Hard drive running constantly despite no material programs running

I have an iMac that has been a home computer for about two years now. The hard drive is 1TB, which has 111 GB free. It has 4GB in memory.
Over the past few weeks it has begun to operate very sluggish and now requires a force shut down of programs regularly because it gets too bogged down. I have noticed that firefox when open on it really has the ability to slow it down. Also, I migrated to iTunes match recently and that program seems to be very very slow now. Finally, we have a ton of pictures on the system which eats up a lot of memory and could be contributing to the problem.
I have intermediate computer skills and have installed a memory clean program that will free up some memory on occasion when things get slow. However, over the past few days, it takes up to 15 minutes to get the computer out of this frozen state sometimes and the hard drive is moving constantly despite shutting down all programs.
Would love to get some advise for things I can do to manage this. I don't like force closing apps because I know that can be nuclear to a mac...but it's my only option sometimes. Again, I am fairly new to mac and have basic skills, so please speak plainly and clearly with any advice.
Thanks!

Good, that rules that out - some of them are known to sometimes cause problems with otherwise healthy Macs.
Have you tried running Disk Utility in the Recovery HD to see if the HD needs any repairs?
Restart holding down Command+r and at the screen with four choices select Disk Utility. Choose Macintosh HD on the left and click on 'repair disk'. If any changes are made click on repair disk again until you get a clean pass. Restart as normal from the Apple menu once Disk Utility is finished.
You could also try a Safe Boot which can sometimes help clear up odd issues. Restart holding the shift key until you see a grey progress bar. Once booted restart as normal from the Apple menu.

Similar Messages

IMac Hard Drive Churning, Constantly.

Lately is seems like my hard drive is constantly going... It might stop for a second or two, but then starts churning again if I move my cursor....... I thought it might calm down a little after updating my OS, running Onyx, repairing permissions, etc..... It hasn't changed a bit..... I've noticed in the ACTIVITY MONITOR that "Kernal Task" remains at the top at all times..... Maybe I'm just paying WAY too much attention to it and this is perfectly normal but it doesn't seem likely.
Any suggestions/advice appreciated.
Activity Monitor Screenshot:
http://www.tommyowendesign.com/misc/activity.jpg
Thanks!

That usually happens when you don't have enough RAM so the system starts using space on the HDD for memory.
About OS X Memory Management and Usage
Using Activity Monitor to read System Memory & determine how much RAM is used
OS X Mavericks- About Activity Monitor
Understanding top output in the Terminal
The amount of available RAM for applications is the sum of Free RAM and Inactive RAM. This will change as applications are opened and closed or change from active to inactive status. The Swap figure represents an estimate of the total amount of swap space required for VM if used, but does not necessarily indicate the actual size of the existing swap file. If you are really in need of more RAM that would be indicated by how frequently the system uses VM. If you open the Terminal and run the top command at the prompt you will find information reported on Pageins () and Pageouts (). Pageouts () is the important figure. If the value in the parentheses is 0 (zero) then OS X is not making instantaneous use of VM which means you have adequate physical RAM for the system with the applications you have loaded. If the figure in parentheses is running positive and your hard drive is constantly being used (thrashing) then you need more physical RAM.
Adding RAM only makes it possible to run more programs concurrently. It doesn't speed up the computer nor make games run faster. What it can do is prevent the system from having to use disk-based VM when it runs out of RAM because you are trying to run too many applications concurrently or using applications that are extremely RAM dependent. It will improve the performance of applications that run mostly in RAM or when loading programs.

I have to reformat my hard drive and reinstall all of my programs. What do I do about Creative Cloud? I also still need access to CS6 (I have a Marksware converter for InDesign to Quark).

I have to reformat my hard drive and reinstall all of my programs. What do I do about Creative Cloud? I also still need access to CS6 (I have a Marksware converter for InDesign to Quark).
This is a MacBook Pro 15" (Model number A1286) running Mavericks. Hard drive is fine but system software has been corrupted. I cannot simply restore from Time Machine as it will copy the corrupt system.
Will I have to find all of my serial numbers before I can launch any of the programs?
Thanks

For the Cloud, you log in to your paid Cloud account and download & install the same way you did the first time
Cloud Getting Started https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/topics/getting-started.html
If you have the perpetual license version of CS6 you install from your original media and use your serial number
If you have the version of CS6 that is installed via the cloud use this link
http://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/kb/download-previous-versions-creative-applications. html
-or http://www.adobe.com/downloads/other-downloads.html

I just got my MacBook Pro a month ago. However I am realizing I need more hard drive space due to aps and programs. I use am external but am concerned about the space. Is there a way to upgrade my hard drive from apple and keep my warranty valid?

