MBP no longer runs...

[teezy]

... it simply jogs now.

It started last night... well, this morning when I attempted to wake my Mac from sleep, and it was stuck on a black screen and all I could do was move the mouse. I forced a shutdown (holding the power button) in order to reboot. Following the reboot and logging in, I noticed that evvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvverything was moving INCREDIBLY slowly. I copied a couple files from an SD card to my mac (about 3gbs) and it took 6 minutes to do. I had nothing else running in the background, and no other transfers going on. Its been doing this all day. I've tried reboots, PRAM and SMC resets, AND I tried booting into safe mode and running CCleaner to get rid of all the junk files (I run CCleaner almost every other day out of habit, fyi). Even though it took TWO WHOLE HOURS to boot into safe mode since it runs a file system check upon safe mode boot (I believe??). I verified this when I booted back into normal mode and rain the "Repair Disk" command in Disk Utility, and in the "estimated time remaining" it said "2 hours". Never have I ever experienced this craziness, and never has "Repair Disk" taken 2 hours. Maybe 20-30 minutes, but not 2 hours. This is ludicrous, and its saddening lol. Also, the system hangs every now and then, indicated by the spinning beach ball appearing a second or two after clicking something.

If there are any log files I need to get to provide to any of you to decipher what the heck is going on with my Mac, let me know and I'll get to that! Hopefully that won't take 700 years to get... I'm surprised that my Mac let me type all this up without any hiccups. Interesting.

I should also add that, looking at my iStat disk monitors and whatnot, my MacBook ISN'T undergoing heavy CPU usage when these intermittent hangs happen... or at all, period. The only times it sees moderate to heavy CPU usage is when I'm in Final Cut Pro X working on videos, or in Logic Pro (albeit rarely nowadays). And the last time all that happened, was yesterday! Other than that, its YouTube that riles up the CPU somehow. I've checked Activity Monitor as well, and there isn't anything that's hogging resources at all; the one thing that randomly pops up at the top of the list (per CPU %) is Activity Monitor! LOL, I'm seriously not understanding

Also, if you were wondering what the specs were:
Mid-2012 13" MacBook Pro 2.9GHz, 750GB HDD, 8GB RAM

 

[Elbert C]

(I run CCleaner almost every other day out of habit, fyi).

This is probably why your Mac is running slow.

Even though it took TWO WHOLE HOURS to boot into safe mode since it runs a file system check upon safe mode boot (I believe??).

Wow, you actually held down the shift key for two hours?

How much free space is on the hard drive?

I suggest you do a fresh install of OS X AFTER creating a back up of all your files then, run it without CCleaner.

If you don't want to do a fresh install then try these troubleshooting tips step by step to see if you can pinpoint the problem.

 

[DeltaMac]

Sounds typical of a failing hard drive.

How much free space on your hard drive?
If near full (less than 1 or 2 GB free), then that may be an issue, but more likely your hard drive is just dying.
Your priority should be to make sure that you have a good backup.

 

[teezy]

This is probably why your Mac is running slow.

Probably not. I've been using CCleaner for years on OSX and Windows, and have never had a performance/stability issue result from it. Just to get rid of browsing data from all my browsers? Don't think that'll result in a nick in the overall stability of my system... and it isn't.

Wow, you actually held down the shift key for two hours?

BOOTING into safe mode took 2 hours (progress bar).

How much free space is on the hard drive?

35GB. Varies from 35-50 because I edit videos often, and get rid of the raw files after rendering.

I suggest you do a fresh install of OS X AFTER creating a back up of all your files then, run it without CCleaner.

I just may. Do I do this from the Recovery HD, or do I need to purchase an OSX Install disc?

If you don't want to do a fresh install then try these troubleshooting tips step by step to see if you can pinpoint the problem.

Thanks, I will look into these.

----------

Sounds typical of a failing hard drive.

Don't say that! LOL. No, but you may just be right. I've begun to suspect the same thing, sadly.

How much free space on your hard drive?
If near full (less than 1 or 2 GB free), then that may be an issue, but more likely your hard drive is just dying.
Your priority should be to make sure that you have a good backup.

As I stated in the immediate previous post, I have 35GB of free space. It varies, however, from 35GB to about 50GB because I edit videos almost every day (or every other day,) and get rid of the raw files after rendering. The hard drive failing is the most probable explanation to this, as literally everything is SOOOOO SLOOOOOW and everything hangs every now and then. This is so saddening. Lol.
*begins backing up important documents, media, and apps to external HD*

 

[Fishrrman]

My suggestions:
(may not be what you were expecting)

- Get an SSD and replace the internal HDD. VERY easy to do, but you must have THE RIGHT TOOLS for the job.

