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Author Topic: MAJOR memory problems and apps quitting.  (Read 3280 times)

Offline dakota

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MAJOR memory problems and apps quitting.
« on: November 24, 2020, 09:05:33 AM »
All of a sudden I am getting more than the usual "this web page is using significant memory" messages, which I have gotten on and off for a long time. Now I am getting application memory messages, on mail ( which then quits) and Safari, which does not quit.  I don't even know how to approach this.  I did look at mail and see tons of different folders, but they have always been there.  I took a couple of screenshots.  The shots of the mail folder do not even show how many there are because somehow I could not scroll down far enough.  Help!  I just got a message that my screenshots are too large!
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Offline Xairbusdriver

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Re: MAJOR memory problems and apps quitting.
« Reply #1 on: November 24, 2020, 10:18:22 AM »
Sounds like several different types of "memory problems".

In no particular order:
1. Where did you see the "screenshots are too large" dialog?
  a. The forum has size limits on attachments.
  b. How many old screen shots do you still have?
  c. How much "free space" on your drive(s)? (About This Mac->Storage tab)
2. What does Activity Monitor->Memory in the box at the bottom?
  a. Physical Memory:
  b. Memory Used:
  c. Swap Used:
3. In that same area, what are the values in "App Memory"?
4. How does your "problem" do when you Quit some/many of the apps showing in the Force Quit window?
5. If a web page is using significant memory, how may tabs/browser windows are there?
6. How many old screenshots do you have on your boot drive?
« Last Edit: November 24, 2020, 11:18:56 AM by Xairbusdriver »
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Offline dakota

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Re: MAJOR memory problems and apps quitting.
« Reply #2 on: November 24, 2020, 11:43:02 AM »
I tried to post a screenshot of my email program and that's when I got the message that it was too large. yes, it had to do with the limit on the forum. I have 1.56 of 2.21 free. I will have to look up the rest and post again.
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Offline dakota

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Re: MAJOR memory problems and apps quitting.
« Reply #3 on: November 24, 2020, 11:50:21 AM »
Okay, this makes no sense. Physical memory 8.00 GB. Memory used 7.12 )I don't see how! Swap used 1.40. App memory 1.54 more or less. I don't get a chance to close out much because it's my mail program which keeps quitting at that point. The only screenshots I have are the two I took, one of the message and the other of my email window.
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Offline jchuzi

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Re: MAJOR memory problems and apps quitting.
« Reply #4 on: November 24, 2020, 12:14:10 PM »
Three thoughts:

1. Shut down, wait 15 seconds, and restart.
2. reset NVRAM
3. reset SMC
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Offline Xairbusdriver

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Re: MAJOR memory problems and apps quitting.
« Reply #5 on: November 24, 2020, 01:14:52 PM »
Quote
I tried to post a screenshot of my email program and that's when I got the message that it was too large. yes, it had to do with the limit on the forum.
Not much you can do about that, the TS forums have a limit of ~1000KB total bytes, 500KB per image. The point is, that has nothing to do with "memory problems" on your Mac.

However, instead of making screenshots via the Mac, you can use any number of other apps that can usually make them as jpg's. The second image below is from a Mac "Screenshot". Its size is 1.04MB. The image I posted is from running that png thru Photoshop Elements and converting it to a 60% "quality" jpeg, reducing it to 32.4 KB. Mac/Apple screenshots can be massive, that's just a function of png's. While they are waiting to take up all that space on your drive, they are already trying to use your RAM.

If your Mac is using 7.12 GB out of its 8 GB installed, it is no wonder that you are having apps quit or there are memory warnings.

Take a look at Activity Monitor, again. Click the "Memory" tab. Now click the "Memory" column until it lists items from high to low. What are the top 5 items and their memory usages? You can also see that there are hundreds of things (mostly OS related) that take up your available memory. Since you didn't post an image of what AM was showing, we can't offer more detailed help.

