My problems with Safari may be just too unique for Help, but . . .

Question

Alright, let me try to describe confusion as best I can.I&#x27;ve had a late &#x60;06 iMac since early 2007. Upgraded to Leopard when it was new, but since then really couldn&#x27;t afford the rampant newness every few months.While I applaud the digital evolution, I&#x27;ve also had enough of relearning every blessed thing over n&#x27; over instead of learning &amp; using what I already have, but let&#x27;s cut that rant off and get to the current bug-a-boos.For a few months recently my 27" desktop suffered escalating freeze-ups and hard restarts while it became clearer it was prob&#x27;ly the graphics card.3 weeks ago we reached the point where it wouldn&#x27;t get past a blue-screen unless I booted in safe-mode . . and with all those limitations, and the green-grids over everything of a darker color, that&#x27;s no replacement for a functioning Mac !  Since then I&#x27;ve been running off an external clone of the HD.A 3 TB Seagate, which oddly had no Firewire, but was the only model that I could find fitting my needs at the time.USB has certainly been sufficient in the past, but now ? . .  it&#x27;s most likely not the core cause of my aneurism inducing situations anyway.What I&#x27;ve got running off the external is a refurbished laptop I bought at an Apple store in late 2006 when the super-drive was gonna&#x27; have the Mac sitting with the geniuses for a week or more ( I had some money then . .  sigh ).Refurbished in &#x60;06 would prob&#x27;ly make it, what ? . .  a 2003 maybe ?I&#x27;m not gonna&#x27; reboot to it just to confirm that.Anywhy . . .  times in the past I ran the laptop from a clone did not produce what I&#x27;m dealing with now : Netflix thinks I&#x27;ve migrated settings to a new computer and there&#x27;s a DRM problem, and other such stuff . . . But Safari going into beachball constantly is what&#x27;s tearing out my hair !I often have to open and force-quit it 5 or 6 times till it works . . briefly !!And kernel_task / root user is usually at the top of Activity Monitor&#x27;s CPU usage nowadays as well.I doubt emptying Safari&#x27;s cache when it finally opens helps much, but it seemed to for awhile.What can I try, or where should I look in my rather unique configuration, just so I can function for more then a few minutes, till I fix or replace the iMac ?

BDAqua · Accepted Answer

Hello,So we know more about it...At the Apple Icon at top left&gt;About this Mac, report the version of OSX from that window, then click on More Info, then click on Hardware&gt; and report this upto but not including the Serial#...Hardware Overview:Model Name: eMacModel Identifier: PowerMac6,4Processor Name: PowerPC G4 (1.2)Processor Speed: 1.42 GHzNumber Of CPUs: 1L2 Cache (per CPU): 512 KBMemory: 2 GBBus Speed: 167 MHzBoot ROM Version: 4.9.2f1Open Console in Utilities &amp; see if there are any clues or repeating messages when running Safari.How much free RAM &amp; free Disk space do you have also, click on the Memory &amp; Disk Usage Tabs.In the Memory tab of Activity Monitor, are there a lot of Pageouts?

DmR of AtoZ · Answer

Thanks BD, That is all &#x27;stuff&#x27; I&#x27;m not completely unfamilar with, of course . . .  but !Are we talking about my booting from the laptop itself, not off the external ?Probably an obvious matter, just want to be sure.hang on ( duh ) Model Name:          MacBook  Model Identifier:          MacBook1,1  Processor Name:          Intel Core Duo  Processor Speed:          1.83 GHz  Number Of Processors:          1  Total Number Of Cores:          2  L2 Cache:          2 MB  Memory:          512 MB  Bus Speed:          667 MHz  Boot ROM Version:          MB11.0061.B03  SMC Version (system):          1.4f12  Serial Number (system): **************Jeez Louise, I haven&#x27;t seen many apps go in &amp; out of Not Responding like Console here !( did I kill enough time typing yet / )Christ ! . .  from the external it quits immediately, from the laptop it&#x27;s in &amp; out !

DmR of AtoZ · Answer

Welp, everytime Console stopped spazzing-out in Activity Monitor, I&#x27;d click on it . . .  it nevers switches over up in the toolbar to the "active app", then right back to Not Responding.Great !! . .  something else broken now too ?!?

