Mac can be conveniently purchased from the Apple store and most of configuration allows you to upgrade the memory so that you don’t need to open the case and take the risk in using an incompatible memory which would cause system lockups.
The only thing is the upgrade from Apple store cost a lot more money if compared to the one that it purchased from a computer store. For example, an additional 2GB of memory cost $50 at Apple Store while it only cost less than $10 if you search in Pricewatch. If you’re willing to take the risk in adding extra memory in your Mac either to save money or perhaps you have a few lying around, it is best to run a memory test to make sure that the RAM is fully compatible and won’t make your Mac unstable.
The Diagnostic Data Viewer (DDV) has been able to show you the Windows diagnostic data, and on Windows and Mac we've now enabled it to show you Office diagnostic data as well. We'll get into the details in a moment, but basically what you do is start the DDV in Windows, then go to any compatible Office desktop application - such as Word, Excel. Use the MyQuest app to help you make better decisions about your health by conveniently accessing your essential health information on your smartphone. MyQuest allows you to:. Receive easy-to-understand Quest Diagnostics lab results anytime, anywhere. Securely see, share and access your pertinent medical and health information. With the Mac App Store we can just download it again (for free). Our diagnostic drive will save having to download OS X again and again Tip: Mountain Lion weighs in at just over 4GB, so ensure you’re not nearing any data caps and have a decent speed!
Here we suggest 3 different methods to easily run a memory test on your Mac OS X including the latest Mountain Lion 10.8.
1. RemberRember is actually a GUI for the popular command line memory testing tool called Memtest OS X. Instead of typing commands in terminal, you can run the test by clicking a button. You are able to test a selected amount or all of the memory, specify the number of times the tests should run and also viewing of the log. Rember includes Memtest OS X in the package so there is no need to manually download and install the memtest. Running Rember will show a table displaying the detected memory on your Mac. Select the amount of memory to test, number of loops and click the Test button to start checking the memory. When the tests is finished, Rember will show the test results.
Rember runs in Mac OS X which means that not all of the ram can be tested due to a portion of RAM being reserved for housekeeping.
Download Rember
2. Memtest86+
If your Mac has a SuperDrive, you can burn the pre-compiled bootable ISO image of the Memtest86+ and boot up the Mac with the disc. Just press and hold the C key when starting up Mac to boot from the disc.
The good thing about Memtest86+ is it runs by itself without relying on the operating system, giving you a more accurate memory test result.
Download Memtest86+
3. Apple Hardware Test
This is the recommended way by Apple to test your memory using their diagnostic tool. If you have an installation disc, insert the disc, restart your Mac, press and hold the C key. Select the language for the Apple Hardware Test and click the Test button to start testing. You can also tick the “Perform extended testing” option which would perform a more thorough test that takes considerably more time to complete. On the latest Mac OS X Mountain Lion, the Apple Hardware Test is already pre-installed and it doesn’t come with an installation disc. Simply boot up, press and hold the D key to start the Apple Hardware Test.
You can also see the amount of memory installed on your Mac at the Hardware Profile tab to confirm that the memory is correctly installed and detected. There are some Apple Hardware Test images that can be downloaded for older models. Do note that the Apple Hardware Test images are machine specific meaning that you cannot use the iBook version on a Mac Mini.
Download Apple Hardware Test
You might also like:
3 Ways to Test your RAM with Microsoft Windows Memory Diagnostic6 Free Programs to Check Your Video Card Memory For Errors10 Popular Web Browsers Tested for Memory and CPU UsageDownload Sony Memory Card File Rescue Software for Free.NET Framework Setup Verification Utility‘Closing all apps’ is an option which can be set or disabled in the Rember preferences.
ReplyI’m trying to test DRAM one bank at a time in mid-2010 Mac mini with 2 banks of 4GB Kingston DRAM each.
Rember run overnight on max cycles (255) showed when both banks were full (8GB total), there was a DRAM failure. But run overnight on max cycles (255), Rember is so slow it’s completed less than 30 cycles. I tried this twice.
Is it not possible to check one 4GB stick at a time? (Mid-2010 Mac mini standard RAM is 1GB module in each bank for total 2GB.)
