How to get a Sample Process or Spindump

How to get a Sample Process or Spindump

Typically, a freeze or spinning beach ball occurs when an application is waiting for a response from the OS or another process.

In the event that Avalanche or Peakto becomes unresponsive, support  may request a Sample Process or Spindump to help in determining the cause.

  • Sample Process: Creates a report on a selected process over a period of 3 seconds.
  • Spindump: Creates a report for unresponsive apps that were terminated using force quit
(source Adobe)



Use Activity Monitor to get a Sample Process or Spindump

  1. Launch the app
  2. Launch Activity Monitor, which can be found in the Utilities folder located inside the main Applications folder.
  3. Make sure that CPU is selected and select the app that you want to sample (Avalanche or Peakto) from the list under Process Name


  1. Switch back to Peakto or Avalanche and try to reproduce the steps that lead to the freeze or unresponsive state. While the freeze is occurring, go to back to Activity Monitor, click on the (...) icon and select Sample Process or Spindump depending on what it is you want to do


  2. A text file with the content of the spindump or sample process will open. Send it to your support contact.









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