DmR of AtoZ · Answer

2 hours later, and the joy with Console continues :native on the MacBook -- crashes in seconds everytimefrom the booted-to external -- dare to touch it and it&#x27;s beachball time on &amp; off forever.At least Activity Monitor could take a sample.Now how to fix the tool I needed when the tool is broken ??Sampling process 3817 for 3 seconds with 1 millisecond of run time between samplesSampling completed, processing symbols...Analysis of sampling Console (pid 3817) every 1 millisecondCall graph:    1654 Thread_2507      1654 0x2b42        1654 NSApplicationMain          1654 -[NSApplication run]            1654 -[NSApplication nextEventMatchingMask:untilDate:inMode:dequeue:]              1654 _DPSNextEvent                1654 BlockUntilNextEventMatchingListInMode                  1654 ReceiveNextEventCommon                    1654 RunCurrentEventLoopInMode                      1654 CFRunLoopRunInMode                        1654 CFRunLoopRunSpecific                          1654 _performFileHandleSource                            1654 -[NSNotificationCenter postNotificationName:object:userInfo:]                              1654 _CFXNotificationPostNotification                                1654 __CFXNotificationPost                                  1654 _nsnote_callback                                    1654 0x196c0                                      1654 0x19875                                        1654 0xcba2                                          1654 0xc2a1                                            1654 asl_store_match                                              1654 asl_store_match_timeout                                                1654 asl_file_list_match_timeout                                                  1653 asl_file_match_start                                                    1648 asl_file_read_set_position                                                      1635 asl_file_read_uint64                                                        1397 fseeko                                                          1267 _fseeko                                                            1034 __srefill                                                              1030 read                                                                1030 read                                                              3 _sread                                                                2 _sread                                                                1 read                                                                  1 read                                                              1 __srefill                                                            136 __bzero                                                              136 __bzero                                                            39 lseek                                                              39 lseek                                                            27 _fseeko                                                            24 _ftello                                                              18 _ftello                                                              6 __sflush                                                                6 __sflush                                                            5 _sseek                                                              3 _sseek                                                              1 __error                                                                1 __error                                                              1 __sseek                                                                1 __sseek                                                            1 dyld_stub___error                                                              1 dyld_stub___error                                                            1 dyld_stub___sflush                                                              1 dyld_stub___sflush                                                          45 flockfile                                                            19 pthread_mutex_lock                                                              18 pthread_mutex_lock                                                              1 spin_unlock                                                                1 spin_unlock                                                            18 __spin_lock                                                              18 __spin_lock                                                            7 flockfile                                                            1 dyld_stub__spin_unlock                                                              1 dyld_stub__spin_unlock                                                          18 fseeko                                                          17 __spin_lock                                                            17 __spin_lock                                                          15 funlockfile                                                            15 funlockfile                                                          15 pthread_mutex_unlock                                                            15 pthread_mutex_unlock                                                          5 __error                                                            5 __error                                                          4 dyld_stub_memset                                                            4 dyld_stub_memset                                                          3 dyld_stub_pthread_self                                                            3 dyld_stub_pthread_self                                                          2 OSSpinLockLock                                                            2 OSSpinLockLock                                                          2 dyld_stub_pthread_mutex_lock                                                            