I just got my MacBook Pro a month ago. However I am realizing I need more hard drive space due to aps and programs. I use am external but am concerned about the space. Is there a way to upgrade my hard drive from apple and keep my warranty valid?

That would depend on whether your model actually has a hard drive. If you have the new 2013 Retina model, then you have a fixed storage device built-in that cannot be modified after purchase.

I have created a slide show with music but when i view it or attempt to burn to a CD or even copy to hard drive after about 15 sec the program stops working and it shuts down

Elements 10 was deactivated on desktop and installed on new laptop. Have on
y used it for photo editing until yesterday. Created a slide show with music but every time I try to burn to cd or move it to hard drive after about 15 sec, it says windows has encountered a problem with this program and must shut down.
I Also can't sign in to adobe with the program. It simply spins and I had to force close the program.
help!?

I am using photoshop Elements 10 under the create tab...slide show.
Used it on my desktop several times. Deactivated it and installed on new lap top about 5 months ago. Had not used it other than for photo editing until today.
I can also not login in thru the program. It simply spins and I finally had to force close the program
Toni V. Sloan
Sent from my iPad
On Jun 27, 2014, at 7:03 PM, Chris Cox <[email protected]>
I have created a slide show with music but when i view it or attempt to burn to a CD or even copy to hard drive after about 15 sec the program stops working and it shuts down
created by Chris Cox in Photoshop General Discussion - View the full discussion
Photoshop doesn't do slideshows… What software are you using?
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My computer hard-drive died and I lost the programs I purchased and installed via download.

My computer hard-drive died and I lost the programs I purchased and installed via download.. Can I somehow re-download what I have already paid for? I am an unemployed student and can in no way afford to buy these programs for A THIRD TIME.
I absolutely, positively NEED the Adobe Creative Suite in order to do my homework (I'm a web and graphic design student). I can not be without these programs!

Yes, there are downloads available. You should check you Adobe account online as there might be links provided there. Your serial numbers will be needed for activation, and they might also be found there.
Since you did not identify a particular version here are general links to all available...
Download and Installation Help -
https://helpx.adobe.com/download-install.html
You can also download the trial version of the software thru the page linked below and then use your current serial number to activate it. Be sure to follow the steps outlined in the Note: Very Important Instructions section on the download pages at this site and have cookies enabled in your browser or else the download will not work properly.
http://prodesigntools.com/tag/ddl
Since you lost the installation(s) without deactivating them first you probably should contact Adobe Support thru chat and ask them to reset your activations so that you have the two available to you in case you want to have a backup installation on another machine. For the link below click the Still Need Help? option in the blue area at the bottom and choose the chat option...
Serial number and activation chat support (non-CC)
http://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/global/service1.html ( http://adobe.ly/1aYjbSC )

How do i not have my photoshop linked to my macintosh hard drive because it slows down the program by using my hard drive space

how do i not have my photoshop linked to my macintosh hard drive because it slows down the program by using my hard drive space

Which version of mac os x and photoshop are you using?
How much free space is on your hard drive?
How much ram do you have?
Photoshop needs to use your hard drive for scratch space.
If you have more than one hard drive (not partition), you can assign photoshop's scratch disk to another hard drive.
Optimize performance | Photoshop CS4, CS5, CS6, CC

I am running out of space on my MacBook Pro. If i back up my entire hard drive. Can i then delete programs etc. to free up space and if i need them again reinstall from the backup?

My MacBook Pro is running low on hard drive space. Can i perform a backup and then delete programs, files, photo's etc. on my hard drive, And then access them through the back up at a later time?

I agree with samberl ... the problem is not the saving of your programs to reinstall, but that you have outgrown your hard disk.
Sadly, harddisks are about 160% of what they were about 3 months ago due to flooding in Thailand and labor strikes there. A bad time indeed to update harddisks.
You could make enough room by moving some data files for now to an existing external drive.
Then wait for prices to drop.
Then create a clone of your internal drive on a new (cheaper then) drive, and install a new bigger and clone back onto the new drive.
If you can wait a few months.

