Mac troubleshooting: How to handle freezes and crashes

#1 Macworld

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Posted 13 February 2013 - 03:30 AM

Post your comments for Mac troubleshooting: How to handle freezes and crashes here

#2 macFanDave

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Posted 13 February 2013 - 05:38 AM

Darn, Joe, you make me feel old! 4GB is a "small amount of RAM?" That used to be the most RAM you could stuff into a machine.

I remember when I was excited to upgrade to four MEGAbytes of RAM (and was proud to get a great deal by spending $120 for that!)

#3 Poupic

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Posted 13 February 2013 - 07:04 AM

I did everyone of your advises. I also called Apple Care and Safari continues crashing. Then I downloaded a fresh Safari, same! In Lion it practically never happened. Mountain Lion crashes and crashes. I even add my comment to Apple as to what I was doing when Safari crashed. Nothing! It is like talking to the wall. Apple Care is useless in this case.

#4 jamills706

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Posted 13 February 2013 - 07:42 AM

I agree about there being something wacky in Mountain Lion --especially with Safari. It locks the whole computer up for a few minutes every once in a while - even if I'm not scrolling of loading pages. Other apps do it too! And when coming out of sleep it take OREVER for everything to get up and going again. Slower than molasses in January!!!!!!!! Apple Care really has had no real suggestions (try restarting, start in safe mode...etc.) ---- it is pretty darned frustrating at times!

#5 BobForsberg

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Posted 13 February 2013 - 09:29 AM

Quote

I agree about there being something wacky in Mountain Lion --especially with Safari.

Same problem with me. You'd think Apple could make its own browser work well. I've switched to Firefox, leaving Safari on my system but never used anymore.

#6 JoeKissell

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Posted 13 February 2013 - 10:56 AM

I haven't had any problems with Safari crashing in Mountain Lion. If I did, I'd try disabling any Safari extensions, followed closely by updating - or, better yet, removing - Flash. (Nowadays I mostly use Chrome in Mountain Lion, which has its own built-in version of Flash.) I can't say that will solve your problems, but it might be something to check.

Joe

#7 JoeKissell

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Posted 13 February 2013 - 10:57 AM

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I hear you. My first Mac came with 2 MB of RAM, and I felt like such a hotshot maxing it out to 4, just like you! Today, I can't believe I'm using a Mac that will hold "only" 16 GB of RAM.

Joe

#8 schoonerman

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Posted 13 February 2013 - 11:23 AM

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Darn, Joe, you make me feel old! 4GB is a "small amount of RAM?" ...

On purchase, I loaded my Apple ][ with 12 KB of RAM (they came from the factory with 4 KB). 1977.

The physically huge and very expensive IBM 704 (late 1950s) had 32K of 36-bit words with no ability to expand that. (First machine I programmed.)

I've seen rather amazing changes.

John W Baxter

#9 AlbertoOrtegadeReyes

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Posted 13 February 2013 - 11:49 AM

jamills706
I also had problems with Safari and Lion: it was extremely slow. A week ago I updated Onyx and run it using the Automation toolbar where most items were selected, except Rebuilding Spotlight Index and Mail Envelope Index, and Cleaning Automatically saved versions of the documents.
After that, I have to say that the improvement of functioning of my Safari is extraordinary even though it is not perfect.
You could have a try ..... is free.
Good luck

#10 Enrique101010

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Posted 13 February 2013 - 12:40 PM

When I first got my (mid 2012) Macbook Pro last month every application was dreadfully lagging. It wasn't until I finally upgraded my ram to 16Gb and swapped my HDD to a SSD that I really start to like it. 4Gb just isn't enough in my opinion to handle the Mountain Lion. Now its snappy and I'm happy

#11 BradPDX

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Posted 13 February 2013 - 01:50 PM

No problems with Safari on Mountain Lion on my 2012 MBP - it's every bit as snappy as Chrome or Firefox. I do not install Flash or Adobe Reader, so when I "need" Flash I use Chrome. So far, that system has kept this machine fast and clean, and I am pleasantly surprised at how few times I am forced to use Chrome for Flash purposes.

#12 philomath777

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Posted 13 February 2013 - 02:43 PM

To get rid of the Flash problems, of which I've had many, you can be Flash-free, and have a sort of "Click-to-Flash" in Chrome by changing settings, so that it's only active when you click.

See: http://tidbits.com/article/13545?

#13 RobertThomson

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Posted 13 February 2013 - 04:41 PM

Safari worked great for me up until the Mountain Lion upgrade. Since then I've had problems with freezing, slow page loading and the like. Have never been able solve the problem. I am thinking of a full reinstall of Mountain Lion.

#14 aaa1aaa

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Posted 13 February 2013 - 05:24 PM

I cannot get email from att.net in Apple Mail most of the time. Have phone and DSL with ATT. Verizon has no alternative where I live.

Also, cannot download most of the time using Safari. (Have to copy url and switch.)

Am using MacBook Pro (2011) with Snow Leopard and 8 GB of ram.

Have tried calling Apple. Have paid extra money to ATT to solve Mail problem.

Would greatly appreciate your help! (fermatprime@gmail.com)