Mini HD on the way out? Are these some signs??

[acme]

I have a G4 Mac mini 1.42GHz still on it's factory-installed internal drive.

I recently re-installed the system, and immediately afterward began to notice an inordinate amount of beachball time, and for really small things, like closing documents not needing saving, moving things, opening documents, waiting for things to refresh that don't normally take more than an instant to do so.

At first, I thought maybe I got a bad install..the procedure went fine without issue, and I repaired permissions after installing OS, updaters and apps, but ever since, the machine has behaved like a racehorse with rope wrapped around its legs.

Could the drive be showing signs that it's about to die? I bought this machine in August 2005.

Thanks!

a

[Las_Vegas]

As was pointed out in a previous post… A new install has a few maintenance processes to go through before everything is running normally. The most intensive job is to reindex the drive(s) for Spotlight. Once complete, you should have your responsiveness back.

[trevor]

While it's possible that the cause is the hard drive, it's far from a sure thing at this point. Please let us know the following:

1. You mention reinstalling the operating system. Was this an "Erase and Install", an "Archive and Install", or just an upgrade install where the previous data was left in place?

2. What is connected to this computer? Please list everything, no matter whether or not it seems important or not, for example USB hubs, mice, cables not plugged into anything, etc. Include brand and model for everything.

3. If you create a brand new user on the computer, do the same problems occur when you log out of your current user and into the new user?

4. When you get this problem where the wait cursor is spinning, what processes are using the highest percentage of CPU cycles in Activity Monitor? (Make sure to set the popup menu at the top of Activity Monitor to "All Processes", and click the "% CPU" column once or twice so that it sorts the highest numbers to the top.)

5. What odd messages appear in your logs when you are have these pauses while the wait cursor spins? You can easily view your logs using the Console app, in /Applications/Utilities.

Trevor

[acme]

thanks for responding, Trevor;

Here are my answers to your questions...

1. It was a nuke and pave. I reformatted the HD, and re-installed Tiger as though it was the first time ever for that machine.

2. The only things connected to the machine are: the monitor, the KVM it shares with another Mac Mini, ethernet for the internet, a USB cable that pipes audio to a stereo, and a Belkin USB Mini-hub. KVM is Dr. Bott, Monitor is Envision professional series EN7750, HiFi link is Xitel model AN1. Belkin hub is belkin 4-port pocket hub. Kybd is MacAlly "Ice" kybd. Mouse is the currently-shipping Apple mouse (wired) with the little scroll ball toward the front. RAM and everything else INSIDE the machine is factory-original.

3. I created and am using a test user to play iTunes for now...it seems the same unwarranted beachball time is happening in that user, too.

4. I have not observed any particular process using the most CPU cycles..I watch Activity monitor (always open) and it seems typical...now iTunes at 8%, now Mail is #1 at 14%, then Finder, then something else...the ordinary, nothing-using-much, but swapping places as this app or that has some task it's doing....

...As opposed to having a heavy file transfer, photoshop actions, 3D rendering or iTunes ripping going on.


5. I haven't looked at logs but will do so...what will an "odd" message look like?

thanks!

zc

[trevor]

4. I have not observed any particular process using the most CPU cycles..I watch Activity monitor (always open) and it seems typical...now iTunes at 8%, now Mail is #1 at 14%, then Finder, then something else...the ordinary, nothing-using-much, but swapping places as this app or that has some task it's doing....

Can you verify for us that you've got Activity Monitor set to "All Processes" while you're viewing it?

5. I haven't looked at logs but will do so...what will an "odd" message look like?

Hmmmm. Anything that looks like it might related to drivers, for example, or system hacks, or something that is repeated millions of times, or that sounds like it might be dragging down your system for some reason.

Trevor

[acme]

Can you verify for us that you've got Activity Monitor set to "All Processes" while you're viewing it?



Hmmmm. Anything that looks like it might related to drivers, for example, or system hacks, or something that is repeated millions of times, or that sounds like it might be dragging down your system for some reason.

Trevor

Yes, I have Activity Monitor set to "All Processes." I have the "CPU" column set so that the top CPU users appear at the top.

I will look through the logs. I don't have any system hacks, and no drivers that I know of, although the MacAlly kybd had an installer; I'm not sure that that is present in the test user.

thanks!

a