Memory Test For Macos To Check For Panic

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.

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. Rember

Rember 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.

  • Sep 12, 2019 I bought my iMac back in May with 8 GB of RAM and upgraded to 40 GB adding 32 GB of Crucial RAM (to be precise, this exact kit which I've seen recommended a couple of times on the forum). Worked perfectly without any issues, macOS detected all the RAM with the right speed. But 12 days ago I was.
  • Doing this will load the diagnostics suite. Older systems, this classic utility has a blue interface with information about your Mac and a big Test button. To use it to test your RAM, check the box.

Feb 08, 2019  Crucial will sell aftermarket Mac memory in packaging bearing a Mac logo, even if the part number is exactly the same. They also charge more for it. That seems to imply Crucial actually tests the memory they sell to Mac customers to verify specification compliance.

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

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Charlzm6 months ago

I 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?

Reply

Rember doesn’t shut down existing programs… you do that yerself

Reply
Rakiki1 year ago

Rember 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

Reply

Rember

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.

Reply
Ron Helgerson4 years ago

Hope this works well, thanks!

Reply

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Windows 10 is a great operating system. It has its quirks and annoyances, but which operating system doesn’t? Even if you’re beholden to Microsoft and Windows 10, you can still shop around.

What better way to do that than from the safe confines of your existing operating system with a virtual machine? This way, you can run macOS on Windows, which is perfect when you want to use Mac-only apps on Windows.

So, here’s how you install macOS in a virtual machine on Windows, making a virtual Hackintosh that lets you run Apple apps from your Windows machine.

What Files Do You Need to Create a macOS Virtual Machine on Windows 10?

Before delving into the “how-to,” you need to download and install the essential tools. The tutorial details how to create macOS virtual machines using both Oracle VirtualBox Manager (VirtualBox) and VMware Workstation Player (VMware Player).

Not sure which to use? Learn more about the differences between VirtualBox and VMware.

  • Download the latest version of VirtualBox. The tutorial uses VirtualBox 6.1.4
  • Download the latest version of VMware Player. The tutorial uses VMware Player 15.0.4

You need a copy of macOS, too. Catalina is the latest macOS version. You can find the download links for macOS Catalina in the next section.

Memory Test For Macos To Check For Panic Attacks

This tutorial will focus on installing macOS Catalina in a virtual machine running on Intel hardware, using either VirtualBox or VMware Player.

Unfortunately, I do not have access to any AMD hardware, so I cannot provide a tutorial.

There is, however, the code snippet that anyone using an AMD system requires to boot a macOS Catalina using VMware on AMD hardware.

The process to launch the macOS Catalina virtual machine is the same as the Intel version but uses a slightly different code snippet. You can find the tutorial and the code snippet in the section below.

Furthermore, you will find links to several AMD macOS Catalina, Mojave, and High Sierra virtual machine tutorials, at the end of the article.

Download macOS Catalina Virtual Image

Use the following links to download macOS Catalina for both VirtualBox and VMware.

If the Google Drive reaches its download limit, right-click the file and select Copy to create a copy in your own Google Drive. You can then download the macOS Catalina virtual image from there.

Please note that these links may stop working from time to time. If that is the case, please leave a comment, and I’ll fix them as soon as possible.

After the virtual image finishes downloading, right-click, and extract the file using your favorite archive tool. For instance, right-click, then select 7-Zip > Extract to “macOS Catalina.”

How to Create a macOS Catalina Virtual Machine with VirtualBox

Before creating the macOS virtual machine, you need to install the VirtualBox Extension Pack. It includes fixes for USB 3.0 support, mouse and keyboard support, and other useful VirtualBox patches.

Download: VirtualBox Extension Pack for Windows (Free)

Check

Scroll down, select All supported platforms to download, then double-click to install.

Create the macOS Catalina Virtual Machine

Open VirtualBox. Select New. Type macOS.

VirtualBox will detect the OS as you type and will default to Mac OS X. You can leave this as is.

Regarding the virtual machine name, make it something memorable yet easy to type. You’ll need to input this name in a series of commands, and it is frustrating to type a complicated name multiple times!

Next, set the amount of RAM the macOS virtual machine can use. I would suggest a minimum of 4GB, but the more you can give from the host system, the better your experience will be.

Remember, you cannot assign more RAM than your system has available, and you need to leave some memory available for the host operating system. Learn more about how much RAM does a system need?

Now, you need to assign a hard disk, which is the virtual image downloaded previously. Select Use an existing virtual hard disk file, then select the folder icon. Browse to the VMDK file, then select Create.

