10.9 performance issue - App & Utilities folder software icon appearing slowly

I read the threads related to Mavericks, but cant see someone else reporting this glitch.
Since the Mavericks update on both my Macbook pro and my Mini, at each new session, the first time I'm opening the Application and Utilities folders, icons are appearing one by one versy slowly.
I never saw this before with the 10.7 or 10.8.
If my BBP is an old 2009 version, the mini is a new i5 and both are running on SSDs, with 4Gb of memory and 8GB of memory.
Also, on my daughter's i5 MBA I noticed teh same behaviour.
With this glitch and the fact that Quick look is not anymore quick on JPG, is giving to the users the feeling that tha systel is not anymore fast and fluid.
If I identified the issue on the App and Utilities folders, the behavior is the same for all folders, but I guess it's more obvious en these 2 ones, because each icon is different from the other one.

Hi Ahimsa
If you think the problem is due to Mavericks you should start a new Discussion. You won't solve anything by replying to someone else's.

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Can't use any app utilities folder b/cNOT SUPPORTED ON THIS ARCHITECTURE

Can't use any app utilities folder b/cNOT SUPPORTED ON THIS ARCHITECTURE
in my macs utilities folder under applications where you find things such as disk utility and system profiler i have a problem. i am unable to open any of them. none of them have icons. they all have an icon that looks like a piece of paper and the ruler, pant brush pencil, that make an A over it. i don't have any of the original icons. like this one for system profiler.
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.tuaw.com/media/2009/09/profilericon.jpg
when i try to open one of them up i get a message that says YOU CAN"T OPEN THE APPLICATION (insert which ever app here) BECAUSE IT IS NOT SUPPORTED ON THIS ARCHITECTURE.
i have had my mac since 2008 and have not used any of the apps in my utilities folder.

That sounds like something has gone wrong with your system.
Do you have the original install discs?
Download the 10.5.8 Combo update from Apple.com, install it, and see if that helps.
~Lyssa

Mac OS X Lion and Java7 + JavaFX2.1 performance issues

Currently I'm using the JavaFX 2.1 GA Build with Mac OS X Lion (10.7.3) on my MacBook Pro (2.33 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, ATI Radeon X1600 256 MB) an run into some performance and ui problems. The overall rendering framerate is arround ~30fps (which is normally 60fps on my desktop computer) and if I try to resize the main window the window starts to flicker and I get the following exception:
Glass detected outstanding Java exception at -[GlassRunnable run]:src/com/sun/mat/ui/GlassApplication.m:163
Exception in thread "AWT-AppKit" java.lang.NullPointerException
at com.sun.glass.ui.mac.MacView._uploadPixels(MacView.java:72)
at com.sun.glass.ui.View.uploadPixels(View.java:706)
at com.sun.prism.j2d.J2DPresentable$Glass$1.run(J2DPresentable.java:99)So, how can I avoid the flickering and the performance drop? Any suggestions?

2.1 system requirements =>
http://docs.oracle.com/javafx/2/system_requirements_2-1/jfxpub-system_requirements_2-1.htm
For JavaFX applications to take advantage of the new hardware acceleration pipeline provided by JavaFX, your system must feature one of a wide range of GPUs currently available in the market. Table 1 lists the graphics cards that have been tested with JavaFX. If your system does not support hardware acceleration, then JavaFX uses the Java2D software pipeline.
For Mac OS X, the following standard Apple hardware graphics chips provide the required support:
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- AMD Radeon HD 6630M graphics processor with 256MB of GDDR5 memoryYour graphics card is not on that list, so JavaFX is falling back to a software pipeline, which does not work that well for you. You may not be able to resolve some performance issues when using a software pipline. You can log an issue at http://javafx-jira.kenai.com to request the NullPointerException be fixed - as that should not occur in any case and is a bug.

I can't open .pkg files. i get an error telling me to choose an application to open them. the Installer app is not in my Utilities folder or in System/Library/CoreServices.

i can't open .pkg files. i get an error telling me to choose an application to open them. the Installer app is not in my Utilities folder or in System/Library/CoreServices.

