The little rainbow wheel on my iMac keeps spinning every few seconds. What can I do, it's driving me crazy.

The little rainbow wheel on my iMac keeps spining every few secoonds. What can I do about it? It's driving me crazy.

It just means it is busy.
What are you doing that would make it busy?
Is your data backed up?

Similar Messages

When I''m playing a video clip the computer "locks-up" after a few seconds - what can I do to fix it please?

When I''m playing a video clip the computer "locks-up" after a few seconds - what can I do to fix it please?

The latest is happening with the 12 little video clips sent to me by Apple entitled "Get to know your new iPad"
They run from 3 to 32 seconds and then "lock-up" on my iMac.
I don't have photobooth on my iMac
The link to the Apple promotion is :-
http://www.apple.com/ca/ipad/guided-tours/?cid=CDM-CA-DM-P0009300-160603-EN&cp=e m-P0009300-160603&sr=em
D

Safari on ipod touch keeps crashing every few seconds iOS4.2.1. Fix?

Safari on ipod touch keeps crashing every few seconds iOS4.2.1. Fix?

Max12345281, since the poster says he has iOS 4.1.2 he very likely has a 2G iPod and those can only go to iOS 4.2.1.
acmelvin
- Go to Settings>Safari and delete Cookies, History and other items
- .Reset the iPod. Nothing is lost
Reset iPod touch: Hold down the On/Off button and the Home button at the same time for at
least ten seconds, until the Apple logo appears.

The little rainbow wheel turned blue when opening messages on my Yahoo account

I was told it was something to do with the Cache files. I deleted them and the little wheel is still blue. It should be a rainbow colour I thought.
Any suggestions?
Beverley

Hi Beverley,
Could be many things, we should start with this...
"Try Disk Utility
1. Insert the Mac OS X Install disc, then restart the computer while holding the C key.
2. When your computer finishes starting up from the disc, choose Disk Utility from the Installer menu at top of the screen. (In Mac OS X 10.4 or later, you must select your language first.)
*Important: Do not click Continue in the first screen of the Installer. If you do, you must restart from the disc again to access Disk Utility.*
3. Click the First Aid tab.
4. Select your Mac OS X volume.
5. Click Repair Disk, (not Repair Permissions). Disk Utility checks and repairs the disk."
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106214
Then try a Safe Boot, (holding Shift key down at bootup), run Disk Utility in Applications>Utilities, then highlight your drive, click on Repair Permissions, reboot when it completes.
(Safe boot may stay on the gray radian for a long time, let it go, it's trying to repair the Hard Drive.)
If perchance you can't find your install Disc, at least try it from the Safe Boot part onward.
Open Console in Utilities & see if there are any clues or repeating messages when this happens.

Why does my wifi connection keep dropping every few seconds

my new mac air is only a week old - it was working perfectly til yesterday now it won't hold a wireless connection. won't even hold with an ethernet connection to mobile phone.

I regret to learn of the issues, funeralguy77! Lets figure it out together. Can you try to connect another device to the same WiFi connection. Does it connect? Have you tried to delete/forget the connection and trying again?
Please share additional details so that we can help!
Thank you,
LenaA_VZW
Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport

How can I stop the little rainbow wheel from turningg eternally

thanks...and I cannot use an another Mac as target host, just PCaround me...and external hard disks thanks for your nput

Search these forums for SPOD and SBOD. Then, look at http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/sbbod.html

