iMac late 2015 Monterey runs very slow

MAC late 2015 Monterey runs very slow


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iMac 21.5″, macOS 12.4

Posted on Jul 16, 2022 5:03 PM

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Posted on Jul 16, 2022 6:26 PM

This may due to the configuration of your hardware. The late 2015 iMac came with several different options for the internal drive:


1 or 3 TB (7200-rpm SATA), 1, 2, or 3 TB Fusion Drive, or 256, 512 GB, or 1 TB flash storage


If you have the SATA or Fusion drives, those are depending on a mechanical (spinning) hard drive and those drives are VERY slow under Monterey because Monterey requires the drive to be in APFS format which is optimized for solid state drives (SSD) but very much non-optimal for mechanical drives. See


https://bombich.com/blog/2019/09/12/analysis-apfs-enumeration-performance-on-rotational-hard-drives


My wife's 2016 iMac was similarly affected. We obtained a new 1 TB internal SSD and replaced the mechanical drive with the SSD and the speed increased by more than a factor of ten.

9 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jul 16, 2022 6:26 PM in response to zontar981

This may due to the configuration of your hardware. The late 2015 iMac came with several different options for the internal drive:


1 or 3 TB (7200-rpm SATA), 1, 2, or 3 TB Fusion Drive, or 256, 512 GB, or 1 TB flash storage


If you have the SATA or Fusion drives, those are depending on a mechanical (spinning) hard drive and those drives are VERY slow under Monterey because Monterey requires the drive to be in APFS format which is optimized for solid state drives (SSD) but very much non-optimal for mechanical drives. See


https://bombich.com/blog/2019/09/12/analysis-apfs-enumeration-performance-on-rotational-hard-drives


My wife's 2016 iMac was similarly affected. We obtained a new 1 TB internal SSD and replaced the mechanical drive with the SSD and the speed increased by more than a factor of ten.

Jul 16, 2022 7:41 PM in response to zontar981

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Your computer’s security settings. Click the About buttons to learn more about Apple’s security features and built-in malware protection.


Gatekeeper status should always be set to either App Store and identified developers or App Store


System Integrity Protection status should always be set to Enabled.  


All antivirus software is also listed. All computers should have Apple’s built-in security software. 

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Unsigned Files

Launchd Filesmega.mac.megaupdaterReview…Running appsMEGAsync.appReview…Login items

MEGAsyncReview…

Plugins

NameInstall dateSilverlightShow2016-10-05 18:50:21AmazonMP3DownloaderPluginShow2017-06-13 17:48:46one unsigned appHide

NameVersionLast usedMEGAsync.app4.6.62022-07-16Show

These files are software that lack a valid Developer ID signature from Apple. Sometimes, unsigned files may be malware. In most cases, however, they are older software files made before digital signatures were commonplace. They can also be recent software with an automatique update mechanism that has invalidated the signature. Without a valid Developer ID signature, EtreCheck cannot tell the difference between legitimate and malicious software.


Use the Review buttons to help you determine if a file is legitimate or malicious. Once you have reviewed these unsigned files, you can use the Hide button or go to the Privacy tab in EtreCheck preferences to hide them.


Unsigned, but legitimate, files do not need to be deleted. However, they may cause problems in the future. Review these files and see if updated versions or signed alternatives are available.


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iMac late 2015 Monterey runs very slow

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