Mac Studio Hangs

Two weeks ago, two days after MacOS 14.4.1 was installed, I experienced extreme system slowdowns.

Biggest problems:

File system: over a few hours, it became almost impossible to copy or move even a small/simple file from one folder to another.

Preview: This app just, well, personified slowdown, to the point where it was useless.

Mail: ditto Preview, above.

Pixelmator Pro: ditto.

If I waited a half hour, the system would release, but the desired function, e.g., creating a pdf, would not have happened; the app in question just sat there.

Other applications seemed completely unaffected.

Safari

Apple Notes

Actions I took

Booted into recovery mode and reinstalled MacOS 14.4.1

• • This did not work.

Booted into recovery mode, reformatted the SSD, reinstalled MacOS 14.4.1, created a new account, backed up from Time Machine.

• • This did not work.

Removed all login items except Dropbox.

• • The problem persisted.

Booted into safe mode.

• • The problem persisted.

Called Apple Support.

• • They did not know what the problem was.

I created a new account. Problem solved.

• • Rather than restore from Time Machine, I manually reinstalled/registered my accounts and applications.

All was well for a few days. Yesterday, May 7, the problems returned and are getting worse, just like before.

My guess

The problems seem to begin as I try to handle tiff files that I've created on my Epson V600 scanner. I have no idea whether this is correct, but the problems seem to begin with the OS trying to manipulate graphics files, and then grows to include any application that calls on the OS for any graphics.

[NOTE: I cannot include screenshots, as that makes Safari hang.]