One Mac freezes with swirling rainbow, the other screen goes nuts
Older vintage iMacs, but updated with Snow Leopard. one often freezes up and depicts the swirling rainbow for an eternity...even if only one application is running. The screen on the other Mac goes bonkers after about 10 minutes and any mouse jesture sends random colors across the screen to the point where nothing is visible to click on.
Is there some sort of diagnostic program that OSX has that can fix this? I don't want to have to reload OSX or have to lug the computers into the store.
On your sceen you could have a failing graphics card or display. You can run Apple Hardware Test in Extended Mode, you may need to run it several times. It's a lengthy test so please be patient. Also here is a recent article on troubleshooting displays.
LCD displays common problems
Similar Messages
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Freezing with swirling rainbow disk
hi. this is the first problem i've ever encountered. today, my computer froze 5 times in a row while the rainbow disk swirled. each time i was doing very simple actions like putting an ms word document on my desktop into the trash. what do i need to do?
there is supposed to be hardware test CD with the kit that came with G5, or the test could be on Install Disk 1.
you can boot from the test disk and run the test first.
also, in Utilities Folder there is a Disk Utility, you may want to run it and see what it says.
freezing can be caused by corrupted software, bad RAM, hard drive, processor or logic board.
that kind of freezing you describe could mean hard drive problem, i'd suggest back up of important files right away. -
I have a 3 year old MacBook Pro with MAC OSX 10.6.8, iPhoto ’09 version 8.1.2 and have downloaded two software programs: one is Aperture 3.2 and the other is Photoshop Elements 9 (which I got from a friend who didn’t need it).
I am totally happy with the way iPhoto organizes my photos and how I can work with iMovie to create slide shows with music from iTunes, etc.
I have been shooting mostly high resolution jpegs and I continue to learn more and more about photography, post processing etc. I realize that the small adjustments I can make in iPhoto are good, and are adequate most of the time. However, a have started to experiment with shooting RAW images and would like to go the next step, ie. post processing.I am totally technically challenged and need SIMPLE, INTUITIVE programs and am certainly NOT anywhere ready for Photoshop CS whatever!
After having these programs sit on my computer, I decided to try to see if I could figure them out. When I opened Aperture, this is what first comes up.
“Welcome to Aperture 3.2
Your library needs to be upgraded to work with this version of Aperture. Once upgraded, you will not be able to use this library with previous versions of Aperture.
Upgrading a library from previous versions of Aperture 3 generally takes a few minutes or less, though larger libraries will take longer. After that, Aperture 3.2 will upgrade your library's thumbnails, but you can use the application during that time.
Tip: To open a different library, quit Aperture and hold the Option key down while starting Aperture
Current Library Location:
Jadzia (home) -----Pictures------Aperture Library
QUIT UPGRADE”
I have heard horror stories about moving your entire library to Aperture, ending up with 2 libraries, etc. etc. hence my previous reluctance in attempting Aperture. In addition, many of my photography friends are saying: Go with Lightroom 3.....you’ll love it!
So here is my dilemma. I don’t want to mess around with my iPhoto library. All I want to be able to do, is to isolate a few photos, export them to Aperture, Elements, and work on them there, then bring them back into iPhoto.
Can I do this? Should I forget about Aperture and Elements and look at purchasing yet another program like Lightroom?Export those few photos via the File ➙ Export ➙ File Export menu option with Kind = Original to the Desktop. Then import them into the Aperture library. That would keep one copy in your iPhoto library and another in your Aperture library to edit, etc.
You can use Photoshop Elements 9 from within iPhoto as your editor of choice. However, if you edit a raw file in iPhoto with PSE9 the resulting edited version must be saved outside the iPhoto Library and imported back in as a new file. For editing jpegs just do a Save (not a Save As) and it all will be kept within iPhoto.
Using Photoshop or Photoshop Elements as Your Editor of Choice in iPhoto.
1 - select Photoshop or Photoshop Elememts as your editor of choice in iPhoto's General Preference Section's under the "Edit photo:" menu.
2 - double click on the thumbnail in iPhoto to open it in Photoshop. When you're finished editing click on the Save button. If you immediately get the JPEG Options window make your selection (Baseline standard seems to be the most compatible jpeg format) and click on the OK button. Your done.
3 - however, if you get the navigation window
that indicates that PS wants to save it as a PS formatted file. You'll need to either select JPEG from the menu and save (top image) or click on the desktop in the Navigation window (bottom image) and save it to the desktop for importing as a new photo.
This method will let iPhoto know that the photo has been editied and will update the thumbnail file to reflect the edit..
NOTE: With Photoshop Elements the Saving File preferences should be configured as shown:
I also suggest the Maximize PSD File Compatabilty be set to Always. In PSE’s General preference pane set the Color Picker to Apple as shown:
Note: to switch between iPhoto and PS or PSE as the editor of choice Control (right)-click on the thumbnail and select either Edit in iPhoto or Edit in External Editor from the contextual menu. If you use iPhoto to edit more than PSE re-select iPhoto in the iPhoto General preference pane. Then iPhoto will be the default editor and you can use the contextual menu to select PSE for your editor when desired.
