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money69 · Feb 5, 2009, 10:13 PM

I have the current model '24 iMac here at home with the standard 2gig of ram. Im using menu meters and generally when im using the computer I have about 700 or 800 mb worth of RAM free.

Anyway, to make a long story short, I notice periodically that I get the beachball or the computer will freeze up for a couple seconds occasionally, which is weird, I cant imagine its paging out to the hard drive with that much RAM free. Anyone have any similar issues, Ive noticed this among various versions of OSX 10.5 since Ive gotten it even though im running 10.5.6 right now. Anyone have any ideas?

ibook_steve · Feb 6, 2009, 03:14 AM

It depends on what you are doing when this happens. What programs are you running or what operations are you performing? Open up Activity Monitor from the Utilities folder and organize the list of processes by CPU % usage to see what might be hogging the processors.

But we'd really need to know what you are doing when this happens.

Steve

OreoCookie · Feb 6, 2009, 03:51 AM

I'd check your harddrive, do a surface scan. This may be a symptom of a faulty harddrive where your system waits for data -- hence the beachball. Download SMART Utility and do an extensive scan (you can launch the software 5 times).

In the SMART Utility main window, select your harddrive (probably /dev/disk0), in the info pane on the bottom right, click in the More Info button next to Tests. Select Run Test: Long from the pop up and click in Run. The app will then do a surface scan -- which takes a while (it may seem your computer does nothing, but do not abort the test).

SierraDragon · Feb 9, 2009, 01:53 PM

Please provide more info about your box including hard drives and how full, how connected; but most importantly what apps/versions you are running.

The "Free RAM" of Activity Monitor tells us little, look to see if the number of Page Outs is rapidly increasing at any point. iMacs are limiting in general to heavier apps and 2 GB is generally limiting to OS X MacIntel operation. RAM is cheap, max out the box.

-Allen Wicks

money69 · Feb 9, 2009, 04:33 PM

Originally Posted by OreoCookie

I'd check your harddrive, do a surface scan. This may be a symptom of a faulty harddrive where your system waits for data -- hence the beachball. Download SMART Utility and do an extensive scan (you can launch the software 5 times).

In the SMART Utility main window, select your harddrive (probably /dev/disk0), in the info pane on the bottom right, click in the More Info button next to Tests. Select Run Test: Long from the pop up and click in Run. The app will then do a surface scan -- which takes a while (it may seem your computer does nothing, but do not abort the test).

I took your advice and ran the smart utility, it alerted me that the hard drive was about to fail and found several errors on it. Ive had this computer well under a year and I guess Im going to try and take it to the Apple store here to have the hard drive replaced. I hope that Smart utility software is accurate, it seems like its very high tech and hopefully is very accurate on its results.

Chuckit · Feb 9, 2009, 04:44 PM

If SMART says your drive is about to fail, it's a safe bet that your drive is having major problems.

OreoCookie · Feb 9, 2009, 05:23 PM

If SMART says your harddrive is about to fail, then have it replaced NOW. The only thing you should do with it is a backup. I haven't heard of a case where a harddrive SMART status was `fail' and the drive was actually ok.

olePigeon · Feb 9, 2009, 06:16 PM

What Oreo says. Back up your important data immediately and get that HDD replaced.

money69 · Feb 10, 2009, 10:47 AM

Thanks for the help, I have an external harddrive, whats the proper way to back everything up so when the new harddrive is replaced I can restore it just like it is now???

OreoCookie · Feb 10, 2009, 12:57 PM

If you have Time Machine, you have to do nothing at all. And you should use Time Machine.

If you don't use Time Machine at the moment, you need an external enclosure. Buy your new harddrive and install it. Put the old harddrive into the enclosure. Boot your iMac from the OS X install DVD. Then simply use Disk Utility to clone your drive. Get yourself some coffee. Sort your old record collection. Spend some time with the kids or your significant other. Reboot and continue working where you've left off.

I recommend you should get a 750 GB drive, that's the sweet spot regarding price per GB at the moment.

money69 · Feb 10, 2009, 01:43 PM

Originally Posted by OreoCookie

If you have Time Machine, you have to do nothing at all. And you should use Time Machine.

If you don't use Time Machine at the moment, you need an external enclosure. Buy your new harddrive and install it. Put the old harddrive into the enclosure. Boot your iMac from the OS X install DVD. Then simply use Disk Utility to clone your drive. Get yourself some coffee. Sort your old record collection. Spend some time with the kids or your significant other. Reboot and continue working where you've left off.

I recommend you should get a 750 GB drive, that's the sweet spot regarding price per GB at the moment.

I really appreciate all your help, I am running 10.5 so I have time machine but dont actively use it. I guess I can set it up with the external HD I have. I was going to take it back to Apple to have the Applecare people look at it but I doubt they will replace the 320 GB harddrive with a 750 gig or bigger one. I wonder if its even worth it for me to take it to them or should I just get a hard drive and swap it myself, can it be done easily?

OreoCookie · Feb 10, 2009, 03:21 PM

It's quite easy. And yes, you definitely, definitely should have a backup. Time Machine is really a no-brainer. We wouldn't be having this conversation if you had it: you would have had your harddrive exchanged and then restored from Time Machine. Simple as that.

bokehphotographer · Feb 10, 2009, 03:59 PM

I've been looking to do an upgrade as well. I found this guide for the AL iMac.

http://www.amfiteatar.org/content/view/155/57/lang,en/

money69 · Feb 11, 2009, 04:23 PM

Ok, well I have everything I need to upgrade the HD and the memory. I was going to put in a 1TB drive but I have a question before i do it. Obviously 24' iMac's are not cheap and on top of that I have 3 years worth of Applecare I paid for, will installing this HD myself void the warranty? If so, if I take it to the Apple Store and have them do it will they install memory/harddrives that you purchase? Whats the best way to do this and protect myself??

Thanks

miawj · Feb 14, 2009, 05:35 PM

ignore me

turtle777 · Feb 14, 2009, 10:48 PM

Originally Posted by miawj

ignore me

You or the post ?

-t

Andy8 · Mar 2, 2009, 09:47 AM

Sorry to hijack this thread, but i also was having the same slowness and beachballs, so i ran SMART Utility and it said my drive was failing on my MBA.

It is less than a year old, so i'll give Apple a call and see what they can do.