My ibook is freezing

my ibook is freezing up. It usually happens when i'm moving it around. Any suggestions as to why it is freezing?

Hi, and welcome to Apple Discussions.
Try booting into Safe Mode. This will take quite awhile longer than a normal startup because it does a file check and repair of the hard disk.
You will see your normal desktop. Once completely started up in Safe Mode, restart normally, and go to Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility. Click on the top hard drive icon in the left sidebar and note the S.M.A.R.T. status at the bottom right of the pane. What does it say?
Select the named boot volume in the left sidebar, ("Macintosh HD" unless you've renamed it). What is the hard drive capacity and how much space remains available on it? Repair permissions on it.
See if a little hard drive maintenance helps things out.
If you have questions in the future, you may want to try posting in the iBook G4 Forum.
You have posted in the iBook G3 (Dual USB) Forum.

Similar Messages

IBook G4 freezes after 10 minutes

my iBook G4 freezes after a few minutes of use.
it starts up but freezes after around 10 minutes (variable 5 - 20 mins). The screen is frozen and no keyboard or mouse input is accepted. Only way out I found was to power-off. This happens from cold.
When warm, it freezes on startup with blue screen.
I have been able to clear the disc and reload MAC OS from install discs and the symptoms are identical. There are no modifications, no devices connected, no network connection and the wifi is turned off. It makes no difference whether the battery is removed and run on power supply or simply run on fullycharged battery.
I tried:
1. remove/replace wifi card and memory check connections OK.
2. Startup from install disc and repaired disc, although it was OK. Disc seems to be fine.
3. Reset PROM.
4. stored the iBook in a cold place and it ran for longer.
5. Ran a temperture monitor - all temperatures are OK.
6. I have tried using the latest MAC OS 10.4 and the original one supplied with th iBook (10.3).
I do not think it is a disc, airport card, cooling fan or battery fault. It could be a memory module failure or some motherboard fault. Its not software or driver.
I think the only thing left is that some hardware fails when it gets wram and works agin when cold. The colder t is to at startup, the longer it works for.
I have now run out of ideas.

It ran long enough to install from disc-1 then froze. After restarting, it asked for disc-2 and that loaded then froze. After restarting, it worked a short while then froze. To get this far, I left the iBook in a cold place before starting it up and this extended the runtime from the normal 5 minutes to as much as 25 minutes.
I disconnected the disc and it behaved the same while starting from the CD drive so I think the disc is OK or its more than one cause.
This feels like a dry solder joint problem, to me - applying pressure on the motherboard or lowering the temperature will temporarily fix it for a few minutes.
If I pay for a repair then, statistically, it will last 3 months longer so its too risky. It would not be so bad if Apple could repair it with confidence that it will not have the same problem again, but to do that they would have to admit to what causes the this problem with so many iBooks.

IBook is freezing, help help.

ok, so i have had my ibook for about two years now. i was running 10.3.9 and problem free. i had replaced a logic board a year ago and some bad memory. other than that i am good to go.
about two months ago my ibook started freezing. i didn't get kernel panics telling me to restart. the mouse icon would freeze(the color wheel would stop , or the hand would be stuck as the hand icon) and i could not access my dock. however, with an ethernet cable i was still able to bridge the internet from the ibook to my desktop computer.(which is how i am online right now) it will start up fine and won't freeze if i have it on and run nothing. sometimes it runs for a while without freezing. but then sometimes it freezes right away.
i reinstalled 10.3 hoping a clean install would clear it up, but no such luck. i ran the hardware test also, and everything came out passing. anyone have any suggestions?

also, i would like to note that my iSight still gave out video of me moving around after my desktop had frozen. which i could not really explain? and the monitor dims still and puts up the screen saver, even if it is frozen.