Install the UnArchiver and try again.
http://wakaba.c3.cx/s/apps/unarchiver
There is no Installer.app in the Utilities or Applications folder, there is one in the System/Library/CoreServices.
If yours is not there, then you need to:
1: Backup your data off the machine to a non-TimeMachine drive and disconnect all drives.
2: If you have TM, try to restore the Installer.app from the TM drive and reboot. See if things work.
If the above doesn't work, your going to have to re-install just OS X 10.6 (and bundled programs) from the disk by holding c and booting off the 10.6 disk and simply installing OS X. Then software updating to 10.6.8.
This will replace all bundled programs and OS X, not touch your files (backup regardless) and most third party programs.
Some third party programs will have to be reinstalled form original sources because they install Kext files into OS X and thus kicked out by the 10.6 reinstall form disk.
All should go well, however if you boot to a gray screen or other freeze, reboot holding the shift key down, then update all your third party software to be current to 10.6.8.
Another method is to re-install in to CoreServices the Installer.app from the 10.6 disk using the extraction program called Pacifist from CharleSoft, then running software update to get any updates for Installer.app.
http://www.charlessoft.com/

Oracle Apps Database severe Performance Issue

Hi Gurus,
This is regarding a severe performance issue running in our Production E-Business Suite Instance.
its an R12.1.3 setup installed with 11.2.0.1 Database. All the servers are Solaris Sparc 64 (Solaris 10)
Let me brief you about the instance first:
2 Node Application
- Main Application Server hosting web/forms/concurrent/admin servers
- iSupplier server hosting web services (placed in DMZ, used by external suppliers via Internet)
1 Node Database Server
Database Server Specs
Memory: 144G phys mem 20G total swap
- CPUs (8Px4cores, 2Px2cores)
- I/O - fiber channel hard disk (hitachi SAN Storage) - 7 DATA_TOPs (7 drives with RAID 5) - current DB size 1.6 TB
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We have been facing some serious performance issues and we raised an SR with Oracle Support.
The Support analyzed a bunch of AWR Reports we provided them and they asked us to increase the DB_CACHE from its current usage of 27G to 40G
So, we changed SGA_TARGET from 35G to 50G and PGA was increased from 35G to 40G as v$pgastat was also suggesting some lack of memory.
We made these changes last night.
Today morning we observed the following:
1. after start of office hours, we checked in the home page of EM DB Console that ADDM was showing reduced impact due to lack of SGA memory which seemed to be a good sign. Earlier it was around 25% which was now at 12%.
However, negative aspects were:
1. lot of swapping was reported by the System Administrators on the DB Server
2. High CPU Usage
3. EM DB Console showed a lot of "Concurrency Wait Class" events ...throughout the day lot of blocking sessions were reported which were making other sessions to wait.
in the AWR Report, following foreground reports were listed:
Top 5 Timed Foreground Events
Event
Waits
Time(s)
Avg wait (ms)
% DB time
Wait Class
DB CPU
132,577
61.46
library cache lock
3,539
40,683
11496
18.86
Concurrency
library cache: mutex X
4,014,083
21,011
5
9.74
Concurrency
db file sequential read
4,138,014
20,767
5
9.63
User I/O
latch free
381,916
5,897
15
2.73
Other
This is showing "library cache lock" events as the main culprit apart from the usual suspect, the CPU.
I am attaching the AWR Report. Please let me know if i should revert back the memory changes or is there anything else i could do.
Please help us resolving it because the performance is going worst.
Regards,
Muneer.

Pl do not post duplicates - Oracle Apps Database severe Performance Issue
For all critical production issues, pl work with Support thru SRs - using the forums to troubleshoot production issues is not wise

No Compass App in Utilities Folder

Isn't the Compass App supposed to be in the Utilities folder? I only see Clock, Calculator and Voice Memos in the folder.
I have IOS version 6.1.3 on my iPod Touch 4.

The iPod does not have a compass app.
Read here: https://discussions.apple.com/message/23051886#23051886

HT5493 Does anyone know why the latest Java upgrade(OS X 2012-006) removes the Java Preferences app in Appllication- Utilities folder?

Does anyone know why the latest Java upgrade(OS X 2012-006) removes the Java Preferences app in Appllication-> Utilities folder?

bispymusic wrote:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5493
This support article from Apple disJava dicusses this.
You're confusing the browser plug-in with the JVM.

I have my utilities folder in my apps folder. Is this correct?

I just noticed that I have my utilities folder in my apps folder. Is this correct? I went to move it and it started a long download, so I stopped it

Utilities is a subfolder of Applications. DON'T move it.

TS2634 iPad 2 utilities folder disappeared along with all apps within. Any suggestions?

The utilities folder and all the apps within, such as calculator, disappeared from my iPad 2. I've tried restore, which did not help. I tried to contact Apple's worthless technical support, also did not help. Any suggestions?

There isn't a built-in Calculator app, nor Weather nor Stocks on the iPad - they are only on iPhones and iPod Touches

Many apps are missing in the Utilities folder.

