sherifhanna

Q: System Freezes Randomly after 10.6.3 Update

Hi,

I have seen other people post various other problems they have experienced after 10.6.3. But I want to dedicate this thread specifically to Macs freezing randomly during operation after applying the 10.6.3 update.

It has happened twice in the past 24 hours. While using my iMac, the system becomes unresponsive and exhibits the following symptoms:

1. Though the mouse pointer moves, I cannot click on icons, links, select text or interact with anything using the mouse.
2. The system is also unresponsive to key presses on the keyboard, whether they be individual key presses or pre-defined keyboard shortcuts.
3. The only way to make the system respond is by holding down the power button until the iMac shuts down.

I cannot tell if the problem is related to the specific activity I was performing on the Mac - the freezing may seem random to me but it could be caused by the same event (maybe Flash, Javascript, or some background program)

If you are having the same issue, please post here by copying and pasting the text below and entering your answers:

1. Problem started happening after 10.6.3 update? Yes/No
2. Did you get any errors during 10.6.3 update process? Yes/No
3. Mouse cursor moves? Yes/No
4. Mouse clicking does nothing? Yes/No
5. Keyboard key presses do nothing? Yes/No
6. Only way to re-animate system is by holding down power button? Yes/No
7. Mouse/Keyboard Model?

I'll fill in mine to start:
1. Problem started happening after 10.6.3 update? Yes
2. Did you get any errors during 10.6.3 update process? No
3. Mouse cursor moves? Yes
4. Can you click anything with the mouse? No
5. Does the system respond to keyboard key presses? No
6. Only way to re-animate system is by holding down power button? Yes
7. Mouse/Keyboard Model? Magic Mouse/Apple Aluminum KB w/number pad

iMac 24" (Late 2008), Mac OS X (10.6.3)

Posted on Mar 30, 2010 11:06 PM

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Q: System Freezes Randomly after 10.6.3 Update

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  • by kremik,

    kremik kremik May 23, 2011 3:28 AM in response to sherifhanna
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 23, 2011 3:28 AM in response to sherifhanna

    Now I can say that the problem is solved. I used these steps to get rid of freezing:

    https://discussions.apple.com/message/12906934#12906934

     

    For 2 months I didn't have any freeze so far.

  • by MacLoyal,

    MacLoyal MacLoyal May 23, 2011 8:17 PM in response to Pototo
    Level 2 (255 points)
    Mac OS X
    May 23, 2011 8:17 PM in response to Pototo

    OK, I downloaded *smcFanControl 2.2.2* and I simply don't get it. It asked if I wanted to open/install something from the internet and I said yes. I click on the icon and it does nothing. It doesn't show up on my menu bar. I don't have the option to set preferences. It goes in the applications folder, right? What am I missing or what did I do wrong?

  • by Dick M,

    Dick M Dick M May 23, 2011 8:42 PM in response to MacLoyal
    Level 3 (675 points)
    May 23, 2011 8:42 PM in response to MacLoyal

    It belongs in your home folder/Library/Widgets

     

    RM

  • by Dick M,

    Dick M Dick M May 23, 2011 8:43 PM in response to MacLoyal
    Level 3 (675 points)
    May 23, 2011 8:43 PM in response to MacLoyal

    I should add that it is a Dashboard app.

     

    RM

  • by michaeljaekel,

    michaeljaekel michaeljaekel May 31, 2011 7:57 AM in response to MacLoyal
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 31, 2011 7:57 AM in response to MacLoyal

    Hi MacLoyal,

     

    don't waste your time on smcFanControl. I tried it - may be my machine freezed not that often with smcFancontrol enabled, but it did freeze from time to time (even at more then 2500 rpm).

    Seems that the one and only solution is to downgrade the GPU driver. I did so and since that I don't have any freezes any more.

    May be this link is helpful. I did it the pointed way - very easy.