2 dyld_stub_pthread_mutex_lock                                                          2 memset                                                            2 memset                                                          1 dyld_stub__ftello                                                            1 dyld_stub__ftello                                                          1 pthread_self                                                            1 pthread_self                                                        203 fread                                                          77 __srefill                                                            77 read                                                              77 read                                                          46 flockfile                                                            25 pthread_mutex_lock                                                              25 pthread_mutex_lock                                                            13 __spin_lock                                                              13 __spin_lock                                                            6 flockfile                                                            1 OSSpinLockLock                                                              1 OSSpinLockLock                                                            1 dyld_stub__spin_unlock                                                              1 dyld_stub__spin_unlock                                                          25 pthread_mutex_unlock                                                            23 pthread_mutex_unlock                                                            2 spin_unlock                                                              2 spin_unlock                                                          18 __memcpy                                                            18 __memcpy                                                          16 fread                                                          11 __spin_lock                                                            11 __spin_lock                                                          5 funlockfile                                                            5 funlockfile                                                          2 dyld_stub_pthread_mutex_lock                                                            2 dyld_stub_pthread_mutex_lock                                                          1 OSSpinLockLock                                                            1 OSSpinLockLock                                                          1 dyld_stub__spin_lock                                                            1 dyld_stub__spin_lock                                                          1 pthread_self                                                            1 pthread_self                                                        23 asl_file_read_uint64                                                        3 asl_core_ntohq                                                          3 asl_core_ntohq                                                        2 dyld_stub___error                                                          2 dyld_stub___error                                                        2 dyld_stub__fseeko                                                          2 dyld_stub__fseeko                                                        2 dyld_stub_flockfile                                                          2 dyld_stub_flockfile                                                        1 __error                                                          1 __error                                                        1 dyld_stub_pthread_mutex_unlock                                                          1 dyld_stub_pthread_mutex_unlock                                                        1 memcpy                                                          1 memcpy                                                      12 asl_file_read_set_position                                                      1 asl_core_ntohq                                                        1 asl_core_ntohq                                                    5 asl_file_match_start                                                  1 dyld_stub_asl_file_read_set_position                                                    1 dyld_stub_asl_file_read_set_position    1654 Thread_2603      1654 thread_start        1654 _pthread_start          1654 __NSThread__main__            1654 -[NSThread main]              1654 0x4da7                1654 -[NSObject(NSThreadPerformAdditions) performSelectorOnMainThread:withObject:waitUntilDone:]                  1654 -[NSObject(NSThreadPerformAdditions) performSelector:onThread:withObject:waitUntilDone:modes:]                    1654 -[NSCondition wait]                      1654 pthread_cond_wait$UNIX2003                        1654 __semwait_signal                          1654 __semwait_signal    1654 Thread_2703      1654 thread_start        1654 _pthread_start          1654 fe_fragment_thread            1654 pthread_cond_wait$UNIX2003              1654 __semwait_signal                1654 __semwait_signalTotal number in stack (recursive counted multiple, when &gt;&#x3D;5):Sort by top of stack, same collapsed (when &gt;&#x3D; 5):        __semwait_signal        3308        read        1108        __bzero        136        __spin_lock        59        pthread_mutex_lock        43        lseek        39        pthread_mutex_unlock        38        _fseeko        27        asl_file_read_uint64        23        funlockfile        20        __memcpy        18        _ftello        18        fseeko        18        fread        16        flockfile        13        asl_file_read_set_position        12        __error        7        __sflush        6        asl_file_match_start        5Sample analysis of process 3817 written to file /dev/stdout

