Difference between revisions of "MacBuild Intel Checklist"

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==Build==
+
=Getting Started=
  
{| fontname="Helvetica" fontsize="12" border="1"
+
==Visual inspections==
|-
+
*'''What kind of computer are you working on?''' Is it a tower, laptop, all-in-one? Does it have an Intel or PPC processor?  What's the model number printed on the bottom (if you can read it, mark it on your triage checklist)?
|width="40%" align="center"|Steps
+
*'''Check for damage'''
|width="53%" align="center"|Notes/Detailed Instructions
+
If the case is dirty, clean it off with a ragIf the (laptop) battery looks beaten up or warped, change it with a good one.
|width="7%"  align="center"|Done
 
|-
 
| Check for blown capacitors (if system can be easily opened)||
 
Visually inspect motherboard capacitors for bulges/leaks. If you find one, check with your instructor.
 
||
 
|-
 
| Make sure that covers are available for open bays ||
 
If covers are missing, check parts storage for replacements
 
||
 
|-
 
| Install battery ||
 
Pay attention to correct position; look for '+' by battery holder
 
||
 
|-
 
| Install hard drive (if it has not been wiped in the system) ||
 
Refer to MacBuild Spec Sheet for appropriate size
 
||
 
|-
 
| Install/swap RAM ||
 
If the system has a built-in display, remember to swap out any old untested memory in it for new tested memory.  Refer to MacBuild Spec Sheet for appropriate amount, but all systems should have a minimum of 512MB of RAM.
 
||
 
|-
 
| Clean/dust inside ||
 
If necessary
 
||
 
|-
 
| Attach keyboard/mouse, monitor, network cable, and power cord (as necessary) ||
 
||
 
|-
 
| Clear the PRAM ||
 
While starting up, hold the '''Option+Apple+p+r''' keys.  Continue holding the keys until the system chimes three times.  Release the keys after the third chime is heard.
 
||
 
|-
 
| Set the system clock and NVRAM in Open Firmware ||
 
While starting up, hold the '''Option+Apple+o+f''' keysRelease the keys when the Open Firmware prompt comes up.  Run the following command:
 
decimal dev rtc [sec min hour day month year] set-time
 
All values aside from the year should be two-digit numbers in 24-hour format.  The year should be a four-digit number. Additionally, the clock needs to be set to UTC, so remember to add 7 hours to the current time if on regular time or 8 hours during Daylight Saving Time.  For example, to set the clock to 1:58 PM on September 18th, 2009, the command would be
 
decimal dev rtc 00 58 20 18 09 2009 set-time
 
To reset the NVRAM type the following commands in the specified order:
 
reset-nvram
 
set-defaults
 
reset-all
 
  
The system will reboot after the '''reset-all''' command is entered.
+
==Set Up Your Computer==
||
+
'''SEE MACBUILD SPECS TO DETERMINE WHAT KINDS OF HARDWARE YOU SHOULD BE INSTALLING IN THE COMPUTER YOU ARE REBUILDING'''
|-
+
===Towers:===
 +
*Replace RAM with tested memory (if we have the appropriate tested RAM)
 +
*If the computer has an Intel processor, install a hard drive with a Xubuntu image installed
 +
*If the computer has a PPC processor, install a blank hard drive
 +
===Laptops:===
 +
*Find the appropriate power supply for your laptop.  Check the bottom of the laptop for power requirements.  Ask your instructor if you can't find this.
 +
*Laptop RAM is never tested before being installed, so you can leave the RAM the computer came with for the moment
 +
*For MacBooks -- replace the HDD with an imaged one
 +
*For iBooks, MacBook Pros and other hard-to-work-on laptops, leave the HDD where it is and you'll follow directions to wipe it later
 +
*Attach keyboard/mouse, monitor, network cable, and power cord (as necessary)
 +
===iMacs:===
 +
*INTEL: HDDs are difficult to install, so you'll wipe the drive and install an operating system following the directions in this packet later.  RAM is easy to install, but it's laptop-sized memory, which we only test in systems, so it's okay to leave the pre-installed RAM where you'll test it later.
 +
*PPC: HDDs are difficult to install, so you'll wipe the drive following the directions in this packet later.  Depending on the model, RAM is easy to install.  Check the model number on iFixit.com to see which one you have.  Ask your instructor for clarification.
  
||
+
=OS X Triage=
|-
 
| Install Ubuntu ||
 
Please note that any values not explicitly defined here (HTTP proxies and such) should be left blank.
 
