Grrr! Why?!?!!! (computer malfunction)

[michelepixels]

First, I left my computer (an iMac) with today's MOC page in progress (as I always do, clicking on Sleep) to go on my walk and when I got back the computer didn't wake up to my hitting the space bar as usual. It woke up to a tap on the Power button, but I still couldn't type my password. So I changed the batteries in my keyboard, and then I was able to get into my desktop, but then the arrow wouldn't respond to my movements on the trackpad. I don't have another set of batteries, so I checked in Settings and the trackpad is at 50% anyway. Then I checked the Bluetooth settings. There it seemed like something weird was going on, but as I was trying to get my computer and trackpad to cooperate as usual, my computer suddenly shut down and restarted all on its own.

Usually restarting makes glitches go away. But something new and weird is persisting:

See all the gray empty space at the bottom there? For some reason it's only showing half of my Favorite folders I had listed there! I was scared that it wasn't communicating with my EHD, that it was an EHD failure, but "My5TB Book" you can see listed near the bottom is my EHD, and I've also -- after a 2nd restart of my computer -- succeeded in re-opening the scrapbook page I was working on.

Anyone have a clue for me? At least half the frustration of technology problems for me is not understanding WHY annoying things like this happen! I mean, it's letting me re-create the Favorites shortcuts that are missing, but why did they disappear in the first place?

Is my 2011 iMac getting old and making random errors? My EHD is less than a year old.
Should I stop leaving things open when I leave the computer? (I DO save, of course.)
Is my computer feeling overworked from all the MOC pages plus a few Designer Challenges I've done in the last 3 weeks?

Thanks for the commiseration and bonus gratitude if you have any clues for me!

 

[jk703]

Hmm.... my MBP 2011 is on it's way out.

I would leave things open, and then the items open all the time. When it would sleep, and I awoke it, software would crash, but not the whole computer. I finally stopped sleep mode, or shut down the software if I knew it would be awhile before I would be back working.

I don't have any idea as to why it occurred, but chalked it up to age, and heavy use of software - PS, Internet, Photos, etc. Since I stopped sleep mode, a crash happens rarely. When it does, ugh...

 

[djp332]

I don't know about 2011, but my old 2009 cannot be updated again. Too old. I'm sorry you're having troubles.

 

[bestcee]

Is my computer feeling overworked from all the MOC pages plus a few Designer Challenges I've done in the last 3 weeks?

This made me giggle.

No ideas for you really. I do know that Adobe programs like memory, so maybe by leaving it open the computer is running out of available memory when it comes back on? Idk.

 

[michelepixels]

Hmm.... my MBP 2011 is on it's way out.

I would leave things open, and then the items open all the time. When it would sleep, and I awoke it, software would crash, but not the whole computer. I finally stopped sleep mode, or shut down the software if I knew it would be awhile before I would be back working.

I don't have any idea as to why it occurred, but chalked it up to age, and heavy use of software - PS, Internet, Photos, etc. Since I stopped sleep mode, a crash happens rarely. When it does, ugh...

By "stopped sleep mode" do you mean prevented the computer from falling asleep? In the Settings?

Thank you for responding everyone! I'm feeling better since I've gotten away (took my girls to a rehearsal). Now my daughter is cooking dinner and I'm getting back to my page between helping her.

 

[Nemla]

Unless you are only away for a short amount of time ,save and close down. I know it gets annoying ,because the open folders for the photos etc. in Photoshop will have to be reopened, but it is worth it not to have the aggravation. And unplug your EHD when you are not using it.... just saying..

 

[fruitysuet]

I have a Windows laptop but when I have left my PSE layout open for a while without working on it I usually get a 'memory low, close program' message when I get back to the machine so I concur that it is most likely to do with that.

I'm like you, if I have got lots of files open for possible use on the page I am reluctant to close them all down. Sometimes I will drag those that I feel I will more likely to want to use onto the layout anywhere just to have them available quickly when I do need to close down. Alternatively, you could always move them onto a 'spare page' and save them that way so you can drag them onto your layout when you come back to it, that way you've got everything all in one place without having to hunt and open them all again separately.

 

[jk703]

By "stopped sleep mode" do you mean prevented the computer from falling asleep? In the Settings?

Thank you for responding everyone! I'm feeling better since I've gotten away (took my girls to a rehearsal). Now my daughter is cooking dinner and I'm getting back to my page between helping her.

Yes. I turned off the sleep mode. My computer doesnt' sleep. It gets turned on and off, but it doesn't sleep ever. If I leave it for a longer time period, then it gets shut down.

I think the setting is in Energy Saver in the Preferences or Settings Menu. I'm not at home to double check. I relate it to it getting old and testy. I don't want to test it... so I comply with the work around. Since I have done this, (knock on wood), it has not crashed much!

 

[michelepixels]

Yes. I turned off the sleep mode. My computer doesnt' sleep. It gets turned on and off, but it doesn't sleep ever. If I leave it for a longer time period, then it gets shut down.

I think the setting is in Energy Saver in the Preferences or Settings Menu. I'm not at home to double check. I relate it to it getting old and testy. I don't want to test it... so I comply with the work around. Since I have done this, (knock on wood), it has not crashed much!

Maybe computers need full rests (shut downs) when they get old. I have a habit of restarting at least once a day, but haven't been shutting down just because I'm leaving the computer. I'll go explore the settings.

Thanks!

 

[jenn mccabe]

hmm, i leave everything open all the time. i rarely shut down ... rarely close out my browser tabs. i am so bad. so mine sleeps all the time.

i need to get better about doing shut downs.

so do you girls disable the sleep mode even on new mac? are there known issues? i never even thought of this as a potential issue. but am curious now ...

 

[michelepixels]

so do you girls disable the sleep mode even on new mac? are there known issues? i never even thought of this as a potential issue. but am curious now ...

It sounds like Jenn was saying she just started doing it when her Macbook got old. I've been just like you with my 2011 iMac, rarely shutting down . . . except I do restart the computer once or twice a day usually. I have noticed that when I've been scrapping or editing photos for a while in Lightroom the computer can get a bit sluggish, and restarting improves that.

 

[Karen]

I can totally relate! I had to spend all day Saturday two weekends ago replacing my hard drive because my computer was acting funny and rebooting on me multiple times in a day. I'm glad that you at least didn't lose anything! I think MOC has all our computers working overtime!