Edit the macOS Catalina Virtual Machine Settings

Don’t try and start your macOS Catalina virtual machine yet. Before firing the virtual machine up, you need to make a few tweaks to the settings. Right-click your macOS virtual machine and select Settings.

Under System, remove Floppy from the boot order. Ensure the Chipset is set to ICH9.

Select the Processor tab. Assign two processors. If you have a CPU with power to spare (such as an Intel Core i7 or i9 with multiple extra cores), consider assigning more. However, this isn’t vital.

Make sure the Enable PAE/NX box is checked.

Under Display, set Video Memory to 128MB.

Now, under Storage, check the box alongside Use Host I/O Cache.

Finally, head to the USB tab and select USB 3.0, then press OK.

Use Command Prompt to Add Custom Code to VirtualBox

It still isn’t quite time to fire up your macOS Catalina virtual machine. In its current configuration, VirtualBox doesn’t work with your macOS VMDK.

To get it up and running, you have to essentially patch VirtualBox before the macOS virtual machine will function. To do this, you need to enter some code using the Command Prompt. All the details are below.

Start by closing VirtualBox. The commands will not execute properly if VirtualBox or any of its associated processes are running.

Once closed, press Windows Key + X, then select Command Prompt (Admin) from the menu.

If your menu only shows the PowerShell option, type command into your Start menu search bar. Then right-click the Best Match, and select Run as Administrator.

The following code works for VirtualBox 5.x and 6.x.

Use the following command to locate the Oracle VirtualBox directory:

Now, enter the following commands, one by one. Adjust the command to match the name of your virtual machine. For instance, my virtual machine name is “macoscat.” Here are the commands:

After the completion of the commands, and presuming you encountered no errors, close the Command Prompt.

Boot Your macOS Mojave Virtual Machine

Reopen VirtualBox. Double-click your macOS virtual machine to start it. You will see a long stream of text, followed by a gray screen.

The gray screen can take a moment or two to clear, but don’t panic. Once the screen clears, macOS Catalina will begin installing. When it resolves, you will arrive at the macOS “Welcome” screen.

From here, you can set your macOS Mojave virtual machine up as you see fit.

Pro Tip: Take a snapshot of your virtual machine once it passes the gray screen. If anything goes wrong down the line, you can return to the Welcome screen setup and start the process again.

Once you complete the macOS setup, take another one so you can jump straight into your macOS installation. Head to Machine > Take Snapshot, give your snapshot a name, and wait for it to process.

How to Create a macOS Catalina Virtual Machine Using VMware Workstation Player

Prefer VMware over VirtualBox? You can create a macOS Catalina virtual machine using VMware that works exactly the same as VirtualBox. And, just as with VirtualBox, VMware also requires patching before the macOS Catalina virtual machine will work.

This part of the tutorial works for Intel and AMD systems. AMD users must use the second code snippet when editing the virtual machine VMX file. Read through the tutorial to see what this means exactly.

Patch VMware Workstation Player

In the “macOS Catalina Virtual Image” section is the VMware Player Patch Tool. Before commencing any further, download the patch tool.

Then, browse to the location you downloaded the patch tool to. Extract the contents of the archive. This process works best when the folders are on the same drive (e.g., the VMware root folder and extracted archive are both found on the C: drive).

Make sure VMware is completely closed. Now, in the patcher folder, right-click the win-install command script and select Run as Administrator. The script will open a Command Prompt window, and the patch-script will run.

Do pay attention. The script whizzes by, and you need to keep watch for any “File not Found” messages.

The most common reason for a “file not found” or a “system cannot find the file specified” message is installing VMware Workstation Player in a different location to the default folder, and executing the patch from a different directory.

Once the patch completes, you can open VMware.

Create the macOS Catalina Virtual Machine with VMware

Panic

Select Create a New Virtual Machine. Choose I will install the operating system later.

Now, select Apple Mac OS X, and change the Version to macOS 10.14. If you don’t see the macOS options, it is because the patch didn’t install correctly.

Next, you need to choose a name for your macOS Catalina virtual machine. Choose something easy to remember, then copy the file path to somewhere handy—you’re going to need it to make some edits in a moment.

On the next screen, stick with the suggested maximum hard disk size, then select Store virtual disk as a single file. Complete the virtual disk creation wizard, but do not start the virtual machine just yet.

Edit the macOS Mojave Virtual Machine Settings

Before you can boot the virtual machine, you must edit the hardware specifications. Plus, you need to tell VMware where to find the macOS VMDK.

From the main VMware screen, select your macOS Catalina virtual machine, then right-click, and select Settings.

