My MacBook Pro has a pop up message that says "There was a problem connecting to the server...". How do I get to the root of the problem?

Question

Level 1

8 points

My MacBook Pro has a pop up message that says "There was a problem connecting to the server...". How do I get to the root of the problem?

It has been going on for two weeks now. I can not figure out what is generating the problem. The pop up will occur at home or when I am out in the field setting up home networks, camera DVRs, and home automation systems. I run Parallels as well. The pop up occurs more often when I open a browser. I have quit Parallels to see which side is causing the problem. I can not locate what program, or device is trying to connect to the server. I have quit all the applications on the mac side and still I get the message. I deleted every printer on both sides, deleted downloaded programs, removed unused programs on the windows side, and it keeps popping up. Is there a way to see what is generating this in the logs?

MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2013), OS X Yosemite (10.10.5)

Posted on Nov 27, 2015 8:08 AM

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Answer 1

Nov 27, 2015 9:56 AM in response to stellasintex

Download, install and run etrecheck. Post the result here so that we can see what is running.

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Answer 2

stellasintex Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 27, 2015 10:43 AM in response to BobTheFisherman

EtreCheck version: 2.6.4 (224)

Report generated 11/27/15, 12:40 PM

Runtime 1:41

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?)

MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2013)

[Click for Technical Specifications]

[Click for User Guide]

MacBook Pro - model: MacBookPro11,1

1 2.4 GHz Intel Core i5 CPU: 2-core

8 GB RAM Not 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: en0: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac

Battery: Health = Normal - Cycle count = 373 - SN = C01340507J6FC1C6G

Video Information: (What does this mean?)

Intel Iris

Color LCD 2560 x 1600

System Software: (What does this mean?)

OS X Yosemite 10.10.5 (14F1021) - Time since boot: about one day

Disk Information: (What does this mean?)

APPLE SSD SM0256F disk0 : (251 GB) (Solid State - TRIM: Yes)

EFI (disk0s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB

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

Macintosh HD (disk1) / : 249.79 GB (79.22 GB free)

Core Storage: disk0s2 250.14 GB Online

USB Information: (What does this mean?)

Apple Internal Memory Card Reader

Apple Inc. Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad

Apple Inc. BRCM20702 Hub

Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller

Thunderbolt Information: (What does this mean?)

Apple Inc. thunderbolt_bus

Configuration files: (What does this mean?)

/etc/sudoers, File size 1384 but expected 1275

Gatekeeper: (What does this mean?)

Anywhere

Kernel Extensions: (What does this mean?)

/Applications/Parallels Access.app

[loaded] com.parallels.virtualhid (1.0.3 3 - SDK 10.9) [Click for support]

[loaded] com.parallels.virtualsound (1.0.36 36 - SDK 10.6) [Click for support]

/Applications/Parallels Desktop.app

[not loaded] com.parallels.kext.hidhook (9.0 24251.1052177) [Click for support]

[not loaded] com.parallels.kext.hypervisor (9.0 24251.1052177) [Click for support]

[not loaded] com.parallels.kext.netbridge (9.0 24251.1052177) [Click for support]

[not loaded] com.parallels.kext.usbconnect (9.0 24251.1052177) [Click for support]

[not loaded] com.parallels.kext.vnic (9.0 24251.1052177) [Click for support]

/Library/Extensions

[loaded] com.intel.kext.intelhaxm (1.1.5 - SDK 10.9) [Click for support]

/System/Library/Extensions/2.2.0/Belcarra.USBLAN_netpart.kext/Contents/Plug-Ins

[not loaded] com.belcarra.iokit.netpart.panther (1.6.3) [Click for support]

/System/Library/Extensions/2.2.0/Belcarra.USBLAN_usbpart.kext/Contents/Plug-Ins

[not loaded] com.belcarra.iokit.usbpart.panther (1.6.3) [Click for support]

/System/Library/Extensions/2.2.0/RemoteControl.USBLAN_usbpart.kext/Contents/Plu g-Ins

[not loaded] com.RemoteControl.USBLAN.panther (1.6.2) [Click for support]

/System/Library/Extensions/3.1.1

[not loaded] com.Belcarra.iokit.USBLAN_netpart (3.1.1 - SDK 10.6) [Click for support]

[not loaded] com.Belcarra.iokit.USBLAN_usbpart (3.1.1 - SDK 10.6) [Click for support]

[not loaded] com.RemoteControl.USBLAN.usbpart (3.1.1 - SDK 10.7) [Click for support]

System Launch Agents: (What does this mean?)

