Extremely slow IMac

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Level 1

8 points

Extremely slow IMac

Hi everyone,

I'm an old fart who isn't technical. Tried to fix this on my own but couldn't so, now I need your help.

I have a IMac Retina 4K, 21.5 inch, 2019, 3.6 Quad Core Intel Core I3, Radeon Pro 555X 2GB graphics and 8Gig 2400 MHZ-DDR4.

I've had this system for 3 years. It's always been very slow since we purchased it but it's gotten worse. I have never download any program except AVG anti virus and then I allow it to do OS updates automatically.

That's it, nothing else.

My problem is how slow my computer is. This morning, I sat down to surf and it took 17 minutes for my safari browser to pull up. After the browser is up for a few minutes, it will then start to surf at a decent speed. Nothing fast like I've seen at friends house though. IT's constantly so slow.

If it does an OS update, it takes about 90 minutes before I can start surfing the web again.

I only use the computer for emails, surfing and, once every 4 weeks, I write a letter to my great grandson.

Please help me speed this thing up.

Posted on Nov 8, 2023 5:50 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

jeffreythefrog

Level 6

15,878 points

Nov 8, 2023 6:24 AM in response to Nakedland

Nakedland wrote:

Is installing an SSD easy?

actually, no. on an iMac it is extremely difficult. but you could always install macOS on an external SSD and boot from that. to implement that, please see this informative user tip: Use an external SSD as your startup disk with your iMac or Mac mini - User Tip.

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Answer 2

Nov 8, 2023 6:17 AM in response to Nakedland

Nakedland wrote:

It's always been VERY slow

my guess would be that it is equipped with an HDD, and not an SSD.

but AVG could also be contributing to the slowness. antivirus apps are neither needed nor recommended with macOS. the thing they are good for is causing issues within macOS while providing zero protection or benefit. you would do well in uninstalling it using the developer's instructions.

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Answer 3

Nov 8, 2023 7:22 AM in response to Nakedland

NO antivirus apps are recommended. the best protection is to use common sense. the weak link in a mac's security is us, the end users. I would recommend you read Effective defenses against malware and other threats - Apple Community. it's a long article, but worth your time to read every word.

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Answer 4

Nov 8, 2023 6:39 AM in response to Nakedland

Nakedland wrote:

Thank you again.

you're welcome.

Last question, how do I uninstall the AVG from my system?

I'm not entirely certain. I would first check and see if the app came with an uninstaller. If not, I would then visit the vendor's website to see if they have instructions of uninstalling that. and if no luck there, you could either google it, or wait for instructions from someone here that may know all of the locations where parts of the app could be hiding. simply dragging it to the trash may not remove all of the related files.

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Answer 5

Nov 8, 2023 6:30 AM in response to Nakedland

Nakedland wrote:

Are they all compatible or should I be looking at one specific SSD? Thank you

sorry, I missed that question. it all boils down to "how fast does your wallet want to go?" :) there are many combinations with speeds from "mild to wild". for me, I like the Samsung T7 SSDs. they are, IMHO, a good compromise between price and performance.

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