Photo issues

OS X Yosemite
10.10.5
24" Mid 2007

I have owned my used iMac for two years. I switched Apple because I have heard that they had very few issues but I have recently been hearing reports of viruses.

If I use my computer for more than an hour or so, the following issues happen...

1. cursor becomes useless. I can move it but it has no function.

2. cursor, when in the finger mode, becomes useless

2. the spinning rainbow wheel ceases to spin

When any of these occur, I unplug and restart.

When I want to add a photo, it takes minutes to load up Photo

What is lurking in my computer and how do I assassinate it?

One possibility is that the hard drive is starting to fail. Try the following and let us know the results:

1. Reboot your system holding down the option key. When the boot menu appears select the recovery partition and boot from there.
2. From the menu at the top of the screen launch Disk Utility and select your hard drive from the list on the left side of the screen.
3. Select the First Aid button at the top of the Disk Utility window and follow the directions.

How much memory do you have?
What else is running? (not just applications, anything in the background?)
I wouldn't worry about virii unless you go places you shouldn't or download Torrents. Then you're on your own.

Dang Sly, you type faster than me
What he said too.

Will my iPhoto albums be transferred as is or is everything just reorganized by Photo?

Click to expand...

You will have to import your iPhoto library to Photos before you can use the iCloud Photo Library.

Although iPhoto is still supported in the sense that, provided you had it before, it still works in El Capitan; it is not linked to the iCloud or photo stream etc.

Importation of the iPhoto Library to Photos is painless. I accept that many do not like Photos for whatever reason, but if you want the backup and sharing facilities, these only apply to Photos.

Ian

That machine is now nine years old, so it's going to be pretty slow overall.

There are no viruses for Macs currently in the wild.

There is malware that can hijack your browser, Ghostery or Privacy Badger can block those, Malwarebytes can purge them from your system if they get through.

Your symptoms do sound like a dying hard drive, or an overly full one. How big is the hard drive and how much space is left on it? If what's left is less than about 20% you'll need to clean it up by deleting some stuff. OS X needs a bit of headroom on the drive to function efficiently.

I don't know what happened, but my post #4 above was posted, as I believed, in another thread. As one can see, it bears no relation to the OP's question.

Obviously, I accept full responsibility for my posts.

The options are that I somehow mixed up my responses or that there was a glitch in the system. The thread to which my reply belongs was all about iPhoto v Photos and the quote I included, was from the OP from that thread. Vansmith, had answered a number of questions, but he said he had not used iPhoto. Therefore I added my bit as an addition to his.

I can only apologise that, somehow, it has got into this thread.

Ian

Thanks for the replies, especially when I see that the heading is "Photo Issues"! I do not know how that happened and do not know how to edit.

2. (the scanned 2) should read that the wheel never ceases to spin at times

I restarted with my finger on the option button and clicked "verify disk". It then stated " The volume OS X System appears to be okay.

Capacity 1.33 GB
Available 31.3 MB
Used 1.3 GB Files 40755
Folders 12710

I deleted a file entitled Music which contained many YouTube videos that I had transferred to my iPad. I also emptied the Trash.

Sorry, but I do not know where to find the Disk Utility. I would like to see how much space that I have gained.

I am in the process of learning about a "dying hard drive". If it is dying, can it be replaced?

I have found instructions for back up on Apples site using Time Machine, Time Capsule, Cloud, or alternative options...if it should come to that.

Your slowdown is because you have way too much stuff on the drive. You should leave 15-20% free, which would be 200-260 MB for a 1.33GB drive. Deleting Music was not a good idea. The files in that folder should have been deleted through iTunes, where the library is managed. You may find you have problems with iTunes when it cannot find Music. Not much you can do about it now, just be aware of the potential.

The drive CAN be replaced, but it's not for the timid. Dismantling an iMac is definitely non-trivial.

One safe way to gain some space is to get Onyx from www.titanium.free.fr (get the version for your version of OS X) and run the cleaning tasks as they are set in the default options of Onyx. That will clean out what is safe to clean.

None of the music was on iTunes, just videos from YouTube. I should have stated that it was one of my many folders, not a file.

I have looked for Disk Utility under System Preferences and Preferences to no avail.

I will research the titanium website. Thanks for the suggestion.

I will not be taking on the task of replacing the hard drive, if it should come to that. Not sure what it would cost but may consider replacing the whole unit with a newer version with more space and a 27" screen.

No issues yet this morning and I may be shutting it down soon as I need to leave for work. I am not around my computer during most of the day so I apologize for my slow responses.

