My MacBook suddenly started running slow

Now we are getting somwhere.

One thing that worries me considerably is that it seems that your "hosts" file seems to be changed.

1. In Finder click the GO menu, then choose "go to folder" from the menu, in there copy/paste the following

/private/etc/

and enter,

be careful now,

you will see a lot of files in there, find the "hosts" file (without any extension)

CTL+click this file, and choose "copy "hosts"" from the menu, then go anywhere else in the Finder, to get out of the etc folder.

Anywhere on the Desktop CTL+click and choose "paste": the hosts copy is now on the desktop.

doubleclick this copy, it opens in Textedit, copy it all and paste it here in your post.

Let the hosts copy be on your desktop.

2. Now go to the Macintosh HD Library, open the LaunchDamons folder, delete the com.adobe.SwitchBoard.plist file.

3. In SystemPreferences / Users&Groups / LoginItems remove all entries (with the minus sign underneath): this will remove the autostart of all items there, it does not remove the applications, just the autostart. You can put back later the ones you really want to autostart.

there is also a question:

Check the Mavericks compatibilty of your Autodesk version.

Post your answer.

Lex

xdaysee wrote:

Flash Player: Version: 11.0.1.152 Cannot contact Adobe

Very old (10/3/2011), unsafe and blocked in Safari.

DirectorShockwave: Version: 11.6.4r634

Old and unsafe.

Silverlight: Version: 5.1.20125.0

Out-of-date.

AdobePDFViewer: Version: 9.3.2

Old.

There are probably others, but those were obvious.

##

# Host Database

#

# localhost is used to configure the loopback interface

# when the system is booting. Do not change this entry.

##

127.0.0.1 localhost

#Activation Blocker

127.0.0.1 hl2rcv.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 t3dns.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 3dns-1.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 3dns-2.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 3dns-3.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 3dns-4.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 activate.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 activate-sea.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 activate-sjc0.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 activate.wip.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 activate.wip1.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 activate.wip2.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 activate.wip3.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 activate.wip4.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 adobe-dns.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 adobe-dns-1.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 adobe-dns-2.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 adobe-dns-3.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 adobe-dns-4.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 ood.opsource.net

127.0.0.1 practivate.adobe

127.0.0.1 practivate.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 tpractivate.adobe.newoa

127.0.0.1 practivate.adobe.ntp

127.0.0.1 practivate.adobe.ipp

127.0.0.1 ereg.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 ereg.wip.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 ereg.wip1.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 ereg.wip2.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 ereg.wip3.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 ereg.wip4.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 wip.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 wip1.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 wip2.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 wip3.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 wip4.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 www.wip.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 www.wip1.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 www.wip2.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 www.wip3.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 www.wip4.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip60.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 activate.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 practivate.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 ereg.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 activate.wip3.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 wip3.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 3dns-3.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 3dns-2.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 adobe-dns.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 adobe-dns-2.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 adobe-dns-3.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 activate-sea.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip60.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 activate-sjc0.adobe.com

127.0.0.1 hl2rcv.adobe.com

255.255.255.255 broadcasthost

::1 localhost

fe80::1%lo0 localhost

I'm not sure how to check the Mavericks compatibilty of my Autodesk version

mmmm, wat I thought, but not this "bad".

I propose to get rid of this messed-up Hosts file. Blocking sites should not be done in the Hosts file in my opinion.

We do this as follows:

Make a duplicate of the desktop hosts file, add "backup" in its name.

Double click the Hosts copy file on the desktop, it opens in Texedit,

Mark all lines from #Activation Blocker (also include this line)

until and including the last line starting with 127...

delete them,

then enter just this line in their place

127.0.0.1 localhost

thus just before the 255.255..... line.

then save. Now we have the original text in the Hosts file.

The name should still be Hosts.

Now open the folder in Finder where the original Hosts file is, copy the changed desktop Hosts file into that folder and confirm replace.

Then restart the computer.

Depends on what it is. Click the console app in the Dock and see entries after the restart.

