Flash chokes Safari 3.1.2 to death

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Level 1

120 points

Flash chokes Safari 3.1.2 to death

Many of the sites I visit use Flash, and inevitably I get stuck with the spinning beach ball of death in Safari - sometimes for just a couple of minutes but other times it's terminal and requires a force quit. Regardless, it's way too slow and unusable for me even with the latest Flash 10 player installed. Firefox has NO problems loading the same sites.

I've tried Reset. I'm about ready to dump Safari for good, although I will be doing some of my own web design soon and would like things to work in all browsers...even slow piggy ones. LOL

iMac G5, Power Mac 8500, Mac OS X (10.4.11), 2.1 gHz

Posted on Nov 15, 2008 7:36 AM

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Answer 1

igirl1 Author

Level 1

120 points

Nov 15, 2008 7:41 AM in response to igirl1

Here's an example of a site that freezes - http://www.bludomain.com/

Any clues what's going on?

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Answer 2

Klaus1

Level 9

52,879 points

Nov 15, 2008 7:46 AM in response to igirl1

Any clues what's going on?

Not yet!

That site works fine for me.

Did you install/update anything just that site started making problems for you?

Have you tried repairing permissions and verifying your hard disk?

This might give a clue:

Safari quits unexpectedly

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1594

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Answer 3

igirl1 Author

Level 1

120 points

Nov 15, 2008 4:59 PM in response to Klaus1

Thanks Klaus, though no help. It seems any site that's heavy in Flash (not just that one) really bogs down Safari. Looking in Activity Monitor the % of CPU spikes when loading one, while comparatively, Firefox doesn't jump much loading the same site. Another Flash site try just before I posted this, Safari froze up with the beach ball of death "not responding"...and I lost my post here. Very frustrating.

I have no duplicates in my font book, am very often repairing permissions/verify, and running MacJanitor at least once a month. I haven't installed or updated things to make this happen - it's been gradually getting worse and worse though. I posted here about a month ago asking why Safari is such a memory hog!

I might be able to reinstall Safari from the original system disks, but don't want to lose all my bookmarks etc. Wonder if I can easily port them to another browser?

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Answer 4

Klaus1

Level 9

52,879 points

Nov 16, 2008 5:06 AM in response to igirl1

It seems any site that's heavy in Flash (not just that one) really bogs down Safari.

That simply shouldn't happen. I have two routines that you might try in order to fix Safari:

The following usually works on both Tiger and Leopard:

(First, if yours is an Intel Mac, check that Safari is not running in Rosetta, which is enough to slow it to a crawl.)

Many, including me, have had success with adding DNS codes to their Network Settings, with good results in terms of speed-up:

Open System Preferences/Network. Double click on your connection type, or select it in the drop-down menu. Click on TCP/IP and in the box marked 'DNS Servers' enter the following two numbers:

208.67.222.222
208.67.220.220

Click on Apply Now and close the window.

Restart Safari, and repair permissions.

If that didn't do it, then try this as well:

Empty Safari's cache (from the Safari menu), then close Safari.

Go to Home/Library/Safari and delete the following files:

form values
download.plist

Then go to Home/Library/Preferences and delete

com.apple.Safari.plist

Repair permissions (in Disk Utility).

Start up Safari again, and things should have improved.

Less likely, but possible, is that the slowness is caused by a Trojan such as the one called 'DNSChanger' or 'OSZ.RSPlug', which can alter the DNS settings of your network connection. This particular Trojan can be inadvertently installed if you have come across certain Quicktime movies where got a window stating that you have to download and install a particular codec in order to see the video.

If you have agreed to that installation, your system can be infected and your DNS settings altered, which results in your system using the wrong DNS servers, which can slow web surfing to a crawl.

This can be fixed by downloading and running a freeware utility called DNSChanger Removal Tool which you can download from here:

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/33696

Once you have run that utility you have to re-boot your Mac, then reset Safari, and re-enter your DNS settings in System Preferences/Network.

Secondly, in order to address the Flash problem, delete and reinstall FlashPlayer in the following manner:

The latest version of Adobe FlashPlayer can be obtained from here:

http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1ProdVersion=ShockwaveFlash

(You can check here: http://www.adobe.com/products/flash/about/ to see which version you should install for your Mac and OS.