IBook G4 freezing, and nothing much more

I’m hoping for some creative help with a very troubling problem I’m having with my G4 iBook.
Bought in 2004, this 14-inch iBook is running Tiger (though it came with Panther) and has 768 MB of RAM, a 60 gig hard drive, and a 1.07 GHz processor. It has never caused me any problems and I have been able to run an impressive array of programs at the same time with only about a dozen full-scale crashes that I can recall.
About three weeks ago, the computer started to freeze repeatedly, particularly when hooked up to an external monitor or TV. I ran the Disk Utility, both from the computer and off the Mac Os install disk, though no problems were found. The freezing continued and became even more persistent. At that time, programs would become non-responsive, the clock would stop, but the mouse pointer could still be moved. Sometimes, a thin line of zebra stripes would appear at the top of the screen and the mouse pointer would not move. A small, multi-coloured line (about one pixel wide and barely the height of the top menu bar) developed on the screen and has remained since.
Luckily, I use the computer for work and sent it off to our company repairperson, who specializes in Macs. As always seems to be the way, he could find nothing wrong with the computer — it worked fine for him over the three days he tested it. He installed a fresh copy of Tiger, removed Norton Utilities, which often can often cause operating problems, according to him. (He did not remove any other programs.) He did a hardware diagnosis and found no problems. He sent it back to me.
When I got the computer back, at first it worked fine. The only problem was that a blue screen would appear and the computer would become unresponsive when I hooked it up on the fly to an external monitor. (The computer tech suggested I hook up the source before powering the computer on to avoid a crash, though this was unnecessary before).
I moved my preferences from the archived system folder to the new library folder. The freezing then returned. This time, much worse. Without going into detail at this point about the freezing, I can say that the freezing became so bad that I decided to do something drastic — wipe the hard drive and re-install Tiger completely, which I did. (I backed up all my documents and preferences on another hard drive, of course.) This seemed like a good thing to do, seeing as the problem may have been with one or more of my programs. I was getting some corrupted file messages before I wiped the hard drive.
Sadly, even after two reinstalls of Tiger, freezes are persistent. I have also reset the power management unit several times, along with resetting the Parameter RAM. I have also turned off hard disk spin down and the option that puts the computer to sleep (in the Energy Saver control panel) to avoid unnecessary sleeping. No luck — freezes continue.
At this point, the computer has a clean hard drive and fresh copy of Tiger, including all the software updates through the Apple menu. I do have a few basic programs installed, such as Microsoft Office, iPhoto and some small, free downloadable programs. There is about 41 gigs of free hard disk space.
Here are the freeze patterns:
- When the computer freezes, the seconds counter on the clock stops, all programs are unresponsive and no force quitting is possible. The pointer can still be moved by the mouse, but that is the only action the computer makes. The only way to reset the computer is to hold down the power button.
- Typically, if the computer is powered back on within less than five minutes, it boots up past the Apple symbol and spinning dial, then freezes on the blue screen.
- If I wait for about five minutes or more, the computer will almost always boot up normally.
- The computer seems particularly susceptible when peripheral devices are attached while running. For instance, it has crashed a few times while the computer was running as soon as — or shortly after — I inserted a USB key, a firewire cable (for a firewire transfer), or unplugged and re-plugged in the power adapter.
- It has also taken to freezing or crashing when audio or video is played — iTunes, DVD Player (especially) or Quicktime. It doesn’t always freeze or crash, but it more often does than does not. It has crashed a few times when Acquisition — a peer-to-peer file sharing program — was running. I am currently running the Internet through an Airport wireless connection.
- The computer was freezing consistently today after about 45 minutes operation, even with no programs running. I reset the Power Management Unit, Parameter RAM and disabled sleep and hard disk spin down, and it ran for two hours this evening (with no programs running and no network connected) and did not freeze. I intend to try a longer run overnight to see how it fairs.
Sorry for the long description. I just want to be very thorough with my explanation so potential problem solvers have enough to go on.
Hope you can help! I really appreciate it. I love this computer and am not quite ready (financially) to buy a new one.
- niall

