Hi guys. I'm in Ireland but I use a US version MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2012), 2.9 Ghz Intel Core i7, 8GB 1600 MHz DDR3, Intel HD Graphics 4000 1536 MB.
I bought it used from someone who barely used it, about 3 or 4 years ago. It has been running like a dream, right up until yesterday.
I don't download much, but I do use it daily for work, using the same few programs. All I really use on it is Chrome, Adobe Lightroom, and occasionally the photoshop style software gIMP. It generally runs impressively fast and fluid. I often have several different desktops open on it, and I usually use it with a secondary external screen - sometimes switching between multiple desktops on both screens. Sometimes I can have dozens of Chrome tabs open. It handles everything extremely well.
Yesterday that all changed, and its really frustrating. I had to use GIMP to design some graphics for work. While using this software, it seemed fine, even though it was doing some stuff that was quite intensive for the CPU and RAM. I have iStats on my toolbar, so I can see whats going on with the system. I had GIMP running, and on another desktop I had Chrome with half a dozen work related tabs open, and I think I may have been listening to a Podcast on Youtube at the same time. All was fine. The only other thing I can think of unusual is that I downloaded a few new text fonts from websites that I am unfamiliar with.
I think it was shortly after closing GIMP, and shutting down a few apps etc that it actually seemed to start playing up. It started beachball frequently and getting "stuck". I never thought much of it at the time, and tried a few things. Firstly, I restarted the Macbook, which I presumed would fix it. Nope, it was just as bad. Then I downloaded EtreCheck Pro after reading some posts on this forum. I ran a full check and it didn't come up with much. It said it thought my hard drive 'may' be in the process of failing. It also found 3 "possible adwares", which I deleted.
It's hard to describe the issue. For example, when I started writing this very post, I clicked the apple icon on the tool bar, and then clicked "About" to double check my system specs. That caused it to beachball. Then I tried copying and pasting my specs. When I hit paste, it beachballed for a good few minutes before it followed through. Sometimes I do basic things in quick succession, like open a new tab, then perhaps hit the file menu, then move the cursor down to the pop up menu along the bottom. Nothing will happen at all for about 5 minutes, the beachball will appear, then all of a sudden it will frantically zip through all the tasks all at once very quickly. Its as if it keeps getting "stuck".
The strange thing is, it behaves to me almost like it would if it was running out of RAM or over using CPU. But I am looking at my iStats graphs as this is happening, and there is hardly any memory usage, and extremely minimal CPU spikes.
Its very frustrating. Sometimes I will get a notification that I've an important work email, and just opening my browser, typing in the address, typing in my email address, clicking on INBOX... this all takes a very long time as it keeps get stuck and beachballing along the way.
I've also tried PRAM reset, and I think I managed SMC reset but I am unsure if I am doing it correctly for this particular model.
Any ideas, or possible fixes?
I bought it used from someone who barely used it, about 3 or 4 years ago. It has been running like a dream, right up until yesterday.
I don't download much, but I do use it daily for work, using the same few programs. All I really use on it is Chrome, Adobe Lightroom, and occasionally the photoshop style software gIMP. It generally runs impressively fast and fluid. I often have several different desktops open on it, and I usually use it with a secondary external screen - sometimes switching between multiple desktops on both screens. Sometimes I can have dozens of Chrome tabs open. It handles everything extremely well.
Yesterday that all changed, and its really frustrating. I had to use GIMP to design some graphics for work. While using this software, it seemed fine, even though it was doing some stuff that was quite intensive for the CPU and RAM. I have iStats on my toolbar, so I can see whats going on with the system. I had GIMP running, and on another desktop I had Chrome with half a dozen work related tabs open, and I think I may have been listening to a Podcast on Youtube at the same time. All was fine. The only other thing I can think of unusual is that I downloaded a few new text fonts from websites that I am unfamiliar with.
I think it was shortly after closing GIMP, and shutting down a few apps etc that it actually seemed to start playing up. It started beachball frequently and getting "stuck". I never thought much of it at the time, and tried a few things. Firstly, I restarted the Macbook, which I presumed would fix it. Nope, it was just as bad. Then I downloaded EtreCheck Pro after reading some posts on this forum. I ran a full check and it didn't come up with much. It said it thought my hard drive 'may' be in the process of failing. It also found 3 "possible adwares", which I deleted.
It's hard to describe the issue. For example, when I started writing this very post, I clicked the apple icon on the tool bar, and then clicked "About" to double check my system specs. That caused it to beachball. Then I tried copying and pasting my specs. When I hit paste, it beachballed for a good few minutes before it followed through. Sometimes I do basic things in quick succession, like open a new tab, then perhaps hit the file menu, then move the cursor down to the pop up menu along the bottom. Nothing will happen at all for about 5 minutes, the beachball will appear, then all of a sudden it will frantically zip through all the tasks all at once very quickly. Its as if it keeps getting "stuck".
The strange thing is, it behaves to me almost like it would if it was running out of RAM or over using CPU. But I am looking at my iStats graphs as this is happening, and there is hardly any memory usage, and extremely minimal CPU spikes.
Its very frustrating. Sometimes I will get a notification that I've an important work email, and just opening my browser, typing in the address, typing in my email address, clicking on INBOX... this all takes a very long time as it keeps get stuck and beachballing along the way.
I've also tried PRAM reset, and I think I managed SMC reset but I am unsure if I am doing it correctly for this particular model.
Any ideas, or possible fixes?
