Time Machine freezes my iMac, have to do a hard reboot.

Question

Level 1

0 points

Time Machine freezes my iMac, have to do a hard reboot.

I have never yet been able to get to the "Star Wars"; if I click on Time Machine, or try to Enter Time Machine from the menu bar, my iMac freezes completely. I have had to do a hard reset each time.

I found the thread topic : Time Machine - TROUBLESHOOTING posted by Pondini.
+E4. Time Machine Interface ("Star Wars") won't display properly, or crashes+ seemed to the point.

First I did: +De-select your TM drive via TM Preferences > Select Disk (Change Disk on Leopard): select the "none" entry, then re-select the correct one.+

Then I did: +Do a "complete reset" of TM, as in item #A4.+

Then I did: +Do a Repair Disk on your TM drive. See section #A5 above.+

Then I did: +Try or create another user (System Preferences > Accounts).+ and was able to get to the Star Wars screen for the first time! So I then followed the instruction: +If it works ok from that user, delete the file:+
+<home folder of the user where it doesn't work>/Library/Preferences/com.Apple.Finder.plist+

However, when I tried to open Time Machine, I once again got a frozen computer. I can access Time Machine through the other account, and it looks like all of the backups are there and complete, but I cannot seem to restore from them because the account from which I am accessing it is not the original account.

Any help would be most appreciated.

Imac, Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on May 5, 2010 9:47 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

May 6, 2010 7:24 AM in response to Docxcook

Docxcook wrote:
. . .
Then I did: +Try or create another user (System Preferences > Accounts).+ and was able to get to the Star Wars screen for the first time! So I then followed the instruction: +If it works ok from that user, delete the file:+
+<home folder of the user where it doesn't work>/Library/Preferences/com.Apple.Finder.plist+

However, when I tried to open Time Machine, I once again got a frozen computer.

Hi, again.

From your description, that should have worked, since you've narrowed the problem down to that particular account. I don't recall anyone posting that it didn't work when it was the only account not working.

Try doing that again, but first close all Finder windows except the one you're using to delete the file. As soon as you delete it, click the Apple icon at the left of your menubar, choose +Force Quit,+ select Finder, then click the Relaunch button.

If that doesn't fix it, do the same again, except this time select Restart from the Apple menu.

I can access Time Machine through the other account, and it looks like all of the backups are there and complete, but I cannot seem to restore from them because the account from which I am accessing it is not the original account.

Yes, that's correct -- it would be a rather large security problem if one user could access a different user's files in Time Machine, when they can't normally.

Reply

Answer 2

Docxcook Author

Level 1

0 points

May 8, 2010 7:23 PM in response to Pondini

...+first close all Finder windows except the one you're using to delete the file. As soon as you delete it, click the Apple icon at the left of your menubar, choose Force Quit, select Finder, then click the Relaunch button. If that doesn't fix it, do the same again, except this time select Restart from the Apple menu.+

I did what was suggested-- first did a Force Quit, then a Restart. I actually did it twice-- the second time I emptied the trash after deleting the file, then tried the Force Quit / Restart options. In each case, when I went to Enter Time Machine after the restart, my computer completely froze and needed a hard reboot. The only thing notable was that, on restarting after deleting the file, Finder seemed to have a long interval where the spinning pinwheel was visible. Otherwise everything seems fine until I try to enter Time Machine.

Reply

Answer 3

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

May 8, 2010 7:36 PM in response to Docxcook

Docxcook wrote:
. . .
In each case, when I went to Enter Time Machine after the restart, my computer completely froze and needed a hard reboot. The only thing notable was that, on restarting after deleting the file, Finder seemed to have a long interval where the spinning pinwheel was visible. Otherwise everything seems fine until I try to enter Time Machine.

That's bizarre! It has to be something in your home folder, since it works fine in the other user account, but if it's not the Finder plist, I don't know what.

Perhaps something in your home folder is corrupted. Try a +*Verify Disk+* on your internal HD, per the same #A5 in the Troubleshooting Tip.

If that's no help, try one of the apps that has special handling for Time Machine. Start with Apple Mail or iPhoto, then Enter Time Machine. See if either or both of those work, and you can "go back in time."

Sorry to be sort of shooting in the dark here, but this is a new one. 😟

Reply

Answer 4

Docxcook Author

Level 1

0 points

May 8, 2010 10:35 PM in response to Pondini

+Perhaps something in your home folder is corrupted. Try a Verify Disk on your internal HD, per the same #A5 in the Troubleshooting Tip.+

Did this and got the message that the HD appears to be fine.

+If that's no help, try one of the apps that has special handling for Time Machine. Start with Apple Mail or iPhoto, then Enter Time Machine. See if either or both of those work, and you can "go back in time."+

in iPhoto, selected File --> Browse Backups ... at which point my computer again froze completely, needing a hard reboot again.

Would it make sense to try to copy all of my files to a different user name and abandon this home folder? Is that even something that is possible to do?

Reply

Answer 5

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

May 9, 2010 7:35 AM in response to Docxcook

Docxcook wrote:
. . .
Would it make sense to try to copy all of my files to a different user name and abandon this home folder? Is that even something that is possible to do?

That was going to be my "last resort" suggestion. It can be done, but it's a pain. I think the usual procedure is to sign on to the "old" user, move things to the Public folder, then sign on as the "new" user and copy them into the proper location there. Rather tedious, and easy to mess up.

If your Mac is covered by AppleCare, it might be worth a call to them. I don't think there's a solution, or an easier way to switch to a new user, but there may be.

Sorry not to have better news. 😟

Reply

Answer 6

Docxcook Author

Level 1

0 points

May 30, 2010 9:46 AM in response to Docxcook

Thanks for the efforts. Sadly, I am not under AppleCare

Reply