lindabob

Q: Please help do the equivalent of a defrag on my Mac, as it is extremely slow

my Mac is extremely slow painfully slow in fact and needs a clean up but I don't know how to clear it of all the junk such as cookies etc and help it run faster.

 

please help

MacBook Pro

Posted on May 4, 2016 9:15 AM

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Q: Please help do the equivalent of a defrag on my Mac, as it is extremely slow

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  • by John Galt,Helpful

    John Galt John Galt May 4, 2016 1:10 PM in response to lindabob
    Level 9 (50,258 points)
    Mac OS X
    May 4, 2016 1:10 PM in response to lindabob

    Cookies do not affect a Mac's performance, and there is no benefit to "defragmenting". Do not use any product claiming to "clean" your Mac either. They are all scams.

     

    Back up your Mac if you have not done so already. To learn how to do that read https://www.apple.com/support/backup/. To learn how to use Time Machine read Use Time Machine to back up or restore your Mac.

     

    Determine if the problems also persist in "Safe Mode":



     

    • Safe Mode or "Safe Boot" is a troubleshooting mode that bypasses all third party system extensions and loads only required system components. Read about it: Starting up in Safe Mode
    • You must disable FileVault before you can start your Mac in Safe Mode.
    • Starting your Mac in Safe Mode will take longer than usual, graphics will not render smoothly, audio is disabled on some Macs, and some programs (iTunes for example) may not work at all.
    • Merely starting your Mac in Safe Mode is not intended to resolve the problem, it's to observe its performance without certain additional components.
    • To end Safe Mode restart your Mac normally. Shutdown will take longer as well.
  • by Eric Root,Helpful

    Eric Root Eric Root May 4, 2016 1:11 PM in response to lindabob
    Level 9 (73,687 points)
    iTunes
    May 4, 2016 1:11 PM in response to lindabob

    Try running this program and then copy and paste the output in a reply. The program was created by Etresoft, a frequent contributor.  Please use copy and paste as screen shots can be hard to read. This will show what is running on your computer. No personal information is shown.
      

    Etrecheck – System Information

  • by lindabob,

    lindabob lindabob May 4, 2016 1:17 PM in response to Eric Root
    Level 1 (9 points)
    Mac OS X
    May 4, 2016 1:17 PM in response to Eric Root

    Hello Eric I tried to click on your program but all it did was pretend to be going to another page but then taking me back to this page  so im a bit lost with it.

  • by lindabob,

    lindabob lindabob May 4, 2016 1:19 PM in response to John Galt
    Level 1 (9 points)
    Mac OS X
    May 4, 2016 1:19 PM in response to John Galt

    Sorry to sound dopey but is backing up the same as using the time machine.

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder May 4, 2016 1:56 PM in response to lindabob
    Level 9 (61,322 points)
    Desktops
    May 4, 2016 1:56 PM in response to lindabob

    There is a new issue (bug) in the forum software, where off-site links do not work properly.

     

    Just select the link and right-click or Control-click and choose "Open Address" from the popup menu.

     

    or paste the link into a new Browser window.

  • by lindabob,

    lindabob lindabob May 4, 2016 2:04 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Level 1 (9 points)
    Mac OS X
    May 4, 2016 2:04 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

    Hi so will the link have given my mac a bug as i didnt try the method you suggested just now. I dont have a right click option on the track pad or should i say i sometimes do but mostly it doesnt show up as an option when i click the trackpad il try again though see what happens

     

    thank you for helping

  • by lindabob,

    lindabob lindabob May 4, 2016 2:07 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Level 1 (9 points)
    Mac OS X
    May 4, 2016 2:07 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

    Hi Grant I took your advice and this result is cut and pasted below. I dont think its doing what it should have

     

    Apple Support Communities

     

     

     

    Apple Support Communities  /  Notebooks  /  MacBook Pro

     

    Please help do the equivalent of a defrag on my Mac, as it is extremely slow

     

     

    51 Views 6 Replies Latest reply: May 4, 2016 2:04 PM by lindabob
    Level 1
    Mac OS X

     

    my Mac is extremely slow painfully slow in fact and needs a clean up but I don't know how to clear it of all the junk such as cookies etc and help it run faster. please help
    MacBook Pro

     

    Reply by John Galt on May 4, 2016 1:10 PM Helpful

     

    Cookies do not affect a Mac's performance, and there is no benefit to "defragmenting". Do not use any product claiming to "clean" your Mac either. They are all scams.

     

    Back up your Mac if you have not done so already. To learn how to do that read https://www.apple.com/support/backup/. To learn how to use Time Machine read Use Time Machine to back up or restore your Mac.

