Late 2009 MB Pro erratic performance
 

hello! i have a late 2009 Mac Book Pro 15 inch running 10.6.5

my macbook pro freezes for a nano-second second every couple of seconds. its really annoying. its like if I am scrolling down a long page on Safari (or Firefox, or Numbers), every two scrolls or so, it freezes for a brief split second then scrolls again.

My wife's MBP (2011) running 10.6.5 does not have this problem over the same WiFi connection and exact same version of OS and Safari/Firefox.

I have owned Macs for the last 15 years or so, and I know this is not normal behaviour. Any suggestions (apart from 'upgrade to Lion' or something), really, I am wondering if my Hard Disk has a problem???

Disk Utility or Apple Hardware test shows no problem either?

If you boot to your OS X Install disc, does it have the same annoying pause? I'd guess that you have installed something to your hard drive which is causing the problem, not a hardware issue.

Trevor

1) Trevor's idea is a good one, but maybe you won't have any long scrolling pages there to be able to reproduce the problem.

2) Check the logs (system and console) for relevant messages (coincident with the problem) - use the "Console" application (under /Applications/Utilities).

3) Why are you still on 10.6.5 ? The current version of 10.6 is 10.6.8.
Use Software Update to update to the latest. OS X updates often include important security fixes (and bug fixes) and are not to be considered "optional" if you want your Mac to run well.

Another possibility is if it is related to
System Prefs > Trackpad > Two Fingers > Scroll with/without inertia.
Maybe toggle that and see if it helps.

And certainly run the 10.6.8 Combo update as well.
Look at Console logs / Activity viewer to see if something is not playing ball.

thanks for all the replies.

1) i tried the 'inertia:with/without' toggle and no help
2) yes, I need to upgrade, but I have bene travelling so much, never had the time to sit somewhere and download the over a GB install. must do it this coming week.
3) @trevor: something I would have installed? some kind of firmware update? any suggestions?

The problem is, my Wife's MB Pro has the same OS version but works fine. SO I thought perhaps its my hard ware.

here are some of the console messages. I dont understand them:

No, not firmware, software.

What software I don't know, perhaps an InputManager like an Unsanity Application Enhancer haxie? Or maybe a third party menubar item? Or a device driver?

Trevor

hmmm... no application enhancers or third part menu bar items. just the automatic drive check in Diskwarrior was enabled, which I switched off. still the problem persists. (this '.' period appeared half a second after i typed it)

here's another one of the console messages:

Could you attach the entire log here as a .txt text file?

Trevor

here. attached.

30/07/11 7:00:08 AM com.autodesk.wiretapgateway[46] Autodesk Wiretap Gateway Server started successfully.
30/07/11 7:00:08 AM com.autodesk.wiretapgateway[46] Starting 4 Gateway slave servers connected to master..
30/07/11 7:00:09 AM com.autodesk.wiretapgateway[46] Starting Autodesk Wiretap Gateway Slave Server 1 of 4...
30/07/11 7:00:11 AM com.autodesk.wiretapgateway[46] Starting Autodesk Wiretap Gateway Slave Server 2 of 4...
30/07/11 7:00:12 AM com.autodesk.wiretapgateway[46] Starting Autodesk Wiretap Gateway Slave Server 3 of 4...
30/07/11 7:00:13 AM com.autodesk.wiretapgateway[46] Starting Autodesk Wiretap Gateway Slave Server 4 of 4...

Can you tell us more about Autodesk Wiretap Gateway Slave Servers?

30/07/11 10:08:16 PM ntpd[19] sendto(17.82.253.7) (fd=24): No route to host

This one is odd.

It looks like time.asia.apple.com might be down? Or maybe it's just not responding to pings. Anyone know how to query a time server from the command line?

