QTKitServer-(326) QuickLook Satellite-general

Hi! I had the same problem, check this:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2148759?answerId=10160531022#10160531022&messageID=10160531#10160531?messa geID=10160531

It seems that QuicktimeX is trying to prepare the preview of some incomplete or corrupt video files. When I browse with Finder a folder containing incomplete avi files, my cpu is at 120% (btw, with Perian installed, my cpu is only at 40-50% when is trying to handle those avi previews, but is still high)

In my case, the solution is: do not leave open folders containing incomplete avi.

But there's something I don't understand, why this never happened before to me? Only with Mountain Lion.

English is not my native language but I hope this helps you.

I am having this exact issue as well, but unfortunately the linked thread does not help me.

I cannot delete the corrupted AVI file from my Trash, as it tells me it is in use. I imagine it's in use by the process that is using up all of my CPU power. Even when I go into Terminal and try to use the information given in the thread to permanently quit the processes, it does not work—instead it tells me that there are no such processes running.

I have rebooted my computer to no avail. It just comes back, and keeps trying to create these thumbnails and running two processes at 130% of my CPU.

How do I delete this file and stop this from happening? I'm at a loss. 😟

Have you tried holding down the "alt" key when you delete to force deletion? If that fails, try holding the alt key and then selecting Secure Empty Trash from the Finder menu... That usually works, 9 out of 10 times to force deletion of stubbornly-guarded files.

I had a similar problem in Mountain Lion with QuickLook Satellite-general taking 100% of CPU power. I had this problem under Lion and solved it by deleting the QuickLook audio preview generator. But Mountain Lion restored that QuickLook functionality and it keeps the generator in a different location. Anyway, I solved the problem this time by removing the file "Audio.qlgenerator" from the folder "[My Hard Drive]:System:Library:QuickLook". I copied the file to the Desktop (to back it up) and then moved the copy in the QuickLook folder to the Trash. I then opened Terminal and ran "qlmanage -r" to restart the QuickLook framework. After that, I had no more problem.

Of course, if a different QL generator (i.e. movie instead of audio) is causing the problem, you might have to remove a different file. And, of course, you won’t get QuickLook previews of that file type anymore. (But I never use QuickLook on audio files anyway, so no big deal.)

Thank you crystilogic 🙂

With Lion 10.7.4 on a MacBookPro 3.1 2.6 gHz:

If a finder window was open with whatever movie types in them (.avi, mp4, .mkv, ...), the activity monitor showed up a QTKitServer-(xxxx) with 80 to 90 % activity, and the fans going crazy.

I ziped Movie.qlgenerator in System//Library/Frameworks/Quicklookframework/Versions/A/Plugins/ , moved it to the trash (after authenticating), and ran "qlmanage -r" in Terminal.

Quicklook didn't work on other movie types than .mp4 annyway.. 😟

I just wanted to share this lifesaver of a suggestion because it looks like quicklook freaking out can be from multiple causes. My problem was QuickLookSatellite-Legacy was eating up 400% CPU intermittently. Slightly different, but still a quicklook issue.

Troubleshooting steps:

• Open Activity monitor
• Highlight the offending process
• Click "Inspect"
• There should be an "Open Files and Ports" tab that displays all open resrouces involved with this process

This method allowed me to trace down the issue to a program that attempted to allow QuickLook to generate 3D CAD previews. I deleted the resource embedded in the Application file so that it wouldn't try to generate the offending previews. Problem solved.

I hope that anyone else who has any sort of QuickLookSatellite issue stumbles across this thread.

I just started having this problem yesterday, only it's with "Quicklook Satellite-legacy" using 150% of the CPU, AND the Finder starts doing the same thing. I have to force quit both of them. The Finder started doing this a few days ago, but I've never seen this Quicklook Satellite-legacy thing before.

I had no windows open at all in the Finder. When checking the Open Files and Ports I didn't see anything that pointed to a particular file.

I suppose that I really wasn't actually providing an exact solution as much as it was a general troubleshooting strategy. Having programs open in Finder is not quite the same as having processes running in the background.

-Did you isolate the processes in Activity Monitor that are hogging your CPU? Was Finder chewing up CPU as well as QuicklookSatellite-Legacy?

The purpose of using Activity Monitor to "Inspect" then view "Open Files and Ports" is to see what resources, files, and other items that might be causing the process to go haywire. For example, you may find that one of the resources that the process is relying on is an application that was installed recently. Could you post the text from your "Open Files and Ports" tab?

kdrummer wrote:

-Did you isolate the processes in Activity Monitor that are hogging your CPU? Was Finder chewing up CPU as well as QuicklookSatellite-Legacy?

Currently there are two instances of quicklook satellite-legacy running.

This is what the Open Files and Ports shows on both:

/

/System/Library/Frameworks/QuickLook.framework/Versions/A/Resources/quicklookd.a pp/Contents/XPCServices/QuickLookSatellite.xpc/Contents/MacOS/QuickLookSatellite

/System/Library/Frameworks/Security.framework/PlugIns/csparser.bundle/Contents/M acOS/csparser

/Applications/DraftSight.app/Contents/Library/QuickLook/FxQuickLookDrawing.qlgen erator/Contents/MacOS/FxQuickLookDrawing

/private/var/folders/8q/jdvzh8488xj6z300r6bnph280000gv/C/com.apple.LaunchService s-036507.csstore

/usr/lib/dyld

/private/var/db/dyld/dyld_shared_cache_x86_64

/dev/null

/dev/null

/dev/null

count=1, state=0x2

/private/var/db/DetachedSignatures

->0x1e5651f6552007af

Maybe it's the DraftSight QL plugin?

Now those have stopped the Finder is using 80% of the CPU. It shows a whole lot of frameworks and stuff, but no particular file or folder bsides system stuff.

[EDIT] I have removed the QL plugin from DraftSight, and the activity of the quicklook satellite-legacy process has stopped. Let's see if it comes back.

I can also blame some of the Finder activity to DropBox. I saw that on the list earlier and quit it. I leave Activity Viewer running all the time so I can see what's going on when this stuff happens.

I replied based on the email alert from Apple support before reading that you deleted the DrafSight QL plugin. That was exactly my problem. Looks like they need to sort this out.

So far it seems to have been the problem. I just installed this version of DraftSight, and that's when the issue started.

I experienced the same CPU activity problem and it coincides with me installing DraftSight. Can you explain exactly how to find the offending DraftSight Plug-in? When I go to Package Contents> Plug-ins, I don't see anything similar. Is there another file path?

Thanks.

Really good advice. This has fixed my problem It confirmed DraftSight was the culprit.

I deleted the DraftSight qlgenerator and all is well with my Mac again.

/Applications/DraftSight.app/Contents/Library/QuickLook/FxQuickLookDrawing.qlgen erator/Contents/MacOS/FxQuickLookDrawing

Thanks