# Spinning wheel appears very often!



## harishadji (Oct 29, 2008)

Hi!
I have a macbook 2.16mhz with 2gb ram mid 2007 model. It has started showing the spinning wheel for about 10-20 seconds for the last 3 months and it was getting worse and worse! and it came a time last week when almost every 5 clicks I was doing the wheel was appearing again!
First I thought I had a faulty ram and I ran memtest but everything was ok! then I reinstalled the system but still the problem exists not so ften though.
most of the times happens when I work on safari.
how am I gonna solve it?
what seems to be the problem software or hardware?
thanx!


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## ora (Oct 29, 2008)

How much free space is there on your hard disk? If its under 10% the computer really slows down and you get lots of spinning beachball fun.


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## harishadji (Oct 31, 2008)

I have erased everything and done a clean install! I have almost 90 GB free! I tried to remove the ram dimms, change their socket, leave a socket empty and use only the other one...nothing! This fixes the problem for about 1-2 days and then is coming back again worse! I checked the ram with memtest and everything looks ok. I ve repaired the permissions and...nothing! yesterday at one point the macbook was unable to boot and instead of the apple logo it was showing a signal like the gostbusters sign(the red circle with the line diagonally). I don't know what else to do! I am wondering is there a chance to have a defective dimm and the memtest won't show it? Is there a chance to have a defective socket? I don't want to buy a new ram for nothing if that's not the problem! Please help!


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## Giaguara (Oct 31, 2008)

Keep Console open (Application > Utilities). When you see the beachball something is generated in it (all messages view). What is console telling there?
(Post here if the process names or error messages make no sense for you)


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## harishadji (Oct 31, 2008)

here are some messages from last night when i had problems again.
this morning it still works ok but i don't know maybe in a minute or two will happen again...

during most of this time i was watching a video on google
30/10/2008 9:18:27 &#924;&#924; Dock[83] Could not create a directory for <DOCKFolderTile: 0x822a00> error = Error Domain=NSOSStatusErrorDomain Code=-43 "Operation could not be completed. (OSStatus error -43.)" (File not found) 
30/10/2008 9:57:34 &#924;&#924; com.apple.launchd[1] (com.apple.backupd-wake[138]) Exited with exit code: 1 
30/10/2008 10:38:01 &#924;&#924; com.apple.launchd[1] (com.apple.backupd-wake[182]) Exited with exit code: 1 
30/10/2008 11:17:46 &#924;&#924; com.apple.launchd[1] (com.apple.backupd-wake[202]) Exited with exit code: 1 
30/10/2008 11:53:53 &#924;&#924; [0x0-0x11011].com.apple.Safari[103] Thu Oct 30 23:53:53 users-macbook.local Safari[103] <Error>: Error: Embedded profile header length is greater than data length.\n 
30/10/2008 11:54:09 &#924;&#924; com.apple.launchd[1] (com.apple.backupd-wake[214]) Exited with exit code: 1 
31/10/2008 12:17:09 &#928;&#924; com.apple.launchd[1] (com.apple.backupd-wake[244]) Exited with exit code: 1 
31/10/2008 12:34:45 &#928;&#924; [0x0-0x8008].com.apple.dock[83] CPSPostEventRecordTo failed -600 /Library/Widgets/Weather.wdgt/ 
31/10/2008 12:34:45 &#928;&#924; [0x0-0x8008].com.apple.dock[83] CPSPostEventRecordTo failed -600 /Library/Widgets/Weather.wdgt/ 
31/10/2008 12:34:45 &#928;&#924; [0x0-0x8008].com.apple.dock[83] CPSPostEventRecordTo failed -600 /Library/Widgets/Weather.wdgt/ 
31/10/2008 12:34:45 &#928;&#924; [0x0-0x8008].com.apple.dock[83] CPSPostEventRecordTo failed -600 /Library/Widgets/Weather.wdgt/ 
31/10/2008 12:34:45 &#928;&#924; [0x0-0x8008].com.apple.dock[83] CPSPostEventRecordTo failed -600 /Library/Widgets/Weather.wdgt/ 
31/10/2008 12:34:45 &#928;&#924; [0x0-0x8008].com.apple.dock[83] CPSPostEventRecordTo failed -600 /Library/Widgets/Weather.wdgt/ 
31/10/2008 12:34:45 &#928;&#924; [0x0-0x8008].com.apple.dock[83] CPSPostEventRecordTo failed -600 /Library/Widgets/Weather.wdgt/ 
31/10/2008 12:35:26 &#928;&#924; DashboardClient[269] SyncServer is unavailable: exception when connecting: connection timeout: did not receive reply 
31/10/2008 12:35:26 &#928;&#924; DashboardClient[269] fireTrickleSyncNow caught exception Can't connect to the sync server: NSPortTimeoutException: connection timeout: did not receive reply ((null)) 
31/10/2008 12:35:26 &#928;&#924; [0x0-0x8008].com.apple.dock[83] 2008-10-31 00:35:26.428 DashboardClient[269:10b] SyncServer is unavailable: exception when connecting: connection timeout: did not receive reply 
31/10/2008 12:35:26 &#928;&#924; [0x0-0x8008].com.apple.dock[83] 2008-10-31 00:35:26.430 DashboardClient[269:10b] fireTrickleSyncNow caught exception Can't connect to the sync server: NSPortTimeoutException: connection timeout: did not receive reply ((null)) 
31/10/2008 12:35:28 &#928;&#924; SyncServer[270] *** -[NSMachPort handlePortMessage:]: dropping incoming DO message because the connection or ports are invalid 
31/10/2008 1:01:04 &#928;&#924; com.apple.loginwindow[22] Shutdown NOW!


