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Macbook Pro keeps freezing

I bought my 15" Macbook Pro in July, about 8 months ago. I am running OS X 10.8.2 and recently, the laptop has been freezing a lot recently. It started when the laptop was going into sleep mode randomly. That stopped, but then a couple weeks later iTunes will start playing songs randomly, even when iTunes isnt even open. Now, for the last week or two, my Macbook has been freezing when I click on something. The beach ball will spin for like 5 minutes and I can't don anything, then it returns to normal. I already tried verifying the disk utility and that didnt help. Any tips?

MacBook Pro, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2)

Posted on Feb 26, 2013 8:31 PM

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2 replies

Feb 26, 2013 8:41 PM in response to rapagan923

Backup your Home folder then do this:


Install or Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion from Scratch


Be sure you backup your files to an external drive or second internal drive because the following procedure will remove everything from the hard drive.


Boot to the Recovery HD:


Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the menu screen appears. Alternatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.


Erase the hard drive:


1. Select Disk Utility from the main menu and click on the Continue button.


2. After DU loads select your startup volume (usually Macintosh HD) from the

left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.


3. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Optionally, click on

the Security button and set the ZeroData option to one-pass. Click on

the Erase button and wait until the process has completed.


4. Quit DU and return to the main menu.


Reinstall Lion: Select Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion and click on the Install button.


Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible

because it is three times faster than wireless.


When the Setup Assistant starts up be sure you set up the initial admin account with the exact same username and password of the old system. Once you determine all is working as expected you can start restoring from your backup manually. Restore any third-party software from original sources or re-download them. Do this one at a time and test to be sure nothing is wrong before moving on to the next.

Feb 27, 2013 9:23 AM in response to rapagan923

Please read this whole message before doing anything.

This procedure is a diagnostic test. It’s unlikely to solve your problem. Don’t be disappointed when you find that nothing has changed after you complete it.
The purpose of the test is to determine whether the problem is caused by third-party software that loads automatically at startup or login.


Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed for the test, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Boot in safe mode* and log in to the account with the problem. The instructions provided by Apple are as follows:

  • Shut down your computer, wait 30 seconds, and then hold down the shift key while pressing the power button.
  • When you see the gray Apple logo, release the shift key.
  • If you are prompted to log in, type your password, and then hold down the shift key again as you click Log in.
*Note: If FileVault is enabled under OS X 10.7 or later, or if a firmware password is set, or if the boot volume is a software RAID, you can’t boot in safe mode.


Safe mode is much slower to boot and run than normal, and some things won’t work at all, including wireless networking on certain Macs. The next normal boot may also be somewhat slow.
The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.


Test while in safe mode. Same problem?


After testing, reboot as usual (i.e., not in safe mode) and verify that you still have the problem. Post the results of the test.

Macbook Pro keeps freezing

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