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FCPX runs faster on a clean install of macOS - how to replicate on existing install?

Hi guys, I have noticed during testing that if I make a new macOS user account, FCPX loads projects much faster than my current user account. There may be a 10 second difference. Other actions are also faster, including when I quit. I'm used to loading a new, big library taking maybe 20 seconds, but on the new macOS user it took 1 second.


Now I know I could just use a new account and start over, but I have these concerns and questions for you:


  1. Once I get all my other programs, settings, and files into the new User account, are they going to cause the same slowdown to effect FCPX? In other words, though it seems snappier with a fresh clean account, might I be about to waste 5 hours only to then cause the same slowdown once the install is no longer "clean" but rather bogged down?
  2. Is there a trusted "cleanup tool" I can run on my current User, to get the same effect? (I have already trashed FCPX prefs, run Disk Utility, got lots of empty space, etc.)


Thanks in advance.

iMac 21.5″ 4K, macOS 10.14

Posted on Sep 18, 2020 3:07 PM

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25 replies

Sep 20, 2020 12:27 AM in response to AppleIIme

Let me put it this way:

I have migrated my documents, mail, pictures from mac to mac all the way since a Titanium PowerBook. That’s great.

In several of those migrations I did migrate everything.


But... there is an important difference. A pdf is a pdf, text is text; I can read a 2002 latex document today, no problem. A kernel extension from Jaguar (that was 10.2) would not work in El Capitan, let alone Mojave. An application that was built with the Lion SDK might not work without updating in High Sierra.

That is why the great MPEG Streamclip that we knew and loved only partially worked in High Sierra and Mojave (and now, of course, it does not run at all).


All the time on those Etrecheck reports I see system extensions that were installed a decade and three macs ago, and which the user of course had no idea were there, or what they were meant for (and often blamed Apple when an update “breaks” things).


So, yes, I do recommend migrating user accounts and nothing else. It is no longer such a pain as it used to be. (I did at times install Excel from 7 floppies... that was painful)

And you get rid of that old stuff that you once installed and forgot, and is hurting performance or crashing your mac.




Sep 20, 2020 11:09 AM in response to Luis Sequeira1

What is the mechanism whereby old files slow down the system?


My opinion is that a fresh install seems faster because the user has not yet reinstalled on the apps and login items. In my case, if I do a fresh install, it will seem faster, but by the time I've added back in the indispensable background apps that I do require like TextExpander, CopyClip, Mailbutler, DeX, VNC Server, Google Drive, surely the system will be back down to the same speed.


In other words, I think what you are recommending is an illusion. I don't mean that as a criticism. Illusions happen all the time in life, and nice ones seem nice.


In my case, I installed a clean account, and the system ran faster. But I'm sure I'd be back to square one a month later.


The issue I have is that so many complex apps have been customized with preferences and settings, toolbars rearranged, keyboard shortcuts changed to suit my Logitech MX Master mouse's 8 buttons, etc etc etc... it just isn't as "easy" as you say to wipe everything and reconfigure all that from scratch.


HOWEVER, if there is a way to copy certain preference files back to the clean system, and IF you can explain the mechanism whereby "clutter" slows down a system (as opposed to "taking up disk space" which is very different to slowdown), then please do advise.

Sep 20, 2020 11:50 AM in response to AppleIIme

I don't know how aware you are about programming and what is needed to have a particular piece of software running on macOS.

Every application uses windows, menus, etc. They do not reinvent that functionality.

Apple furnishes an SDK (software development kit) that has code necessary to all applications. These applications use that functionality via API (application programming interfaces - that is, an application may opening a window by calling a function in the SDK which might be called NewWindow, and have specific parameters that have to be given by the application)


Each year with a new macOS there is a new SDK, that can be subtly and sometimes radically different from the previous one.

And each year new API are created to access new functionality, some API are changed, some are deprecated (which is a way of telling developers that they may be later removed), and some are removed.


If an application uses an API that is no longer available, that application will not run.

This is why an application built today, which uses, for example ARKit (an API for augmented reality) will never work in Yosemite, for example. Conversely, an application that was built using Carbon (a very old API that only supported 32-bit code) will never work in Catalina.


When you install some applications, they may install system modifications, called kernel extensions. They change the system in subtle ways, and they too are created using the API available AT THE TIME, and the SDK existing AT THE TIME.


As systems evolve, applications that used to run smoothly may have glitches, crash or altogether fail to start.


Do you see updates for an application, with the release notes saying: "updated for Catalina"?

Or a note on a developer site saying "version 2.1 works in Catalina, and no longer works in Yosemite"

Did you see that developers sometimes leave older versions available, just so users with older OS can use them?



So the thing is, that kernel extension that worked in 10.7 may still work in 10.14 but crash your mac in 10.15.

