What happened to my iMac Retina 21.5 2017 computer? It has totally lost its performance.
It is unbearable to use and is causing big problems at work. I can't rely on using it any more.
I've tried many suggested routines to tuning up with some Apple techs, but it's not working.
How can I get my iMac back to the speed it used to be??
iMac 21.5″ 4K, macOS 10.15
It could be any number of things. Not too likely to be a failing hard drive since it isn't that old. Specifically, what if anything, have you installed or changed? How much RAM does it have? Do you have an antivirus app or a Mac cleaning app installed? These can easily be the culprit. There are some basic things which you can try. Often times there is a specific cause and other times any of the following actions may be helpful. They are “maintenance” steps which are often ignored.
· It is important to occasionally restart a Mac. Ideally, once a week or more often. This does some system cleaning.
· Regularly clearing the history of your browsers can help as all the data is stored in RAM. Clearing frees up RAM for system use.
· Some people seldom empty their trash. If you haven’t, then do so. Also empty your email trash.
· Some programs use a lot of RAM. (Like many Adobe apps.) When using then, close any other apps not being used.
· Doing a restart in the safe mode can clear a number of problems. This is done by holding down the shift key at start up. This process can take up to ten minutes while the computer is doing its maintenance and cleans the cache. You may then restart normally. This is an important first step.
· It is also a good idea to run the Disk Utility app. If it reports some issues, then rerun it repeatedly as needed until the final report is ok.
· On some computers the problem may simply be that there is not enough RAM installed for RAM hungry programs that are being used. The very minimum amount of RAM we would recommend for computers running the Catalina OS is 16 GB. This information is found by going to the Apple logo in the upper left corner of the finder and clicking on About This Mac. Note; not all computers are able to have RAM user installed. Some upgrades must be done by a qualified Apple service specialist.
· Last, and most important, you should remove any and all maintenance and anti virus programs. They will cause problems and will significantly slow your computer.
· I would strongly recommend that you download and install the free app EtreCheck. Be sure to enable full disk access and run it. You can post the results here at the bottom. It will tell us exactly what you have installed which might be problematic.
I hope these suggestions are helpful and enable you to speed up your computer.
It could be any number of things. Not too likely to be a failing hard drive since it isn't that old. Specifically, what if anything, have you installed or changed? How much RAM does it have? Do you have an antivirus app or a Mac cleaning app installed? These can easily be the culprit. There are some basic things which you can try. Often times there is a specific cause and other times any of the following actions may be helpful. They are “maintenance” steps which are often ignored.
· It is important to occasionally restart a Mac. Ideally, once a week or more often. This does some system cleaning.
· Regularly clearing the history of your browsers can help as all the data is stored in RAM. Clearing frees up RAM for system use.
· Some people seldom empty their trash. If you haven’t, then do so. Also empty your email trash.
· Some programs use a lot of RAM. (Like many Adobe apps.) When using then, close any other apps not being used.
· Doing a restart in the safe mode can clear a number of problems. This is done by holding down the shift key at start up. This process can take up to ten minutes while the computer is doing its maintenance and cleans the cache. You may then restart normally. This is an important first step.
· It is also a good idea to run the Disk Utility app. If it reports some issues, then rerun it repeatedly as needed until the final report is ok.
· On some computers the problem may simply be that there is not enough RAM installed for RAM hungry programs that are being used. The very minimum amount of RAM we would recommend for computers running the Catalina OS is 16 GB. This information is found by going to the Apple logo in the upper left corner of the finder and clicking on About This Mac. Note; not all computers are able to have RAM user installed. Some upgrades must be done by a qualified Apple service specialist.
· Last, and most important, you should remove any and all maintenance and anti virus programs. They will cause problems and will significantly slow your computer.
· I would strongly recommend that you download and install the free app EtreCheck. Be sure to enable full disk access and run it. You can post the results here at the bottom. It will tell us exactly what you have installed which might be problematic.
I hope these suggestions are helpful and enable you to speed up your computer.
I'm pretty sure you own the 2nd slowest Mac in the world. But I do understand your frustration. Frankly it's impossible for anyone on an internet forum to tell you why. In my case, it's failing hardware due to the age of the machine. Your machine is much newer though. Could be hardware, could be any number of things. Best thing would be to take it in for service.
I OWN THAT SLOWEST MAC IN THE WORLD
