[gradient]

As I mentioned in a different thread, I've been experiencing periodic massive lock-ups ala SBBOD. I never really worry about repairing permissions, but decided to do it tonight to see what turned up. I got a fairly massive list, but really have no idea what much (if any) of it means. Could anyone comment on whether any of these permission issues could have been causing the lock-ups? I'll know more in a day (once I know if they've gone away or not) but thought I would go ahead and ask anyway.

The list is so long it violates the maximum post limit so you can get it here. The file is safe to download and open - I promise!

Thanks!

[besson3c]

Your massive lock-ups are not related to permission problems, so I wouldn't recommend spending any more time investigating this.

[ibook_steve]

besson is right. Open Activity Monitor and click the %CPU column header to see which app(s) are sucking up your CPU usage.

When do your freezes occur? What exactly is happening?

Steve

[gradient]

I would never have figured permissions would be the issue, either, but just thought it was worth asking about seeing as the list was so damned long. I figured that the vast majority of it would be irrelavant but just thought someone else might see something in there that I didn't.

It looks like I've managed to inadvertently start two concurrent threads on this topic.

This is from the other thread, that I've left open to a CPU app related question:

Originally Posted by besson3c 

How do you know that the problem isn't a CPU spike and not an I/O spike? I/O spikes are often caused by having to use virtual memory, whereas CPU spikes usually do not result in lock ups.

Originally Posted by gradient 

I don't, but maxed CPU has accompanied these lock-ups every time I've had a CPU usage meter up and running while it's happened, and haven't noticed my memory usage meter even close to maxed out during one of these periods, so I thought I should start there first.

[gradient]

Originally Posted by ibook_steve 

besson is right. Open Activity Monitor and click the %CPU column header to see which app(s) are sucking up your CPU usage.

When do your freezes occur? What exactly is happening?

Steve

Freezes occur seemingly randomly, sometimes when launching an application, sometimes when just typing. I had another one just a minute ago while trying to type a response on these boards.

On this particular instance I had the following apps open: iTunes, Mail, Safari, Transmission, Activity Monitor. All apps where idle, aside from typing in Safari though I don't know whether Mail may have been syncing folders or not in the background.

[besson3c]

It never hurts to test your hard drive for errors and test your RAM for problems too. A lockup like this can be caused by one or the other having difficulties.

You can test your memory with the memtest86 CD, and your hard drive with SmartReporter.

[gradient]

Originally Posted by besson3c 

It never hurts to test your hard drive for errors and test your RAM for problems too. A lockup like this can be caused by one or the other having difficulties.

You can test your memory with the memtest86 CD, and your hard drive with SmartReporter.

HDD and RAM both test out ok.

[gradient]

I'm going to spend a couple days working from a fresh user account.

[gradient]

Originally Posted by gradient 

I'm going to spend a couple days working from a fresh user account.

Ok, so that didn't work out. I swapped over to the fresh login, opened safari then hit Spotlight and typed a few lettres before getting the prolonged lock-up/SBBOD. Once it cleared, I used it to find Adium and got another 30 second SBBOD trying to launch it.

[Big Mac]

Those symptoms indicate hard drive or RAM problems. Even if you think you've ruled out these issues as the source of your problems, I'd next test things by booting off another drive to see if the problem recurs.

[cgc]

Originally Posted by gradient 

...The file is safe to download and open - I promise!

That's what they always say...reminds me of a relavent quote from Mars Attacks, "We come in peace! We come in peace!" ...or Henry Rollins...

Just as believable

[gradient]

Originally Posted by Big Mac 

Those symptoms indicate hard drive or RAM problems. Even if you think you've ruled out these issues as the source of your problems, I'd next test things by booting off another drive to see if the problem recurs.

Well it looks like you guys were right. Despite Disk Utility and Disk Warrior telling me that the HDD had no issues, I installed SmartReporter as besson3c suggested and it started reporting I/O failures every time a lock up would occur. I guess the CPU readings that I got on some of the first occasions were just a coincidence. I'm running off of an external drive right now and things are are going smoothly; I'll keep going for a couple days to be sure then dial up AppleCare. I was really hoping it wasn't harward failure, as this machine is less than a year old but hey, bleep happens... at least I've been running a backup scheme.

Incidentlally, this is the first time I've actually had to make use of Time Machine and it sure is slick; I love it.

Cheers.

[besson3c]

Makes sense... Disk Utility and Disk Warrior do not report on the drive's health, but the file system's health - two separate things that are not always directly related.