[running] com.apple.SystemUIServer.plist - Invalid signature!

Launch Agents: (What does this mean?)

[loaded] com.oracle.java.Java-Updater.plist [Click for support]

[running] com.parallels.mobile.prl_deskctl_agent.launchagent.plist [Click for support]

Launch Daemons: (What does this mean?)

[loaded] com.intel.haxm.plist [Click for support]

[loaded] com.oracle.java.Helper-Tool.plist [Click for support]

[running] com.parallels.mobile.dispatcher.launchdaemon.plist [Click for support]

[loaded] com.parallels.mobile.kextloader.launchdaemon.plist [Click for support]

[loaded] com.savantav.SavantApplicationManagerHelper.plist [Click for support]

User Launch Agents: (What does this mean?)

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

[running] com.parallels.mobile.startgui.launchagent.plist [Click for support]

[running] com.spotify.webhelper.plist [Click for support]

[loaded] com.valvesoftware.steamclean.plist [Click for support]

User Login Items: (What does this mean?)

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

Windows 7 Application (~/Documents/Parallels/Windows 7.pvm/Windows 7.app)

Dropbox Application (/Applications/Dropbox.app)

Spotify Application (/Applications/Spotify.app)

Other Apps: (What does this mean?)

[running] com.apple.xpc.launchd.oneshot.0x10000009.EtreCheck

[running] com.getdropbox.dropbox.27012

[running] com.google.Chrome.24740

[running] com.parallels.inputmethod.ParallelsIM.23604

Internet Plug-ins: (What does this mean?)

LumaWebVideoPlugin: Version: 3.0.5.26 - SDK 10.9 [Click for support]

QuickTime Plugin: Version: 7.7.3

JavaAppletPlugin: Version: Java 8 Update 65 build 17 Check version

Default Browser: Version: 600 - SDK 10.10

User internet Plug-ins: (What does this mean?)

CitrixOnlineWebDeploymentPlugin: Version: 1.0.105 [Click for support]

Safari Extensions: (What does this mean?)

Open in Internet Explorer

3rd Party Preference Panes: (What does this mean?)

Java [Click for support]

Time Machine: (What does this mean?)

Time Machine not configured!

Top Processes by CPU: (What does this mean?)

6% WindowServer

3% fontd

1% kernel_task

0% NotificationCenter

0% cloudpaird

Top Processes by Memory: (What does this mean?)

748 MB kernel_task

483 MB Finder

393 MB com.apple.WebKit.WebContent(3)

336 MB iTunes

319 MB Keynote

Virtual Memory Information: (What does this mean?)

146 MB Free RAM

7.86 GB Used RAM (1.63 GB Cached)

30 MB Swap Used

Diagnostics Information: (What does this mean?)

Nov 26, 2015, 08:37:37 AM Self test - passed

Nov 25, 2015, 08:58:06 AM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/BitdefenderVirusScanner_2015-11-25-085806_[reda cted].cpu_resource.diag [Click for details]

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Answer 3

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,739 points

Nov 27, 2015 5:06 PM in response to stellasintex

There are many possible causes for this issue, and it may be hard to resolve. Please take whichever of the following steps is applicable that you haven't already tried. Back up all data before making any changes.

If you get the alert in the login screen before you log in, stop here and ask for instructions.

Step 1

If you get the alert as soon as you log in, it's probably caused by one of your login items or by software that otherwise loads at startup or login. Common offenders are "1Password" and "Adobe Resource Synchronizer," but there are many others.

Select the Login Items tab in the Users & Groups pane of System Preferences. Delete any suspicious items. If you're not sure which ones to delete, double-click each to test it.

To avoid confusion, note that checking or unchecking the box next to a login item does not inactivate it. You have to delete the item from the list.

Step 2

If there's an icon representing the server in the sidebar of a Finder window, hold down the command key and drag it out.

Step 3

You may have created aliases to files or folders on the server. If you don't know whether you did that, you can find all aliases as follows.

Triple-click anywhere in the line of text below on this page to select it:

kMDItemContentType=com.apple.alias-file

Copy the selected text to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C.

In the Finder, press command-F to open a search window, or select

File ▹ Find

from the menu bar. In the search window, select

Search: This Mac

from the row of tokens below the toolbar. Below that is a popup menu of search criteria, initially showing Kind. From that menu, select

Other...

