nayr497

Q: Macbook Pro suddenly running slowly

Hello,

 

I have a Macbook Pro that was running well until this past weekend. Suddenly it hangs up and the wheel runs every time I try to use it, internet, Word, etc. Everything. The only changes recently made were updates to Mozilla Firefox, it's been asking me to update very frequently of late. Also, I downloaded a video player video player for .avi files but I thought that might be the culprit, so I uninstalled it (I think).

 

I've tried to run software updates, but there aren't any. Hoping this is something I can fix/diagnose, but there is an Apple store in town.

 

Info:

Macbook Pro

13", mid-2012

2.5Ghz Intel Core i5

4 GB 1600 MHz DDR3

Intel HD Graphics 4000

OS X 10.8.5

 

Where should I start trying to sort this out?

MacBook Pro, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.5)

Posted on May 27, 2015 4:53 AM

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Q: Macbook Pro suddenly running slowly

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  • by nayr497,

    nayr497 nayr497 May 29, 2015 1:54 PM in response to nayr497
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 29, 2015 1:54 PM in response to nayr497

    It only got to step 5 of 8 then asked for my password again. It had hung up, so I did a force quit like the instructions stated.

     

    I've posted the report from those steps.

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis May 29, 2015 2:17 PM in response to nayr497
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    May 29, 2015 2:17 PM in response to nayr497

    A

     

    Please turn Time Machine OFF in its preference pane and see whether there's any change. Then turn it back ON.

     

    B

     

    Quit "Dropbox" and "Google Drive."

     

    C

    Back up all data before proceeding.

    Launch the Font Book application and validate all fonts. You must select the fonts in order to validate them. See the built-in help and this support article for instructions. If Font Book finds any issues, resolve them.

    Start up in safe mode to rebuild the font caches. Restart as usual and test.

    Note: If FileVault is enabled in OS X 10.9 or earlier, or if a firmware password is set, or if the startup volume is a software RAID, you can’t start in safe mode. In that case, ask for instructions.

    If you still have problems, then from the Font Book menu bar, select

              File â–¹ Restore Standard Fonts...

    You'll be prompted to confirm, and then to enter your administrator login password.

    Also note that if you deactivate or remove any built-in fonts, for instance by using a third-party font manager, the system may become unstable.

    D

    The symbol cache file is very large. It stores data used in logs and crash reports, and it may have grown because there have been a lot of crashes. The file is created automatically, and if deleted, it should be recreated when you restart the computer. Initially, at least, it will be a lot smaller.

    I've seen one unverified report that a system became unbootable when the cache was deleted. That would have been due to a corrupt installation of OS X, but you should be prepared to reinstall if necessary. There is no reason to panic as long as you have good backups, which you should already have if you got this far.

    Enter the following command in the same way as before:

    sudo mv /S*/*/Caches/com.apple.coresymbolicationd /tmp/

    Restart the computer.

    E

    Open the Printers & Scanners pane in System Preferences and select the HP printer, then click

              Open Print Queue...

    If the printer status is "Paused," click the Resume button in the queue inspector. If there are any unfinished jobs, either finish them or delete them.

    If you can't clear out the print queue or get the printer out of Paused status, delete the queue and recreate it.

  • by nayr497,

    nayr497 nayr497 May 29, 2015 2:26 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 29, 2015 2:26 PM in response to Linc Davis

    I have to head out for a few hours, I'll try again when I return. Thanks for the help and the steps though!

  • by OGELTHORPE,

    OGELTHORPE OGELTHORPE May 29, 2015 3:34 PM in response to nayr497
    Level 9 (52,700 points)
    Mac OS X
    May 29, 2015 3:34 PM in response to nayr497

    Based on the RAM swaps, additional RAM would be beneficial.  The best sources of Mac compatible RAM are OWC and Crucial.

     

    Ciao.

  • by nayr497,

    nayr497 nayr497 May 30, 2015 8:50 AM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 30, 2015 8:50 AM in response to Linc Davis

    Trying to work on this today, but might not get to it until tomorrow. Thanks for the support and steps, will get to it as soon as I can. Still running very slowly, so something is certainly going on that isn't good.

  • by nayr497,

    nayr497 nayr497 May 31, 2015 7:08 AM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 31, 2015 7:08 AM in response to Linc Davis

    I'm at Step C and I'm not sure if I'm doing it right. I've restarted in Safe Mode, run the Font Validation, checked to remove the dangerous fonts, then did the restart in Safe Mode.

