wheel of death

Question

wheel of death

Hello Everyone.

Have this rainbow wheel problem.

I love my iMac, however its not very well. I use my imac for a couple of core tasks only .. so its not full of Apps and other software. I am so careful in what I download. I dont like clutter on a computer.

Started to have the spinning wheel problem aout 2 months ago.

I am not computer wizard.

Does this Etre Check saying anything. Have read other posts and followed re-sitting of pram, repair disk and permissions. Others are telling me by disk is about to fail? The computer is only 2 years old.

Would welcome any thoughts.

Thanks

Shaun

Problem description:

I have this rainbow wheel….Understand others call it the wheel of death.

EtreCheck version: 2.1.8 (121)

Report generated 12 February 2015 12:17:02 GMT

Download EtreCheck from http://etresoft.com/etrecheck

Click the [Click for support] links for help with non-Apple products.

Click the [Click for details] links for more information about that line.

Hardware Information: ℹ️

iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2012) (Technical Specifications)

iMac - model: iMac13,1

1 2.7 GHz Intel Core i5 CPU: 4-core

8 GB RAM Upgradeable

BANK 0/DIMM0

4 GB DDR3 1600 MHz ok

BANK 1/DIMM0

4 GB DDR3 1600 MHz ok

Bluetooth: Good - Handoff/Airdrop2 supported

Wireless: en1: 802.11 a/b/g/n

Video Information: ℹ️

NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M - VRAM: 512 MB

iMac 1920 x 1080

System Software: ℹ️

OS X 10.10.2 (14C109) - Time since boot: 3:41:57

Disk Information: ℹ️

APPLE HDD ST1000LM024 disk0 : (1 TB)

EFI (disk0s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB

Macintosh HD (disk0s2) / : 999.35 GB (972.50 GB free)

Recovery HD (disk0s3) <not mounted> [Recovery]: 650 MB

USB Information: ℹ️

Apple Inc. FaceTime HD Camera (Built-in)

Apple Inc. BRCM20702 Hub

Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller

Thunderbolt Information: ℹ️

Apple Inc. thunderbolt_bus

Gatekeeper: ℹ️

Mac App Store and identified developers

User Login Items: ℹ️

iTunesHelper Application (/Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/MacOS/iTunesHelper.app)

Internet Plug-ins: ℹ️

Default Browser: Version: 600 - SDK 10.10

QuickTime Plugin: Version: 7.7.3

Safari Extensions: ℹ️

1Password

3rd Party Preference Panes: ℹ️

None

Time Machine: ℹ️

Time Machine not configured!

Top Processes by CPU: ℹ️

2% WindowServer

0% fontd

0% SystemUIServer

0% configd

0% cloudpaird

Top Processes by Memory: ℹ️

567 MB com.apple.SpeechRecognitionCore.speechrecognitiond

155 MB Safari

103 MB Finder

103 MB WindowServer

86 MB mds_stores

Virtual Memory Information: ℹ️

2.81 GB Free RAM

3.91 GB Active RAM

973 MB Inactive RAM

901 MB Wired RAM

1.36 GB Page-ins

0 B Page-outs

Diagnostics Information: ℹ️

Feb 12, 2015, 08:34:07 AM Self test - passed

Feb 10, 2015, 01:51:36 PM /Users/[redacted]/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/com.apple.SpeechRecognitionCor e.brokerd_2015-02-10-135136_[redacted].crash

Feb 9, 2015, 06:58:32 PM /Users/[redacted]/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/DictationIM_2015-02-09-185832_ [redacted].crash

Feb 9, 2015, 02:19:14 PM /Users/[redacted]/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/DictationIM_2015-02-09-141914_ [redacted].crash

Feb 9, 2015, 01:51:14 PM /Users/[redacted]/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/com.apple.SpeechRecognitionCor e.brokerd_2015-02-09-135114_[redacted].crash

Feb 9, 2015, 01:16:05 PM /Users/[redacted]/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/DictationIM_2015-02-09-131605_ [redacted].crash

iMac

Posted on Feb 12, 2015 4:34 AM

Reply

Answer 1

SeaPapp

Level 7

26,492 points

Feb 12, 2015 4:57 AM in response to Shaunfromhants

OPen Activity Monitor, find this process 567 MB com.apple.SpeechRecognitionCore.speechrecognitiond and force quit it.

Reply

Answer 2

Feb 12, 2015 5:24 AM in response to SeaPapp

Mike

May I thank you for your time.

Followed your advice.

I post back later to let you know if it worked.

Thank you

Shaun

Reply

Answer 3

Feb 12, 2015 8:34 AM in response to Shaunfromhants

Hello

Well I can use my iMac now…..it is better than it was.

Just looked at the Active Monitor.

It's telling me

Physical Memory 8 GB

Memory used 7.85 GB

Virtual memory 8 GB

App memory 4.58GB

File Cache 2.39 GB

wire memory 8.99

Am I right to think I am running with hardly no memory. Sorry but I am no computer wizard. I hardly got anything on the computer.

