kernel_task hogging my CPU, over 300%

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Level 1

1 points

kernel_task hogging my CPU, over 300%

Hi there, I was wondering if anyone can help me solve an issue with my mac.

I noticed that my kernel_task was really draining my CPU, hogging around 300%, barely leaving around 2% of RAM for the user. After doing a bit of research I found that kernel_task basically manages a load of extensions for your hardware and system programs.

Here's some pieces that i've learnt about the issues, as well as the steps that i've taken so far to try to resolve it.

- When I boot in safe mode the computer performs well, suggesting this could be a 3rd party extension issue

- Created a user profile, where the issue still occurs suggesting this is a 3rd party system extension

- Re-installed OSx to see if that would help it - nope

- Deleted the majority of my 3rd party apps, one by one to see if these were the issue. Still not fixed it as yet.

- I've not added any new RAM recently - I'm aware this can be a common cause of kernel_task issues

When I restart here's what the console is saying...

29/01/12 6:24:07 PM	[0x0-0xa00a].com.apple.iTunes[114]	error initializing gpu library
29/01/12 6:24:07 PM	[0x0-0xa00a].com.apple.iTunes[114]	AppleGVA:: Error creating the accelerator 1
29/01/12 6:25:15 PM	com.apple.launchd.peruser.501[90]	([0x0-0x34034].com.freemacsoft.AppCleaner[243]) Exited: Killed
29/01/12 6:27:01 PM	com.freemacsoft.appcleanerd[271]	Appcleanerd started successfully.
29/01/12 6:27:15 PM	com.apple.launchd.peruser.501[90]	([0x0-0x8008].com.apple.universalaccess[101]) Exited: Killed
29/01/12 6:27:15 PM	com.apple.launchd.peruser.501[90]	(com.apple.AirPortBaseStationAgent[112]) Exited: Killed
29/01/12 6:27:33 PM	com.apple.launchd[1]	* launchd[1] has started up. *
29/01/12 6:27:44 PM	com.freemacsoft.appcleanerd[44]	Appcleanerd started successfully.
29/01/12 6:28:23 PM	com.apple.WindowServer[69]	Sun Jan 29 18:28:23 Christopher-Edens-MacBook-Pro.local WindowServer[69] <Error>: kCGErrorFailure: Set a breakpoint @ CGErrorBreakpoint() to catch errors as they are logged.

Any help that you can give me is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Chris

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Jan 28, 2012 11:59 PM

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Answer 1

ChrisEden Author

Level 1

1 points

Jan 29, 2012 12:15 AM in response to ChrisEden

Ok, this is really strange...

I've had this issue for about 4 weeks and on around 3 occasions it's just magically fixed itself, today being one of them. However, I can guarantee as soon as I restart the issue will re-occur.

These have been the few instances when its sorted itself out.

1) When I return to my computer and wake it up, not boot up, the CPU useage just drops to normal levels (kernel_task is only using around 1.8% now.

2) It's also just fixed itself just as a posted the message above, without me doing anything.

Looking at the console, here's what I got at around that time...

29/01/12 7:02:01 PM	[0x0-0x15015].com.apple.Safari[156]	ERROR: image does not have image/global colormap
29/01/12 7:02:25 PM	hdiejectd[218]	running
29/01/12 7:02:26 PM	KernelEventAgent[26]	tid 00000000 received event(s) VQ_LOWDISK, VQ_VERYLOWDISK (516)
29/01/12 7:03:12 PM	Safari[156]	IPCClient: Server port 0 is invalid; looking it up again...
29/01/12 7:07:04 PM	Safari[156]	unknown error code: invalid drawable
29/01/12 7:07:04 PM	Safari[156]	kCGErrorFailure: Set a breakpoint @ CGErrorBreakpoint() to catch errors as they are logged.

I'm sure this is related to the KernelEventAgent one.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

Chris

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Answer 2

ChrisEden Author

Level 1

1 points

Jan 29, 2012 2:22 AM in response to ChrisEden

Ok, me again.