OT -
I NEED TO SHARE MY LR CATALOGS FROM LAPTOP TO MAC AND EVEN IPAD WITH NO EXTERNAL DEVICES - I WOULD LIKE ANY EDIT I MAKE FROM ONE COMPUTER TO BE MADE ON THE OTHER - HOW DO I DO THIS ?? THANKS!!
All the info you do with your image files is stored in the Lightroom Catalog file. The Catalog file cannot be located on a network it must have a physical connection to the computer.
While the Catalog is in use a LOCK file will be temporarily placed alongside which prevents its use by any other device. -
ITunes freezes with one iPod Touch (4g) but not the other.
I have two iPod Touch (4th gen) devices. One syncs fine when connected, but the other freezes iTunes when plugged in. The iPod works fine, and I've never had any trouble before. I also have an iPad 2 that seems to be syncing fine as well. I know my cable is ok, I've tried a few. What's going on?
- Inspect the dock connector for bent or missing contacts, foreign material, corroded contacts, broken, missing or cracked plastic.
Try:
- Reset the iOS device. Nothing will be lost
Reset iOS device: Hold down the On/Off button and the Home button at the same time for at
least ten seconds, until the Apple logo appears.
- Reset all settings
Go to Settings > General > Reset and tap Reset All Settings.
All your preferences and settings are reset. Information (such as contacts and calendars) and media (such as songs and videos) aren’t affected.
Make an iCloud backup (see below). then go to Settings>General>Reet>Erase all content and settings.
- Restore from iCloud backup. See:
iOS: How to back up
- Restore to factory settings/new iOS device.
If still problem, make an appointment at the Genius Bar of an Apple store since it appears you have a hardware problem.
Apple Retail Store - Genius Bar -
I know I get 2 downloads. I have one on my Mac. Can I use the other for my PC laptop?
I know I get 2 downloads. I have one on my Mac. Can I use the other for my PC laptop?
Hello david,
that's correct. Cloud software can be installed on Mac and/or Windows for no extra cost. No platform swapping process is required.
On the Mac simply sign in to creative.adobe.com with your Adobe ID and download the software. Same as you did on the PC.
Hans-Günter -
How to connect new iMac to tv with a hdmi cord on one end and a thunderbolt on the other end
how to connect new iMac to tv with a hdmi cord on one end and a thunderbolt on the other end
You need a > Moshi Mini DP to HDMI Adapter with Audio Support - Apple Store (U.S.) to plug into the ThunderBolt port and an HDMI cable.
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Can you use one PC for 2 different Ipods, with out erasing the others music from Itunes?
Can you use one PC for different Ipod touch's , with out erasing the other persons Itunes music?
Yes. See:
How to use multiple iPods, iPads, or iPhones with one computer -
Hey!
when starting my computer the screen is gray with two harddrives. One is named Macintosh HD and the other Recovery 10.9. My computer has never done this before! I am really worrid that my files will be lost if i choose to start the wrong harddrive. Which one should i choose? HELP!!You probably held down the Option or Command R keys when you heard the startup tone. Simply choose the HD. To learn what the Recovery partition is please read OS X: About OS X Recovery
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Hello!
I need Apple (!!!) headphones for Ipod Shuffle 3! (only apple earphones with remote and mic!!!)
Tell me, what distinguishes the model are presented in black and white boxes? They may differ in features? Can one model is more modern than the other?
Thanks in advance!Hi Fencer1986,
I apologize, I'm a bit unclear on your request. If you have questions about headphone compatibility for your iPod shuffle 3rd Gen, you may find the following article helpful:
iPod shuffle (3rd generation): About headphone compatibility
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3472
Regards,
- Brenden -
If i sign up for itunes match with one apple id can i get the other apple id songs
if i sign up for itunes match with one apple id can i get the other apple id songs
I'm assuming you mean can you access the purchased songs from another apple id. No you cannot. You will need to download these on another computer and then transfer the hard files into your itunes library that you are using icloud with and let icloud match them.
You cannot access two different id's from one match account. Also, if you sign out of the match account that you are signed into to another to download purchases you will not be able to sign back into your match account for three months. So do not do this either. Just use a friends computer or another way. -
How often syncs Firefox sync with the server were my bookmarks are storaged? Can I turn of the historical sync because one computer is at home and the other is at work. So I use totally different webpages and would like to have the history disabled.
OK, I found the part about history. It is just to unmark that.
But still i wonder how often it sync? Instantly? Or when closing FF? -
How can I move my iPhoto Library from one Mac to another without losing the comments on the individual photos in the process? The source Macbook (OS 10.4.11 and iPhoto 6.0.6 (3.2.2.)) is with my husband in Germany, the target MacBook Pro (OS 10.8.5, iPhoto 11) is with me in Japan. Thanks for your help.
I copied the iPhoto Library to a CD and from there to the new MacBook
If you copied the library to the CD via the Finder it would be no different than the methods Terence suggested. If you used the Share ➙ Burn menu option from inside iDVD you'll get a mini library that has to be accessed from the open library and the events/alubums copied into the destination library. Not the same as the other methods.