Hard Drive Spins Constantly

Hello all,
New to Apple and to the Apple Discussion boards. Looks like a great resource for information. Now my question:
I've had my black MacBook for a little over a week now. Today while using it to do some word processing with Word, I noticed that the whole time I was using the notebook there was a constant low vibration across the whole surface where the keys and palms rest. I've never noticed this before today, so I'm inclined to believe it just started.
It seems to me like the hard drive is spinning constantly, which means its doing something, because I believe that's where the vibration is coming from. I've owned several laptops before this, and don't ever seem to remember a vibration so strong that I could feel it while typing. What gives? Is this normal for these MacBooks?
Thanks all!
--AARON

I believe mine is exhibiting the same behavior as yours is, and I believe this to be normal. So, I won't be taking it in to have it looked at. If you have any concerns about how yours is operating, than by all means have it checked out - there is nothing wrong with that.
Also, there is a good free program that got very good reviews from MacWorld. It's a HD monitor and it will put an icon in your tool bar and give you a constant update to your HD's health. It can be found here: http://homepage.mac.com/julianmayer/
It's your money that you've put into this purchase, so I don't want to tell anyone that they shouldn't have it looked at. Yet, I, personally don't see a need to for this issue.
Hope this helps.

I have formatted my SSD and hard drive.... I am running a clean install from disk of 8.1 pro. I cannot determine if it is a compatibility

issue or hardware issue. I had run a memory test and scan disk for bad sectors from the bios. As administrator, I enabled automount in diskpart to allow windows to assign a drive name.
From the bios, I can see both drives and only the ssd. I have not pinpointed when the harddisk is unmounted. It is formatted as NTFS. I can hear it unmount either during boot or upon waking from sleep mode. The bios sees no bad sectors nor does windows.
However, when I had the intel compatibility software installed, my hard drive never mounted. I did a restart and inorder for windows to see my hard drive. I disabled the intel software for the 4th gen i7 processor. This problem is happening less often. I do
not think I have solved the problem. Intel or Windows... I think a bit of both.
If there is a software patch, please guide me to it. I am in school and use my laptop ALL the time. I believe it is a compatibility issue. I have attached this from searching intel's site for downloads and windows is up to date.
I am quite concerned because I can hear my harddrive unmount. It is labeled as healthy NTFS partition. I have checked for hidden volumes and done everything I know to do to check the integrity of the hardware as administrator. I have searched microsofts
libraries and forums and have done everything I can find as suggestions.
I have checked for malware, viruses, etc. My only clue this is going to happen is the hard disk spins up and I hear the fan, then I hear it unmount the drive. Of course, after unmounted there are other issues which I have ruled out as the cause of the problem.
Basically, I am experiencing a lack of swap space after my hard drive unmounts.
Any suggestions, are welcome! I would really like to know if this is a known windows issue. I should not have to disable intel's processor software. I paid for the features of the i7 and would like to utilise the processor.

Hi,
According to your descriptioin, I don't think this is system problem, it should be Intel driver problem. It would be contact Intel to confirm this issue whether this is their driver problem.
Roger Lu
TechNet Community Support

Hard drive freezes, can no longer be accessed. running off USB hard drive..

Here is a good one for you. My 15 month old MacBook suddenly froze and died while watching a movie (had seen the movie before). Hard drive would not mount anymore, so in order to run at all I had to reinstall Tiger on my 40 GB USB memory as a last resort. Running fine, mind you.
Guessed I was unlucky and got a poor Seagate hard drive (but I could hear it spinning inside), so I bought a new and larger hard drive, figured it was about time. After installing it and to my amazement my Mac wont find the new disk. I figured it was simply as I had not formatted the new drive yet, but the Disk Utility cannot find the new hard drive neither. When installing it seemed to mate perfectly with the internal connectors.
Any tips for a perplexed user, have you seen this behaviour before? How can I connect to the new or old hard drive and any test I can run to find out what is wrong?
Best Regards
Message was edited by: stenmark

Hello Stenmark,
There are three scenarios which could be producing the fault.
Scenario 1: Your original hard drive is faulty, and so is the new one (unlikely)
Scenario 2: Your Logic board is faulty (unlikely as you can boot externally)
Scenario 3: The internal Flex cable connecting the HD to the LOGIC BOARD or the connector itself (both connectors are on the same flex cable) has sustained damage when installing, or has faulted with the old hard drive (most likely)
To test, buy an firewire external hard drive case for your drive. You will need a SATA case and the firewire port provides enough power for a Sata drive to function without needing an external power source. Check the OLD + NEW sata HD's in this case to see whats faulty. If your new HD is working, then it comes down to scenario 3 and you need a new flex cable.
Refering to scenario 3, if the either of the connecters from the HD to the LOGIC were damaged before you installed the new one, then the original HD could be functional.
Hope that helps,
Matt.