31/07/11 11:55:14 AM com.apple.kextd[10] /System/Library/Extensions/HuaweiDataCardDriver.kext does not declare a kernel dependency; using com.apple.kernel.6.0.
31/07/11 11:55:14 AM com.apple.kextd[10] /System/Library/Extensions/HuaweiDataCardDriver.kext does not declare a kernel dependency; using com.apple.kernel.6.0.
31/07/11 11:55:15 AM com.apple.kextd[10] /System/Library/Extensions/HuaweiDataCardDriver.kext/Contents/PlugIns/HuaweiDataCardACMData.kext does not declare a kernel dependency; using com.apple.kernel.6.0.
31/07/11 11:55:15 AM com.apple.kextd[10] /System/Library/Extensions/HuaweiDataCardDriver.kext/Contents/PlugIns/HuaweiDataCardACMData.kext does not declare a kernel dependency; using com.apple.kernel.6.0.
31/07/11 11:55:15 AM kernel Warning - com.huawei.driver.HuaweiDataCardDriver declares no kernel dependencies; using com.apple.kernel.6.0.
31/07/11 11:55:15 AM kernel Couldn't alloc class "HuaweiDataCard"
31/07/11 11:55:15 AM kernel USBMSC Identifier (non-unique): ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 0x12d1 0x140b 0x0
31/07/11 11:55:15 AM kernel Warning - com.huawei.driver.HuaweiDataCardACMData declares no kernel dependencies; using com.apple.kernel.6.0.
31/07/11 11:55:16 AM kernel HuaweiDataCardACMData: Input buffers 16, Output buffers 8
31/07/11 11:55:16 AM kernel Couldn't alloc class "HuaweiDataCard"
31/07/11 11:55:16 AM kernel USBMSC Identifier (non-unique): ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 0x12d1 0x140b 0x0
31/07/11 11:55:16 AM kernel HuaweiDataCardACMData: Input buffers 16, Output buffers 8
31/07/11 11:55:16 AM kernel HuaweiDataCardACMData: Input buffers 16, Output buffers 8
31/07/11 11:55:16 AM kernel HuaweiDataCardACMData: Input buffers 16, Output buffers 8
<snip>
31/07/11 11:55:33 AM System Preferences[728] a second copy of HUAWEI Mobile Connect - 3G Modem is installed at /Library/Modem Scripts/HUAWEI Mobile Connect - 3G Modem?
31/07/11 11:55:33 AM System Preferences[728] a second copy of HUAWEI Mobile Connect - 3G Modem is installed at /System/Library/Modem Scripts/HUAWEI Mobile Connect - 3G Modem?
(and there's more about this device...)

A driver for a Huawei USB modem? That's the sort of thing I was suspecting as a possible cause of the issue.

01/08/11 1:49:22 PM kernel SCSITaskUserClient - Invalid arguments: scatterGatherEntries = 1, requestedTransferCount = 0, transfer direction is 0


The message above is repeated thousands and thousands of times. Do you know what SCSI-related thing this computer is doing, or has attached to it? Do you have any clues as to what this message might be caused by?

01/08/11 3:09:20 PM [0x0-0xd00d0].com.stuffit.StuffIt-Destinations[1822] Mon Aug 1 15:09:20 xxxxxxxxx.local StuffIt Destinations[1822] <Info>: Started
01/08/11 3:09:20 PM [0x0-0xd00d0].com.stuffit.StuffIt-Destinations[1822] Mon Aug 1 15:09:20 xxxxxxxxx.local StuffIt Destinations[1822] <Debug>: Waiting for connection.
01/08/11 3:09:20 PM kernel SCSITaskUserClient - Invalid arguments: scatterGatherEntries = 1, requestedTransferCount = 0, transfer direction is 0
01/08/11 3:09:20 PM [0x0-0xd00d0].com.stuffit.StuffIt-Destinations[1822] Mon Aug 1 15:09:20 xxxxxxxxx.local StuffIt Destinations[1822] <Info>: Starting 'Expand an archive' with 'file://localhost/Users/xxxxxx/Downloads/table%20cloth.rar'
01/08/11 3:09:20 PM [0x0-0xd00d0].com.stuffit.StuffIt-Destinations[1822] Mon Aug 1 15:09:20 xxxxxxxxx.local StuffIt Destinations[1822] <Info>: 'Expand an archive' results: file://localhost/Users/xxxxxx/Downloads/table%20cloth/
01/08/11 3:09:21 PM kernel SCSITaskUserClient - Invalid arguments: scatterGatherEntries = 1, requestedTransferCount = 0, transfer direction is 0
01/08/11 3:09:21 PM [0x0-0xd00d0].com.stuffit.StuffIt-Destinations[1822] Mon Aug 1 15:09:21 xxxxxxxxx.local StuffIt Destinations[1822] <Info>: Quitting

Can you tell us about StuffIt-Destinations?

01/08/11 4:49:43 PM com.apple.WebKit.PluginAgent[411] Mon Aug 1 16:49:43 xxxxxxxxx.local WebKitPluginHost[1084] <Error>: unknown error code: invalid context

There's a lot of fairly generic complaining from WebKitPluginHost. What plugins do you have installed for Safari?

