My graphics pen selects things I don't click, beachballing alot and apps crash

[monad73]

I need some advice. I'm having lots of problems suddenly with my G5 power mac. The mouse and graphics pen are behaving strangely - the pen "slides" and selects things I haven't clicked on. Firefox crashes constantly, other applications crash too and the machine is agonizingly slow. I keep just getting a beach ball.

Any ideas you have would be appreciated greatly. Thanks, Sara

 

[darrenscerri]

Try the following two procedures:

1) Run the Mac OS X maintenance scripts by:
- open Terminal (Applications -> Utilities)
- type: sudo periodic daily weekly monthly
- enter your administrator password

2) Repair Hard Drive Permissions
- open Disk Utility (Applications -> Utilities)
- go to your Macintosh HDD
- click on Repair Disk Permissions

If the problem still persists, try archive and install.

 

[monad73]

Thanks for the advice, Darren.

I have done the disk permissions and i tried to use Terminal, but when I open Terminal there is no dialogue box to prompt me. I'm not sure how t start the script running? Thanks very much for your help, Sara

 

[BlueRevolution]

There is no dialog box. You just type directly into the Terminal window.

 

[darrenscerri]

I have done the disk permissions and i tried to use Terminal, but when I open Terminal there is no dialogue box to prompt me. I'm not sure how t start the script running? Thanks very much for your help, Sara

As in the post above, you just type in the terminal. It does not show any dialog boxes. The terminal is just a big text field where text can be entered and the output viewed!

 

[monad73]

TIny terminal window is hiding all text. how to enlarge it?

Maybe this is a stupid question...(or perhaps Terminal is effected by the same general problems with my machine?)......the Terminal window is about 5mm x5mm - you can't see anything. How can I enlarge it so I can type?
Thanks, Sara

 

[darrenscerri]

Hmm... I can't understand what is wrong in Terminal... Maybe post a screenshot?

An alternative to this would be Cocktail and run all scripts in Pilot mode as illustrated below. This little app helps a lot in maintaining the performance of your Mac and keeps your machine clean and optimised! Enjoy!

Hope it helps!

 

[monad73]

Thanks Darren, Cocktail seems to have stopped the beachballing, although Firefox still crashes instantly. The machine was behaving more and more strangely after a couple of hours use before but with any luck it will still be running ok this afternoon and I won't have to do archive install!

 

[darrenscerri]

Thanks Darren, Cocktail seems to have stopped the beachballing, although Firefox still crashes instantly. The machine was behaving more and more strangely after a couple of hours use before but with any luck it will still be running ok this afternoon and I won't have to do archive install!

Try uninstalling FireFox with AppZapper and download the latest version of FireFox.

Hope it helps!

 

[monad73]

Hi Darren,
I used archive install yesterday as the problems were ongoing. Now I have a blank blue screen and no desktop - I installed the first disc ok, when I tried the second disc I got a message: error occured whilst installing disc. the installer keeps prompting me to try the installation again, which I've done eight times and each time I get an error. The machine is completely unnusable now and I haven't backed up. Any ideas?