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## harishadji (Oct 31, 2008)

these are from this morning:
31/10/2008 8:34:45 &#928;&#924; com.apple.launchctl.System[2] launchctl: Please convert the following to launchd: /etc/mach_init.d/dashboardadvisoryd.plist 
31/10/2008 8:34:45 &#928;&#924; com.apple.launchd[1] (org.cups.cupsd) Unknown key: SHAuthorizationRight 
31/10/2008 8:34:45 &#928;&#924; com.apple.launchd[1] (org.ntp.ntpd) Unknown key: SHAuthorizationRight 
31/10/2008 8:34:57 &#928;&#924; com.apple.launchd[1] (com.apple.UserEventAgent-LoginWindow[63]) Exited: Terminated 
31/10/2008 8:35:09 &#928;&#924; Dock[84] _DESCRegisterDockExtraClient failed 268435459 
31/10/2008 8:35:10 &#928;&#924; Dock[84] Could not create a directory for <DOCKFolderTile: 0x820000> error = Error Domain=NSOSStatusErrorDomain Code=-43 "Operation could not be completed. (OSStatus error -43.)" (File not found) 

ball not appeared yet! i am watching the same video as last night!


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## harishadji (Oct 31, 2008)

just apeared again! nothing new on console!


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## Satcomer (Oct 31, 2008)

OK try these steps:

1. Download the current "Combo" (like the 10.5.5 Combo or the 10.4.11 intel Combo) and install it. Wait for the machine to boot twice for security firmware updates.

2. Download a maintenance program like Yasu or Onyx and run all the maintenance cleaning routines (about every two months). Rebooting twice after any log/cache cleaning to rebuild the startup/shutdown cache. 

Then after doing all this and it still happens the please report back.


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## harishadji (Nov 3, 2008)

Done that! Nothing! The problem is still there! Sometimes it gets a little better and then suddenly it appears again...and again...and again! I'm desperate I think I m gonna take it to Apple service and try to find out what's wrong...60 euros only for checking!!!!


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## Doctor X (Nov 3, 2008)

You could, for the same price, get more RAM.

Assuming you have a Macbook like mine--now a 2.16 Gig Intel 2 Core Duo--it originally was slated to take 2 Gig, but it will take 4 Gig.

--J.D.


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## harishadji (Nov 4, 2008)

I don't know if it's a ram problem for sure! Using memtest ram seemed to be ok! I don't want to buy ram for nothing and the problem eventually be more complex...I already have 2 gigs of ram (3rd party).


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## Giaguara (Nov 4, 2008)

Those logs don't show any problematic process either. Cupsd and ntpd and launchd seem to work normally.

There is a reference to dashboardadvisory plist... if you have OnyX, try disabling Dashboard from it, log out and log back in. Usually Dashboard wastes about 1-2 % RAM, but maybe this could be more in your case.
If you have many fonts installed (others than the ones that came with OS X), disable all of the added ones with Font Book. Will that make any less beachball effects?


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## harishadji (Nov 4, 2008)

Done that too! No improvement at all! I think it's a hardware problem...but I am not sure what type of problem...is it a ram dimm problem (even though they came back ok after memtest), is it a ram socket problem, is it something else...? pls help any suggestions?


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## Giaguara (Nov 4, 2008)

If it happens mostly when using Safari... that would sound a bit selective for hardware. 

But to eliminate the hardware out of the equation - do you have the discs that came with that Mac?

Boot from the disc that has Apple Hardware Test written on it (maybe disc 2?), and hold down D to boot do the disc (as soon as you hear startup chime, within a few seconds of pressing power button).  

Select extended test, and run it in loop (control+L) for at least a few hours or even overnight. 
If there is a hardware error, the test will stop and show the error code (which if would happen, post here for decoding).


