Author Topic: Big Sur  (Read 4990 times)

Re: Big Sur
« Reply #25 on: 02 March, 2021, 09:39:27 pm »
I think Microsoft have compensated for the reduced Blue Screen Of Death rate with the Blue Screen Of Badly-timed Updates.

I cannot pass comment for fear of tempting fate ...

Ah, why not.

My Win10 machine has yet to bsod in the 3 years plus that I have owned it.  There is another slightly older Windows pc in the Bear-o-drome which runs Win7 and bsod's relatively regularly, i.e. once every couple of months.  In my humble opinion the mix of hardware and software in a build seems to me to be a key factor of bsod as anything else.

I shall get around to updating said machine to Win10 eventually.  Nothing much to lose imo.

Kim

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Re: Big Sur
« Reply #26 on: 02 March, 2021, 09:44:19 pm »
Yeah, for reasons grams alludes to, that sort of thing's nearly always a driver problem.  A significant advantage of Apple's relatively limited hardware support means they can test things properly and largely avoid those problems.

(My rule of thumb of not buying hardware that isn't well supported in Linux works well in this respect:  If a piece of hardware is mature/standard enough that the Linux people have a working driver for it, then it shouldn't give you too much grief on Windows/Mac.)

ian

Re: Big Sur
« Reply #27 on: 02 March, 2021, 09:54:21 pm »
To be fair, I use mostly standards applications – I think that if you're running randomware and home-baked stuff from the internets, or connecting your laptop to the computer-controlled cow-milking adaptor, your mileage may indeed vary.

StuAff

  • Folding not boring
Re: Big Sur
« Reply #28 on: 02 March, 2021, 10:20:48 pm »
Had no practical reason for running Big Sur, but was curious about it so installed it on my (far too old to be supported) 2010 Mac Pro. Worked (mostly) OK- Wifi didn't work but the Pro is right next to the router so it's cabled anyway. That was about it for problems. Booted back into Mojave there was a certain amount of 'this disk is unsupported' oddness which got annoying, and curiosity sated, I removed it again.

As for kernel panics, the last (and only) ones I had were on my old G4 tower running Jaguar back in 2002/3. Entirely down to a dodgy USB ADSL modem and its equally ropey drivers. Bought a router, no panics since.

Kim

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Re: Big Sur
« Reply #29 on: 02 March, 2021, 10:26:00 pm »
Entirely down to a dodgy USB ADSL modem and its equally ropey drivers. Bought a router, no panics since.

I was so glad to see the back of those.  We had to downgrade the Linux box sharing a 36k6 dialup connection in our student house to Win98 in order to support the BT-issue Alcatel stingray when ADSL first became available.  With hilarious consequences.   :hand:

I don't think I ever saw barakta's G4 crash.  Not after it got OSX, anyway.

StuAff

  • Folding not boring
Re: Big Sur
« Reply #30 on: 02 March, 2021, 10:37:23 pm »
Entirely down to a dodgy USB ADSL modem and its equally ropey drivers. Bought a router, no panics since.

I was so glad to see the back of those.  We had to downgrade the Linux box sharing a 36k6 dialup connection in our student house to Win98 in order to support the BT-issue Alcatel stingray when ADSL first became available.  With hilarious consequences.   :hand:

I don't think I ever saw barakta's G4 crash.  Not after it got OSX, anyway.
Yup, it was a hateful thing. It was actually much better with OS 9- well, the drivers weren't so flaky. When I upgraded from a G3 to a G4 (2002), however…as a dual processor one, OS X was much preferable to 9, and Jaguar had most of the early issues sorted. The Alcatel, however…when it (frequently) didn't connect properly, the only option was the standard IT response. With 9, no problem. Unplug it, plug it back in, and it would work- possibly on the nth attempt. Jaguar, OTOH…KP every single time.

Mr Larrington

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Re: Big Sur
« Reply #31 on: 02 March, 2021, 11:40:03 pm »
Yeah, for reasons grams alludes to, that sort of thing's nearly always a driver problem.  A significant advantage of Apple's relatively limited hardware support means they can test things properly and largely avoid those problems.