Are you sure that the Hosts file is OK now? Maybe you check that again: it should be:

##

# Host Database

#

# localhost is used to configure the loopback interface

# when the system is booting. Do not change this entry.

##

127.0.0.1 localhost

255.255.255.255 broadcasthost

::1 localhost

fe80::1%lo0 localhost

#

the lines with # befoe it are just remarks.

Did you do points 2 and 3, then it is time for another etrecheck list.

@xdaysee.

we are not syncrone anymore:

- in this list you now suddenly have Seagate software loaded, why, what did you do? It has te be uninstalled, you do not need it (to say the least);

- the softwares as discussed in point 2 and 3 are still there

- The aquarium screen saver has to go too;

- I urge you to do as discussed. Softwares that you think you can not do without, can later be reinstalled, one by one, to see what it does.

- Autodesk, good app, but you better ask Autodesk support (see the site) whether your verion is compatible with Mavericks.

and so on please read my earlier posts.

@madmacs: a messed up hosts file is very bad, it can cause a lot lot of unexpected misbehaviour, in this case it just blocks internet sites. Blocking sites or other behaviour should not be done in the hosts file.

Lex

LexSchellings wrote:

@madmacs: a messed up hosts file is very bad, it can cause a lot lot of unexpected misbehaviour, in this case it just blocks internet sites.

I couldn't agree more. Did you think I was saying otherwise?

I just know that this version of the hosts file is usually made available on Pirate software sites as a way to get around Adobe's registration system.

I don't know how seagate got there but i think its pretty much gone now. I have done points 2 and 3 as you've said previously already, I'm not sure why it's still there. and with Autodesk, to make things easier...can i just uninstall it for now? I'm really bad with computers 😕

The uninstaller wouldn't work so i had to uninstall it manually, I'm hoping I did it correctly.

Hardware Information:

MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2009)

MacBook Pro - model: MacBookPro5,5

1 2.53 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU: 2 cores

4 GB RAM

Video Information:

NVIDIA GeForce 9400M - VRAM: 256 MB

System Software:

OS X 10.9.2 (13C64) - Uptime: 0 days 0:3:51

Disk Information:

TOSHIBA MK3255GSXF disk0 : (250.06 GB)

EFI (disk0s1) <not mounted>: 209.7 MB

Macintosh HD (disk0s2) / [Startup]: 249.2 GB (98.63 GB free)

Recovery HD (disk0s3) <not mounted>: 650 MB

MATSHITADVD-R UJ-868

USB Information:

Apple Inc. Built-in iSight

Apple Internal Memory Card Reader

Apple Inc. Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad

Apple Computer, Inc. IR Receiver

Apple Inc. BRCM2046 Hub

Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller

FireWire Information:

Thunderbolt Information:

Launch Agents:

[System] com.adobe.AAM.Updater-1.0.plist 3rd-Party support link

[System] com.adobe.CS5ServiceManager.plist 3rd-Party support link

User Launch Agents:

[not loaded] com.adobe.AAM.Updater-1.0.plist 3rd-Party support link

[not loaded] com.facebook.videochat.[redacted].plist 3rd-Party support link

[not loaded] com.google.keystone.agent.plist 3rd-Party support link

User Login Items:

SpeechSynthesisServer

Internet Plug-ins:

DirectorShockwave: Version: 11.6.4r634 3rd-Party support link

Unity Web Player: Version: UnityPlayer version 4.0.1f2 3rd-Party support link

Default Browser: Version: 537 - SDK 10.9

OfficeLiveBrowserPlugin: Version: 12.2.0 3rd-Party support link

Silverlight: Version: 5.1.20125.0 - SDK 10.6 3rd-Party support link

FlashPlayer-10.6: Version: 11.0.1.152 3rd-Party support link

DivXBrowserPlugin: Version: 2.0 3rd-Party support link

Flash Player: Version: 11.0.1.152 Outdated! Update

QuickTime Plugin: Version: 7.7.3

iPhotoPhotocast: Version: 7.0

AdobePDFViewer: Version: 9.3.2 3rd-Party support link

JavaAppletPlugin: Version: 14.9.0 - SDK 10.7 Outdated! Update

Audio Plug-ins:

