Macbook Air beachballing with EtreCheckPro issues

I have run EtreCheck Pro to evaluate my M2 Macbook Air's performance and there are major issues and minor issues that I'm unclear as to what to do. I'm running 15.3 of Sonoma with 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD. Is EtreCheck Pro reliable and instructive or should I ignore its results? What to do?


Problem: Beachballing


Major Issues:

  Anything that appears on this list needs immediate attention. 

  Heavy CPU usage - Some processes are using an unusually high amount of CPU.

  Low disk space - This computer is running critically low on free hard drive space.

  Orphan system extension - A system extension has not been properly uninstalled.

  System extension blocked - There are system extensions awaiting user approval.


Minor Issues:

  These issues do not need immediate attention but they may indicate future problems or opportunities for improvement. 

  Apps crashing - There have been numerous app crashes.

  Apps with heavy CPU usage - There have been numerous cases of apps with heavy CPU usage.

  Unsigned files - There are unsigned software files installed. These files could be old, incompatible, and cause problems. They should be reviewed.

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

  Runaway user process - A user process is using a large percentage of your CPU.

  External drives and performance - There are external drives connected that could be affecting performance.

  Kernel extensions present - This computer has kernel extensions that may not work in the future.

  Sharing enabled - This computer has sharing services enabled that could be a security risk.



[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Posted on Feb 4, 2025 6:37 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Feb 4, 2025 8:04 AM

Unfortunately you have installed junk on your computer that is impacting the performance of your Mac. The known categories of apps that have been found to conflict with the normal operation are:

  • Cleaners (CleanMyMac) - It is also known as BrickMyMac
  • Optimizers
  • Antivirus
  • VPN - Unless required to "tunnel" into employer or school networks. In that case you will be given the app to use along with the specific settings for that app.


To get your Mac back to working order it is going to require you to uninstall those conflicting apps and in some cases the System Extensions are very difficult to remove. Start with any provided uninstaller with those apps.

  • CleanMyMac
  • Intego NetBarrier
  • Intego VirusBarrier
  • Intego WashingMachine
  • Reincubate System Extension remains, yet the application for it is not found. Likely due to deleting the app without using the uninstaller to remove all remnant files
  • Remove Fing - It is also Not Signed. All apps should be signed by the developer.
  • PrivateVPN app
  • NordVPN


Your system is using a tremendous amount of resources indexing your HardDrives. That will require reconsidering apps that are causing the files to be "touched", which starts the indexing process. Hazel and iDrive may be competing against each other. It may also help to exclude some of the drives from indexing especially if they are just used for backups.


Please consider what others contribute as well as this is just my interpretation of what is going on. It may also be advised to do a clean install and start over to clear the system of those problematic apps, then add the ones that you truly need.



Similar questions

7 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Feb 4, 2025 8:04 AM in response to geniusoflvb

Unfortunately you have installed junk on your computer that is impacting the performance of your Mac. The known categories of apps that have been found to conflict with the normal operation are:

  • Cleaners (CleanMyMac) - It is also known as BrickMyMac
  • Optimizers
  • Antivirus
  • VPN - Unless required to "tunnel" into employer or school networks. In that case you will be given the app to use along with the specific settings for that app.


To get your Mac back to working order it is going to require you to uninstall those conflicting apps and in some cases the System Extensions are very difficult to remove. Start with any provided uninstaller with those apps.

  • CleanMyMac
  • Intego NetBarrier
  • Intego VirusBarrier
  • Intego WashingMachine
  • Reincubate System Extension remains, yet the application for it is not found. Likely due to deleting the app without using the uninstaller to remove all remnant files
  • Remove Fing - It is also Not Signed. All apps should be signed by the developer.
  • PrivateVPN app
  • NordVPN


Your system is using a tremendous amount of resources indexing your HardDrives. That will require reconsidering apps that are causing the files to be "touched", which starts the indexing process. Hazel and iDrive may be competing against each other. It may also help to exclude some of the drives from indexing especially if they are just used for backups.


Please consider what others contribute as well as this is just my interpretation of what is going on. It may also be advised to do a clean install and start over to clear the system of those problematic apps, then add the ones that you truly need.



Feb 4, 2025 7:00 AM in response to geniusoflvb

I would recommend posting the entire report from EtreCheck using these instructions: 


How to use the Add Text Feature When Post… - Apple Community


rather than just a subset. There's a lot of information in the full report that is missing from what you've posted, information that will be very helpful in folks here trying to diagnose your issue.


Note, however, the notification about being short on disk space. Running low on available disk space can have a big impact on the performance of your system. You need to clear a bunch of space and then see how things behave. If problems persist, run a new report and then post the full report here.


Regards.

Feb 4, 2025 9:27 AM in response to geniusoflvb

Multiple VPN's have never worked well together. They have been marketed using the similar fear tactics of AntiVirus software as a security measure and that is simply not true. All of your data is being sent to their servers and many of them have been caught selling your data to advertisers and their servers are susceptible to data breaches where user data has been compromised. It is simply a hole in your security that is not needed. The temptation to increase revenue from selling your data is far too great for some, and that source of income is more than what they would get from any nominal subscription fee.


NordVPN has suffered data breaches in 2019 and as recently as last year along with several others.

https://www.techradar.com/pro/vpn/over-2-million-vpn-passwords-have-been-stolen-heres-what-you-can-do-about-it


I would not expect you to simply follow my opinions on any matter, here are what other users on this support site believe:

Is an Intego Subscription a good thing? - Apple Community


And some other points to consider from third parties:

https://gist.github.com/joepie91/5a9909939e6ce7d09e29

https://overengineer.dev/blog/2019/04/08/very-precarious-narrative/


I just provide the info so you can make an informed decision. By all means, it is your computer and you can do what you want with it. If you are looking specifically for security, then please review the information provided here by another well known and respected user:

Effective defenses against malware and ot… - Apple Community


This thread has been closed by the system or the community team. You may vote for any posts you find helpful, or search the Community for additional answers.

Macbook Air beachballing with EtreCheckPro issues

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