- You only have 35gb left on a 750gb HDD? What the heck are you keeping on it? Once you get the new SSD installed, keep ONLY essential stuff on it, and move the movies and other huge files to an external drive. You want at least 15-20% of "free space" left on the drive, so that the OS can do its thing with swap files, temp files, etc.
(Aside: I sense that your current HDD is hopelessly fragmented...)

- Stop the CCleaner thing. All Mac drives need some maintenance, but they don't need THAT MUCH of it -- at least not ever day. I'm wondering if CCleaner is removing -more than- just "junk" files...

 

[Weaselboy]

BOOTING into safe mode took 2 hours (progress bar).

I'm with Delta here... sounds like you have a failed hard drive and this is the big clue. When you safe mode boot it runs fsck first to try and repair the disk. While fsck is running you see that progress bar you mentioned. If fsck ran two hours and you are still having issues, there are likely serious file corruption issues going on.

Do not try to reinstall or run anything else to fix this, as you will only make it harder to recovery data.

 

[teezy]

My suggestions:
(may not be what you were expecting)

- Get an SSD and replace the internal HDD. VERY easy to do, but you must have THE RIGHT TOOLS for the job.

I've been considering this for months. Question, would you recommend a hybrid drive? Also what are your personal SSD recommendations?

- You only have 35gb left on a 750gb HDD? What the heck are you keeping on it? Once you get the new SSD installed, keep ONLY essential stuff on it, and move the movies and other huge files to an external drive. You want at least 15-20% of "free space" left on the drive, so that the OS can do its thing with swap files, temp files, etc.
(Aside: I sense that your current HDD is hopelessly fragmented...)

Concurred with the previous statement.

- Stop the CCleaner thing. All Mac drives need some maintenance, but they don't need THAT MUCH of it -- at least not ever day. I'm wondering if CCleaner is removing -more than- just "junk" files...

So you're telling me clearing my browser caches and emptying the recycle bin often does more harm than good? I beg to differ.

 

[DeltaMac]

...
So you're telling me clearing my browser caches and emptying the recycle bin often does more harm than good? I beg to differ.

I think the idea is that clearing browser caches, and emptying the trash do not need to involve a could-be-dicey third party utility like CCleaner - and that there is absolutely no justification for doing that every other day. I try to do that level of cache cleaning maybe 3 or 4 times a year. And, I'm doing other software work then, too, which makes it seem a reasonable part of the job - and may not really be needed - but it does make me feel better, so maybe that's the important part.

Folks say this lots of ways: OS X rarely needs file maintenance, and then not on a routine basis.

 

[teezy]

I think the idea is that clearing browser caches, and emptying the trash do not need to involve a could-be-dicey third party utility like CCleaner - and that there is absolutely no justification for doing that every other day. I try to do that level of cache cleaning maybe 3 or 4 times a year. And, I'm doing other software work then, too, which makes it seem a reasonable part of the job - and may not really be needed - but it does make me feel better, so maybe that's the important part.

Folks say this lots of ways: OS X rarely needs file maintenance, and then not on a routine basis.

Well, you are certainly entitled to your own opinion. However, I still don't believe that CCleaner is part of the still-unknown explanation as to why my Mac is arguably "dying". I understand that Macs don't require "that much" maintenance. But on the account of how much browsing and whatnots that I do on my Mac, I feel that getting rid of those caches somewhat often is necessary. I have NEVER encountered a potentially fatal - let alone, ANY type - issue from using CCleaner. Period. On Mac and Windows. My justification is bound to MY opinion, and your declaration to such being UNjustifyable is merely subjugated to your own opinion, and that's that. Dont understand why you're trying to justify an opinion when your general computing experience is inevitably different from mine. That's almost the same as me trying to justify why you should use the USB port on the farthest end of the bay instead of one in the middle. Lol.

 

[DeltaMac]

And, you also are entitled to your own opinion.
It is, however, a matter of fact that file directory issues can sometimes contribute to imminent drive failures. Maybe there's just a lot of guesswork about the REAL cause.
The main point for you, is that your Mac is operating now in a manner that suggests that the hard drive is failing.
Was that result hastened by the deletion of a few cache files? (probably not )
Could you have contributed to a failure by doing a major directory mod, such as defragmentation? (It's a rhetorical question ) That type of cleanup can cause major stress of the hard drive, and that can be a culprit.
Or, you just have a failure developing in your hard drive, and not the result of anything you have done.

