-
All replies
-
Helpful answers
-
Aug 17, 2012 2:52 PM in response to Dottycby rack0 tack0,I don't know about the FF memory usage as you describe but I have seen memory useage go up with more tabs open.
The other item that can slow systems down is disk fragmentation, OS X is very good at keeping this low but it is always possible that this has occured. I don't know of any software provided with OS X to check this out although there are applications available.
-
Aug 17, 2012 3:01 PM in response to rack0 tack0by Dottyc,Well, this is crazy. The wheel is still turning on Console Messages, and it says there are 4000 messages from one date in 2009 in a 20 minute time period. I've never opened this app before and don't know what it does, but that sounds a bit excessive.
-
Aug 17, 2012 3:08 PM in response to Dottycby rack0 tack0,I have 4000 messages and the App opened quickly, this is on ML.
Doing a search it seems that there was some problmes with Mail on 10.5, I never saw it but some had it eating memory. Is it worth rebooting when you can and using web mail for a short while instead of mail to see if that is causeing problems. Something is slowing your Mac up and it may be trying not running some of your applications to see if you can tie it down, unless you can diagnose it with AM.
-
Aug 17, 2012 3:16 PM in response to Dottycby seventy one,Something unmentioned so far. Do you have a busy desktop. Too much outstanding work on a desktop can have a slowing effect ... particularly as your RAM is not that large. You could probably take another 2GB ay least. Check it out with OWC or Crucial.
-
Aug 17, 2012 3:23 PM in response to rack0 tack0by Dottyc,What should I be looking for in Console Messages? None of it makes any sense to me, and again, it's all from a 20 minute time period in 2009.
-
Aug 17, 2012 3:35 PM in response to seventy oneby Dottyc,Yes, guilty of a busy desktop. I will do a de-clutter. I don't know what OWC or Crucial are.
Is adding RAM something I can do myself?
-
Aug 17, 2012 3:40 PM in response to Dottycby RRFS,They are trustworthy vendors for gaurenteed RAM and other parts. Yes, almost anyone with a phillips screwdriver can do it. There are install videos sponsored on those sites. Just Google them you'll have no problems with either vendor.
-
Aug 17, 2012 3:48 PM in response to Dottycby rack0 tack0,Crucial have a scanner application to show what memory upgrades are available for your Mac, I don't know if OCW do.
The Console messages from 2009 will not be much use.
-
Aug 17, 2012 4:13 PM in response to Dottycby BDAqua,OK, Console not opening is a problem, the rest is OK except the Pageouts... how long has it been running since the last restart... sine that is when it starts counting Pageouts?
-
Aug 17, 2012 4:23 PM in response to BDAquaby Dottyc,I just did a reboot and now the Page outs are 112 KB.
-
Aug 17, 2012 4:30 PM in response to rack0 tack0by Dottyc,Back to your comment about Mail. How do I get to web mail? Or should I just try getting my mail from my provider's website? Or is that one and the same?
-
Aug 18, 2012 8:11 AM in response to Dottycby rack0 tack0,Webmail and your providors website, yes same thing.
Have you any applications that start when you login, you can check in System Preferences/Users under Login items. Perhaps you are loading appliactions at Login that you don't need or know about.
-
Aug 18, 2012 8:19 AM in response to rack0 tack0by Dottyc,Thanks. Yes, I used to have Mail and Firefox open at login, but no more.
-
Aug 22, 2012 5:58 AM in response to RRFSby Dottyc,I have Verified Disk and it said there were no problems found. Something has to be wrong. I just can't figure out what it is.
-
Aug 22, 2012 9:43 AM in response to Dottycby rack0 tack0,★HelpfulIf you are near an Apple store you could always take it to the Genius bar and let them look at the problem.
If not hear are some thoughts.
You have determined that there are lots of page outs which tends to suggest you have not enough memory for the tasks that are running on the system.
So perhaps:-
1. You have a rogue application that is using too much memory, or the data it uses has been corrupted and is causing the application to use more memory than it should normally do.
2. You have a rogue application running on there that as been installed without you knowing, unlikely though.
3. You just don't have enough memory to run the system the way you are doing.
4. You have a very fragmented disk, this would slow the system but perhaps not load up memory, again with the file system used by Apple this is unlikely.
There will be others but thats all for now.
Due to you being unable to determine the exact cause of the problem these are some suggestion.
Before you contemplate performing any of the following suggestions be sure to have verified backups in place.
a. 'Archive and Install' the system, be sure to have all the installation media for iLife and any other Apple and Third party applications available to replace those also.
Instruction at http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1545
b. Run an Anti Virus program, a few free ones about, Sophos and iAntivirus are two.
c. Run a clean install were you wipe the disk and start a fresh install of everything, move user data back across from your backups. This would defragment the disk as well as replace all the software.
This is one way, there will be instructions on the Apple web site, just could not find a link.
http://www.tuaw.com/2007/10/26/leopard-how-to-clean-install/
d. Buy extra memory as seventy one suggests, see my previous post with a link to Crucial, they can scan the machine and give you recommend upgrades. 4GB total would be good, not sure how much Ram your machine will take. It is relatively inexpensive, easy to fit in most iMacs from 2007/2008, again not sure about other iMacs.
Be sure to check the OCW website also. Usually the more Ram the better.
I would go for more Ram memory as a start, a lot easier than rebuilding the software.
On a last point you mentioned in your first post that you were told that the disk could be going faulty, although you have tested that with the SMART data and Disk Utility it is still a possibility. I have seen disks drives have bad sectors but the error correction in the drive was so good that the drive corrected the errors. Correcting the errors takes time and slows the system down. Unlikely with the tests you have run but not to be ruled out completely.