IMac keeps crashing every few days or sometimes weeks OS.10.9.4

My iMac see info below, crashes when left alone for a period of time sometimes overnight, sometimes after an hour or so.
When it crashes the screen goes black but the mouse is still movable & visible. Nothing else works.
The only fix is the button in the back and shutting down the iMac and then restarting it.
No error messages, etc. I usually leave a few programs running, ike preview, mail, ClamXav, sometime one or both Safari & FireFox, doesn't seem to matter.
I have gone weeks with no crash and then a couple in a matter of days, like just the last few 3-4 crashes.
Any thoughts??
I have EtreCheck if that is helpful with results below:
EtreCheck version: 1.9.12 (48)
Report generated August 3, 2014 at 1:39:45 PM EDT
Hardware Information:
iMac (24-inch, Early 2008) (Verified)
iMac - model: iMac8,1
1 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU: 2 cores
6 GB RAM
Video Information:
ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro - VRAM: 256 MB
iMac 1920 x 1200
System Software:
OS X 10.9.4 (13E28) - Uptime: 0 days 0:16:30
Disk Information:
OWC Mercury Electra 6G SSD disk0 : (240.06 GB)
EFI (disk0s1) <not mounted>: 209.7 MB
Mac HD LION (disk0s2) / [Startup]: 239.2 GB (39.7 GB free)
Recovery HD (disk0s3) <not mounted>: 650 MB
USB Information:
Apple, Inc. Keyboard Hub
ENE Flash   UB623X
Apple, Inc Apple Keyboard
Canon MX710 series
Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex 1.5 TB
disk2s1 (disk2s1) <not mounted>: 32 KB
FreeAgent GoFlex Drive (disk2s3) /Volumes/FreeAgent GoFlex Drive: 1.5 TB (479.84 GB free)
Western Digital My Passport 0748 2 TB
EFI (disk1s1) <not mounted>: 209.7 MB
PHOTOS (disk1s2) /Volumes/PHOTOS: 1.75 TB (1.13 TB free)
WEB & HCC STUFF (disk1s3) /Volumes/WEB & HCC STUFF: 249.89 GB (207.98 GB free)
Apple Inc. Built-in iSight
Seagate FreeAgent 1.5 TB
EFI (disk3s1) <not mounted>: 209.7 MB
PT (disk3s2) /Volumes/PT: 499.45 GB (7.23 GB free)
Recovery HD (disk3s3) <not mounted>: 650 MB
OS 10.6.8 (disk3s4) /Volumes/OS 10.6.8: 500.1 GB (1.34 GB free)
Teri's DropCopy and Photos (disk3s5) /Volumes/Teri's DropCopy and Photos: 499.49 GB (266.06 GB free)
Apple Inc. BRCM2046 Hub
Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller
Apple Computer, Inc. IR Receiver
Gatekeeper:
Mac App Store and identified developers
Kernel Extensions:
[loaded] at.obdev.nke.LittleSnitch (4052 - SDK 10.8) Support
[loaded] com.globaldelight.driver.BoomDevice (1.1 - SDK 10.9) Support
[loaded] com.logmein.driver.LogMeInSoundDriver (1.0.3 - SDK 10.5) Support
Startup Items:
ProTec6b: Path: /Library/StartupItems/ProTec6b
Launch Daemons:
[running] at.obdev.littlesnitchd.plist Support
[loaded] com.adobe.fpsaud.plist Support
[loaded] com.adobe.SwitchBoard.plist Support
[running] com.xrite.device.xrdd.plist Support
Launch Agents:
[running] at.obdev.LittleSnitchUIAgent.plist Support
