My MacBook Pro keeps crashing when I'm dealing with a lot of data. I did the Etrecheck Pro and hoping folks have advice.

<< I assume there isn't any external hardware I could add to deal with the RAM limitations. >>

correct as written. In the long run, you need a better computer.

--------

startup items are several kinds, and the way you eliminate then is different for each kind.

(This has changed dramatically in Ventura and later)

Remove login items to resolve startup problems on your Mac - Apple Support

.

Memory has been soldered to the mainboard in MacBook Pro, for maximum reliability, since late 2012 Retina models. it is not upgradeable after purchase. At 8 GB, you do not have enough to run Ventura and later in an appropriately responsive way. That Apple sold computers with so little RAM is regrettable, given the needs of MacOS alone.

When real memory is so low, you need to restart your Mac more often than your current reported 13 days. This will clear out cached data that are not as valuable to You as to other users with enough RAM. I would suggest that restarting daily is not too often. Consider doing a shutdown at the end of the day and restarting in the morning.

continued in next post...

But you have other things going on that could improve performance somewhat.

Antivirus software: Apple and F-Secure

third-party virus scanners punish performance looking for things that simply are not a threat to you well-protected MacBook Pro. You should completely remove F-secure.

Unsigned Files:

  Launchd: /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.yelab.AdwareRemovalHelper.plist

    Executable: /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/com.yelab.AdwareRemovalHelper

Installing ordinary software from unidentified developers in this day and age is inexcusable. if you must use such stuff, be certain that is is from a respected developer who has committed to the Apple platform by maintaining a valid (revokable) Developer Certificate.

backups not up to date

your current situation is precarious. you MUST keep your nbackups current.

Remove the Security Suite you installed yesterday using the uninstaller that they should have provided and follow up with another EtreCheck report to verify everything has been removed. There are a whopping 19 different processes installed on startup folders.

Your Wacom tablet driver may also be out of date since it was installed in 2016 and has crashed 662 times in the last 60 days.

You have a file called com.yelab.AdwareRemovalHelper.plist that is at /Library/Launch Daemons that is Not Signed and installed in 2017.

If you need to be "present" on an institutional network, a VPN is a great tool for accomplishing this. it is generally issued and controlled by the institution.

Almost all other uses are a SCAM. There is generally no need for you to have a private connection to a VPN Vendor's Network, except to make it easier for them to harvest your data to sell.

if VPN vendors just stopped there, that would be bad. But many of these packages also insist on scanning all your files, non-stop, -- nominally looking for viruses, but who knows for sure what data they are harvesting. Their non-stop file reading punishes your computer's performance in the process.

Some also break into your other secure connections so they can be FIRST to examine your data, often leaving your Mac MORE vulnerable to attack.

remove THIS:

VPNs:

[Loaded] pango-wireguard - /Applications/Charter Security Suite/F-Secure Mac Protection.app

[Loaded] pango-hydra - /Applications/Charter Security Suite/F-Secure Mac Protection.app

AC

Chrome is the most resource-guzzling application that is not obvious malware. if you can change to another Browser, it will have a smaller demand for memory, graphics power and CPU power.

Given that you are so short of memory, quit your Browser when you are doing things other thingsthat are memory intensive, if possible.

the PASTE the results into a Additional text window in the reply:

...