[10.7.3] All programs randomly hang until screen update.

arxanas · 03-15-2012, 08:52 PM

I'm running OS X 10.7.3 and I'm having a problem with these symptoms:

Occasionally, all programs will hang and the cursor will become the spinning rainbow wheel of death.
Events sent to programs during a hang appear to be queued until the end of the hang (for example, keys being typed will suddenly happen all at once).
The cursor still moves.
Updating the screen by either
1. pressing an F-key that causes a "slider" feedback pop-up, or
2. using a multi-touch gesture that affects the screen that isn't scrolling
will unhang the computer.
Some updates to the screen that are not caused directly by my input (for example, Activity Monitor updating the program list) still work, while others (like a YouTube video) do not. However, the audio has never hung.
The current user does not affect whether or not programs hang.
Hangs sometimes occur at the login screen (at which multitouch gestures don't work, so F-keys have to be used). I don't remember whether or not a hang has occurred before logging in.
The process `WindowServer` appears to increase not insignificantly in CPU usage during a hang.
One sample of `WindowServer` during a hang resulted in calls to `mach_msg_trap` in 4 different threads each taking a good deal of time. (Some of them, however, simply take up the entire sample time, which is probably expected behavior.) I have the sample, but I'm not sure how to include it pasting it directly into the post, as there doesn't appear to be an attachment option.

That's all the information I have, and I don't know what to make of it. Can anyone shed some light on this?

hayne · 03-15-2012, 09:29 PM

You forgot to mention what model of Mac you have.

arxanas · 03-15-2012, 10:47 PM

Model identifier `MacBookPro8,2`("MacBook Pro Core i7 2.2 15" Late 2011"), 2.5 GHz quad-core i7, 8GB of RAM, AMD Radeon HD 6770M.

gsahli · 03-16-2012, 08:26 AM

Take it to the Apple Store - even if just out of warranty.

In the meantime, you can try generic troubleshooting:

Try a Safe Boot - does it still do the random hangs?
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1455

03-15-2012, 08:52 PM	#1
arxanas Prospect Join Date: Mar 2012 Posts: 2	[10.7.3] All programs randomly hang until screen update. I'm running OS X 10.7.3 and I'm having a problem with these symptoms: Occasionally, all programs will hang and the cursor will become the spinning rainbow wheel of death. Events sent to programs during a hang appear to be queued until the end of the hang (for example, keys being typed will suddenly happen all at once). The cursor still moves. Updating the screen by either pressing an F-key that causes a "slider" feedback pop-up, or using a multi-touch gesture that affects the screen that isn't scrolling will unhang the computer. Some updates to the screen that are not caused directly by my input (for example, Activity Monitor updating the program list) still work, while others (like a YouTube video) do not. However, the audio has never hung. The current user does not affect whether or not programs hang. Hangs sometimes occur at the login screen (at which multitouch gestures don't work, so F-keys have to be used). I don't remember whether or not a hang has occurred before logging in. The process `WindowServer` appears to increase not insignificantly in CPU usage during a hang. One sample of `WindowServer` during a hang resulted in calls to `mach_msg_trap` in 4 different threads each taking a good deal of time. (Some of them, however, simply take up the entire sample time, which is probably expected behavior.) I have the sample, but I'm not sure how to include it pasting it directly into the post, as there doesn't appear to be an attachment option. That's all the information I have, and I don't know what to make of it. Can anyone shed some light on this?

03-15-2012, 09:29 PM	#2
hayne Site Admin Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Montreal Posts: 31,958	You forgot to mention what model of Mac you have. __________________ hayne.net/macosx.html

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03-15-2012, 10:47 PM	#3
arxanas Prospect Join Date: Mar 2012 Posts: 2	Model identifier `MacBookPro8,2`("MacBook Pro Core i7 2.2 15" Late 2011"), 2.5 GHz quad-core i7, 8GB of RAM, AMD Radeon HD 6770M.

03-16-2012, 08:26 AM	#4
gsahli MVP Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Chicago Posts: 1,250	Take it to the Apple Store - even if just out of warranty. In the meantime, you can try generic troubleshooting: Try a Safe Boot - does it still do the random hangs? http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1455