MacBook runs like crap.

[rockacello]

Hi all,

my MacBook runs like ****. It's constantly hot (CPU is always above 70*C), it can't get through one youtube video with out stuttering and overheating, it can't run my external sound card (Audio 4 DJ) in conjunction with anything else, and it can't play AVI files without freezing and bugging out.

It's a 2nd gen Black MacBook with 2ghz processors, 2 gb of ram, and an upgraded WD 320 GB HD. Is this thing about to take a dump on me? Is the motherboard on its way out? Is there any chance of fixing this thing?

It seems the only thing my computer is good for theses days is doing light browsing on the internet. (read light browsing = no flash and no html5.)

 

[vistadude]

Sounds like you have a bad hard disk or a virus. Also get a replacement fan, although 70 C is not very hot at all. Intel chips are designed to go up to 100 C, but if the case is that hot, then it's a big problem.

 

[lbro]

Sounds like you have a bad hard disk or a virus. Also get a replacement fan, although 70 C is not very hot at all. Intel chips are designed to go up to 100 C, but if the case is that hot, then it's a big problem.

There are no known viruses for Macs.

 

[Petered]

Actually

There are like 12-13 viruses for Mac!

 

[Giuly]

Try repairing permissions and the disk via Disk Utility on the Install-DVD (Top-Menu->Utils).

 

[blackburn]

Check the activity monitor for cpu hungry tasks, be sure to select all processes. If your the diy kind you could replace the thermal paste an get much better results

 

[d88co88]

There are like 12-13 viruses for Mac!

I don't think you have a clue on what you are talking about.

 

[wywern209]

repair permissions and put new thermal paste. also, try elevating the computer. that might help increase airflow and reduce heat. though, if i am not mistaken, the gpu in that computer is integrated x3100, which could cause problems w/ high def vids

 

[Giuly]

repair permissions and put new thermal paste. also, try elevating the computer. that might help increase airflow and reduce heat. though, if i am not mistaken, the gpu in that computer is integrated x3100, which could cause problems w/ high def vids

YouTube in 720p runs fine, 1080p does not, even as h264.

OP: Better upgrade your RAM to 4GB.

 

[BigTroll]

on my older core duo macbook watching a 720p youtube vid makes this thing hit about 83c or so, but i idle around 55-59c. anyways if your using firefox clear out all your private data cookies, cache, etc. this helped alot on mine as far as web browsing goes.

 

[AlphaDogg]

On my old MB, it did the same thing. I took it into apple, and they found my water damage (in the form of corrosion) on the logic board. I thought that the water damage was the cause. It was not. Since they voided my warranty because of the corrosion, I decided to be venturous and reapply thermal paste. Of course, by this point I had gotten a new MBP, so if I did screw up, I had my main computer (MBP) to fall back on. I have a thread here showing my results.

 

[old-wiz]

There are like 12-13 viruses for Mac!

Prove it.

 

[Covart]

Hi all,

my MacBook runs like ****. It's constantly hot (CPU is always above 70*C), it can't get through one youtube video with out stuttering and overheating, it can't run my external sound card (Audio 4 DJ) in conjunction with anything else, and it can't play AVI files without freezing and bugging out.

It's a 2nd gen Black MacBook with 2ghz processors, 2 gb of ram, and an upgraded WD 320 GB HD. Is this thing about to take a dump on me? Is the motherboard on its way out? Is there any chance of fixing this thing?

It seems the only thing my computer is good for theses days is doing light browsing on the internet. (read light browsing = no flash and no html5.)

Could be a lot of reasons for what you are describing here, but you need to disregard some of the comments above (i.e. about 12-13 viruses for Macs or getting a replacement fan.)

You might want to do the quick and free things first. i.e. Ensure you don't have a lot of background processes going on. ANything that is Flash intensive will cause your CPU to work overdrive.

Conduct a systems check to see if your hard drive checks out as okay. Use this program: http://download.cnet.com/SMARTReporter/3000-2086_4-49263.html

It's also a good thing to look inside your Mac (or take it to the Apple store and ask to have one of the techs pull it apart) and clean it (especially the fan). The fan can become caked with dust, fur, hair or whatever and then it works even harder and can stay running more than it should, due to sensor issues.

If you upgrade to 4GB, you will notice a significant performance gain. And buying 2 x 2GB chips from places like Newegg.com is really cheap these days. Won't cost much at all. Looking on line and I believe you have the DDR2 5300 varient it woud cost you $75 for 4GB of RAM. Link here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...0231135&cm_re=ddr2_667-_-20-231-135-_-Product

Always running above 70 degrees is not the way the computer is supposed to run. I usually sit between 45 and 55 degrees. When playing flash it will jump to near 70 though.

And of course, you may want to also do a fresh install of OSX. Only reload the programs you really need at first. I think if you get 4GB of RAM, have the computer cleaned and do a fresh install, you'll feel like you have a new computer again.