     

    Determine if the problems also persist in "Safe Mode":



     

    • Safe Mode or "Safe Boot" is a troubleshooting mode that bypasses all third party system extensions and loads only required system components. Read about it: Starting up in Safe Mode
    • You must disable FileVault before you can start your Mac in Safe Mode.
    • Starting your Mac in Safe Mode will take longer than usual, graphics will not render smoothly, audio is disabled on some Macs, and some programs (iTunes for example) may not work at all.
    • Merely starting your Mac in Safe Mode is not intended to resolve the problem, it's to observe its performance without certain additional components.
    • To end Safe Mode restart your Mac normally. Shutdown will take longer as well.
    See the answer in context

     

    Reply by Eric Root on May 4, 2016 1:11 PM Helpful

     

    Try running this program and then copy and paste the output in a reply. The program was created by Etresoft, a frequent contributor.  Please use copy and paste as screen shots can be hard to read. This will show what is running on your computer. No personal information is shown.
     

    Etrecheck – System Information

    See the answer in context

     

    All replies

     

     

    Return to MacBook Pro Go to original post Reply to original post

     

     

     

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    This site contains user submitted content, comments and opinions and is for informational purposes only. Apple may provide or recommend responses as a possible solution based on the information provided; every potential issue may involve several factors not detailed in the conversations captured in an electronic forum and Apple can therefore provide no guarantee as to the efficacy of any proposed solutions on the community forums. Apple disclaims any and all liability for the acts, omissions and conduct of any third parties in connection with or related to your use of the site. All postings and use of the content on this site are subject to the Apple Support Communities Terms of Use.

     

     

  • by Eric Root,

    Eric Root Eric Root May 4, 2016 2:18 PM in response to lindabob
    Level 9 (73,687 points)
    iTunes
    May 4, 2016 2:18 PM in response to lindabob

    Copy/paste into your browser.

     

    http://etrecheck.com/#about

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder May 4, 2016 2:18 PM in response to lindabob
    Level 9 (61,322 points)
    Desktops
    May 4, 2016 2:18 PM in response to lindabob

    no, you selected the entire page.

     

    just type this into a new Browser window:

     

    etrecheck.com

  • by lindabob,

    lindabob lindabob May 4, 2016 2:24 PM in response to lindabob
    Level 1 (9 points)
    Mac OS X
    May 4, 2016 2:24 PM in response to lindabob

    sorry the above was the cut and paste of the results which look entirely wrong to me

  • by lindabob,

    lindabob lindabob May 4, 2016 2:32 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Level 1 (9 points)
    Mac OS X
    May 4, 2016 2:32 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

    Hi Grant I used the link and below is the cut and pasted report which I am sure is plain i understand not a jot.

     

    EtreCheck version: 2.9.12 (265)

    Report generated 2016-05-04 22:30:17

    Download EtreCheck from https://etrecheck.com

    Runtime 3:32

    Performance: Good

     

    Click the [Support] links for help with non-Apple products.

    Click the [Details] links for more information about that line.

     

    Problem: Computer is too slow

     

    Hardware Information:

        MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2011)

        [Technical Specifications] - [User Guide] - [Warranty & Service]

        MacBook Pro - model: MacBookPro8,3

        1 2.3 GHz Intel Core i7 CPU: 4-core

        8 GB RAM Upgradeable - [Instructions]

            BANK 0/DIMM0

                4 GB DDR3 1333 MHz ok

            BANK 1/DIMM0

                4 GB DDR3 1333 MHz ok

        Bluetooth: Old - Handoff/Airdrop2 not supported

        Wireless:  en1: 802.11 a/b/g/n

        Battery: Health = Normal - Cycle count = 665

     

    Video Information:

        Intel HD Graphics 3000 - VRAM: 512 MB

            Color LCD 1680 x 1050

        AMD Radeon HD 6750M - VRAM: 1024 MB

     

    System Software:

        OS X Mavericks 10.9.5 (13F34) - Time since boot: about 6 hours

     

    Disk Information:

        Hitachi HTS725050A9A362 disk0 : (500.11 GB) (Rotational)

            EFI (disk0s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB

            Macintosh HD (disk0s2) / : 499.25 GB (311.00 GB free)

            Recovery HD (disk0s3) <not mounted>  [Recovery]: 650 MB

     

        MATSHITADVD-R   UJ-8A8   ()

     

    USB Information:

        Apple Inc. BRCM2070 Hub

            Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller

        Apple Inc. Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad

        Apple Inc. FaceTime HD Camera (Built-in)

        Apple Computer, Inc. IR Receiver

     

    Thunderbolt Information:

        Apple Inc. thunderbolt_bus

     

    Gatekeeper:

        Mac App Store and identified developers

     

    Kernel Extensions:

            /Library/Application Support/Kaspersky Lab/KAV/Bases/Cache

        [loaded]    com.kaspersky.kext.kimul.46 (46 - 2016-05-04) [Support]