     

    https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2384136?threadID=2384136&start=405&tstart=0

  • by MacLoyal,

    MacLoyal MacLoyal Jun 8, 2011 7:08 PM in response to michaeljaekel
    Level 2 (255 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jun 8, 2011 7:08 PM in response to michaeljaekel

    I wasted my time before I read your warning. Now I have an annoying pop up when I have to reboot, which remains a frequent event, asking if I want to let smcFanControl adjust my settings or some such rot. I authorize it, having no clue what it's supposed to be doing but it's done absolutely nothing to rectify my situation.

     

    Now I have a new development as of several crashes ago: I have a black bar about half an inch high across the top and bottom of my monitor. I've tried adjusting resolution but nothing restores my lost desktop space. I'm royally bummed out. Please tell me that Lion corrects all these problems!

  • by MacLoyal,

    MacLoyal MacLoyal Jun 8, 2011 7:22 PM in response to MacLoyal
    Level 2 (255 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jun 8, 2011 7:22 PM in response to MacLoyal

    I rebooted holding the shift down into Safe Boot mode and my screen is restored, there are no flashing artifacts and the monitor did not go black when I took my cursor to the dock. This looks like my good ole' reliable MacPro! Can I just stay in Safe Boot? What have I disabled that I'm going to miss?

  • by Phil_O_,

    Phil_O_ Phil_O_ Jul 4, 2011 12:33 PM in response to sherifhanna
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 4, 2011 12:33 PM in response to sherifhanna

    I've had this problem for ages and frequently had lockups.  I initially rolled back my system to 10.6.2 and the problems disappeared.  At each update I tried the latest combo only to find the lockup returned. 10.6.6 and it was still doing it,  *** Apple.   At this point I found the thread about ATI graphics card and the KText fix,  my system has been completely stable since.    That is until i stupidly updated to 10.6.8  and within 10 minutes the lockups had returned.  

     

    why is this not fixed yet  

     

    I tried the KText fix again and my system would no longer boot.   I just get the start screen saying Kernel or CPU panic or something and telling me to hold the power button to power down and try again.   Safe boot does the same 

     

    Thankfully I created a clone of my system just prior to the update  so I can at least boot off my backup and restore my system.  I'm currently booting off the firewire backup and rolling my system back to 10.6.6 after a weekend of grief.

     

    Is this going to be a sign of things to come with Lion as well.

  • by Phil Bridges,

    Phil Bridges Phil Bridges Jul 22, 2011 5:16 AM in response to Phil_O_
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 22, 2011 5:16 AM in response to Phil_O_

    Having fixed mine with the video driver replacement I bit the bullet and installed Lion last night, the system has now frozen again...zzzzz.  I'll try replacing the video drivers and see if that solved the problem.

  • by kremik,

    kremik kremik Jul 29, 2011 2:53 AM in response to sherifhanna
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 29, 2011 2:53 AM in response to sherifhanna

    See this discussion too - the same problem discussed there:

    https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2384136?start=705&tstart=0

  • by Pardalote,

    Pardalote Pardalote Aug 2, 2011 10:41 PM in response to sherifhanna
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 2, 2011 10:41 PM in response to sherifhanna

    Come on, Apple, it is time that this issue was resolved. It is obviously affecting many users, so stop treating your loyal customers with such comtempt. There have been six OS X updates since it was first reported. Initially I assumed that it was only the older iMacs with the Radeon HD2400 adapter that were affected, but it now seems that later models have the problem, too.

    I have been through the updates to 10.6.8, and have now come back to 10.6.2 With the loss of compatibility with some apps and iDVD) . I won't consider upgrading to Lion until it is clear that the problem has been corrected.