Luckily, I use the computer for work and sent it off to our company repairperson, who specializes in Macs. As always seems to be the way, he could find nothing wrong with the computer — it worked fine for him over the three days he tested it. He installed a fresh copy of Tiger, removed Norton Utilities, which often can often cause operating problems, according to him. (He did not remove any other programs.) He did a hardware diagnosis and found no problems. He sent it back to me.
This is the major sign of hope so far.
If the computer could run for 3 days and be functional enough to reinstall the OS, the logic board and HD can't be totally FUBAR.
Can your computer guy lend you a different power adapter?
Now, I'm guessing the computer guy didn't plug in peripherals while he was testing, so the problem may be with your ports. There could be a cracked solder joint, or the hot-plugging of your TV connection could have traumatized some electrical component inside the iBook.
You can't count on your OS at this point, because you have done some forced shutdowns. I'd recommend borrowing a new power adapter and seeing if Ubuntu can run your iBook for an extended period without freezing. Probably best not to go heavy on the multimedia test, since that could just as well be an Ubuntu bug.
Running Ubuntu with it's screen saver going for a day will be a pretty good test. Since Ubuntu loads into RAM, your system will get a thorough workout. Don't plug anything else in. I'm trying to reproduce the results that your computer guy got.
There's one other far-fetched possibility that would be good to check: could some of the outlets in your house be improperly wired? You can pick up an inexpensive outlet tester that will check to make sure the hot and neutral wires aren't reversed, and that the ground (earth) is properly grounded. You should check the proper wiring of all outlets that are involved with the computer, namely the TV's outlet, the monitor's outlet, and outlets that power any peripheral.
Again, this is a long shot, but it has been the answer for me in the past.

Help with ibook G4, Freezing and wont turn on :-(

Can anyone help a fellow MacLady?
I have an ibook G4, her her a year with no problems,
2 days ago cursor froze, and I turned off and restarted and am left with a blank screen.
Every now and then it starts up, all my documents are there, connects to to wireless ok, and last for anything from 5mins to 1hr. Then freezes again.
Took it to a local PC man who looked and said he doenst really know apples but guessed it was Hard Drive.
Have no lost NO information from the PC, its all backed up now thankfully as I do occassionaly get access to it, though all my 876 entourage emails have strangely dissapeard. Aghhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Have an appointment with a "Genius" in Bluewater on Wednesday (earliest they can see me), but just wondered if anyone knew what the problem might be and how much I am maybe looking at for a repair? As the PC man told me to buy a new one as this will cost hundreds.
I work from home so not been able to print or do hardly anything so am running out of time
Thanks for any help, the PC is here next to me (am on my old Win one, blergh) so if anyone can help or give advice I would really appreciate it,
Thanks for any help in advance.

Hi LadyMacB and welcome to Apple Discussions.
First of all see if you can start up inSafe Mode.
Safe Boot takes longer than normal startup.
What is Safe Boot, Safe Mode.
If you are able to start up in Safe Mode and reboot into normal mode this may, in itself, be enough. If not restart in Safe Mode, if you are able, & put your OS X install disk in and restart holding the C key until you see the spinning gear wheel. When you get to the Language screen select your language and select 'Next'.
At the top of the screen towards the left in the menu bar select Utilities>Disk Utility. Select the Drive name at the very top, then look at the report at the bottom of the window. Amongst everything else you will, hopefully, see S.M.A.R.T. status 'Verified'.
If it says 'Failing' then your PC bloke is spot on. Be grateful that you were able to get everything backed up. Otherwise proceed…
Select your OS volume 2nd down in the left hand box, then click the 'Repair Disk' button. Leave Disk Repair to run, If it reports that repairs were made select 'Repair Disk' again until you get the message that the Volume appears to be OK. If DU reports at any time that it could not repair then third party utilities may be necessary or, irrespective of the S.M.A.R.T. status report, your HD may be shot. Try the above for starters and report back.
Best of luck,
Adrian

Ibook G4 freezes either when its on the grey loading screen or the blue screen. Sometimes I get it to my desktop but it always freezes in like a minute. Someone help I really need this computer!

