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Urgent Help Please! mac meltdown!!!

B

BexXx

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 28, 2010
21
0
Hi there,

I have a macbook pro, got it just before xmas so it ain't old. The problem is it started going severely slow in the last couple of days and almost every time i click on something the loading icon will come up for a couple of minutes before i can proceed (even the simplest mouseclick sets it off).

I assumed it was to do with the storage but i checked and it's not even a third full. I ran a virus scan and it came up clear. I also ran techtool diagnostic but everything passed.

So I'm completely clueless - and now my docks disappeared (just in the last half hour).

I would really appreciate some help if anyone has any advice? I desperatel need my laptop for design work tomorrow morning:(
 
Is it still under apple care? Give them a call if it is. And don't use antivirus programs on any macs. Not needed. Slows down your machine. Not many people here will tell you that. Not sure why, figured macheads would be proud of that fact.
 
Here's a thought...

Uninstall ALL antivirus programs and NEVER install another on your mac!

Their only purpose is to bog down your computer!

NEVER install antivirus software in OS X.
 
The only anti virus i hav is iAntivirus as a precaution seeing as it's apple's i never really thought much of it . . .

I stil hav my protection plan but i dont hav any credit to ring them or a landline phone:(
 
iAntivirus should be illegal. Do you have any idea how many issues that program alone has caused? It eats up all of your CPU and memory. It's a hog.

Disable it COMPLETELY and throw it in the trash, then restart. If you no longer have issues, empty the trash and tell the software company responsible for the heap to bugger off. Apple does not make antivirus software because there is zero need for it.
 
I did what ya said and it worked! My mac is back in perfect running order! I would NEVER have guessed that, i didn't even pay iantivirus any attention it was jus there who knew it could completely screw up your machine?! And i am going to send them a veeeery angry email i thought my laptop was gonna die.

Thank you so much!
 
At the very most, you could spread the word :p Antivirus on MacOS is not only pointless, but destructive, as you experienced.
 
Stil can't believe that could skrew up my mac so much to the point where it nearly wouldn't turn on! Took more than ten minutes to turn it on (the first time) this morning. I was about to back-up all my files, wipe the harddrive.
 
Antivirus programs for the Mac are a joke. Good to hear your problems are over.
 
It's gone again:( Took quite a while to come on and now the loading issue is back . . . I will admit it's not as bad as it was yesterday but it's still making work tough.

Any more ideas?:(
 
BexXx said:
It's gone again:( Took quite a while to come on and now the loading issue is back . . . I will admit it's not as bad as it was yesterday but it's still making work tough.

Any more ideas?:(
Click to expand...

I had something similar after I stupidly installed an anti virus program on a Mac, that was sometime ago when I knew no better and I have learned from it.

Even after removing it, well I thought I had, it would still bring up warnings and things.

You may have to go through the Library folders on the HD and in your account, also all all the prefs stuff, and look in your account and see what progs you have in start at boot.

This is what I did and found some files still in one or more of those areas doing their dirty work and messing with my Mac.
 
I did a search with finder for anything and nothing came up and i looked in the various folder but didn't find anything iantivirus related.

The issue seems to get worse as the day goes on, same as yesterday.
 
Reinstall OS X. That should tell you if its a hardware/software problem. Just save your files to an external, then reinstall.

Do you have a backup where you can restore from before the antivirus install?
 
I was trying to avoid that but doesnt look like i can. I don't hav an external harddrive so backing up 81GB of stuf on a pile of 700mb discs isnt gonna be th handiest. The diagnostics test told me that there no hardware problems.

I don't think i'd have any such backup i'm not really that good with this kind of thing.
 
Try installing it again and then running the supplied iAntivirus uninstaller.

If you can't figure it out, visit the website and as on their forums.

LUL, there's even a thread on their forum titled, "DON'T use iAntivirus!"

XD
 
Just save the bare minimum of files that you MUST have. Secure erase the drive (single pass will suffice) or re-format. Then reinstall OS X, and restore the data you saved.

iAntivirus will be gone (never been installed as far as the current OS install is concerned), thus eliminating any issues with residual traces.
 
why don't you open up activity monitor and see if there is any program using all of your CPU / or is there is lots of active disk activity (read/writes) going on.
 
