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slow and spinning beach balls after 10.8.2 update

After the initial install of ML 10.8 for the most part the sytem seemed to run fine. Very few snags. But after the 10.8.1 and now the 10.8.2 updates I am finding slower and slower times for programs to boot and waiting to be able to type anything and spinning beach balls all the time. I have noticed this continuously bringing up the contacts program, MS word, Pages, Apple Mail etc. Initial booting of the computer is slower as well and often has a frozen beach ball for a minute or so before it unfreezes and proceeds. Also huge slow down in printing from my wifi printer which before was super fast. I have reset the SMC, Pram, did disk permission repairs and all of those items. Nothing has changed anything. This is a early 15" 2011 MBP unit with 8 gig of ram, 750 gig hard drive with only 250 gig in use, 2.2 I7 processor and Graphics Intel HD Graphics 3000 512 MB. All software is updated to latest versions. This slower and slower and waiting thing is getting continuously worse all the time and very annoying. If anyone has any ideas I am open to suggestions to find a solution. Thanks much.

MacBook Pro, OS X Mountain Lion

Posted on Sep 22, 2012 9:56 PM

90 replies

May 31, 2013 2:08 PM in response to chuckz33

Chuckz,

What you are describing is a match for my problems and they have been going on since I installed ML. We have an Apple store with gen. bar and they have had the unit several times and no success. I am working in Italy but an American. So I have called and worked with tech support in the U.S. numberous times as well as here. Nothing that has been tried works. It might seem like it for a half hour or so and then here we go again. I have shut down so many features I wonder why have them if that is the problem but even that does no good. My wife has a new MBP with factory install of ML and she has the same problems. There are a lot of us out here needing a resolve to this but so far nothing. Everyone just keeps doing the same things over and over again with no success for the most part. Very frustrating to say the least!

Jun 2, 2013 9:23 AM in response to missionarymac

I've had what sounds like a similar issue, and it was due to a corrupted message in gmail, very possibly because of a hang in Mail, possibly during the receiving of that email from the gmail server. The problem started after I force-quit mail.

In testing it I deleted my mail accounts one by one from Mail, and after deleting the gmail account Mail started running as usual, so we knew that that was where the problem was.

Once I deleted the offending email Mail became responsive again. Not sure whether this'll help, but you mentioned force-quitting Mail, so I wonder whether you might have a similar issue.

Jun 2, 2013 10:16 AM in response to Rhys Scott

Rhys Scott,

Interesting response from you. In my case I don't see how it would be a problem as I delete any emails I have asap and if they are something I need to save I do so and then remove them from the inbox etc. But I can see how this could be a problem for others if they have any files in email that have been corrupted. I am suspicious that some of the time it could be a connection with the server problem but that has not been something I have tested out. Our internet speed seems to be good and I have run all that kind of testing and even placed the best rated DNL servers on my unit for use rather than just the usual first come first serve ones. But before and after did not seem to change anything on the spinning balls and slow down in mail and other programs. We have noticed that the worst offending programs are, Mail, Iphoto, Pages and Word. Other programs from time to time get bogged down but these programs almost always do so. I have a 15" MBP with a 2.2 processor and 8 gig of ram with a 750 gig hard drive that is 2/3rds empty so that part should not be any problem at all. My wife has a new 13" MBP with 8 gig of ram, 750 gig hard drive which is less than 1/3 used and a 2.5 processor and she has the same problems as I do. Here old unit with SL never had any of this! I had Lion for about 8 months before going to ML and had few problems with it compared to ML. I know there are so many stories on the forums about this so nothing here has not been said before. Unless users find a solution I don't expect Apple to as I think there focuss is now on another new O/S and who knows if that will be better or worse. Since SL the track record has not been a positive one overall. Guess we will all just keep sharing and see what happens.

Jun 5, 2013 11:06 AM in response to missionarymac

Finally found a solution to the endless spinning beach ball. Am using ML 10.8.3. Everything had slowed to a crawl.

Called Apple support... their CPU unit. Suggest you do the same as I will not remember everything in the below.

First, we emptied cache and plists for Mail and Safari. They had do direct me to each specific file.

Then restarted holding down the Command and R key. This brings up gray a screen with several options. We chose Disk Repair. From there we; a) verified disk, b) repaired disk, and c) repaired disk permissions. This was not thru the utilities folder in Applications, but at a hightr level.

Then restarted. Then emptied trash.

Then did it again, holding down the command and R key, and checked the disk and permissions.

Once restarted, it has been fine for several days.

I may not have all the steps above. Suggest, if you have AppleCare, that you calll them and ask for the CPU advisors, and then explain it is an OS issue, that they take you thru something similar.

Hope this helps.

