Help bring my MAC back to life..please

nellocono

Hi folks, I have MBP (software ver 10.6.8) and a few weeks ago, it has randomly started crashing everytime I boot it up.
As soon as I try to use any application, I will get a spinning beach ball and the mac will just freeze.

I'm not sure what to do to fix it. I don't have any install disk or anything so cant just re-image it (like a Windows machine). Would anyone have any suggestions on what I can do to maybe narrow down the issue and possibly resolve it? Or failing that point me somewhere that can fix it for me (although I dont want to spend money if possible)

Many thanks!

Sad Professor

Is it slower to startup as well?

Try booting up in safe mode by holding shift on startup. If that doesn't work there's not a lot I can suggest without an install disc. It could be an OS problem requiring a reinstall, it could be a failing hard disc, or it could be something more serious.

You'll have to get an install disc. Either ring Apple and request a replacement disc for a fee or buy Snow Leopard from the online Apple Store.

nellocono

No its pretty much fine booting up. It also seems to get on fine as long as i keep Wireless turned off. The issue seems to kickup as soon as something trys to get out to the internet...Hard to know exactly what the issue is though..

How easy is it to re-image the software? I might be able to pick up an install disc at work, will any version of software do? Is there some online guides available?

Sad Professor

I don't know what you mean by re-image. But you can re-install OS X using an install disc, yes. This would wipe all your files/documents/apps, etc, so you would need a backup.

Are you sure it only happens when WiFi is turned on? That would suggest to me that you've got something installed that's interfering with the WiFi. Maybe anti-virus or security software or something else that's running in the background?

nellocono

"Re-image" is probably a windows phrase

Yeah the MAC seems to be running fine when wifi is turned off. I had an inclination that it was something like dropbox causing issues. I have tried to delete them but its not fixing the issue.

I am going to create an install disc Lion OS X from the app store and use that to reinstall, hopefully will resolve it...Thanks anyway

Sad Professor

Very unlikely it's DropBox. Anything else that runs in the background?

nialler

If you hit cmd - alt - esc this will bring up the Force Quit Box, there'll be an item in red saying not responding, tell us what it is, click on it then Force Quit and see how that helps you out.

crazyderk

I would test the memory, have a read of this

http://osxdaily.com/2011/05/03/memtest-mac-ram-test/

I'd suggest you use the Apple hardware test after but you may not be able to if you don't have the system disks, it depends on the type of MBP you have

http://support.apple.com/kb/PH11342

Nemeses

Have you just recently got Eircom Fibre?

CrinkElite

nellocono wrote: »

No its pretty much fine booting up. It also seems to get on fine as long as i keep Wireless turned off. The issue seems to kickup as soon as something trys to get out to the internet...Hard to know exactly what the issue is though..

How easy is it to re-image the software? I might be able to pick up an install disc at work, will any version of software do? Is there some online guides available?

Try keeping the wireless disabled and connect it using an ethernet cable.
If the problem persists it may be a malware problem.

If, on the other hand it does not, I would suggest you have a problem with your wireless card.

ZENER

Nemeses wrote: »

Have you just recently got Eircom Fibre?

I was going to ask the exact same question !! Got a MBP for repair today from someone with a similar fault who had just had installed Eircom Fibre. The machine works perfectly on a Hotspot and my own broadband connection. This machine also had Avast Free AV installed.

Noticed there was something added to the Network interfaces panel under the 802.1X tab which seems to have been put there by Eircom. Can't see any possible reason for it being there so I deleted it, will let you know if it has any effect when connected to an Eircom router when I return it.

Ken

Sad Professor

There was a thread about the Eircom issue a while ago. As I recall, their Fibre routers have a problem with Macs running 10.6 or lower.

ZENER

Sad Professor wrote: »

There was a thread about the Eircom issue a while ago. As I recall, their Fibre routers have a problem with Macs running 10.6 or lower.

I've had a similar issue with Vodafone Routers. It's to do with the channel width - 20/40 MHz. Changing this setting fixes the issue on some Macs and on some Windows laptops too !!

I think when Eircom install their new router they provide a disc (can't confirm this) which is to be run on the host computer. I've found evidence of an installer from Eircom on this particular machine. It installs some settings to the network setting which appear to screw it up. I'll bet the machine works fine on any other network.

Ken

nellocono

ZENER, yes, the day my mac stopped working was the day I had eircom fibre installed - I didnt think there could have been a link but it was in the back of my head ever since...

Do you by any chance know what the fix is?

Sad Professor

Try disabling IPv6 on the router and on the Mac. That seemed to work for others.

nellocono

Thanks All for your input. I am glad to report that disabling ipv6 on the Mac and router seems to have fixed it. I am even typing this on my mac.

Thanks again.

Nemeses

Sad Professor wrote: »

Try disabling IPv6 on the router and on the Mac. That seemed to work for others.

You bet me to it... Damn my absence from boards the last couple of days.

This is definitely the fix. Tried n tested