Like VirtualBox, bump the virtual machine memory up to at least 4GB. You can allocate more if you have RAM to spare.

Under Processors, edit the number of available cores to 2.

Now, under Hard Disk (SATA), you need to remove the hard disk created earlier. Select Remove and VMware will remove the disk automatically.

Now, select Add > Hard Disk > SATA (Recommended)> Use an existing disk. Browse to the location of the macOS VMDK and select it.

Edit the macOS Catalina VMX File for Intel Hardware

This section is for Intel users and it involves the final set of edits you need to make before switching your VMware macOS Catalina virtual machine on!

Close VMware. Head to the location you stored the macOS virtual machine. The default location is:

Browse to macOS.vmx, right-click, and select Open with…, select Notepad (or your preferred text editor). Scroll to the bottom of the configuration file and add the following line:

Save, then Exit.

You can now open VMware, select your macOS Mojave virtual machine, and fire it up!

Edit the macOS Catalina VMX File for AMD Hardware

This section is for AMD users. Like the above section, AMD users must also edit the VMX file before proceeding. The AMD edit involves a few more lines than the Intel version, but you can copy and paste the data into the file.

Close VMware. Head to the location you stored the macOS virtual machine. The default location is:

Browse to macOS.vmx, right-click, and select Open with…, select Notepad (or your preferred text editor). Scroll to the bottom of the configuration file and add the following lines:

Save, then Exit.

You can now open VMware, select your macOS Mojave virtual machine, and fire it up!

Memory Test For Macos To Check For Panic

Install VMware Tools to Your macOS Catalina Virtual Machine

You now need to install VMware Tools, which is a set of utilities and extensions that improve mouse handling, video performance, and other useful things.

Memory Test For Macos To Check For Panic At The Disco

With the macOS virtual machine running, head to Player > Manage > Install VMware Tools.

The installation digavsc will appear on the macOS desktop. When the option appears, select Install VMware Tools, then allow it access to the removable volume. Follow the guided installer, which will require a restart on completion.

Troubleshooting

There are a couple of things that can go wrong during the macOS virtual machine installation in VMware Player Workstation.

  1. If you cannot see “Apple Mac OS X” during the virtual machine creation wizard, then you need to revisit the patch process. Ensure every process associated with VMware Player is off.
  2. If you receive the message “Mac OS X is not supported with binary translation” when starting the virtual machine, there is a strong chance you need to activate virtualization in your BIOS/UEFI configuration.
  3. If you receive the message “VMware Player unrecoverable error: (vcpu-0)” when starting the virtual machine, you need to head back to the macOS.vmx configuration file to ensure you added the extra line and saved the edit.
  4. If you’re running AMD hardware and get stuck at the Apple logo, first power off the virtual machine. Now, head to Settings > Options > General. Change the Guest operating system to Microsoft Windows, and the Version to Windows 10 x64. Press OK, then attempt to power up the virtual machine again. Once the Apple logo passes, power down the virtual machine, then set the Guest operating system option back to Apple Mac OS X, selecting the correct version.

macOS Virtual Machines for AMD Hardware

Apple uses Intel hardware to power desktops and laptops. Configuring a macOS virtual machine using Intel hardware is easier because the hardware specifications are very similar.

With AMD, the opposite is true. Because Apple does not develop macOS on AMD hardware, creating a macOS virtual machine on an AMD system is trickier.

Adding to this, I don’t have an AMD system to test macOS virtual machines on, so I cannot give you a detailed tutorial. I can, however, point you in the direction of several macOS AMD virtual machine tutorials that do work, so long as you are patient and follow each step accordingly.

  • Mojave AMD Vanilla Guide From Windows via AMD OS X
  • High Sierra 10.13.1 VM for VMware Player for Ryzen/FX/APU via AMD OS X
  • Mojave AMD VirtualBox via AMD OS X

The AMD OS X forum is a great resource for macOS virtual machines. You can find many more forum threads regarding AMD macOS virtual machines, too.

macOS Catalina Virtual Machine Installation Complete

You have two options to choose from for your macOS Catalina virtual machine. Both options are great if you want to give macOS a try before making the switch from Windows and enjoy some of the best Apple apps on offer.

You can use a virtual machine to test other operating systems too. For instance, here’s how to install a Linux distro in a virtual machine.

Are you looking to learn more about virtual machines?

Check out our VirtualBox User’s Guide, which teaches everything you need to know, or our guide to creating a virtual machine using Windows 10 Hyper-V.

Read the full article: How to Run macOS on Windows 10 in a Virtual Machine