Processor meter bouncing and over 50%

[mikehalloran]

mdworker, mdworker32 are the engines for Spotlight. Finale.mdimporter is a Spotlight plugin and a known troublemaker, especially the versions before Finale 2012b. Most especially when you have other, older versions of Finale still installed.

Remove all versions of Finale. You don't need any of the old versions. Archive them if you must but get rid of them from your Mac. Install only the latest you own, 2012c.

That should take care of it. If not, find :/Library/Spotlight/Finale.mdimporter and trash it.

Finale 2014 puts this library elsewhere.

mdworker causes processing spikes. This is normal when Spotlight s first indexing a drive - which it will whenever you connect a remote drive it hasn't seen in awhile. When that happens, let it finish.

Sometimes, mdworker seems to get stuck in a loop and never seems to stop in OS 10.6. The standard fix is to boot in Safe Mode by holding the shift key when you boot. When done, shut down and reboot normally.

When I was having similar problems, Finale 2006 Help Files was the culprit. It started when I installed the Finale 2012 demo. Removing all old versions of Finale and the demo and reinstalling only 2011 fixed it for me. I just upgraded to 2014 and am having no issues.

Had you Googled the items in the crash report you would have found hundreds of web threads that discuss this issue. Many of those threads think this is a Finale 2012 or Mavericks issue but then you find the threads from 2010 and the announcements from MakeMusic and the picture becomes clear. Eventually you would have found the Safe Mode tip (I found it in one of my old posts on these boards - don't recall how I learned it).

That's why I said that MLC's advice was the only correct answer you had received. Had I known which version of Finale you had, I could have answered the first time.

[wonder]

mdworker, mdworker32 are the engines for Spotlight. Finale.mdimporter is a Spotlight plugin and a known troublemaker, especially the versions before Finale 2012b. Most especially when you have other, older versions of Finale still installed.

Remove all versions of Finale. You don't need any of the old versions. Archive them if you must but get rid of them from your Mac. Install only the latest you own, 2012c.

That should take care of it. If not, find :/Library/Spotlight/Finale.mdimporter and trash it.

Finale 2014 puts this library elsewhere.

mdworker causes processing spikes. This is normal when Spotlight s first indexing a drive - which it will whenever you connect a remote drive it hasn't seen in awhile. When that happens, let it finish.

Sometimes, mdworker seems to get stuck in a loop and never seems to stop in OS 10.6. The standard fix is to boot in Safe Mode by holding the shift key when you boot. When done, shut down and reboot normally.

When I was having similar problems, Finale 2006 Help Files was the culprit. It started when I installed the Finale 2012 demo. Removing all old versions of Finale and the demo and reinstalling only 2011 fixed it for me. I just upgraded to 2014 and am having no issues.

Had you Googled the items in the crash report you would have found hundreds of web threads that discuss this issue. Many of those threads think this is a Finale 2012 or Mavericks issue but then you find the threads from 2010 and the announcements from MakeMusic and the picture becomes clear. Eventually you would have found the Safe Mode tip (I found it in one of my old posts on these boards - don't recall how I learned it).

That's why I said that MLC's advice was the only correct answer you had received. Had I known which version of Finale you had, I could have answered the first time.

I appreciate the comment. VERY helpful. I'll try this.

I have 2014 but I don't think it runs on Snow Leopard.

FWIW I didn't go after the Finale situation because all the comments I was receiving here and at Apple were that it was a RAM or Logic board issue.


I just ran memtest overnight and everything passed. Still wondering why I'm getting the Apple Hardware Test error codes ... but maybe that Finale file is the culprit as well?

I'm going to dump the past versions of Finale now.

[mikehalloran]

Faulty RAM is a bear to find sometimes. It is often heat related and may occur only during overloads. What can complicate things is that the AHT will often find errors in both sides of a pair when only one stick is bad.

TechTool is better. If you got AppleCare when you got your Mac, there's a version that came with AppleCare and MicroMat keeps it updated for download.

There are other memory test programs out there, many are free.

Sometimes when errors are infrequent, you have little choice but to have the supplier replace it under warranty if that's available to you. You already have an AHT that shows it is bad. I would play it safe and kick it back.

[wonder]

I bought the 4GB sticks back in 2007 I think so the warranty is surely passed.

I did delete the mdimporter files and old versions of Finale. I also removed some plugs that were hogs (CLA Effects) and the processor went down by a lot.

I have TechTools. I will run some tests tomorrow again.

DP is also crashing on every quit but I can't find any crash reports about it ... it's weird. I'm trying to find the offending thread that might contain info on what's causing the crash but I can't find in the Console any crash report for DP.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Depending on the vendor, RAM frequently comes with lifetime warranties. Full replacement.

[wonder]

Depending on the vendor, RAM frequently comes with lifetime warranties. Full replacement.

I used OWC for the 4GB sticks. I'll have to check with them. I think I used Crucial for the 2 GB sticks.

The 512's were sold with the computer.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

OWC gives full lifetime replacements.

[wonder]

OWC gives full lifetime replacements.

sweet boobs

[kgdrum]

OWC gives full lifetime replacements.

sweet boobs

When they say full lifetime ram replacement they mean it!
I bought my MacPro used from a forum member on VI-control w/24 gigs.
OWC confirmed if the ram ever went bad it would be covered even though I wasn't the original buyer/owner!
Great company and awesome tech support,I'm a confirmed OWC fanboy!!

[mikehalloran]

OWC is excellent about honoring their warranty. Check with them - some RAM comes with a version where they send you the replacements first.

I had the very first version of TechTool Pro. It would crash during the RAM test on my beige G3. Hmmm... wonder what the problem was... I finally put the original RAM back in and it ran fine. OWC replaced it no problem, of course. TechTool has improved greatly since those days.

[mikehalloran]

DP is also crashing on every quit but I can't find any crash reports about it...

Console is your friend. It will show you what is happening when you shut down DP. If necessary, post that report with a Tech Link in MOTU support.