John Kettler Posted February 8, 2007 Share Posted February 8, 2007 Since I've had zero replies to my possible seismic flu issue, I'll try another approach. Based on my description of observed symptoms, my brother, a PC user, thinks that something/several somethings is running in the background as a result of software updates or somesuch, and that whatever this is is gobbling CPU cycles and causing all sorts of grief. One such earlier issue was with an old school mouse which had semidied and was generating a zillion coordinate pairs and overwhelming the CPU. Replaced it with a Logitech optical mouse which seems to work okay. Is there anything I need to do for it as far as tests and maintenance? The latest is a weird malfunction in which Yahoo doesn't properly upload new contacts nor insert them when so ordered. Had to go back and delete what should've been a good upload when a revisit showed it had mysteriously loaded only a small part of the contact info, leaving me with a display but no address to insert. Am trying to find something which will let me see what the real time demands are on my CPU and from where, in order that I can get things back under control and maybe even get my computer working properly again. That would not only make it easier to do all computer tasks but allow me to resume my PBEM battles against NG cavscout, who doubtless wishes to assail me in Tiger Valley. Thanks for any and all help! Regards, John Kettler [ March 23, 2007, 12:35 AM: Message edited by: John Kettler ] 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wicky Posted February 8, 2007 Share Posted February 8, 2007 In OSX Apps / Utilities use 'Activity Monitor' ( window / CPU Usage) to find out what's chuntering under the hood. Are you using Yahoo in browser for e-mail / contacts, if so which browser? Have you tried using IE rather than Safari? HAve you thought about configuring apple's 'Mail' app to handle your e-mail Link then use the system's 'Address Book' to handle your contacts. If you can't pbem are you saying that your problems are restricted to when you're booted in OS9 for CM? 'Seismic Flu' isn't a common problem with any Mac hardware or software, however there are cures for wobbly desks... Topic: Seismic bracing for my iMac G5 Seismic bracing for my iMac G5 Posted: Nov 9, 2005 2:25 PM Living in Southern California, attaching earthquake goo to vulnerable articles is a way of life. I was appalled to see my new G5 shuddering as a large truck rolled by my house, and became concerned as to what would happen if even a moderate quake occured. I've eyed the metal plate my G5 sits on and wondered if I could bolt it to my desk....... Ideas anyone? From: Panet Earth Registered: Jan 12, 2003 RE: Seismic bracing for my iMac G5 Posted: Nov 9, 2005 2:33 PM in response to: Linda Link Linda, looking at the metal plate, I don't see why you couldn't drill through it and bolt it to whatever you want. But, I'm also thinking that you could use a strap to hold it down to your desk and possibly glue or goo some form of brace to the top of the metal plate to disciourage the strap from sliding forward and off the plate (the iMac sliding backwards out from under a strap.) Hope this helps. [ February 08, 2007, 11:52 AM: Message edited by: Wicky ] 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted February 8, 2007 Author Share Posted February 8, 2007 Wicky, Thanks for responding and in your customary inimitable manner! My E-mail is in Yahoo and run under Firefox 1.07. No, I haven't tried the E-mail approach you suggest but really need to do something because I'm not presently set up to simply hit the send E-mail bar on articles and whatnot I encounter. My problems are in OS 9, OS X and the interaction between Yahoo and the Net. I know far more about the OS X issues than I do about OS 9, for the very good reason that all I do in OS 9 at present is play CMAK and CMKK. At least, I did before I started having problems! Fundamentally, the computer is, for no apparent reason, running like a lead sled going uphill, and everything's difficult and slow in consequence, not to mention not executing properly in weird, annoying ways. Nor does the presence or absence of any CM CD in the drive seem to matter, despite the suggestion of a friend of mine who's a Mac power user. Shall definitely fire up that utility, see what cybernetic insanity's occurring behind the scenes, then report back. As for seismic bracing, the link came back "Not found." Regards, John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted February 8, 2007 Author Share Posted February 8, 2007 Wicky, Quick report. With six Firefox windows open, usage was running 31% of the CPU's capacity for Firefox alone, with 4% more to run the Activity Monitor. When I closed the Slate.com window, Firefox CPU use dropped by roughly half immediately. That window, though, was only opened yesterday, well after the troubles began. With three windows open, combined CPU usage is now just under 10% for everything running. Believe more RAM would help (have 512KB of SDRAM installed), but it doesn't explain why things worked fine before, then simply fell off a cliff in terms of speed, reliability and proper task performance. Am going to see how much Skype eats, then reboot to OS 9 and see whether I can at least get a turn out. Shall keep you posted! Edited to say that, based on one small test (VM at other end of call), Skype uses about 40% of the CPU's capacity when running. Also, OS 9 still barely works, CMAK crawls through turn execution, and I still can't increment the turn in the PBEM display. Regards, John Kettler [ February 08, 2007, 03:55 PM: Message edited by: John Kettler ] 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wicky Posted February 9, 2007 Share Posted February 9, 2007 Extra memory would definitely be handy - Another 512mb to give you a gig of memory should speed things up. Tiger when running short of memory will keep ticking over by writing and reading to disk in the form of caches. This process is slower than working with RAM. Not helped if you running short of HD space as Tiger needs about 2GB spare HD capacity for these caches. At present with only 512mb and Tiger you'd need to do good housekeeping with your apps and only having one app open at a time, but I'd expect it to only just lurch along. Another background process that you might not be aware of is the spotlight indexing, which on top of everything previously would grab cpu and HD activity. Also, OS 9 still barely works, CMAK crawls through turn execution, and I still can't increment the turn in the PBEM display512mb of RAM should be sufficient for OS9 as it's a less demanding OS on memory, your slow CM turn computation could well be the product of the complexity and size