mauro16

Q: mac pro late 2013 freezes with spinning wheel

i bought a mac pro (late 2013) 50 days ago, os is yosemite 10.10.3. I often get the spinning wheel of death and the mac freezes, i.e. it doesn't react to mouse click or keyboard. it happens on average 1 time a day. When it happens i have to restart the machine by pressing the computer's power button.

I have already contacted apple support by phone, i have made many reset operations under their control, but nothing changed.

 

After the restart, when i examine the console log the last message before the reboot is often the following one

 

windowserver: surface testing disallowed updates for 10 sequential attempts

 

By searching this message on google i found that the problem might be related with the energy saving settings, i.e. it happens when the mac wakes from sleep. So i changed those settings to prevent the mac going on stop state, and today the problem did not happen, but i'm not sure what wil happen tomorrow ... so i'm looking for information/advice about this kind of problem.

Mac Pro (Late 2013), OS X Yosemite (10.10.3)

Posted on May 16, 2015 12:19 PM

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Q: mac pro late 2013 freezes with spinning wheel

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  • by kotho,

    kotho kotho Dec 17, 2015 2:03 PM in response to ronaldmcdonalds
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 17, 2015 2:03 PM in response to ronaldmcdonalds

    I can also confirm that the lock-ups are continuing after adjusting the nvram setting.

     

    Like many others in the thread when the freeze occurs music still plays in the background. When I unplug the thunderbolt display and plug it back in, it becomes responsive again but very sluggish.

     

    To be honest, I'm really tempted to sell the computer but feel unethical about knowing the next user will experience the same problem.

     

    I've also had good luck in reproducing the problem by turning on a Youtube video in full screen mode and set up mirroring to my Apple TV – it seems to consistently freeze up within an hour.

     

    2013 Mac Pro, 6 Core, D300 GPU, Dual 27" Thunderbolt displays.

  • by Slokkie,

    Slokkie Slokkie Dec 18, 2015 4:46 AM in response to kotho
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Dec 18, 2015 4:46 AM in response to kotho

    @kotho

     

    Did you check if the code was really activated? I also did try to set the code once and tested without result.

    But when I checked the code wasn't activated. After I activated and tested the code again it seems to have worked.

    I now have the screensaver test running for 3 days without a crash (normally it took max. 2 days)

    I am adding this machine to my production Mac Pro's again and see what happens.


     

  • by shing123,

    shing123 shing123 Dec 18, 2015 6:00 AM in response to Slokkie
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Dec 18, 2015 6:00 AM in response to Slokkie

    check your console. It should have ** GPU Hardware VM is enabled....

     

    so far no gpu crashes after applying the setting. fingers cross. I had a weird auto logout once.

  • by Franz71,

    Franz71 Franz71 Dec 21, 2015 3:19 AM in response to mauro16
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 21, 2015 3:19 AM in response to mauro16

    They have replaced one of the graphics cards. Now it all seems ok ...

  • by ronaldmcdonalds,

    ronaldmcdonalds ronaldmcdonalds Dec 21, 2015 9:02 AM in response to Franz71
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 21, 2015 9:02 AM in response to Franz71

    Hopefully that works out for you.  I've had my graphics cards replaced too.  Twice.

  • by shing123,

    shing123 shing123 Dec 22, 2015 7:50 AM in response to ronaldmcdonalds
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Dec 22, 2015 7:50 AM in response to ronaldmcdonalds

    had another gpu crash today. But its the longest i've been without a crash since the nvram setting. I probably got to take time off to get to the apple authorised dealer. No legit apple stores in singapore

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Dec 22, 2015 8:03 AM in response to shing123
    Level 9 (61,368 points)
    Desktops
    Dec 22, 2015 8:03 AM in response to shing123

    "Apple is planning to launch its first outlet in Singapore in 2016, at the Knightsbridge luxury retail complex on Orchard Road."


    source:

    appleinsider.com

  • by Slokkie,

    Slokkie Slokkie Dec 22, 2015 8:07 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Dec 22, 2015 8:07 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

    Hi All,

     

    I can also confirm freeze's are not gone after the NVRAM setting.

    I still have to check the Mac Pro with the new videocard.

