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Computer is completely unusable.

O

ondralex

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jun 10, 2014
5
0
Okay, so I don't ever really post to message boards so bear with me.

I got caught up in all the hype of OS X Yosemite, that I was stoked to download the beta and give it a try. I got anxious and didn't think to make a partition for it. I downloaded it and installed it, and now my computer is utterly unusable.

Literally every single app will lock up at any given point while using it. Mail, Safari, Chrome (not surprising I know), messages, steam, maps, iPhoto, and system preferences. Sometimes it will lock up for just 30 seconds, sometimes it is much longer, and more often then not, I simply have to force close the app. On top of that, I no longer have any control over the audio functions, and when I try to get into from Sys Pref, it just locks up and I can't get to it.

I am not sure what to do at this point. If this is a common issue, I would be surprised because I have be searching for solutions to no avail. I would really like to continue playing with Yosemite, but I can't handle having a unusable computer. Let me know if anyone has faced issues like this and have found a solution!

Thanks!
 
You can try reinstalling from scratch. Updating isn't the best idea, IMHO, for testing beta builds.

Also, if you can't be without your personal computer, I wouldn't go installing a beta OS on it.
 
ondralex said:
Okay, so I don't ever really post to message boards so bear with me.

I got caught up in all the hype of OS X Yosemite, that I was stoked to download the beta and give it a try. I got anxious and didn't think to make a partition for it. I downloaded it and installed it, and now my computer is utterly unusable.

Literally every single app will lock up at any given point while using it. Mail, Safari, Chrome (not surprising I know), messages, steam, maps, iPhoto, and system preferences. Sometimes it will lock up for just 30 seconds, sometimes it is much longer, and more often then not, I simply have to force close the app. On top of that, I no longer have any control over the audio functions, and when I try to get into from Sys Pref, it just locks up and I can't get to it.

I am not sure what to do at this point. If this is a common issue, I would be surprised because I have be searching for solutions to no avail. I would really like to continue playing with Yosemite, but I can't handle having a unusable computer. Let me know if anyone has faced issues like this and have found a solution!

Thanks!
Click to expand...

How long ago did you install the beta?
 
ondralex said:
I got caught up in all the hype of OS X Yosemite, that I was stoked to download the beta and give it a try. I got anxious and didn't think to make a partition for it. I downloaded it and installed it, and now my computer is utterly unusable.
Click to expand...

Why did you decide to install the Developer Preview? Sounds like it was your only machine too.
 
ondralex said:
Okay, so I don't ever really post to message boards so bear with me.

I got caught up in all the hype of OS X Yosemite, that I was stoked to download the beta and give it a try. I got anxious and didn't think to make a partition for it. I downloaded it and installed it, and now my computer is utterly unusable.

Literally every single app will lock up at any given point while using it. Mail, Safari, Chrome (not surprising I know), messages, steam, maps, iPhoto, and system preferences. Sometimes it will lock up for just 30 seconds, sometimes it is much longer, and more often then not, I simply have to force close the app. On top of that, I no longer have any control over the audio functions, and when I try to get into from Sys Pref, it just locks up and I can't get to it.

I am not sure what to do at this point. If this is a common issue, I would be surprised because I have be searching for solutions to no avail. I would really like to continue playing with Yosemite, but I can't handle having a unusable computer. Let me know if anyone has faced issues like this and have found a solution!

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Certain apps are not compatible. Chrome crashes if you don't enable scroll bars and iPhoto is a bit problematic too.

I would create a backup of your personal files, and then use Internet Recovery to install whatever OS came with your machine.

If you really want to install Yosemite, create a separate partition.

Have you looked at Activity Monitor to see what's going on?
 
I don't have a full back up with everything. I am not very familiar with TimeMachine, but I do have back ups on that that go back quite a ways. I am just not sure how extensive those back ups are. I have never really had to use it.

I downloaded it just to continue some work on a small personal app I have been working on. I assumed the beta wouldn't be as broken as it was (at least for me). I downloaded the beta on June 3rd.

How exactly would I be able to use activity monitor to check out what part is being problematic?
 
Well if you can wait, one option is to hope that DP2 will fix those issues for you, but it's certainly not common for DP1 (current version) to be so unstable.

It won't hurt disabling as many startup apps/daemons as you can as well. One of them (especially old settings from tweaking apps like tinker tool) could be causing some major compatibility issues. For basic check click on the apple icon on top left corner, hold option key on keyboard, then click system information, go to software-Startup items on the left and see what it lists.
 
ondralex said:
Okay, so I don't ever really post to message boards so bear with me.

