Macbook Pro still running slow after deleting CleanMyMac

Run this analyzer and post the results here.

http://www.etresoft.com/etrecheck

EtreCheck on the Mac App Store - https://itunes.apple.com/app/etrecheck/id1423715984?mt=12

Using Etrecheck - https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-6174

To save posting really long reports to the regular window, use the "paper" icon in the editor bar.

CleanMyMac removal instructions: https://discussions.apple.com/message/30410136#message30410136

Wondershare is something that rightly or not leaves me uncomfortable. I think it is because they press usage of their software to do things iTunes already does for free, so I kind of file them along with Clean My Mac in this kind of thing. :-/

Hello,

I see no trace of CleanMyMac running.

I suggest uninstalling F-Secure. EtreCheck is supposed to complain about running multiple antivirus products. I have this fear that running multiple antivirus products would cause problems exactly like what you are seeing. I will use your report to update EtreCheck’s AV list. Clearly I’ve missed something.

Normally I only see one or two “videoguard” files, but you have a ton of them. I suggest getting rid of them. I think getting rid of the torrent software would be a good idea too.

Edit: Sorry for the confusion. I see that EtreCheck did give you the appropriate warning. Still, you did have a few new F-secure files.

I run an older Firefox branch and it takes up 1.25 GB. Mine is a version before the big Firefox 57 change in programming so it wouldn't surprise me if the newer one needed more RAM.

Chrome is frequently reported here as a resource hog.

I'm not sure what I still have now in the way of antivirus

The macOS operating system includes multiple layers of malware protection. You don’t need any 3rd party antivirus protection.

That being said, Apple doesn’t provide great protection against adware, which is technically not malware. You also had MalwareBytes installed, which provides good protection against adware.

I recommended removing F-Secure because it has many more components than MalwareBytes, including a kernel extension, and is therefore more likely to cause problems. Some of F-Secure’s components were in an error condition. You should still double-check your system when running MalwareBytes. Although MalwareBytes has proven to be effective and relatively trouble-free, it has caused problems on rare occasions.

fter doing so, everything seems to be running crisply again. Unfortunately, not in Chrome, but Firefox is fine. (Chrome seems to have several "Google Chrome Helper" entries listed in the memory portion of the Activity Monitor). Having said that, Firefox has Web Extension and Web Content entries, and together with the Browser it comes to about 2.5GB, even though all I have is 4 tabs open (no video, just email and some articles). Is this normal?

Those “helpers” are normal. Sadly, all modern web browsers consume huge quantities of resources. Google, in particular, assumes that there is no reason to use anything other than Chrome for any purpose. They even went to the point of disabling “command-q” to quit. After all, why would anyone ever need to quit Chrome? That's a bit much if you ask me.

As regards getting rid of the "videoguard" files, is that also a case of going through the Library and deleting anything with that word in it?

I’m not really sure what those are. The are associated with Cisco, which is a large and legitimate company. Videoguard is some kind of DRM or something.

EtreCheck’s “remove” buttons are only meant for adware and malware. They should not be used with legitimate software. They will break software. In the case of adware and malware, that is a good thing. You want adware and malware to be disabled. But I have no idea what will happen, or what content or software you will lose if you use EtreCheck to remove those files. The same holds true if you try to manually delete those files. You should only use vendor-provided uninstallers or uninstallation instructions to remove legitimate software. Never use an “app zapper” that can leave some parts running or cause damage.

Unfortunately, in some cases, there are no official uninstallers or uninstallation instructions. I, and other people, will help you all we can here in the forums. But officially, removing legitimate software with EtreCheck is not supported.

You mention only using vendor-provided uninstallers or uninstallation instructions to remove legitimate software. I have often wondered why uninstalling is not more straightforward on a Mac

You and me both.

Do I really need to buy something? Does OSX not have something for this purpose?

Would you recommend anything in particular?

I wouldn’t recommend anything. There are many people who recommend and swear by various types of “app zappers”. In many cases, they will work, but there is no guarantee. Most importantly, there is no central system database that associates files with the application that created them. So, while an “app zapper” might work for a simple app, it may have trouble with a more complex one - the very scenario where one would need extra help.

The only thing that macOS has is the Mac App Store. Any app installed via the Mac App Store lives in a self-enclosed bundle. You can uninstall apps using the LaunchPad in the Dock. Just click and hold on any icon. All icons will start to shake. Any Mac App Store icons will get a little “X” button in the top left corner. You can click on the “X” icon to uninstall the app. This is just like iOS on your iPhone.

Unfortunately, this will only uninstall the app. It will leave behind the app’s container. If you ever want to reinstall the app and recover your old state, you will need this data. But if you don’t want it, there is no way to remove it. Just today I saw a post by someone who was trying to recover 15 GB of space in a deleted app’s container. There is no easy way to remove this data.