Want to highlight a helpful answer? Upvote!
Did someone help you, or did an answer or User Tip resolve your issue? Upvote by selecting the upvote arrow. Your feedback helps others! Learn more about when to upvote >
Did someone help you, or did an answer or User Tip resolve your issue? Upvote by selecting the upvote arrow. Your feedback helps others! Learn more about when to upvote >
Whether I am using Safari or Firefox my MAC has been freezing when multiple windows are open.
I peruse the internet for news. What was an 'every so often' problem now occurs daily, every 1-2 hours. I must 'force quit' from Firefox/Safari and then reopen windows.
I downloaded Sentinel Pro which found no malware or adware.
Any ideas?
Mac OS X (10.7.5)
Make sure you have a complete backup of your data before proceeding. It's unlikely, but hardware problems can sometimes manifest themselves as random pauses and hangs.
Remove any cache cleaners, performance-improving tools, security add-ons, anti-malware tools, anti-virus tools or other additions, and see if the problems persist.
If you'd like for folks to have a look at your current configuration, please download and run Etrecheck and — after reviewing the output for anything that might be personally-identifying — post the report from that tool here. (Etrecheck is a tool that reports on the system configuration and software. It intentionally avoids asking for privileges when running; no administrative access is required. Examples of the data get posted around the forums rather often, if you want to learn more about the tool before proceeding.)
then what? I dont understand the results. thanks
Post the Etrecheck report so that others may examine it and possibly find items that may need to be addressed.
Ciao.
EtreCheck version: 2.6.3 (223)
Report generated 11/2/15 3:09 PM
Runtime 1:34
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: (What does this mean?)
iMac (21.5-inch, Mid 2011)
[Click for Technical Specifications]
[Click for User Guide]
iMac - model: iMac12,1
1 2.5 GHz Intel Core i5 CPU: 4-core
4 GB RAM
BANK 0/DIMM0
2 GB DDR3 1333 MHz ok
BANK 1/DIMM0
2 GB DDR3 1333 MHz ok
BANK 0/DIMM1
Empty
BANK 1/DIMM1
Empty
Bluetooth: Old - Handoff/Airdrop2 not supported
Wireless: Unknown
Video Information: (What does this mean?)
AMD Radeon HD 6750M - VRAM: 512 MB
iMac 1920 x 1080
System Software: (What does this mean?)
OS X Lion 10.7.5 (11G63) - Time since boot: about 2 days
Disk Information: (What does this mean?)
ST3500418AS disk0 : (500.11 GB) (Rotational)
disk0s1 (disk0s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB
Macintosh HD (disk0s2) / : 499.25 GB (464.21 GB free)
Recovery HD (disk0s3) <not mounted> [Recovery]: 650 MB
HL-DT-STDVDRW GA32N ()
USB Information: (What does this mean?)
Apple Inc. FaceTime HD Camera (Built-in)
Apple Inc. BRCM2046 Hub
Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller
Apple Internal Memory Card Reader
Apple Computer, Inc. IR Receiver
Thunderbolt Information: (What does this mean?)
Apple, Inc. iMac
System Launch Agents: (What does this mean?)
[loaded] com.apple.
SafariNotificationAgent.plist - /usr/libexec/SafariNotificationAgent: Executable not found!
System Launch Daemons: (What does this mean?)
[loaded] com.apple.devicemanager.plist - No signature!
Launch Daemons: (What does this mean?)
[loaded] com.adobe.fpsaud.plist [Click for support]
User Launch Agents: (What does this mean?)
[failed] com.apple.CSConfigDotMacCert-[...]@me.com-SharedServices.Agent.plist
User Login Items: (What does this mean?)
iTunesHelper Application Hidden (/Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/MacOS/iTunesHelper.app)
Other Apps: (What does this mean?)
[running] [0x0-0xcc0cc].org.mozilla.firefox
[running] [0x0-0xd70d7].com.etresoft.EtreCheck
Internet Plug-ins: (What does this mean?)
FlashPlayer-10.6: Version: 19.0.0.226 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]
Flash Player: Version: 19.0.0.226 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]
QuickTime Plugin: Version: 7.7.1
JavaAppletPlugin: Version: 14.9.0 - SDK 10.7 Check version
User internet Plug-ins: (What does this mean?)
CitrixOnlineWebDeploymentPlugin: Version: 1.0.105 [Click for support]
3rd Party Preference Panes: (What does this mean?)
