02-05-2012, 08:49 PM

Hi everyone.

I was wondering if someone could tell me how to check if my resources are being used up by having too many programs open?

i know there's the Activity Monitor utility, but I'm not really sure if it's safe to turn off the processes that are running.

I have 90 processes running, and I'm actually starting to get the color wheel for the first time since I got my mbp.

Also... what does this mean?

% User: >1.0
% System: >1.0
% Idle: 98

(The > aren't actually on the screen, but it fluctuates).

Any help or advice would be appreciated. I also have the airport base utility running... I'm not sure if that's the wi-fi manager or not...

Thanks in advance guys. Sorry for the noob questions, this is my first post after all

02-05-2012, 08:56 PM

If you're getting the spinning color wheel, it may be due to either a lack of memory or perhaps your system needs some cleaning maintenance. And no, please do not use MacKeeper or MacCleaner! Download and install the free OnyX from here. OnyX is safe to use and when in automatic mode can clean things like cookies, caches, and browsing history among others.

Also when you post, it helps to list the specs about your Mac and which version of OS X you're running.

02-05-2012, 09:02 PM

I will 2nd the recommendation for Onyx. I use it when I think about it to clear out temp and cache files.

Also, there are some things you don't need to worry about.

Knowing what you have goes a long way to being able to recommend things. also, knowing what you are seeing in in Activity monitor helps too, screen shot it.

02-05-2012, 09:03 PM

Ah gotcha. I'll probably post all that stuff on my sidebar like you did but for now...

I just got the macbook pro 15' new last week.

2.2 i7 processor
4g ram
15'

I was running several PDFs, running a antivirus program scan, surfing through 5 or 6 safari windows, while running Neo Office and PS in the background.

I shouldn't' need to clean anything just yet... I just got the thing last week right?

02-05-2012, 09:06 PM

You dont need any AV scanner... Get rid of it.

Get more RAM - 4GB is nothing anymore.

02-05-2012, 09:11 PM

Definitely remove the AV scanner -- that's probably the main source of your beachballs. There are no Mac viruses and most AV won't really help you prevent any Malware because that stuff needs your active participation, which you're unlikely to do, so really IMO a dash of common sense is all the "protection" you need.

02-05-2012, 09:13 PM

hmmm... i might need to do that. I figured 4gb was good enough, but yeah.. i'm going to have this laptop for a while.

I'm using both slots right now. How much would it cost to get an upgrade from the apple store to 8gb ram?

I'm looking at the website right now, of course, but a confirmation would be nice

02-05-2012, 09:17 PM

You can buy and install third-party RAM from other sources for a lot less money than what the Apple Store charges.

In the US. I'd suggest OWC (macsales.com) or Crucial. In Canada, I'd recommend CanadaRAM.com.

02-05-2012, 09:23 PM

Crucial is good, reliable. Get the most you can afford and remember, you can put your existing chips up for sale easily.

02-05-2012, 11:38 PM

Wow. Thanks everyone. This thread has been incredibly useful for pointers.

I'll most likely do the ram swap mentioned above.

Does it void the warranty if apple doesn't actually do it themselves?

02-06-2012, 12:06 AM

Both RAM and Hard drives are considered user serviceable. Which means, the only thing that won't be covered, is what you upgrade. In fact, the user manual that shipped with your MBP has the instructions for both in it.

02-06-2012, 02:13 AM

Originally Posted by Deckyon

You dont need any AV scanner... Get rid of it.

Get more RAM - 4GB is nothing anymore.

yeah,i think so