[not loaded] com.adobe.AAM.Updater-1.0.plist Support
[running] com.adobe.AdobeCreativeCloud.plist Support
[loaded] com.xrite.device.softwareupdate.plist Support
User Launch Agents:
[loaded] com.adobe.AAM.Updater-1.0.plist Support
[loaded] com.adobe.ARM.[...].plist Support
[loaded] com.citrixonline.GoToMeeting.G2MUpdate.plist Support
[running] com.ecamm.printopia.plist Support
[loaded] com.google.keystone.agent.plist Support
[loaded] com.macpaw.CleanMyMac2Helper.diskSpaceWatcher.plist Support
[loaded] uk.co.markallan.clamxav.clamscan.plist Support
[loaded] uk.co.markallan.clamxav.freshclam.plist Support
[running] ws.agile.1PasswordAgent.plist Support
User Login Items:
Boom
PopClip
iTunesHelper
Jing
DropCopy
ClamXav
AdobeResourceSynchronizer
InterarchyHelper
Dropbox
ClamXavSentry
Canon IJ Network Scanner Selector EX
WDDriveUtilityHelper
HoudahSpotHelper
TuneupMyMac
ColorMunkiDisplayTray
Genieo
ClamXavSentry
ClamXavSentry
Fantastical
Internet Plug-ins:
Default Browser: Version: 537 - SDK 10.9
AdobeExManDetect: Version: AdobeExManDetect 1.1.0.0 - SDK 10.7 Support
Flip4Mac WMV Plugin: Version: 3.0.0.126   - SDK 10.8 Support
AdobeAAMDetect: Version: AdobeAAMDetect 2.0.0.0 - SDK 10.7 Support
AdobePDFViewerNPAPI: Version: 11.0.07 - SDK 10.6 Support
FlashPlayer-10.6: Version: 14.0.0.145 - SDK 10.6 Support
Silverlight: Version: 5.1.10411.0 - SDK 10.6 Support
Flash Player: Version: 14.0.0.145 - SDK 10.6 Support
npwViewer: Version: (null) - SDK 10.8 Support
QuickTime Plugin: Version: 7.7.3
SmartCamFinder: Version: SmartCamFinder 1.0.0.0 - SDK 10.8 Support
AdobePDFViewer: Version: 11.0.07 - SDK 10.6 Support
CouponPrinter-FireFox_v2: Version: Version 1.1.9 - SDK 10.5 Support
JavaAppletPlugin: Version: 14.9.0 - SDK 10.7 Check version
Safari Extensions:
PageHistory: Version: 1.0
1Password: Version: 3.9.20
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:
CitrixOnlineWebDeploymentPlugin: Version: 1.0.105 Support
Picasa: Version: 1.0 - SDK 10.6 Support
3rd Party Preference Panes:
Flash Player Support
Flip4Mac WMV Support
Printopia Support
Time Machine:
Skip System Files: NO
Mobile backups: OFF
Auto backup: YES
Volumes being backed up:
Mac HD LION: Disk size: 222.77 GB Disk used: 185.80 GB
Destinations:
PHOTOS [Local] (Last used)
Total size: 2
Total number of backups: 58
Oldest backup: 2014-03-17 19:50:50 +0000
Last backup: 2014-08-03 17:08:01 +0000
Size of backup disk: Excellent
Backup size 2 > (Disk size 222.77 GB X 3)
Time Machine details may not be accurate.
All volumes being backed up may not be listed.
Top Processes by CPU:
      90% clamscan
      8% WindowServer
      4% ClamXavSentry
      3% Mail
      2% mds
Top Processes by Memory:
571 MB Preview
393 MB com.apple.IconServicesAgent
283 MB clamscan
246 MB firefox
172 MB Mail
Virtual Memory Information:
316 MB Free RAM
3.07 GB Active RAM
1.97 GB Inactive RAM
670 MB Wired RAM
1.13 GB Page-ins
0 B Page-outs

