Clean install after Time Machine Backup

Using the instructions below post the entire Etrecheck report:

Copy the report

and use the Additional Text button to include the report in your reply.

Then we can examine the report and see if we can determine what might be causing the problem.

ALSO make sure you've given Etrcheck full disk access before running it again.

First, there is no reason to ever install or run any 3rd party "cleaning", "optimizing", "speed-up", anti-virus, VPN or security apps on your Mac.  This user tip describes what you need to know and do in order to protect your Mac: Effective defenses against malware and other threats - Apple Community.  

There are no known viruses, i.e. self propagating, for Macs.  There are, however, adware and malware which require the user to install although unwittingly most of the time thru sneaky links, etc.   

Anti Virus developers try to group all types as viruses into their ad campaigns of fear.  They do a poor job of the detecting and isolating the adware and malware.  Since there are no viruses these apps use up a lot of system resources searching for what is non-existent and adversely affect system and app performance.

There is one app, Malwarebytes, which was developed by a long time contributor to these forums and a highly respected member of the computer security community, that is desshoigned solely to seek out adware and known malware and remove it.  The free version is more than adequate for most users.  

Here's some food for thought: unless you're using a true VPN tunnel, such as between you and your employer's or bank's servers, they are useless from a privacy standpoint.  Read these two articles: Public VPN's are anything but private and Former Malware Distributor Kape Technologies Now Owns ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, Private Internet Access, Zenmate, and a Collection of VPN “Review” Websites.  However, that being said one of the most respected contributors to these forums and a respected developer has reported favorable about NordVPN.  So it may be more secure than most of the other public VPNs.

You have 2 VPNs installed. I would recommend that you uninstall Free VPN according to the developer's instructions.

You've also installed what most of the experienced users in the ASC consider akin to malware: CleanMyMac. Uninstall it according to the developer's instructions. You can check to see if you've removed all of the supporting files by downloading and running the shareware app Find Any File to search for any files with the application's or the developer's name in the file name.  For the CMM software you'd do the following search(es): 

1 - Name contains cleanmymac

Any files that are found can be dragged from the search results window to the Desktop or Trash bin in the Dock for deletion.

FAF can search areas that Spotlight can't like invisible folders, system folders and packages.  

Then erase and reformat it.

fjunker wrote:

1 - At this point do I still need to do a clean install, or, have I done enough?

2 - I can use the 2 TB drive to clean out what's currently on the 5 TB drive and use the 5 TB drive for TMB's. Absent the awareness of the existence of the first 5 TB external drive, I'd ordered another 5 TB drive, so I should have a handle on redundancy.

1 - I'd run for a while as is and see if the performance is any better.

2 - unless you have files on the 2TB TM drive that you don't have on your boot drive I'd erase the TM drive before copying over the files from the 5TM drive.

That's what I was suggesting. Erase and format the 2TB drive, copy the files from the 5TB drive, erase and format the 5TB drive and start TM on it. We are on the same page.