So i've sussed out that when I have my power supply in, Kernel_task CPU usage is normal. When I have it unplugged it goes through the roof, as mentioned earlier.

Anyone else had this problem?

Thanks

C

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Answer 3

DMHK

Level 1

0 points

Jan 29, 2012 10:03 AM in response to ChrisEden

Hello ChrisEden,

I'm having the EXACT same problem. Took me a while to figure out the problem as I'm not super tech savy.

Bootup was dead slow, spinning wheel of death, scrolling jerky across dock, apps loading super slow, video jerky-basically an unusable machine. Took it into the Mac store here in Hong Kong a couple days ago, the guy found a temp fix. But home again and all the problems came back.

Only last night I realised that if I unplugged the power supply performance would immediately drop. And then upon plugging the power supply back in, within 2-4 seconds everything back to normal.

So checked activity monitor tonight and like you, kernal_task, whatever it is, hogs over 300 percent of CPU when unplugged and then drops back to zero when i plug back in.

Not sure why this is happening. But I'm off to the Mac store tomorrow to figure it out. I live in Hong Kong and the Mac store is stupidly large. They have about 100 staff there at one time so I'm sure somebody will be able to help me out.

I'm running OSX 10.6.8 on a Macbook pro 13" Spring 2011.

I'll give you an update when I get back. Wish me (us) luck!

D.

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Answer 4

ChrisEden Author

Level 1

1 points

Jan 30, 2012 12:44 AM in response to DMHK

Hi D,

Glad to hear that someone has exactly the same issue as me.

I'm running the same verions of OS X, which Kernel verison do you have? My Mac was brought last year in Aus, so probably around exactly the same time.

System Version: Mac OS X 10.6.8 (10K549)

Kernel Version: Darwin 10.8.0

Let me know how the apple shop goes! Until then, i'll remain plugged in and hope someone else on here may have a solution.

Thanks

C

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Answer 5

DMHK

Level 1

0 points

Jan 30, 2012 12:56 AM in response to ChrisEden

Chris, went to the Mac store today. They did a bunch of tests. Looked confused. Ran my Mac off a different system and still had the same problem. So they are replacing the logic board. Should take 2 days. If you can stay plugged in that long I'll give you an update then!

D.

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Answer 6

DMHK

Level 1

0 points

Jan 31, 2012 9:54 PM in response to ChrisEden

Chris,

they replaced the logic board and everything works perfecty! Only took them a few hours to replace and thankfully, it was still under warrentee. Hope this helps!

D.

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Answer 7

ChrisEden Author

Level 1

1 points

Feb 3, 2012 2:08 AM in response to ChrisEden

Thanks mate. I'll take mine in this weekend too!

Cheers

C

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Answer 8

Mar 12, 2012 12:29 PM in response to ChrisEden

MacBook Pro early 2011 2.3 GHz Core i7, 10.6.8. It had been running fine since I got it, but a month ago it started having those fits of sluggishness that many have described on this thread. Within a few days it was almost impossible to work on it. Activity Monitor was telling me two things: 1. iTunes was taking over 100% of CPU power — this was resolved as I have explained here:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2579483?answerId=17681010022#17681010022

(note that I hadn't been aware that it was a thread dedicated to "iTunes for Windows" when I posted it).

2., Activity Monitor kept on showing peaks of anything between 500 and over 700% of CPU use by the kernel_task process, especially when watching full-screen videos on the external Cinema Display, when Firefox had many open tabs, when Spotlight indexing of a 1Tb external HD was going on, or when the battery was getting loaded.

A complete cache cleanup with Onyx did help briefly, but immediately after applying the latest firmware update, I was back to point zero.

Thanks to someone else's post, I followed another line of thought: the kernel_task process was maybe revving up because the CPU was getting too hot. It then took a bit more detective work and trial and error to figure that there was a vicious circle of sorts: kernel_task was going wild because it wanted to cool the CPU down, somehow, but its own hyperactivity was contributing to keeping the CPU overloaded.