I have tried everything online and my iBook g4 wont stop freezing. Safe Mode doesnt even help, it still gets stuck on the blue screen! It either gets stuck on the grey loading screen or the blue screen. Rarely I am able to boot past everything and get to my desktop but after about 30 seconds it freezes again. This laptop was passed down to me and I have no original papers or disks that came with this laptop. I am really trying to figure this out without buying a disk because if it doesnt work I wont be out $60. Someone help I have tried putting it in safe mode single mode holding c down during start up! I need more options.. Please this is the only computer I have right now! (PS: I know warranty has expired a long long time ago)

Hello,
Some information you may or may not have read.
Troubleshooting portables that won't turn on or start up
http://support.apple.com/kb/TA25686?viewlocale=en_US
Troubleshooting: My computer won't turn on
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1367
Without the disk you are limited on options. It could be an issue with the hard drive and would required the disk to run disk utility.

My iBook keeps freezing at a specific point on startup!

I just purchased an ibook off ebay, and it was supposed to have a logic board failure. However, when I turned it on, it worked. Until it tried to load OS X. I got about 1/16 through the blue bar with the waves, and the computer froze. that bar still "waves", but the harddrive no longer clicks and spins. Does anyone know what to do? I haven't used a mac since I was ten, and now I'm 23. Any help would be apprecated.
iBook G3 model number a1005

I didn't get any cds with the computer. All I recived was the ibook and the power cord. There is a somewhat functioning OS on it. It shows the OS X loading screen, but freezes before the extensions load. That's what I mean by it tried to load OS X.
Model Number: UV2202YCLQ0
600 MHZ G3 Processor
128 MB memory
20 GB HD
Now I have one final question. I just found out how to open my keyboard and remove it from my ibook. There, I found a slot that is supposed to have something there(AirPort Extreme), but it was missing. Then, I removed the metal cover, and found that I have no, I mean NO memory in the slot. I believe this could be the reason why my computer is freezing. Is this a resounding yes from the mac community?
iBook G3 model number a1005

Ibook G4 freezes when using mains power

Hi There
I'm looking for a bit of help, hopefully someone might have had a similar problem.
When using mains power my ibook freezes with the screen visible but nothing moving including the mouse arrow. The only way to shut it down is to keep the power button pressed. The only way to restart it is to keep the power button pressed. This doesn't always work though. Sometimes the fan whirrs and sometimes there is a whirr and then a beep. Sometimes the start up chimes can be heard and nothing happens.
Generally after 2 to 3 attempts the computer launches and lasts for about 15 minutes before it freezes again.
Strangely there isn't a problem when I'm using the battery only to power the computer.
It has frozen when using Safari 3.04 and Indesign CS2
The computer has had pretty robust use as the main graphic design tool for the last 2 years
6 months ago I added more memory and bought a new battery
2 year old ibook G4 (Bought new Nov 2005)
OS 10.4.11
Processor 1.42 Ghz PowerPC G4
Memory 1.5 GB DDR SDRAM
13.75 GB available
Any Ideas?
All the best
Matthew

the cable mentioned runs inside the iBook though, not the power adapter cable.
adapter plugs into the connector, which is part of the "DC-in board", then there is a cable inside running to the logic board.
looks kind of like that:
http://www.welovemacs.com/9226647.html
it may not be what's causing the problem anyways, you may want to get it diagnosed by authorized service provider

IBook G4 Freezes at Startup Window or gives Blank Blue Screen

Ok, so I realize my description is long, but I've been going through these forums gleaning off the wisdom of the past...and so here's what I've tried
Description of Problem:
1. Computer froze, had to be shut down by holding down power button
2. On restart, goes to apple pages with status wheel (looks like turning gear). But then either freezes on that page, or more frequently goes to a blank light blue screen.
3. Tried restarting from install CD, ends in blank light blue screen.
4. Restarted holding option, tried to restart from a firewire clone of the drive, ends in blank light blue screen.
5. DId a reset to firmware, typed in two lines of code as found on discussion board, it restarted, no effect.
TARGET FIREWIRE
Opened computer as target firewire drive
6. used disk utility to repair, there was nothing to repair.
7. Used DiskWarrior to rebuild.
8. Backed up drive using superduper
UNMOUNTED FIREWIRE
9. No change
HELP???? This computer is NOT under AppleCare anymore.