Flash Player [Click for support]
Time Machine: (What does this mean?)
Time Machine not configured!
Top Processes by CPU: (What does this mean?)
3% fontd
2% WindowServer
0% firefox
0% blued
Top Processes by Memory: (What does this mean?)
905 MB firefox
45 MB mds
41 MB WindowServer
37 MB TextEdit
29 MB Finder
Virtual Memory Information: (What does this mean?)
1.40 GB Free RAM
2.60 GB Used RAM
556 MB Swap Used
Diagnostics Information: (What does this mean?)
Nov 2, 2015, 02:43:00 PM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/plugin-container_2015-11-02-144300_[redacted]. crash
Nov 2, 2015, 02:21:36 AM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/plugin-container_2015-11-02-022136_[redacted]. crash
Nov 1, 2015, 07:38:04 PM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/plugin-container_2015-11-01-193804_[redacted]. crash
Nov 1, 2015, 02:43:43 PM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/plugin-container_2015-11-01-144343_[redacted]. crash
Oct 31, 2015, 01:58:27 AM Self test - passed
Oct 30, 2015, 10:43:32 PM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/plugin-container_2015-10-30-224332_[redacted]. crash
Get a full backup or two.
When the Mac next hangs, see if a wired keyboard works. If it does not, I'd then disable all the extensions and try again. Failing that, I'd reinstall the most recent combo update and — if that fails — reinstall OS X. Based on that Etrecheck report, there looks to be a piece or two missing, here.
Reinstalling — as long as you do not wipe the disk — should not disturb your existing files, but — again — have current backups.
If you do not have some other backups running, then do get Time Machine going. Having no backups means that the data is at risk of complete loss.
Okay. I've re-downloaded OS X Lion Update 10.7.5. Let's see how it moves. I'll follow up. Thank you.
One more thing. It tends to freeze on news websites with lots of content, autoplay videos, etc. And if more than 2-3 windows are open, it's very slow.
I need to find a wired keyboard.
Still no luck, even after reinstalling OSx. Freezing up every couple of hours.
As you use this system, do (new) crashes shown from the Etrecheck diagnostics line up with the times of the system hangs?
In your web browser, disable Flash Player and Java (Java, not JavaScript — leave JavaScript enabled) in the web browser. These two packages require a fair amount of system resources, and also have a history of security issues. See if things are more stable with these two plug-ins shut off.
If you're using Mozilla, make sure that's running the current version for OS X.
See if installing OS X on an external disk and booting and running that helps. This'll isolate a problem with the internal disk as a cause.
Remove all external devices. Sometimes some USB widget causes instabilities.
If you've not already done so, do get those backups going, too. On the off chance that this is a nascent hardware problem, these backups are your path to recovery.
Further along and in general, 4 GB of memory isn't all that much these days, if you're running a fair amount of software — Activity Monitor can show your current usage. I don't know off-hand if the mid-2011 iMac 21.5" was easily upgradable. (I think these are.) Recent models of the small iMac are unfortunately not. (Note: I do not think that upgrading physical memory will solve these hangs — not without more information on the current system load.)
My IT guy seems to think I may have a lemon MAC. Apple replaced the power source once, and another issue.
We create and deliver content to radio stations. If I disable Flash Player and Java, will I be cut off from watching videos? That would be an issue.
thanks
I'd have a look at the crash logs and the memory, among other details. I'd likely look at upgrading from OS X 10.7 to something more current, too. Your system is ~four years old and should still work, but RAM failures and hard disk failures are not out of the question on even new systems, and I've seen the occasional Mac with its airflow plugged by dust and correspondingly flaky, too.
Can't say I've particularly noticed a lack of served video access with Adobe Flash Player absent, and Java is seldom used for video.
The in-built tools and H.264 formats are quite commonly supported by providers.
Google's YouTube now displays H.264, as does Vimeo and most other sites.
There are a few sites that still require Flash Player — BBC is one, even though they fully support H.264 — but there are usually ways to view those sites. Use a Flash blocker, and see what's not visible.
There are Flash and Java games around, and there's no way around the requirement for Flash or Java for those.
FWIW and if you're providing content, some familiarity with the tools and options can help your business, too. Familiarity with these sorts of details can help you avoid cases such as restaurant sites that render restaurant menus in Adobe Flash or PDF — which makes it far harder for their readers on mobile devices — and can help you better reach and better serve your audience.
Max freezes often; must 'force quit' to continue
