Mac sometimes acts strange after sleep wake-up

On wake-up I can no longer launch an application, an attempt to do so results in an infinitely spinning beachball.
TaliesinSoft wrote on :

Occasionally, but not always, my Mac doesn't fully wake from sleep. On wake-up I can no longer launch an application, an attempt to do so results in an infinitely spinning beachball. A subsequent restart does allow an application to be launched, but the desktop background setting has changed from what it was to the default one. If the Mac is then shut down and then boot from a different drive the repair component of Disk Utility reports that minor repairs are needed and then upon completion reports that the repairs were successful. However, if the repair component of disk utility is run again, although it doesn't report that there are any problems, it takes quite a bit longer than normal and the log shows that a repair phase was included. Below is a snapshot taken from the Disk Utility log which shows this. There are two partitions on the disk in question, Maxtor Silver (Active) and Maxtor Silver (Backup). At the time of the waking up problem the computer was booted from Maxtor Silver (Active). The log shows four Disk Utility sessions, the first verifying the conditions of the two partitions, and the remaining three repairing (redundantly, perhaps) the volume that showed problems during the first session.

And suggestions as to just what the unqualified "Repairing volume" step is doing, and what can be done to eliminate it, will certainly be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.


Nov 28 17:00:29: Disk Utility started.

Verifying volume eMaxtor Silver (Active)d Checking HFS Plus volume. Checking Extents Overflow file. Checking Catalog file. Checking multi-linked files. Checking Catalog hierarchy. Checking volume bitmap. Volume Bit Map needs minor repair Checking volume information. The volume Maxtor Silver (Active) needs to be repaired.

Verifying volume eMaxtor Silver (Backup)d Mounting Disk(S,"Checking HFS Plus volume.",0) Checking Extents Overflow file. Checking Catalog file. Checking Catalog hierarchy. Checking volume bitmap. Checking volume information. The volume Maxtor Silver (Backup) appears to be OK.

2 volumes checked 1 HFS volume verified 1 volume needs repair

Repairing disk for eMaxtor Silver (Active)d Mounting Disk(S,"Checking HFS Plus volume.",0) Checking Extents Overflow file. Checking Catalog file. Checking multi-linked files. Checking Catalog hierarchy. Checking volume bitmap. Volume Bit Map needs minor repair Checking volume information. Repairing volume. The volume Maxtor Silver (Active) was repaired successfully.

Repair attempted on 2 volumes 1 HFS volume repaired 1 volume could not be repaired

Repairing disk for eMaxtor Silver (Active)d Mounting Disk(S,"Checking HFS Plus volume.",0) Checking Extents Overflow file. Checking Catalog file. Checking multi-linked files. Checking Catalog hierarchy. Checking volume bitmap. Checking volume information. Repairing volume. The volume Maxtor Silver (Active) was repaired successfully.

Repair attempted on 1 volume HFS volume repaired

Repairing disk for eMaxtor Silver (Active)d Mounting Disk(S,"Checking HFS Plus volume.",0) Checking Extents Overflow file. Checking Catalog file. Checking multi-linked files. Checking Catalog hierarchy. Checking volume bitmap. Checking volume information. Repairing volume. The volume Maxtor Silver (Active) was repaired successfully.

Repair attempted on 1 volume HFS volume repaired

-- James L. Ryan -- TaliesinSoft

Kevin McMurtrie replied on :
It sounds like your drive doesn't work after waking but it could also be OS bugs. 10.0 through 10.2.x corrupted my hard drives on a regular basis, usually hitting ~username/Library/Preferences/.
TaliesinSoft replied on :

On Mon, 29 Nov 2004 01:22:56 -0600, Kevin McMurtrie wrote (in article mcmurtri-6826B0.23225628112004@redacted.invalid):

It sounds like your drive doesn't work after waking but it could also be OS bugs. 10.0 through 10.2.x corrupted my hard drives on a regular basis, usually hitting ~username/Library/Preferences/.

Kevin,

Many thanks for the response! I'm somehow hesitant to think that the drive itself has a problem. I'm wondering if there is some sort of a timing issue. I'm running OS X 10.3.6 and honestly don't recall this happening in the prior releases.

What really has my curiosity is just what is it that seems to be somewhat of a permanent "blemish" in the drive's contents (actually the partition's contents) that causes Disk Utility to repair an otherwise unidentified problem.

Jim

-- James L. Ryan -- TaliesinSoft

Steve replied on :

Go to terminal & execute "TOP" when you first notice this bizarre behavior. I suspect what you'll find is one or more "stuck" processes. I fought this over a 2-week period of two seperate, brand new machines & never did get a resolution. I had no choice but to return both items to the seller.

Steve