Hi Chris, You mentioned earlier you only have 80GB Free Space on your 750GB Hard Drive. Until you can free up a lot more Free Space on your Hard Drive, I would "again" suggest you Quit Applications that aren't currently in use (try to run fewer applications at once)!
> "The number in the 'Page Outs' is 34mb, and has remained so for the past hour > while I have been doing various things. > (I can send you a screen grab of Activity Monitor to have a look at if you > like?) > It shows that 4.4gb (of 8gb) ram is being used, and the VM size is 124gb and > Swap used is 187mb. Im not sure what the last 2 of these mean!" Page Outs: Page Outs occur when the Mac has to write information from RAM to the hard drive (because RAM is full). The VM (Virtual Memory) is just what it says - "Virtual" - it really doesn't exist. The VM you are seeing is the maximum amount of VM that could be used if needed, based on a combination of everything you are running and what the OS X has mapped to the available free space you have on your Hard Drive. Swap Used: This is the amount of information copied to the swap file on your Mac's Hard Drive. If swap is used -"Swap Used", then this means that your computer has run out of physical memory and is using a portion of your Hard Drive as temporary space. This will lead to longer wait times, as your Hard Drive is the slowest part of your machine, and whenever the computer has to store or retrieve data from it, you'll have longer wait times. Cheers, Ronni Sent from Ronni's iPad4 On 10/08/2013, at 9:39 PM, Chris Burton <c...@it.net.au> wrote: > Hi Neil, Brian and Ronni > > Thankyou all very much for this very informative info on the use of Flash and > how to disable it: I had no idea about all this! > > I have been using Activity Monitor to see what is happening as i > progressively reduced both the number of open Firefox windows and also tabs > while using other apps. An immediate reduction in Firefox hogging all > resources! The machine has returned to normal operation, with only short and > occasional increase in heat/fan noise while using Lr4. > > Activity monitor is great to watch and I can see that Firefox tends to > progressively occupy more ram when it is used more often and doesnt reliquish > any either! > > I will download the flash blockers as well and try them out > > Many thanks for your great assistance > > Chris > > > Christopher L.K. Burton > Director > Western Whale Research > PO Box 1076 > Dunsborough WA 6281 > Mobile: 0419 199 120 > Email: c...@it.net.au > > www.souwest.org > > On 09/08/2013, at 12:23 PM, Ronda Brown wrote: > >> Hi Chris, >> >> Flash is on the way out and you probably know about Apple's aversion to >> Adobe's Flash Player Plugin. Steve Jobs went on record to say that it is a >> dying technology and Apple actively prevents Flash in any form from >> appearing on any iOS-based devices. >> HTML5 is the new technology. >> >> In Mac OS X 10.7 & 10.8 operating system, the Flash Player plugin is not >> part of the default install. >> If you visit a website like YouTube using Safari in Lion or Mountain Lion, >> it will warn you to 'upgrade your Adobe Flash Player to watch this video'. >> Should you though? The answer depends on how often you intend to use the >> plugin and how resource-constricted, particularly in the CPU department your >> Mac is. >> >> Three ways to block, or reduce, Flash usage on your Mac. >> 1. Leave it uninstalled >> 2. Use it on an 'As-required basis >> Extensions like 'ClickToFlash' for Safari, FlashBlock for Google Chrome & >> Firefox make sure that any Flash content you come across is blocked UNTIL >> you explicitly give it permission to load. >> >> Or 3. Block it whenever you feel like it. >> If you want even more control over Flash playback, consider using a Menubar >> app like FlashBlock or FlashFrozen, both of which are available on the Mac >> App Store for $1. These plugins sit in your Mac's menubar and take the reins >> of the systemwide Flash plugin in their virtual hands, ready to stop it >> short on your command. >> >> Cheers, >> Ronni >> >> Sent from Ronni's iPad4 >> >> On 09/08/2013, at 11:38 AM, Chris Burton <c...@it.net.au> wrote: >> >>> Thanks Robin >>> >>> I guess other browsers will also use Flash in their addons? Is it necessary >>> to run video or other animations etc on web sites? Is there an alternative >>> that is not so resource hungry? >>> >>> I have closed a number of Firefox windows and reduced tabs in the remaining >>> couple so will see how things go when I begin the image work. I will then >>> close firefox and restart to see if it makes a difference. >>> >>> Best regards and thanks very much >>> >>> Chris >>> >>> >>> Christopher L.K. Burton >>> Director >>> Western Whale Research >>> PO Box 1076 >>> Dunsborough WA 6281 >>> Mobile: 0419 199 120 >>> Email: c...