cures for slow operation

Question

Level 1

18 points

cures for slow operation

sorry if this has been discussed endlessly, but.....

I seem to have to be forever repairing permissions and recently re-installed the system fro 10.6 CD, then software update to 10.6.8 again.

I mostly only use a few programmes: DxO optics (photoprocessing), GraphicConverter (photo-sorting etc) Safari, Mail, Nikon Transfer (getting the images from the camera). I would use Nikon Capture more only daren't. They are all latest versions. Don't want to move to 10.7 as I also occasionally use progs needing Rosetta (Color-it & FocusMagic plug-in for CS4)

The progs seem to fight each other for memory/CPU attention, then slow down when they don't get it. Safari is at least as bad as the others, though its DxO that actually needs the power.

There is no obvious hardware fault.

Is there anything else I can do to try to improve things?

Macbook pro 15, Mac OS X (10.6.8), 4GB RAM 2.4GHz

Posted on Jan 22, 2013 7:53 AM

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Answer 1

Klaus1

Level 9

52,749 points

Jan 22, 2013 9:55 AM in response to abderite

4GB of RAM should be enough but more is always better. 🙂

Obvious question: how much free space is left on your hard drive?

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Answer 2

Jan 22, 2013 10:02 AM in response to abderite

What leads you to believe that you need to repair permissions?

In Console.app, is there any frequently-recurring error message?

How much free disk space have you?

Post a screen shot of the System Memory tab in Activity Monitor.app.

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Answer 3

abderite Author

Level 1

18 points

Jan 22, 2013 10:11 AM in response to Klaus1

4GB is all this particular model (MacBookPro4,1 Intel Core 2 Duo) will take

It has a 500GB Western Digital internal HD with 160GB free

I noticed that the last hardware test has a silly date (28/2/4012); think I have to go back to the 10.5.4DVDs supplied to get it up to date? Just doing a back up first!

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Answer 4

abderite Author

Level 1

18 points

Jan 22, 2013 10:45 AM in response to Austin Kinsella1

screen shot taken with DxO deliberately given a long task! The printer referred to in console errors is turned off 95% of the time, including now

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Answer 5

Jan 22, 2013 10:55 AM in response to abderite

In Console.app, look at the console messages for repeating errors.

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Answer 6

Jan 22, 2013 12:30 PM in response to abderite

Boot up from your Snow Leopard Install DVD while holding down the "c" key.

Select the language you wish to use, and then choose"Disk Utility"from the menu bar.

Your HD should appear in a panel on the left hand side of the window which opens. Select it and then click on the"repair disk"button in the right hand section of the window.

If Disk First aid is unable to complete the repair you will need to use a stronger 3rd party utility like DiskWarrior or TechToolPro.

Once this process has been completed restart your computer.

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Answer 7

abderite Author

Level 1

18 points

Jan 22, 2013 2:20 PM in response to Baby-Boomer-USofA

@Baby Boomer

I did this and it carried out repair sequence ending disk appeared OK in less than 10 minutes

@Austin Kinsella1 Austin, I don't think I understand what you are looking for.

There does not seem to be an 'errors' list other than the 'error_log' I posted a part image of above. The main repeat is "W [22/Jan/2013:09:58:47 +0000] No limit for Validate-Job defined in policy authenticated - using Print-Job's policy". Everything is related to printing, which actually works quite well now with a new Epson P50 & is using software update provided by Apple; only I don't leave the printer on except when in use & don't have enough USB ports for it to be in line all the time anyway.

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Answer 8

Jan 22, 2013 2:30 PM in response to abderite

Your MBP running slow wireless or when using ethernet? Both?

You may wish to reinstall the OS using the Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo.

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Answer 9

WZZZ

Level 6

13,220 points

Jan 22, 2013 3:11 PM in response to Baby-Boomer-USofA

That won't reinstall the OS.

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Answer 10

Jan 22, 2013 3:33 PM in response to WZZZ

WZZZ wrote:

That won't reinstall the OS.

What does it do then? I thought the combo installs more stuff than the regular update from Software Update.

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Answer 11

WZZZ

Level 6

13,220 points

Jan 22, 2013 4:17 PM in response to Baby-Boomer-USofA

It will possibly fill in any corrupted or missing files from 10.6.0 on. It may sometimes be useful as a troubleshooting step, but it is not the same as a reinstall. A reinstall, which involves booting and installing from the install DVD, will revert the system files to whatever version as of the install DVD, while leaving settings, users and third party programs in place.

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Answer 12

Jan 22, 2013 4:29 PM in response to WZZZ

So noted. Thanks for the heads up!

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Answer 13

abderite Author

Level 1

18 points

Jan 23, 2013 12:25 AM in response to WZZZ

I have recently done a system re-install from the Snow Leopard Install DVD (2 hours!) then Software Update downloaded the 10.6.8 combo & installed that. (As you imply, the combo is different from another 10.6.8 which will only install over 10.6.7)

The other thing that has come up ref Safari is that I have GimmerBlocker installed and Console has some words to say on that. I suppose it would slow down Safari operation, but I would not have thought cause it to 'hang' nor the effects of that to overflow to other progs.

Maybe DxO is just pretty heavy on a 5 year old machine

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Answer 14

WZZZ

Level 6

13,220 points

Jan 23, 2013 4:40 AM in response to abderite

First, there will always be repeating Permssions messages. You can ignore those and stop repairing Permissions; it's not needed.

Two ways of dealing with the slowdowns. I'm not seeing any excessive paging in your System Memory screenshot, but it might help anyway to run fewer programs concurrently, if possible. Other than that, install Developer/XCode from optional installs on the install DVD. When things slow down, you will be able to run purge (from Terminal), which will clear the virtual memory being used. But this will only be a temporary fix, until the VM starts accumulating again.

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Answer 15

abderite Author

Level 1

18 points

Jan 23, 2013 10:52 AM in response to WZZZ

thank you all

I think the 'repair disk' may have helped. It has also been helpful to look at Activity Monitor more closely with you guys looking over my shoulder & find out a bit more about what the various bits mean.

I am still puzzled how GraphicConverter managed to be using 1GB of real memory at the end of last night's session when it wasn't obviously doing anything. Anyway I have unticked some unecessary preferences there and in DxO as I would have to consider upgrading the box if this basic quorum of progs won't run on it.

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