macbook freezes

What version of the "Mac Book" running what version of OS X?

A possible answer if to run some cache clearing using either Onyx or Yasu and run all the cleaning routines and let the program reboot your Mac. Then upon that manually reboot again to completely rebuild your shutdown/startup cache.

If that doesn't fix the problem then consider getting more RAM or update your Flash Player by deinstalling Flash Player and reboot. Then install Flash Player. IMHO with Flash you should look at getting the Safari Extension ClickToFlash. IMHO it will be well worth it and should be in every browser by fault.

Lastly consider joining the YouTube HTML5 player and see if you like it. You can always go back to the YouTube HTML Trial page and leave the YouTube HTML5 trial.

One more thing:

Check your internal hard drive and see if it is failing.
 
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I guess you mean the mouse pointer disappear? Is that all that happens, and the MacBook can respond in other ways.
What I mean is - Does it actually freeze (clock does not update, and nothing happens when you press Option-Command-esc (for Force Quit)?
If your MacBook appears to be responding otherwise, and just no mouse pointer, then it's a good time to try a USB mouse - to check if the pointer appears when you plug the mouse in.

When does the freeze seem to happen most often? At boot? When waking from sleep? During particular operations (in other words, when the trackpad or mouse is being used.

Finally, does your MacBook have an easily removable battery (turn the coin slot on the bottom to pop the battery out?)
Then, with the power adapter connected, remove the battery. Does the trackpad then start working? Take a quick look at the battery, to see if it lies flat (no rocking) on a flat surface.
The reason I ask about the battery is that if a battery is swelling (no longer flat) it can apply pressure to the bottom of the trackpad, and may prevent the trackpad button from being pressed, or even properly moving the arrow. If that happens, removing the battery should immediately allow the button to work.
 
DeltaMac said:
I guess you mean the mouse pointer disappear? Is that all that happens, and the MacBook can respond in other ways.
What I mean is - Does it actually freeze (clock does not update, and nothing happens when you press Option-Command-esc (for Force Quit)?
If your MacBook appears to be responding otherwise, and just no mouse pointer, then it's a good time to try a USB mouse - to check if the pointer appears when you plug the mouse in.

When does the freeze seem to happen most often? At boot? When waking from sleep? During particular operations (in other words, when the trackpad or mouse is being used.

Finally, does your MacBook have an easily removable battery (turn the coin slot on the bottom to pop the battery out?)
Then, with the power adapter connected, remove the battery. Does the trackpad then start working? Take a quick look at the battery, to see if it lies flat (no rocking) on a flat surface.
The reason I ask about the battery is that if a battery is swelling (no longer flat) it can apply pressure to the bottom of the trackpad, and may prevent the trackpad button from being pressed, or even properly moving the arrow. If that happens, removing the battery should immediately allow the button to work.
Click to expand...
i will check next time it happens.. when it goes i tend to press down the start button and shut the laptop down.. it happens most when the mouse is being used.. my battery is fairly new.. will see if clock updates next time it happens then tell you
 
Forcing a hardware shut down (holding the power button) is not too good on your file system, but perhaps it seems to be the best choice at the moment. Do try the force-quit (Option-Command-esc) first, to see if there's any response.
 
DeltaMac said:
Forcing a hardware shut down (holding the power button) is not too good on your file system, but perhaps it seems to be the best choice at the moment. Do try the force-quit (Option-Command-esc) first, to see if there's any response.
Click to expand...
yep thought it might not be best thing to do.. is that the apple key and esc together?
 
For the Force Quit window - press Option-Command and esc, all at the same time.
I don't think any MacBook still has an Apple key, but "Apple" or "Command" are the same key.
 
Option is the key with the word "Option" printed on the keycap :D

I know, not completely funny.... :)
Anyway, Look at your space bar.
Left of that is the Command key.
Left of command is the Option (maybe it says alt)
So, your keyboard is not US English? (I forgot to ask)

So, that bottom row (US English keyboard) is "fn - Control - Option - Command - Space - Command - Option - arrow keys"
Then, you would need to press alt - Apple - esc on an ISO keyboard (or whatever that relates to in your local language)
Does that help you now?
 
yep theres apple key next to space bar then alt .. yep alt, apple, esc sounds about right i think. so when it crashes next i will try that and see.. thanks.. im in uk so not sure what keyboard it will be, uk i suppose
 
You don't have to wait to try that...
The keys just bring up the window that allows you to try a force quit of any or all of the various apps that you may have running.
And, clicking "cancel" just closes that window, with no changes.
 
Sure...
The Force Quit will show a list of apps that are running (including the Finder) It will ALSO show that an app, or more than one app have stopped responding. That often can lead to a freeze, or a crash of a particular app - or more. If you can recover by force-quitting an app, then you can just go on, without having to restart. The "Power Button" to force EVERYTHING off is not that graceful, nor is it a safe thing to do.
However, you may not be able to use the Force Quit when you get a freeze - it's simply something that you can try. If your system won't respond at all to bring the force-quit window up, then the power button may be your next task (but not your first one next time, eh? :D )

Also, if you get the force-quit window to appear, and it shows you a particular app has stopped responding, then it gives you at least a possibility that you know what causes the freeze.

So, try these steps next time you get an apparent freeze:
1. Does the clock continue to run? (give it a couple of minutes to update)
2. Can you get the cursor to appear by plugging in a USB mouse? (that may be your real problem, and not a freeze at all)
3. Try the force quit. Keep track of which apps show as "stopped responding". Force Quit any "stopped" apps.
4. if Force Quit doesn't help, and system is still locked up - then force the power off (if that's the only choice now)
5. Go into your Console, where you may find some results reported that point to problems with particular apps. The console log named "system.log" will be listed by date and time, and you can scroll through that for the approximate time of the beginning of the freeze. You may get some clues there, and you could also paste lines from that log here, and someone may be able to interpret what that log reports.
 
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