Active Monitor is telling me the top three hits regarding memory

kernal Task 668.1 MB

com. apple. Speech recogni 530MB

window server 158.1 mb

Regards

Shaun

Reply

Answer 4

SeaPapp

Level 7

26,492 points

Feb 12, 2015 9:04 AM in response to Shaunfromhants

Yosemite uses and reports memory usage differently than previous versions of OS X. Don't be alarmed by the used memory, Yosemite will use as much as it can to speed ip your mac and as you open other apps OS X will release memory to those apps. You WANT your computer to use it's resources, they don't do you any good being inactive. Learn about Activity Monitor here How to use Activity Monitor - Apple Support

Do you use the speech recognition features on your mac?

Reply

Answer 5

Feb 12, 2015 9:42 AM in response to SeaPapp

Mike

Many thanks..... I have my iMac running again.

I really dont understand why your suggestion worked but clearly it has improved my iMac's running.

Hardly seen the Wheel this afternoon.

Still concerned over this memory use.

Thanks

Shaun

Reply

Answer 6

SeaPapp

Level 7

26,492 points

Feb 12, 2015 10:10 AM in response to Shaunfromhants

Don't be, it's perfectly normal.

Reply

Answer 7

Feb 12, 2015 10:24 AM in response to SeaPapp

MIke

"Do you use the speech recognition features on your mac? .........yes I do. Been playing, which I do not normally do. If I turn the speech recognition off the memory used drops down to 7.1 in the active monitor.

Also found in the active monitor list under memory one or two crash/ hanging data lines which were in red. , so I forced them to close. Not sure if that was meaningful.

The good news I can use my iMac...so I am very happy.

The active monitor is an interesting tool to use.

Thanks

Shaun

Reply

Answer 8

SeaPapp

Level 7

26,492 points

Feb 12, 2015 10:51 AM in response to Shaunfromhants

Shaunfromhants wrote:

MIke

"Do you use the speech recognition features on your mac? .........yes I do. Been playing, which I do not normally do. If I turn the speech recognition off the memory used drops down to 7.1 in the active monitor.

Also found in the active monitor list under memory one or two crash/ hanging data lines which were in red. , so I forced them to close. Not sure if that was meaningful.

The good news I can use my iMac...so I am very happy.

The active monitor is an interesting tool to use.

Thanks

Shaun

I don't use speech at all, just have no use for it, I don't even like Siri on my iPhone!

KIlling those hung processes that were in red was HUGE and is probably why your imac is running better now. Good job!

Reply

Answer 9

Feb 13, 2015 2:38 AM in response to SeaPapp

Good morning

Complete disater last nigt. Safari froze. Could not get my imac to close down. Tried force quite no good. After 30mins I hit the power button at the back. Down hill after that. Black screen on startup. Anyway started my iMac in safe mode this morning....so slow.....anyway I have my iMac running with the spinning wheel coming and going. I was wondering if, and this may be bad thoughts, I am no computer wizard, if I do a restall of Yosemite using the built in recovery disk? Would that help or am I going off in the wrong direction.

Shaun

Reply

Answer 10

SeaPapp

Level 7

26,492 points

Feb 13, 2015 3:41 AM in response to Shaunfromhants

Before you do anything else make sure you have a backup of at least your files, I noticed you don't have Time Machine configured. I'm starting to suspect that you might have a bad hard drive. Reinstalling OS X is on the list of things I'd do but first I'd run Disk Utility from your recovery partition and repair the hard drive. Check the SMART status while DU is open also. If it repairs anything run it again. If you're still having trouble then I'd look at reinstalling. Erasing the boot partition might be the best bet to get a clean install but you need that backup.

Reply

Answer 11

Feb 13, 2015 6:07 AM in response to SeaPapp

Hello Mike

Well I have reinstalled OS X. Whent into the built in recovery disk. Have all my files.

Have noticed my memory used (Active Monitor) is now 4.49 from 7.5. I expect that's meaningless though.

My imac is up and running. Will post back later today on whats happen after a little use... Have spoken to others and they all of the opinion my hard disk is about to fail. Can hard drives be replace in these iMacs ? My iMac is only 2 years old.

Came across apples diagnostics, so I run that before I reinstalled OS x , again all clear.

So......There's not much more to be had...... I post back later.

Shaun

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Answer 12

Feb 13, 2015 7:43 AM in response to Shaunfromhants

Good afternoon

No good....still have the spinning wheel. Applications do not start straight away or cleanly with lots bobbing up and down of applications

Been in touch with apple. If I take in they run some checks but its all pointing to a hard disk failure....cost about £140 to replace.

I have to say l am a little disappointed the Mac is just over 24 months old. Well that's life.

Thanks Mike for your time.

Shaun

Reply

Answer 13

SeaPapp

Level 7

26,492 points

Feb 13, 2015 9:44 AM in response to Shaunfromhants

I was afraid thats where it might be headed after I read your post first thing this morning. I understand the disappointment but it isn't Apples fault, they don't make the hard drives. I assume you're in Europe? You might be covered by warranty over there, you should look into that.

Reply

Answer 14

NDGa

Level 1

8 points

Feb 13, 2015 11:28 AM in response to SeaPapp

Where do I find "Activity Monitor" in order to open it?

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Answer 15

NDGa

Level 1

8 points

Feb 13, 2015 11:48 AM in response to NDGa

I just found it under Applications/utilities.

My "memory pressure" is a yellow bar straight across. Does that mean I am approaching limits of usage? How do i reduce memory? Get rid of apps? Get rid of files? All of the above?

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