        [loaded]    com.kaspersky.kext.mark.1.0.6 (1.0.6 - 2016-05-04) [Support]

     

            /Library/Application Support/LogMeIn/drivers

        [not loaded]    com.logmein.driver.LogMeInSoundDriver (4.1.6333 - 2016-04-28) [Support]

     

            /Library/Extensions

        [loaded]    com.kaspersky.kext.klif (3.3.0a1 - 2016-03-02) [Support]

        [loaded]    com.kaspersky.nke (2.1.0 - 2016-03-02) [Support]

     

            /System/Library/Extensions

        [not loaded]    com.devguru.driver.SamsungComposite (1.4.14 - SDK 10.6 - 2016-04-28) [Support]

        [not loaded]    com.tomtom.driver.UsbEthernetGadget (1.0.0d1 - 2016-04-28) [Support]

        [not loaded]    com.wacom.kext.pentablet (Pen Tablet 5.1.0-3 - 2016-04-28) [Support]

     

            /System/Library/Extensions/ssuddrv.kext/Contents/PlugIns

        [not loaded]    com.devguru.driver.SamsungACMControl (1.4.14 - SDK 10.6 - 2013-09-09) [Support]

        [not loaded]    com.devguru.driver.SamsungACMData (1.4.14 - SDK 10.6 - 2013-09-09) [Support]

        [not loaded]    com.devguru.driver.SamsungMTP (1.4.14 - SDK 10.5 - 2013-09-09) [Support]

        [not loaded]    com.devguru.driver.SamsungSerial (1.4.14 - SDK 10.6 - 2013-09-09) [Support]

     

    System Launch Agents:

        [not loaded]    6 Apple tasks

        [loaded]    141 Apple tasks

        [running]    36 Apple tasks

     

    System Launch Daemons:

        [not loaded]    47 Apple tasks

        [loaded]    138 Apple tasks

        [running]    64 Apple tasks

     

    Launch Agents:

        [running]    com.logmein.logmeingui.plist (2016-04-28) [Support]

        [running]    com.logmein.logmeinguiagent.plist (2016-04-28) [Support]

        [not loaded]    com.logmein.logmeinguiagentatlogin.plist (2016-04-28) [Support]

     

    Launch Daemons:

        [loaded]    com.adobe.SwitchBoard.plist (2011-07-14) [Support]

        [loaded]    com.adobe.fpsaud.plist (2016-04-16) [Support]

        [loaded]    com.apple.aelwriter.plist

        [running]    com.apple.qmaster.qmasterd.plist

        [running]    com.kaspersky.kav.plist (2016-05-04) [Support]

        [running]    com.logmein.logmeinserver.plist (2016-04-28) [Support]

        [loaded]    com.logmein.raupdate.plist (2013-12-16) [Support]

        [loaded]    com.microsoft.office.licensing.helper.plist (2010-08-25) [Support]

     

    User Launch Agents:

        [loaded]    com.adobe.ARM.[...].plist (2014-04-30) [Support]

        [loaded]    com.google.keystone.agent.plist (2016-03-02) [Support]

     

    User Login Items:

        TomTomMyDriveConnectHelper    Application  (/Applications/TomTom MyDrive Connect.app/Contents/MacOS/TomTomMyDriveConnectHelper.app)

        Dropbox    Application  (/Applications/Dropbox.app)

        Safari    Application  (/Applications/Safari.app)

        Dragon Dictate    Application  (/Applications/Dragon Dictate.app)

        Google Chrome    Application Hidden (/Applications/Google Chrome.app)

        TomTomHOMERunner    Application Hidden (~/Library/Application Support/TomTom HOME/TomTomHOMERunner.app)

        KiesAgent    Application Hidden (/Applications/Kies.app/Contents/MacOS/KiesAgent.app)

     

    Other Apps:

        [running]    [0x0-0x14014].com.tomtom.mytomtomsa

        [running]    [0x0-0x52052].com.etresoft.EtreCheck

        [running]    com.dragon.dictate.35936

        [running]    com.getdropbox.dropbox.18336

        [running]    com.google.Chrome.51072

        [running]    com.microsoft.Word.41744

        [running]    com.microsoft.autoupdate.fba.54416

        [running]    com.tomtom.HOMERunnerApp.78176

        [running]    com.yourcompany.KiesAgent.50896

        [running]    jp.co.canon.cijscannerregister.53008

        [loaded]    441 Apple tasks

        [running]    400 Apple tasks

     

    Internet Plug-ins:

        Default Browser: 537 - SDK 10.9 (2015-05-29)

        AdobeAAMDetect: AdobeAAMDetect 1.0.0.0 - SDK 10.6 (2012-08-09) [Support]

