Mac suddenly started 'lagging' and messsing up.

[mrk123]

Hi, really hope I can get some help on this one.

My mac is 2009 or 2010 and is running OSX 10.7.5.

It has been a sturdy machine over the years, no real problems, i've kept it clean I think, installed a but of third party software that I probably shouldn't have like burning software and what not.

Anyway just these last 4 days, it has suddenly started to lag dramatically.

I was working yesterday and it froze out of nowhere, leaving me to force close it down and then the start up screen just sat on the grey screen with the apple logo, I had to start in safe mode (I am not a tech head if I am honest - and wasn't even sure what to do in dafe mode!)

I was watching something on youtube yesterday, full screen (black mirror white christmas) and it froze half way through forcing me to abandon the show. The screen just froze as well as the audio.

Other things are the colour loading wheel seems to pop up and stay there a lot more now too. I am in safe mode now.

There is a 'ding' to the bottom right of the main computer board, where your right hand wrist would normally sit and rest, and what i beieve to be the hard drive cause I can hear it, but sometimes it makes a small creaking noise every couple of rotations. But not all the time.

Any ideas on what this could be?

I am going to back up all my important stuff now.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[johnodd4]

Question: Which model of macintosh???

We need to know.

System specs.

 

[mrk123]

2.3 GHz Intel Core i5
Memory: 4gb 1333 MHz DDR3

 

[johnodd4]

Wow can i ask why 10.7 then.

you can run maverick on that model of mac and you might be better off 10.7 was kinda incomplete and caused headaches for everything from disk utility through even watching a dvd.

i would recommend.

Running onyx and have it do a complete scan of your hard drive and see if your hard drive could be going out.

I would then check hard drive space on any mac os x version you should at least keep 40% free for the operating system in 10.7 and should be keeping 80% free for mac os x maverick and yosemite this smooths things out.

 

[mrk123]

Not sure why I am on an old version?

I will do these checks you mentioned now...

But is there a free upgrade I can get then that might stop this?

I don't suddenly see why it has suddenly out f no where started to do it?

I will run checks now on suggested software but whats the best way to upgrade?

Back up everything first?

In safe boot some file extensions are missing, is this normal?

Should i JUST SKIP THESE CHECKS YOU SUGGESTED AND UPDATE SYSTEM??

 

[chas_m]

Pay no attention to that nonsense.

Your hard drive is failing. That's the problem.

Make sure your stuff is backed up, then replace the drive.

 

[mrk123]

Really?

Well that's great now I am being told 2 conflicting different things? That really helps.

Seriously what do I do here.

I'm struggling to even drag and drop files around.

 

[bobtomay]

listen to chas_m

No - do not do any system updates.

Upgrading software is NOT something you want to do with an all of a sudden spinning beachball issue.

How much used and free space on the hard drive?

(80% free space? yeah, right - and here I thought I was hardcore)

 

[mrk123]

Hi. When I click 'more info' on the 'about this mac' tab it doesn't bring anything up, but maybe about 25%? Maybe more?

I deleted a of of stuff recently, there's probably about 30%.

I think I am in boot mode, but even dragging and dropping files is difficult if not impossible?

As well as this my external hard drive is not showing up... Is this because it's in boot mode, because I was running a program that read this external HD.

??

 

[bobtomay]

If you've got that much free space, then I agree with chas - your hard drive is dying.

I would back it up now if you don't already have a backup and then replace the drive.

The only thing I would add - since you have damage to the case of the machine - and we haven't seen it - nor do we know how long ago this damage happened - it could be an issue with the system board and or the cabling.

What you are describing is the typical action of a drive on it's last legs.

 

[mrk123]

It just popped up out of nowhere and says 33gb free..

It's TUXURA the program (possible spelling mistake) that allows me to use a PC formated HD on my mac... it's not showing up now?

What's going on?

Any ideas?

So definitely sounds like a HD problem then? What could have caused this?

Definitely not a bug of system thing?

 

[chas_m]

Being that we aren't there, don't have all the information, can't see the machine and test it ourselves, nothing we can say here is "definite." We can only tell you what our experience suggests to us is the most likely explanation given the data you have supplied. As a former Apple tech, I'm betting your hard drive is failing.

What could have caused this? Nothing in particular. A hard drive is a set of spinning platters with lots of mechanical parts. They fail randomly, like lightbulbs. Like lightbulbs, they GENERALLY work for a very very long time before failing, as yours has (at least five years now) and like lightbulbs, they sometimes give you warnings that they are about to fail completely (as yours seems to be doing), but sometimes just "die on the spot" without any apparent cause. SSDs are less likely to do this, one of the reasons they are so popular these days (no moving parts = higher reliability).