of the scenario (small, med or large map? lots of units in los/engagement? arty on the way in?) Still extra memory won't do any harm. Don't understand what you mean by "increment the turn in the PBEM display" 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted February 9, 2007 Author Share Posted February 9, 2007 Wicky, The turn executes, whereupon the black placard comes up, which must be clicked in order to generate the PBEM turn. That generates a metallic placard with a tiny slit window in which the PBEM name and turn number appear. Normally, there's a cursor in that window, allowing the player to add one to the turn number before exporting the turn to the PBEM folder. Sadly, I don't have a working cursor there, nor does any method allow me to exit the program. Normally, I have to shut down the computer at the surge protector and do a complete reboot. Why the computer would accept in-game commands, execute the turn, then hang up on something as nitnoy as adding one to the turn number by freezing up solidly is beyond me. Tiger Valley is huge, but nothing's happened yet, there's not an enemy in sight, and the problems I've been having apply equally to TrappenJagd, which is much smaller. Fundamentally, the computer's not working well in either OS, and anything involving Yahoo's even worse. If the problem's Tiger, this is a delayed response measured in many weeks! Ran fine before. Regards, John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wicky Posted February 9, 2007 Share Posted February 9, 2007 Have you tried plugging the mouse into a different USB port instead of the keyboard usb port/ tried a different mouse The mouse must be working when you click the multiplayer and load e-mail boxes, plot movement orders, then the 'go' - spash screen with the superimposed black box with red surround with instructions to click the mose to continue When the 'PBEM File Name:' window comes up at the end there is no need to use the mouse - Just use the keyboard delete button to take off the last digit from the file name, add the number and press enter. 'Esc' to desktop or click 'Exit', if you can't then 'Apple + Alt + Esc' to force escape I'm playing Tiger Valley also at the mo and surely there will be a lot of initial movement orders over a variety of terrain. there's not an enemy in sight What about the locked allied 'goat' units in the open from the off? [ February 09, 2007, 12:39 AM: Message edited by: Wicky ] 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted February 9, 2007 Author Share Posted February 9, 2007 Wicky, Everything works (troop and AFV deployment, etc.) up until the PBEM File Name Window. That's where it all goes Tango Uniform. There ought to be an active cursor in the window, but there isn't. Thus, I can't highlight then delete, nor does the delete button work either, sans highlighting. When I get to this stage, Escape doesn't work, and Exit goes boink. Haven't tried the last approach. As for the padlocked units, I believe they're now movable, but shall check. Am also going to turn off showing all my cover arcs and movement plots on the off chance that in my rig's highly degraded present state, this is somehow just enough to prevent the turn from processing properly. The mouse seems to be working fine, but I'll try changing ports and see whether that helps. Regards, John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenAsJade Posted February 9, 2007 Share Posted February 9, 2007 Just on the off chance: you're not running Google Desktop are you? CM gets unbareably slow when I have GD running... I think it's a bad interaction between GD trying to determine if it should pop up and the CM graphical window. GaJ 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted February 10, 2007 Author Share Posted February 10, 2007 Wicky, Progress! While the swapping keyboard mouse plug-in ports from the left (evidently dying) to the right didn't solve all the problems, it did significantly improve execution speed and reduce "sticking" during turn processing, in turn allowing me to finally get turns out after I confirmed that the 3-button Force Quit actually worked. In Tiger Valley, I had no cursor, but was able to delete the last digit and plug in a new one; in Trappenjagd, the PBEM File Name window actually had a cursor and worked in the routine manner. I thought I might have another "insane" mouse (last one was generating slews of conflicting coordinate pairs per second, overwhelming the CPU), but that doesn't seem to be the problem. If it is, it may be relatively low grade. Need to run some time tests in comparison with the useless-for-gaming 2-button mouse. Meanwhile, thanks a bunch! GreenAsJade, I appreciate the suggestion, but no, I don't have Google Earth running during my cybernetic woes. Regards, John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gibsonm Posted March 7, 2007 Share Posted March 7, 2007 GaJ, Also Google Desktop doesn’t exist for the Mac. Its a Windows only issue. John, Have you tried the usual OS X stuff like reseting the NV RAM, fsck -fy etc. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted March 22, 2007 Author Share Posted March 22, 2007 gibsonm, My level of ignorance when it comes to OS X is practically breathtaking. Therefore, please explain what you're asking me, since I don't follow. A Mac power user friend of mine may be over here Thursday or Friday, bringing with him a heavy duty diagnostic disc. Maybe that'll give some definitive answers as to what's going on with my rig. Meanwhile, my online foe has been apparently buried in matters domestic, judging by the long wait for game turns, which has minimized problems with my iMac. Regards, John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted March 23, 2007 Author Share Posted March 23, 2007 My Mac power user friend came over today, bringing Tech Tools Pro 4 with him. After some sweating over whether his somewhat earlier software would boot on my latest version of Panther equipped rig, he achieved software liftoff and was able to run the diagnostics. Happily, all the hardware checked out perfectly, but things were far from rosy on the software side--hundreds of BundleBits broken/corrupted for all sorts of important functions, to include Game Sprockets, Skype and a bunch of other things I don't remember right now. These were fixed, leading to a second round of diagnostics, which turned up a bunch of Permission issues, also eventually fixed. Computer's definitely running better, but I'm betting I'll see the biggest improvements when I play CM next and Skype someone. Also, I found a good article in an old MACWORLD on keeping OS X running properly. Appreciate all the suggestions and help! Regards, John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.