This EXACT thing has just happened to me!
It is a 12 inch ibook G4.
I am hoping it will come back up one more time so that I can transfer it to a Terra server I have here in the lab.
I am wondering what I am going to do...
DNADEB

IBook G4 freezes up when using external firewire drive. Any ideas??

I have an external hard drive formatted as Apple Partition Map, with Tiger 10.4.11. I can boot from that drive, but after a while... say, about a minute after it shows everything on the desktop, the iBook freezes.
If I start up from the iBook, I have no problem accessing the files and there are no freezes. I'd like, however, to start up from the external drive during this week while my MacBook Pro is in the shop. That way, documents, etc. will remain up to date, I can use various applications I'm used to, and won't have to go through the hassle of transferring settings for various programs to the iBook (or the programs themselves).
Any ideas what's going on here or how to fix it?

Ronda, we're talking past each other! I wasn't trying to use a cloned drive (MBP or iBook) in any of this!
What I had learned from experience (and from advice here and on the net) was that if you wanted to use an external drive with both an iBook and a MacBook Pro, you needed to format the drive as an Apple Partition Map. And that is true.
Clearly wrongly, I assumed that if I did a fresh install of Tiger using an Apple Partittion Map, it could boot an iBook. Clearly, an Intel-Mac installs something in that scenario that makes the drive only bootable from an Intel-Mac. I had mistakenly thought it was the partition scheme the determined which laptop it could be booted from and used with!
For my future reference--and for any one else who might be in this situation--here's the solution.
1. Format the external hard from the iBook.
2. Then connect it to your MBP or other more recent device, and drag your home folder and needed programs over to the drive.
3. Now, you can boot the external drive using your iBook.
4. Any changes to documents, mail (e.g., Eudora), etc. will register on that external drive.
I wish I had thought of that, or been advised to do that. It would have made short work of reconstructing the MBP's home folder contents on its return--a simple drag and drop operation!

IBook G4 freeze

Yesterday I opened up my iBook G4 and it instantly gave graphical glitches followed by a black screen. For a while I wasn't able to reboot the computer, it would just freeze while booting, sometimes giving the startup chime and white Apple loading screen and sometimes the fans would be switched on and the screen remained black. I have not installed any new software or hardware, the only thing that differed from my normal usage is that I usually keep my iBook in sleep mode, but this week I shut it down to prevent the battery from running out because I knew I wasn't going to use it often. Therefore I first tried to boot up without the battery, which seemed to work and during that time I reinstalled Leopard without problems. I tried running off the battery again and after a few minutes of Leopard running normally it froze again, with the same random graphics glitches followed by a black screen. I also got a message that my internal clock was set to a date before 2004. Trying to run without the battery seemed to work initially, but only delayed the onset of the problems. Could it be an overheating problem, since my iBook seems to get hot a lot faster with the battery than without it?

Hi megamillions,
Welcome to the Discussions.
Remove any external devices, additional RAM and the AirPort card if it's user accessible then try to start in Safe Mode. If it starts restart normally and if it starts normally shut down and reinstall the RAM, restart again and see if it runs. Next the AirPort card if applicable.
If the above steps don't work go through the troubleshooting guide linked above.
John
PS In the future post a new topic rather than adding to another poster's topic. You problem (and its solution) may not be related to the original poster's.

IBooks Author Freezes

I downloaded the new OSX last night for my iMac and now when I open iBooks Author it just freezes, is anyone else having this problem? It worked fine before I got the new OSX, can someone please help?

with the new version iBooks Author (2.1) you can add captions to the images or captions?, I can't use the option maximize by clicking in inspector options, just want to know if anyone has the same problem, greetings.