Last suggestion; reduce that number of apps you have open all the time.
« Last Edit: November 24, 2020, 01:34:37 PM by Xairbusdriver »
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Offline Xairbusdriver

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Re: MAJOR memory problems and apps quitting.
« Reply #6 on: November 24, 2020, 01:37:51 PM »
One more favor, dakota, can you tell us what version of Safari you are using?
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Offline dakota

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Re: MAJOR memory problems and apps quitting.
« Reply #7 on: November 24, 2020, 07:20:05 PM »
Using Safari 12.1.1. Top five items in memory- WindowServer 367.4 MB, Safari Web Content (cached), Safari 200.6, MacUpdate Desktop 169.3, Reminders 162.4. Very little else is open. The only other app open is iClock.  I came back to the computer to discover Mail has quit.
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Offline dakota

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Re: MAJOR memory problems and apps quitting.
« Reply #8 on: November 24, 2020, 07:35:11 PM »
Also note a problem with mail.  Stuck on moving messages. There appear to be close to 400 messages which are stalled on being moved.
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Offline Xairbusdriver

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Re: MAJOR memory problems and apps quitting.
« Reply #9 on: November 24, 2020, 11:16:05 PM »
Moving messages likely requires duplicating them first in the new location and only then deleting them at the old location. Thus, a lot of RAM is needed. It might help to move fewer messages at a time.

Yet again I ask if it is really necessary to have all those apps (the ones listed in the Force Quit list) open at the same time? :dntknw: With only 8GB and large amounts of data, you need only a minimum number of apps open/running.
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Offline dakota

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Re: MAJOR memory problems and apps quitting.
« Reply #10 on: November 25, 2020, 12:39:30 AM »
I tried a whole bunch of things from starting up in safe mode, rebuilding mailboxes, and somehow ( don't ask me how) I wound up with about eight thousand messages "loading" instead of being moved, nothing is being moved and mail is not quitting. I still think a lot of memory is being used.  Since I still have not ordered a new computer to replace another one I have, I will take care of memory at that time. I did notice that I have far fewer folders in the mail program on the other computer.  I am going to try to post a screen shot of what icon this one and ask whether I need all of these??? Not sure what to remove and the method to use.
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Offline dakota

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Re: MAJOR memory problems and apps quitting.
« Reply #11 on: November 25, 2020, 12:40:22 AM »
This is my mailbox setup.
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Offline jchuzi

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Re: MAJOR memory problems and apps quitting.
« Reply #12 on: November 25, 2020, 05:41:17 AM »
Quote from: dakota on November 24, 2020, 07:35:11 PM
Also note a problem with mail.  Stuck on moving messages. There appear to be close to 400 messages which are stalled on being moved.
I have had the same problem. Relaunching Mail, restarting, and rebuilding mailboxes didn't help. The issue was finally solved by booting into Recovery Mode and using Disk Utility to run First Aid on MacIntosh HD, Macintosh HD Data and MacIntosh HD Disk Image. After restarting, Mail still had a lot of emails that it said were being downloaded, but it went quickly and the problem then disappeared.

DU did not state what, if anything, was fixed. It merely gave the OK when finished. I would have liked to know what it did.

The cure lasted several weeks and then the problem recurred. The above procedure worked again. We'll see how long it lasts.

ADDENDUM:  The first time that I did this, I also applied the appropriate Combo Updater after running Disk Utility. This was probably not necessary in view of the fact that the second time DU worked without using the Combo.
« Last Edit: November 25, 2020, 07:11:02 AM by jchuzi »
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Offline dakota

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Re: MAJOR memory problems and apps quitting.
« Reply #13 on: November 25, 2020, 07:57:41 AM »
I just checked the activity monitor and one of the things now listed is Techsurvivors.net at over 183 MB.  How is this possible?????!!! This was before I even brought up the site.
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Offline Xairbusdriver

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Re: MAJOR memory problems and apps quitting.
« Reply #14 on: November 25, 2020, 09:01:15 AM »
Quote
just checked the activity monitor and one of the things now listed is Techsurvivors.net
I have no idea. TS is not an app nor any kind of "process". Perhaps a screen shot of a few lines of the AM output might help. If you are using TS, you should see an item (or two) for whatever browser you are using.

BTW, if you are using Safari, what is the version number? (Safari->About Safari)
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