Hard drive crashed, saved programs on external hard drive, reinstalling and having issues getting programs to work. What should I do?

I have a Mac and purchased a student edition of CS6 before you had to subscribe. My hard drive crashed and I was able to reinstall the programs, but there is an error. Does anyone know how to contact support or how to fix the problem?

cjb1990 wrote:
Does anyone know how to contact support
Start from here: Contact Customer Care.

Mac OS X v10.8.2 Mountain Lion - constant chatter on my iMac hard drive on start-up and no applications running.

When I log in, there is constant loud chatter on my iMac hard drive, before I open any applications, and Time Machine is not doing a backup. It continues sometimes for 10 to 15 minutes. What is running and why is it making so much noise?

This procedure is a diagnostic test. It will make no changes to your system, and therefore will not, in itself, solve your problem.
If you have more than one user account, you must be logged in as an administrator to carry out these instructions.
Triple-click anywhere in the line below to select it:
sudo iosnoop | sed '50q'
Copy the selected text to the Clipboard (command-C).
Launch the Terminal application in any of the following ways:
☞ Enter the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search. Select it in the results (it should be at the top.)
☞ In the Finder, select Go ▹ Utilities from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-U. The application is in the folder that opens.
☞ Open LaunchPad. Click Utilities, then Terminal in the page that opens.
Paste into the Terminal window (command-V). You'll be prompted for your login password, which won't be displayed when you type it. You may get a one-time warning not to screw up. You don't need to post the warning. If you don’t have a login password, you’ll need to set one before you can run the command. If you see a message that your username "is not in the sudoers file," then you're not logged in as an administrator.
Text will begin to scroll in the Terminal window. When it stops, copy the text output — not a screenshot — from the Terminal window into a reply to this message. Please don't post more than requested.
If any personal information, such as your name, appears in the output, edit before posting, but don’t remove the context.
You can then quit Terminal.
Important: There seems to be an obscure bug in OS X that sometimes causes input devices to lag or stutter after running iosnoop. If you notice this behavior, simply reboot to clear it.

Hard drive searching constantly

Harddrive is constantly searching/clicking, it seems to be full - error message says so, and confirmed by iStat display. Photos = 98 GB, Docs and Apps =~ 40 GB ... don't know what else is occupying my 250 GB HDD.
Your help will be appreciated.
[I have loaded my iPhoto Library and all photos onto an External HDD, and will delete same from on-borad HDD ASAP. BUT - what is occupying all the other space!?]

If your hard drive is searching and clicking it may be getting ready to fail. How old is the drive? You can use SMART tools that will check your drive and do a pretty good job of alerting you to a failing drive. A quick Google search came up with this one: http://smartreporter.en.softonic.com/mac. I've not used it, but it looks to have what you would need.
If you can't figure out what is taking up space on your hard drive you can use sweeper tools like http://omnidisksweeper.en.softonic.com/mac. This will scan your drive and tell you what is taking up space.
If your SMART detector indicates that your drive is failing back up your data as soon as possible. You don't want to mess with a dead drive and no backup. You can still get data off it, but it becomes very difficult and very expensive. Backups are much cheaper and easier to use. HTH.
-NifflerX

HT201250 My external hard drive suddenly says "read-only" should I run a disk repair on it and what does that do?

Has any one used Disk Repair on an external hard drive? Does it erase everything?

Repair the Hard Drive
Boot from your Snow Leopard Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu. After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported, then quit DU and return to the installer.
If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior and/or Tech Tool Pro to repair the drive. If you don't have either of them or if neither of them can fix the drive, then you will need to reformat the drive and reinstall OS X.
Fix Permissions for a Locked Drive
Open Terminal in the Utilities folder. Paste the following at the prompt. Press RETURN after each. The first command will prompt for you to enter your admin password. It will not be echoed to the screen. After entering your password press RETURN again.
sudo chflags 0 /volumes/*
sudo chmod a+rx /volumes/*
killall finder
An alternative is to download BatChmod and use it to fix the permissions.

Hard drive running constantly despite no material programs running

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