macbook X freezes(version10.6.8) after a few keystrokes.

[Denis]

It does not seem to matter what I am doing it will freeze up after just a few key strokes. I have to force quit by holding down the start button. When I turn it back on it takes even fewer key strokes for it to freeze up. Basically, I can not use it like this. It worked fine until this happened. The first time it happened I did not know how to force quit. I tried unplugging and then I tried taking the battery out(neither worked). I then used another computer and discovered how to force quit. Any help will be appreciated.

 

[honestone]

First of all, what specific Mac model do you have?

Secondly, have you been making any backups, and preferably to an external device?

What you will most likely need to do is to try and Disk Utility from an external computer to analyze your machine, and especially its internal hard drive. If you Mac has a Firewire 800 port, and the other Mac has one also, then you can boot your Mac in Target Disk Mode so that you could use Disk Utility on the other Mac.

But, need the answers to the two questions first.

 

[Denis]

Not sure if it is what you want but the serial # is 45926FSC9GU.

And all files have been backed up.

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello and welcome.

That is a MacBook (13-inch, Mid 2009).

Most of the time, that is a failing hard drive, bad RAM, or a logic board issue. Had you previously experienced any hanging/spinning beachball freezing?

C

 

[honestone]

Not sure if it is what you want but the serial # is 45926FSC9GU.

And all files have been backed up.

The serial number does not help much, but thankfully Cory was able to decipher what type of Mac model you have.

Regarding the backup, what software have you been using to do that? Also, where are you backing up those files to?

 

[Denis]

I am not using a program to back up files. I back them up to a thumb drive. Prior to this it did not freeze up or very rarely because I do not remember it.

 

[honestone]

I am not using a program to back up files. I back them up to a thumb drive. Prior to this it did not freeze up or very rarely because I do not remember it.

So, are you just "dragging and dropping" stuff from your Mac to the thumb drive? And, which files are you doing this for?

I still believe you will need to externally boot your machine, and use a disk maintenance/repair program. In fact, if you had something like TechTool Pro, it can do that, along with checking out the memory inside your machine. In actuality, you can use TechTool Pro on your internal drive to do this, via their eDrive feature. Or, assuming you have a DVD drive, you could boot either the Snow Leopard DVD, or TechTool Pro DVD, from the DVD drive.