The Share ➙ Burn method is no longer supported with iPhoto 9 and later.
OT -
I have two iMac's one running 10.6.8 and the other 10.8.2 What Apeture program should I purchase?
I have two iMac's one running 10.6.8 and the other 10.8.2 What Apeture program should I purchase?
You can currently only buy the current version Aperture 3.4.3 at the AppStore, and that version requires MacOS X 10.7.5. at least, see the release notes: Aperture 3.4.3
So you will not be able to install this version on your Snow leopard machine. Maybe you can buy a boxed retail version of an earlier release, compatible with Snow Leopard, but the newer version is faster and compatible with iCloud.
Do your iMacs both have the same processors and memory? You will wan to use your fastest mac with the best graphics card and the most RAM to run Aperture, also a large screen would be desirable.
Regards
Léonie -
hello my Mac Air is frozen on the grey screen (with the apple symbol, sleeping mode, restart-and off button), once you turn it on. I Can`t press any button.My Mouse still works. Battery is charged. Alt-cmd-escape doesn`t work It even after a forced shutting off, the problem is the same. what should i do? Thank you for your help.
Take each of these steps that you haven't already tried. Stop when the problem is resolved.
Step 1
The first step in dealing with a boot failure is to secure your data. If you want to preserve the contents of the startup drive, and you don't already have at least one current backup, you must try to back up now, before you do anything else. It may or may not be possible. If you don't care about the data that has changed since your last backup, you can skip this step.
There are several ways to back up a Mac that is unable to boot. You need an external hard drive to hold the backup data.
a. Boot into the Recovery partition, or from a local Time Machine backup volume (option key at startup.) When the OS X Utilities screen appears, launch Disk Utility and follow the instructions in this support article, under “Instructions for backing up to an external hard disk via Disk Utility.”
b. If you have access to a working Mac, and both it and the non-working Mac have FireWire or Thunderbolt ports, boot the non-working Mac in target disk mode. Use the working Mac to copy the data to another drive. This technique won't work with USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth.
c. If the internal drive of the non-working Mac is user-replaceable, remove it and mount it in an external enclosure or drive dock. Use another Mac to copy the data.
Step 2
Press and hold the power button until the power shuts off. Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed to boot, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Use a different keyboard and/or mouse, if those devices are wired. If you can boot now, one of the devices you disconnected, or a combination of them, is causing the problem. Finding out which one is a process of elimination.
If you've booted from an external storage device, make sure that your internal boot volume is selected in the Startup Disk pane of System Preferences.
Step 3
Boot in safe mode. Note: If FileVault is enabled, or if a firmware password is set, or if the boot volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Post for further instructions.
Safe mode is much slower to boot and run than normal, and some things won’t work at all, including wireless networking on certain Macs.
The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.
When you boot in safe mode, it's normal to see a dark gray progress bar on a light gray background. If the progress bar gets stuck for more than a few minutes, or if the system shuts down automatically while the progress bar is displayed, your boot volume is corrupt and the drive is probably malfunctioning. In that case, go to Step 5.
If you can boot and log in now, empty the Trash, and then open the Finder Info window on your boot volume ("Macintosh HD," unless you gave it a different name.) Check that you have at least 9 GB of available space, as shown in the window. If you don't, copy as many files as necessary to another volume (not another folder on the same volume) and delete the originals. Deletion isn't complete until you empty the Trash again. Do this until the available space is more than 9 GB. Then reboot as usual (i.e., not in safe mode.)
If the boot process hangs again, the problem is likely caused by a third-party system modification that you installed. Post for further instructions.
Step 4
Sometimes a boot failure can be resolved by resetting the NVRAM.
Step 5
Launch Disk Utility in Recovery mode (see Step 1.) Select your startup volume, then run Repair Disk. If any problems are found, repeat until clear. If Disk Utility reports that the volume can't be repaired, the drive has malfunctioned and should be replaced. You might choose to tolerate one such malfunction in the life of the drive. In that case, erase the volume and restore from a backup. If the same thing ever happens again, replace the drive immediately.
This is one of the rare situations in which you should also run Repair Permissions, ignoring the false warnings it may produce. Look for the line "Permissions repair complete" at the end of the output. Then reboot as usual.
Step 6
Reinstall the OS. If your Mac was upgraded from an older version of OS X, you’ll need the Apple ID and password you used to upgrade.
Step 7
Repeat step 6, but this time erase the boot volume in Disk Utility before installing. The system should automatically reboot into the Setup Assistant. Follow the prompts to transfer your data from a Time Machine or other backup.
Step 8
This step applies only to older Macs (not current models) that have a logic-board ("PRAM") battery. The battery is distinct from the main battery of a portable. A dead logic-board battery can cause a gray screen at boot. Typically the boot failure will be preceded by loss of the startup disk and system clock settings. See the user manual for replacement instructions.
Step 9
If you get this far, you're probably dealing with a hardware fault. Make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store to have the machine tested.
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