MadMacs THANKS --- I removed what I could here is the check again.
SORRY IF THIS RESPONSE IS DUPLICATED
EtreCheck version: 1.9.12 (48)
Report generated August 3, 2014 at 3:45:16 PM EDT
Hardware Information:
iMac (24-inch, Early 2008) (Verified)
iMac - model: iMac8,1
1 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU: 2 cores
6 GB RAM
Video Information:
ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro - VRAM: 256 MB
iMac 1920 x 1200
System Software:
OS X 10.9.4 (13E28) - Uptime: 0 days 2:22:2
Disk Information:
OWC Mercury Electra 6G SSD disk0 : (240.06 GB)
EFI (disk0s1) <not mounted>: 209.7 MB
Mac HD LION (disk0s2) / [Startup]: 239.2 GB (39.85 GB free)
Recovery HD (disk0s3) <not mounted>: 650 MB
USB Information:
Apple, Inc. Keyboard Hub
ENE Flash   UB623X
Apple, Inc Apple Keyboard
Canon MX710 series
Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex 1.5 TB
disk2s1 (disk2s1) <not mounted>: 32 KB
FreeAgent GoFlex Drive (disk2s3) /Volumes/FreeAgent GoFlex Drive: 1.5 TB (479.84 GB free)
Western Digital My Passport 0748 2 TB
EFI (disk1s1) <not mounted>: 209.7 MB
PHOTOS (disk1s2) /Volumes/PHOTOS: 1.75 TB (1.13 TB free)
WEB & HCC STUFF (disk1s3) /Volumes/WEB & HCC STUFF: 249.89 GB (207.98 GB free)
Apple Inc. Built-in iSight
Seagate FreeAgent 1.5 TB
EFI (disk3s1) <not mounted>: 209.7 MB
PT (disk3s2) /Volumes/PT: 499.45 GB (7.23 GB free)
Recovery HD (disk3s3) <not mounted>: 650 MB
OS 10.6.8 (disk3s4) /Volumes/OS 10.6.8: 500.1 GB (1.34 GB free)
Teri's DropCopy and Photos (disk3s5) /Volumes/Teri's DropCopy and Photos: 499.49 GB (266.06 GB free)
Apple Inc. BRCM2046 Hub
Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller
Apple Computer, Inc. IR Receiver
Gatekeeper:
Mac App Store and identified developers
Kernel Extensions:
[loaded] at.obdev.nke.LittleSnitch (4052 - SDK 10.8) Support
[loaded] com.globaldelight.driver.BoomDevice (1.1 - SDK 10.9) Support
[loaded] com.logmein.driver.LogMeInSoundDriver (1.0.3 - SDK 10.5) Support
Startup Items:
ProTec6b: Path: /Library/StartupItems/ProTec6b
Launch Daemons:
[running] at.obdev.littlesnitchd.plist Support
[failed] com.adobe.fpsaud.plist Support
[loaded] com.adobe.SwitchBoard.plist Support
[running] com.xrite.device.xrdd.plist Support
Launch Agents:
[running] at.obdev.LittleSnitchUIAgent.plist Support
[not loaded] com.adobe.AAM.Updater-1.0.plist Support
[running] com.adobe.AdobeCreativeCloud.plist Support
[loaded] com.xrite.device.softwareupdate.plist Support
User Launch Agents:
[loaded] com.adobe.AAM.Updater-1.0.plist Support
[loaded] com.adobe.ARM.[...].plist Support
[loaded] com.citrixonline.GoToMeeting.G2MUpdate.plist Support
[running] com.ecamm.printopia.plist Support
[loaded] com.google.keystone.agent.plist Support
[failed] com.macpaw.CleanMyMac2Helper.diskSpaceWatcher.plist Support
[loaded] uk.co.markallan.clamxav.clamscan.plist Support
[loaded] uk.co.markallan.clamxav.freshclam.plist Support
[running] ws.agile.1PasswordAgent.plist Support
User Login Items:
Boom
PopClip
iTunesHelper
Jing
DropCopy
ClamXav
AdobeResourceSynchronizer
Dropbox
Canon IJ Network Scanner Selector EX
HoudahSpotHelper
ColorMunkiDisplayTray
Fantastical
Internet Plug-ins:
Default Browser: Version: 537 - SDK 10.9
AdobeExManDetect: Version: AdobeExManDetect 1.1.0.0 - SDK 10.7 Support
Flip4Mac WMV Plugin: Version: 3.0.0.126   - SDK 10.8 Support
AdobeAAMDetect: Version: AdobeAAMDetect 2.0.0.0 - SDK 10.7 Support
AdobePDFViewerNPAPI: Version: 11.0.07 - SDK 10.6 Support
FlashPlayer-10.6: Version: 14.0.0.145 - SDK 10.6 Support
Silverlight: Version: 5.1.10411.0 - SDK 10.6 Support
Flash Player: Version: 14.0.0.145 - SDK 10.6 Support
npwViewer: Version: (null) - SDK 10.8 Support
QuickTime Plugin: Version: 7.7.3
SmartCamFinder: Version: SmartCamFinder 1.0.0.0 - SDK 10.8 Support
AdobePDFViewer: Version: 11.0.07 - SDK 10.6 Support
CouponPrinter-FireFox_v2: Version: Version 1.1.9 - SDK 10.5 Support
JavaAppletPlugin: Version: 14.9.0 - SDK 10.7 Check version
Safari Extensions:
PageHistory: Version: 1.0
1Password: Version: 3.9.20
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:
CitrixOnlineWebDeploymentPlugin: Version: 1.0.105 Support
Picasa: Version: 1.0 - SDK 10.6 Support
3rd Party Preference Panes:
Flash Player Support
Flip4Mac WMV Support
Printopia Support
Time Machine:
Skip System Files: NO
Mobile backups: OFF
Auto backup: YES
Volumes being backed up:
Mac HD LION: Disk size: 222.77 GB Disk used: 185.65 GB
Destinations:
PHOTOS [Local] (Last used)
Total size: 2
Total number of backups: 58
Oldest backup: 2014-03-17 19:50:50 +0000
Last backup: 2014-08-03 18:51:06 +0000
Size of backup disk: Excellent
Backup size 2 > (Disk size 222.77 GB X 3)
Time Machine details may not be accurate.
All volumes being backed up may not be listed.
Top Processes by CPU:
      2% WindowServer
      2% coreaudiod
      1% fontd
      1% Dock
      0% Little Snitch Agent
Top Processes by Memory:
332 MB com.apple.IconServicesAgent
270 MB mds_stores
252 MB firefox
129 MB Safari
117 MB softwareupdated
Virtual Memory Information:
831 MB Free RAM
2.09 GB Active RAM
2.03 GB Inactive RAM
677 MB Wired RAM
1.73 GB Page-ins
27 MB Page-outs