Hi there!
The MacBook Pro I'm using is Mac OS X, Version 10.7.5. The weird thing is: when I bought it, I tranferred my files from a previous Macbook to this current one using Migration Assistant. But now I couldn't find Migration Assistant in this Pro, and there are many applicatioins missing in the Utilities folder (now there is only one folder named 'contents' contained in Utilities).
Could anyone tell me if it is normal or how can I fix it?
Many thanks!!

1) In your first post you said you have an MBP with Mac OS X 10.7.5, that goes by the name of Lion. Apple uses big cat names for its OS X versions. Mountain Lion is Mac OS X 10.8. Your MBP has Lion since you said you have 10.7.5.
2) If you reinstall Lion, and DO NOT do an erase and install, all applications and data, including photos and libraries, should be preserved. It is always a good idea to make a backup first just as protection. I have never had files damaged from installing or reinstalling the Mac OS X, but others have discussed that on here. However, if all is working well you do not need to resort to a Mac OS X reinstall - this is to clean up problems noted below.
3) By mangled files I simply meant a built in file that seems to be damaged or not functioning correctly. When you said that MA could not be opened due to a problem, that sounded like a damaged file. Could be another reason, but it is not uncommon for system-level files to get corrupted over time, especially when the computer is not shutdown properly or power outages/surges occur, or for other reasons. If there seems to be damage to system-level files the only way to clean things up is by reinstalling the operating system.
Reinstalling is usually very straight forward, but if everything is working fine it isn't necessary. You might as a first step try doing a restart on the MBP which will stop services that may be having problems, often does some minor house cleaning, etc. Try that first and see if all works well and see if MA will then start for you.
And by the way, when you said problems starting MA, there is a sequence for using MA, were you following that when you had the problem, or did you just try and start it from the MBP?

