Student-Contributed Wiki

An awesome team of students from our education program made this wiki.

My programs take an extremely long time to load or crash constantly.

Replace the RAM modules or add more sticks of RAM. Newer programs utilize more system memory and since this is an older machine the stock RAM might not be adequate.

Mac Pro First Generation RAM Replacement

Check the graphics card to see if it’s running properly, if it’s not replace the graphics card with the same or better model.

Mac Pro First Generation GPU Replacement

I push the power button, but nothing happens

The power supply might have gone out. Remove it from the computer and investigate for any damage replace if necessary.

Mac Pro First Generation Power Supply Replacement

The Mac Pro turns on, but I don’t see the home screen.

Not much can be done for a damaged hard drive. If desperate take it to an expert, if not consider replacing the hard drive or getting an SSD which would drastically improve performance.

Mac Pro First Generation Hard Disk Replacement

I’m seeing dots, lines, discoloration, or broken images on the screen. Or nothing at all

The graphics card is what produces the image on the screen. If you can’t see anything on the screen the graphics card is likely the cause. Consider an upgrade for better performance in all programs especially games.

I try to open my disk drive, but it won’t open.

Remove the optical drive and carefully open it, remove the disk, close it, and re-install in the Mac Pro.

Mac Pro First Generation Optical Drive Replacement

Mac Pro First Generation Device Page