I got caught up in all the hype of OS X Yosemite, that I was stoked to download the beta and give it a try. I got anxious and didn't think to make a partition for it. I downloaded it and installed it, and now my computer is utterly unusable.

Literally every single app will lock up at any given point while using it. Mail, Safari, Chrome (not surprising I know), messages, steam, maps, iPhoto, and system preferences. Sometimes it will lock up for just 30 seconds, sometimes it is much longer, and more often then not, I simply have to force close the app. On top of that, I no longer have any control over the audio functions, and when I try to get into from Sys Pref, it just locks up and I can't get to it.

I am not sure what to do at this point. If this is a common issue, I would be surprised because I have be searching for solutions to no avail. I would really like to continue playing with Yosemite, but I can't handle having a unusable computer. Let me know if anyone has faced issues like this and have found a solution!

Thanks!
Click to expand...

But this is what Apple calls progress. Just ignore all those bad things and smile and enjoy the new dock. Seriously, I am usually pretty tolerant of beta bugs, but even as a developer preview they should be embarrassed. They should start with Mavericks and improve it and then change the GUI, not step back to instability and all the incompatibilities and such. I guess I just don't get it.
 
I believe everyone is on this planet for a purpose. Some seem to be here to serve as an example for others of what NOT to do. You, sir, have now fulfilled your purpose. :cool:

My recommendation before you screw things up any further is the following:

Create a new full Time Machine or clone backup of your drive to an external drive. Set it aside; this way you can't make the situation any worse.

Install a fresh copy of Mavericks onto an external USB drive and restore your time machine backup to it to see how much you've recovered. Careful not to start a new TM backup and kill the old one. If you're good, then recover your computer using the same method to your primary drive. This is probably redundant, but it allows you to leave your primary drive untouched until you know how complete your TM backup is; whether it's worth the time (and possible expense) depends on how much you value your data.

Oh, and in the future, don't install developer previews or betas on your primary computer. Especially if you're unsure of your backups.
 
ondralex said:
I don't have a full back up with everything. I am not very familiar with TimeMachine, but I do have back ups on that that go back quite a ways. I am just not sure how extensive those back ups are. I have never really had to use it....
Click to expand...

1) No one should ever use a computer (or iDevice) without at least 1 backup.

2) No one should every install a beta OS (or even update the OS) without at least 2 backups (1 to insure all data and 1 to keep the previous OS on).


FACT: You can never have too much money, be too good-looking or have too much backup. ;)
 
ondralex said:
Okay, so I don't ever really post to message boards so bear with me.

I got caught up in all the hype of OS X Yosemite...
Click to expand...


I installed Yosemite and while it is buggy (it is a DP of course) I don't really have that many issues with it.

I'm surprised that you had every application crash. Did you have any issues with your machine before you install Y?

-P
 
SmOgER said:
Well if you can wait, one option is to hope that DP2 will fix those issues for you, but it's certainly not common for DP1 (current version) to be so unstable.

It won't hurt disabling as many startup apps/daemons as you can as well. One of them (especially old settings from tweaking apps like tinker tool) could be causing some major compatibility issues. For basic check click on the apple icon on top left corner, hold option key on keyboard, then click system information, go to software-Startup items on the left and see what it lists.
Click to expand...

Well, his symptoms are identical to mine so he isn't alone. I just didn't install it on a partition I needed to use.

I must say I am shocked it's hit any kind of public beta in this state it's nowhere near ready, like he says it's unusable. I got in on mavericks at DP1 last year on the same computer with no problems.
 
xgman said:
But this is what Apple calls progress. Just ignore all those bad things and smile and enjoy the new dock. Seriously, I am usually pretty tolerant of beta bugs, but even as a developer preview they should be embarrassed. They should start with Mavericks and improve it and then change the GUI, not step back to instability and all the incompatibilities and such. I guess I just don't get it.
Click to expand...

Really?

You realise they probably did just that. Adding features = lots of new lines of code. Those new lines of code could well be what is causing the problems. It is the first developer preview. In all honesty compared to some of the OS X DPs I've used, this one isn't bad.
 
back up important files on usb/cd -> restart with command + R -> erase hardrive with disk utility -> restart in OS X Internet Recovery mode and download latest OS X
 
I guess I should ask this first? Does TimeMachine back up everything? If it does, then I am go with the back up. Like I said, I have never actually had to use it. I have it set to routine back ups so there are plenty there, I just don't exactly know what gets saved. I assumed it wasn't everything, just folders deemed important. I opened to try and restore an older save before I updated, but it won't allow me. I am assuming because it is a different OS X?
 
xgman said:
But this is what Apple calls progress. Just ignore all those bad things and smile and enjoy the new dock. Seriously, I am usually pretty tolerant of beta bugs, but even as a developer preview they should be embarrassed. They should start with Mavericks and improve it and then change the GUI, not step back to instability and all the incompatibilities and such. I guess I just don't get it.
Click to expand...

