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Model A1225 / Early 2009 / 2.66, 2.93, or 3.06 GHz Core 2 Duo processor

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System freezing up, mouse and keyboard active, help please

I have a 2009 iMac that I replaced the hard drive and upgraded the memory, now the system is freezing up.

Here are the spec on the system and hard drive I put in:

2 TB Toshiba DT01ACA Series 3.5-inch SATA 6.0Gb/s (3.0Gb/s and 1.5Gb/s backwards compatible) 7200RPM Hard Drive with 64MB Cache; Toshiba

My iMac's specs:

Introduction Date: March 3, 2009 Discontinued Date: October 20, 2009

  • Processors: 1 (2 Cores) Architecture: 64-Bit
  • Processor Speed: 2.66 GHz Processor Type: Core 2 Duo (E8135)
  • Turbo Boost: N/A Custom Speeds: N/A
  • Processor Upgrade: ZIF Socket FPU: Integrated
  • System Bus Speed: 1066 MHz Cache Bus Speed: 2.66 GHz (Built-in)
  • ROM/Firmware Type: EFI EFI Architecture: 64-Bit
  • L1 Cache: 32k/32k L2/L3 Cache: 6 MB (on chip)
  • RAM Type: PC3-8500 DDR3 Min. RAM Speed: 1066 MHz
  • Standard RAM: 4 GB Maximum RAM: 8 GB
  • Motherboard RAM: None RAM Slots: 2
  • Video Card: GeForce 9400M VRAM Type: Integrated
  • Standard VRAM: 256 MB Maximum VRAM: 256 MB
  • Built-in Display: 24.0" Widescreen Native Resolution: 1920x1200
  • 2nd Display Support: Dual/Mirroring 2nd Max. Resolution: 2560x1600
  • Standard Storage: 640 GB HDD Std. Storage Speed: 7200 RPM
  • Storage Dimensions: 3.5" (26.10 mm)
  • Geekbench 2 (32): 3680 Geekbench 2 (64): 4064
  • Geekbench 3 (32): 1473 Geekbench 3 (32): 2589
  • Geekbench 3 (64): 1595 Geekbench 3 (64): 2840
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Could be bad ram. Try to remove the ram you installed and put the original stuff back in. Bad ram can sometimes cause freezing and other strange issues. I once had bad ram that constantly caused my pc to Bluescreen of death. Try swapping ram and let me know if it works!

Hope this helps and good luck fixing!

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Thank you for all the suggestions on my fix. The system is up and running good. It turned out to be the new ram that I installed. Followed these steps

1) Remove all sticks of RAM.

2) Using a cotton swab and isopropyl alcohol clean the gold contacts of the RAM

3) Reseat each stick of RAM, ensuring a secure fit. Do this one at a time, and then complete step four. You will complete step four for each stick of RAM you install.

4) Perform a PRAM Reset: 1) Start the machine while holding down the Option-Command-P-R keys -- 2) Wait until you hear the 3rd startup chime (you'll know the process is working if you hear the startup chime happen again while holding the keys), then let go of the keys and let the machine boot up.

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Sorry to say your HD will not work in a SATA II (3.0 Gb/s) system. If you look at the Toshiba spec sheet it only lists SATA III (6.0 Gb/s).

It does list the drive is SATA III spec compliant "Serial ATA 3.0 / ATA-8" which can be a bit confusing! As some people assumed Serial ATA 3.0 meant SATA II (3.0 Gb's) also being 3.0. This is why I don't use the Arabic numerals but instead use the Roman numbers to call out the interface spec and the data rate. The standard was updated that required people use the arabic number but it must include the 'Gb/s' suffix so as not to confuse. I'm sticking with the Roman as well as the data rate as I want to be perfectly clear.

Think of it this way to, too & two all sound the same but are very different from each other ;-}

Here's an example of a auto sense drive Vs the fixed speed Toshiba drive: Seagate Desktop SSHD. Note the Interface line lists the drive as 'SATA 6Gb/s NCQ" but the SATA Transfer Rates Supported (Gb/s) line lists "6.0/3.0/1.5" where the Toshiba lists Interface Speed as "6.0 Gbit/s Max."

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He said his drive is 3 and 1.5 compatible. It might also be the ram. And if anything, he should test the ram first because that's easier and then if the problem continues then its the HDD. But your probably right though

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@cam2363 - Nope, it's not 3 or 1.5 compatible. Did you fully read my answer as well as look for your self at the drives spec sheets?

Think of it this way you have a cup of water which you can pour into a pint container no problems! But you can't pour the pint containers contents into the cup without over filling it. This is the problem with FIXED speed drives. You over saturate the systems I/O. Now what some people get confused here is 'some' drives 'are' able to be used! We can these drives auto sense as they can sense the systems I/O data rate and match it.

In computer networks we had a similar problem when we jumped from 10 Mbps Ethernet to 100 Mbps networking. Some higher speed adapters where fixed speed and didn't work within the older 10 Mbps networks. Not until auto sense adapters & switches came out did things inter-work.

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@danj Ok. But im just saying that he should test the ram first as thats very easy to test so that he doesnt have to completely take the entire thing apart once again, and if the problem persists then its the HDD and it needs to be taken apart once again. I just dont want it so that he has to take it apart just to find the ram was the issue.

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@cam2363 - A RAM issue would give a crash dump. A freeze is a hung process that can't complete. This is a classic case of HD exceeding what the system can handle.

Trust me, I've been fixing systems for over 30 years now. ;-}

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Thank you for all the suggestions on my fix. The system is up and running good. It turned out to be the new ram that I installed. Followed these steps

1) Remove all sticks of RAM.

2) Using a cotton swab and isopropyl alcohol clean the gold contacts of the RAM

3) Reseat each stick of RAM, ensuring a secure fit. Do this one at a time, and then complete step four. You will complete step four for each stick of RAM you install.

4) Perform a PRAM Reset: 1) Start the machine while holding down the Option-Command-P-R keys -- 2) Wait until you hear the 3rd startup chime (you'll know the process is working if you hear the startup chime happen again while holding the keys), then let go of the keys and let the machine boot up.

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