System Events

Question

System Events

Whenever I log into OS X, a process named "System Events" starts up and uses about 40% of my CPU. It eventually drops down to normal CPU usage, but I've had to quit it sometimes from Activity Monitor. What is this process? Is it important?

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.5.5), 2.5 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo; 4 GB DDR2 RAM; NVIDIA 8600 M GT w/ 512 MB GDDR3 RAM; 16 GB iPhone 3G

Posted on Nov 3, 2008 12:10 PM

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Answer 1

Nov 3, 2008 12:17 PM in response to benjamin.wofford.2011

System Events is the agent in OS X that allows for AppleScript GUI scripting, as well as various other AppleScript features. Do you have an AppleScripts that open on login, or any applications that you may have scripted?

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Answer 2

Nov 3, 2008 12:34 PM in response to Community User

I haven't set any applescripts to open at login myself, but I suppose some third party apps that I have installed could (I have set some of these to open at login). I've also set set my iDisk to mount at login.

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Answer 3

Nov 3, 2008 1:00 PM in response to benjamin.wofford.2011

The iDisk could do it perhaps. Try setting it not to mount on Login. Also, check for any Login Items in System Preferences.

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Answer 4

Nov 3, 2008 2:35 PM in response to Community User

No I don't, though I may have some third party apps I've set to launch on startup to do. Is there anyway to script quitting system events? Unfortunately I'm not good enough with scripts to do it myself.

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Answer 5

Dec 19, 2008 7:56 PM in response to Community User

Not mounting my iDisk solved the problem for me. Went from 55% or 3% CPU on my 2 GHz aluminum iMac.

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Answer 6

baltwo

Level 9

62,386 points

Dec 19, 2008 11:29 PM in response to benjamin.wofford.2011

You can't disable system events. Remove the login items. Ron LaPedis gave you a hint.

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Answer 7

Jan 30, 2009 7:34 AM in response to benjamin.wofford.2011

I didn't have idisk automounted, but my NAS was. Removing it from my login items solved my issue as well. Hope they fix this because my backup application can't mount shares automatically and I'd like to not have to do it manually.

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