Ibook G4 freezes on startup help

My Ibook G4 has been good to me for years, I try to keep it clean and up to date. A few days ago out of the blue it froze up on me. I took the battery out and tried to start up the computer. It starts to go through the motions ( white screen with the apple logo and dial spinning below, then changes to blue screen ) Once it gets to the blue screen where it normally loads OSX it just stops running and freezes everytime. Tryed to load the apple care test disc , but it does not work. The apple logo shifts to the side and the computer freezes again. I also tried to use the apple restore disc, to run a hardware test. That will load the disc and start to go through the hardware test. Once it gets to the memory portion of the test it freezes everytime. It does not say the memory portion failed it just freezes. Also trying to do a reinstall of the software does not work, it just freezes shortly after the disc starts to spin.
Any ideas would be helpfull thanks
Ibook G4 (2004)800/756 running OS 10.4.10

Let's take it a step further and reset the NVRAM. Restart and hold down the Appleoption+OF keys. Release them when you see "Welcome to Open Firmware". At the prompt type;
reset-nvram (return)
reset-all (return)
The computer will restart after pressing return the second time.
John

IBook G4 Freezing up after 5-10 Min Of use

i have a iBook G4 that started freezing up after 5-10 min of use. I took it in to the Apple Store and tech told me that it was the Hardrive.I replaced it and still encounter the same problem. It seems that when if freezes up if i tried restarting it right back manually shutting it off and turning it back on i only get a blue screen but if i leave it alone for a few minutes turned off it will boot back on fine. Can anyone help my unit is out of warranty and it seems that a lot of people have the same problem and it's sad i mean i got this apple thinking it was apple quality and now i feel like i bought a compaq PC.

this looks like it could still be either a hardware or software problem.
did you reinstall the OS when you got the new HD? have you tried creating a new user name and logging into as that name?
Does the ibook feel very hot? An overheating processor will shut down the computer. If you say it is simply freezing I'm not sure if this could still cause it.
Is it always the same amount of time until it freezes regardless of how long the computer was off before you tried turning it on?

IBook G4 Freezes at Blue Screen During Startup.

iBook G4 933 MHz
Mac OS X 10.4. Tiger
640MB RAM
40GB internal ATA hard drive
Computer boots but then quickly locks up.
If I immediately restart, then the iBook hangs at the blue screen before the Mac OS X progress screen appears.
If I remove the battery and unplug the power cord then allow the computer to sit for at least 30 minutes, able to fully boot, but then the machine quickly freezes up.
I assume the problem is heat related?
I have so far:
- Totally disassembled/reassembled
- Reset PRAM
- Reset NVRAM
- Reset PMU
- Unable to do target disk mode
- iBook freezes same way when booting to Mac OS X install DVD
Able to boot to shell command line mode no problem.
FSCK reports no issues with the HDD.
Sometimes during startup a fan turns on briefly, but not every attempt to boot.
Yes-- I know about the 'solder' issues with iBook G4 logic boards, but I do not think the above is related. The VGA works fine.
Thanks for any assistance that can be rendered.

After a month, I have been notified by Superior Reball that the logic board has been repaired. I promptly made payment of $35 and the board was shipped back to me on June 17 via USPS Priority Mail Delivery Confirmation. I have received the tracking number and anticipate receiving the package by June 20.
In my situation, well worth the wait for only $35.
Even though I chose to totally disassemble the iBook, Superior will do the disassemble/reassemble for $75.
I would not have done it by shipping the entire iBook, though. With the higher shipping cost, insurance, having to send out the hard drive with no back up, the higher repair cost, etc.-- in the end a prohibitive expense. I could probably buy a used iBook G4 for no more than $200, to put things in perspective.
In summary, Superior Reball had a great price, good enough communication (they answer the phone, but not e-mail) and it looks like fast return shipping. It took a lot longer than the ad states, so I am applying the old 'price, speed, quality-- choose any two' rule here.

My ibook is freezing

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