After you've made a backup of your data, you should take it to a tech who will likely confirm my diagnosis. They will probably suggest replacing the drive, which is generally not a big expense. You have the option of going for a larger-capacity hard drive or a faster but more expensive SSD -- but really, as that machine is nearing the end of its useful life for a variety of reasons I would suggest the cheaper route of just replacing the hard drive -- and use the money you saved to start saving up for your next Mac.

 

[mrk123]

OK thanks. I will look into a new HD.

Can you suggest?

Where I could get a good HD. I am not a techy. I don't even know if apple give out operating systems as free or what?

Do I just buy a plain hard drive and download the latest OS? Seriously I have no knowledge in this?

As well, what about my external HD, it isn't showing up at all?

I used TUXURA (spelling) that allows me to view a PC formated external on a mac. Any suggestions.

Thanks again for your advice.

 

[chas_m]

As I previously said, take it to a tech. They can replace the HD for you, and yes Apple's current OS version is free of charge. What's really important here is that you make a backup of your current data (using Time Machine or whatever else you want) to an external drive before this hard drive dies completely.

Once you have the new HD installed and the latest OS on it, you can reinstall Tuxera from your install disk (or re-download it free of charge if you bought it from the Mac App Store) and continue to use it to work with your PC-formatted external. I would recommend using a Mac-formatted external drive (ie a different one) to back up your Mac-formatted boot drive, however, rather than a Windows-formatted disk, as I don't think you will be able to use it with Time Machine, and clone programs will not work with it.

 

[mrk123]

Hi, this is getting very tech now.

I'm not sure if I can afford to take to a apple tech. Not brimming with spare cash right now.

Is this something I can do myself?

I have a 500gb hard drive, but it's probably got about 250gb on it.

I have adobe software, microsoft, and generally just other important apps.

How do I go about this? Time machine, does this just capture everything as it was and prepare it to drop on a new Hard Drive?

Not looking forward to this in the slightest.

 

[chas_m]

Is this something I can do myself?

Perhaps. We still don't know what model this is, so with some more information about we might be able to hazard a guess on that.

I have a 500gb hard drive, but it's probably got about 250gb on it.

I have adobe software, microsoft, and generally just other important apps.

How do I go about this?

So you're saying you have never made a backup of this machine in all this time? (shakes head)

Time machine, does this just capture everything as it was and prepare it to drop on a new Hard Drive?

Not looking forward to this in the slightest.

It's something you should have been doing for the last five years. And yes, that's basically how Time Machine works -- provided your failing HD lasts long enough to make a complete backup, that is ...

First thing is you need to purchase an external drive and connect it. Time Machine will automatically pop up and ask you if you want to use the drive for a backup. You do. It will them format the drive and copy the entire boot drive (we hope) to a backup.

Then you replace the hard drive with a new one. Depending in your model, this may be very easy or something you simply cannot do without a tech's help.

When the new drive is installed, you can download a new system onto it using Internet Recovery or some other method (did your machine come with its original software on DVD? It should have). During the initial setup, you will be asked if you want to restore from a Time Machine backup. You do. Connect that drive, and if all went well with the initial backup, you should then be exactly back to where you were, with every program and document as it was (though you'll probably need to reinstall any MS or Adobe software, it's picky like that).

This is why I suggest a technician. You aren't going to get away without buying a new external drive and a new boot drive and possibly an extra $20 for the DVD of Snow Leopard if you don't have your original software dvds. Having a tech do this is a little more expensive, but it will be done correctly and quickly (particularly if you use the Apple Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider).

 

[dtravis7]

I agree with Chas and Bob, it really sounds like the hard drive.

Do you own any External hard drive you can use to do a Time Machine backup? Time Machine has to go to an external drive. Then we can help you with the rest, but if you do not want to loose all your data, I hope you do have an external drive to back up to!

Edit: Chas beat me to it. Do what he says and all will be fine. If you can give us the exact model of the machine so we can better help you with replacing the drive.

 

[dtravis7]

Chas, I just checked the specs he provided and I think that is a 2011 13" MBP. My friend owns one and those are his exact specs.


http://www.everymac.com/systems/app...-13-early-2011-unibody-thunderbolt-specs.html

It's the only one with a 2.3Ghz Dual Core i5.

 

[chas_m]

I'm presuming you mean MacBook Pro.

If that's actually the case, here's the instructions (note the tools needed) for changing out the hard drive oneself:

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Pro+13-Inch+Unibody+Early+2011+Hard+Drive+Replacement/5119

EDIT: That dyslexia darn! I meant that this is the link for the EARLY 2011 unibody MacBook Pro. There is also a LATE 2011 MBP with slightly different instructions, so pick the relevant one.

 

[dtravis7]

I'm presuming you mean MacBook Pro.

Yes, it's early, I am still waking up. MBP 13". That is not a hard machine to work with as long as you have the right tools.

The Late 2011 has a 2.4Ghz i5 thus why I picked the early 2011.