# Make sure network cable is attached
 
# Insert Ubuntu CD
 
#* Use 8.04 for iMac G5s
 
#* Use 9.04 for all other systems
 
# Start up the system while holding the '''C''' key on the keyboard
 
# At '''''boot:''''' prompt, press Enter; eventually the install screen will appear
 
# Select '''English''' as the language for the installation and '''United States''' as the country
 
# Enter '''No''' for keyboard detection, and select '''USA''' for all keyboard language options
 
# If prompted for which network device to use, select the wired network
 
# When prompted for a hostname, delete the current entry and enter '''macbox''' in its place
 
# Select '''Pacific''' as the time zone
 
# When prompted for HD partitioning, select the '''Guided - use entire disk''' option, and confirm the HD the changes will be made to (there should only be one option available unless there are multiple HDs in the system)
 
# When asked about writing the changes to disk, select '''Yes'''
 
#* At this point, the base system will begin installing, so prepare to wait for a few minutes
 
# When prompted for the user's full name, enter '''oem'''
 
# When prompted for a username for the account, enter '''oem'''
 
# When prompted for a password, enter '''freegeek'''.  You will be asked to verify the password after entering it.  Enter '''freegeek''' again.  If the passwords don't match, it will prompt you for a password again
 
# If asked to provide a HTTP proxy, leave it blank and press Enter
 
# If asked to download additional language support, select '''Yes'''
 
# If asked to encrypt the user's home directory, select '''No'''
 
# When asked if the system clock is set to UTC, select '''Yes'''
 
# When installation is complete, select the '''Continue''' option to reboot the system
 
||
 
|-
 
| Start up Ubuntu ||
 
* Let the system use its default options in the bootloaders during the startup process
 
* If the system has problems starting up, refer to [http://wiki.freegeek.org/index.php/MacBuild_Desktop_Build#Special_Configurations the Special Configurations list]
 
||
 
|-
 
| Verify hardware in the system ||
 
To verify the hardware in a system, open up a terminal and run:
 
sudo lshw|less
 
This runs a command called '''lshw''' (which stands for "list hardware") and sends the output to another command called '''less''', which is a simple reader that allows you to scroll through '''lshw''''s output.  The items to pay attention to are:
 
*Amount of system memory
 
** You should be able to find this under the '''memory''' heading in '''lshw'''.  It should be the same as the physical amount of memory in the system.
 
*Type of optical drive
 
** This can be found under the '''cdrom''' heading in '''lshw'''.  To determine the actual capability of the drive, search for the information under '''product''' in Google.
 
*Presence of wireless card
 
** This should be under one of the '''network''' headings.  You should look for an entry that mentions something about "Wireless interface" or "Broadcom".  If that exists, the system has a wireless card.
 
||
 
|-
 
| Set up the environment and install extra apps ||
 
* Add the Terminal to the panel so it can be launched quickly
 
* If the machine has a DVD drive, open up a terminal and run:
 
sudo apt-get install vlc
 
* If the machine has a wireless card, open up a terminal and run:
 
sudo apt-get install b43-fwcutter
 
** Restart the system after installing b43-fwcutter in order to get the change working properly.
 
||
 
|-
 
| Test USB ports ||
 
* Plug in a USB mouse
 
* See that the cursor moves and can interact with things
 
* Repeat with all USB ports
 
If any port doesn't work, the machine should be recycled
 
||
 
|-
 
| Test CD/DVD data and sound ||
 
# Insert, play, and eject a music CD
 
# Insert data CD, inspect directory contents
 
# If machine has a DVD drive:
 
#* insert a data DVD, inspect directory contents
 
#* insert a video DVD and play it using '''vlc'''
 
