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iMac very slow, apps not responding, wheel turning

My iMac has been excruciatingly slow lately. When opened, applications are stuck not responding for a long time while the wheel is turning. Then, when they finally open, they often lapse again into no-responding state after a while. That happens with a wide variety of apps: Mail, Safari, Photoshop, App Store, etc., which suggests that the problem is not with the applications.

So I did a clean re-install of the OS (Mountain Lion) today, after having made a carbon copy of my iMac internal disk onto an external drive, and erasing the internal.

After the OS was reinstalled on my internal drive, I migrated applications, settings and documents from the external backup to the internal drive. The option offered in the ML installation process.

Then I finally restarted the iMac, hoping that it would have recovered its normal, swift behavior, and that I could use it again — but nothing has changed!

It is as incredibly sluggish as before, and the apps are often not responding...

Even software updates are slower than usual. The latest one (Aperture 3.4.1) can't even be completed. It's stuck. And I can't quit the App Store app as the update is still in process. Should I force quit the App Store?

What more can I do to get out of this dreadful mess?

iMac (27-inch Mid 2011), OS X Mountain Lion

Posted on Sep 28, 2012 4:12 PM

Best reply

macjack

Level 10

111,168 points

Posted on Sep 28, 2012 4:18 PM

Have you tried starting in Safe Mode and see if the problems still occur?

Restart holding the "shift" key.

(Expect it to take longer to start this way because it runs a directory check first.)

If this works look in System Preferences > Users & Groups > Login items and disable any third party login items. Also look in /Library/Startup Items. Nothing is put in that folder by default, so anything in there is yours.

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19 replies

macjack

Level 10

111,168 points

Sep 30, 2012 10:02 AM in response to Laurent Sauerwein

Try this advice...

http://www.macworld.com/article/1059554/loginpaths.html

while it's an older article, I don't think it's outdated.

macjack

Level 10

111,168 points

Sep 30, 2012 10:04 AM in response to Laurent Sauerwein

Never mind, you got it.

That is why I had said, " you can always add them back with the "+" button."

Apr 12, 2013 3:17 PM in response to Laurent Sauerwein

I also have Nikon View Monitor Carbon slowing down my startup and I'd like to uninstall it. I'm on OS 10.6.8. I've downloaded Property List Editor but can't figure out how to use it (seems like an app for developers and I ain't one). Can anyone explain how I can remove the Nikon thingie using Property List Editor?

Sep 24, 2013 11:09 PM in response to Linc Davis

Hi Linc, Obviously outloook has an issue here- but even when it's quit I still get hung intermitantly - beachball. Disk Utility- no errors, deleted all startup items in Library and Sys. Pref- created a new directory for Outlook.Bought more Ram - Clean My Mac is now doing a bit of deleting see if that does anything. Updated Outlook as well. Any ideas?

25/09/13 1:11:00.249 PM WindowServer[109]: CGXDisableUpdate: UI updates were forcibly disabled by application "Microsoft Outlook" for over 1.00 seconds. Server has re-enabled them.

25/09/13 1:11:02.426 PM WindowServer[109]: reenable_update_for_connection: UI updates were finally reenabled by application "Microsoft Outlook" after 3.18 seconds (server forcibly re-enabled them after 1.00 seconds)

25/09/13 1:11:05.037 PM WindowServer[109]: CGXDisableUpdate: UI updates were forcibly disabled by application "Microsoft Outlook" for over 1.00 seconds. Server has re-enabled them.

25/09/13 1:11:19.037 PM WindowServer[109]: disable_update_likely_unbalanced: UI updates still disabled by application "Microsoft Outlook" after 15.00 seconds (server forcibly re-enabled them after 1.00 seconds). Likely an unbalanced disableUpdate call.

25/09/13 1:11:27.769 PM WindowServer[109]: reenable_update_for_connection: UI updates were finally reenabled by application "Microsoft Outlook" after 23.73 seconds (server forcibly re-enabled them after 1.00 seconds)

25/09/13 1:11:30.248 PM WindowServer[109]: CGXDisableUpdate: UI updates were forcibly disabled by application "Microsoft Outlook" for over 1.00 seconds. Server has re-enabled them.

25/09/13 1:11:44.249 PM WindowServer[109]: disable_update_likely_unbalanced: UI updates still disabled by application "Microsoft Outlook" after 15.00 seconds (server forcibly re-enabled them after 1.00 seconds). Likely an unbalanced disableUpdate call.

25/09/13 1:11:50.403 PM WindowServer[109]: reenable_update_for_connection: UI updates were finally reenabled by application "Microsoft Outlook" after 21.16 seconds (server forcibly re-enabled them after 1.00 seconds)

25/09/13 1:12:00.247 PM WindowServer[109]: CGXDisableUpdate: UI updates were forcibly disabled by application "Microsoft Outlook" for over 1.00 seconds. Server has re-enabled them.

25/09/13 1:12:14.248 PM WindowServer[109]: disable_update_likely_unbalanced: UI updates still disabled by application "Microsoft Outlook" after 15.00 seconds (server forcibly re-enabled them after 1.00 seconds). Likely an unbalanced disableUpdate call.

25/09/13 1:12:26.342 PM WindowServer[109]: reenable_update_for_connection: UI updates were finally reenabled by application "Microsoft Outlook" after 27.10 seconds (server forcibly re-enabled them after 1.00 seconds)

25/09/13 1:12:27.343 PM WindowServer[109]: CGXDisableUpdate: UI updates were forcibly disabled by application "Microsoft Outlook" for over 1.00 seconds. Server has re-enabled them.

25/09/13 1:12:41.344 PM WindowServer[109]: disable_update_likely_unbalanced: UI updates still disabled by application "Microsoft Outlook" after 15.00 seconds (server forcibly re-enabled them after 1.00 seconds). Likely an unbalanced disableUpdate call.

25/09/13 1:12:47.291 PM WindowServer[109]: reenable_update_for_connection: UI updates were finally reenabled by application "Microsoft Outlook" after 20.95 seconds (server forcibly re-enabled them after 1.00 seconds)

25/09/13 1:13:00.247 PM WindowServer[109]: CGXDisableUpdate: UI updates were forcibly disabled by application "Microsoft Outlook" for over 1.00 seconds. Server has re-enabled them.

25/09/13 1:13:09.752 PM WindowServer[109]: reenable_update_for_connection: UI updates were finally reenabled by application "Microsoft Outlook" after 10.51 seconds (server forcibly re-enabled them after 1.00 seconds)

iMac very slow, apps not responding, wheel turning