Q: What would cause WindowServer to start using up to 100% of the CPU?
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Aug 6, 2011 4:29 AMby bobwild,WindowServer is the process that draws all the windows on your screen for all the mac apps. It sounds like you have an app running that is telling windowserver to keep drawing a window or there is a problem with windowserver. Take a look in ActivityMonitor and see if any other apps are using lots of cpu at the same time as WindowServer. If you have some apps running, like mail and safari, try closing them, nit just cose their windows, use Command-Q.
Does the windowserver problem occur again after a reboot? Does it start after starting a particular application?
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Aug 6, 2011 4:34 AMby tjk,tjk wrote:
Hi Ken,
Do you have Parallels installed?
If so, it has been causing issues like this, whether it's running or not. Either uninstall it, or go to the download page for the most recent version: http://www.parallels.com/download/desktop/
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Aug 6, 2011 10:27 AMby Ken McEwen,HI Bob. No, it seems to occur (either WindowServer, or now fseventsd, taking 100% or more of the CPU) after the computer has been sitting idle for some time. (That's what made me wonder if it was connected with the fans running under screensaver on Snow Leopard.)
So, no it is not something that starts after rebooting – it is when I walk away and leave the computer for some time. I have been watching Activity Monitor quite closely and the only processes, so far, that are using inordinate amounts of the CPU are windowserver and now fseventsd.
Having just restarted the computer, Windowserver is quite happily using between 1.8 and 21% of the CPU with fseventsd using between 0.1 and 0.2%.
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Aug 6, 2011 6:19 PMby LSS3,I have been seeing this problem with my new MacBook Air that shipped with Lion. I know a bit of UNIX, so I've been able to ssh into the machine with my iPad and reboot it from the command line.
The screen is virtually frozen (not black) and actually updates very, very, slowly. Also, WindowServer does seem to use a lot of CPU and causes the fan to run loud, but this morning WindowServer was not running very hard by the time I got to the command line. The machine was about 90% idle but the screen remained frozen.
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Aug 8, 2011 7:19 AMby Ken McEwen,Hi tjk
I have now reindexed with Spotlight which seems to have solved the hogging of the CPU, but I now have the widely reported problems of programs crashing.
Started this morning with Pages not exporting pdfs, then Text, Address Book and iCal not opening. When trying to shut down, Mail refuses to quit. When force quit the system still refuses to shut down.
My Lion experience seems to be going from bad to worse.
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Aug 8, 2011 8:31 AMby tjk,Ken McEwen wrote:
Hi tjk
I have now reindexed with Spotlight which seems to have solved the hogging of the CPU, but I now have the widely reported problems of programs crashing.
Started this morning with Pages not exporting pdfs, then Text, Address Book and iCal not opening. When trying to shut down, Mail refuses to quit. When force quit the system still refuses to shut down.
My Lion experience seems to be going from bad to worse.
So none of this showed up before the reindex?
I'm quite content with my troublefree SL installation.
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Aug 9, 2011 2:23 AMby Ken McEwen,Update. Yesterday the problems escalated. Programs crashing, not responding (TextEdit, iCal, AddressBook, Rapidweaver, Mail, etc), Finder crashing, wi-fi dropping.
Eventually after resetting the SMC, verifying the disk and repairing permissions, the computer would no longer restart. Have reinstalled Lion overnight and it seems to be limping along this morning, although the wi-fi is dropping repeatedly.
How I wish I had followed my usual rule and waited until at least OSX 10.7.1 before installing.
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Aug 9, 2011 10:18 AMby tjk,Ken McEwen wrote:
Have reinstalled Lion overnight and it seems to be limping along this morning, although the wi-fi is dropping repeatedly.How I wish I had followed my usual rule and waited until at least OSX 10.7.1 before installing.
How did you "reinstall?" Others are reporting that installing from scratch is working better. If you're going to keep trying with Lion, I'd recommend posting in the Lion forum: https://discussions.apple.com/community/mac_os/mac_os_x_v10.7_lion (wow, I almost said "Windows forum," hmmm ).
I may get in at 7.1, more likely at 7.2, but only if things look like they've changed enough. This appears to me to be on par with the change from 9 to X, and I waited until 10.2.3 with that one. If/when I do change, I'll have an up to the minute SL clone ready to reinstall if needed, and even then, I'll probably put 10.7 on an external HD.