Major performance Issues after upgrading to 10.9.2

Hi,
I have been having major performance issues almost preventing me from using the computer at times. I suspect I don't have enough memory to run Maverick as the computer was great before I upgraded.
If any experts or people with ideas for me to speed up the computer, please respond. If you think the only way to improve performance is add memory or revert back to a previous version of OSX that I have a backup for, let me know.
Here is the info on my system, thank you in advance!!
Hardware Information:
          MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2008)
          MacBook Pro - model: MacBookPro5,1
          1 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU: 2 cores
          2 GB RAM
Video Information:
          NVIDIA GeForce 9400M - VRAM: 256 MB
          NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT - VRAM: 256 MB
System Software:
          OS X 10.9.2 (13C1021) - Uptime: 3 days 21:20:10
Disk Information:
          Hitachi HTS543225L9SA02 disk0 : (250.06 GB)
                    EFI (disk0s1) <not mounted>: 209.7 MB
                    :c (disk0s2) / [Startup]: 249.2 GB (67.82 GB free)
                    Recovery HD (disk0s3) <not mounted>: 650 MB
          MATSHITADVD-R   UJ-868
USB Information:
          Apple Inc. Built-in iSight
          Apple, Inc. Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad
          Apple Computer, Inc. IR Receiver
          Fitbit Inc. Fitbit Base Station
          Apple Inc. BRCM2046 Hub
                    Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller
Thunderbolt Information:
Configuration files:
          /etc/sysctl.conf - Exists
          /etc/hosts - Count: 29
Gatekeeper:
          Mac App Store and identified developers
Kernel Extensions:
          [not loaded] com.LaCie.ScsiType00 (1.2.0) Support
          [not loaded] com.cisco.nke.ipsec (2.0.1) Support
          [not loaded] com.leapfrog.codeless.kext (2) Support
          [not loaded] com.leapfrog.driver.LfConnectDriver (1.8.1 - SDK 10.7) Support
          [not loaded] com.rim.driver.BlackBerryUSBDriverInt (0.0.39) Support
          [not loaded] com.rim.driver.BlackBerryUSBDriverVSP (0.0.39) Support
          [not loaded] net.kromtech.kext.AVKauth (2.3.6 - SDK 10.8) Support
          [not loaded] net.kromtech.kext.Firewall (2.3.6 - SDK 10.8) Support
Startup Items:
          CiscoVPN: Path: /System/Library/StartupItems/CiscoVPN
Problem System Launch Daemons:
          [failed] com.apple.wdhelper.plist
Launch Daemons:
          [loaded] com.adobe.fpsaud.plist Support
          [loaded] com.adobe.SwitchBoard.plist Support
          [running] com.fitbit.galileod.plist Support
          [loaded] com.google.keystone.daemon.plist Support
          [loaded] com.leapfrog.connect.shell.plist Support
          [loaded] com.microsoft.office.licensing.helper.plist Support
          [loaded] com.timesoftware.timemachineeditor.backupd-auto.plist Support
          [running] com.zeobit.MacKeeper.AntiVirus.plist Support
          [running] com.zeobit.MacKeeper.plugin.AntiTheft.daemon.plist Support
Launch Agents:
          [not loaded] com.adobe.AAM.Updater-1.0.plist Support
          [loaded] com.adobe.CS5ServiceManager.plist Support
          [running] com.brother.LOGINserver.plist Support
          [running] com.google.keystone.agent.plist Support
User Launch Agents:
          [loaded] com.adobe.ARM.[...].plist Support
          [failed] [email protected]
          [loaded] com.macpaw.CleanMyMac.helperTool.plist Support
          [running] com.microsoft.LaunchAgent.SyncServicesAgent.plist Support
          [running] com.zeobit.MacKeeper.Helper.plist Support
User Login Items:
          Google Chrome
Internet Plug-ins:
          o1dbrowserplugin: Version: 5.3.1.18536 Support
          Google Earth Web Plug-in: Version: 7.1 Support
          Default Browser: Version: 537 - SDK 10.9
          Flip4Mac WMV Plugin: Version: 2.3.8.1 Support
          OfficeLiveBrowserPlugin: Version: 12.2.9 Support
          AdobePDFViewerNPAPI: Version: 10.1.9 Support
          FlashPlayer-10.6: Version: 13.0.0.201 - SDK 10.6 Support
          DivXBrowserPlugin: Version: 2.0 Support
          Silverlight: Version: 5.1.10411.0 - SDK 10.6 Support
          Flash Player: Version: 13.0.0.201 - SDK 10.6 Outdated! Update
          iPhotoPhotocast: Version: 7.0
          googletalkbrowserplugin: Version: 5.3.1.18536 Support
          QuickTime Plugin: Version: 7.7.3
          AdobePDFViewer: Version: 10.1.9 Support
          GarminGpsControl: Version: 2.6.4.0 Release Support
          SharePointBrowserPlugin: Version: 14.3.9 - SDK 10.6 Support
          JavaAppletPlugin: Version: 14.9.0 - SDK 10.7 Check version
Safari Extensions:
          Dashlane: Version: 2.4.0.55923
Audio Plug-ins:
          BluetoothAudioPlugIn: Version: 1.0 - SDK 10.9
          AirPlay: Version: 2.0 - SDK 10.9
          AppleAVBAudio: Version: 203.2 - SDK 10.9
          iSightAudio: Version: 7.7.3 - SDK 10.9
iTunes Plug-ins:
          Quartz Composer Visualizer: Version: 1.4 - SDK 10.9
User Internet Plug-ins:
          Dashlane: Version: Dashlane 1.0.0 - SDK 10.7 Support
          Move_Media_Player: Version: npmnqmp 071705000010 Support
          WebEx64: Version: 1.0 - SDK 10.6 Support
          Picasa: Version: 1.0 Support
3rd Party Preference Panes:
          Flash Player Support
          Flip4Mac WMV Support
          Growl Support
Time Machine:
          Skip System Files: NO
          Auto backup: NO - Auto backup turned off
          Time Machine not configured!
Top Processes by CPU:
               3%          WindowServer
               2%          SystemUIServer
               1%          diskimages-helper
               1%          mds
               0%          Google Chrome Helper EH
Top Processes by Memory:
          94 MB          Google Chrome
          59 MB          GoogleSoftwareUpdateDaemon
          57 MB          Google Chrome Helper EH
          52 MB          Google Chrome Helper
          39 MB          Finder
Virtual Memory Information:
          40 MB          Free RAM
          499 MB          Active RAM
          481 MB          Inactive RAM
          465 MB          Wired RAM
          7.33 GB          Page-ins
          502 MB          Page-outs

The performance issues are due to third party software. Mavericks at the minimum requires 2GB's of RAM but I don't think that's the issue. And you can upgrade RAM anytime.
MacKeeper should be uninstalled. It does far more harm than good.
Do not install MacKeeper: Apple Support Communities
Uninstall instructions > how to uninstall MacKeeper
249.2 GB (67.82 GB free)
Keep an eye on available disk space.
Click your Apple menu icon top left in your screen. From the drop down menu click About This Mac > More Info > Storage
Make sure there's at least 15% free disk space. Less can slow your Mac down.
You also need to uninstall CleanMyMac > How To Uninstall CleanMyMac
Third party so called Mac cleaning utilities are not necessary on a Mac. Your Mac runs maintenance in the background for you.
Mac OS X: About background maintenance tasks

Aperture performance issues.

