Erroll
Level 1 (25 points)
Mac OS X

Q: Mac Pro Freezes But Comes Back

The following usually happens in one particular application (Digital Performer), but I believe that's because I spend 99% of my time on this computer in that application. However, for completeness, the app. is usually playing audio and most often a QT movie, too.

 

What happens is that the app freezes and I get a beachball. I used to think the app had crashed, and would force quit and restart it, but I've since learnt that, if I wait it out, it will come back to normal functioning. This can take from 10 to 30 seconds(ish).

 

If I open Console immediately the freeze happens (Spotlight still works, Console launches okay, the app switcher still works), the last two entries are always:

 

<date><time> SpotlightNetHelper[330]: [SLSUGGESTIONS] Location managed failed with error Error Domain=kCLErrorDomain Code=0 "The operation couldn’t be completed. (kCLErrorDomain error 0.)"

<date><time> Console[40665]: Failed to connect (_consoleX) outlet from (NSApplication) to (ConsoleX): missing setter or instance variable

 

There doesn't seem to be any pattern to how often it occurs. Sometimes I don't see it for hours, sometimes it's every few minutes.

 

Does anyone know what's going on here?

 

Thanks in advance,

Steve  = : ^ )

Mac Pro, OS X Yosemite (10.10.5), null

Posted on Jan 29, 2016 6:06 PM

by Erroll,Solvedanswer
Erroll Erroll
Level 1 (25 points)
Mac OS X
A:

Thanks again for the reply. I've already tried something more specific: in Spotlight prefs, I've disabled 'Bing Web Searches'. This was the only place I could see that Spotlight associates with the internet, plus I think that web searches are often location specific, which ties in with:

Location managed failed (sic) with error ...

(I suspect that should read "location manager failed ...".)

 

I've had no freezes so far, but it's only been an hour or so. I'l report back later.

 

Thanks again,

Steve  = : ^ )

Posted on Feb 12, 2016 6:24 PM

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Erroll

Q: Mac Pro Freezes But Comes Back

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Erroll,Helpful

    Erroll Erroll Feb 12, 2016 4:26 PM in response to Erroll
    Level 1 (25 points)
    Mac OS X
    Feb 12, 2016 4:26 PM in response to Erroll

    I posted this a couple of weeks ago but it was the weekend and the middle of the night in the US, and I'm commenting in the hope that there might be someone with something to offer who missed it the first time. It's slowly driving me batty.

     

    Thanks in advance,

    Steve  = : ^ )

  • by rccharles,Apple recommended

    rccharles rccharles Feb 10, 2016 6:50 PM in response to Erroll
    Level 6 (8,476 points)
    Classic Mac OS
    Feb 10, 2016 6:50 PM in response to Erroll

    Try a safe boot.

         Shutdown your machine.  Hold down the shift key.  Poweron.  Wait awhile; wait awhile while you harddrive

         is being checked.

           http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1455

         What features and apps does safe boot leave out?

           https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201262

  • by Eric Root,

    Eric Root Eric Root Feb 12, 2016 10:23 AM in response to Erroll
    Level 9 (70,250 points)
    iTunes
    Feb 12, 2016 10:23 AM in response to Erroll

    If the above doesn't work, try another user.

     

    Do a backup, using either Time Machine or a cloning program, to ensure files/data can be recovered. Two backups are better than one.

     

    Try setting up another admin user account to see if the same problem continues. If Back-to-My Mac is selected in System Preferences, the Guest account will not work. The intent is to see if it is specific to one account or a system wide problem. This account can be deleted later.

     

    Isolating an issue by using another user account

     

    Try running this program and then copy and paste the output in a reply. The program was created by Etresoft, a frequent contributor.  Please use copy and paste as screen shots can be hard to read.

    Etrecheck – System Information

  • by Erroll,

    Erroll Erroll Feb 12, 2016 4:39 PM in response to Erroll
    Level 1 (25 points)
    Mac OS X
    Feb 12, 2016 4:39 PM in response to Erroll

    Thanks for the reply.

     

    I booted into safe mode. I couldn't do any work because the drivers for my audio hardware didn't load.

     

    However, I opened Console and the last entry in the log was the last entry as described in my original post, i.e.

