Almost no applications running properly, something seriously wrong.

Try resetting the PRAM (turn off computer, hit power button, hold down Command, Option, P and R as sooon as you hear things starting up. Hold them down until you get another apple chime.)

 

SMC reset?

 

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964

 

I would start to look at this by running activity monitor and seeing if I could spot anything unusual.

Then I would start the console app and see if I could spot any error messages.

It sounds like it could be your disk drive but that is just a guess. See these programs sit out on disk and when you start one it will get loaded into memory. Sounds like it is taking a long time to get read into memory but once it is in memory the program will run ok. That is just a guess. If you have the diagnostic program that came with your mac you can also try to run that. It is pretty simplistic but it is better than nothing. In your application folder check to see if you have tech tool delux.app.

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One more easy thing to try. Start disk utility and click on your hard disk in the panel on the left. Then on the right click 'verify disk'. It should run with no errors.

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If none of this works and you are still having trouble & if your machine is still under applecare... take it to apple, get it fixed.

 

Well, you're on here, so there goes that idea...

But it is probably a failing hard drive. Back it up, erase and reinstall for starters, then look into buying a replacement drive.

 

If you can, I would try booting of a cloned external backup, then you could clearly tell if it were the disk or a system issue. If you don't I would try repairing the disk from disk utility using the install dvd. If that still doesnt work (after testing it) I'd do erase and install of the basic OSX system and see how things work, then at least you've rulled out system issues.

 

Error code 61 is near the bottom.

I would use disk utility and run repair permissions on your drive.

http://www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs/user/lenzo/html/mac_errors.html

 

Open disk utility (Im sure you can find it)

Wait a sec for it to index the drives, select your main hd, once you click on there should be 2 buttons in the bottom left asking to verify or repair permissions. do both, verify first. It may take a while.