That seems to be the consensus surrounding my ongoing BSOD/update installation snafu.  Unfortunately Windows is singularly unprepared to tell me which driver is causing the “Page fault in non-paged area” gobbledygook.  Is it Nvidia?  Creative?  MSI?  Microsith themselves?

Gagh!
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Jaded

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Re: Big Sur
« Reply #32 on: 02 March, 2021, 11:50:13 pm »
Actually, two things my Big Sur doesn't like:

Being put to sleep and woken up again. That's resulted in the only freezes I've had for years. I usually shutdown at night.
SD Cards. Sometimes it likes them. Sometimes it doesn't.
It is simpler than it looks.

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Big Sur
« Reply #33 on: 04 March, 2021, 12:25:48 am »
Actually, two things my Big Sur doesn't like:

Being put to sleep and woken up again. That's resulted in the only freezes I've had for years. I usually shutdown at night.
SD Cards. Sometimes it likes them. Sometimes it doesn't.

D's 2020 iMac seems to do similar.

Latest annoyance: D is giving a Zoom presentation this evening (4 March) and hasn't yet completed his show. Wanted to scan some image in, using his Epson scanner. This has worked with Catalina on this iMac.

iMac can't now detect scanner at all. D checked all cables & connections. D looked for drivers online but found none.

D scanned successfully onto old MacBook using the scanner. GGGRRR!

Jaded

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Re: Big Sur
« Reply #34 on: 04 March, 2021, 08:23:19 am »
For a long time now i've avoided manufacturers software for scanning, and used Vuescan. Its not cheap, but it works very well and is frequently updated.
It is simpler than it looks.

ian

Re: Big Sur
« Reply #35 on: 04 March, 2021, 09:39:14 am »
I use the built-in Image Capture with my Canon, works fine. Using the Canon drivers and software was always less fine. If you don't have special needs, Image Capture seems to pick up any device, probably with fewer options, but certainly enough to scan a piece of paper at my required resolution.

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Big Sur
« Reply #36 on: 04 March, 2021, 10:49:26 pm »
All electricity failed in this area for around 10 minutes from 21.25.
D was coming to the end of the webinar in which he had presented. Thankfully, his main talk had finished and this happened during the 'chat and questions' part of the meeting.
iMac on Big Sur too AGES to reboot and resume everything. D is Most Unimpressed with reboot tardiness. Says he's never had anything that slow.
D initially reconnected on a tablet, I think

Kim

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Re: Big Sur
« Reply #37 on: 04 March, 2021, 10:56:37 pm »
iMac on Big Sur too AGES to reboot and resume everything. D is Most Unimpressed with reboot tardiness. Says he's never had anything that slow.

Probably needed a good hard fsck.  Sudden loss of power will do that.

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Big Sur
« Reply #38 on: 05 March, 2021, 12:38:35 am »
Ctrl-Alt-Del is the only language a Windows computer understands occasionally but this Apple just seems so S-L-O-W.

I know he's multi-tasking but  this seems exceptionally tardy!

ian

Re: Big Sur
« Reply #39 on: 05 March, 2021, 09:38:10 am »
Something sounds wrong-o. All my Macs reboot in under 20s. Even the one from 2009. A hard power loss will, as said, will take longer since everything has to be checked, rebuit and restored.

Re: Big Sur
« Reply #40 on: 05 March, 2021, 09:49:25 am »
Ctrl-Alt-Del is the only language a Windows computer understands occasionally but this Apple just seems so S-L-O-W.

I know he's multi-tasking but  this seems exceptionally tardy!

It's either got not enough RAM, a dying hard disk, some dodgy malware (or dodgy legit software) or the cooling system is full of fluff.

Jaded

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Re: Big Sur
« Reply #41 on: 05 March, 2021, 09:54:29 am »
Big Sur seems more prone to having a tough time when rebooting. I imagine this will be quietly sorted and there'll be no mention of a fix in an update, thats what normally happens.

