Mac suddenly slow, overheating, spinning ball of death, hard to reboot.

Question

Mac suddenly slow, overheating, spinning ball of death, hard to reboot.

Problem description:

Mac suddenly slowed down, especially when using Safari - spinning ball of death, pages won’t load, etc. Hard drive appeared to get “stuck” causing overheating and had trouble even shutting down with the button, and then wouldn’t reboot for about an hour.

This is a Mid-2010 Mac Mini with 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 8 GB 1067 MHz DDR3

Running OSX 10.9.5

Safari is 7.1.4

We updated to Mavericks but not Yosemite.

EtreCheck version: 2.1.8 (121)

Report generated March 18, 2015 at 7:31:56 AM EDT

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

Mac mini (Mid 2010) (Technical Specifications)

Mac mini - model: Macmini4,1

1 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU: 2-core

8 GB RAM Upgradeable

BANK 0/DIMM0

4 GB DDR3 1067 MHz ok

BANK 1/DIMM0

4 GB DDR3 1067 MHz ok

Bluetooth: Old - Handoff/Airdrop2 not supported

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

Video Information: ℹ️

NVIDIA GeForce 320M - VRAM: 256 MB

VX2703 SERIES 1920 x 1080 @ 60 Hz

System Software: ℹ️

OS X 10.9.5 (13F1066) - Time since boot: 17:22:59

Disk Information: ℹ️

Hitachi HTS725050A9A364 disk0 : (500.11 GB)

EFI (disk0s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB

Macintosh HD (disk0s2) / : 499.25 GB (466.46 GB free) - 53 errors

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

HL-DT-STDVDRW GA32N

USB Information: ℹ️

HP HP Officejet Pro X551dw Printer

Logitech USB Receiver

Apple Inc. BRCM2070 Hub

Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller

Apple Computer, Inc. IR Receiver

Gatekeeper: ℹ️

Mac App Store and identified developers

Startup Items: ℹ️

HP IO: Path: /Library/StartupItems/HP IO

Startup items are obsolete in OS X Yosemite

Launch Daemons: ℹ️

[loaded] com.adobe.fpsaud.plist [Click for support]

[loaded] com.microsoft.office.licensing.helper.plist [Click for support]

User Launch Agents: ℹ️

[failed] com.adobe.ARM.[...].plist [Click for support]

[running] com.akamai.single-user-client.plist [Click for support]

[loaded] com.google.keystone.agent.plist [Click for support]

User Login Items: ℹ️

iTunesHelper UNKNOWN (missing value)

HP Scheduler Application (/Library/Application Support/Hewlett-Packard/Software Update/HP Scheduler.app)

Internet Plug-ins: ℹ️

FlashPlayer-10.6: Version: 11.8.800.168 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]

Default Browser: Version: 537 - SDK 10.9

NP_2020Player_IKEA: Version: 5.0.94.0 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]

Flash Player: Version: 11.8.800.168 - SDK 10.6 Outdated! Update

NP_2020Player_WEB: Version: 5.0.94.0 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]

QuickTime Plugin: Version: 7.7.3

SharePointBrowserPlugin: Version: 14.1.4 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]

Google Earth Web Plug-in: Version: 7.1 [Click for support]

Silverlight: Version: 5.1.10411.0 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]

iPhotoPhotocast: Version: 7.0

Safari Extensions: ℹ️

AdBlock

ClickToFlash

Ixquick HTTPS

ClickToPlugin

3rd Party Preference Panes: ℹ️

Akamai NetSession Preferences [Click for support]

Flash Player [Click for support]

Time Machine: ℹ️

Time Machine not configured!

Top Processes by CPU: ℹ️

13% mds

9% WindowServer

2% mdworker

0% fontd

0% AppleSpell

Top Processes by Memory: ℹ️

232 MB Safari

137 MB Coda

129 MB Art Text 2

120 MB softwareupdated

120 MB mds_stores

Virtual Memory Information: ℹ️

2.51 GB Free RAM

2.78 GB Active RAM

2.24 GB Inactive RAM

798 MB Wired RAM

720 MB Page-ins

0 B Page-outs

Diagnostics Information: ℹ️

Mar 17, 2015, 02:08:11 PM Self test - passed

Mar 17, 2015, 12:33:46 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/cfprefsd_2015-03-17-123346_[redacted].crash

Mar 17, 2015, 12:33:23 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/cfprefsd_2015-03-17-123323_[redacted].crash

Mar 17, 2015, 12:14:25 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/ocspd_2015-03-17-121425_[redacted].crash

Mar 17, 2015, 12:14:08 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/cfprefsd_2015-03-17-121408_[redacted].crash

Mar 17, 2015, 12:13:52 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/cfprefsd_2015-03-17-121352_[redacted].crash

Mar 17, 2015, 12:13:36 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/cfprefsd_2015-03-17-121336_[redacted].crash

