mac pro freezes for 1/2 second every 3-4 seconds

hello,

this problem started 2 days ago. it goes away after i restart, but then returns about 6 hours later.

every 3-4 seconds, the system freezes for half of a second. for that half second, i'm unable to type or move the mouse. sometimes the mouse will jump on the desktop.

i have an 8core mac pro with 188GB of RAM available.

any advice would be greatly appreciated.

penta said:

hello,

this problem started 2 days ago. it goes away after i restart, but then returns about 6 hours later.

every 3-4 seconds, the system freezes for half of a second. for that half second, i'm unable to type or move the mouse. sometimes the mouse will jump on the desktop.

i have an 8core mac pro with 188GB of RAM available.

any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Click to expand...

I assume the 188GB refers to your HDD free space.

If you would please post your complete specs, including OS version and any software upgrades, in particular any just prior to onset of your problem.

This will help immeasurably in assisting you.
Thanks.

BTW Welcome to the forum

thank you. yes, the 188GB refers to my HDD free space.

I'm running OS X 10.5.8 with:
- Quad-Core Intel Xeon
- 2 processors, speed of 3.2 GHz
- 8 cores
- 18 GB memory
- 1.6 GHz bus speed

no recent software upgrades. before the problem began, i was editing HD video in premiere, and sometimes that makes the system act up a bit.

Thanks for the update. I would suggest downloading and running Onyx, especially repair disk permissions.
If that doesn't help we'll need some of the experts on the forum to weigh in.

And if the problem still exists after running Onyx, boot from the original install discs that came with the machine, disc one and hold down 'D' after the chime which opens Apple Hardware Test and run the extended test to check out logic board and memory. Be patient it takes quite a while.

i downloaded Onyx and was ready to run it, but there's a warning about possible data loss. i can't risk that at the moment (client data on my computer), so i decided to reset the parameter RAM.

after the reset, the problem came back. then after another restart - i've had 48 hours without the problem occurring again. if it comes back, i'll post again. but if i don't, then that means the problem is solved.

if anyone has a similar problem, here is the instructions on resetting the parameter RAM:

1) * Reboot the Mac. Immediately after you hear the startup tone, hold the
shift key. You can release the shift after you see the grey Apple Icon.
a) This will force the Macintosh to startup in Safe Mode. Unlike Windows,
it will also force the computer to scan and repair the file directories.
2) * After Safe Boot, restart the Mac and this time hold Command, Option,
P, and R. Release the keys after a second startup tone.
a) This will reset the Parameter RAM (PRAM) The PRAM holds information
about mouse settings, application fonts, monitor depth, virtual
memory, and other things. Sometimes the PRAM gets corrupt and
makes your Mac unstable.