Screen keeps freezing, for no obvious reason.

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Level 3

617 points

Screen keeps freezing, for no obvious reason.

Hi

I have an iMac 27" (2019) attached to me Cintiq 27" display tablet. Recently. I would say the last 5-7 days the screen freezes for no real reason (ie, overheating, processor burden). Previous to this I had an issue with bluetooth disconnection randomly, but that is very rare (happened about 3 times).

The screen freezing sometimes freezes the mouse as well, but most times is just a pause in activity. That said, I noticed yesterday that some of my menu bar items that have animations still work, even during the freeze (I mean animate).

I would like to get to the bottom of this as I can't afford a new Mac at present if this goes bottom up!

I have tried restart, and nothing. I have tried VPRAM reset, and nothing.

I updated all apps I have used while this is occurring, and nothing.

Any ideas, that would be great.

Thanks in advance

Rob

iMac 27″, macOS 10.15

Posted on Mar 7, 2024 2:11 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Community User

Mar 7, 2024 5:34 AM in response to Rob Snow

Given that you've already tried restarting your iMac and resetting the VPRAM without success, it's essential to explore other potential causes of the problem. Since you mentioned that the freezes occur even after updating your apps and that some menu bar animations continue during the freeze, it's possible that the issue may be related to software rather than hardware.

One step you can try is booting your iMac into Safe Mode. Safe Mode disables certain software components and may help identify whether a third-party app or driver is causing the screen freezing issue. To boot into Safe Mode, restart your iMac and immediately press and hold the Shift key until you see the Apple logo. Once in Safe Mode, observe whether the freezing issue persists. If the problem does not occur in Safe Mode, it suggests that a third-party app or driver may be the culprit.

Additionally, you can try creating a new user account on your iMac and see if the freezing issue occurs when logged into the new account. If the problem does not occur in the new user account, it may indicate that the issue is specific to your user account settings or preferences.

If the problem persists even after trying these troubleshooting steps, it may be worthwhile to contact Official Apple Support or visit an Apple Authorized Service Provider for further assistance. They can perform diagnostics on your iMac to identify any underlying hardware issues and provide appropriate solutions.

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Answer 2

Mar 7, 2024 8:03 AM in response to Rob Snow

You are facing some sort of internal failure.

Get expert service and support at the Genius Bar.

Click ▶︎ Start a Service Request. ⚛️

Need more help?

Chat now or call 1-800-APLCARE.
International Support.

Click ▶︎ Check Repair Status. 🛠️

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Answer 3

Mar 7, 2024 8:59 AM in response to Rob Snow

I know many people wish to avoid the Genius Bar (similar to visiting a doctor) and I’m no different.

However, you are not the typical Apple user, Rob; you are a well respected Level 3 expert.

Consider a visit to the Genius Bar as a learning opportunity to help enhance your knowledge that you can share here. 😉

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Answer 4

Rob Snow Author

Level 3

617 points

Mar 7, 2024 7:33 AM in response to Community User

So, I'm running in safe mode as I type this, a the whole interaction of the interface is stuttering. If I run the mouse over the dock icons, it is delayed and stutters as it zooms up.

Not sure it should be like this.

It hasn't frozen yet, but it's slow. The GPU temperature got to 80degs on start up as well.

I will try the new account option and see how that works out.

Rob

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