User profile for user: erahi
erahi Author
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iMac slow and restarting

Etrecheck


My iMac has been slowing down with beach balling, long pauses after each click and random restarts especially when computer is idle. I ran Etrecheck with the results above.


Im well aware that the internal storage Fusion Drive has failed or is failing for a couple months now. Back then I decided to install macOS and all my files on an external 4TB hard drive and having been running off that ever since and was working fine until now.


I thought with the bootable external hard drive it would stop accessing the internal hard drive. Is there a way to do this or is the hardware issue unrelated to the Fusion Drive?


iMac 27″ 5K, macOS 12.3

Posted on Apr 26, 2022 9:50 PM

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User profile for user: rkaufmann87
rkaufmann87
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Posted on Apr 26, 2022 10:03 PM

Before you do ANYTHING backup the computer using Time Machine, please refer to Back up your Mac with Time Machine. The next thing to do is to take th computer to your local Apple Authorized Service Provider to have it professionally serviced.

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User profile for user: rkaufmann87
rkaufmann87
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Apr 26, 2022 10:03 PM in response to erahi

Before you do ANYTHING backup the computer using Time Machine, please refer to Back up your Mac with Time Machine. The next thing to do is to take th computer to your local Apple Authorized Service Provider to have it professionally serviced.

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User profile for user: Tesserax
Tesserax
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Apr 26, 2022 10:10 PM in response to erahi

Diagnostics Information (past 7-30 days):

2022-04-27 01:06:41 Kernel Panic (19 times)

Details:

panic(cpu 0 caller 0xffffff801622c081): AppleAHCIDiskQueueManager::set

PowerState(0xffffff9a07149480 : 0xffffff801817fcf0, 3 -> 0) timed out

after 101969 ms @IOServicePM.cpp:5524


19 kernel panics within the last 7-30 days does indicate an issue. AppleAHCDDiskQueueManager tells us its related to your Mac's system drive. There is a potential way to disable a Fusion drive, but I would second rkaufmann87's suggestion that you get your Mac serviced.

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User profile for user: erahi
erahi Author
User level: Level 1
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Apr 27, 2022 4:50 AM in response to Tesserax

Before taking it to Apple service, how I can disable or turn off the internal hard drive via software or by other means? I thought it would do that after selecting the external drive as the primary drive when booting up after pressing Option, why would it be accessing the internal drive?

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User profile for user: Tesserax
Tesserax
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Apr 27, 2022 9:21 AM in response to erahi

There was a TechRepublic article, titled "How to create and disable a Fusion Drive," that should provide you with the steps to disable your Mac's Fusion Drive. Again, I would not recommend doing so, but to get your Mac serviced instead.

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User profile for user: erahi
erahi Author
User level: Level 1
25 points

May 1, 2022 3:12 PM in response to Tesserax

Thanks I had a look at the article and it refers only to deleting the drive, not necessarily disabling it.


I read somewhere on a forum that you can disable the drive by simply ejecting it from Finder and that's what I did - and its worked. I've had no random shutdowns or beachballs since doing this. Which is great as I don't need to spend $$$ on a new Mac.


The only issue remaining is with Time Machine. I did try to do a backup and was very slow (> 5 hours) and it ended up restarting before finishing. I saw the report and again it was related to the internal drive (AppleAHCDDiskQueueManager). Why Time Machine was accessing the internal drive I've no idea. Are there any alternative backup solutions?

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iMac slow and restarting

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