Firefox takes time loading and keeps stopping every few seconds, but only in the last week

I have had updates for Windows and wonder if there is a clash between the two. I also seem to be getting more errors thn I ever had. I have tried uninstalling FF and reinstalling it and the results are still the same. It is damm annoying to have had such a great website that just seems to have malfunctioned overnight 25 April seems to have been the date, anything changed at your end

hey try a smc reset
EDIT (smc reset
Shut down the computer.
Plug in the MagSafe power adapter to a power source, connecting it to the Mac if its not already connected.
On the built-in keyboard, press the (left side) Shift-Control-Option keys and the power button at the same time.
Release all the keys and the power button at the same time.
Press the power button to turn on the computer.
Note: The LED on the MagSafe power adapter may change states or temporarily turn off when you reset the SMC.)
if that doesnt help look at replacing the batteries in your magic mouse and try it then
if the issue still presists take it into a apple store and they can test it there to see whats up

5 year old iMac freezes momentarily every few seconds

Over the past few months, anytime I use my iMac, it will freeze for a second or 2 then resume its work. It is especially bad when web surfing or watching videos. I have upgraded the RAM to 12gb with no improvement. It has a 3.2ghz i3 quadcore processor. From what I have read, the graphics module is integrated on the motherboard.
Is this a graphics card issue? If so, are their any solutions besides replacing the computer?

OK. Since the issue is specific to your original user account, you can proceed in two ways. One is to log into your new account, make a list of the preference files (plists) located in /username/Library/Preferences/, including any in the ByHost subfolder, log back into the original account, move everything on the ne account's list from the original account's Preferences folder into a newly created folder on the Desktop, log out and back in, and see if the problem goes away. If so, you can copy the ones in the Desktop folder (one or more at time) back into /Preferences/, restart, and see if the problem returns. If so, you've identified the corrupt/conflicting ones. Continue with all of them until isolating the bad ones. That'll save you the trouble of resetting preferences.
The second way is much more detailed and I'll not burden you with the steps unless the above doesn't fix the issue.

Why does browser keep refreshing every few seconds. I keep getting kicked of of sites that require log in because my browser refreshes and sends me back to log in page.

I use the same plug-ins i always have, with the exception of faster fox. I got the plug in off of c-net. The first thing I did was disable that plug in. I do remember at one point i used to have a plug in that allowed you to set the refresh intervals. I don't remember which is was though as I got rid of it a long time ago. I have checked every option I can think of to no avail..please help.

If you have an infected system, Firefox will get infected no matter how many times you reset it. Refer to a specialized forum to clear the malware from your system.
* https://forums.malwarebytes.org/index.php?showtopic=9573
If you haven't disabled the malware and phishing protection features, and you have a good and up-to-date anti-virus, then visiting web sites shouldn't be an issue. Installing questionable software on the other hand allows malware to do anything on your system.
* [[Troubleshoot Firefox issues caused by malware|How do I prevent malware from being installed?]]
* [[Security and passwords settings]]

My iPad keeps locking itself every few seconds, any ideas how to fix it... Drives me mad having to put my pass code in all the time and the screen keeps going blank :( HELP!