And you'd never realize it's there. You just update from Mojave to Catalina and come here asking why "Apple has crippled my mac and it would never happen if SJ was still alive"


Sep 20, 2020 11:50 AM in response to Luis Sequeira1

Luis wrote: "Your system drive ... is "Fusion Drive", and one of those with only a 28GB SSD. If you were to boot your mac using one the SSD you already have ... the responsiveness of your mac would change very signifcantly."


With all due respect this was somewhat misleading. I have just completed this transfer process based on your recommendation. The system boots up just as slowly as before. It is definitely booting from the Samsung t5 ssd. However using the blackmagic speed test the fusion drive is outperforming the T5 half of the time. The Fusion drive can peak 650MB/s whilst the T5 is giving 450.


Whilst I have noticed that opening applications is snappier, the boot time is not and I would definitely disagree with your statement that an external SSD is "very significantly" faster than an internal smaller one.

Sep 20, 2020 11:58 AM in response to Luis Sequeira1

I am very well versed in programming and understand fully that applications may not work if they were designed for older versions of macOS, but you are talking about something different to what this thread and my questions are about. I am talking specifically about slow down.


You were clear above that migrating only the user account and intentionally excluding applications would result in a faster system with less slowdown.


You said that in response to my question about why the new user account ran faster with Final Cut than my current user account.


I am arguing the perspective that it is only additional apps that I like to have running in the background that cause a bit of slow down. You are saying that I could achieve the same speed increase by migrating and excluding the applications then spending painful days setting up all my preferences, keyboard shortcuts, toolbars, Etc back to how I want them. I am arguing respectfully that that is a waste of time.


I linked to you to another thread where a level six contributor stated that he agreed with that being a waste of time and stated that it sounded more like advice you would get for a Windows system.


I have asked people this question in the past and I've never got a clear answer. you are still not giving a clear answer, with all due respect. I asked you why excluding applications from migration would cause the system to run faster. you answered this by explaining why it might prevent crashes. Talking about crashes is not an answer to a question about slow down.


If I open Final Cut Pro, what is Final Cut Pro looking at from my older applications that is causing it to slow down? I don't think it interfaces with the old apps at all.


When I provided the Etrecheck you mentioned 2 kernel extensions. I removed these and the system did not speed up.


I remain open to the possibility but until someone can give a clear answer as to why excluding applications during migration will cause the migrated system to run faster, even one month later when all of those applications have been reinstalled and eight of them are running in the background, then I cannot understand it. can you give a clear answer as to why excluding applications from migration would result in Final Cut Pro running faster one month later?

Sep 20, 2020 12:08 PM in response to AppleIIme

The difference between most user systems and pro apps users is really quite substantial. What works wonderfully for most user might not be the best choice for high performance systems. I thought Luis explained it very well, though you seem to be very aware of all this, yet you would want to carry around all this dead weight on your system. Is it really that hard to reinstall the applications? Honestly I have done many migrations from Time Machine, and I can install most of the applications faster than the TM drive can migrate them.

Sep 20, 2020 12:19 PM in response to Tom Wolsky

yet you would want to carry around all this dead weight on your system.

I do appreciate all the help but you're still not actually explaining what speed impact that "dead weight" has. I know it takes up disk space but how does disk space on my new 2TB SSD slow down the system? I have 1.6TB free now. But FCPX runs at the same speed as ever.


Until someone can explain that there's anything other than an aesthetic "feeling" about having less "clutter" sitting there unopened and unused, I cannot see why it would speed things up. It is invisible to FCPX. FCPX doesn't go looking at the Preferences folder or the Applications folder then say to itself "there are preference files for Office 2011 there, I'm going to run slower".


Please, by all means explain it. I'm open to any rational explanation of why old applications that are not open slow down FCPX.


Is it really that hard to reinstall the applications?


Yes hugely. I've explained above that I have many custom settings: Toolbars, preferences, keyboard shortcuts, 8-button mouse hotkeys, screen layouts...you name it. I know that weeks from now I'd still be finding things I have to rebuild for all that.


Without any valid reason being given other than words like "clutter" or "dead weight", and with other high level users on this same forum saying that what you guys recommend is not necessary, would be a "pain", and is more like Windows users act, then I'd really rather avoid weeks of annoyance.


I'm open... tell me why some undeleted files slow down FCPX...


Thank you.

Sep 20, 2020 1:48 PM in response to Tom Wolsky

Thanks for the reply. So to confirm are you saying that my hotkeys and toolbars for Photoshop, Fusion 360, Adobe Audition, FCPX, as well as the Logitech mouse software "Logi 360" app-specific mouse buttons for those programs, all migrate with the user account even if I don't migrate any of those apps or Logi?


You asked why a clean admin runs faster. I already stated it's because all the background apps I require aren't loaded yet. And I said I bet after a month the clean account would be back to being a bit slower.


I do find it strange nobody can ever explain "the why" for the "Windows" like argument of a clean install. Oh well.

FCPX runs faster on a clean install of macOS - how to replicate on existing install?

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