How to optimize memory usage when dealing with XProtectRemediatorSheepSwap on Mac

I too have been having this problem except mine peaks out to above 109GB, yes you read that correctly...GB, not MB. I have 32GB of RAM and it drops to under 1GB. I even closed every app so no apps were open at all and my memory usage was still red lining to a point my computer was unusable. It then magically goes back to normal levels for about an hour or 2 but goes straight back to bogging down my machine for about an hour. I do not have CleanMyMac or any other app that cleans anything. I did a deep malware/virus scan which came up empty. All apps are up to date. I have introduced reopening apps one at a time and made no difference. Rebooted in Safe Mode but the problem still persisted. I restricted Login Items which again made no difference. I reinstalled the operating system with no change and then did a complete clean reinstall the other day and you guessed it, made no difference. I would also like to point out that this started instantly as of last week. I am trying to work out if this is an Apple thing or my computer is time to be replaced even though it is only 5 years old. It did coincide with a Software Update for macOS. I have searched all over the internet and the only peoples advice I am reading is either saying 'that this is normal' or do a clean install. Trust me, there is nothing normal about this and it ain't any old apps.

Unfortunately yes. I am starting to think it is a bug also since I have been trying to find out if anyone has been having the same problem but haven't seen anything that remotely relates to it until now. This leads me to believe that it may be too new for it to be a recognised problem if you catch my meaning. When I finally saw your post I was thinking 'Finally, somebody with the same problem!' I started having the issue as soon as there was an update or thereafter, either that or a coincidence. I also had a look at 'Installations' in the Software section (System Settings/General/System Report/Software/Installations) and noticed in here that there were a couple of XProtectPlistConfigData updates after my computer started going haywire. I literally started getting the issue late on Feb 7 (Australian time) after a macOS update and the problem has been there ever since. Regardless the 2 XProtectPlistConfigData updates were on 11th and 12th Feb. It does make me wonder if this is relating to something that they recognise as being a problem with an update to hopefully fix the real issue. I may be grasping at straws here but maybe somebody with a bit more knowledge can shed some light on this. I have been trying to resolve it for days now with no luck. I am going to do a clean install again but reluctant to do simply because it involves too much downtime for wiping hard drive, install etc only for it to not work. Then again trying to work with my computer when it fires up on all cylinders exhausting every ounce of RAM isn't working either. Good luck if you get the chance to give the clean install a go. Who knows, we may both be in luck after going through the motions of a hard days work, a clean install 😄.

Glad you are back in working order. Not sure why the first clean install did not work. You are correct that restoring your files from a backup or just installing them back on your computer will just put you in the same situation. While you are gradually installing files make sure you do not install the group of apps that have been known to cause problems. Even after uninstalling, they may still leave files in your system folder:

• Cleaners
• Optimizers
• Anti-Virus
• VPN

If you are able to track it to a specific app, please update with your results.

Mac Jim ID wrote:

In any case, I hope the issue gets resolved for you. I am also on version 126 without a problem, so there is something else going on there causing a conflict for a small number of users or a combination of the version and OS since I am on Sonoma. It appears the tobwise was finally able to resolve the problem with a clean install and I'm sure an update on the progress of installing apps will be provided. Not sure why you experienced the same issue after clean install.

In the end it was happening as soon as my computer was starting up so it was instant, that's when I knew I had to try everything. Will definitely keep monitoring and report. Still no sign of the culprit which is good but I will give it another week at least just in case I spoke to soon.

Thanks cuervo7 for posting the other thread, interesting read because they were all the symptoms I had. The sad part was I was going to take my computer in to have it looked at. Imagine that! I would have paid money to possibly have no fix thinking my only option was to get a new computer!! I suppose all we can do is report it to Apple and hopefully it will eventually be resolved. The problem is.....but when?

cuervo7 wrote:

Well, there's another update to XProtect. Let's see if that does anything. 😅

I'd never had this problem or even heard of it until this morning. I had left Activity Monitor open last night, and when my MPB (M1, 32GB) woke this morning my memory was pegged. I'd never heard of "XProtectRemediatorSheepSwap" and assumed the worst. Fortunately I grabbed a few screen shots, because within 30-40 seconds, the process stopped and my memory usage dropped to half. SheepSwap was "only" using 18GB, but still. I don't know if I just got lucky, or if the new version is designed to do work when the computer is idle and back off when in use, but I'm not excited about the prospect of dealing with all the issues in this thread. At any rate, hope this is a useful datapoint to someone.

cuervo7 wrote:

Thanks for the update Tobwise. I'm happy to report I have not been troubled by XProtectMediaSheepSwap in over a month (last time was March 6 I think). Never did a second clean install. I hope we've seen the last of it.

Awesome! Glad to hear you have not had any more ongoing issues. Unfortunately I have gone too far with the clean install it seems pointless going back to a Time Machine backup so will never know if it may have resolved itself via an update. I couldn't wait for that so it was a necessary evil since I run my own business, so no extra iMacs lying around that I could use until it got fixed 😁. Anyways, I hope everybody else that has had this issue has also been freed of the dreaded XProtectMediaSheepSwap. One thing I do know, I will never forget that title and never want to see it again. Happy computing.

Definitely, noticed it before and didn't go away after clean install. As stated before it was even very high when booted in Safe Mode prior to clean install, again with no apps open which prompted me to try the clean install. I did do the free EtreCheck yesterday and didn't find anything out of the ordinary. All I know it is very annoying since I use CAD which uses a lot of RAM but nothing like this and have to wait for my computer to calm down, and myself for that matter. 😆

tobwise wrote:

Definitely, noticed it before and didn't go away after clean install. As stated before it was even very high when booted in Safe Mode prior to clean install, again with no apps open which prompted me to try the clean install. I did do the free EtreCheck yesterday and didn't find anything out of the ordinary. All I know it is very annoying since I use CAD which uses a lot of RAM but nothing like this and have to wait for my computer to calm down, and myself for that matter. 😆

You did not share any of the apps with the OP in the EtreCheck report they provided in this thread?

Computer just crashed but computer running fine at the moment. I just did a EtreCheck however my computer was running nicely so I will wait for it to drop in memory and will do another and post. Just to confirm, I only have the degraded Ram issue when XProtect Remediator is running. When it stops, my computer normalises.

Computer is running extremely low on RAM now so the report attached was when it was in this state (around 3GB left out of 32GB). Just to confirm, it is like this with or without apps running, it makes no difference at all. All apps running are the time are legit and fully licensed etc. Everything that is noted as needing high attention isn't unusual for what I am running at any one time and are not suspicious apps etc.

Hey Luis Sequeira1, in all honesty I was toying with the idea of doing this and it has been in the back of my mind for the last couple of days so your suggestion has triggered the thought into a reality 😁. I went ahead and uninstalled it and monitored it for an hour but unfortunately no luck, same thing. Just on another idea that was suggested to me, create another user and log in under that user and see if the problem still occurs. Surprise surprise, no change, still maxing out on the high pressure memory. Thanks for the idea though as at this point I am prepared to try anything.

After I did the clean install it still had the same issue, I then migrated my Time Machine backup after I realised it was still no good. I am going to have another go it again and see if it works a second time round. I am not holding my breath but hey, stranger things have happened right? Will keep you posted.