installd took 130% of CPU and sent temperatures through the roof. Why?

Same here. Peaked on 270% (imagine!) for a minute or so and then went down to around 30%, then to 0%. What does the process do? OK to force-quit it?

What did you installd? What installd is buggy?

What process is it and why are you running it?

I'm not knowledgeable enough to answer the question either 🙂 but I thought I might report on what happened to me. A few hours after the abnormal installd process activity, I got a crash when trying to switch between user accounts. I never get crashes. The restart took ages (a few minutes at least), and then I had problems connecting to my Wi-Fi.

I'm not easily spooked, and I've been using Macs since 1995 without any viruses, but ... what's happening?

Just like Stöt, I'm not installing anything, the process seems to be living its own life.

I have now reverted to a backed-up version of my environment. Everything seems ok, except the fact that I get a new kind of spam mail. Maybe some evil software lurked out my email address?

Every few days on my Mid 2010 Macboko Pro 'installd' begins using 100% of all 4 CPU cores, my fan goes full speed and the whole computer gets very hot. Seems to happen *before* Software Update checks for updates.

I usually go to the terminal and kill the 'installd' process, which reduces the fan speed and heat to normal within a minute.

In my case (MBP 2010) installd started hogging the cpu as described but it only lasted like 30-45 seconds or so.

I was reading this thread when it stopped and I checked out the Software Update... Last check was 5 minutes ago. So in my case it installd started *after* the check.

Odd thing is, I didn't notice Software Update icon in the dock at any time, and I was actively using the computer.

Odd thing number 2: As I'm writing this note, Software Update has become active (with the app icon in the dock and the popup "checking for new software"... despite the fact the scheduled check was done only 10min ago.

And it finished.. yep.. updates available.... Airport Utility 6.0 and Mac OS X Update Combined 10.7.3...

I imagine installd may gather information on the actual status and versions on the computer before the online check for updates takes place?

I also noticed this (now the 2nd time). All of a sudden the ventilation started and I got a peek of installd running at above 100% for a short while. Then it stopped.

Makes me suspicious that this is some malware (from Apple?)! I did not start thar bugger!

P.S.: Here's the console log:

20.07.12 00:34:12,555 com.apple.SecurityServer: Failed to authorize right 'system.install.app-store-software' by client '/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/PackageKit.framework/Versions/A/Resources/in stalld' [50705] for authorization created by '/System/Library/CoreServices/Software Update.app' [50700]

20.07.12 00:34:12,555 com.apple.SecurityServer: Failed to authorize right 'system.install.software' by client '/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/PackageKit.framework/Versions/A/Resources/in stalld' [50705] for authorization created by '/System/Library/CoreServices/Software Update.app' [50700]

20.07.12 00:34:15,852 diskmanagementd: DM ->T-[DMToolBootPreference recoveryPartitionInfoForVolume:what:dict:]: inHostDiskUDS=0x10a708c20=disk1=Lame Lion inWhatStr=RecoveryInfoBaseSystemVersion

20.07.12 00:34:15,911 diskmanagementd: DM ..T-[DMToolBootPreference recoveryPartitionInfoForVolume:what:dict:]: did get booterRecoveryUDS=0x10a708ae0=disk0s3=Recovery HD

20.07.12 00:34:15,911 diskmanagementd: DM ..T-[DMToolBootPreference recoveryPartitionInfoForVolume:what:dict:]: did mount nobrowse; MP=/Volumes/Recovery HD OMS=0x10a412120

20.07.12 00:34:15,911 diskmanagementd: DM ..T-[DMToolBootPreference recoveryPartitionInfoForVolume:what:dict:]: getting dict from file=/Volumes/Recovery HD/com.apple.recovery.boot/SystemVersion.plist

20.07.12 00:34:15,913 diskmanagementd: DM ..T-[DMToolBootPreference recoveryPartitionInfoForVolume:what:dict:]: got dict (or NULL=will return err): oooInfoDict=0x10a41d7f0

20.07.12 00:34:15,913 diskmanagementd: DM ..T-[DMToolBootPreference recoveryPartitionInfoForVolume:what:dict:]: did if-needed-best-effort unmount

20.07.12 00:34:15,913 diskmanagementd: DM <-T-[DMToolBootPreference recoveryPartitionInfoForVolume:what:dict:]: retErr=0 outInfoDict={

ProductBuildVersion = 11C74;

ProductCopyright = "1983-2011 Apple Inc.";

ProductName = "Mac OS X";

ProductUserVisibleVersion = "10.7.2";

ProductVersion = "10.7.2";

}

I am totally spooked too... I just noticed my usb wireless dongle was flashing even though I wasn't downloading anything, so I checked the network monitor and something was downloading at 300 kB/s. At the same time the process installd was taking up close to 100% of CPU, coincidence or not??? I though it might be the update service, but there is no update window open. The downloading is continuting, but now the process mtmfs is taking close to 100% CPU.

Hmmmm,, Software Update just popped up... My guess is that it automatically downloads stuff before popping up perhaps? Still it creeps me out...

I had this issue as well and it seems to occur before software update runs. It's pretty stupid for it to take that much CPU, but that was the cause.

Hope this helps/G

Hey All,

I just thought I'd drop another line an mention that there's a new cputhrottle command line app you can use to limit the resources a process takes. So, if you see that again, or see other processes eating more than their fair share, **** limit them with cputhrottle.

/G

I also saw the CPU temperature rising right before I got a notification about a software update (not for the OS).

Under Mac OSX Preferences, under Software-update you can turn off 'Automatically check for updates'. The installd process disappears (check in the terminal app with the unix command 'top').

I did so, because a background process like installd has no business eating up all that CPU and overheating my system. So now I check myself, now and then, just like I always did (pre Mountain Lion).