# If machine has a CD-RW or DVD-RW, use '''brasero''' to erase a CD-RW disk, and create/burn a new data project.
 
  
Note: Brasero has problems with versions of Ubuntu before Karmic (9.10). For Hardy (8.04LTS) and Jaunty (9.04) you may want to install and use k3b instead: sudo apt-get install k3b
+
==Booting into OS X==
||
+
There are a couple of ways to boot into OSX 10. Apple computers tend to boot to external hard drives more reliably, but the hard drives themselves are not as reliable as the network.  As of writing this, Photobooth is not available on network boots, so if you are working on a computer with a built-in camera, you should boot to an external drive to test the camera.
|-
 
| Check if wireless works (if the system has a wireless card) ||
 
Use Network Manager to see if you can connect to Free Geek's wireless network.  If you can, the wireless card works.
 
||
 
|-
 
| Check for software updates ||
 
There are a few ways to do this:
 
* From the desktop, go to System -> Administration -> Update Manager
 
* From the command line, run:
 
sudo apt-get update
 
sudo apt-get upgrade
 
Install all updates if any are found
 
||
 
|-
 
| Generate "printme" report for system ||
 
# In a terminal, generate a lshw XML file for the printme process
 
#* '''''sudo lshw -xml > printme.xml'''''
 
# Open a web browser and go to '''''http://data/spec_sheets/new'''''
 
# Fill out the form with the following:
 
#* Enter your volunteer ID in the Volunteer ID field
 
#* Job should be changed to Builder
 
#* System ID should be left blank
 
#* Type should be changed to Apple
 
#* Keeper label type should be set to No Sticker
 
#* Notes should include the following information:
 
#** Version of Ubuntu installed
 
#** Any components that show up in lshw (modems, certain wireless cards) that aren't supported by Ubuntu should be listed
 
#** Any special issues the machine has
 
#** Whether the computer is covered or not
 
# Upload the XML file, and print out the report
 
# When asked where to print the report, select the '''Print to File''' option at the top of the printer list in the Print window
 
# Select PDF as the output format, and save the file to the desktop as '''build_printme.pdf'''
 
||
 
|-
 
| Power down the system and place on the QC shelf ||
 
||
 
  
|}
+
'''From Network:'''
 +
* Connect ethernet cable from the wall to the system
 +
* Hold down the ''N'' key on the keyboard while the system starts up to enter the network boot screen.
  
==QC (in progress)==
+
'''From External HDD:'''
{| fontname="Helvetica" fontsize="12" border="1"
+
* Connect the OS X 10.5 Firewire HDD to the system
|-
+
* Connect the Firewire HDD to a power source
|width="40%" align="center"|Steps
+
* Make sure the Firewire HDD is turned on (there's a power switch on the back of the drive)
|width="53%" align="center"|Notes/Detailed Instructions
+
* Hold the ''Option'' key on the keyboard while system starts up to enter the Startup Manager
|width="7%"  align="center"|Done
+
* Select the Firewire drive (OS X Testing HDD) from the Startup Manager to boot into OS X
|-
+
* If a warning box appears while you are logging in, just click "ignore"
| Attach keyboard/mouse, monitor, network cable, and power cord (as necessary) ||
 
||
 
|-
 
| Verify that the splash screen works ||
 
When powering on the system, you should see the Ubuntu splash screen before the desktop finishes loading.  It's fine if the colors are irregular, as long as something is displayed.  If the splash screen doesn't work, go through the steps in the Special Configuration to enable it.
 
||
 
|-
 
| Verify hardware in the system ||
 
To verify the hardware in a system, open up a terminal and run:
 
sudo lshw|less
 
This runs a command called '''lshw''' (which stands for "list hardware") and sends the output to another command called '''less''', which is a simple reader that allows you to scroll through '''lshw''''s output.  The items to pay attention to are:
 
*Amount of system memory
 
** You should be able to find this under the '''memory''' heading in '''lshw'''. It should be the same as the physical amount of memory in the system.
 
