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Slow iMac...Help!

tomegun

tomegun

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 29, 2007
350
49
Las Vegas
My system:

2011 iMac
3.4Ghz quad-core i7
16GB Ram (I purchased and installed)
AMD Radeon HD 6970M
Mountain Lion

Main uses:

iTunes
Web surfing
Email
Photo editing - Aperture, Lightroom 4 and Photoshop Elements 10

Problem:

I get the beachball often and lately I have been getting it and my system will totally lock up. The two times when this seemingly locks up is when I have Lightroom open or when it is backing up (I back up to a Time Capsule). When I installed Mountain Lion I did not do a clean install; I re-installed is yesterday and nothing changed.

It seems like the next step may be a clean install of Mountain Lion which brings me to the issues I'm most concerned with. Even though the system backs up to a Time Capsule, how should I go about restoring after a clean install? Should I, and can I, restore apps or should I do a clean install on my apps? The fact that I have been going back and forth with Aperture and Lightroom, restoring all of my iTunes and not knowing where my code is for Office 11 has me worried.

I have a 2011 Macbook Pro (max Ram) and iMac (I have had it for 6 or 7 years...running strong). The Macbook Pro hasn't experienced any of the same problems. I had to replace the hard drive in the old iMac about three months ago (did it myself) and it is running fine since.

In an effort to paint the entire picture of my environment, one other strange thing has happened recently. My network at home slows down sometimes to the point where I can't maintain a good connection on Xbox Live. I am paying for 50Mb and when I was connected directly with my Macbook Pro with the service tech on the line I was getting my normal speed. I changed all my wireless settings on my Time Capsule since. This may have absolutely nothing to do with the overall problem, but I thought I would mention is.

Right now I feel like I used to on the rare occasion when something happened to my Honda Accord: when something just works for so long it is disconcerting when it stops working right. I would expect this from a Windows system.

Any suggestions before I dive in head first?
 
tomegun said:
My system:

2011 iMac
3.4Ghz quad-core i7
16GB Ram (I purchased and installed)
AMD Radeon HD 6970M
Mountain Lion

Main uses:

iTunes
Web surfing
Email
Photo editing - Aperture, Lightroom 4 and Photoshop Elements 10

Problem:

I get the beachball often and lately I have been getting it and my system will totally lock up. The two times when this seemingly locks up is when I have Lightroom open or when it is backing up (I back up to a Time Capsule). When I installed Mountain Lion I did not do a clean install; I re-installed is yesterday and nothing changed.

It seems like the next step may be a clean install of Mountain Lion which brings me to the issues I'm most concerned with. Even though the system backs up to a Time Capsule, how should I go about restoring after a clean install? Should I, and can I, restore apps or should I do a clean install on my apps? The fact that I have been going back and forth with Aperture and Lightroom, restoring all of my iTunes and not knowing where my code is for Office 11 has me worried.

I have a 2011 Macbook Pro (max Ram) and iMac (I have had it for 6 or 7 years...running strong). The Macbook Pro hasn't experienced any of the same problems. I had to replace the hard drive in the old iMac about three months ago (did it myself) and it is running fine since.

In an effort to paint the entire picture of my environment, one other strange thing has happened recently. My network at home slows down sometimes to the point where I can't maintain a good connection on Xbox Live. I am paying for 50Mb and when I was connected directly with my Macbook Pro with the service tech on the line I was getting my normal speed. I changed all my wireless settings on my Time Capsule since. This may have absolutely nothing to do with the overall problem, but I thought I would mention is.

Right now I feel like I used to on the rare occasion when something happened to my Honda Accord: when something just works for so long it is disconcerting when it stops working right. I would expect this from a Windows system.

Any suggestions before I dive in head first?
Click to expand...


Did you run an AHT on your iMac lately? Sounds like your RAM is acting up.
 
I ran the extended Apple Hardware Test last night and got the following error: 4MOT/4/40000003:HDD-1220

I am assuming this has something to do with the hard drive; I didn't have time to do an extensive Google search yet this morning.

I made an appointment at the Apple store for tomorrow (Applecare).
 
tomegun said:
I ran the extended Apple Hardware Test last night and got the following error: 4MOT/4/40000003:HDD-1220

I am assuming this has something to do with the hard drive; I didn't have time to do an extensive Google search yet this morning.

I made an appointment at the Apple store for tomorrow (Applecare).
Click to expand...


That code relates to a fan issue. Lucky that you have AppleCare still...if it ends out to be more than a fan issue (ex. Logicboard), you are covered.
 
tomegun said:
This is not good: the "Genius" is Googling for solutions.
Click to expand...

Google is your friend, but for a tech that works at the Genius bar is a "no-no" in my book. They have all the tools and resources that they need over there. Why don't you tell that tech to just plug in an external drive with a "clean install of OSX" to see if he can determine if it's a software/driver issue or hardware issue.
 
I agree, when he started to use Google I was thinking, "Really, I could do that at home."

As an update, it was Friday around noon when I dropped the iMac off. I had to go to LA last weekend so I wasn't concerned about leaving it with them "overnight" as the "Genius" told me. Well, today is Tuesday and I haven't heard a peep from them.

I am certainly going to call them shortly after they open, but I have been thinking about how I will respond based on what they tell me. I just don't want to hear that they couldn't find anything wrong with it after having it for so long.

What do you think?
 
Don't know how busy they are, but if they did a full diagnostics check on your unit from last week Friday, they BETTER have an answer for you. I was just wondering if you had the chance to back up all of your data from the hard drive before bringing it in? I have a bad feeling that they wiped out your drive and then did a clean install with their "KG imaged copy" of OSX as one of their "standard" procedures to troubleshooting your issue.
 
Well, they didn't reinstall the OS and they didn't have an answer. It kind of pissed me off that they had it for that long and really didn't do anything. Time will tell if I still have the same problems. If so, I'm hesitant to haul it back to the same store.

Typed on the subject system
 
If I was in your shoes, I would take it an Authorized Apple Repair shop to have it looked at. Just my 2cents though
 
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