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Level 1

3 points

Kernel_task is using over 600% of my CPU and slowing things down to a crawl!!!

This is getting ridiculous. My late 2011 Macbook Pro 8,2 Intel Core i7 2.2 with 256GB SSD and 16GB RAM used to be so fast and snappy. But ever since a few months ago, it's been so slow. Kernel_task is using upwards of 600% of my CPU, my macbook pro heats up like crazy, and my fan becomes super loud. This is especially embarrassing in class or in the library, when it's completely silent (except for the lecturer in class), and my computer sounds like it's going to blast off into space. People actually turn their heads and stare. More seriously, it's almost impossible to use my computer because it is so slow. My intel core duo 2.0GHz mac mini with 2GB ram is actually faster than my macbook when this happens. I use very graphic heavy programs (this is why I have my computer), and I'm unable to use them smoothly anymore. Just previewing an image file takes like 3 mins to load up sometimes.

I've tried resetting the SMC, PRAM. I've ran the Apple Hardware Test. I've ran the Disk Utility to repair disk permissions and to verify the disk. Everything is fine. Running Console shows that there is no problem with the SMC. I've even downloaded Onyx and ran every maintenance thing on there. I've installed another user account, and installed another OSX on a different partition, and this Kernel_task craziness is ALWAYS there. It starts up randomly it seems, and it goes away after an hour or two. Then it starts up again after a few hours. It is maddening. It doesn't seem to be associated with any program. It happens when there are no programs running.

My mac's HD isn't encrypted. I do use Time Machine (but it's unencrypted) on a network drive. I'm at a loss as to what this can be. Please help me... This issue is driving me crazy. From my searches, it seems there are many others with the same exact problem. Yet no one seems to know of a solution.

MacBook Pro, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2)

Posted on Feb 17, 2013 6:02 PM

Best reply

musiclibraryho

Level 1

4 points

Posted on Sep 11, 2017 7:51 AM

After having struggled with this for a year now, I found what was causing my 600%+ kernel problem. I run mavericks on a MBP 2012 i7, 16 GB RAM. It was the GPU overreacting to my external monitor. There are more descriptive answers elsewhere. Anyway, now when I start to get the kernel black magic happening, I simply unplug my external monitor and within 20 seconds the system is back to normal.

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41 replies

May 21, 2013 8:23 PM in response to William Lloyd

How do I uninstall Pace? And, I'm hesitant to uninstall Symantec considering I just bought it and found two viruses in my system yesterday.

asdllkjasdf Author

Level 1

3 points

Jun 22, 2013 1:48 PM in response to Linc Davis

I haven't had much time to sort this out, I've been just living with it, but I did erase and deleted everything that had to do with viscosity and the problem is still there.

My computer is always around the 68'C range and sometimes goes as high as 80'C on occasion. It gets really hot.

Also this Kernel_Task still occurs even if I close all my open apps, and it is intermittent. It comes on seemingly by random chance, and will persist for an hour or two and just go away randomly as well. Also, it seems to come on more often when it is plugged in to a charger, but being on battery doesn't make my macbook immune to it.

This is quite frustrating to say the least. It is rather sad that my iPad 3 can outperform and is more reliable than my Macbook Pro i7 2.2GHz with 16GB ram and SSD.

Could you advise on what I should do next to fix this problem? I'm going to try seabas's solution next, right after I back up my drive. Will keep you guys posted. Thanks for the help

asdllkjasdf Author

Level 1

3 points

Jun 22, 2013 2:02 PM in response to asdllkjasdf

Also, fyi, I also stopped using Time Machine for the past 2 months because I thought that might have been the problem (because sometimes the kernel_task CPU resource hoarding would happen concurrently), but the problem still persists.

asdllkjasdf Author

Level 1

3 points

Jun 23, 2013 7:59 PM in response to seabas917

seabas917's suggestion really worked!!! this is the first day that i haven't had kernel_task hog up the cpu for a full 24 hours since earlier this year!

I have a question though, what did the fix actually do, and what are the long term consequences for this? Thanks.

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,547 points

Jun 23, 2013 8:06 PM in response to asdllkjasdf

I have a question though, what did the fix actually do, and what are the long term consequences for this?

The answer to that question is in the post with the irresponsible advice that you took:

"I take absolutely no responsibility for any damage or loss caused to you or your property, you do this of your own free will. You’re over-ruling functionality that was designed to prolong the life of your equipment..."

SeeHole

Level 1

4 points

Aug 30, 2013 5:02 PM in response to Linc Davis

600% + :/ MacBook Pro Late 2011 16GB RAM 750GB HD

I have done DiskWarrior, PRAM, Hardware Test and all have come out clean. But my computer is moving like molasses

Linc, this is what I get after putting the line into Terminal:

com.metakine.handsoff.driver (2.0.4)

at.obdev.nke.LittleSnitch (3932)

com.AmbrosiaSW.AudioSupport (4.1.2)

com.displaylink.driver.DisplayLinkDriver (1.8)

com.Cycling74.driver.Soundflower (1.5.2)

com.usboverdrive.driver.hid (3.0)

com.bresink.driver.BRESINKx86Monitoring (8.0)

org.virtualbox.kext.VBoxDrv (3.0.10)

org.virtualbox.kext.VBoxUSB (3.0.10)

org.virtualbox.kext.VBoxNetFlt (3.0.10)

org.virtualbox.kext.VBoxNetAdp (3.0.10)

Any ideas? Little Snitch has never given me a problem and I am not sure how to find Handsoff, or some of the other things...