  • by maxcarella,

    maxcarella maxcarella Dec 22, 2015 9:13 AM in response to Slokkie
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Dec 22, 2015 9:13 AM in response to Slokkie

    I can confirm that in my case I've had no freezes after nvram settings after two weeks 

    But I think that are influenced also by software that I use...

  • by Franz71,

    Franz71 Franz71 Dec 23, 2015 12:37 AM in response to mauro16
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 23, 2015 12:37 AM in response to mauro16

    Unfortunately, the MAC will not run. Similar problems. As I work I lose audio.

    This MAC is unusable and it's impossible to find a solution to fix it.

    It 'a nightmare and I do not know what to do

  • by mauro16,

    mauro16 mauro16 Dec 23, 2015 2:03 PM in response to maxcarella
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Desktops
    Dec 23, 2015 2:03 PM in response to maxcarella

    i also tried the workaround you suggest. I tried it also with mac os, el capitan 10.11.2 and it did not work. I started the test on monday evening and this evening i had the freezing. I was reading a document on google docs and the freezing came. By the way google docs has often triggered freezings in the past, with mac os. I had started the mac 6 minutes before. In this case the behavior is similar to the one i have with windows, where i may have driver crashes just after boot. But from an overall point of view the behavior with windows is better and often almost/fairly acceptable. With windows i have this behavior

    - boot

    - possible problems (driver crashes or auto-reboot) during a period just after boot (the period can last few minutes or some hour, but in the latter case the problems consist in some driver crash that do not cause much harm, no reboot is forced or needed)

    - then the system will stabilize and works ok for days and days until next boot

     

    With mac os the behavior is much less predictable and much less manageable, or i am not able to predict and manage it. After a freezing i have to reboot the system, if i reboot it in normal mode from what i remember then i can have other freezings, so i have to reboot in safe mode and work like this for the rest of the day. Furthermore i know mac os less than windows and i find it more difficult to use than windows.

  • by shing123,

    shing123 shing123 Dec 23, 2015 6:58 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Dec 23, 2015 6:58 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

    my point exactly. No legit stores here. not yet at least.

     

    I guess the only option now is to take to the repair person. And best case scenario is the repair person understands the problem and have experience with people coming in with the nmp. Worst case maybe after test and tedious explaining the repair person is unable to see a crash and says no repair after a couple hours.

     

    If only apple can acknowledge their gpu are faulty and call out a mass gpu replacement programme.  

  • by kittifrombangkok,

    kittifrombangkok kittifrombangkok Dec 28, 2015 11:45 PM in response to mauro16
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 28, 2015 11:45 PM in response to mauro16

    I am having exactly the same problem with mauro16.

    My mac pro 2013 hang several times a day. Checking with console show "Surface testing disallowed updates for 10 sequential attempts".

    This problem drives me crazy. I lose my job before saving and have to redo again over and over.

    I wish there is someone find the solution soon.

  • by Paul Rutherford1,

    Paul Rutherford1 Paul Rutherford1 Dec 29, 2015 5:59 AM in response to kittifrombangkok
    Level 1 (14 points)
    Dec 29, 2015 5:59 AM in response to kittifrombangkok

    Kitti,

     

    Have you updated to 10.11.2? I had Surface Testing lock-up problems too on 10.11.1, but they went away after updating to 10.11.2. I still need to disallow my Mac Pro from sleeping and set my Display to never turn off.

     

    Good Luck!

  • by kittifrombangkok,

    kittifrombangkok kittifrombangkok Jan 1, 2016 7:15 PM in response to Paul Rutherford1
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 1, 2016 7:15 PM in response to Paul Rutherford1

    Thanks Paul for the advise. I don't have problem with sleeping energy save.

    My OS is 10.11.2 latest.

    I have try to delete Flash player cache.

     

    Also Max advise

    From Applications/Utilites, launch Terminal.

    In the Terminal type:

    sudo nvram boot-args="dart=0x0"

    and when it asks for your password, enter your password.

    Then restart your Mac.

     

    It worked the 1st day I did. After 2nd day it got crazy again.

    I retype the reset video card in Terminal again. Zap PRAM.

    It is new year so no time to use the machine. Just hope it will solve.

     

    This is the worst mac hardware I have ever used within 25 years mac experience.

     

    Best regards,

    Kitti

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