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iMac 2011 Speed Issues

FrogTastic

FrogTastic

macrumors regular
Original poster
Nov 20, 2008
118
0
United Kingdom
Hello,

I understand this has been asked before, but I've tried most suggestions if not all without any difference.

Firstly, I've used windows all my life and moved to Mac afew years ago. So my technical knowledge of OS is minimal to say the least. So please be gentle.

For the last couple of months I've been noticing my machine getting slower and slower. The only resource hungry app I have installed in CS5 with NIK, but this was installed well before the issues ever surfaced.

My machine specs are:
iMac 27inch Mid 2011
OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion
3.1GHz i5
1TB HDD
16GB RAM

Steps I've tried:
Reseating RAM
Uninstalled unused apps
Ran Onyx
Repaired Permissions
Unchecked "Login Items"
Unchecked the “Animate opening applications” box

I've checked Activity monitor, there doesn't seems to be high CPU or RAM usage.

Please help..
 
FrogTastic said:
Hello,

I understand this has been asked before, but I've tried most suggestions if not all without any difference.

Firstly, I've used windows all my life and moved to Mac afew years ago. So my technical knowledge of OS is minimal to say the least. So please be gentle.

For the last couple of months I've been noticing my machine getting slower and slower. The only resource hungry app I have installed in CS5 with NIK, but this was installed well before the issues ever surfaced.

My machine specs are:
iMac 27inch Mid 2011
OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion
3.1GHz i5
1TB HDD
16GB RAM

Steps I've tried:
Reseating RAM Won't help
Uninstalled unused apps Won't help
Ran Onyx
Repaired Permissions Won't help
Unchecked "Login Items"
Unchecked the “Animate opening applications” box Won't help

I've checked Activity monitor, there doesn't seems to be high CPU or RAM usage.

Please help..
Click to expand...


Make a new User in Users & Groups, logout of your account and into the new one, it is a new Account so let it finish it's setup, 1 minute should do, try if it is better there, if not do a restart and try again, if it is better you know your normal User Account has problems.
 
justperry said:
Make a new User in Users & Groups, logout of your account and into the new one, it is a new Account so let it finish it's setup, 1 minute should do, try if it is better there, if not do a restart and try again, if it is better you know your normal User Account has problems.
Click to expand...

Thanx, ill give that a shot this evening. Is it then possible to copy across items from the other account - desktop etc?
 
FrogTastic said:
Hello,

I understand this has been asked before, but I've tried most suggestions if not all without any difference.

Firstly, I've used windows all my life and moved to Mac afew years ago. So my technical knowledge of OS is minimal to say the least. So please be gentle.

For the last couple of months I've been noticing my machine getting slower and slower. The only resource hungry app I have installed in CS5 with NIK, but this was installed well before the issues ever surfaced.

My machine specs are:
iMac 27inch Mid 2011
OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion
3.1GHz i5
1TB HDD
16GB RAM

Steps I've tried:
Reseating RAM
Uninstalled unused apps
Ran Onyx
Repaired Permissions
Unchecked "Login Items"
Unchecked the “Animate opening applications” box

I've checked Activity monitor, there doesn't seems to be high CPU or RAM usage.

Please help..
Click to expand...

Please do 3 each SMC and PRAM resets. Instructions for those are at:

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3603

Do each back to back, the first time does not always "take."

Next restart the machine in Safe Mode, this will clear some caches. It is possible one or more is corrupt. Instructions for that are at:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1455
 
rkaufmann87 said:
Please do 3 each SMC and PRAM resets. Instructions for those are at:

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3603

Do each back to back, the first time does not always "take."

Next restart the machine in Safe Mode, this will clear some caches. It is possible one or more is corrupt. Instructions for that are at:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1455
Click to expand...

Reseting SMC is not needed 3 times, Apple does not advise to reset SMC multiple times, NVRAM/PRAM Can be done as many times as you like though.

----------
FrogTastic said:
meant is it everything facing the screen. i.e - User error
Click to expand...

Ah, got it now.:eek:

No, it most likely has nothing to do with User Error.

A few days ago there was a very similar problem, I will give you the link to this thread and a quote from 1 post.

New 27'' iMac Slow and Laggy for no reason!

Quote from post #19 - miguelcoma

Step 1: Delete system windowserver preferences
In the Finder, from the menu bar, select "Go -> Go to Folder..."
Enter: /Library/Preferences/
Delete the file called com.apple.windowserver.plist

Step 2: Delete user windowserver preferences
In the Finder, from the menu bar, select "Go -> Go to Folder..."
Enter: ~/Library/Preferences/ByHost/
Delete all files that start with com.apple.windowserver (On my rMBP, there was one file called com.apple.windowserver.12AFB147-95D6-5C70-8F62-C1E4F2BE81BE)

[OPTIONAL] Step 3: Reset the PRAM
(These instructions are from http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379)
Shut down your Mac.
Locate the following keys on the keyboard: Command (⌘), Option, P, and R. You will need to hold these keys down simultaneously in step 4.
Turn on the computer.
Press and hold the Command-Option-P-R keys before the gray screen appears.
Hold the keys down until the computer restarts and you hear the startup sound for the second time.
Release the keys.
Click to expand...
 
Thanx guys, ill give it a shot this evening. Hopefully all goes well.

Is there a known cause of this, and any way to avoid it happening again?
 
Have you run a SMART tool to check the HD? It's likely a HD if a new account didn't resolve your issues. And remember OSX does not have any good tools to do this. Suggest getting a app to pull a SMART report and check disk for errors. I recently determined my 2011 1tb drive had hundreds of bad sectors after having huge speed issues. Disk Utils never reported a thing, ran SMART reporter and determine my issue instantly. Purchased the OWC cable to install a after market drive(WD 3tb RED drive) and am up and running.
 
Afew updates:

As per :apple: Care I did the following:,

Reinstalled system files
Removed all media and 3rd party apps
Repair permissions

The above did nothing. iMac was running very hot, hot to the touch in fact and I noticed a burnt on the screen so I booked the iMac in at my local :apple: repair centre.

Received a call today from :apple: advising I have 40% disk fragmentation, dust built up on the fan which they feel have caused the speed issues. They suggested(after they replace the screen FOC) that I purchase Disk Wizard and run this every few months?

This for me sounds strange, I thought OS doesn't require defragging and this was done by Mac background housekeeping?

Does this sound right?
 
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