 

[elephantinc]

What?! Of course there are viruses for macs. Writing one for macs is just as easy as any other operating system (not only is the procedure exactly the same, but loads of viruses (the less sophisticated ones (eg, key loggers)) are probably cross compatible with minimal changes, depending on what language and libraries they use and if they attack anything OS specific). I'm tempted to write one just to prove it (it's seriously not hard). You guys can test it

But I can't believe you lot can't believe there are viruses for macs.
http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Mac-Virus---A-Brief-History&id=4174801

The reason there aren't many is because of the small market share, why attack 10% when you can attack 80%?

But the chances of you having a virus are astronomically low, so I'd still disregard the suggestion.

 

[ItouchMe]

Blow out any dust with canned air and I also recommend you running a test on your HDD ASAP

 

[Yr Blues]

Spend about $10 on eBay and replace the fan like I just did. Also, wipe the harddrive and reinstall Leopard.

And YouTube will run hot on most macs anyhow.

you might want to turn off all of the non essential apps and widgets.

 

[old-wiz]

What?! Of course there are viruses for macs. Writing one for macs is just as easy as any other operating system (not only is the procedure exactly the same, but loads of viruses (the less sophisticated ones (eg, key loggers)) are probably cross compatible with minimal changes, depending on what language and libraries they use and if they attack anything OS specific). I'm tempted to write one just to prove it (it's seriously not hard). You guys can test it

But I can't believe you lot can't believe there are viruses for macs.
http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Mac-Virus---A-Brief-History&id=4174801

The reason there aren't many is because of the small market share, why attack 10% when you can attack 80%?

But the chances of you having a virus are astronomically low, so I'd still disregard the suggestion.

The referenced article isn't even clear on the distinction between malware and a virus. Malware is not a virus. The so-called iWork virus was actually malware. this is not the same as a virus.

The mac virus scanners only scan for windows viruses, which do nothing on macs.

Some of the references are to way older versions of osx.

 

[elephantinc]

The referenced article isn't even clear on the distinction between malware and a virus. Malware is not a virus. The so-called iWork virus was actually malware. this is not the same as a virus.

The mac virus scanners only scan for windows viruses, which do nothing on macs.

Some of the references are to way older versions of osx.

Not the point. My point is they exist and more could easily exist.

 

[Consultant]

Google "Safari 5 Flash Blocker"
you might even see my article on it.

Not the point. My point is they exist and more could easily exist.

FAIL.

Giz Explains: Why OS X Shrugs Off Viruses Better Than Windows
http://i.gizmodo.com/5101337/giz-explains-why-os-x-shrugs-off-viruses-better-than-windows

The Mac Malware Myth
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2009/01/29/the-mac-malware-myth/

The Unavoidable Malware Myth
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2008/...-apple-wont-inherit-microsofts-malware-crown/

 

[skibum0051]

I have a MacBook with a total of 1 GB 667 Mhz DDR2 SDRAM. I would like to upgrade to 4GB. I can't find 2 -2 GB 667's at newegg. Am I missing something????

Could be a lot of reasons for what you are describing here, but you need to disregard some of the comments above (i.e. about 12-13 viruses for Macs or getting a replacement fan.)

You might want to do the quick and free things first. i.e. Ensure you don't have a lot of background processes going on. ANything that is Flash intensive will cause your CPU to work overdrive.

Conduct a systems check to see if your hard drive checks out as okay. Use this program: http://download.cnet.com/SMARTReporter/3000-2086_4-49263.html

It's also a good thing to look inside your Mac (or take it to the Apple store and ask to have one of the techs pull it apart) and clean it (especially the fan). The fan can become caked with dust, fur, hair or whatever and then it works even harder and can stay running more than it should, due to sensor issues.

If you upgrade to 4GB, you will notice a significant performance gain. And buying 2 x 2GB chips from places like Newegg.com is really cheap these days. Won't cost much at all. Looking on line and I believe you have the DDR2 5300 varient it woud cost you $75 for 4GB of RAM. Link here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...0231135&cm_re=ddr2_667-_-20-231-135-_-Product

Always running above 70 degrees is not the way the computer is supposed to run. I usually sit between 45 and 55 degrees. When playing flash it will jump to near 70 though.

And of course, you may want to also do a fresh install of OSX. Only reload the programs you really need at first. I think if you get 4GB of RAM, have the computer cleaned and do a fresh install, you'll feel like you have a new computer again.

 

[Jony Mac]

Try repairing permissions and the disk via Disk Utility on the Install-DVD (Top-Menu->Utils).

Included with that download Onyx . You can repair permissions with that app, run the cleaning tools, and under maintenance you can run the OSX daily, weekly, and monthly scripts. If you dont leave your MB on all the time it may not get a chance to run those.