    <date><time> Console[40665]: Failed to connect (_consoleX) outlet from (NSApplication) to (ConsoleX): missing setter or instance variable

    and i've realised that this is always the last entry anytime I open Console, and I've decided it has nothing to do with my problem.


    I left Console open on the Mac Pro while I did some other work on the iMac, checking the console log periodically and, at one point I saw the first line from my original post, i.e.

    <date><time> SpotlightNetHelper[330]: [SLSUGGESTIONS] Location managed failed with error Error Domain=kCLErrorDomain Code=0 "The operation couldn’t be completed. (kCLErrorDomain error 0.)"

     

    So I can assert that this issue that freezes the computer for a few seconds still occurs in Safe Mode and, from the text in the Console log, it seems to be something to do with SpotlightNetHelper launching but then not finding something it's looking for.

     

    I'm back to working after a normal boot and the problem persists.

     

    Thanks again,

    Steve  = : ^ )

  • by rccharles,

    rccharles rccharles Feb 12, 2016 6:25 PM in response to Erroll
    Level 6 (8,476 points)
    Classic Mac OS
    Feb 12, 2016 6:25 PM in response to Erroll

    That is a good find.  Suggest you disable spotlight, at least on a trial basis.

     

    These hints maybe os x version related.

     

    http://osxdaily.com/2011/12/10/disable-or-enable-spotlight-in-mac-os-x-lion/

     

    http://www.tekrevue.com/tip/three-ways-to-prevent-spotlight-from-indexing-items- on-your-mac/

     

    What is SpotlightNetHelper

    SpotlightNetHelper connects to Apple servers regardless of user settings

  • by Erroll,Solvedanswer

    Erroll Erroll Feb 12, 2016 6:24 PM in response to rccharles
    Level 1 (25 points)
    Mac OS X
    Feb 12, 2016 6:24 PM in response to rccharles

    Thanks again for the reply. I've already tried something more specific: in Spotlight prefs, I've disabled 'Bing Web Searches'. This was the only place I could see that Spotlight associates with the internet, plus I think that web searches are often location specific, which ties in with:

    Location managed failed (sic) with error ...

    (I suspect that should read "location manager failed ...".)

     

    I've had no freezes so far, but it's only been an hour or so. I'l report back later.

     

    Thanks again,

    Steve  = : ^ )

  • by rccharles,

    rccharles rccharles Feb 12, 2016 6:28 PM in response to Erroll
    Level 6 (8,476 points)
    Classic Mac OS
    Feb 12, 2016 6:28 PM in response to Erroll

    This was the only place I could see that Spotlight associates with the internet,

     

    It does a lot more "phoning" home .

    What is SpotlightNetHelper

    SpotlightNetHelper connects to Apple servers regardless of user settings

  • by Erroll,

    Erroll Erroll Feb 13, 2016 12:07 AM in response to rccharles
    Level 1 (25 points)
    Mac OS X
    Feb 13, 2016 12:07 AM in response to rccharles

    I had actually seen that article, but decided to give SpotlightNetHelper the benefit of the doubt in my case and assume it behaved as advertised. And it seems to have worked. Earlier today I searched the Spotlight log for "NetHelper" and had a page full of identical errors, the one I listed in my first post. Since I disabled 'Bing Web Searches', I have none of these errors in my Console log. The only two entries involving SpotlightNetHelper are:

    <date><time> SpotlightNetHelper[579]: CGSConnectionByID: 0 is not a valid connection ID.

    <date><time> SpotlightNetHelper[579]: Invalid Connection ID 0

     

    at the moment that the computer booted up. Zero entries since. This is after several hours of working and no freezes. I'm going to tentatively declare this fixed.

     

    Thanks everyone who replied.

    Steve  = : ^ )

  • by rccharles,

    rccharles rccharles Feb 13, 2016 11:15 AM in response to Erroll
    Level 6 (8,476 points)
    Classic Mac OS
    Feb 13, 2016 11:15 AM in response to Erroll

    Great detective work!

     

    I have spotlight turned on.  These articles on exactly what spotlight does are worrisome if true, but not enough for me to do anything about it.  I mentioned the article the second time in case you missed it, and in case you might  be more concerned about privacy than me.  At some point, I tuned bing search off.

     

    R