Garageband freezes iMac retina5k 2016

Hello Edubfloyd,

Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.

From your post I understand that when you try and launch GarageBand on your Mac, the app is becoming unresponsive. Given this is happening even after reinstalling Mac OS X and GarageBand, I would like you to please try and boot into safe mode and try to launch GarageBand.

1. Choose Apple menu > Shut Down.

2. After your Mac shuts down, wait 10 seconds, then press the power button.

3. Immediately after you hear the startup tone, hold down the Shift key.

   You should press the Shift key as soon as possible after you hear the startup tone, but not before.

4. Release the Shift key when you see the gray Apple logo and progress indicator.

To leave safe mode, restart your Mac again, but don’t hold down any keys during startup.

OS X El Capitan: Start up in safe mode

Take care.

Hey Edubfloyd,

Thanks for clarifying. Does this happen with all projects? You can create a new project to test this out, and see if it continues. If it doesn't happen in a new project, then it's likely that something in the project you've created has become corrupt. If it is just the project alone, then you can begin removing content from the project, and testing the playback. Before doing this, please back up your computer by using Time Machine.

Use Time Machine to back up or restore your Mac

Also, please duplicate the GarageBand project in Finder by selecting the file, then going File > Duplicate. Then open your project, and start deleting content in the project, one half at a time. If the issue persists after deleting the one half, then the issue may be in the other, so undo the deletion and try again with the other half. Continue with this process until you hopefully find the source of what is causing the issue in the project.

Now on the other hand, if the test project has the same issue, then I suggest going through the process in the link below to test again in a new user. In the new user, create a test project as you did in the original user account, and see if the issue persists.

How to test with another user account

You can figure out if unexpected behavior is related to user file or setting by trying to reproduce the issue from another user account. This process includes creating a new user account, logging in to it, and testing for the issue.

Create a test user account

1. From the Apple menu, choose System Preferences.
2. Click the Users & Groups icon in the System Preferences window.
3. Click the lock icon, then enter an administrator name and password.
4. Click the Add button (+) below the list of users.
5. Choose a type of user from the New Account pop-up menu.
6. Give the user a full name, account name, and password.
7. Click OK.
8. Close the System Preferences window.

If there are documents from your original user account that you want to test with, place a copy of these items in the Shared folder in the Users folder. Press the Option key while dragging a file to this folder to create a copy.

Log in to the test user account

Log out of your current user account by choosing Log Out from the Apple menu, then log in to the new account you created. If you're prompted to sign in with your iCloud account or Apple ID when you log in, skip this step.

Try reproducing the issue

Try the same steps that caused the unexpected behavior to appear before.

How to test an issue in another user account on your Mac

Please let us know how it goes!

Take care.

Hi Edubfloyd,

At this point, I highly recommend getting in contact with Apple Support for some more in-depth troubleshooting. Start a support case by following the directions in the link below.

https://getsupport.apple.com

Take care.

I am having the exact same problem. Have an IMAC 5k, 3.5 GHz Intel Core i5, 16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3, AMD Radeon R9 M290X 2048 MB.

Freezes when I'm working on a project and listening back to the track. The track keeps playing but everything freezes and I get the spinning beach ball. Can't do anything except restart the computer.

Garageband worked fine though before updating to El Capitan. Have tried re-installing with no success.

The other thing is, I still have the old Garageband version (5.1) saved and that one works just fine.

If someone knows, please help.

Thanks!

Im having exactly the same problem, have been since I got my iMac in Jan. As soon as it started I contacted the support and they have been good but they still haven't sussed it yet. They have reinstalled my operating system remotely with no luck, tried everything basically, they now think it may be hardware related. What does your CPU run at in the activity monitor? Mine can sometimes get up to 200% and then starts spinning. I normally do a screen shot to clear the problem and it's also a good record of how many times it happens when you contact the support team.

Ive got the same problem which apple are looking at, they tried this with a different user account and it didn't work, they then tried running it on a blank machine with just garageband and everything I had backed up but still didn't work, been going on since Jan 11 2016.

I am also having this ultra frustrating problem. I just got my mac in November really not having installed anything onto it, and yet the mere task of play a 10 second long 4 track song makes it freeze up for a few seconds. No one can write music like this. I feel like I just have to be patient for apple to fix the program.

Just open a session and keep logs of when it happens, must be a new iMac (2015) prob as i've been in touch with people on you tube with older iMacs (2013) and latest garageband and they are having no problems.

Any luck with anything yet? Apple shop did a diagnostics run on mine and everything came up fine, thinks it must be a program glitch, CPU is OK up to 400% because of 4 processors ( I think he said). Reckons I will have to wait for Apple to upgrade Garageband.

Any luck with your problem at apple support yet?

I'm getting the same issue on my imac retina 5k 27" i7 16MB etc etc

I find that switching between apps sometimes gets me out of the "spinning ball" scenario but that not reliable and its ultra-painful.

Shame...music, photo and movie editing is precisely why I wen imac for the first time ever. 😟

Seems the software is the common denominator...I'll eagerly await a new version.

to clear, do a screen shot (command shift 3) or click on iMac volume icon in top right corner, seems to work as well, I spoke to a You Tuber who is having the same problem.