My iPad keeps locking itself every few seconds, any ideas how to fix it... Drives me crazy as the screen keeps going blank and I have to constantly put in my pass code every few seconds. Can someone help me out please. The pass code lock is set at 10 minutes but it's happening every few seconds :(

I've run into the issue and it seems to be related to an app not fully supporting the iOS you're on, the reboot doesn't usually solve it.
I've solved it in the following manner(s):
1) Backup the device to iCloud, then erase the iPad (Content and Network Settings).
2) Setup the iPad and choose to restore from iTunes/iCloud Backup (wherever you backed it up)
3) Perform any software updates
I have not tried simply performing the software updates (which may fix it, but if it doesn't you won't be able to perform the above steps).
Enjoy.

I have an iMac. , mid 2007. Frequently, when I take an action, the little color wheel starts spinning and goes on for quite awhile. Save a file, close a file, open a file, open a window, it's all random. Somtimes it stalls, sometimes it doesn't. Why?

I have an iMac. , mid 2007. Frequently, when I take an action, the little color wheel starts spinning and goes on for quite awhile. Save a file, close a file, open a file, open a window, it's all random. Somtimes it stalls, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes long, sometims short. Why is this happening?

Consider adding more memory. Be sure you have adequate free space on the hard drive - 15 GBs or 10% of the drive's capacity, whichever is greater. Do not run too many applications concurrently. Visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQ on resolving the SBBOD.
Do some maintenance:
Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions
Boot from your 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 click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, 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.
Kappy's Personal Suggestions for OS X Maintenance
For disk repairs use Disk Utility. For situations DU cannot handle the best third-party utilities are: Disk Warrior; DW only fixes problems with the disk directory, but most disk problems are caused by directory corruption; Disk Warrior 4.x is now Intel Mac compatible. Drive Genius provides additional tools not found in Disk Warrior. Versions 1.5.1 and later are Intel Mac compatible.
OS X performs certain maintenance functions that are scheduled to occur on a daily, weekly, or monthly period. The maintenance scripts run in the early AM only if the computer is turned on 24/7 (no sleep.) If this isn't the case, then an excellent solution is to download and install a shareware utility such as Macaroni, JAW PseudoAnacron, or Anacron that will automate the maintenance activity regardless of whether the computer is turned off or asleep. Dependence upon third-party utilities to run the periodic maintenance scripts was significantly reduced since Tiger. These utilities have limited or no functionality with Snow Leopard or Lion and should not be installed.
OS X automatically defragments files less than 20 MBs in size, so unless you have a disk full of very large files there's little need for defragmenting the hard drive. As for virus protection there are few if any such animals affecting OS X. You can protect the computer easily using the freeware Open Source virus protection software ClamXAV. Personally I would avoid most commercial anti-virus software because of their potential for causing problems. For more about malware see Macintosh Virus Guide.
I would also recommend downloading a utility such as TinkerTool System, OnyX 2.4.3, or Cocktail 5.1.1 that you can use for periodic maintenance such as removing old log files and archives, clearing caches, etc.
For emergency repairs install the freeware utility Applejack. If you cannot start up in OS X, you may be able to start in single-user mode from which you can run Applejack to do a whole set of repair and maintenance routines from the command line. Note that AppleJack 1.5 is required for Leopard. AppleJack 1.6 is compatible with Snow Leopard. There is no confirmation that this version also works with Lion.
When you install any new system software or updates be sure to repair the hard drive and permissions beforehand. I also recommend booting into safe mode before doing system software updates.
Get an external Firewire drive at least equal in size to the internal hard drive and make (and maintain) a bootable clone/backup. You can make a bootable clone using the Restore option of Disk Utility. You can also make and maintain clones with good backup software. My personal recommendations are (order is not significant):
Carbon Copy Cloner
Data Backup
Deja Vu
SuperDuper!
SyncTwoFolders
Synk Pro
Synk Standard
Tri-Backup
Visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQs on maintenance, optimization, virus protection, and backup and restore.
Additional suggestions will be found in Mac Maintenance Quick Assist.
Referenced software can be found at CNet Downloads or MacUpdate.
Be sure you have an adequate amount of RAM installed for the number of applications you run concurrently. Be sure you leave a minimum of 10% of the hard drive's capacity as free space.

The little gear wheel keeps appearing thus slowing down the system

My system is being slowed down by the appearance of the little gear wheel turning around & around.