*Type of optical drive
 
** This can be found under the '''cdrom''' heading in '''lshw'''.  To determine the actual capability of the drive, search for the information under '''product''' in Google.
 
*Presence of wireless card
 
** This should be under one of the '''network''' headings.  You should look for an entry that mentions something about "Wireless interface" or "Broadcom".  If that exists, the system has a wireless card.
 
||
 
|-
 
| Test CD/DVD data and sound ||
 
# Insert, play, and eject a music CD
 
# Insert data CD, inspect directory contents
 
# If machine has a DVD drive:
 
#* insert a data DVD, inspect directory contents
 
#* insert a video DVD and play it using '''vlc'''
 
# If machine has a CD-RW or DVD-RW, use '''brasero''' to erase a CD-RW disk, and create/burn a new data project.
 
  
Note: Brasero has problems with versions of Ubuntu before Karmic (9.10). For Hardy (8.04LTS) and Jaunty (9.04) you may want to install and use k3b instead: sudo apt-get install k3b
+
----
||
 
|-
 
| Check if wireless works (if the system has a wireless card) ||
 
Use Network Manager to see if you can connect to Free Geek's wireless network.  If you can, the wireless card works.
 
||
 
|-
 
| Check for software updates ||
 
There are a few ways to do this:
 
* From the desktop, go to System -> Administration -> Update Manager
 
* From the command line, run:
 
sudo apt-get update
 
sudo apt-get upgrade
 
Install all updates if any are found
 
||
 
|-
 
| Verify printme notes ||
 
Locate the '''build_printme.pdf'' file on the desktop.  Open it up and make sure that the notes written on the Build printme sheet accurately reflect the components and special issues with the system.  If they are not accurate, please make any necessary changes when you create the printme printout for the QC process.
 
||
 
|-
 
| Generate "printme" report for system ||
 
# Make sure you are on the local wired network
 
# Configure system so it can use network printers
 
# In a terminal, generate a lshw XML file for the printme process
 
#* '''''sudo lshw -xml > printme.xml'''''
 
# Open a web browser and go to '''''http://data/spec_sheets/new'''''
 
# Fill out the form with the following:
 
#* Enter your volunteer ID in the Volunteer ID field
 
#* Job should be left as Quality Checker
 
#* System ID should be filled in with the system ID listed in '''build_printme.pdf'''
 
#* Type should be changed to Apple
 
#* Keeper label type should be set to No Sticker
 
#* Notes should include the following information:
 
#** Version of Ubuntu installed
 
#** Any components that show up in lshw (modems, certain wireless cards) that aren't supported by Ubuntu should be listed
 
#** Any special issues the machine has
 
#** Whether the computer is covered or not
 
#upload the XML file, and print out the report
 
||
 
|-
 
| Clean outside cover ||
 
Clean case monitor face, connector panel, keyboard, and mouse as well
 
||
 
|-
 
| Attach "printme" report to system ||
 
||
 
|-
 
| Bundle system with tested keyboard/mouse and power cord || ||
 
|-
 
| Place system on the Outbound shelf || ||
 
  
|}
+
==Confirm hardware==
 +
*Click on the System Profiler icon in the dock.
 +
*Check the '''ATA''' and '''Memory''' sections of ''System Profiler'' to confirm that it matches what you've added to the system so far
 +
**If you did not install RAM or a HDD earlier, check the amount of memory now and compare with the [[MacBuild Specs|MacBuild Spec Sheet]]. You can adjust RAM by shutting the computer down and removing or adding RAM at this point.  Remember that you will probably still need to test the RAM
 +
**If it fails to see the HDD or reports the amount of memory incorrectly, the system may have a bad logic board and end up getting recycled.  Ask an instructor for troubleshooting assistance
 +
*Check the '''Disc Burning''' section of ''System Profiler'' to see what the optical drive in the system can do
 +
*Fill out the system specs on the Keeper label if they are not already filled out
 +
----
  
