iMac freezes while browsing web

fiery · Dec 11, 2009

While browsing the web after 15 minutes to an hour I get the spinning ball and a ticking type sound. I have to pull the power cord to recover. It happens in Camino or Firefox. I have a ppc os 10.4.11.

6string · Dec 11, 2009

The ticking type sound, usually means that the hard drive is on its way out.
I would back up your system onto an external drive ASAP... and use smart utility Volitans Software- Makers of SMART Utility for the Mac

fiery · Dec 13, 2009

6string said:
The ticking type sound, usually means that the hard drive is on its way out.
I would back up your system onto an external drive ASAP... and use smart utility Volitans Software- Makers of SMART Utility for the Mac

Is there no other way around it? Can I replace my HDD? Should I try a fresh reimaging of the HDD?

6string · Dec 13, 2009

Around what? Backing up your hard drive? ...unless you want to lose your HD contents, you want do do that ASAP!
You can use Carbon Copy Cloner - Home or SuperDuper! to make a bootable backup if you want, but ultimately, ensuring your data is safe should be your priority.
Once you have done this, smart utility gives you 5 free checks of your HD before you have to pay for it.
Once you know whether your HD is dying or not, then you can make an informed decision, and replace your HD if the need be.

fiery · Dec 13, 2009

6string said:
Around what? Backing up your hard drive? ...unless you want to lose your HD contents, you want do do that ASAP!
You can use Carbon Copy Cloner - Home or SuperDuper! to make a bootable backup if you want, but ultimately, ensuring your data is safe should be your priority.
Once you have done this, smart utility gives you 5 free checks of your HD before you have to pay for it.
Once you know whether your HD is dying or not, then you can make an informed decision, and replace your HD if the need be.

Thanks for the help 6string! I have Intego personal backup X5. Is it a good backup utility? Can you recommend a good backup drive that isnt costly? Im thinking about getting this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136181

6string · Dec 14, 2009

it's a little better than what I would have recommended, but a good buy!
You can go as low as around $80 for something good enough without the firewire option which you can check out on the OWC site, but if you can afford the extra $20, it's a good choice.

fiery · Dec 18, 2009

I got the Western Digital external drive and tried to clone with Intego and it failed 3/4 of the way. I ran Mac Hardware Diagnostic test and the hdd passed as with everything else. I still get the weird clicking noise. Should I just get a new hdd or try reloading OSX?