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## harishadji (Nov 5, 2008)

Done 10 loops with apple hardware test...No errors at all! I am thinking of reinstalling tiger instead of leopard to see if the problem is there (my tiger came with my mac but leopard is downloaded. any other ideas?


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## Giaguara (Nov 5, 2008)

Disable Dashboard, and the backup scripts (Time Machine or whatever you have configured).


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## harishadji (Nov 6, 2008)

Already done the dashboard disable but no luck at all. made a zero out install of tiger and the problem exists here too...I give up!


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## dvb (Mar 3, 2009)

Was there ever any light shed on this?


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## ElDiabloConCaca (Mar 3, 2009)

On what?  The spinning rainbow of death?  Light has been shed in a number of areas.  The problem is that a spinning rainbow wheel doesn't indicate a single problem -- there could be _hundreds_ of things that cause it to happen, each specific to the machine that's exhibiting the problem.

Some things to check:

1) Do you have ample RAM?
2) Do you have ample hard drive space?
3) Do you have an ungodly amount of programs running?
4) Is your processor fast enough?
5) Is there a process gone wild that's hogging CPU cycles?
6) Does it happen in one, specific program, or is it system-wide?
7) Does it happen at specific intervals, or is it random?

We can't possibly offer one solution for the spinning rainbow wheel for _all_ systems, simply because each system may be exhibiting the problem for many, many, many different reasons.

You will need to elaborate greatly on your system and environment (using the above list as guidelines), then post back so we can begin troubleshooting the spinning rainbow wheel that is specific to your machine.


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## dvb (Mar 3, 2009)

1) 6.5 Gb Ram,
2) Just rebuilt the machine as the lockups were killing me before, so 440gb free on a 500gb drive.
3) Happens sometimes even just after I reboot and the only thing running is Finder. 
4) 2.5 G5 Quad.
5) Nothing seems to be running crazy on activity monitor or Console.
6) Most of my time is spent in Logic which is where I notice it obviously, however as I mentioned before I've noticed it just running Finder, and funnily enough, just now as I had system preferences open!
7) Completely and utterly random. 

Let me know if anything else would help.


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## ElDiabloConCaca (Mar 3, 2009)

Got any networking going on over there?  Mounted drives?  NAS?  Active/Open Directory authentication?

Do these symptoms still appear under a freshly created user account, or is it limited to your user account?


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## dvb (Mar 3, 2009)

On a wireless network with two other Mac's. 802.11G. An external drive running through a PCIE Esata Card 

No idea what Active / Open Directory authentication is..?

Not tried it on a fresh user account, don't think i would have the patience to wait for it to do it.


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## Doctor X (Mar 3, 2009)

Have you tried hitting it sharply with a mallet?






What?

Seriously, *dvb*, do you run the maintenance scripts?  Use a program like *Onyx* or *Cocktail*?  There is another *Yasu* people recommend.  

--J.D.


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## dvb (Mar 3, 2009)

Haha, it's come very close to that actually. I swung my foot towards it but thought otherwise.

I put Onyx on it shortly after the rebuild, which was only two days ago by the way. Ran everything on that. No changes or improvements. Will have a look at that Yasu though.


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## Doctor X (Mar 3, 2009)

Well I do not know if one is better than the other.  *Onyx* tends to run everything whereas with *Cocktail* you can "grade" the scripts easier for "daily," "weekly," and "monthly."  The point of that is if *Onyx* did not solve the problem I doubt the other programs will do it better.

--J.D.


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## dvb (Mar 3, 2009)

Ah right so no mystery cure.

Will keep digging.


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## dvb (Mar 3, 2009)

Keep throwing ideas at me though ..


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## harishadji (Mar 3, 2009)

Hi everybody! It's been a while! Well eventually I found a solution!!!I bought a brand new WD Black Scorpio 7200rpm and replaced the old one (as last solution...). And miraculously it worked. The beachball never showed up again! and the even better is that I use my old HDD as an external usb sata (using a case) WITHOUT ANY problems!!!! I think the problem was that using a disk with minor errors as an OS disk was bringing to the top the spinning wheel. Now that I use it as an external, the system doesn't have to read all the time from the disk and no more spinning wheel!
I hope this helps dvb!


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## dvb (Mar 3, 2009)

Ah, faulty HDD could very well be the case. It's been in the system a while. Although the checks come back normal, I don't really trust it. Gives me an excuse to buy a new drive anyway. 

Thanks for the help. 

And everyone else. I love you all.


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## dvb (Mar 3, 2009)

Will stick around until I've resolved the problem though! Helpful bunch.


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## harishadji (Mar 3, 2009)

my system checks were ok too! Idefrag, tech tool pro deluxe, mac hardware test ALL came back ok! But eventually it was the disk!


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