BluetoothAudioPlugIn: Version: 1.0 - SDK 10.9

AirPlay: Version: 2.0 - SDK 10.9

AppleAVBAudio: Version: 203.2 - SDK 10.9

iSightAudio: Version: 7.7.3 - SDK 10.9

iTunes Plug-ins:

Quartz Composer Visualizer: Version: 1.4 - SDK 10.9

User Internet Plug-ins:

BlueStacks Install Detector: Version: Unknown

3rd Party Preference Panes:

Flash Player 3rd-Party support link

Growl 3rd-Party support link

Old Applications:

dynamiclinkmediaserver: Version: 6.0.0 - SDK 10.5 3rd-Party support link

/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Common/dynamiclinkmediaserver/1.0/dynamiclinkmediaserver.app

SLLauncher: Version: 1.0 - SDK 10.5 3rd-Party support link

/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Silverlight/OutOfBrowser/SLLauncher.app

SA Color Finesse 3 UI: Version: 3.0.6(275) - SDK 10.5 3rd-Party support link

/Applications/Adobe After Effects CS6/Plug-ins/Effects/Synthetic Aperture/(CF3 Support)/SA Color Finesse 3 UI.app

ClamXav: Version: 2.3.6 - SDK 10.5 3rd-Party support link

dynamiclinkmanager: Version: 6.0.0 - SDK 10.5 3rd-Party support link

/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Common/dynamiclink/CS6/dynamiclinkmanager.app

Time Machine:

Time Machine not configured!

Top Processes by CPU:

12% WindowServer

11% TMHelperAgent

10% Google Chrome

6% kextd

3% mds

Top Processes by Memory:

102 MB Google Chrome

98 MB com.apple.IconServicesAgent

49 MB Dock

45 MB softwareupdated

37 MB mds_stores

Virtual Memory Information:

761 MB Free RAM

1.31 GB Active RAM

1.29 GB Inactive RAM

424 MB Wired RAM

1.59 GB Page-ins

0 B Page-outs

Now that's better.

- uninstall Growl, SystemPreferences/Growl.

- In User/yourname/Library/InternetPlugins/ delete the Bluestacks entry.

- in MacintoshHD /Library/InternetPlugins/ delete the AdobePDFViewer plugin.

and the Sliverlight plugin, and the Schockwave plugin, and the DivX plugin, and the Java plugin.

For my peace of mind, please make one or more screenshots of your Applications and your Utilities folder, (all apps and all utilities.

Lex

You have to uninstall AVGCleaner before you go any further.

I read through the Apps list and the Utilities list.

I have never seen anything like it. I now understand why the Adbobe company makes a lot of profit....👿

- Why do you have more versions of an application at the same time, for example Adobe Bridge CS5, CS5.1, CS6 ?

A lot of the apps that are there probably don't work, or not good.

There are also utilities that I advise against: iArchiver, SimplyRar, BatteryHealth, DiskDiag, Adobe DownloadAssistant, Adobe Reader. You do not need any of them, already in OSX. If you really want a Rar decompressor, use "The Unarchiver" (free, AppStore).

And a lot that you never use anymore (Teamviewer,

My first impression is to make a clean install of OSX, and then only install your work apps, and then only the latest version. Let's discuss this now.

Lex

LexSchellings wrote:

I now understand why the Adbobe company makes a lot of profit....

- Why do you have more versions of an application at the same time, for example Adobe Bridge CS5, CS5.1, CS6 ?

uTorrent & previously mentioned hosts file would be my guess.

Hi mad,

perhaps uTorrent, but not the hosts file I think: the hosts file just blocks the Adobe websites (which is not a bad idea if you have hacked versions).

@mad and @all: As a matter of fact it is never a good idea to mess with the hosts file.

LexSchellings wrote:

@mad and @all: As a matter of fact it is never a good idea to mess with the hosts file.

Which I previously told you I agree with 100%. Why do you keep thinking I support messing with the hosts file?

i deleted all those. As for the adobe bridge, is it not because i have different programs that are cs 5 and cs6. my photoshop is cs5 and my premiere pro is cs6??? So i should install OS X again or...??