  • by Eclipsethegalaxy,

    Eclipsethegalaxy Eclipsethegalaxy Aug 6, 2011 5:06 AM in response to Pardalote
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Aug 6, 2011 5:06 AM in response to Pardalote

    I have also experienced computer freezing since 10.6.3. Apple has not identified a specific cause thereby has been of no help to me. A new graphics card a couple of years back did not help of course as others have identified kext files as the problem. Not wanting to tamper with my system, I have done my own investigating and discovered that specific programs were causing my screen to flicker then lock up. Rebooting the only solution.The program I first identified was Skype. Then there were a couple of apps purchased from the app store. Providing that I do NOT run these programs, I have had trouble free performance. Perhaps others may want to take this route as replacing kext files may be a risky task for an inexperienced operator.

  • by Pardalote,

    Pardalote Pardalote Aug 6, 2011 6:01 PM in response to Eclipsethegalaxy
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 6, 2011 6:01 PM in response to Eclipsethegalaxy

    I have had freezing with Google Earth, Picasa, Word, and a few other programs. It doesn't appear to be related to any apps because it predates them. However it has even occured when no programs were running, and when waking from sleep at the desktop. Most times the screen looks OK, but I have also experienced the pinstriping and pixelation that others have reported, and it has frozen as the screen has been re-rendering, as I showed in a screen grab that I previously posted.

    Others have suggested overheating as the cause, but it has happened to me soon after bootup before the system is even warm, and I can't recall it happening when the system has realy been working hard, such as creating a DVD. As it first occured at about the time that I installed SavosX and I wondered if that could be connected, but I ruled it out after the freezing continued after removing Savos and reinstalling 10.6.

    To me the issue has all the hallmarks of a graphics memory management problem.

  • by Pardalote,

    Pardalote Pardalote Aug 6, 2011 6:08 PM in response to Eclipsethegalaxy
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 6, 2011 6:08 PM in response to Eclipsethegalaxy

    I should also add that the problem only arises on my 20" iMac (2GHz Core 2 Duo, 4GB RAM). I also have a MacBook (Core Duo), and my wife has a Mac Mini (Core Solo), and both of these are running 10.6.7 without any sign of trouble.

  • by Phil_O_,

    Phil_O_ Phil_O_ Aug 7, 2011 1:34 AM in response to Pardalote
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 7, 2011 1:34 AM in response to Pardalote

    Same for me,  I have a iMac 20" Core2Duo 2.0Ghz  which has given me problems since the 10.6.3 update, but has run without a hitch in the 3 years prior to that.  My Mac Mini,  Macbook and Macbook Pro's haven't given any such problems.  After 10.6.3 I was having lockups all the time.  I restored my system back to 10.6.2 and the problems went away.  I didn't have any more lockups until I tired a later update, I think it was 10.6.5 at this point the locks ups returned, this time I replaced the ATI kext files from my 10.6.2 install and everything worked fine again,  until 10.6.6 when the problems returned.   I again did the kext files and the problems disappeared only to return when I updated to 10.6.8,  I missed out the .7 update.     Under 10.6.8 replacing the kext files caused kernel panics at boot up so I'm now back on my 10.6.6 backup.

     

    Every time I have suffered with lockups the kext file or roll back to 10.6.2 has fixed the crashes so it obviously graphics related.  I don't think it's hardware as the system has been stable when patched or running old versions of the OS or windows.      

     

    On the lock ups I've also had it happening immediately after boot up and randomly, no one program kicks it off and most things seem to continue working in the background, such as file transfers,  downloads, even audio playback. 

     

    APPLE NEED TO SORT IT OUT !!!   This is a joke that it has taken so long and they again just bury their heads in the sand and ignore the users.    I'm may well be the mug with the faulty system who Apple can't be bothered with any longer but I'm also a future Apple purchaser in fact I did consider upgrading to a newer 27" iMac until all the display problems appeared with the previous model which they were also very slow to sort out. With thunderbolt I again thought about upgrading my iMac but I have lost faith in Apple and won't be buying any more Apple hardware whilst problems go ignored.  Apple seem to only be interested in the masses now and us long term Apple users have been kicked to side 

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