[[Category:Macintosh]]
+
==Test CD writing==
 +
If you determined that the optical drive in the system can write CD-RWs, do the following:
 +
*Erase a rewritable CD disk
 +
** Insert a CD-RW disk
 +
** Open up '''Disk Utility''' (Click on the '''Disk Utility''' icon in the dock)
 +
** Click on the optical drive on the left sidebar of the '''Disk Utility''' window
 +
** Click on the ''Erase'' tab that comes up on the right side of the window
 +
** Confirm that it will perform a quick erase, and click on the '''Erase''' button
 +
** When the erasing is complete you'll get a dialog box. Choose '''Open Finder''' from the drop down menu and click OK. This will mount the disk on the desktop.
 +
 
 +
*Write to a blank rewritable disk
 +
** Select the '''burnme.cdr''' file in the left panel of '''Disk Utility''' and click the '''Burn''' button at the top of Disk Utility.
 +
** The disk should automatically eject when finished. If the disk icon still appears on the desktop, drag it into the trash. 
 +
----
 +
 
 +
==Check if WiFi works==
 +
*Click on the AirPort icon near the upper-right corner of the screen
 +
*Check to see if the '''Freegeek''' wireless network shows up on the list
 +
Disconnect the wired network, select '''Freegeek''' from the list, open up a browser, and navigate to any web page.  If you see the Free Geek click-through page, it works.
 +
 
 +
----
 +
 
 +
==Stress test the CPU==
 +
*Click on the cpu test icon in the dock
 +
*choose primenet as the test type and start test
 +
**This should take 3-10 minutes
 +
*If this or any other test fails, mark the printme sheet with the test results and sell the computer as-is, or recycle it - ask your instructor
 +
----
 +
 
 +
==Stress test the GPU==
 +
*Set up the screen saver for the GPU test.
 +
**Under the Apple menu select '''System Preferences''' > '''Desktops and Screen Saver'''
 +
**Scroll down to the bottom and select '''GPULife'''
 +
**Select '''Options''', unclick '''limit framerate''' and click '''show framerate'''
 +
**Set '''Zoom''' to '''1''' and click '''OK'''
 +
*Drag your mouse arrow to the very bottom right-hand corner of the screen. 
 +
*A black screen should come up with lots of colorful moving dots which are being generated by the GPU.
 +
*Look for any artifacting (obvious glitches, lines, popping lights, cross hatching), this points to GPU failure.
 +
*Check to see that the frames per second number at the bottom left-hand of the screen stays consistent. 
 +
*If everything looks good after a minute or so, you can exit the screen by moving your mouse out of the corner.
 +
*If there are any gross artifacts, such as lines on the screen or a plaid screen, consult your instructor. Occasional white pixels are OK.
 +
----
 +
==Test the iSight camera (Laptop and iMac only)==
 +
*Double click on the OS X Testing HDD icon and then double click on Applications. Double click on the Photo Booth application to open it. If you can see yourself in the Photo Booth application the camera works.
 +
----
 +
 
 +
==Check The Battery (laptop only)==
 +
*Select the Coconut Battery icon from dock. Note the battery capacity (not the current charge) and remember that we will need to enter this value in the Notes portion of the printme sheet. For example: "according to Coconut Battery the battery has 67% of original capacity".
 +
----
 +
 
 +
==Test the memory==
 +
This test should only be run if you were not able to install all tested memory (anything with Laptop RAM or older iMacs)
 +
*Open "rember" by clicking on the icon in the dock.
 +
*click OK, leave selected default settings, and run the test.
 +
** The test should take 5-30 minutes depending on the amount of RAM and the speed of the processor. With large amounts of RAM (over 1.0 GB) it may take up to an hour.
 +
* If any memory fails the test, replace it with good tested memory
 +
----
 +
 