You're right - you don't get it. Apple doesn't rewrite the entire OS from scratch each time. What they do rewrite is the code necessary to enable the new features of the OS (i.e. Mavericks' memory management, Power Nap, the Handoff/Continuity features in Yosemite, etc.). This is no different than what Microsoft used to do for most OS releases (Windows 8 broke that mold for good, unfortunately). There's a reason this is a developer preview, not a "beta" that the general public can access. If you expect DP1 to be all shiny, polished, and working perfectly out of the box, you have very unreasonable expectations. The purpose of Developer Previews isn't to show off a finished, polished product, but to a) give developers a chance to learn their way around the new OS, b) find out what is and isn't working to the best of the community's ability, and c) gain telemetry data on how people are using the OS and what features are getting the most attention.
 
Utnac said:
Well, his symptoms are identical to mine so he isn't alone. I just didn't install it on a partition I needed to use.

I must say I am shocked it's hit any kind of public beta in this state it's nowhere near ready, like he says it's unusable. I got in on mavericks at DP1 last year on the same computer with no problems.
Click to expand...

It's a plugin from Audio Hijack Pro creating all this mess.

Edit : I posted the wrong link. It's here : https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1740460/
Had the same problem, caused by the "Instant On" extension Rogue Amoebas "Airfoil". I simply removed the "/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/HAL/InstantOn.driver", rebooted and everything was fine again ;-)
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
I just want to update with what I did to remedy the situation. I did have AirFoil, so I was really hopeful that I had a solution. Unfortunately, I never installed that driver. So that wasn't what was making my computer panic constantly. Thanks to everyone who yelled at me "for not having a back up", after I repeatedly said I had TimeMachine back ups, never directed me into that direction to just use TimeMachine to restore my computer to an earlier state. I had just never used it and had no idea how to go about restoring from it. With that said, I ended up figuring out who to use TimeMachine and just restored an old save and it cleared up all my issues. I will be partitioning my hard drive as per your advice for a fresh install of Yosemite, but will still probably wait for DP2.
 
ondralex said:
I just want to update with what I did to remedy the situation. I did have AirFoil, so I was really hopeful that I had a solution. Unfortunately, I never installed that driver. So that wasn't what was making my computer panic constantly. Thanks to everyone who yelled at me "for not having a back up", after I repeatedly said I had TimeMachine back ups, never directed me into that direction to just use TimeMachine to restore my computer to an earlier state. I had just never used it and had no idea how to go about restoring from it. With that said, I ended up figuring out who to use TimeMachine and just restored an old save and it cleared up all my issues. I will be partitioning my hard drive as per your advice for a fresh install of Yosemite, but will still probably wait for DP2.
Click to expand...


Please stay away from the DP's. If you don't have enough computer knowledge to at least figure out to use time machine yourself. Your in pretty bad shape overall.
I have DP1 installed on my main mbp after testing on a separate partition for about 20min. Yes, thats how long it took me to determine that it was good enough for my daily grind. And i have no regrets. Only problem I have is the slow restart times and my drobo dashboard seems to not work.

So good luck, and please stay away from the betas. Beta testing isn't for everyone.
 
ProphetX said:
If you don't have enough computer knowledge to at least figure out to use time machine yourself. Your in pretty bad shape overall.
Click to expand...

I had a complete TM back up. Harddrive connected to an airport extreme, backing up daily. So when my laptop goes awol and. I get a new one, the TM backup is not visible on the new mac. Hours on the phone with apple support, eventually on to a senior advisor and my backup was nearly erased following apple support advice!

I managed to force the backup on to the laptop and it took 24hrs to load. 3 weeks later the logicboard on that machine crashes so apple replaces it and I'm back to the exact same problem trying to load the backup. I gave up and ended up copying and pasting what I needed to pull off it.

So if apple doesn't know how to deal with it, it's pretty bad. I was also told that setting up a backup system via an extreme is a bad idea.

I'm not using time machine at all now.

(By the way, i am a trained network engineer and worked in IT. i'm not totally lost when it comes to computers, PC or Mac.)
 
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