03/08/11 11:42:30 PM authexec[4878] executing /Applications/DiskWarrior.app/Contents/MacOS/DiskWarriorRebuildServer
03/08/11 11:42:30 PM [0x0-0x22d22d].com.alsoft.diskwarrior[4873] DiskWarriorRebuildServer: Couldn't open 'rc' file, error '2'
03/08/11 11:42:32 PM authexec[4879] executing /Applications/DiskWarrior.app/Contents/MacOS/DiskWarriorFileTestsServer
03/08/11 11:42:33 PM [0x0-0x22d22d].com.alsoft.diskwarrior[4873] DiskWarrior App: Error resolving disk with VM pages. (-43)

It doesn't appear to be switched off, although I don't know what time it is for you locally, perhaps this is from a time of day today before you switched it off?

Best Regards,

Trevor

That multiple listing of SCSITaskUserClient is interesting.
Do you have either Parallels or Retrospect installed, and your wife's MBPro does not?

I have no experience with this, but apparently you can use the 'ntpq' and 'ntpdc' commands. See the man pages and also the docs on NTP debugging: file:///usr/share/doc/ntp/debug.html

wow! thanks guys! I couldn't decode so much from the logs:

Here goes:

1) Can you tell us more about Autodesk Wiretap Gateway Slave Servers?
I had installed a demo version of Autodesk Smoke. Never used it because my MBP Display size wont display the full Smoke UI. I can delete it.

2) It looks like time.asia.apple.com might be down? Or maybe it's just not responding to pings. Anyone know how to query a time server from the command line?
Clueless.

3) A driver for a Huawei USB modem? That's the sort of thing I was suspecting as a possible cause of the issue.
I have a Huawei CDMA Modem USB which I need while traveling :(
Maybe I should get rid of that and buy a newer Vodafone WiFi?


4) The message above is repeated thousands and thousands of times. Do you know what SCSI-related thing this computer is doing, or has attached to it? Do you have any clues as to what this message might be caused by?

I have not owned anything SCSI for some 15 years now. How do I get to know more about this?

5) Can you tell us about StuffIt-Destinations?
I had installed Stuffit. Have never explored its full features. Will check this one.

6) There's a lot of fairly generic complaining from WebKitPluginHost. What plugins do you have installed for Safari?
Only the default ones that come with Safari. Havent installed a single one myself.

7) It doesn't appear to be switched off, although I don't know what time it is for you locally, perhaps this is from a time of day today before you switched it off?
Perhaps its the time difference. My Mac is set to India time, and I am in London today.

I will try removing stuffit and smoke. My wife's MBP dont have them. Then get back. (but I will need smoke soon as I get a thunderbolt 27inch)

I'm guessing that DeltaMac is aware of some link between that message mentioning SCSI and either Parallels or Retrospect. Would you mind answering his question?

Trevor

hi deltamac, sorry I missed the question about parallels or retrospect. I have neither. I had just once backedup using time machine and fw800 drive, if that helps.

I asked about Parallels, etc, because it is sometimes the culprit for producing that SCSITaskUserClient message.
I think very unlikely for Time Machine to cause that log message.
Also, just looking for differences between the software that you have added to your Mac that makes it different from your wife's setup.

thanks for all the help guys! the Mac still behaves staccato and I am running the software upgrade. hope it downloads before I have to move again. any more suggestions?

Have you tried removing the Huawei modem driver?

Trevor

Not yet. Just managed to install the 10.6.8 update, and ran repair permissions etc which I always do after an install.

The problem persists. In fact I played a vimeo video (after it had downloaded), and that too was freezing for a nanosecond every two seconds or so.

Removing huawei slipped my mind. Will do it tomorrow, its already 11:30pm.

I think it would be worth your time to open your Activity monitor, to watch for processor spikes, or changes in processes. You can click the drop-down to change to All Processes, and not just My Processes. Click the menu line for %CPU, so that sorts %CPU actions, and watch for changes when you get those "hiccups" Maybe you will note something helpful in the Activity Monitor window during that time.

thanks for the activity monitor advice, deltamac! my activity monitor shows HpStartupManager gobbling as much as 99.7% of my CPU every few seconds.

A little googling threw up this solution here for the hpstartupmanager

let me see if this works. I need to restart my Mac, I guess.

I'm guessing that your wife's Mac does not have that HP software installed?

:) no she doesnt.

And now the annoying nano-freezes seem to have gone. thanks a lot to everyone on the forums :)