 

[SupaHype]

Read this - same issue as rocacello.

Hi all.. This is exactly what is happening. I also own the Black MacBook 13" 2gz. This sounds weird but trust me, its real, ive been dealing with this issue for 2 years now. (and it doesnt make any sense) The problem happens when the book is upgraded to 2 gb of ram AND THE BATTERY IS ON. Once the battery is on, the book begins to run "like crap". Make sure the mac is plugged in and take the battery off and the MacBook will immediately start running better (i dont know why and this does not solve the problem of being able to use the book without a plug). The other option is to downgrade to 1.5 megs of ram (doesnt make sense either), then the MacBook will run great even with the battery on.

This is not a solution. This was just what i figured out in the two years of upgrading and downgrading. This must be an underlying issue with the design of the book. With 1.5gb of ram the book runs fine. with 2gb the book wont even play a 1 minute youtube video without stuttering...

 

[tanhm]

??????????

There are like 12-13 viruses for Mac!

 

[GGJstudios]

Make sure the mac is plugged in and take the battery off and the MacBook will immediately start running better

This is bad advice and it's false. Current Mac notebooks have non-removable batteries, so it can't be done, anyway. For older models with removable batteries, your suggestion will make a Mac run slower, not faster:

MacBook and MacBook Pro: Mac reduces processor speed when battery is removed while operating from an A/C adaptor​

The other option is to downgrade to 1.5 megs of ram (doesnt make sense either), then the MacBook will run great even with the battery on.

Wrong again. Reducing the amount of RAM increases the likelihood of paging, which will degrade performance. Increasing RAM can improve performance. Decreasing it cannot improve performance.

This is not a solution.

This part is accurate.

This was just what i figured out in the two years of upgrading and downgrading.

You've drawn some wrong conclusions from misreading your performance issues. Rather than make it up as you go, it's better to accurately troubleshoot your performance issues and properly correct the situation. Nothing you've suggested is accurate and is NOT recommended for anyone who wants to intelligently improve performance.

Performance Tips For Mac OS X

There are like 12-13 viruses for Mac!

I know this post is over a year old, but it's completely false when applied to Mac OS X. There are zero Mac OS X viruses in the wild, and there has never been one.

What?! Of course there are viruses for macs.

Name one.

But I can't believe you lot can't believe there are viruses for macs.
http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Mac-Virus---A-Brief-History&id=4174801

Again, an old post, but since the thread has been resurrected, it deserves a response. There were viruses that affected Mac OS 9 and earlier versions, but none of them can affect Mac OS X. There has never been a Mac OS X virus in the wild. The link you posted refers to some of those outdated viruses that cannot run on today's Macs. The other "viruses" on that list are, in fact, trojans, which require user interaction to install and execute them. They are not viruses.

The reason there aren't many is because of the small market share, why attack 10% when you can attack 80%?

The market share theory is complete nonsense. There were viruses in the wild years ago, when Macs had much smaller market share and installed base. Now that Macs have a larger market share and installed base, the number of viruses in the wild has decreased... to zero.

You don't need any 3rd party antivirus app to keep your Mac malware-free. Macs are not immune to malware, but no true viruses exist in the wild that can run on Mac OS X, and there never have been any since it was released over 10 years ago. You cannot infect your Mac simply by visiting a website, unzipping a file, opening an email attachment or joining a network. The only malware in the wild that can affect Mac OS X is a handful of trojans, which cannot infect your Mac unless you actively install them, and they can be easily avoided with some basic education, common sense and care in what software you install. Also, Mac OS X Snow Leopard and Lion have anti-malware protection built in, further reducing the need for 3rd party antivirus apps.

Mac Virus/Malware FAQ​

 

[justinf77]

Hi all.. This is exactly what is happening. I also own the Black MacBook 13" 2gz. This sounds weird but trust me, its real, ive been dealing with this issue for 2 years now. (and it doesnt make any sense) The problem happens when the book is upgraded to 2 gb of ram AND THE BATTERY IS ON. Once the battery is on, the book begins to run "like crap". Make sure the mac is plugged in and take the battery off and the MacBook will immediately start running better (i dont know why and this does not solve the problem of being able to use the book without a plug). The other option is to downgrade to 1.5 megs of ram (doesnt make sense either), then the MacBook will run great even with the battery on.

This is not a solution. This was just what i figured out in the two years of upgrading and downgrading. This must be an underlying issue with the design of the book. With 1.5gb of ram the book runs fine. with 2gb the book wont even play a 1 minute youtube video without stuttering...

I am bumping this thread to thank SupaHype because this issue has been bugging me for over 2 years now.

I pretty much gave up on trying to fix it until I had more money to buy a new laptop. I can't believe the fix is taking the battery out. It doesn't make sense to me, but it works! My MacBook is FINALLY able to play video without stuttering. So happy to find this post.