Dear members:
After some disappointments with the latest version of Bridge (CS3) I decided to start working with Aperture as I found it offered some interesting tools for viewing and selecting images.
First I worked on some test images and everything went well. However, last night I did my first import of "real world" images and experienced severe performance issues.
I imported one folder containing 163 photos to two different locations - the folder and the images were the same but imported into two separate locations in Aperture as I was trying to create the ideal file structure for me.
These are the questions and/or problems I have.
1. This IS NOT a major problem. As much as I tried to import photos into an album or folder I couldn't do it. I don't like the project concept and prefer to have my images placed into folders or albums. My iPhoto library was imported by Aperture using this structure. The iPhoto library is a folder with albums as subdivisions as they were set up in iPhoto originally. However, this doesn't seem to be working as I import photos from other locations.
Q: How can I import photos into folders or albums and completely avoid the projects concept and icons ?
2. This IS major problem. Performance was very poor. I imported the folders last night and waited for approximately 30 min until I decided to turn my computer off. Aperture gave me a message stating that it was still generating previews and asking me if I wanted to quit. I pressed the OK button and turned the computer off. This morning I launced Aperture again and it went back to the spinning wheel on both projects. It must have taken approximately 45 min until the spinning wheels were no longer turning.
This is a problem for me as I have a library with approximately 15,000 - 20,000 images. The ones I imported last night were CR2 generated by a Canon 1Ds MK II (17 MB each). I can only imagine how long it would have taken had I chosen to import the 120+ MB TIFF images I also have in my library from slide scans.
My Aperture preferences have been set for Preview Quality = 12 and Limit Preview Size = Don't Limit. I have it set this way as I don't with to have reduced size previews so that (1) they can display with the highest possible quality as I mostly use the full screen mode for viewing and selecting images, and (2) in case I upgrade to a larger monitor in the near future (I have a 23" cinema display but am planning to upgrade to a 30") the previews will still work with that monitor.
Is this performace typical of Aperture ? I understand my camera is a professional camera that generates large images but isn't Aperture supposed to be a professional application aimed at professional photographers ? And what about those who work with 39 MB images from a Hasselblad or with scanned 120+ MB slide images ?
Is there something obvious I have forgotten to look at or set up in Aperture ?
Thank you in advance,
Joseph Chamberlain