A sheet will drop down. In that sheet, select

Raw Query

as the criterion, then click OK or press return.

Now there will be a text box to the right of the menu of search criteria. That's where you enter the raw search query. Click in that box and paste the text you copied earlier by pressing command-V.

The search window will now show all aliases on mounted volumes. You can see the target of each alias by selecting it and opening the Info window. Delete any that refer to the server.

Step 4

Open the Printers & Scanners pane in System Preferences and delete any network devices you no longer use. If in doubt, delete them all and add back the ones you want.

Step 5

Open the Time Machine preference pane and click Options. If the server is listed as a backup destination, remove it from the list.

Step 6

Copy the line below to the Clipboard as in Step 3:

~/Library/PDF Services

In the Finder, select

Go ▹ Go to Folder...

from the menu bar and paste into the box that opens. You may not see what you pasted because a line break is included. Press return. A folder may open. If it does, move the contents to the Desktop, or to a new folder on the Desktop. Log out and log back in. Test. If there's no change, put the items you moved back where they were and continue.

Step 7

Open the folder

~/Library/Preferences

as in Step 5 and move the file named "loginwindow.plist" items in that folder to the Trash, if it exists (it may not.)

Log out and back in again, and test.

Step 8

Other possible causes are references in the iPhoto, Photos, iTunes, or iMovie library pointing to the server, bookmarks in the Preview application, and PDF files created by Adobe Acrobat with embedded scripts.

Try rebuilding the iPhoto library, or the Photos library, if applicable.

If you get the alert when connecting an iOS device with iTunes, re-create your iTunes library and playlists. See also this ASC discussion.

If you get the alert when selecting a screen saver, you may have moved your iTunes library to the file server.

Step 9

Resources such as images or sounds stored on the server may have been added to various applications. Examples would be pictures added to Contacts and custom sounds added to Mail. The range of possibilites is practically infinite, so I can't be more specific. You might get a hint by launching the Console application and looking for error messages that appear at the same time as the alerts.

Step 10

Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed to start up. Start up in safe mode. Test. After testing, restart as usual (not in safe mode) and verify that you still have the problem.

Note: If FileVault is enabled in OS X 10.9 or earlier, or if a firmware password is set, or if the startup volume is a Fusion Drive or a software RAID, you can’t do this. Ask for further instructions.

Step 11

Launch the Directory Utility application. Depending on what version of OS X you have, you may be able to do that by entering the first few letters of its name in a Spotlight search. If that doesn't work, triple-click anywhere in the line of text below on this page to select it:

/System/Library/CoreServices

Right-click or control-click the selected text and select

Services ▹ Open

from the contextual menu.* A folder named "CoreServices" will open. The Directory Utility application is in that folder, or in a subfolder named "Applications".

In the Directory Utility window, select the Directory Editor tool in the toolbar. Select Mounts from the Viewing menu in the toolbar, and /Local/Default from the node menu, if not already selected. On the right is a list of names and values. By default, the list is empty. If it's not empty, post a screenshot of the window and stop here.

*If you don't see the contextual menu item, copy the selected text to the Clipboard (command-C). Open a TextEdit window and paste into it (command-V). Select the line you just pasted and continue as above.

Step 12

Open the following file as you did in the last step:

/etc/auto_master

It will open in a TextEdit window. The contents should be exactly this:

#
# Automounter master map
#
+auto_master # Use directory service
/net -hosts -nobrowse,hidefromfinder,nosuid
/home auto_home -nobrowse,hidefromfinder
/Network/Servers -fstab
/- -static

If there are any other lines in the window, post them. Otherwise, close the window.

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Answer 4

stellasintex Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 28, 2015 9:44 AM in response to Linc Davis

Thank you Linc for responding! I will try the steps you gave to resolve this. At first I thought it was something simple, but as I keep deleting items, and it keeps appearing, I realized it isn't so simple. After reading through your steps, I see it is more complicated to pin down the culprit. I do notice it pop up a lot when I open iTunes, so I'll start there. Again thanks for responding so quickly!

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Answer 5

stellasintex Author

Level 1

8 points

Jan 21, 2016 6:59 PM in response to Linc Davis

I just wanted to let you know that my problem was resolved by deleting the albums in my iTunes library that had missing cover art. After deleting about 20 albums the problem was fixed. Thank you. Hope this helps someone else.

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