Mar 17, 2015, 12:13:04 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/cfprefsd_2015-03-17-121304_[redacted].crash

Mar 17, 2015, 12:12:40 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/cfprefsd_2015-03-17-121240_[redacted].crash

Mar 17, 2015, 12:12:23 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/cfprefsd_2015-03-17-121223_[redacted].crash

Mar 17, 2015, 12:12:07 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/cfprefsd_2015-03-17-121207_[redacted].crash

Mar 17, 2015, 12:11:51 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/cfprefsd_2015-03-17-121151_[redacted].crash

Mar 17, 2015, 12:11:48 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/ocspd_2015-03-17-121148_[redacted].crash

Mar 17, 2015, 12:11:20 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/cfprefsd_2015-03-17-121120_[redacted].crash

Mar 17, 2015, 12:11:04 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/cfprefsd_2015-03-17-121104_[redacted].crash

Mar 17, 2015, 12:10:48 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/cfprefsd_2015-03-17-121048_[redacted].crash

Mar 17, 2015, 12:10:32 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/cfprefsd_2015-03-17-121032_[redacted].crash

Mar 17, 2015, 12:10:17 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/ocspd_2015-03-17-121017_[redacted].crash

Mar 17, 2015, 12:10:16 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/cfprefsd_2015-03-17-121016_[redacted].crash

Mar 17, 2015, 12:09:45 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/cfprefsd_2015-03-17-120945_[redacted].crash

Mar 17, 2015, 12:09:30 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/cfprefsd_2015-03-17-120930_[redacted].crash

Mar 17, 2015, 12:09:14 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/cfprefsd_2015-03-17-120914_[redacted].crash

Mar 17, 2015, 12:08:58 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/cfprefsd_2015-03-17-120858_[redacted].crash

Mar 17, 2015, 12:08:42 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/cfprefsd_2015-03-17-120842_[redacted].crash

Mar 17, 2015, 12:08:42 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/ocspd_2015-03-17-120842_[redacted].crash

Mar 17, 2015, 12:08:41 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/ocspd_2015-03-17-120841_[redacted].crash

Mar 17, 2015, 12:08:10 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/cfprefsd_2015-03-17-120810_[redacted].crash

Mar 17, 2015, 12:07:54 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/cfprefsd_2015-03-17-120754_[redacted].crash

Mac mini, OS X Mavericks (10.9.5)

Posted on Mar 18, 2015 4:39 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Best reply

lllaass

Level 10

210,411 points

Mar 18, 2015 4:51 AM in response to LeeAppleForever

Based on

Macintosh HD (disk0s2) / : 499.25 GB (466.46 GB free) - 53 errors

I would say your startup disk is failing.

Backup data NOW and then try repairing the HD via disk utility. Boot to Recovery if necessary to repair the disk

OS X: About OS X Recovery - Apple Support

However, I suspect the HD needs to be replaced. Here is video for how to replace

http://eshop.macsales.com/installvideos/mac_mini2010_hd/

Reply

Answer 2

Mar 18, 2015 5:07 AM in response to lllaass

Thank you.

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO BACKUP MY DATA NOW?

Reply

Answer 3

lllaass

Level 10

210,411 points

Mar 18, 2015 5:22 AM in response to LeeAppleForever

Do yo have another Mac so that y can boot the this mac in Target Disk mode and connect the two Macs via FW and try to get data off the old Minis HD

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1661

Next would be to replace the HD and then place the old HD in an USB enclosure or dock and access the disk and try to get data off the disk. You may have to use a data recovery program

Last would be to contact a data recovery company

Reply

Answer 4

Mar 18, 2015 5:31 AM in response to lllaass

Yes, we have a spare iMac (my partner's former computer) that is newer than the failing Mini. And he has a spare external HD too. So he suggests setting up Time Machine on the failing Mini and backing up to HD. Then transferring those files to the iMac. Then go back and try to repair problems on the failing Mini.

Sound like a plan?

Thank you very much.

Reply

Answer 5

lllaass

Level 10

210,411 points

Mar 18, 2015 5:37 AM in response to LeeAppleForever

It would be better not to boot from the failing drive since the more you use the drive it may become more damaged.

That is why it is best to boot in Target Disk mode or to take the disk out and install it in an enclosure/dock and only try to get data off the disk.

Reply

Answer 6

Mar 19, 2015 3:30 AM in response to lllaass

Seems to have worked.

We hooked up the external HD, turned on Time Machine, and everything backed up.

Then we ran Disk Utility. The disk repair required the reboot thing and took two tries. Then repaired permissions. Also updated Flash.

Seems to be running okay now, but we have ordered a new SSD (as well as a new iMac 5k 🙂 ). We use multiple computers so hoping we can get a couple more years of use out of this old computer as it ran fast and fine until this problem.

Thank you so much for your help! We really appreciate it.

Reply