MacBook Pro Applications keep crashing and I am LOSING my MIND!

[wljones]

Last week I spent 150.00 to have my MacBook Pro Repaired. I am not very good with this stuff and needed help so....

I have a MacBook Pro Version 10.4.11. with iTunes 9.2.1 (5).

Safari, Firefox, Adobe kept crashing. Then Mail crashed and finally iTunes. The computer said that iTunes was now stored somewhere on my computer in a file that was "damaged".

I took it to the nearest computer repair shop (No Mac store within 100 miles of here) but this store does fix MACS. They checked and repaired file systems, reset components, performed Apple/3rd Party software updates, clean temporary files - Repaired file systems. Archived and reinstalled OS. Reimported iTunes and added 1GB RAM.

Got the computer home and my iPhone wouldn't synch. SO I had to uninstall iTunes and reinstall, then figure out how to get my library back...which I somehow did but don't think I could do again. It's been two days and it is starting all over again.

Today, Firefox and Safari began crashing again and yet once again, iTunes crashed and I have lost my entire library. It is back to the "damaged" place in a mystery file on my computer. 2 times today, I got a role down black screen that said I would have to restart my computer.

So, I have run the Disc Utility - repaired disc permissions (there were none to repair) and don't know what else to do except lose my mind. I have NEVER been so disgusted with this computer. I can't understand why NO ONE has been able to figure this out. Apple wants a gazillion buck to answer by question over the phone I didn't really have the 150.00 to have it "fixed in the first place so Apple's fee might as well be a gazillion $$$. I have looked solutions online and either I can't find one or don't understand what I am reading.

Can ANYONE help me? (I will be taking this back to the computer store but I no longer trust them and want more input)

Signed,
Desperate for my music

 

[Damo01]

How about doing a clean installation of your version mac OS X. Doing a clean installation does fixed problems with the system that is hard to diagnose. Doing an archive and install is not a clean installation and the problem will persist. Try doing the following

1. Get a carbon Copy Cloner and do a backup of your system by cloning your system onto a external drive if you have one.

2. Do a clean installation of the Mac OS X.

3. Use Migration Assistant to restore files from your clone (copy) system.

 

[wljones]

Apps keep crashing and I'm losing my mind

Okay...that sounds good. First, where do I get a ' Copy Cloner' and how do I do a "clean installation"? (I warned you I was very uninformed about this stuff which is why I don't know what to do)
I am thinking I can probably figure out the Migration Assistant.
Thanks,
Desperate

 

[ECUpirate44]

Download and install Carbon Copy Cloner. (Google it)
Back up to an external Drive using CCC
Reinstall OSX (search apple.com for step by step instructions)
Reinstall Applications
Use Migration Assistant

 

[xlii]

Run disk utility and run "verify disk" on your system disk. This will check that your file system is intact. It should have no errors.

Everything they did at the store is software related. You could have a hardware problem... so keep that in mind. Going back to the store and having them repeat what they just did would be a waste of time and money.

 

[shwc]

I got a role down black screen that said I would have to restart my computer.

I am assuming you saw a message that looks like this:

What you are experiencing is a Kernel Panic. Kernel Panics are most often (but not always) do to hardware issues. In my experience bad RAM is most often the culprit. The software you mention (itunes, firefox, etc) is not the problem. I also doubt that the kernel panics are the result of a corrupted operating system as that would have been solved by the OS re-install the company did for you.

Did the company you had "fix" your computer remove/replace your original RAM? From what you wrote, it sounds to me like the company put in an additional RAM stick, leaving the original RAM in your machine.

Use your owners manual (or go to ifixit.com) to find where your RAM slots are. If you have two (or more) sticks of RAM, remove one (with your computer off). Reboot your computer.

If you get a Kernel Panic, switch RAM sticks. I am guessing that your original RAM is bad.

In regards to your damaged itunes library. It is possible that the damage is occurring during your kernel panics. It is possible that it is do to a bad podcast file. Your music probably still exists in your music folder and you can (re)create a new library by holding down the Shift key while opening iTunes, Click on Create New Library (as found in this link). NOTE: I have never tried the new library trick. It should work, but caveat emptor.

 

[wljones]

Applications keep crashing and I'm losing my mind

WOW!! Thanks you guys. This is good. I think I can do this and it all sounds logical. I appreciate you taking the time to explain it to me. As soon as I get home from work today, I am going to give some of this a try.

 

[gnasher729]

I took it to the nearest computer repair shop (No Mac store within 100 miles of here) but this store does fix MACS. They checked and repaired file systems, reset components, performed Apple/3rd Party software updates, clean temporary files - Repaired file systems. Archived and reinstalled OS. Reimported iTunes and added 1GB RAM.

Apparently this store doesn't _fix_ Macs, it just works on them and charges money. The "fixing" bit seems to be missing. And the first thing I would have recommended is missing on the list: They didn't check that the hard drive is working Ok.

The most common cause of crashes is either defective RAM or a defective hard drive. Defective RAM mostly causes crashes and kernel panics (you saw the screen shot with a kernel panic). Defective hard drive will often have the effect that your computer "hangs" for a few seconds in the middle of doing things, and eventually it will lead to crashes. When the computer complains that a file is damaged then it is reasonably likely to be the hard drive.

Buy an external hard drive, any cheap USB hard drive will do (I'd pick one that is big enough to serve as a backup drive in the future; you should have a backup drive anyway), then use your installation disks to install the OS on your external hard drive. I think the installation should give you an option to copy all your user data from the old drive (it does in 10.6, but I don't know what happens in 10.4). In "System Preferences", change "Startup Disk" to start with the external drive, not the internal drive.

Now you have a computer that uses the external disk instead of internal. If that fixes the problem, then you know it is the internal disk that caused the problem.