El Capitan crashing.
 

I installed OS X EL Capitan and since the install my computer crashes and shuts down 1-2 times a day. There is no logic or pattern to these crashes. I've even put a clean install but to no avail. I have a US Macbook 2012 vintage.

Anyone else having this issue? Also is it advisable to go back to Yosemite? I had no problems with that at all.

Macbook or MacBookPro? - although both should be fine. We have it running well on a mid-2010 MacBookPro.

Is it fully updated to 10.11.4? Did you erase the disc - I can't remember if a fresh install does that or whether you have to do it manually. It might be worth going through the disk utility first aid options?

Apple community is a good resource - found this which might help - https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7256137

Macbook Pro, fully updated, first aid run. I have 'clean my Mac 3' not too sure if this is having anything to do with it. I'll monitor and report back.

Are you running any "anti-virus" software? They often cause problems such as you describe.

Nope only use CleanMyMac 3 which isn't anti virus as far as I'm aware. It only runs when I want to clean up old files etc.

I'm also running Firefox 45.0.2 which hangs a lot and I have to close it then restart it. That is a pain!

Next time it crashes on reboot - Immediately go to Utilities -->> Console and scroll up to the time it crashed. See if you can identify the cause there.

This is a bit technical but it could give you some clues ...

I would check to see how much RAM you have installed, as apparently you need 8GB for El Capitan to work on 'older' MBP's……The newer MBP's have faster chips naturally, and so this isn't an issue with them. At lower levels of RAM, 4GB for example, the OS stutters and stops depending on how heavily the system is being used.


SHJ

Try a system check.
Boot with Cmd + S depressed, run /sbin/fsck/-fy.
See https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201573.
I have El Cap on two m/cs, including a MacBook Pro 17inch 2.53GHz with no problems.
Could be an conflict with externals .

Get rid of Clean My Mac:
CleanmyMac | MacRumors Forums
CleanMyMac | MacRumors Forums

Your Mac does a pretty good job of keeping itself "clean". If you want to use something, then the one that's generally accepted is Onyx:
Titanium Software - OnyX

i've never had a need for a 'cleaner' app. The UNIX behind OS X does a pretty good job cleaning itself.

Oh and check your memory http://guides.macrumors.com/Testing_RAM as a faulty chip can give you all sorts of grief.

You need 8gb for El Capitan? Blimey.

A friend did this on an older MBP, perhaps less would be ok, such as 6gb, but as far as he was aware the 2 slots had to be balanced, so 4gb's each it was…


SHJ

Thanks for all your help everyone. I've deleted cleanMyMac 3 and it seems to have worked. Reading in other forums it seems that OS systems don't need any cleaning software. Now to solve the Firefox hanging problem. Any ideas?

From Apple

Can your Mac use El Capitan?

OS X El Capitan requires at least 2GB of memory and 8.8GB of storage space.


I would double the memory, as that's the minimum.

For Firefox have a look at the activity around the time it hangs. Utilities -->> Console.