ReplyI have several DDR3 DIMMs I want to install, but the memory timing is not printed on them. Is there an app for Macs that can tell you what the timing is on installed DIMMs?
ReplyRember doesn’t shut down existing programs… you do that yerself
ReplyRember is an amazing app! In regards to the comment above:
it closes all windows because to free-up whole RAM memory for tests.
It’s understandable that you must save your work before you open any diagnostic app.
Works great on latest 2019 iMac where Memtest failed and Apple Diagnostic Tool is a JOKE
ReplyRember
I ran this app and it closed all open windows and running apps without asking or warning me. That is bad software. Who knows what data I lost as a result, let alone time in reopening what I can remember was running. memtest does not do this.
ReplyHope this works well, thanks!
ReplyLeave a Reply
If your Mac is suddenly suffering hardware or software issues, or is generally acting up you can run sysdiagnosein Mac OS X Terminal. Sysdiagnose compiles a number of advanced technical reports for expert Mac users to review and troubleshoot appropriately. Sysdiagnose will output the following information in a tar.gz file.
- Crash report
- Input/Output details
- Disk information
- Compiled system profiler report
- System logs (including kernel logs)
- Filesystem usage report
- Memory usage and processes details
- Powermetrics
In reality, Sysdiagnose is ran and performed by Mac OS X technical specialists including Apple store engineers (Genius Bar) and authorized Mac repair shops. The sysdiagnose report is run on Mac X systems as a last or first resort to solving and understanding complex technical hardware and software issues.
Get Started Running Sysdiagnose in Terminal
1. Open Terminal (Applications -> Utilities -> Terminal)
2. Type the following command in Terminal. Be prepared to wait about 2 to 5 minutes for Sysdiagnose to completely run.
You will receive the following warning prompt:
This tool generates files that allow Apple to investigate issues with your
computer and help improve Apple products. The files might contain personal
information found on your device or associated with your iCloud accounts and/or
AppleID, including but not limited to your name, your user name, your email address
and email settings, file paths, file names, downloads, your computer’s IP addresses,
and network connection information.
This information is used by Apple in accordance with its privacy policy
(www.apple.com/privacy) and is not shared with any other company. By using
this tool and sending the results to Apple, you consent to Apple using the
contents of these files to improve Apple products.
Mac Diagnostics Tool
Press 'Enter' to continue.
3. Confirm and press return.
4. Sysdiagnose begins running. Below is what you might see as the process runs.
sysdiagnose version 3.0 (56)
Starting time sensitive tasks...
Running ps
Running thread-aware ps
Running fs_usage, spindump, vm_stat, and top
Running powermetrics
Starting graphics tasks...
Gathering Quartz Compositor information
Starting memory tasks...
Running lsof
Running footprint
Collecting file coordination status
Starting disk tasks...
Running diskutil
Running gpt
Running hdiutil
Running BootCacheControl
Running df
Running mount
Starting kernel tasks...
Starting networking tasks...
Getting Wi-Fi info
Getting opendirectory info
Getting NFS info
Running netstat
Running ifconfig
Apple Mac Diagnostic Tools
Running ipconfig
Running scutil
Running dig
Running get-network-info
Starting power tasks...
Running pmset
Starting configuration tasks...
Running system_profiler
Running ioreg
Gathering loginwindow logs
Gathering logs...
Generating microstackshot reports...
Imac Diagnostic Test
5. Once Sysdiagnose completes, a new window will pop up to your Mac temporary folder. The path is /var/tmp/ and inside you will have your Sysdiagnosefile - sysdiagnose_2017.02.04_14-20-31-0600.tar.gz – the file will vary in size but should be between 10 and 30megabytes.
6. You can open the .tar.gz file by double-clicking it. This will contain a folder of over 75 files and folders with the information Sysdiagnose collected.
Note: Sysdiagnose collects system info including wireless networks, network configurations, and system account usernames. While the info isn’t necessarily confidential, you should be aware it is being collected if you are sharing these reports.
Remember, Sysdiagnose compiles a detailed report of your Mac OS X machine in attempt to troubleshoot system software or hardware problems. Learn more about troubleshooting Mac X issues.