Why are my Mac apps crashing constantly?

[member 428835]

Hi PF!

In the past 24 hours programs on my Macbook Pro have been incessantly crashing. I'm running OSX Yosemite 10.10.5 (I'm waiting to update until I update MATLAB so I can run it on Sierra). So far three programs have been crashing: MATLAB, Safari, and App Store.

Any idea what to do?

I've attached a picture of the error message.

 

[stoomart]

1. Run a backup to an external disk if you haven't already (in case your internal hard disk is failing).
2. Run https://support.apple.com/kb/PH18765?locale=en_US.
3. Uninstall/reinstall your antivirus software.
4. Install any available OS X updates.

 

[member 428835]

Thanks! I don't have any antivirus software since I'm using a mac, but I'll do the other things.

 

[stoomart]

I don't have any antivirus software since I'm using a mac

Unfortunately this is a common misconception and the behavior you are experiencing may even be caused by malware; see this antivirus vendor's 2014 report for some interesting statistics on Mac viruses. In this case I would modify my list to show #3 as 'Install antivirus software and run a full scan'. Good luck!

 

[jedishrfu]

Yeah, so many folks think macs are virus safe. Theyre not but in some ways better than Windows primarily because Windows is the more dominant OS.

Virus writers have been hard at work trying penetrate the Macs defenses and have had some success so get a couple of virus scanners like Sophos.

 

[jedishrfu]

Another thing to check is reseating your memory and making sure you have sufficient free space on your disk as the OS may need to swap out a program to allow another to run.

Is the machine running hot? You could try blowing out the dust with a can of aur.

Have you searched google to see if others have had the same issue?

 

[member 428835]

It seems to be working now. I haven't gotten a virus yet but I don't download anything unless it's from a professor. I also don't go to sketchy websites. Maybe restarting it was the trick? Will keep you all posted.

 

[rootone]

Yep it could be hardware or software.
As reccomended give the machine a clean of out of dust etc, reseat plugin boards.
A virus is possible but not likely, the people who make viruses don't need to attack edge users, they go for the main stream
You could try deleting internet browser and cache, odd things can happen due to that

 

[jedishrfu]

It seems to be working now. I haven't gotten a virus yet but I don't download anything unless it's from a professor. I also don't go to sketchy websites. Maybe restarting it was the trick? Will keep you all posted.

Viruses and malware can come from any source even a profs download. Please get a virus scanner. Your school should have something that's free to students as it protects their network in the long run.

Heat issues can cause a machine shutdown if that's what you're experiencing. Insufficient space can cause crashes too. Pick some key text from your error log and search with it you might find something that will clue into what's going on.

 

[member 428835]

Cool, I'll make sure to check out what my school offers and get one. I just didn't know, so thanks for the heads up everyone!

 

[Red Robbo]

I find it sad that so many Mac users think they are above getting a virus or malware. As (formerly) an Oxford University IT officer I used to see two or three a term. Not many in the grand scheme of things but they do exist. There is now no excuse for not having one as companies like Sophos (originally a spin-off from Oxford) produce a free version from home use.

In this case I'd restore the items back a few days from Time Machine but I don't suppose that is being run either...

 

[newjerseyrunner]

Maybe restarting it was the trick? Will keep you all posted.

That wasn't the first thing you tried? Usually if an computer is doing the same bad thing over and over again with different apps, it's due to a corrupt shared library or driver. Rebooting fixes these problems most of the time because the corruption almost invariably happens in memory, not the disk.

 

[idkyouth]

Mostly, it is software problem due to incompatibility libraries

 

[Manolis]

For the record, I've used Apple Macs for 30 years and have never seen a virus. No surprise, really, as there aren't any Mac viruses in the wild.
(Definition: Computer virus - "software which is able to replicate and send copies of itself to other computers, via email or other means.")

I've seen reports of other types of malware but all of it required the user to install it. A certain amount of naïvity is required for someone to type their password in order to facilitate this. I don't have any form of "AV software" slowing down my Macs. I do, however, have a strict backup regime.

And, yes, a reboot is always the first thing to try on any computer that's "playing up".

BTW I find that "El Capitan" is the most stable Mac OS since "Snow Leopard". The jury is still out on "Sierra". I'm not prepared to risk it yet. Mavericks was bad enough!