     

    There are still some fonts shown as being "off." I tried to do the Restore Standard Fonts, entered my password, but it says I need to reinstall Mac OS X. Do I want to do this now? Can I do this?

     

    I'm okay with having around 15 fonts turned off. But, I don't want the system to be unstable.

     

    Please advise before I proceed. Thank you.

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis May 31, 2015 7:27 AM in response to nayr497
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    May 31, 2015 7:27 AM in response to nayr497

    If you don't already have a current backup, back up all data, then reinstall the OS.* You don't need to erase the startup volume, and you won't need the backup unless something goes wrong. If the system was upgraded from an older version of OS X, you may need the Apple ID and password you used.

    There are ways to back up a computer that isn't fully functional. Ask if you need guidance.

    If you installed the Java runtime distributed by Apple and still need it, you'll have to reinstall it. The same goes for Xcode. All other data will be preserved.

    *The linked support article refers to OS X 10.10 ("Yosemite"), but the procedure is the same for OS X 10.7 ("Lion") and later.

  • by nayr497,

    nayr497 nayr497 May 31, 2015 11:27 AM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 31, 2015 11:27 AM in response to Linc Davis

    I ran a full Time Machine backup on Friday. I have not added or changed any files, programs, data, etc. All I've been doing is trying to run through these fix solutions.

     

    Is that sufficient or do I need to run a back-up again? (I have all my data, photos, files, etc. backed up both on an XHD, another flash drive, and then on a cloud).

     

    I don't want to lose anything before I proceed. Reinstalling the OS kind of makes me nervous, as I'm far more a computer user than a computer fixer.

     

    Thank you.

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis May 31, 2015 11:41 AM in response to nayr497
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    May 31, 2015 11:41 AM in response to nayr497

    I can't guarantee the integrity of your backups. You won't need them unless something goes wrong. It rarely does, but I can't guarantee that it won't, either. If you're not comfortable taking this step, get someone more experienced to help you. One option is to make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store.

  • by nayr497,

    nayr497 nayr497 May 31, 2015 11:56 AM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 31, 2015 11:56 AM in response to Linc Davis

    Hi Linc,

     

    I completely understand you are just helping me out and can't guarantee anything. I'm know doing this on my own has risks.

     

    That said, I'm happy to try it on my own first. Like I wrote, my important files and information are all saved in numerous places.

  • by nayr497,

    nayr497 nayr497 Jun 1, 2015 4:15 AM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 1, 2015 4:15 AM in response to Linc Davis

    I had to let it run overnight. I came back and it had restarted, which I'm sure is normal after it reinstalls the OS.

     

    It seems to be running well, no hang ups, the data/programs/etc. that I tried to use so far are functioning.

     

    Next step?

     

    Also, not sure about Java and Xcode. How do I determine if I need to reinstall those?

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Jun 1, 2015 6:01 AM in response to nayr497
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    Jun 1, 2015 6:01 AM in response to nayr497

    How do I determine if I need to reinstall those?

    If you needed them, you would know.

  • by nayr497,

    nayr497 nayr497 Jun 1, 2015 7:02 AM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 1, 2015 7:02 AM in response to Linc Davis

    It is running better, but a bit slowly still. The beach ball spins if I open too much at once, slower than it used to be. I'm hoping this is because it's still installing updates to Word, the system, etc.

     

    In terms of Java and Xcode, not sure if I used/needed them. I guess I can always install them down the line if I need to?

     

    Okay...so am I all set at this point or do I need to run more diagnostics/fixes?

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Jun 1, 2015 7:34 AM in response to nayr497
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    Jun 1, 2015 7:34 AM in response to nayr497

    If you're still not satisfied with the performance of the machine, you can replace the internal hard drive with an SSD and/or upgrade the memory. See the user manual for instructions.

  • by nayr497,

    nayr497 nayr497 Jun 2, 2015 7:46 AM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 2, 2015 7:46 AM in response to Linc Davis

    I know these are complex machines and that there is a lot going on, despite them being so smoothly designed.

     

    However, I'm confused. Considering that I haven't made any significant changes to the computer, that I have a good deal of free HD space, and that the most complex thing I do is run a few programs at once and an external monitor - how could my computer going from running perfectly well last week, to hanging up this week if I open Word and Chrome?

     

    I'm just wondering how I could so suddenly need RAM and and SSD upgrade?

     

    Not a big deal, just wondering. I think I'll set up a Genius appointment for next week (traveling the end of this week) and see what they say. After that, plenty of threads on good SSD and RAM upgrades that aren't too costly.

     

    I just ran another basic diagnostic test, no problems discovered.

     

    Thanks!

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