Timeshare1965
Level 1 (4 points)
Mac OS X

Q: El Capitain Help! Spinning BeachBall

Hello, I need some help I have a Imac late 2009 27" running 10.11.5 it has a 2.66 Ghz Intel Core i5 and a ATI Radeon HD 4850 512 mb graphics card and 12GB of ram. When I initially upgraded to 10.11.5 I didnt seam to have any issues, then a few weeks later every time I would try to run Mac Mail the whole system would crash. I started using Gmail via foxfire instead. Now about a month or so later my whole system is running so slow it takes up to 4 minutes to open almost any program. I ran Mac Warrior and it didnt have any effect. Next I disconnected my external devises and booted back up again no improvements. Next I tried clearing the cache, no improvement. It seams that any time i click on any program or button the beach ball starts spinning for long periods of time. The last thing I have tried is starting up in safe mode, it cut my time from about 4 minute to about 3. I have tried running Mac Warrior a few times and every time the issues are repaired and when I run it again they are back, Ive done this 3 times now. How can I resolve this issue? Please Help!!

iMac, OS X El Capitan (10.11.5), null

Posted on Jun 14, 2016 4:02 PM

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Timeshare1965

Q: El Capitain Help! Spinning BeachBall

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  • by Deesol,

    Deesol Deesol Jun 16, 2016 12:00 AM in response to Timeshare1965
    Level 1 (17 points)
    Desktops
    Jun 16, 2016 12:00 AM in response to Timeshare1965

    This sounds like a failing HDD or (not so likely) Malware.  I would be willing to bet on a Hard Disk Drive (HDD) that has bad sectors.  Please be sure to backup your information. I would first try to verify and repair the disk using Disk Utility.  Should that fail, the next step would be to have your HDD diagnosed/replaced.  The super slow reading speeds are more likely to be caused by input/output errors from the faulty sectors on the HDD. 

     

    I hope this helps you out

  • by macjack,

    macjack macjack Jun 16, 2016 8:07 AM in response to ~Bee
    Level 9 (55,709 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jun 16, 2016 8:07 AM in response to ~Bee

    Yes, Bee you're right there's still stuff that shouldn't be on there. But when the OP replaces the HDD it will be clean. If they reinstall the same stuff, it will be fubar again.

    Thanks for reminding them. Torrents are a good way to pick up malware because anything can hitchhike in on a download.

     

    Viruses, Malware and OS X

     

    There are no viruses that can attack Mac.OS X. So, anti-virus programs are selling a cure for a disease that doesn't exist. And they are renowned for borking Mac systems.

     

    A Mac can pick up malware but not if you just use common sense. You really have to actively invite some malware in for it to happen. That means downloading and knowingly giving your password for it to download. Mac provides all the protection you need with SIP (System Integrity Protection).I About System Integrity Protection on your Mac - Apple Support

     

    If you do happen to download adware you can use MalwareBytes to get rid of it. Malwarebytes was developed by one of our own colleagues here in ASC. It gets rave reviews and is about the most proven anti-malware software for Mac. If you use torrents, don't. Torrents are a good way to pick up malware because anything can hitchhike in on a download.

     

    Safari pop-ups are different and easier to deal with. In Safari 9.1 and later just close the window. For earlier versions force quit and hold the shift key while restarting Safari.

    https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203987

     

    Finally, stay away from programs that purport to "clean your Mac". They can do damage to your system. Your Mac needs no cleaning in the first place. All the cleaning that is necessary is taken care routinely by OS X.

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