John Galt

Level 10

141,314 points

Aug 30, 2013 5:06 PM in response to SeeHole

SeeHole, please start a new discussion with the details you posted. There is no guarantee that Linc Davis or anyone else remains subscribed to this topic, and tacking on to this post will only draw attention to the ridiculous advice referenced in the "tech blog" below. It won't help and is likely to cause additional problems.

SeeHole

Level 1

4 points

Aug 30, 2013 5:20 PM in response to John Galt

Listening to the man with over 25,000 points. 😉

Done ---> https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5274251

Thanks and understood.

Aug 30, 2013 6:12 PM in response to Linc Davis

The answer is no, this is only a short-term fix to a larger hardware failure.. In the end you need to replace the hardware giving the bad sensor data.. YES the fix is Replace the Hardware thats broken (In my case a battery sensor)

This fix is "safe" because all the kernaltask0 overheat safeguards (Ironically putting the CPU at 600%) are really a redundant piece of software to the OverHeat kill switch in the hardware of the motherboard… Trust me, Windows 7 Bootcamp does Not use kernaltask0, as a heat reduction solution!!! When you macbook pro overheats on windows, the mother board crashes the system to protect the parts from heat damage with a significant margin for error too.. 99.9% of all computers have this safeguard, even your iPhone or smartphone..

So why add this software at all??

If ever I have problems with kerneltask0 again I will not hesitate to move my Macs identifier file (MacBookPro8_2.plist) again..

Its just more Annoying then its worth.

I hope other’s find this helpfull

Zenmacbe

Level 1

0 points

Sep 20, 2013 1:46 AM in response to asdllkjasdf

Thanks for your help

I'd the same proble : Kernel_task using +600%

my MacbookPro (C2i7-2GHZ, 8GB RAM,10.8.3) was a nightmare, imossible to use textedit for example,...

i follow the instructions : identify my machine type and after remove file MacBookPro8_2.plist

and after the reboot : my machine is like a super car

So thanks , and i hope that it will be the same for users with the same problem : Too slow machine

share this fix !

Christophe

Oct 1, 2013 2:45 PM in response to Linc Davis

@Linc

Everywhere this problem pops up you're being deliberately obtuse and disingenuous. In multiple ways.

You know exactly what causes this problem.

You know many of the different fixes, and at least a couple of the "fixes".

Why do you act like people are sufficiently stupid to deserve your misleading ways about this?

++++++ For everyone else ++++++

The most likely cause of this problem is a build up of dust in your fans/vents or other disablments, inefficiencies, misreports or fails in your cooling system leading the operating system to believe (rightly or wrongly) that your system is overly hot.

There are two approaches to solving this:

1. Find the source of excess heat build up (or misrepresenation of that heat build up) and fix it.

2. Over-ride the method the software (Operating System) is using to clamp CPU use (kernal_task) activation.

If I knew how to achieve 2, within a Retina Macbook Pro, I'd be very happy right now. But I don't. Anyone know?

**** Generally speaking you shouldn't over-ride something "protecting" your system unless it's doing so unncessarily, or you're knowingly doing something that requires FULL CPU use for extended periods... like rendering or compiling.

Oct 1, 2013 7:15 PM in response to dissidently

@dissidentlFirstly I'm really sorry to hear your having this problem too. A part of me, was hoping the Retina Macbook Pro would run more reliabley. I guesa its not just one bad apple.. haha.. sad..

If I knew how to achieve 2, within a Retina Macbook Pro, I'd be very happy right now. But I don't. Anyone know?

I did some digging because I thought there would be a Macbook Pro Retina, entry in this universal Plist folder.I was suprised to see there was not.

Mavericks Universal Plist folder, No sing of Retina.. Strange..

I'll keep my eyes open on the net, for the Macbook Pro Retina's identifiers...

If you find it, I would apitiate the infomation, keep me in the loop,

Thanks,

Oct 2, 2013 9:54 AM in response to seabas917

Hi,

My identifier is MacBookPro10,1 but I cant find it anywhere.

Have you had any luck locating the retina identifiers?

Thanks,

Oct 3, 2013 2:42 AM in response to seabas917

My id is the same as brickellcomp - MacBookPro10,1

I've deleted ALL entries in that folder, thinking that it might be hiding in there, but still the same problem.

Watching temps there's no correlation between absolute heat and the Kernal_Task doing its thing.

But I do think it's kicking in if the rate of climb in temperature is rapid... like when I start rendering, compresssing or otherwise spanking all 8 cores.

It's extremely annoying because something that should take a couple of minutes to render blows out to 20+ or more minutes. And the entire machine goes SLUGGISH.

Oct 3, 2013 5:06 PM in response to asdllkjasdf

I took the back off of my 11" mid-2011 Macbook Air and carefully blew out the filters and the fan (I held the fan with a finger to keep it from rotating). It did not look initially like there was much dust but some significant dust bunnies came running out. Put the back on and started it up and kernel_task is behaving beautifully. I went from 200-500% CPU to 7-8%.

Clearly, in my case, it was a simple case of reduced air flow because of dirt that was leading to overheating. I didn't do anything fancy. Just an aerosol can of compressed air from Radio Shack.

Kernel_task is using over 600% of my CPU and slowing things down to a crawl!!!