F@#$ing spinning beachball

[ryans79]

Hey all!

I have a 13" uni MBP (mid 2009) with standard memory etc... the only thing i have changed is the hdd from the miserly one Apple gives you to a seagate 500gb (because i do a lot of movie editing on the go - mostly getting the video from DV cameras).

the old drive was a 5400rpm and so is the new one..
i didnt do a clean install as i have just too many programs to reinstall them all, but did a clone and everything is working great... except i keep seeing the @#$#@ng spinning beachball in nearly every application that i am using now, even when all i have is firefox open.

Its driving me up the wall really esp since i hardly saw it before i upgraded my drive.

Any suggestions on how to make that SOB go away?

Thanks!
R

 

[angelwatt]

Well, calming down is a start. Using that kind of language doesn't help anything.

One basic start is to look at the Console app when the beach balling occurs. Not for certain something will show up here, but it's an easy thing to check for. When you say you have the beach balling happening in every app, do you really mean 3 or 4 apps? Knowing what apps it happens in can help determine if it's a specific application issue or a OS feature issue, or whatever.

When does the beach balling happen in the apps e.g., while you're typing, clicking, etc.? I remember a thread here about the beach balling when typing. Also, how long does the beach balling occur for, 1 second, 5 seconds, a minute?

 

[t0mat0]

Seeing as ryan79 censored his own swearing, it seems like he's more likely just venting. And i'd say telling someone to calm down about these things like a spinning beachball can seem enfruriating or patronising - an unintended consequence, right?

Advice is good - have activity monitor running, check the console, get click2flash, desribe the problem more and you'll get more help

As an aside - have you checked the Seagate drive doens't have SMS or similar (ie it doesn't have any sudden motion detection system?) - if it does, then you might want to check out the click beep, and other threads on the macbook subforum - it's been an issue.

How much internal hard drive space do you have? That can also be an issue.

Know it can be frustrating, keep at it.

 

[ryans79]

Thanks for replying guys..

One basic start is to look at the Console app when the beach balling occurs.

Ok, will keep that app open all the time and paste the results here, because i have no idea what i am looking for.

When you say you have the beach balling happening in every app, do you really mean 3 or 4 apps?

Nope, I did mean every app, dreamweaver,photoshop,firefox,finder,textedit,bbedit,safari... you name it, and it happens there.

When does the beach balling happen in the apps e.g., while you're typing, clicking, etc.?

Didnt really make a mental note of this but i think its both... typing or clicking.. - Ill keep a lookout and update this thread in a while.

Also, how long does the beach balling occur for, 1 second, 5 seconds, a minute?

Didnt time it, will keep a lookout and update this thread in a while.

more likely just venting.

Spot on...

Advice is good - have activity monitor running, check the console, get click2flash,

Ok, have started AM as well... already had click2flash and flashblock for FF (am more of a FF fan in a large part due to its plugins, dont care for safari much but use it occasionally )

As an aside - have you checked the Seagate drive doens't have SMS or similar (ie it doesn't have any sudden motion detection system?)

Hmmm, as far as i know it does not have anything as such, but heres the link to the exact product:
http://www.webhallen.com/prod.php?id=105155

How much internal hard drive space do you have? That can also be an issue.

Ok, opened finder, right clicked on my Mac partition (have another partition for bootcamp) and then the beachball came for 30-45secs, and then it says my Mac partition has 283.33gb of which 88.57gb is available (note that i am on Snow Leopard so 1gb = 1000MB and not 1024mb)
also console showed nothing...

Know it can be frustrating, keep at it.

Thanks, I appreciate it

I did buy 2x2gigs of crucial memory which should arrive on Monday, because i was not sure if it was a memory thing - and would like to run VM Fusion in future (right now its too slow sharing 2gigs between mac/win) and got advise right here in this forum to boost the memory if running vm fusion.


EDIT: Quick update, as i clicked the submit to submit the above reply, beachballed ~30secs

 

[Cole Slaw]

Try resetting the SMC. Link: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964?viewlocale=en_US

 

[cube]

It's not a beachball. It's an optical disc.