.
Power On Self-Test Beep Definition - Part 2 (Oct. 1999 and later Macs)
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=58442
1 beep = no RAM installed
2 beeps = incompatible RAM types
3 beeps = no good banks
4 beeps = no good boot images in the boot ROM (and/or bad sys config block)
5 beeps = processor is not usable
Your Powerbook is not detecting any good RAM at startup. This may indicate that your RAM (all of it — do you have one module or two installed?) has gone bad, or that it isn't seated properly. The first thing to try is reseating it: remove the module(s) and then reinsert it(them). Then try starting up again. If that doesn't do the trick, and you have only one RAM module, it's probably bad and will have to be replaced. A single RAM module having intermittent problems before failing completely (as it apparently has now) would account for all your problems.
If you have two modules, it's much less likely that both of them have failed or loosened in their slots simultaneously. Post back with results of your testing.
End of Pasted Post by EWW
There's another thread I found where one of the causes of a three-tone warning was found to be a pinched ribbon cable coming off the bottom of the trackpad. You can find that in the thread titled "Solution to Freezes Caused By Ribbon Cable" - - the information provided by Marc Posner, Anthony Brade and others.
The URL is
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=228678
Hope this helps.
Paratus

Superrapid standbylight flash and dead MBP

So I have been scouring the forums for an answer but haven't really found an anwer.
I have a 2008 Macbook Pro (old design) 2,4GHz, 2GB ram that decided that the time was right to die. I selected the restart machine from the apple menu, it almost restarted, and after that nothing. When i push the power button lightly nothing happens. When I keep the power button pressed down the fan and HDD starts, then the standby light flashes (maybe 5 flashes every second) and then it shuts down. I've tried resetting pram, resetting power, and then I read that flashing lights can mean something wrong with the ram. So I removed the ram and lo and behold, the machine started without me having to hold the powerbutton down... But without ram the machine obviously did not work. Is it really possible that both my rams decided to die at the exact same time? I have tried both rams in both slots, and then only one of them in both slots (I did that with both of them). Or can it be a more serious problem that doesn't show without the rams being in place? Have anyone experienced the same?
Bård Ivar

yes it is very possible that both your rams can go belly up at the same time as a matter of fact they tend to do that .. try to get your hands on another module from a friend or something to verify .
your scenario is described almost exactly here :
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2341
if you are confident that the seating of the rams are all ok ( maybe some dust around ? ) then very high chance that you are looking at two tiny paperweights

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Now, I notice something different again. All lights are solidly on _except_ for one of the blue ones. No blinking, nothing... just solid on.
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Glen

those lights can just stop working = no big deal, the fan the lights are mounted in can become noisy, as so many have just disconnected the fan and went without, a replacement fan can be mounted if you wish.
a dual boot setup needs both drives available [not disconnected ] at all times, the memory needs to be continually in place, this connect/disconnect [hard drives/memory sticks] will lead to problems.
i suggest you plug in all and test ram with memtest86+ for a few hours, test hard drives with the downloadable diagnostic software, if pass then reload 98 first, then xp, and quit monkeying around with your system before you break it for good, if you havn't allready.

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Welcome to Apple Discussions!
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This question was solved.
View Solution.

Hi,
You're welcome and it's good to hear you've got it working
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****Click the White thumb to say thanks****
****Please mark Accept As Solution if it solves your problem****
****I don't work for HP****
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Welcome to the forum!
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In daily use: R60F, R500F, T61, T410
Collecting dust: T60
Enjoying retirement: A31p, T42p,
Non-ThinkPads: Panasonic CF-31 & CF-52, HP 8760W
Starting Thursday, 08/14/2014 I'll be away from the forums until further notice. Please do NOT send private messages since I won't be able to read them. Thank you.

Flashing light, dead RAM slot

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