Tech: Has my Mac been invaded?

Subject: Tech: Has my Mac been invaded?
From: Bainbo
Date: 28 Nov 09 - 06:08 AM

After surfing the web on my iMac G5, I closed down. But the machine started whirring, as if the disc drive or a fan was going, and displayed a message I've never seen before, telling me, in several languages, that I needed to restart my machine.

Norton didn't flag anything up, but I was suspicious anyway, so I didn't restart it - I pulled the plug out. However, the next day, I forgot and switched the machine on.

What do you think? Have I got a bug? Or am I being overcautious?

Subject: RE: Tech: Has my Mac been invaded?
From: BillE
Date: 28 Nov 09 - 06:26 AM

If the messages were in white lettering on a black rectangular background, and in English, French, German and Japanese, then you almost certainly had what's known as a a 'kernel panic'. According to MacFormat magazine these are rare and often fixed by restarting. So don't worry, but check it out on the Apple support website if it happens again. Scary when it happens - once in 20+ years in my case - but usually a one-off event. You could also buy MacFormat December 2009 issue and read page 37.

Bill

Subject: RE: Tech: Has my Mac been invaded?
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 28 Nov 09 - 06:30 AM

It tends to happen to me when I log on in the morning [I generally shut down overnight] — not that often, maybe once a month. I just do what it sez; press the power button & re-Restart, as it were. It has never happened twice running or led to any evident ill-FX.

Subject: RE: Tech: Has my Mac been invaded?
From: johnadams
Date: 28 Nov 09 - 06:30 AM

This happens to my Intel Powerbook regularly. It occurs when I have particular combinations of software in operation, particularly Dreamweaver and MPEG Streamclip which I use together when I am updating the English Dance and Song web site.

It feels to me like some conflicts between programmes. I brought several programmes forward from my G4 Powerbook and also the previous operating system so I was expecting some conflicts to occur. I don't think it's anything sinister but that shouldn't stop you doing regular scans of course.

Subject: RE: Tech: Has my Mac been invaded?
From: GUEST,Mr Red
Date: 28 Nov 09 - 06:33 AM

There has been a nasty bug recently. My ISP has not restored my facility properly yet. And the Library service shut down for a day & refused memory sticks/CD's etc for a week. But they are servers.

If your Mac is of the new Intel variety - I suspect my prediction has come true. Because Intel is a big target and the new Macs use the same processor - it is easier to migrate virus code to the Mac. So the alledged safety of smaller numbers (a myth anyway) is now certainly not.

If you got the same messages I would say you have a virus. How are you posting at the moment?

Subject: RE: Tech: Has my Mac been invaded?
From: erosconpollo
Date: 28 Nov 09 - 06:46 AM

This happens with my older Mini every now and again, sometimes months between occurrences. Almost always when I'm online -- certain pages seem to trigger it. Just an annoyance as all is fine after a restart.

Subject: RE: Tech: Has my Mac been invaded?
From: Bainbo
Date: 28 Nov 09 - 07:18 AM

Thanks. Looks like I was overreacting, as usual. Now I just need to see whether it will start up, having been unplugged while active.

Mr Red, mine's a PowerPc - a bugger when you're trying to get games for it, but maybe a bonus in this case. I'm posting from work at the moment.

Subject: RE: Tech: Has my Mac been invaded?
From: GUEST,Jack Campin
Date: 28 Nov 09 - 08:09 AM

The iMac G5 had a design fault that meant the logic board usually failed after a couple of years. The failure is irreparable and replacing the board cost more than the machine is worth. What you describe is the usual symptom of this.

Your machine will probably die in the next few hours of use.

Subject: RE: Tech: Has my Mac been invaded?
From: Stu
Date: 28 Nov 09 - 09:27 AM

I doubt very much it will die in the next few hours of use; I've never seen that happen to mac yet after a shutdown error and knackered macs will show more frequent faults than a oneoff (and even then it might be the less robust nature of the operating and system these days).

As BillE says it sounds like a common-or-garden kernel panic. This can be caused by any number of things but if you're worried I'd start with two procedures: 1) Boot up from your install disc and run a hardware test to check everything's OK and then 2) Run Disc Utility and repair any permissions etc that often get corrupted in the general course of things.

Only if the fault is regular and repeating do you need to worry, and even then it might be a case of a worn-out battery, PRAM needs resetting etc.

Subject: RE: Tech: Has my Mac been invaded?
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Nov 09 - 10:16 AM

What Bainbo is seeing is exactly what happened to my iMac G5. It's a well known problem. Google "iMac G5 logic board failure".

It isn't fixable, but if you know it's going to happen you can make backups in time. (When mine failed it could still boot in target disk mode, but I wouldn't count on that).

Subject: RE: Tech: Has my Mac been invaded?
From: Amos
Date: 28 Nov 09 - 10:35 AM

As a general principle it is a good idea to run a utility such as Cocktail and/or Disk Dr. to repair permissions and clear out caches, just to optimize the system. I would particularly be inclined to do this after a kernel panic. But nothing's harmed/


A

Subject: RE: Tech: Has my Mac been invaded?
From: GUEST,SFJ sans cookie on his other mac
Date: 28 Nov 09 - 10:52 AM

Sorry, I didn't realise there was an issue specific to the iMac G5 (even though Jack mentioned it!). I think I've spent too long sitting in front of Macs . . .

Subject: RE: Tech: Has my Mac been invaded?
From: astro
Date: 28 Nov 09 - 11:07 AM

The Macs G5 had a problem that did end up in failures many times, though there might be a way to help it. There are register reset button on the mother board when reset can help. My G5 had its mother board zap out and since it was under warranty it was replaced, but since then I would get the curtain of death and if I don't shut it down soon it'll run the fan very fast until shut down. I tried the reset and it has only had a problem once in the past two months...seemed to help...Our art dept on campus had many problems like this with their G5's...they found that if the reset did not solve it then the mother boards did need replacing which costs a lot. They have not had the same problems with the new intel based machines...

In other words what you are experiencing is what others have experienced...

Astro typing on macbook pro...

Subject: RE: Tech: Has my Mac been invaded?
From: john f weldon
Date: 28 Nov 09 - 12:01 PM

The G series chips & esp the G-5 tend to get hot, which is why you have about 9 fans in the thing. My son's G-5 used to shut itself off quite suddenly in hot weather. After 4 years the power supply died, which was worth replacing & so far another year without problems.

(My old G4 has run 12 yrs with zero problems.)