A number of MacBook Pro owners running OS X El Capitan are reporting their system “freezes” randomly after installing the OS X 10.11.4 update on their Mac.
Hundreds of MacRumors forum members have been posting to a dedicated thread to discuss the issue, which spans 20 pages at the time of writing. The problem appears to be concentrated on 13-inch Retina MacBook Pros (Early 2015) running 10.11.4. Users report that their system becomes totally unresponsive at seemingly random times, with no way to regain access to their Mac other than to force a hard reboot.
One user reports that after installing the update, released by Apple on March 21, his system has been freezing “about once a week.” Freezes occur when browsing in Safari, as well as in third-party browsers and such apps as Adobe Photoshop. The freeze affects the screen and mouse cursor, as well as the MacBook’s Force Touch trackpad, which loses its feedback capabilities.
Other users have reported similar freezes since updating to OS X 10.1.4. Potential causes have been identified from crash logs, and include a system framework, or an Intel Graphics driver bug as possible culprits. Users running Safari Technology Preview Version 1 and OS X 10.11.5 Public Beta 1 have also reported the freezing issue.
The video below, from MacRumors forum member appleofmy”i” shows his MacBook experiencing the freezing issue.
MacRumors says Apple Support is apparently aware of the issue but have so far offered no solution. The publication indicates some users have remedied the issue by downgrading their system to 10.11.3, by restoring from a Time Machine backup or doing a clean install.
Have any MacTrast readers experienced freezing issues with their Mac since installing the 10.11.4 update? We did experience one instance of a complete freeze on our Early 2015 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro, but haven’t experienced it since. (Knock on wood grained vinyl.) We’ll keep you posted as we learn more.