K, i think you're right that's what i'll havta do, unfortunately I hav a lot of must have files because of the kind of work i do large file formats and that and I'm always afraid of getting rid of something that i might end up needing several months down the line:rolleyes: I'm able to borrow a friend's harddrive tomorrow to back up files but til then i'l jus have try to put up with it till then. Definately the most frustrating computer problem i've ever had.

This is probably a pretty stupid question but how would i go about erasing or reformatting the harddrive?
 
BexXx said:
This is probably a pretty stupid question but how would i go about erasing or reformatting the harddrive?
Click to expand...
MisterMe posted this in another forum (macosx.com), so I'll quote that for you (yes, I'm lazy). :eek: :p.

There are two ways:
Each Mac ships with a System Restore disc that is specific to that model. These discs are gray in color. You may use the System Restore disc for your model to reformat the hard drive and return the computer to its as-shipped state.
Use a retail OS installation disc for an OS that is newer than the one that shipped with your computer. The dominant color of retail OS distribution discs is black. The retail disc may be used to reformat your hard drive.
Click to expand...
At any rate, it should get you sorted (Disk Utility is where you typically find it, inclcluding the ability to secure erase). As it's the OS disk, it needs to be run from another disk; either a different OS X installation on a different drive, or from the optical drive (original disk or newer copy of OS X).
 
BexXx said:
I was trying to avoid that but doesnt look like i can. I don't hav an external harddrive so backing up 81GB of stuf on a pile of 700mb discs isnt gonna be th handiest. The diagnostics test told me that there no hardware problems.

I don't think i'd have any such backup i'm not really that good with this kind of thing.
Click to expand...

I can't believe you even said that.

You have no method of backing up? Seriously? And you use your computer for "design work"? Seriously? And you have "a lot of must have files" on it? Seriously?

What if your laptop is stolen? What if it falls off your desk and the hard drive breaks? If you can afford a Macbook Pro, then you can afford an external drive to use for backup purposes.
 
Phantom Gremlin said:
I can't believe you even said that.

You have no method of backing up? Seriously? And you use your computer for "design work"? Seriously? And you have "a lot of must have files" on it? Seriously?

What if your laptop is stolen? What if it falls off your desk and the hard drive breaks? If you can afford a Macbook Pro, then you can afford an external drive to use for backup purposes.
Click to expand...

Actually I can't afford an external harddrive, when I got my mac I was lucky enough to have gotten into a bit if money so I got a macbook and the rest went on rent and bills, I didn't know that I'd end up building up so much work on it because I didn't even need to bring over any files from the desktop.
 
Anyway . . .

I reinstalled the OSX disc (it took 2 goes because it failed half way through the first time around) and, not realizing that when I chose to reformat it wouldn't actually delete anything, the problem remained.

So found on the apple help site a few may-be causes and tried couple out turned out iAntivirus was still hiding in the user start-up login deleted that and it help a little, not quite as slow but I still can't use the internet at the same time as running any programs.
 
BexXx said:
Anyway . . .

I reinstalled the OSX disc (it took 2 goes because it failed half way through the first time around) and, not realizing that when I chose to reformat it wouldn't actually delete anything, the problem remained.
Click to expand...

Why do we fall down, Master Bruce?
Try it again.
 
Secure erase the drive (single pass will suffice), to make sure any information on the drive (iAntivirus) is wiped clean, then proceed to reinstall the OS. Again, do this from the OS disk, as the operation is on the existing OS install.
 
It died.

Was working today and it stopped dead when I tried to open up illustrator, I waited but had to reset and it never came back on, the apple sign was replaced by a folder with a question mark.

I ended up going to the closest approved repairers I could find and they tried to reboot it but couldn't, they said the harddrive must be faulty so they're replacing it but I'll have to wait till next week to get it back. :(

I'm glad it'll be fixed properly but going without it right now is a MASSIVE pain, couldn't have chosen a worse time to happen *sighs*

Thanks anyways for everyone's help and advice, I really appreciate it!
 
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