Note that Adobe requires you to uninstall any previous version of Flash Player, using the uninstaller from here (make sure you use the correct one!):

http://kb.adobe.com/selfservice/viewContent.do?externalId=tn_14157

and also that you follow the instructions closely, such as closing ALL applications first before installing. You must also carry out a permission repair after installing anything from Adobe.

Then restart your Mac and post back with results!

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Answer 5

igirl1 Author

Level 1

120 points

Nov 16, 2008 8:25 AM in response to Klaus1

OK, wow, thanks Klaus for the detailed info!!!!!

(First, if yours is an Intel Mac, check that Safari is not running in Rosetta, which is enough to slow it to a crawl.)<</div>

No Intel here - I made sure to grab the last PPC model to save my Classic apps from extinction! LOL

Open System Preferences/Network. Double click on your connection type, or select it in the drop->down menu. Click on TCP/IP and in the box marked 'DNS Servers' enter the following two numbers:

208.67.222.222
208.67.220.220<</div>

Done, but running through Open DNS seems a little scary to me - a little like Big Brother. Am I paranoid - is it really necessary?

Restart Safari, and repair permissions.<</div>

I did notice some improvements in speed...

Empty Safari's cache (from the Safari menu), then close Safari.
Go to Home/Library/Safari and delete the following files:
form values
download.plist<</div>

No form values file there.

Then go to Home/Library/Preferences and delete
com.apple.Safari.plist
Repair permissions (in Disk Utility).
Start up Safari again, and things should have improved.<</div>

OK, about the same.

Less likely, but possible, is that the slowness is caused by a Trojan such as the one called >'DNSChanger' or 'OSZ.RSPlug', which can alter the DNS settings of your network connection. This >particular Trojan can be inadvertently installed if you have come across certain Quicktime movies >where got a window stating that you have to download and install a particular codec in order to >see the video.

If you have agreed to that installation, your system can be infected and your DNS settings altered, >which results in your system using the wrong DNS servers, which can slow web surfing to a crawl.

This can be fixed by downloading and running a freeware utility called DNSChanger Removal Tool >which you can download from here:
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/33696

Once you have run that utility you have to re-boot your Mac, then reset Safari, and re-enter your >DNS settings in System Preferences/Network.<</div>

Ran it - I'm clean.

Secondly, in order to address the Flash problem, delete and reinstall FlashPlayer<</div>

Also done.

Then restart your Mac and post back with results! <</div>

OK, here's where I am...Flash does now seem to be running smoother, however I did still get the beach ball a bit when I tried to push things - open some big apps while Flash was running etc. Oddly, even though the Flash is working better... - according to my Activity Monitor I'm eating up 80-90% of CPU loading/running this Flash site -
http://www.blusites.com/lucilleann/index2.php
which pops up from the main one (also open at the same time)
http://www.bludomain.com/websites.cfm?wcID=5

Anyway, I think there have been some improvements thanks to your assist, though maybe not completely resolved. Maybe it's time to upgrade my Mac or add another system since I'm beginning to really push the limits of the CPU.

Thanks again - you get a "helpful" star! 🙂

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Answer 6

Klaus1

Level 9

52,879 points

Nov 16, 2008 9:42 AM in response to igirl1

Well, so far so good (as the man who jumped off the Empire State Building said as he passed the 37th floor)!

Quick question: how much RAM do you have and how much free space on your Mac?

Even quicker question: we are talking about your iMac G5 and not your vintage 8500??

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Answer 7

igirl1 Author

Level 1

120 points

Nov 16, 2008 5:56 PM in response to Klaus1

I have 2.5gb of RAM on the iMac...the 8500 is retired into the closet, LOL.
92+gb of HD space available.

I'm using a broadband cable connection through a router over ethernet so that's not an issue...

I did manage to easily transfer all my bookmarks over to Firefox, though I still like the Safari interface better, and FWIW in some places it seems Firefox is possibly slower than Safari.

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Answer 8

igirl1 Author

Level 1

120 points

Nov 17, 2008 7:51 AM in response to igirl1

Wondering if 3.2 might be worth a try? (Although it has mixed reviews so far...)

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Answer 9

Klaus1

Level 9

52,879 points

Nov 17, 2008 8:06 AM in response to igirl1

Safari 3.2 works great for me and for millions of others! Mixed reviews?

It's one of the certainties of life, along with death and taxes, that a flurry of posts will appear in these forums after any update which, for one reason or another, has caused problems for the posters.

