Q: Really slow Mac Mini on first start up
I bought my Mac Mini because older PC took an age to start up. Now my Mac Mini is even worse. I also have an old laptop (2010) which I installed Windows 10 on, and it is much faster than my Mac! W10 is up and running on browser/email before Mac even gets to user log in page!
From advice on other posts, I ran EtreCheck and uncovered a printer issue with HP software. Got that sorted and it really helped. But its gone just as bad, ran EtreCheck again, results below, albeit this was when the Mac was still loading up, but done intentionally to see if I can find what's holding it up. There is nothing obvious in this, can anyone see something I'm missing please.
(Conscious there are other posts like this but saw someone getting a telling off for adding their isses to the same post accusing them of "thread-jacking")
EtreCheck version: 3.0.3 (307)
Report generated 2016-09-17 08:11:02
Download EtreCheck from https://etrecheck.com
Runtime 11:48
Performance: Poor
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
Mac mini (Late 2012)
[Technical Specifications] - [User Guide] - [Warranty & Service]
Mac mini - model: Macmini6,2
1 2.3 GHz Intel Core i7 CPU: 4-core
4 GB RAM Upgradeable - [Instructions]
BANK 0/DIMM0
2 GB DDR3 1600 MHz ok
BANK 1/DIMM0
2 GB DDR3 1600 MHz ok
Bluetooth: Good - Handoff/Airdrop2 supported
Wireless: en1: 802.11 a/b/g/n
Intel HD Graphics 4000
S236HL 1920 x 1080
OS X El Capitan 10.11.6 (15G1004) - Time since boot: less than an hour
APPLE HDD HTS541010A9E662 disk0 : (1 TB) (Rotational)
EFI (disk0s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB
Macintosh HD (disk0s2) / : 999.35 GB (607.22 GB free)
Recovery HD (disk0s3) <not mounted> [Recovery]: 650 MB
Apple, Inc. IR Receiver
Apple Inc. BRCM20702 Hub
Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller
Apple Inc. thunderbolt_bus
Mac App Store and identified developers
/Library/Application Support/Avast/components/fileshield/unsigned
[loaded] com.avast.AvastFileShield (3.0.0 - SDK 10.9 - 2016-08-18) [Support]
/Library/Application Support/Avast/components/proxy/unsigned
[loaded] com.avast.PacketForwarder (2.1 - SDK 10.11 - 2016-08-18) [Support]
[not loaded] 7 Apple tasks
[loaded] 154 Apple tasks
[running] 77 Apple tasks
[failed] com.apple.security.syspolicy.plist (2015-08-23)
[not loaded] 45 Apple tasks
[loaded] 155 Apple tasks
[running] 90 Apple tasks
[failed] com.adobe.ARMDCHelper.cc24aef4a1b90ed56a725c38014c95072f92651fb65e1bf9c8e43c37a2 3d420d.plist (2016-07-12) [Support]
[running] com.avast.secureline.update-agent.plist (2016-07-04) [Support]
[loaded] com.avast.secureline.userinit.plist (2016-07-04) [Support]
[running] com.avast.update-agent.plist (2016-08-22) [Support]
[loaded] com.avast.userinit.plist (2016-08-22) [Support]
[loaded] com.google.keystone.agent.plist (2016-07-12) [Support]
[loaded] com.oracle.java.Java-Updater.plist (2016-08-23) [Support]
[loaded] com.adobe.ARMDC.Communicator.plist (2016-07-12) [Support]
[loaded] com.adobe.ARMDC.SMJobBlessHelper.plist (2016-07-12) [Support]
[loaded] com.adobe.fpsaud.plist (2016-06-29) [Support]
[loaded] com.avast.init.plist (2016-08-22) [Support]
[loaded] com.avast.secureline.init.plist (2016-07-04) [Support]
[loaded] com.avast.secureline.uninstall.plist (2016-07-04) [Support]
[loaded] com.avast.secureline.update.plist (2016-07-04) [Support]
[loaded] com.avast.uninstall.plist (2016-08-22) [Support]
[loaded] com.avast.update.plist (2016-08-22) [Support]
[loaded] com.google.keystone.daemon.plist (2016-09-02) [Support]
[loaded] com.microsoft.office.licensing.helper.plist (2014-02-26) [Support]
[loaded] com.oracle.java.Helper-Tool.plist (2016-08-23) [Support]
[failed] com.adobe.ARM.[...].plist (2014-09-02) [Support]
[loaded] com.avast.home.userinit.plist (2016-08-22) [Support]
[loaded] com.avast.secureline.home.userinit.plist (2016-07-05) [Support]
[loaded] com.f-secure.sync.BTCloud.plist (2015-07-31) [Support]
[failed] com.lastpass.LastPassHelper.plist (2015-04-14) [Support]
[running] com.spotify.webhelper.plist (2016-09-11) [Support]
iTunesHelper Application (/Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/MacOS/iTunesHelper.app)
Dropbox Application (/Applications/Dropbox.app)
FlashPlayer-10.6: 22.0.0.209 - SDK 10.9 (2016-07-19) [Support]
QuickTime Plugin: 7.7.3 (2016-07-22)
AdobePDFViewerNPAPI: 15.017.20053 - SDK 10.11 (2016-08-03) [Support]
AdobePDFViewer: 15.017.20053 - SDK 10.11 (2016-08-03) [Support]
Flash Player: 22.0.0.209 - SDK 10.9 (2016-07-19) Outdated! Update
Default Browser: 601 - SDK 10.11 (2016-07-22)
SharePointBrowserPlugin: 14.6.7 - SDK 10.6 (2016-08-25) [Support]
nplastpass: 3.1.89 - SDK 10.10 (2015-04-14) [Support]
Silverlight: 5.1.41105.0 - SDK 10.6 (2015-12-21) [Support]
JavaAppletPlugin: Java 8 Update 101 build 13 (2016-08-23) Check version
WebEx64: 1.0 - SDK 10.6 (2015-07-17) [Support]
Google Earth Web Plug-in: 7.1 (2013-10-07) [Support]
LastPass - LastPass - https://lastpass.com (2015-09-04)
Flash Player (2016-06-29) [Support]
Java (2016-06-22) [Support]
Time Machine not configured!
17% update_dyld_shared_cache
8% kernel_task
6% WindowServer
1% systemstatsd
1% com.avast.daemon
905 MB update_dyld_shared_cache
421 MB kernel_task
152 MB Safari
147 MB Dropbox
127 MB mdworker(10)
137 MB Free RAM
3.86 GB Used RAM (1.10 GB Cached)
67 MB Swap Used
Sep 17, 2016, 07:50:32 AM Self test - passed
Mac mini, iOS 10
Posted on Sep 17, 2016 12:36 AM
I would suggest removing the Avast software according to the developers' instructions. You don't need anti-virus software on your Mac and going by other reports on here Avast often seems to figure as a potential cause of problems.
If you do remove it, restart the Mac and test. If it makes no difference once Avast is removed, you can always re-install it if you feel you need it (even though you don't ).
Posted on Sep 17, 2016 2:44 AM