BDAqua · Answer

Could be many things, we should start with this..."Try Disk Utility1. Insert the Mac OS X Install disc, then restart the computer while holding the C key.2. When your computer finishes starting up from the disc, choose Disk Utility from the Installer menu at top of the screen. (In Mac OS X 10.4 or later, you must select your language first.)*Important: Do not click Continue in the first screen of the Installer. If you do, you must restart from the disc again to access Disk Utility.*3. Click the First Aid tab.4. Select your Mac OS X volume.5. Click Repair Disk, (not Repair Permissions). Disk Utility checks and repairs the disk."http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum&#x3D;106214Then try a Safe Boot, (holding Shift key down at bootup), run Disk Utility in Applications&gt;Utilities, then highlight your drive, click on Repair Permissions, reboot when it completes.(Safe boot may stay on the gray radian for a long time, let it go, it&#x27;s trying to repair the Hard Drive.)If perchance you can&#x27;t find your install Disc, at least try it from the Safe Boot part onward.To find out if it&#x27;s system wide or user specific, try this...Open System Preferences&gt;Accounts, unlock the lock, click on the little plus icon, make a new admin account, log out &amp; into the new account.Does iPhoto work in the new account?

DmR of AtoZ · Answer

Ok . . . all good stuff to do,But before I do these much later today, clear up one thing you didn&#x27;t clarify which is probably 98% assumable  . . .  but maybe not  . . . Are we doing all this with the Macbook ?Of course, the external has no disc insertion / safe bootability / etc, yeah . . .But I get hung-up on thinking "Gee, all the apps are running from the external, what on the Macbook is happening beyond being essentially a monitor ??"Get me past that concept &amp; I&#x27;ll smack me head with a moderate "well, doy . .  of course".

BDAqua · Answer

Everything is still running in the Macbook, except it&#x27;s not using the Internal drive to load the OS &amp; Apps.The CPU, RAM, Graphics card, all the ports, etc. are still on the MacBook &amp; being used, just not the Hard Drive, &amp; of course whatever users you have set on the Internal.

DmR of AtoZ · Answer

Hmm, . . .    Well Sir, the install disc on hand was for the 24" imac, not the Macbook . . . prob&#x27;ly why it spit it back out with every attempt, ey ?   Opening Disk Utility from the external sure seemed to do it&#x27;s tricks tho&#x27; . . . after trying &amp; failing before to open Safari over 10 times in a row, then getting in just to refer to your previous instructions, the Repair Disk and Repair Permissions must&#x27;ve done something, as Safari just opened like it&#x27;s s&#x27;posed to 6 times in a row !However, same results with Console : external version goes into Not Responding / Macbook version crashed quickly.Would Disk Utility in a Safe Boot have "deeper abilities" of any real difference ?I&#x27;ll hold off on your further suggestions till we digest this.Abd here&#x27;s the Repair Disk and Repair Permissions results . .  anything clearly indicitive ?( They both ran incredibly quick too )Verify and Repair volume “Macintosh HD”Checking Journaled HFS Plus volume.Checking Extents Overflow file.Checking Catalog file.Checking multi-linked files.Checking Catalog hierarchy.Checking Extended Attributes file.Checking volume bitmap.Checking volume information.The volume Macintosh HD appears to be OK.Repairing permissions for “Macintosh HD”Determining correct file permissions.Permissions differ on ./Library/Application Support/Macromedia/Shockwave 10/Shockwave 10 Preferences, should be -rwxrwxr-x , they are -rw-rw-r-- .Owner and group corrected on ./Library/Application Support/Macromedia/Shockwave 10/Shockwave 10 Preferences.Permissions corrected on ./Library/Application Support/Macromedia/Shockwave 10/Shockwave 10 Preferences.Permissions differ on ./Library, should be drwxrwxr-t , they are drwxrwxr-x .Owner and group corrected on ./Library.Permissions corrected on ./Library.The permissions have been verified or repaired on the selected volume.Permissions repair complete

BDAqua · Answer

Would Disk Utility in a Safe Boot have "deeper abilities" of any real difference ?One thing a Safe Boot does besides that is clear caches, which can be messed up.So, was the 24" iMac in Target Disk Mode, or other way around???

DmR of AtoZ · Answer

Yes, the Safe Boot on the MacBook sure seemd to help ( Safari&#x27;s a lot more cooperative at least )But Target Disk Mode ?! . . . that&#x27;s a whole different deal that was never mentioned in this thread yet.I&#x27;ve not used or done that since maybe 2008.

BDAqua · Answer

No idea rereading the thread where I got FWTDM... but I&#x27;m getting too old to be of much help anymore. 😟

DmR of AtoZ · Answer

Oh NO !These 24 hours were exhaustive enough that I got you all Old ?!?EgadYet I came out somewhat younger . . . .T&#x27;ain&#x27;t fair, man.Meanwhile, in less then 24 hours, Safari slid back into stupidity and many quits before opening again.I got cocky and said "and I bet Disk Warrior rebuilding the directory and permissions and file forks and stuff could only help more", right ?Apparently it upset the delicate balance achieved thru Disk Utility last night.( crap )

BDAqua · Answer

Is this a PPC or IntelMac?Might try reappling the bg combo update...Reset OS X Password Without an OS X CD...http://theappleblog.com/2008/06/22/reset-os-x-password-without-an-os-x-cd/Admin Hack...http://www.hackmac.org/?q&#x3D;node/4Starts up like the first time you buy a new Mac, but after filling in all that info again, you should have access to the computer and the other Users &amp; files will still be there... give the new User a different name than an existing one.