        FlashPlayer-10.6: 21.0.0.226 - SDK 10.6 (2016-04-23) [Support]

        AdobePDFViewerNPAPI: 11.0.04 - SDK 10.6 (2014-01-01) [Support]

        LogMeIn: 1.0.935 - SDK 10.7 (2013-03-12) [Support]

        Flash Player: 21.0.0.226 - SDK 10.6 (2016-04-23) [Support]

        LogMeInSafari32: 1.0.935 - SDK 10.7 (2013-03-12) [Support]

        QuickTime Plugin: 7.7.3 (2015-05-29)

        SharePointBrowserPlugin: 14.4.7 - SDK 10.6 (2015-01-27) [Support]

        AdobePDFViewer: 11.0.04 - SDK 10.6 (2014-01-01) [Support]

        iPhotoPhotocast: 7.0 - SDK 10.8 (2013-07-16)

        Silverlight: 4.0.60531.0 (2011-09-12) [Support]

        JavaAppletPlugin: 14.9.0 - SDK 10.7 (2014-03-11) Check version

     

    User internet Plug-ins:

        Google Earth Web Plug-in: 6.2 (2012-04-14) [Support]

     

    Safari Extensions:

        Virtual Keyboard - Kaspersky Lab - http://kaspersky.com (2013-12-26)

        URL Advisor - Kaspersky Lab - http://kaspersky.com (2013-12-27)

     

    Audio Plug-ins:

        DVCPROHDAudio: 1.3.2 (2011-09-12)

     

    3rd Party Preference Panes:

        Flash Player (2016-04-16) [Support]

        Growl (2011-07-14) [Support]

        PenTablet (2008-12-09) [Support]

     

    Time Machine:

        Skip System Files: NO

        Mobile backups: ON

        Auto backup: YES

        Volumes being backed up:

            Macintosh HD: Disk size: 499.25 GB Disk used: 188.25 GB

        Destinations:

            Time Machine Backups [Local]

            Total size: 3.00 TB

            Total number of backups: 11

            Oldest backup: 10/10/2011 17:47

            Last backup: 31/08/2015 16:52

            Size of backup disk: Excellent

                Backup size 3.00 TB > (Disk size 499.25 GB X 3)

     

    Top Processes by CPU:

            40%    mdworker(2)

             3%    WindowServer

             2%    kernel_task

             2%    fontd

             1%    kav

     

    Top Processes by Memory:

        1.02 GB    com.apple.WebKit.WebContent(5)

        612 MB    kernel_task

        279 MB    kav

        221 MB    mds_stores

        197 MB    Dropbox

     

    Virtual Memory Information:

        2.32 GB    Free RAM

        5.67 GB    Used RAM (3.27 GB Cached)

        0 B    Swap Used

     

    Diagnostics Information:

        May 4, 2016, 04:26:14 PM    Self test - passed

  • by John Galt,

    John Galt John Galt May 4, 2016 2:35 PM in response to lindabob
    Level 9 (50,258 points)
    Mac OS X
    May 4, 2016 2:35 PM in response to lindabob

    Using Time Machine is the same as backing up.

     

    Time Machine is only one backup method, but it is the easiest and least intrusive. It's integrated with your Mac and designed so you never have to think about a fundamental task that what would otherwise be a chore.

     

    There are other general backup methods explained in the other link: https://www.apple.com/support/backup/. Use whatever method is convenient for you.

     

    My reason for recommending "backing up" is that the symptoms you describe are sometimes (not always) an indication of impending hard disk drive failure. More troubleshooting would be required before justifiably drawing that conclusion.

  • by John Galt,

    John Galt John Galt May 4, 2016 2:49 PM in response to lindabob
    Level 9 (50,258 points)
    Mac OS X
    May 4, 2016 2:49 PM in response to lindabob

    That report indicates you did perform a Time Machine backup, but it was a long time ago. Re-connect that hard disk drive, or another suitable hard disk drive, and then run Time Machine again so that you have a more recent backup. To do that select "Back Up Now" from the Time Machine icon in your Mac's menu bar.

     

    The other usual suspects are present in that report, most notably Kaspersky. Don't use "anti-virus" products on a Mac unless you want it to run poorly while conveying absolutely no benefit whatsoever. Uninstall any and all Kaspersky products present on that Mac according to their respective instructions — if you can find them, and assuming they work (frequently they don't) — and then evaluate your Mac's performance.

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder May 4, 2016 2:42 PM in response to lindabob
    Level 9 (61,322 points)
    Desktops
    May 4, 2016 2:42 PM in response to lindabob

    Your Mac is already well protected by the features Apple provides. It does NOT benefit in any way from aftermarket so-called Anit-Virus software such as Kaspersky. This may be making your Mac slow and unstable.

     

    http://www.apple.com/osx/what-is/security/


    .

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