Your question about which USB port to use is one that I have experienced, too!
A large file transfer to a flash drive can make the port (and the flash drive) hot to the touch. So, I would avoid using a middle port when doing that kind of operation. The end port may cool more efficiently.

 

[teezy]

No disrespect at all btw!

I haven't done any defragging.. I might've only done that once, some months ago. I've accepted the fate of my poor hard drive that it may simply be failing. As we speak (type??), I'm performing a backup of my important files. Apps are no big issue... ok, so I'm lying lol. I'm gonna go buy an SSD on Monday or Tuesday. Any suggestions as to which particular drive to get? I've been considering one of Samsung EVO drives, but.. idunno. lol.

 

[einmusiker]

there are MAJOR problems with mavericks. No one wants to admit it but it has had a LOT of bad installs. If you are running mavericks I suggest a completely fresh reinstall. It sucks to have to do it but it helped me.

 

[teezy]

Soooo I decided to order an SSD in lieu of replacing my original HDD with it, and performing a clean install of Mavericks (using a bootable installer via my external HD).

Howwwwever... (just my luck...)

The SSD (Crucial MX100 512GB) came.. right?

I installed it with no problems.. right?

So I booted up to my external HD to get into Disk Utility to format the drive.. right?

Went to "erase" the disk as a Mac OS Extended (Journaled).. right?

Anddddd it took F O R E V E R.
AND, the process hung at the same point, every time.

For the "Erase" tab, it would hang at "Partitioning" where the "estimated time" would go from 1 minute to 7 hours... basically it would keep climbing.

For the "Partition" tab, it would hang at "Waiting for the disks to reappear".

Literally EVERYTIME. I would quit (sometimes force quit) DU and try again, to no avail. I've tried rebooting a couple times, I've done the SSD power cycle once, switching USB ports with my external HD, ensuring that the SATA cable was properly connected, ensuring that the SSD was securely in place in the HD bay, and even letting the darn thing run all night...

... all to no avail.

So, I contacted Crucial (this is where the SSD power cycle idea came from)... twice. Ultimately, the latter service rep I spoke to suspects that I have a defunct drive, and a new one will be sent as soon as the RMA processes.

I certainly hope there isn't anything deeper than the HD that is the reasoning for all of this.

Any bright ideas, guys? I also ordered an external SATA HD enclosure (initially I ordered it so I could make some sort of use of my "old"-but-now-kludge HDD) yesterday, and that should be here on Monday. I'll give the new SSD a shot in the HD bay, and if it works... awesome. If not, then I'll try it in the enclosure. If THAT works... thennnnnn I will need to figure out SOON what the heck is really going on. Because then it might not even have been my HDD that was the problem, ya know what I'm saying? Could it be the SATA cable in my Mac?

Nevertheless... I'll be keeping y'all updated. Thanks for all the help thus far!

----------

there are MAJOR problems with mavericks. No one wants to admit it but it has had a LOT of bad installs. If you are running mavericks I suggest a completely fresh reinstall. It sucks to have to do it but it helped me.

I just may, for the hell of it. I'm just glad I didn't junk this HDD as soon as my SSD came. It's just weird how this started happening out of nowhere. I installed Mavericks the day after it was publicly released, and haven't had any problems... until now. Although I truly think that it is something deeper than the hard drive that's causing this sluggishness and bad luck.

Maybe I shouldn't have had that extra serving of ice cream the other day after all. Lol.

 

[teezy]

Solved!!!!

FINAL UPDATE!!!!!

• Ordered brand new SATA cable (YES, it was the SATA cable all along)
• Swapped old SATA cable with new one
• Swapped HDD with SSD (internal bay)
• Happy Teezy

Now I have an extra ~730GB of space (on the HDD) plus my brand new SSD. Yay!
Thanks, you guys, for all the help!

 

[Cubytus]

I would have checked the SATA cable first since my experience tells me it's rather fragile but cheap, and can wreak massive havoc. I had a completely corrupted drive in a blink when one failed in this machine before I out an SSD in (and replaced the cable).

But happy to read you've got an improved setup.

 

[teezy]

I would have checked the SATA cable first since my experience tells me it's rather fragile but cheap, and can wreak massive havoc. I had a completely corrupted drive in a blink when one failed in this machine before I out an SSD in (and replaced the cable).

But happy to read you've got an improved setup.

True! If I would've had suspicion about the SATA cable in the beginning, I most definitely would've swapped that out first. I was planning on getting an SSD for a few weeks or so anyways, so what better of a time to get one than now?(well, a few days ago lol) I had absolutely no idea that the cable could've been the culprit until AFTER I already received the SSD, so.. no big deal haha