Steve:
Thank you very much for your reply to my post and for your suggestions. Some comments about my experience appear below. I am grateful for your help and don't wish in any way to discuss what you recommend below. I just wish to share my view of this issue and also to try to find the best answers for my problem.
For 1, use File > Import > Folders Into A Project. That will retain your folder
structure using brown folders and albums.
See:
http://www.bagelturf.com/aparticles/library/fivesimple/index.html and
http://www.bagelturf.com/aparticles/library/brown/index.html and
http://www.bagelturf.com/aparticles/library/libinadv/index.html
A. You can't. Projects are the container for everything in Aperture. No
projects, no images. So just live with them and subnvert them any way you
like. I don't have "projects" so I just use months, vacations, events, or
whatever keeps my image collections a reasonable size.
As an user I would like to have control over my own filing structure. This works quite well in iPhoto and I don't understand why Aperture chose to adopt this less flexible file structure. Also I noticed that the imported iPhoto library appears in Aperture inside a folder with multiple albums. Since Aperture can do this for iPhoto I find it hard to understand why it can't do for other imported images.
2. Turn off previews and delete the ones you have. When you find you need > them, use them selectively:
http://www.bagelturf.com/aparticles/previews/pwho/index.html
As stated in my previous post I always (no exception) use the full screen mode for viewing my images which is similar to a slide show. So according to the web page you reference above I would fall under the category of users that need previews.
You don't need high res previews. Aperture already generates thumbnails
for you.
General speed tips:
* Get the best video card with the most RAM you can afford
I can't. My computer is fairly new as it was purchased a little more than 2 years ago. Although it is a fairly new computer Apple no longer offers parts for it. My video card is an ATI Radeon 9600 Pro with 64 MB of VRAM installed. I have contacted Apple about this issue and they tell me there is nothing they can do. I have also contacted both ATI Radeon and nVidia and both have discontinued the only two cards they would work in my system (X800 XT Mac Edition and GeForce 6800, respectively).
* Smaller screens are faster than larger screens
My screen is 23" which I would consider to be a medium size screen by today's standards. However, isn't the purpose of working with Aperture to be able to develop a professional workflow ? And don't most professionals like to use large screens to view their work ?
* Avoid H&S adjustments until all the others are done
* Make sure you have sufficient RAM (2G minimum, 3G on a Mac Pro)
My system has 2.5 GB RAM installed. It has been suggested to me that I should add another 1 or 2 GB RAM as it would improve performance significantly. I have no problem doing that and would welcome that solution if I knew for a fact it was going to address my issues. However, I have already invested too much on hardware and software while still finding myself struggling with the issues I have described. Do you think the additional RAM would solve the problem ?
* Don't use previews unless you need them
Based on what I have read on the pages you referenced it seems to me I am one of those users who needs previews.
* Keep projects small. Use blue folders to group projects
My current filing structure is simple - I four folders each with subfolders containing in average 200 to 1000 images each. Some have as little as 1 image and some have 1000. But the majority would fall in the 300 to 400 images range.
* Rebuild the database once in a while
* Quit other apps if memory is restrictive
It seems in this case that the RAM upgrade I mention above would be helpful. Would it allow me to run other applications while also running Aperture without any noticeable performance alteration ?
To a great extent you have to rethink your workflow once you use Aperture.
Many people do a lot of unnecessary things because they are coming from
an environment that forced them to. Start from scratch and ask yourself
why you do everything you do. Much of the effort you will find is wasted
because Aperture either does it for you or make it unnecessary.
I am trying to simply my workflow as much as I can but not at the expense of quality. Bridge CS2 did a very good job for me. In many ways it was the perfect application althout it didn't have many of the great features I find in Aperture for reviewing and selecting images. First it was simple - all you had to do was to create your own file structure and then point Bridge to the folders as it would create its own previews. Second it was fast - this process happened a lot faster compared to Aperture and Bridge CS3. Third it was high quality - the previews generated were high quality and could be seen with amazing resolution while in slide show viewing mode on my 23" screen. My upgrade to Bridge CS3 was disastrous as (1) it has many bugs Adobe hasn't taken the time to fix, (2) it is slow on average machines requiring the latest hardware to run efficiently which is unrealistic for most consumers and (3) the previews generated are soft and appear pixilated and in poor quality while in slide show view.
I am going back to Aperture after a very disappointing start as I was one of the very first to purchase the software as soon as it was introduced only to be frustrated with all of its bugs and design flaws. Aperture has one of the best interfaces I have seen on any imaging application and I would really like to use but after this new attempt to use and the barriers I have encountered I am not sure I can.
Joseph Chamberlain

Can't access "Network" and other performance issues

Hi all,
I'm facing a catch-22 and am not sure what to do to get myself and my mac out of this downward spiral. Any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated (fyi I am admittedly not great with macs and probably don't maintain my MacBook Pro well enough).
I've had a serious slowdown in performance starting a couple weeks ago. the system moves at a glacial pace and most of the time is spent watching the spinning rainbow.
To add to my issues, my ISP recently performed a system upgrade which requires me to change some settings under "Network" in my system preferences. Well, when I try to access "Network", the machine thinks for a while, then an error message appears telling me that the network preferences has shut down unexpectedly. When I hit "retry" the error message eventually reappears.
So, because of the upgrade, I can't access the internet to download any repairs for the machine, and because of the problems with the machine, I can't modify the preferences to access the internet. Obviously a vicious cycle which someone of my expertise level is struggling to solve.
Side notes
- I've passed the 90-day phone support period so can't call for help.
- I'm on my work computer now. Could I download some repair/diagnostic tool here, then run it on my machine at home?
If anyone can throw me a lifeline I would be grateful!
MacBook Pro 15" Mac OS X (10.4.3)

