Re: Performance problem / Tiger 10.4.2 / Brand new iMac

In article <BEFF4780.1DA2D%chips@xxxxxxxxx>,
Alan Brooks <chips@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> I've got a nearly brand-spanking new 20" iMac with a performance problem.
>
> The problem manifests itself as a long, painful delay between every single
> action -- you try to highlight some text in Illustrator, the cursor sits
> there for about 5 seconds, THEN the spinning beachball starts, it spins for
> about 5 more seconds, THEN the text becomes highlighted. Basically every
> action -- especially in the Adobe CS2 Suite -- takes about 10 seconds to
> execute.
>
> Imagine building a web site like this, or generating print ads for my
> clients... It's been a very, VERY painful week...
>
> The problem started with Adobe trying to download some updates, the updates
> locked up and I had to force it to quit. This seemed to be the start of the
> performance problem, AND for some odd reason my Entourage database ended up
> broken at the same time. The Entourage database seems to be unrecoverable,
> so I've started a new Account and am working with that.
>
> After the troubles began, I tried the following changes, none of which has
> fixed the problem.
>
> 1. Reinstalling the Adobe CS2 suite and applying all current maintenance.
> 2. Reinstalling the Microsoft Office Suite and applying all current
> maintenance.
> 3. Letting Tiger download all maintenance from the Apple site and apply it.
> 4. Running the Mac Disk Repair utility, which found and fixed some
> permissions, but didn't find anything wrong with the disk itself.
> 5. Set Spotlight's exclusions to include my home directory, /Library,
> /Applications... Basically everything where any file movement happens.
> 6. I've used the Apple system monitor to track activity on the system, but I
> don't see anything odd happening. No unidentifiable programs running,
> nothing hogging the CPU, not extreme and/or unexplainable network activity.
> 7. Ordered a copy of TechTools Pro 4 (which I saw recommended on this
> group). Hoping it arrives soon...
>
> I'm not running any virus filtering software (but will get Norton soon...
> Like I said, it's a brand-new machine).
>
> Anyway, I'm new to the Mac, but I'm a product developer with expertise in a
> dozen or so languages, and decades experience crawling around the innards of
> PCs, so I'm not afraid to try things.
>
> Any advice on this problem would be gratefully received and tried out.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Alan Brooks
> Chips at panix dot com

Try turning off the network (as an experiment). This is totally off the
wall idea, but it is fairly easy to do, and if it does affect the
behavior, then you know that something is accessing the network
constantly or as a result of actions you are doing.

I'm picking on the network, because is the one thing that can introduce
a delay that does not always result in a failure. The delay can be due
to something looking to the network first, and then trying a local
resource 2nd. The attempt to try the local resource might only happen
after a network timeout. Or a network access is succeeding, but it is
has a long turn around time for each event going to the network.

Having said all that, I do not have a clue as to what could be going to
the network, it is just that what you are describing just has the feel
to me of a network issue. I can't explain it any better, sorry.

Bob Harris
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Sub-millisecond NTP synchronization for local network
    ... designed for rapid convergence. ... One question is when your network becomes swamped, is the delay primarily ... The remaining 3 machines then sync to this local server. ...
    (comp.protocols.time.ntp)
  • Re: some insight needed, "real-time" linux
    ... time-critical), 1 dsp. ... and triggers are sent over the network. ... Recent analysis showed that the network delay is not constant and may ...
    (comp.realtime)
  • About guideline of parameters tuning while in polling mode.
    ... throughput network environment. ... Transmit interrupt reduction can improve CPU ... * efficiency if properly tuned for specific network traffic. ... * This value, in units of 1.024 microseconds, limits the delay in ...
    (freebsd-net)
  • Re: DSL lag when switching sites
    ... I have a DSL connection with AT&T and an Actiontec DSL modem/wireless ... All the computers on my network are Macintoshes running OS X. ... second delay before the Google search window pops up. ... If I do need a different DSL modem, can anybody recommend a good fast ...
    (comp.dcom.xdsl)
  • WAWXP Problem
    ... I'm having a Wierd Ass Windows XP Problem that I can't seem to ... there is long delay that was never ... I have other computers on my network ... Adaware, Panda Activescan, Microsoft Live, Zonealarm). ...
    (alt.os.windows-xp)