Jun 8, 2013 10:29 AM in response to Community User

Well I thought we were onto something here. I did the Plists file removal on Safari, Mail, M/S Word and Pages which were my worst offenders and also rebuilt Iphoto last night and wow what a difference! I thought I had my fast and wonderful Mac back. But today as I have been using it these applications have not started to slow down and again and open very slowly and the wonderful color wheel is reappearing again. Seems there is something to what we did but it unfortunately is not a lasting fix?

chuckz33

Level 1

0 points

Jun 8, 2013 12:24 PM in response to missionarymac

I just went through another Apple Support session on this. Reset SMC and NVRAM, PRAM. Repaired disk permissions. Tried in safe mode. Updated to 10.8.4. Re-installed the OSX. Removed .plists. Everything except Messages seemed to work better for about a day. Now back to where we started. I'm beginning to think it's a hardware problem of some kind. I have an iMac with exact same software, contacts, etc. No problems with it at all.

Jun 8, 2013 12:29 PM in response to chuckz33

Chuckz33,

Been there on all this too and had the unit in for a week of hardware testing with Apple and nothing found wrong. If it is hardware then there are a lot of us out there with bad hardware! I am reading tons of complaints for these systems with ML on them that had no problems before ML. That was my case. Frankly I think there is just some bad snags in ML that are never going to be addressed. Especially with 10.9 looming in the near future.

chuckz33

Level 1

0 points

Jun 8, 2013 12:33 PM in response to missionarymac

You are probably right. I didn't have problems until ML but just on this new MBP which came with it installed. No problems on older iMac which I updated to it.

chuckz33

Level 1

0 points

Jun 9, 2013 10:43 AM in response to chuckz33

I have just finished with an Apple Senior tech. We did a disk repair which found some errors. Ran repair disk two times. Then re-installed the OSX.

Currently Mail seems to be performing okay. Messages is slow to fill suggested contact on a new message the first time. After waiting for beach ball to end, it starts performing okay.

So, I'm keeping my eye on this to see if it reverts to the problem or what.

Jun 9, 2013 11:35 AM in response to chuckz33

Chuckz33,

It will be interesting to see what you think but it sounds like at this moment it really did not help you much. I have done this too and even formated and did a clean fresh install and still the same old thing. My wife purchased a new MBP in February and has the same problems on it. Yesterday I would type about 10 letters in an email before the first letter would even show up. Have had the same issue with Contacts and M/S Word also. When and if the beach ball stops then something simular to normal seems to take place but the next time you start the program it all starts again. I even see the beach ball on starting up the system and it loading. I certainly admire your persistance with the techs. I really think they want to help but frankly no one seems to have a solution for this thing. I have noticed one thing in that I have VM ware running windows 7 ultimate on this system also. I don't see any beach balls or slow downs on it at all. It runs smooth and well, hummmm? Not sure what to say about that? Ha!

tlischak

Level 1

0 points

Jun 9, 2013 4:20 PM in response to missionarymac

My mail was extremely slow when creating a new email and typing the address in.

I fixed it myself after two lenghthy unsuccessful trips to the Apple Store. Backup your contacts. I use icloud for backup. Then, open preferences in contacts, go to accounts and uncheck contacts. Make sure the "Synchronize with Google" is not checked either.

When you uncheck contacts you will be prompted to "delete from Mac". Delete then restart your computer, go back to icloud in the preferences window and check contacts.

After I did that it synced with icloud and my mail program was back to a normal speed.

Hope this helps.

Jun 9, 2013 10:36 PM in response to tlischak

Tlischak,

Thanks for this. I had heard about this before and for those who use ICloud for back up etc. it seems to work. In my case I use neither ICloud or Google or any account for contact backup. I do use ICloud for my phone and IPad but for my computer I stopped do to all the duplicate problems etc. so in my situation this solution will not fit. I love the idea of having my Ipad, iphone and mac all synced the same on Icloud but never could accomplish it for some reason. They just go all messed up with duplicates and things and it was not a good solution for me. Others seem to have that problem also from all I have read. So for those using ICloud this sounds really good and I have read others that it worked for regarding the slow mail thing. Thanks again.

chuckz33

Level 1

0 points

Jun 10, 2013 7:11 AM in response to tlischak

Thanks for the idea. However, I've done that and I use iCloud for contact sync. Didn't help.

Sep 26, 2013 7:35 PM in response to chuckz33

I've found that in about 90% of the cases where folks tell me that they have just updated OS X, and now they have a huge problem with rotating beachballs, the problem is due to an outdated version of Flash. This can be easily and quickly fixed.

See:

http://www.macattorney.com/ts.html

Item #10

Nov 29, 2017 11:18 AM in response to drdocument

When you rebuild as you suggest do you lose all the emails in the "in" and "out" box and also what about the files I have set up alongside the emails please?

slow and spinning beach balls after 10.8.2 update