There are various things you can try.

A Safe Boot
Start up in Recovery Mode and run Disk Utility on the disk.
I’d do Single user start up and and fsck, as Kim said, but thats not for the faint hearted.

PS. Zoom appears to be a monstrous power hog. I can churn through nearly a whole battery in under 2 hours; the battery will last 8 hours plus doing other exciting things.
It is simpler than it looks.

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Big Sur
« Reply #42 on: 05 March, 2021, 04:59:53 pm »
Ctrl-Alt-Del is the only language a Windows computer understands occasionally but this Apple just seems so S-L-O-W.

I know he's multi-tasking but  this seems exceptionally tardy!

It's either got not enough RAM, a dying hard disk, some dodgy malware (or dodgy legit software) or the cooling system is full of fluff.

RAM is scant and more is on order. D is not sure this will improve matters. We're hoping.
Unimpressed that this offering from JL had so little RAM. Supplies were tight midsummer last year and delivery times for big iMacs were quite long at a time when we urgently needed working kit.

Will wait, watch and see...
Computer's only a few months old and cats don't climb on it. Room faces away from the street.

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Big Sur
« Reply #43 on: 05 March, 2021, 05:05:02 pm »
Bright SHINY new 21.5" iMac was delivered at 15.53 today, having journeyed from Shanghai this week.

Guess what? It has Catalina installed and must be upgraded to Big Sur before it can work with the other iMac...

Ho hum.

ian

Re: Big Sur
« Reply #44 on: 05 March, 2021, 05:09:52 pm »
Maybe it came down the silk road by camel? Sounds like it sat in someone's warehouse for a while.

I have no issues on my Macbook with 8GB, though because it was on special offer, this iMac has – and I suspect unnecessary – 24GB. I was going for 16GB, but that time it was about £20 more for the additional.

Macs of different flavours can work together, I have High Sierra, Catalina, and Big Sur at the moment.

If I computer is running that slowly, I'd check on exactly what is running.

DaveJ

  • Happy days
Re: Big Sur
« Reply #45 on: 05 March, 2021, 05:31:10 pm »
Does it have an SSD?  I saw a new imac late last year, with an HDD and running Catalina very slowly.  Straight out of the box, and there didn't appear to be a physical fault with the disk.  But it was slow!!!

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Big Sur
« Reply #46 on: 05 March, 2021, 05:44:51 pm »
New SHINY 21.5" is SSD. (My error; should have been larger Fusion drive but I deleted wrong computer when there had been two in 'basket'.)
27" iMac has 2TB Fusion drive.
Maybe the Fusion drive is the slow thing.
We'll see how all this pans out...

ian

Re: Big Sur
« Reply #47 on: 05 March, 2021, 06:22:41 pm »
A fusion drive might be slower, it'll optimise what it keeps on SSD and what it keeps on spinning rust. I'd only go pure SSD, if I need storage, I'll use a USB drive. After five-plus years on this iMac, I've over 100 GB of a 250 GB SSD free. And it still flies. Anything on pure spinning rust will be painfully slow these days, I didn't even know they did Macs with them, latter MacOS are heavily optimised for SSD/fusion

But if it's running that slow, I'd definitely fire up Activity Monitor and see what is making it run slow.

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Big Sur
« Reply #48 on: 05 March, 2021, 07:26:35 pm »
D is Not Happy about smaller SSD though we agreed we'd need external storage soon anyway. I don't know if Big Sur is STILL downloading. SSD only might be quicker but D's Virtual Organs are hungry beasties.
Anyway D did a face plant running back from B&Q and is more taken up with his injuries.

Re: Big Sur
« Reply #49 on: 05 March, 2021, 08:04:18 pm »
D is Not Happy about smaller SSD though we agreed we'd need external storage soon anyway. I don't know if Big Sur is STILL downloading. SSD only might be quicker but D's Virtual Organs are hungry beasties.
Anyway D did a face plant running back from B&Q and is more taken up with his injuries.
My bold.
That's never good.
Hope that any injuries aren't significant and heal swiftly.