Help with Etrecheck report

Are you experiencing specific performance issues? If so, please describe

I have just run Etrecheck and see references to "extensions" that need to be deleted.

Are you referring to this line near the top of the report?

System extensions installed - This computer has system extensions installed. System extensions can be difficult to uninstall.

That shows up in nearly every report. Apple have been deprecating system extensions but some outside or older apps still seem to have them. Computers running perfectly will throw out the flag, which I view as a "future-proofing" advisory more than a problem alert.

The only extension issue I see (other than unneeded software) is this case of an "orphan" extension:

[Running] Little Snitch Mini Network Extension - version 1.2 (App Store - 2023-04-26)

Application: Not found! ⚠️

Description: This system extension enables Little Snitch Mini to filter network traffic.

If there is still a Little Snitch installer folder on your computer, see if it has a uninstaller tool in it. You may be able to find it under:

Macintosh HD > Users > [your username] > Library > Application Support

I have no idea what LuLu does.

To me, this is the greater concern:

System modifications - There are a large number of system modifications running in the background.

I see App Cleaner. Any so-called "cleaning" app can degrade performance because it interferes with elegant, automated self-maintenance routines for which you paid Apple good money to build into the OS. That elegance has been part of macOS for 24 YEARS! They do ALL needed housekeeping—including defragging when needed—without any help at all from third-party apps. Catlike, Macs clean themselves.

Further, client-side VPNs are not needed by about 90+% of people who buy them. If you require controlled remote access to a corporate or school server, yes, a VPN is nice BUT your employer will likely issue you one that is compatible with their systems.

To remove these extensions you must first start with the uninstaller provided by the app. If you deleted the app without running the uninstaller, it is easer to reinstall the app just to be able to use the uninstaller. Sometimes you may find a separate uninstaller on the support page for the app.

Without using the uninstaller, it can be very difficult to remove System Extensions and is usually easier to just do a clean install of your OS. The steps needed to remove some of these System Extensions manually involve:

• Booting into Recovery Mode
• Using Terminal disable SIP protection
• Use Terminal to list System Extensions
• Use Terminal to get the TeamID of the Extension you want removed
• Use Terminal to get the BundleID of the Extension you want removed
• Use Terminal to remove the extension using the Team ID and Bundle ID
• Use Terminal to Enable SIP Protection

The commands are long to do this and require exact syntax for it to work and is not a simple process.

This Mac is just chock full of add-on security products. A situation far too often not conducive to system security, to data and metadata privacy, to system and app stability, and to performance.

And that can also be system overhead that too often finds nothing.

I’m mildly surprised this Mac is running as well as it is, as (memory-wise) it's seemingly barely running EtreCheck.

This is also an 8 GB Fusion iMac, so it’s going to slow when that SSD is overrun. Fusion won’t be as slow as a full HDD-only non-Fusion iMac, but Fusion is only fast in short bursts; it’s a sprinter for its I/O.

Related: Why is my hard disk drive iMac so slow? - Apple Community

Related: Use an external SSD as your startup disk … - Apple Community

If you are potentially having performance issues with various apps, I’d remove the anti-malware and the security apps. Docker is also not lightweight, and add-on first-few-hops VPNs are best approached exceedingly cautiously.

For assistance with the Lulu firewall and the rest of the add-in security apps, and for questions about and help interpreting the findings of their tools, contact the app providers; Objective See support and otherwise.

Where this iMac mine? I’d re-install on external SSD pending replacement, and I’d skip the add-on security tools.

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 documents describe what you need to know and do in order to protect your Mac: Effective defenses against malware and other threats - Apple Community and Recognize and avoid phishing messages, phony support calls, and other scams - Apple Support.  

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 designed solely to seek out adware and known malware and remove it.  The free version is more than adequate for most users.  

Unless you're using a true VPN tunnel, such as between you and your employer's, school's or bank's servers, they provide false security from a privacy standpoint.  Read these two articles: Public VPN's are anything but private and Security Risks: The Dangers of Using Free VPNs (eccu.edu)

As you have already been advised to do uninstall all of the security and VPN apps according to the developer's instructions.

Also MrHoffman's recommendation to get an external SSD, clone your boot drive to it with Carbon Copy Cloner and boot and run from it will increase your boot and application launch speed.

richard797 wrote:

Thank you Old Toad. I've taken your advice (and from others) and removed all the "cleanup" and "security" apps. And I'm hanging on to Malwarebytes (and only run it when necessary)

I'd go even further and delete Malwarebytes. Download it again if you need it. That way it won't take up room on your drive and you'll always have the most up-to-date version.

richard797 wrote:

Thank you Old Toad. I've taken your advice (and from others) and removed all the "cleanup" and "security" apps. *And I'm hanging on to Malwarebytes (and only run it when necessary)

Good to hear. *That's what I do.