 +
==Bless the Hard Drive==
 +
*Open a terminal and type
 +
sudo bless --device /dev/disk0s1 --setBoot --legacy
 +
* You will be prompted for your password, enter "freegeek". It will look like nothing happened, but it worked!
 +
----
 +
 
 +
=Next Steps=
 +
Once you have finished all of these steps, the computer is ready for a QC.  Check in with your instructor to check if there is time left in the shift for you to finish this yourself.  If there is time, the instructions for the QC Checklist are [[MacBuild Intel QC Checklist|here]].  If the shift is nearly over, please put your tools away and clean up your area to prepare the space for the next shift.
 +
 
 +
 
 +
[[Category:Macintosh Archive]]
 +
<br>
 +
<br>
 +
[[MacBuild Intel Checklist en Espanol | En Espanol]]

Latest revision as of 13:18, 21 February 2014

Getting Started

Visual inspections

  • What kind of computer are you working on? Is it a tower, laptop, all-in-one? Does it have an Intel or PPC processor? What's the model number printed on the bottom (if you can read it, mark it on your triage checklist)?
  • Check for damage

If the case is dirty, clean it off with a rag. If the (laptop) battery looks beaten up or warped, change it with a good one.

Set Up Your Computer

SEE MACBUILD SPECS TO DETERMINE WHAT KINDS OF HARDWARE YOU SHOULD BE INSTALLING IN THE COMPUTER YOU ARE REBUILDING

Towers:

  • Replace RAM with tested memory (if we have the appropriate tested RAM)
  • If the computer has an Intel processor, install a hard drive with a Xubuntu image installed
  • If the computer has a PPC processor, install a blank hard drive

Laptops:

  • Find the appropriate power supply for your laptop. Check the bottom of the laptop for power requirements. Ask your instructor if you can't find this.
  • Laptop RAM is never tested before being installed, so you can leave the RAM the computer came with for the moment
  • For MacBooks -- replace the HDD with an imaged one
  • For iBooks, MacBook Pros and other hard-to-work-on laptops, leave the HDD where it is and you'll follow directions to wipe it later
  • Attach keyboard/mouse, monitor, network cable, and power cord (as necessary)

iMacs:

  • INTEL: HDDs are difficult to install, so you'll wipe the drive and install an operating system following the directions in this packet later. RAM is easy to install, but it's laptop-sized memory, which we only test in systems, so it's okay to leave the pre-installed RAM where you'll test it later.
  • PPC: HDDs are difficult to install, so you'll wipe the drive following the directions in this packet later. Depending on the model, RAM is easy to install. Check the model number on iFixit.com to see which one you have. Ask your instructor for clarification.

OS X Triage

Booting into OS X

There are a couple of ways to boot into OSX 10. Apple computers tend to boot to external hard drives more reliably, but the hard drives themselves are not as reliable as the network. As of writing this, Photobooth is not available on network boots, so if you are working on a computer with a built-in camera, you should boot to an external drive to test the camera.

From Network:

  • Connect ethernet cable from the wall to the system
  • Hold down the N key on the keyboard while the system starts up to enter the network boot screen.

From External HDD:

  • Connect the OS X 10.5 Firewire HDD to the system
  • Connect the Firewire HDD to a power source
  • Make sure the Firewire HDD is turned on (there's a power switch on the back of the drive)
  • Hold the Option key on the keyboard while system starts up to enter the Startup Manager
  • Select the Firewire drive (OS X Testing HDD) from the Startup Manager to boot into OS X
  • If a warning box appears while you are logging in, just click "ignore"

