My computer's possessed...

OK, so about 10 attempts to write. First several times on A2K, using Firefox. "Unexpectedly quit" 6-7 times. Then tried Internet Explorer as the browser instead. It "unexpectedly quit" (UQ from now on) seconds after opening. Then I tried to write it in Mail (Apple email program), with a plan to copy and paste. UQ. Then tried TextEdit. UQ.

Then I rebooted, and so far so good, knock on wood.

Right about that point (when I start to relax) is when it usually happens again though, so will again submit and continue...

sorry about the 'puter woes, soz.

might be time to give this one up -- there are few things more frustrating in life than an untrustworthy machine...

All programs are susceptible to this UQ thing. I am most often on Firefox, and it seems to happen the most often there. I have Internet Explorer and Safari, neither work well on this computer.

I know that Firefox is supposed to be a memory hog. I have 512 uh units of memory (I don't want to risk opening another window to get the precise terminology or amount -- it's about that, 500 something).

I also know that Firefox and Flash don't always play well together.

I have the latest version of Firefox downloaded.

I am editing a paper that is in Microsoft Word format. It has several PowerPoint slides embedded, and is 3.6 MB. If things have been going along OK, it always causes huge problems (I've been struggling with it off and on for about a week). It took about 15 tries before I could keep it open long enough to slice off the PP slides and make it a text-only document. Even then -- as text-only and about 75 KB -- it kept crashing. During this the error messages often complained about insufficient memory.

I think more memory would help. My husband (who is quite the computer expert) doesn't think that's it, he thinks there is some other problem. He's not sure what it is though. He's fiddled and done this and that and still isn't any closer to a solution. He's been fiddling and doing this and that for quite a while and I NEED my computer to be functional. So I'm trying to get some leads.

Thanks.

Oooh, I hope not, Region. Just don't have the money for that, and at any rate the plan was for this computer to be sozlet's once I get a new one.

Hasn't crashed since I rebooted. It's streaky -- fine for a while, then absolutely impossible.

I'm not an Apple expert, but it sounds like it could be bad memory. Everything runs fine after a reboot, then after enough stuff has been run it hits the bad portion of memory and POOF!

Have ya'll tried removing and re-seating the components? I'm not even sure if you can do that on an Apple.

That totally makes sense.

My husband wanted me to note that there were no problems before we had the hardware issue fixed. I said, well, there were problems, it's just that they took the form of the whole computer freezing. Since it was animations that caused the freezes, it could have been that the pinwheel (which was always the first sign of a freeze) or the textbox appearing for this crashing issue were what started the freeze.

That's not clear, though.

But my question -- when the computer was freezing all of the time, the only way to get it restarted was to hold down "control," "option," and the power button for several seconds. Could shutting down the computer that way repeatedly cause its own problems?

Oh and I checked, 512 MB of memory.

I'm afraid I don't know the Mac OS well enough to be sure.

On a PC, most applications will not become corrupted by an unexpected reboot. Some applications may have data files become corrupt, if the file is open during the reboot.

A web browser, however, should just open the URL and display the information.

Soz
This program comes well recommended at major geeks site. it may help point you to the problem.

OnyX is a maintenance, optimization, and personalization utility. It also makes it possible to configure certain hidden parameters of the Finder, Dock, and Safari, to remove a certain number of files and folders that may become cumbersome, preview the different logs and CrashReporter, and more.

http://mac.majorgeeks.com/download4643.html
click on the download location of your choice. ie Major Geeks TX.

There are a number of different tools here which may assist.
http://mac.majorgeeks.com/download.php?id=1

I trust only someone as lame at this as I am could have this happen, but...

I found that two of my freezes (none since I did this the last time) were from leaving a photo cd in the 'puter. It happened that the computer was sluggish, freezing, and so on. The first time, the mac help line (I paid for that when I bought the thing) people had me check that and sure enough, a disc still there. A week or so ago, it froze solidly while I was checking my yahoo emails, and I thought, i wonder if.... and, yep, a photo disc in there.

The freezing thing isn't happening anymore -- it crashes instead -- but when I just hit the DVD thingie to check, it wouldn't budge! What's up with that? (As in, usually I hit the eject button, and the holder comes out -- right now, I hit it and nothing comes out.)

Went to applications/ DVD player. Clicked on it. Got this:

There was an initialization error. A valid DVD drive could not be found. [-70012]

You may be on to something, Osso!

Too bad I've no bright ideas after that...

Me either. But it's data I didn't have before, may well help.

When the computer was an absolute mess earlier (when I was trying to post this initially and it kept failing), I emptied my trash and also got rid of a program on my desktop. (It was a TextEdit - type program JP had recommended when I was trying to take notes in a certain way for my job.) Since I rebooted (shortly before I started this thread), Firefox has only crashed once, and I got 10 pages into the paper I'm editing before Word crashed. (Previously it was a matter of sentences.) Could be coincidence, could not be, just trying to note anything that might be useful...

Do a google search for "Mac Crash report".

It might give you some insight as to which program is causing the problem. I'm not familiar enough with it to give you much direction but you might find something to help you.

Thanks, parados.

I rebooted, and hit the "eject" key -- DVD holder came right out, no problem. Nothing was in it.

Jumping in a little prematurely here -- I haven't read the second page of this thread. My husband's iBook had a similar problem to your first problem. After that was fixed he had a similar problem to your current problem. He ended up sending it back to his nephew (who fixes computers for Apple) who fixed it. Unfortunately, I don't remember what the exact problem was, but I think it was a software issue related to memory. Anyway, I would call Apple again.

Sorry about your woes.

Hey, that sounds promising.

I'll probably have E.G. call -- this isn't the kind of thing that works well via relay and he's good with the lingo 'n' ****.

Meanwhile, editing this paper was just NOT happening (the 10-page stretch this morning was anomalous), so I went to the library. Had a stinky homeless guy on one side of me and a guy with Tourette's (or another "makes you jerk around randomly" condition) on the other side. Concentration was erm difficult but I got in a zone and finished the damn thing. (It's due tomorrow, I only got the latest version last night but don't want to let down the poor student, this will be the basis of getting a Ph.D or not.)

Oof.

I think I have to start using more psychology -- the computer, as if chastened, has been behaving perfectly since I got home. (Even failing to crash when I opened the paper from home to make sure it looked OK/ the same as it did at the library.)

You know I'm not what is considered a spiritual person, but I make one exception. There is a gnome in every computer..