@it.net.au >>> >>> www.souwest.org >>> >>> On 09/08/2013, at 11:08 AM, Robin wrote: >>> >>>> The problem is almost certainly related to Firefox running Flash. >>>> Flash is bad on may fronts, not the least is its excessive CPU usage. >>>> Closing Firefox will fix it, if you can't close it try too minimise the >>>> number of tabbed windows you have open in Firefox at one time. >>>> >>>> robin >>>> >>>> On 09/08/2013, at 10:51, Chris Burton <c...@it.net.au> wrote: >>>> >>>>> Hey Ronni >>>>> >>>>> Thanks heaps for your description on the Activity monitor; it does look >>>>> quite complicated and I havnt really taken time to understand everything >>>>> in the displays. >>>>> >>>>> The number in the 'Page Outs' is 34mb, and has remained so for the past >>>>> hour while I have been doing various things. >>>>> (I can send you a screen grab of Activity Monitor to have a look at if >>>>> you like?) >>>>> It shows that 4.4gb (of 8gb) ram is being used, and the VM size is 124gb >>>>> and Swap used is 187mb. Im not sure what the last 2 of these mean! >>>>> >>>>> I have not done a big clean up yet, but the work Im doing on the images >>>>> is part of the process of reducing the number I have on the drive. I have >>>>> cleaned out some space (to 80gb) at present and will keep going on this. >>>>> Im hoping to have about 150gb spare when finished. (the drive is a 750gb >>>>> 7200 drive). >>>>> >>>>> I will also reduce the number of open apps and pages in Firefox. >>>>> >>>>> I do use Safari occasionally as well, but do you think either Opera or >>>>> Chrome (or others) are worth considering as alternatives to the hog >>>>> Firefox? >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Many thanks >>>>> >>>>> Chris >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Christopher L.K. Burton >>>>> Director >>>>> Western Whale Research >>>>> PO Box 1076 >>>>> Dunsborough WA 6281 >>>>> Mobile: 0419 199 120 >>>>> Email: c...@it.net.au >>>>> >>>>> www.souwest.org >>>>> >>>>> On 09/08/2013, at 9:44 AM, Ronda Brown wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> Hi Chris, >>>>>> >>>>>> Yes, any application using 100% CPU will heat up you computer! >>>>>> Running at 100%.... Sheezs... Not good! >>>>>> As well as overheating your computer, heavy CPU (the computer's brains) >>>>>> use will slow your computer down. >>>>>> >>>>>> Quit Firefox and any other application that is using a lot of CPU. >>>>>> Quit Applications that aren't actively in use, (try to run fewer >>>>>> applications at once). >>>>>> In some cases, seemingly idle applications continue to hammer on your >>>>>> CPU and suck up increasing amounts of RAM- even when you see no evidence >>>>>> of activity on the screen. >>>>>> >>>>>> Firefox is a resources hog, I would only use Firefox if you really need >>>>>> to, use Safari for everyday use. >>>>>> >>>>>> Open Activity Menu, click System Memory at the bottom of the Activity >>>>>> Monitor window. >>>>>> Use you computer as you normally do. >>>>>> As you are working, look at the number in the parentheses beside "Page >>>>>> Outs" >>>>>> The larger this number becomes, the more actively virtual memory is >>>>>> relying on slow disk-based swap files. >>>>>> >>>>>> Did you do the maintenance you mentioned of uninstalling old >>>>>> applications and cleaning up your MBP, freeing up more Free Space on >>>>>> your Hard Drive? >>>>>> >>>>>> Cheers, >>>>>> Ronni >>>>>> >>>>>> Sent from Ronni's iPad4 >>>>>> >>>>>> On 09/08/2013, at 7:44 AM, Chris Burton <c...@it.net.au> wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>>> Hi Muggers >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Things just keep happening for no apparent reason and I just cant work >>>>>>> it out! >>>>>>> >>>>>>> My MBP has been heating up quite fast of late, the past week I would >>>>>>> say. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> It has coincided with me doing work with Lr4 and Preview: I have been >>>>>>> sorting through loads of travel images. However at the same time I have >>>>>>> Firefox, Mail, iCal and occasionally Word or Excel open. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> I did some searching online and found a few links to the heating >>>>>>> problem and one suggested I check Activity Monitor: >>>>>>> >>>>>>> it shows Firefox using 100% of CPU!!? Specifically it was Firefox >>>>>>> Plugin Process (Shockwave Flash). >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Do you think this would be the cause of the problem? If so can I get >>>>>>> rid of it, or just close Firefox and not use it? >>>>>>> >>>>>>> I have done the restart, shutdown, SMC with no change >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Many thanks for any advice >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Chris >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Christopher L.K. Burton >>>>>>> Director >>>>>>> Western Whale Research >>>>>>> PO Box 1076 >>>>>>> Dunsborough WA 6281 >>>>>>> Mobile: 0419 199 120 >>>>>>> Email: c...@it.net.au >>>>>>> >>>>>>> www.souwest.org
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