Confirm hardware

  • Click on the System Profiler icon in the dock.
  • Check the ATA and Memory sections of System Profiler to confirm that it matches what you've added to the system so far
    • If you did not install RAM or a HDD earlier, check the amount of memory now and compare with the MacBuild Spec Sheet. You can adjust RAM by shutting the computer down and removing or adding RAM at this point. Remember that you will probably still need to test the RAM
    • If it fails to see the HDD or reports the amount of memory incorrectly, the system may have a bad logic board and end up getting recycled. Ask an instructor for troubleshooting assistance
  • Check the Disc Burning section of System Profiler to see what the optical drive in the system can do
  • Fill out the system specs on the Keeper label if they are not already filled out

Test CD writing

If you determined that the optical drive in the system can write CD-RWs, do the following:

  • Erase a rewritable CD disk
    • Insert a CD-RW disk
    • Open up Disk Utility (Click on the Disk Utility icon in the dock)
    • Click on the optical drive on the left sidebar of the Disk Utility window
    • Click on the Erase tab that comes up on the right side of the window
    • Confirm that it will perform a quick erase, and click on the Erase button
    • When the erasing is complete you'll get a dialog box. Choose Open Finder from the drop down menu and click OK. This will mount the disk on the desktop.
  • Write to a blank rewritable disk
    • Select the burnme.cdr file in the left panel of Disk Utility and click the Burn button at the top of Disk Utility.
    • The disk should automatically eject when finished. If the disk icon still appears on the desktop, drag it into the trash.

Check if WiFi works

  • Click on the AirPort icon near the upper-right corner of the screen
  • Check to see if the Freegeek wireless network shows up on the list

Disconnect the wired network, select Freegeek from the list, open up a browser, and navigate to any web page. If you see the Free Geek click-through page, it works.


Stress test the CPU

  • Click on the cpu test icon in the dock
  • choose primenet as the test type and start test
    • This should take 3-10 minutes
  • If this or any other test fails, mark the printme sheet with the test results and sell the computer as-is, or recycle it - ask your instructor

Stress test the GPU

  • Set up the screen saver for the GPU test.
    • Under the Apple menu select System Preferences > Desktops and Screen Saver
    • Scroll down to the bottom and select GPULife
    • Select Options, unclick limit framerate and click show framerate
    • Set Zoom to 1 and click OK
  • Drag your mouse arrow to the very bottom right-hand corner of the screen.
  • A black screen should come up with lots of colorful moving dots which are being generated by the GPU.
  • Look for any artifacting (obvious glitches, lines, popping lights, cross hatching), this points to GPU failure.
  • Check to see that the frames per second number at the bottom left-hand of the screen stays consistent.
  • If everything looks good after a minute or so, you can exit the screen by moving your mouse out of the corner.
  • If there are any gross artifacts, such as lines on the screen or a plaid screen, consult your instructor. Occasional white pixels are OK.

Test the iSight camera (Laptop and iMac only)

  • Double click on the OS X Testing HDD icon and then double click on Applications. Double click on the Photo Booth application to open it. If you can see yourself in the Photo Booth application the camera works.

Check The Battery (laptop only)

  • Select the Coconut Battery icon from dock. Note the battery capacity (not the current charge) and remember that we will need to enter this value in the Notes portion of the printme sheet. For example: "according to Coconut Battery the battery has 67% of original capacity".

Test the memory

This test should only be run if you were not able to install all tested memory (anything with Laptop RAM or older iMacs)

  • Open "rember" by clicking on the icon in the dock.
  • click OK, leave selected default settings, and run the test.
    • The test should take 5-30 minutes depending on the amount of RAM and the speed of the processor. With large amounts of RAM (over 1.0 GB) it may take up to an hour.
  • If any memory fails the test, replace it with good tested memory

Bless the Hard Drive

  • Open a terminal and type
sudo bless --device /dev/disk0s1 --setBoot --legacy
  • You will be prompted for your password, enter "freegeek". It will look like nothing happened, but it worked!

Next Steps

Once you have finished all of these steps, the computer is ready for a QC. Check in with your instructor to check if there is time left in the shift for you to finish this yourself. If there is time, the instructions for the QC Checklist are here. If the shift is nearly over, please put your tools away and clean up your area to prepare the space for the next shift.

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