OZ 99,
For logic's sake, I'm gong to take these out of order a bit:
2) A "disk error" occurs when the "file system" (sometimes called the "disk directory") becomes damaged. This is data that is written to the HD, so yes, it could be considered a software error. Your file system is, basically, a map of your physical HD, and it indexes the location on the drive of all the other files. When it is damaged for whatever reason, your disk "forgets" where some amount of data lives. Because of this, the associated files become damaged, or "corrupt." If those files happen to be critical components of the OS, bad things can happen. At worst, the disk will become unmountable, and all of your files unrecoverable.
1) Disk errors can be caused by several things. Sometimes, one or more "blocks" (let's call them physical locations on the disk) on your HD can become physically damaged. Whether this is because of a slight flaw in manufacturing, a scratch, magnetic particles that lose their "oomph," whatever, matters not. What is important is that some data is lost. Because the file system still believes there is data living in this location, it (the file system) is no longer reliable; it is damaged. While the initial loss of data could be considered hardware-related, the disk error is not. I'll come back to this.
Another potential cause is some random error in the process of writing data to the disk. Again, this is a software problem, not a hardware problem. The most common cause for this occurs when your computer is shut down improperly, either a forced shutdown or a power loss. Journaling, which is the default for an OS X boot volume, goes a long way toward automatically fixing these types of disk errors, but it is not always a guarantee.
If you have had your MBP for only a short period of time, it is not surprising that a disk error has occurred, and probably because of a bad block. Absolutely flawless drives are rare, and many computers ship with incipient disk errors. For this reason, many people like to format any new drive, even one in a new computer, right out of the box (I'll get to reasons why this is a good thing to do).
3) Yes. Disk Utility can check or repair your file system. Any repairs must be made using Disk Utility while booted to the OS X install disk. Your HD can be "verified," however, while booted to the HD. Simply open Disk Utilty (in the "Utilities" folder), select your startup disk, then click "Verify" in the "First Aid" pane.
4) Yes, you will have to reinstall all of your applications after formatting and reinstalling. Formatting erases everything on the volume or drive selected. Settings and data for all of those applications can be saved, however, then transferred back to the MBP after reinstalling OS X. Once the applications, themselves, have been reinstalled, you will be right back where you started. I can talk about making a comprehensive backup in another post, if you like.
DISK UTILITY: In my first post, I recommended that you select your entire drive, then using the "Zero All Data" option. This process takes a considerably longer amount of time (as much as an hour and a half, depending on the size of your drive), but it has one big advantage. When this option is used on an entire physical drive (also called a "device"), it will scan for those pesky bad blocks, and "map out" any it finds. Since these bad spots on the disk will not be included in the new file system's list of "useable" locations, your chances of encountering another disk error in the near future is drastically reduced. So, even though a bad block could be considered a hardware error, management of them is handled by software.
Scott

Where is the utilities folder on an iphone 4 please.

Hiya. Ive fallen foul of the unknown encription password issue when backing up my phone on iTunes. I've tried every combination of every password I can think of. I've backed up to cloud and then reset the phone as a new device and restored from the cloud but I am still stuck with the itunes backup and I am unable to take off the password encryption to go back to backing up on iTunes.
I have taken a (very) long look at all the possible solutions and I have now set a keychain passcode to try to take look at the password key thing but I cannot even find a utilities folder on my iphone or and applications folder or anything like that to look in.
I have an iphone 4 and I don't have many apps on it but I assume the uitilties thing is something which should just be on the phone anyway.
If anyone has any ideas how I can just get rid of the first back-up I did on itunes so I can start again but without going for the encrypt option that would be great as well.
The phone has synced OK and after a bit of a panic I also got back all my other things from the icloud after I had cleared the phone completely in an effort to lose the encrypt option from iTunes.
I've been trying now for about 12 hours and I'm at my wits end. I need the iTunes back up to run against another piece of software I have bought but the software cannot work with the encrypted back up.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you

Thanks for your promt reply Johnathan. Is there a way of looking for the keychain thing anywhere else please

Utilities folder - strange behavior

I'm running 10.9.2. When I try to do anything in the Utlities folder within the Applications folder I'm asked for my password for my Mac. Even for simply creating a new folder. Also, after creating a new folder to put all of my 3rd party maintenance apps in it, when I tried to drag the apps into it the OS created 'copies' of the apps instead of moving them. Anyone have an idea what's going on? I've never seen this before.