The next logical step was to open the case (MBP switched off of course, and with due respect to all other precautions — iFixIt screwdriver kit highly recommended), only to find out that there was plenty of dust inside there, especially on both fans. I "scanned" the whole of it with the vacuum-cleaner's crevice nozzle, cautiously keeping it at a distance of 3-4 cm above the board (thus avoiding touching any electronic part). But I did apply the nozzle against the fans (one at a time), in such a way that the very suction had them rotate at high speed, and until all the dust was removed from them.

That was three weeks ago, and ever since my MBP has again been running like when it was born and purring like a happy kitten. Now the kernel_task process seldom runs over a single-digit percentage.

There seems to be a machine-specific aspect to all of this, though. Barely a meter away in this same office, there is a MBP, 3.06 Gb Intel Core 2 Duo, that is one year older, but otherwise with the same specs and setups, except for the fact that it has two external screens connected to it, not just one (but it's hardly ever used for heavy video streaming). Moreover, the resident cat shows a propensity to use its keyboard as a sleeping pad. We opened it too, and it had slightly less dust then the newer machine, still enough to make it worth vacuum-cleaning. Yet, this older MBP has never showed a sign of heating up and/or of CPU slowdown. Go figure…

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Answer 9

RVilar

Level 1

0 points

May 7, 2012 8:41 AM in response to tingotanca

Problem with the battery causes the kernel_task to reach more 300% of the CPU. Check if there is any warnings on the battery icon on the system menu bar.

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Answer 10

chingoza

Level 1

8 points

Jun 27, 2012 9:50 AM in response to ChrisEden

Chris my name Antonio you solved the problem I I have the same problem macbook pro 13 inch 2011 early 2.3ghz intelcore i5 letmeknow thanks.fast w ac cord and slow battery mode. kernel_task full 300% IN BATTERY MODE

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Answer 11

Jul 26, 2012 8:39 AM in response to ChrisEden

Follow-up to my post above posted here:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3262080?answerId=19034304022#19034304022

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Answer 12

AmdSyam

Level 1

5 points

Sep 2, 2012 9:32 AM in response to ChrisEden

I had the same problem with my MBP 13" early 2011 , and thank god it got fixed by disconnecting the battery which was already dead since a month ago due to high temp :(

Hope this may help anyone in the future

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Answer 13

apoorv03

Level 1

0 points

Feb 26, 2013 9:25 PM in response to ChrisEden

Folks,

My kernel_task on MBA 2011 version takes up more than 2.5GB or RAM (out of 4GB) and the computer eventually crashes. This is really frustrating.

I have wiped teh computer clean and reinstalled OS - no good!

Any advice? Is this a Mountain Lion problem? What if I revert back to Snow Leopard?

Thanks,

Apoorv

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Answer 14

johnerck

Level 1

4 points

Oct 29, 2013 3:12 PM in response to tingotanca

Wow, wow, this helped me so much!! I have a MacBook Pro 15-inch, Late 2011 running a 2.5 GHz Intel Core i7. I originally thought I had memory issues so I upgraded from 4GB of RAM to 16GB. As bomb as 16 is compared to 4, this didn't fix the issue I was having (massively slow computer). I finally noticed that it was a processor bottle neck and kernel_task was going nuts. I found your post. I took the bottom off my computer, vacumed the fans as you described, reinstalled bottom of computer, and then put it up off my desk about 1 inch with some little pegs I had on hand, and then put a fan on it! My computer is now lighting fast. WOW! Thank you so much for sharing your experience!!

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Answer 15

Oct 30, 2013 2:48 AM in response to johnerck

Good. Now, try and do as I do: have an alarm tell you to perform it on a regular basis. How often will depend on the environment: dust, temperature, season of the year (pollen), static etc. I started with 6 months, but that wasn't enough: the computer was slowing down before we got to the date. Then I tried 3 months, but there was hardly any dust yet (it's still a hassle of a procedure, so no reason to overdo). So right now I'm trying with 4½ months.

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