Launch the Console 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 Console in the icon grid.
The title of the Console window should be All Messages. If it isn't, select
SYSTEM LOG QUERIES ▹ All Messages
from the log list on the left. If you don't see that list, select
View ▹ Show Log List
from the menu bar at the top of the screen.Click the Clear Display icon in the toolbar. Then take one of the actions that you're having trouble with. Select any messages that appear in the Console window. Copy them to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C. Paste into a reply to this message by pressing command-V.
The log contains a vast amount of information, almost all of which is irrelevant to solving any particular problem. When posting a log extract, be selective. A few dozen lines are almost always more than enough.
Please don't indiscriminately dump thousands of lines from the log into this discussion.
Please don't post screenshots of log messages—post the text.
Some private information, such as your name, may appear in the log. Anonymize before posting.

My macbook pro wont get passed the apple icon and the little were wheel below it. Any suggestions on how I can get this thing to atleast get to the home page or sign in page

This initially started out as me trying to get my battery to work. my battery was dying after a few minutes so I was trying to kill the battery and recharge it to see if I couldn't get it back to a full charge. This didn't work but after a day or so I noticed the computer running slow and when I went to start it a couple days later the apple icon page would pop up and the little grey wheel would just whir away below it like it was thinking. The screen was kinda hard to see. Since then I have tried several different things to get the computer to fire back up as it should. I have taken out the battery and left it hoping the internal battery would die and it would reset itself to a default mode. Didn't work so I then tried taking the battery out and just using the power cord. This didn't work. I tried putting the battery out and in while running on the power cord. this didn't work. I have tried holding the "alt/option" key and that didn't work. Although it did give me a different window. I have tried holding down the "f" keys. That didn't work. I have tried installing a disc to try and reinstall the operating system. That didn't work. I had to shut it down and restart it holding down the eject key to get the disc back. I am running out of things I can think of to try so if anyone has any ideas I am open to all of them.
Thank you,
Seldovian

Mac OS X: What is Safe Boot, Safe Mode?
Mac OS X: Starting up in Safe Mode
I have tried installing a disc to try and reinstall the operating system.
Disconnect all peripherals from your computer. Boot from your install disc & run Repair Disk from the utility menu. To use the Install Mac OS X disc, insert the disc, and restart your computer while holding down the C key as it starts up.
Select your language.
Once on the desktop, select Utility in the menu bar.
Select Disk Utility.
Select the disk or volume in the list of disks and volumes, and then click First Aid.
Click Repair Disk.
Restart your computer when done.
Repair permissions after you reach the desktop-http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=25751 and restart your computer.
If you did manage to reach the desktop after doing any of the above
my battery was dying after a few minutes so I was trying to kill the battery and recharge it to see if I couldn't get it back to a full charge.
Apple/About This Mac/More Info/Hardware/Power/Battery Information - copy and paste the information here. Do not include any serial numbers.
I noticed the computer running slow
How large is your hard drive and how much hard drive space do you have left?
Mac OS X (10.4.3)
Update to 10.4.11 using the combo update or Software Update along with all the other updates that goes along with it.

My Iphoto version 8.1.2 stopped working today. Opens to a blank white screen with the little color wheel spinning indicating something running. I also cannot shut this window once opened without doing a hard shut down of my Mac Book Pro. What is wrong?

Opens to a blank screen with the little color wheel running indicating that something is running everytime I put my mouse on page. I also cannot close the page or do anything concerning this page when the little wheel is running. This has gone on for hours. I can only close the page by doing a hard shutdown of by Mac Book Pro. Never had this happen before.

Your main library is damaged.
Option 1
Back Up and try rebuild the library: hold down the command and option (or alt) keys while launching iPhoto. Use the resulting dialogue to rebuild. Choose to Rebuild iPhoto Library Database from automatic backup.
If that fails:
Option 2
Download iPhoto Library Manager and use its rebuild function. This will create a new library based on data in the albumdata.xml file. Not everything will be brought over - no slideshows, books or calendars, for instance - but it should get all your albums and keywords back.
Because this process creates an entirely new library and leaves your old one untouched, it is non-destructive, and if you're not happy with the results you can simply return to your old one. .
Regards
TD

The little rainbow wheel on my iMac keeps spinning every few seconds. What can I do, it's driving me crazy.

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for