Again, your system is behaving as designed. Drag the extra copies to the Trash.
How to maintain a Mac
1. Make redundant backups, keeping at least one off site at all times. One backup is not enough. Don’t back up your backups; all should be made directly from the original data. Don’t rely completely on any single backup method, such as Time Machine. If you get an indication that a backup has failed, don't ignore it.
2. Keep your software up to date. In the App Store or Software Update preference pane (depending on the OS version), you can configure automatic notifications of updates to OS X and other Mac App Store products. Some third-party applications from other sources have a similar feature, if you don’t mind letting them phone home. Otherwise you have to check yourself on a regular basis.
Keeping up to date is especially important for complex software that modifies the operating system, such as device drivers. Before installing any Apple update, you must check that all such modifications that you use are compatible. Incompatibility with third-party software is by far the most common cause of trouble with system updates.
3. Don't install crapware, such as “themes,” "haxies," “add-ons,” “toolbars,” “enhancers," “optimizers,” “accelerators,” "boosters," “extenders,” “cleaners,” "doctors," "tune-ups," “defragmenters,” “firewalls,” "barriers," “guardians,” “defenders,” “protectors,” most “plugins,” commercial "virus scanners,” "disk tools," or "utilities." With very few exceptions, such stuff is useless or worse than useless. Above all, avoid any software that purports to change the look and feel of the user interface.
It's not much of an exaggeration to say that the whole "utility" software industry for the Mac is a fraud on consumers. The most extreme examples are the "CleanMyMac" and “MacKeeper” scams, but there are many others.
As a rule, the only software you should install is that which directly enables you to do the things you use a computer for, and doesn't change the way other software works.
Safari extensions, and perhaps the equivalent for other web browsers, are a partial exception to the above rule. Most are safe, and they're easy to get rid of if they don't work. Some may cause the browser to crash or otherwise malfunction. Some are malicious. Use with caution, and install only well-known extensions from relatively trustworthy sources, such as the Safari Extensions Gallery.
Never install any third-party software unless you know how to uninstall it. Otherwise you may create problems that are very hard to solve. Do not rely on "utilities" such as "AppCleaner" and the like that purport to remove software.
4. Don't install bad, conflicting, or unnecessary fonts. Whenever you install new fonts, use the validation feature of the built-in Font Book application to make sure the fonts aren't defective and don't conflict with each other or with others that you already have. See the built-in help and this support article for instructions. Deactivate or remove fonts that you don't really need to speed up application launching.
5. Avoid malware. Malware is malicious software that circulates on the Internet. This kind of attack on OS X was once so rare that it was hardly a concern, but malware is now increasingly common, and increasingly dangerous.
There is some built-in protection against downloading malware, but you can’t rely on it — the attackers are always at least one day ahead of the defense. You can’t rely on third-party protection either. What you can rely on is common-sense awareness — not paranoia, which only makes you more vulnerable.
Never install software from an untrustworthy or unknown source. If in doubt, do some research. Any website that prompts you to install a “codec” or “plugin” that comes from the same site, or an unknown site, is untrustworthy. Software with a corporate brand, such as Adobe Flash Player, must come directly from the developer's website. No intermediary is acceptable, and don’t trust links unless you know how to parse them. Any file that is automatically downloaded from the web, without your having requested it, should go straight into the Trash. A web page that tells you that your computer has a “virus,” or that anything else is wrong with it, is a scam.
In OS X 10.7.5 or later, downloaded applications and Installer packages that have not been digitally signed by a developer registered with Apple are blocked from loading by default. The block can be overridden, but think carefully before you do so.
Because of recurring security issues in Java, it’s best to disable it in your web browsers, if it’s installed. Few websites have Java content nowadays, so you won’t be missing much. This action is mandatory if you’re running any version of OS X older than 10.6.8 with the latest Java update. Note: Java has nothing to do with JavaScript, despite the similar names. Don't install Java unless you're sure you need it. Most people don't.
6. Don't fill up your boot volume. A common mistake is adding more and more large files to your home folder until you start to get warnings that you're out of space, which may be followed in short order by a boot failure. This is more prone to happen on the newer Macs that come with an internal SSD instead of the traditional hard drive. The drive can be very nearly full before you become aware of the problem.
While it's not true that you should or must keep any particular percentage of space free, you should monitor your storage use and make sure you're not in immediate danger of using it up. According to Apple documentation, you need at least 9 GB of free space on the startup volume for normal operation.
If storage space is running low, use a tool such as OmniDiskSweeper to explore the volume and find out what's taking up the most space. Move seldom-used large files to secondary storage.
7. Relax, don’t do it. Besides the above, no routine maintenance is necessary or beneficial for the vast majority of users; specifically not “cleaning caches,” “zapping the PRAM,” "resetting the SMC," “rebuilding the directory,” "defragmenting the drive," “running periodic scripts,” “dumping logs,” "deleting temp files," “scanning for viruses,” "purging memory," "checking for bad blocks," "testing the hardware," or “repairing permissions.” Such measures are either completely pointless or are useful only for solving problems, not for prevention.
To use a Mac effectively, you have to free yourself from the Windows mindset that every computer needs regular downtime maintenance such as "defragging" and "registry cleaning." Those concepts do not apply to the Mac platform. A computing device should not be a focus of your attention. It should be an almost invisible tool by means of which you communicate, work, and play. If you want a machine that is always whining for your attention like a neurotic dog, use a PC.
The very height of futility is running an expensive third-party application called “Disk Warrior” when nothing is wrong, or even when something is wrong and you have backups, which you must have. Disk Warrior is a data-salvage tool, not a maintenance tool, and you will never need it if your backups are adequate. Don’t waste money on it or anything like it.

10.9 performance issue - App & Utilities folder software icon appearing slowly

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