Spinning Beachball Frequently Visits, Stays Too Long

[-Martin]

remove Microsoft AU Helper, Microsoft Database, and Microsoft Entourage from Login Items under your account for starters. I don't know why you have all those in login items; I only have 2 things starting up in my login items.

better yet, maybe you should remove everything from login items.

From <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/glossary/index.html#au_daemon>:


Daemons. ... Microsoft Entourage uses the Microsoft Database daemon and the Microsoft AU daemon.


Microsoft AU daemon. The AU daemon is associated with the Microsoft AutoUpdate application. That application can be set to check for updates to MS Office at particular intervals. It does so by way of that daemon.


AutoUpdate (MAU). Microsoft AutoUpdate (MAU) application will automatically check for updates. .... When you select to
automatically check, MAU will install the Microsoft AU daemon in Startup Items.


From <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/glossary/daemon.html>: “... If you have Office Notifications/Reminders enabled you will see the database daemon in your startup items.”


The conclusion seems to be that if I want to eliminate these from the startup login items, I should simply trash MS Office, which seems like a rather extreme attempt at a "solution" (notwithstanding my lack of love for MS as well as the fact that Office 2004 is a Carbonized set of apps).

 

[-Martin]

Man I figured out my beachball problem. I had renamed a MP4 file extension to MPeg. Don't do it. IT causes major beachball problems in the folder where the movie resides and who knows what else.

A Steven Spielberg I'm not ...

 

[durija]

Martin. I think you should listen to all the people who have encouraged you to create a new user. It takes almost no time and could go a long way determining if your problem is hardware or software or your user account. I always keep at least two accounts on any Mac I use at work or home.

Short unrelated story; I came up against a problem one time when I could not login correctly to an account, no matter what. Just a blank desktop with no mouse cursor, no drives, just a background. So I rebooted and logged in as another user, fast switched into the screwed up account, and everything was fine! So you never know when it might come in handy. My $.02. You have nothing to lose but about 2 minutes to setup the account and login.

Another $.02...that is an awfully lot to have starting up automatically and therefore ALWAYS running in the background. And what is really gained?

 

[pprior]

How does one ascertain startup items and how does one remove them if desired from the startup list?

 

[IJ Reilly]

How does one ascertain startup items and how does one remove them if desired from the startup list?

Already explained. Read up in the thread.

 

[pprior]

I guess I'm a dolt, I just read the whole thread again and the only reference I see is:

"What login items do you see? These are applications which start up when you log into this account. A few of them are installed by OSX and Apple applications. Some applications install their own."

Maybe you mean just look at the system info after logging in? I thought maybe there was a folder or system setting like windows has. I'm not very mac savvy on system workings, I apologize.

 

[applefan69]

I guess I'm a dolt, I just read the whole thread again and the only reference I see is:

"What login items do you see? These are applications which start up when you log into this account. A few of them are installed by OSX and Apple applications. Some applications install their own."

Maybe you mean just look at the system info after logging in? I thought maybe there was a folder or system setting like windows has. I'm not very mac savvy on system workings, I apologize.

go to system preferences

go to accounts preference pane

click on whichever account you use, then click the "log in items" tab

here is a list of things that will open upon log in, also you can choose whether to make the system hide the items after they open

To add/get rid of log in items... clikc the plus or minus signs underneath the list.

 

[IJ Reilly]

I explained where to find startup items in post #26.

 

[-Martin]

Martin. I think you should listen to all the people who have encouraged you to create a new user. It takes almost no time and could go a long way determining if your problem is hardware or software or your user account. I always keep at least two accounts on any Mac I use at work or home.

Short unrelated story; I came up against a problem one time when I could not login correctly to an account, no matter what. Just a blank desktop with no mouse cursor, no drives, just a background. So I rebooted and logged in as another user, fast switched into the screwed up account, and everything was fine! So you never know when it might come in handy. My $.02. You have nothing to lose but about 2 minutes to setup the account and login.

I did create a new account. But, again, the SBBOD has been doing “drive bys” lately, suddenly appearing, and then disappearing. So, when I logged in under that account, it made no difference (or, I should say, I couldn't notice any difference).

Another $.02...that is an awfully lot to have starting up automatically and therefore ALWAYS running in the background. And what is really gained?

I don't understand why this is an issue. As I said, some of these items are placed there by apps I've always been using (Palm Desktop, MS Office), others by OS X (SMARTReporter, AirPort Base Station, Itunes Helper, etc.), and the remainder by some small "helper/utility" apps/shareware. If you all are telling me that there shouldn't be that many, frankly I don't get it. I simply can't imagine why installing some small shareware apps, using some standard (Palm, MS Office) apps, and simply running OS X is going to be responsible for wreaking havoc. It doesn't make sense...to eliminate these items, I'd need to not use anything!

 

[-Martin]

The Spinning Beachball hasn't been as obtrusive as it was, but it still is hitting me with "drive bys." Additionally, even when not obviously striking, my system does often appear to be running slow. And last night I had a kernel panic (the second time since getting the iMac...the first time was about 10 days after I first got the machine back in May).

I am not sure what to do at this point. Any additional advice would be greatly appreciated. I do get the impression that you all suspect that there may be something wrong with my account, so I’m especially curious about how to go about trying to convincingly verify that (given the fact that the condition currently seems to be appearing and disappearing erratically), and then, if so, taking the “next step” (which I assume would be to somehow re-establish everything under a new account).

 

[applefan69]

The Spinning Beachball hasn't been as obtrusive as it was, but it still is hitting me with "drive bys." Additionally, even when not obviously striking, my system does often appear to be running slow. And last night I had a kernel panic (the second time since getting the iMac...the first time was about 10 days after I first got the machine back in May).

I am not sure what to do at this point. Any additional advice would be greatly appreciated. I do get the impression that you all suspect that there may be something wrong with my account, so I’m especially curious about how to go about trying to convincingly verify that (given the fact that the condition currently seems to be appearing and disappearing erratically), and then, if so, taking the “next step” (which I assume would be to somehow re-establish everything under a new account).

why on earth have YOU NOT simple just made a new account yet?

It takes like 5 seconds here i'll even walk you throuhg it

2 simple clicks
2 simple steps

Why have u not done it yet?

 

[-Martin]

Well, whenever you are ready, you can get it for $100 U.S on Ebay which is much cheaper than Applecare for a Macbook or Macbook Pro. ...

As I previously mentioned, L.A. Computer sells it for $120, plus about $10 shipping. However, the prices on eBay sure are attractive. But having never bought anything from eBay (or any auction site), I dont know how to proceed, nor how to assure that I won't get "burned."

Advice?

 

[-Martin]

why on earth have YOU NOT simple just made a new account yet?

It takes like 5 seconds here i'll even walk you throuhg it ....
...
...
2 simple clicks
2 simple steps

Why have u not done it yet?

I'm sorry, applefan...I thought I had previously mentioned that I had indeed set one up. I did that back in June, when I was trying (with AppleCare's assistance) to determine the cause of a problem I was having when I set up and attempted to use Mail. (It turned out that Mail didn't like my ISP's servers, so I ended up sticking with Entourage. But since I am now migrating to another ISP, I may very well reconsider using Mail, especially in light of the apparent problems Entourage has been causing.)

But as far as the recommendations in this thread go, since the Spinning Beachball quickly went from a continuous occurrence to a random event, I didn't (and still don't) see how to go about using that second account to test the health of my current account.