Disk Utility is in the Applications folder, in the Utilities folder there.

macular said:

OS X Yosemite
10.10.5
24" Mid 2007

I have owned my used iMac for two years.....................

Click to expand...

macular said:

I restarted with my finger on the option button and clicked "verify disk". It then stated " The volume OS X System appears to be okay.

Capacity 1.33 GB
Available 31.3 MB
Used 1.3 GB Files 40755
Folders 12710

I deleted a file entitled Music which contained many YouTube videos that I had transferred to my iPad. I also emptied the Trash.

Sorry, but I do not know where to find the Disk Utility. I would like to see how much space that I have gained.

I am in the process of learning about a "dying hard drive". If it is dying, can it be replaced?

Click to expand...

Hello Macular - I'm still trying to understand what the specs are on your 'old' computer - checking EveryMac for 24" mid-2007 iMac models brings up the one shown below, indicating just 1 GB RAM (i.e. memory) and a 320 GB internal HD (i.e. storage), so not sure what you mean above by 'Capacity 1.33 GB'?

Please review the link & also click on the Apple (top left menu bar) -> About This Mac -> System Report, then review the hardware specs under 'Memory' & 'Storage' - to even consider 'rejuvenating' this computer, you would need to add RAM (can take up to 6 GB according to the link above) and replace the HD (these tend to start 'dying' after 4-5 years or earlier) possibly w/ a much faster SSD (not sure an option w/ your machine?) - is this worth the cost vs. buying a much newer computer, probably not IMHO.

NOW, if not done, you really need to back up your data, if important to you! The first step is to obtain an external HD (e.g. 1 TB) and run Time Machine - there are additional steps. Let me stop there and allow you to respond - P.S. as already indicated 15% or more of 'free' HD storage is an important maintenance goal. Dave

.

RadDave, I had the same pause, but worked with what he had provided. Never heard of a 1.33GB drive, but that's not a memory size AFAIK, either, so It was a puzzle what he was referring to.

After opening up About This Mac, it shows 684.26 free of 999.33. Sorry if I got the memory and the hard drive mixed up

Your Mac contains 2 memory slots, each of which accepts
a 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM memory module.

4 GB Installed

macular said:

After opening up About This Mac, it shows 684.26 free of 999.33. Sorry if I got the memory and the hard drive mixed up

Your Mac contains 2 memory slots, each of which accepts
a 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM memory module.

4 GB Installed

Click to expand...

Hi again Macular - NOW, you're giving us some useful data and numbers that do not match an original hardware setup of a mid-2007 iMac, i.e. either the machine you own has been drastically updated (RAM & HD replacement) or you have the wrong model date? Please return to 'About This Mac' and copy the serial # of your machine, then return to the EveryMac link I gave previously and select 'Lookup' from the menu (see image below) - finally, enter your serial # as arrowed in the image and tell us which machine you really own, and whether you know whether the computer has upgraded hardware - ALL of this information will help to provide you w/ accurate and specific advice. Dave
.

Great website!


Intro. August 7, 2007 Disc. April 28, 2008
Order MA878LL Model A1225 (EMC 2134)
Family Mid-2007 - 24" ID iMac7,1
RAM 1 GB VRAM 256 MB
Storage 320 GB (7200 RPM) Optical 8X DL "SuperDrive"
Complete iMac "Core 2 Duo" 2.4 24-Inch (Al) Specs

macular said:

Intro. August 7, 2007 Disc. April 28, 2008
Order MA878LL Model A1225 (EMC 2134)
Family Mid-2007 - 24" ID iMac7,1
RAM 1 GB VRAM 256 MB
Storage 320 GB (7200 RPM) Optical 8X DL "SuperDrive"
Complete iMac "Core 2 Duo" 2.4 24-Inch (Al) Specs

Click to expand...

Hi again Macular - glad that you're enjoying that website - so, the year of your iMac is correct, but obviously the machine has been upgraded to 4 GB RAM and to a 1 TB HD which is two-thirds 'free' - now w/ the correct hardware information, hopefully our members here who know this machine will 'chime in' w/ some more specific suggestions - Dave

I believe that it happens when online. Just a short time ago, I sent an email and tried to open tab and the wheel began spinning but this time it stopped when I clicked on another tab.

I usually do not have too many apps open at the same time. I currently have a doc. and another window in the lower task bar? Sorry if I am using the wrong terminology! I occasionally also have Photo open.

Thanks and I need to leave the house until this evening.