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Author Topic: Mystery Processes?  (Read 2096 times)

Offline kbeartx

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Mystery Processes?
« on: May 29, 2006, 08:29:23 PM »
Troubleshooting intermittent sluggishness in my MDD [Panther]:

Periodically, the Mac responds v-e-r-y slowly to kybd or mouse commands, as if it's REALLY preoccupied w/ other tasks.  

Some of the time, this sluggishness corresponds with Activity Monitor displaying one process [not neccesarily the same one each time] that is using a HUGE percentage of the CPU's resources, but other times, the Mac is exceedingly unresponsive [not frozen, but VERY slow] and the data from Activity Monitor does NOT show anything untoward.

It's as if Activity Monitor is NOT displaying ALL the processes...?

 - KB
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Offline kelly

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« Reply #1 on: May 29, 2006, 09:57:55 PM »
How often do you Restart? smile.gif

Network related?
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kelly
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Offline kbeartx

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« Reply #2 on: May 30, 2006, 04:52:26 PM »
QUOTE(kelly @ May 29 2006, 09:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
How often do you Restart? smile.gif


Only when "necessary" [that is, if / when the Mac locks up or some new sw install requires it.]

 -KB
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Offline kelly

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« Reply #3 on: May 30, 2006, 08:02:56 PM »
I suggest restarting more often. smile.gif
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kelly
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Offline kbeartx

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Mystery Processes?
« Reply #4 on: May 31, 2006, 07:14:21 AM »
Thanks for the advice.

Doesn't answer my original question:

how can the Mac can be so sluggish w/o Activity Monitor displaying anything using lots of CPU cycles?
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Offline Xairbusdriver

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Mystery Processes?
« Reply #5 on: May 31, 2006, 07:33:40 AM »
CPU usage is not the only thing that will slow down the computer. I would think a severely fragmented disk or other drive problems would be much more likely if the slowness is not dependent on a particular process. Have you used AM with the "Disk Activity" and/or "Disk Usage" area selected? Might also want to the check "Network" info. Finally, "System Memory" should help determine that there is plenty of free RAM...

Oh yeah, make sure the Mac is plugged in... doh.gif
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Offline kps

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« Reply #6 on: May 31, 2006, 07:45:05 AM »
When things start to grind to a halt, have a peek at your Console logs and try to decipher the Greekness of it all. ;-)

Then click on logs in the upper left and dive right into the other logs. You never know, it may give the all important clue ---or not.

Applications/Utilities/Console is your friend.
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Offline kbeartx

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« Reply #7 on: July 07, 2006, 01:46:42 PM »
FWIW, the MDD has seemed MUCH LESS sluggish ever since my iTunes database showed up as corrupted a week or so ago and had to be replaced.  

It seems to me that could have been THE prob all along, since I have iTunes 'playing' in the background ALL THE TIME.
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