mouse and keyboard freezing

P

perik78

Registered
Hi!

Recently a problem with my macbook pro started
(2.33 Ghz, 3 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM)

Every now and then the mouse and keyboard is freezing for between 15-60 seconds before it kicks up again. It often starts with the fan is increasing. If Im on the internet for example and there are some moving content on the website that still moves so the whole computer doesnt seem to freeze. If Im listening to music through for example spotify the music works a maybe 10 seconds more (probably whats buffered on spotify)

summon it up:

symptoms:
- happens often in the same time as the fan is increasing
- mouse and keyboard freezing
- moving internet content still moves
- spotify works 10 seconds more.

what I have tried:
- opened up the macbook and cleaned it from dust
- lifted up the mac (if it should be a heating problem) so air can pass underneath
- used onyx to fix the mac

Other information:
- the temperature on the CPU is around 60 but sometimes up to maximum 90 degrees
- I installed last summer a memory so increased the ram from 2 to 3 GB. but it worked without any problems until recently

any guess what it can be?
or suggestions to solve it?

/ Perik
 
A couple of thoughts come to mind.

First, I'd use Disk Utility to check the SMART status of the drive, and while you're at it run a repair disk operation. At least verify if it won't let you run repair.

You can also fish out your OS X install DVD, put it in the drive, the reboot holding down "D" to get to Apple Hardware Test. That should do a somewhat more detailed check of the system.

And while highly unlikely, you can do a PRAM reset: Command-Option-P-R at boot, wait to hear the chime 3 times then release.

I'd say the most likely scenario is your hard drive is in the early stages of failure. The drive motor is likely failing, and is generating more heat as it tries to get the platters moving again. This causes the fans to kick on, and it's largely coincidental that this is when you notice the symptoms.

And if your CPU is getting up to 90C, then you should stop using the thing immediately until you get it fixed. Even 60C is a bit too hot for normal use. With luck, this is just a result of the hard drive, but it could also be the cause. Had an old iBook G4 that got rather cranky when temps got in the triple digits. You could hear the hard drive making a clicking sound as it tried to recover before a kernel panic. As soon as the heat wave broke, the thing worked great.

If the system's under warranty still, call Apple and either arrange an appointment at a nearby Apple Store or AASP, or have them ship you a box so you can send the unit to a repair facility. You should also be backing up anything and everything you don't want to lose. That's just a good idea in general, but especially when you have a potentially dodgy HDD.
 
And while highly unlikely, you can do a PRAM reset: Command-Option-P-R at boot, wait to hear the chime 3 times then release.
Click to expand...

already done that. with no result

First, I'd use Disk Utility to check the SMART status of the drive, and while you're at it run a repair disk operation. At least verify if it won't let you run repair.
Click to expand...

is that the same you think as whats called in my swedish version "controll the disc" straightly translated? (bottom to the right second towards the bottom of the window)

in that case. no problems here either
I'd say the most likely scenario is your hard drive is in the early stages of failure.
Click to expand...

how do I know this? anyway to tell? i have no warranty left and the macbook is not exactly brand new but from 2008 or 2007. not sure cause bought it second hand but almost unused. how much is it for a new drive? A bit boring to try that if the problem still there. anyway to tell?

normal working temperature on my mac seems to be around 60-65 degrees with "sudden peaks" (right now actually) towards 80 degrees
 
perik78 said:
is that the same you think as whats called in my swedish version "controll the disc" straightly translated? (bottom to the right second towards the bottom of the window)
Click to expand...

Not going to be able to help with that, but the program has an icon of a hard drive with a stethoscope over it. And along the bottom should be an area that gives technical stats about the drive. It's far from a reliable diagnostic test, but it only takes a few seconds and sometimes you get lucky.

perik78 said:
how do I know this? anyway to tell? i have no warranty left and the macbook is not exactly brand new but from 2008 or 2007. not sure cause bought it second hand but almost unused. how much is it for a new drive? A bit boring to try that if the problem still there. anyway to tell?
Click to expand...

Well, the first test is to run Apple Hardware Test. A second test would be to use an external drive to boot from. If the problems go away on the external drive, then either your internal drive is bad or you have a very corrupted OS.

perik78 said:
normal working temperature on my mac seems to be around 60-65 degrees with "sudden peaks" (right now actually) towards 80 degrees
Click to expand...

That is a bit too high to be normal, and excess heat from the CPU could be causing the HDD to malfunction. The downside to laptops getting thinner is that there's less margin for error when it comes to thermal regulation. If you have to, get a desk fan or something, and have it blowing across the system to try and bleed off a little extra heat. You can also get a can of compressed air to blow out any dust bunnies in the fan ports.
 
This computer falls apart. I had problems with the DVD as well. It reads well but doesnt burn and when I run the install disc to run the hardware test it suddenly crashed on startup. I tried again with the sam problem. It might be that its a friends Install disc. Not the original one (its lost somewhere )

can it be because of this or is it because my DVD you think?

Or maybe everything is because of the OS. The DVD doesnt write and the temperature is high and everything. Is this possible at all?

Or can it be because of my RAM-memory? it worked before though, all the time since last september maybe.

Shall I start with reinstall everything you think.

will the hardware test also tell if its the harddrive that is starting to fail?

shall also add that Im using my computer a lot! Its on all the time when Im home after 5 o clock everyday and during the weekends

now the mouse and keyboard froose 3 times while writing this message. before that it might hadnt be freezing for one hour.
- The pointer where I writing this message continued to flash.
- the Hardware monitor Im using to controll the temperature stop reacting and then the computer kicked up again it was at a temperature of 73 degrees.
 
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