They generally blame Apple, but in 99% of cases this is not fair. Apple cannot possible test for every theoretical permutation of what users have installed in terms of third party software, hacks, plug-ins, what-have-you. The developers of such software can sometimes be slow to update their products to comply with the accepted industry standards that Apple follow (but which others fail to meet), particularly where security updates are concerned.

Nor can Apple allow for what regular maintenance, if any, has been carried out by the user before installation, and that includes having kept their software up to date.

For the vast majority (millions) of users such updates create no problems at all, but that is the last thing a user with problems wants to hear!

So, following the advice given here:

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1791104&tstart=0

will usually rectify the situation (and most likely have prevented the problems in the first place), and users with these problems are welcome to copy/paste and print this out, for easy reference next time a system or application update is offered by Software Update.

Give it a go! 🙂

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Answer 10

igirl1 Author

Level 1

120 points

Nov 17, 2008 2:59 PM in response to Klaus1

OK I now have 3.2 installed but it's the same old issue at least as far as the amount of the CPU being eaten up. According to Activity Monitor at one peak (viewing the above mentioned Flash based links) -

ID Process User %CPU Threads Real Memory Virtual Memory Kind
202 Safari My Name 92.60 12 211.74 MB 597.80 MB PowerPC

No spinning beach ball of death as of yet however. Maybe I'll just hope that among all these things I've done now, the freezes will subside at least. :-/

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Answer 11

igirl1 Author

Level 1

120 points

Nov 22, 2008 7:50 AM in response to igirl1

Still having the same problems regardless of updating Safari to the latest rev.

Flash content = beach ball of death. When that's doesn't happen it's unbelievably slow. 2 minutes to load a page - if it loads at all.

Searching elsewhere online I have found one thing that "fixes" it (NOT REALLY).

*Turn the javascript option off in the Safari preferences! *

Now of course those problematic pages won't load at all - the the grim reaper and his beach ball stay away.

I found the "fix" because many other people seem to be having the exact same problems with Safari. Yet - many more say they do not, which can only lead me to one thought - there must be some kind of software virus, bug, glitch, conflict (whatever you want to call it) that leads to this behavior.

Javascript laden sites that choke Safari all load fine in Firefox, Opera, Wyzo, Camino.
Don't know what the problem is - but Safari's got it - and I don't want it! LOL

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Answer 12

Klaus1

Level 9

52,879 points

Nov 22, 2008 8:14 AM in response to igirl1

Clearly you seem to have a problem with Javascript.

You might as well complete the exercise by repairing your hard disk as well. You cannot do this from the same start-up disk. Reboot from your install disk (holding down the C key). Once it opens, select your language, and then go to Disk Utility from the Utilities menu. Select your hard disk as before and click Repair.

Once that is complete reboot again from your usual start-up disk.

More useful reading here:

Resolve startup issues and perform disk maintenance with Disk Utility and fsck

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1417?viewlocale=en_US

Repair permissions, then download and re-install the 10.4.11 combo updater.

Following the required restart, try Safari again. If no joy, ensure that Quicktime is version 7.5.5 and that you have also downloaded and installed security update 2008-007 (which also requires a restart).

Check in Software Update that you haven't missed any other updates, like the recent one for Java (although that wouldn't affect Javascript).

Repair permissions one last time and restart your Mac.

Post back with results!

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Answer 13

igirl1 Author

Level 1

120 points

Nov 22, 2008 8:05 PM in response to Klaus1

All of the above is now done.

Result is, possibly better performance in use (time will tell and I'll report back)
But - Activity Monitor still shows 80-90% of CPU is being used for http://www.blusites.com/lucilleann/index2.php - which became my "test site", that's over the top in Flash. LOL
Less System resources however as the red bars in AM (system %) are no longer spiked to the top! THAT is a visible improvement right away. System now running 40-50%.

My unscientific tests show much better performance in all the other browsers.
1. Opera - 20-40% peaks sometimes around 50 System% under 10%
2. Firefox - 25-50% peaks sometimes around 60 System% under 10%
3. Camino - " " "
4. Wyzo - " " " but slower

If the beach ball problems I was having subside, I'll be fine, though if not I'll just give up on Safari - that was a lot of work, for something that should just work anyway!

Thanks again Klaus for all your dedication to this enigma! 🙂

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