Have a look at the RAM in your Mac. My 2009 Mac came with 4GB installed and all of my software was getting pretty slow. I upgraded to 12GB of RAM last month and everything runs smoothly and I rarely get the twirling beach ball.
If you have never checked how much RAM is installed it is quite easy. Click on the Apple logo at the top left of your screen. Then select "about this Mac". In the new pop up select "memory". Now you will see a diagram showing how much RAM is installed. To find out how much RAM you can add and installation instructions follow the trail that starts at "memory upgrade instructions".
Last edited by gathompson56; 10 December 2014, 11:36 AM.
Reason: Additional
Also, have you done any routine maintenance? It is a good idea to open Disk Utility and do a Repair Permissions monthly and both before and after any major version update of the OS (like Mavericks > Yosemite). You should also run Disk Warrior or equivalent a couple times each year.
This and coming up to a decent level of RAM should make that beachball appear much less frequently.
Bob White, Mac Nut Since 1985, Reunion Nut Since 1991
Jenanyan, Barnes, White, Duncan, Dunning, Hedge and more
iMac/MacBookAir M1 - iPhonePro/iPadPro - Reunion14 & RT
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