Certified DUNCE needs help...Unresponsive Script busy or stopped

[JohnnyYuma]

First post. 80 y/o who knows 5% of computer knowledge. This is a hand-me-down Apple Mac desk top, 27 inch, 10.8.5 OS. Probably 5-8 years old, not sure. It does not permit updates....and even if it did, I probably could not do it.

Around Xmas my SIL will bring down a newer Mac desk top and set it up for me. Probably it will be 3 years old and will have current updates.

My problem today is in the subject: Spinning colored ball and picture freeze with that message showing. I googled this problem and see there are Firefox/Mozilla fixes....but they are involved and too much for me, I deduce. This happens 5-10 times a day. I can get out by force quit Firefox, but it does not last too long.

I can hold out to Xmas, but I was wondering if there is a quick fix that even I, the Dunce, can accomplish. There is a TeamViewer logo on top strip if that is helpful.....

Thanks

 

[pigoo3]

Hello JohnnyYuma...no problamo...we can help you out. This is the sort of stuff we assist members with all the time.

- When you say "it does not permit updates"...can you tell us what sort of updates you are trying to do (are they macOS updates/upgrades for example)?
- Also...can you tell us how full the hard drive is? Sometimes when the spinning beach-ball is seen & freezing as you mention occur...could be the hard drive is very near full.

I guessing more questions will follow...but let's start here.

- Nick

p.s. Moved thread to better area (Desktops).

 

[RadDave]

Hi JohnnyYuma - just curious, but were you a fan (like me) of the short-lived 'Johnny Yuma' TV series w/ Nick Adams back around 1960?

But to your issue(s), Nick mentioned providing some specs about your 'old' Mac - not sure how familiar you may be in finding this information - if not (if so, then sorry), then click on the Apple (upper left corner) and hit 'About This Mac' which should provide the info shown in the second pic below - then click on storage that will show your HD size and storage remaining (3rd pic). Dave
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.

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[pm-r]

not sure how familiar you may be in finding this information -

I would very much doubt if the OP has Catalina installed and it's quite doubtful if he would see that storage graph. So best not to confuse them too soon.



- Patrick
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[RadDave]

I would very much doubt if the OP has Catalina installed and it's quite doubtful if he would see that storage graph. So best not to confuse them too soon.

Now Patrick - since JohnnyYuma already stated that macOS 10.8.5 (Mountain Lion) was on his computer, 'About This Mac' would presumably bring up information requested by Nick; now, I was not on that Apple OS, but there was likely a 'Storage' option but not sure - don't really feel that my contribution was misleading or trivial - Dave

 

[Rod]

Really all we need to know is how much storage is left on the device and what year and model it is. However the year and model is only of interest if there was an intention of upgrading it and I get the feeling that may be a bit too complex and possibly unnecessary given a new computer is coming at Christmas. A backup at this point might be a good idea though.
Personally I think it may be the Firefox browser that's causing some of the problems.


Sent from my iPhone using Mac-Forums

 

[Rod]

Johnny, have you tried Safari to see if the same problems occur it does the issue occur no matter what you have running?


Sent from my iPhone using Mac-Forums

 

[pm-r]

@JohnnyYuma

I can hold out to Xmas, but I was wondering if there is a quick fix that even I, the Dunce, can accomplish.

I don't know when or what you do for minimum Mac housekeeping but you could do a Shutdown, wait a minute and then Startup.
Doing so will purge some junk files and surplice crap and may help speed things up.

Likewise, booting up into Safe Boot Mode can do more purging/maintenance, then just restart normally.
To do so, when booting up, just press and hold the shift key immediately you hear the startup chime and hold until you see the spinning gear wheel. Doing so will usually be much slower than a normal boot up, so just be patient.

PS: I'm not too far behind you now at 78 3/4!!!



- Patrick
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[Rod]

Both good suggestions, Johnny might benefit from running Disk Utility too. Amazing how I still overlook the old "switch off and back on again," remedy.

 

[Slydude]

@JohnnyHuma Hold on a minute there. This forum is only allowed one dunce at a time. Given that I recently erased a few GB of data due to my own carelessness I'm probably king of the dunces at the moment. I don't plan to give up that title without a tussle. I'm not very good at that but on a good day I might be able to take an 80-year-old.

 

[chscag]

Alright guys, we have lots of caps for all who qualify:

 

[JohnnyYuma]

Hello again and thank you for your many replies. I had a file with various info somewhere but can't find it. Anyway...Processor is 2.9 GHz, Intel Core i5; Memory is 8GB, 1600 MHz DDR3; Startup disc is Mac HD; it is late 2012 and has 1 processor and 4 cores; Memory slots 4GB, 2 OK and 2 empty; Fusion drive 3.12 TB, 3.07 TB free; Seagate back up 845.82 GB free out of 999.86 GB; No updates available;

I have shut down many times in the past using top Apple logo and also pressing the button behind left corner. Tried safe boot mode but don't think I did correctly. Never did hear chime. Also screen wanted a password that I don't know. How do I access/run Disk Utility, please.

Yes, RadDave...I did watch JYuma back in the 60's. Think I came across an episode last year. Found website OldieLyrics.com - Lyrics to Oldies and more and came up with a Johnny Cash recording with lyrics. "....He was panther quick and leather tough..."

I only use computer for emails, google searches, weather sites, and many forums for RV, home improvement help, etc. No games or streaming (whatever that is). Have maybe 300+ items bookmarked, but was told they do not use memory.

Once again...thanks for your help. Today is raking up oak leafs and getting to recycling center and perhaps OSU and PSU football and tomorrow is NFL in the recliner day. Go Niners. Yes, I was born in S.F. and moved to Sonoma County in 1968 and moved again to southern Oregon in 2006. Go Niners.

 

[MacInWin]

I have shut down many times in the past using top Apple logo and also pressing the button behind left corner.

You should not power off the iMac with the button on the back (Hint: That's why it is ON the back, to make it slightly harder to do.) The operating system needs to close down certain things before power is removed. The  menu does that closure properly, the button on the back does not. It just removes power, leaving the OS wherever it is. It *could* be doing something important that needed to finish, but if power is removed, the system can be left unstable and even unable to boot.

Safe boot requires that you hold down the keys, not just press them. That's about all the suggestion I can make--hold down the keys longer than you think you might have to.

 

[pm-r]

@JohnnyYuma

I had a file with various info somewhere but can't find it. Anyway...

Two great useful applications for finding files/folders that just seem to be hiding:
Find Any File (FAF)
Thomas Tempelmann - Find Any File

and
EasyFind
DEVONtechnologies | Needful Things

They have their own strengths and will usually work when a Spotlight search fails.

Both very useful Utility applications.


- Patrick
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[JohnnyYuma]

Thanks #13, I will not do this again :Blushing:

#14. I thought after I posted....I should have indicated this was a paper file, inside a drawer, somewhere. (Now you know with whom you are dealing)

 

[MacInWin]

@JohnyYuma, you can refer to us by our screen names, or real names if they are in our sig lines. I'm Jake, not #13.

 

[JohnnyYuma]

10-4 Jake.....

 

[JohnnyYuma]

Hi again.....things are working slightly better, even tho I did not do anything as suggested. I will wait for the newer computer at Xmas. Thanks for all your help.

 

[JohnnyYuma]

UPDATE.......My SIL did bring down a used 27 inch Mac OS Catalina 10.15.2. Late 2015. 4GHz, Quad Core Intel core i7. It runs great, except for one minor item. At night when all done...I hit the apple logo and bring up SLEEP. It used to click off fast. Now the screen might return. I click the SLEEP again and it may or may not go to sleep. Third time is the charm. Any thoughts ?

BTW thanks for all the prior attempts to help a dunce. It was appreciated.

 

[MacInWin]

Couple of things to look at. In System Preferences, Energy, check for a setting to wake on network access. Also launch Activity Monitor and on the Energy tab look for a column labelled "Preventing Sleep" to see if anything is labelled "Yes."