kernel_task high memory usage

A.Brandt wrote:

I have this issue as well, it seems that something happened last year sometime and a few programs now run incredibly slow on my Mac. How can I fix this?

Suggest you start a new thread, as this one is rather long. If you are not using Mavericks, suggest you start the new thread in the operating system specific forum that matches what OS you are using.

Include as much details as you can about what may have changed from before vs now. For example did you upgrade your operating system version between then and now? Install any new software, especially any

Include the output from EtreCheck when your new post.

<https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-6174> or <https://etrecheck.com>

I had the same problem. I was able to solve the problem (I think), by de-installing the Citrix Receiver App as described here (https://support.citrix.com/article/CTX134237). I'm not 100% sure that it was only due to Citrix as I also deleted some 0kb files in (I think) /Library/Preferences that I thought I don't need, as this was suggested in some of the answers.

I hope this helps someone else.

Cheers,

Lorenz

p.s. I don't think rebooting is a 'solution' to anything. This is Windows-thinking ;-)

I also have an early 2011 (Macbook Pro), and same identical symptoms. Not being

sharp enough to understand most diagnostics including the Activity Panel reports,

but finally asked Google the right question,got to this social Help. I guessed that

the correct Extension to remove was an HP printer (as you suggest) , I removed just

one named hp_Inkjet8_io_enabler.kext, that one only and find that the Activity Panel shows that

problem of computer going super-slow, has apparently cleared. And again after a couple hours,

it also appears that my Super-Slow computer problem has also cured. There is still

so much that I don't understand, but very nice we could solve this problem at home.

Any tips about future vulnerability with my Early 2011 Macbook Pro would of course

be appreciated. I'll be looking for ways to interpret the Activity Panel in future.

What an astonishing process to clear max irritating problem.

I have this issue as well, it seems that something happened last year sometime and a few programs now run incredibly slow on my Mac. How can I fix this?

Same problem for me.

I've got an iMac 2011, with 12GB RAM.

Yesterday upgrade from ML to Mavericks, and today the memory used grows and slows down all the system, because swap are in use.

the process responsible of that is kernel_task, who grows in memory a lot (all ram + 1-10GB swap).

it persist about 10-20 minuts, then all goes well, and another time grows, and so on...

It makes the work too hard and slow.

reboot my computer doesn't solve the problem, it persist... 😟

I have the same problem. Before the upgrade to Mavericks I could work all day doing what I call "normal" work and rarely have paging problems. When I did it was usually because I had multiple tabs open in Safari to Flash heavy websites. Perhaps once per week I would need to close Safari, use the "purge" command and my system would be good as new.

With Mavericks I can do "normal" work for about 5-6 hours then I'm paging like crazy. I'm even more careful than before to close apps I'm not using, but I still seem to max out my RAM. The "purge" command does not free up as much RAM as it used to and I'm forced to reboot.

Now I feel like a PC user, needing to reboot my Mac every day just to keep it working right. :-(

Same problem here. iMac late 2007 (eagerly awaiting the new Mac Pro…). It is bordering on unusable. I'm holding out for the Mac Pro, otherwise I might have reverted to 10.8. For me, reboot ”fixes” the problem for a few houres, but not more.

not quiet the the same problem but kind of. kernel_task uses over 100% of my CPU.

Of course my RAM also goes up high but not as dramatic. can't feel a slow system but I'm worried about the fact using permanant a core for the kernel_task

same problem with the memory management....when i use imovie my free memory is zeroing and i have problems with performance of my macbook....i have 8 GB memory on a early 2011 macbook pro....

i think the compressed memory is making the damage...

the compressed memory is growing very fast...

Solved for me... I don't know what to do exactly, I tried to deactivate a lot of apps, restart some times, stay all night with the iMac open, and then all works fine. No more memory ups. All apps works fine for me, and kernel_task stays between 0,6 and 1,2GB stable.

Solved for me! perhaps let time to the system stabilize for itself?

In 10.9 I've noticed massive issues with Flash Player in Chrome and Firefox, as soon as you play a video, you're looking at 80+% CPU use and often lots of RAM as well. Safari spikes a little here and there as well, however it seems to be optimized in some way to be more forgiving. This is incredibly annoying though since I'm not too keen on Safari at all, ***** to have to use it to play video.

IMO this more about Mavericks being unpatched and less about anything else right now. 'S what you get for updating to a new OS early into it's dev cycle. It's possible that a browser update or Flash Player update in the near future might help as well, but I wouldn't hold my breath. FF25 just came out and it's still bad as ever on there. Will see if any new Flash Player updates make the difference..

Same here.

"kernel_task" is right at the top of my memory column and won't budge.

It remains at approx. 700MB of physical RAM useage and 8GB of VM.

Also after three days without rebooting my pageouts shows 130,000+ even though I have 12GB of RAM and have only opened a few small Photoshop files.

These things never happened with any of the previous OSs for me.

And iconservices is the second item in the memory column and has created files that are many GBs in size in the private folder.

I don't see how this can be normal.

I made a clean install now and I'm having the same problem! after a certain time, the kernel task rises to about 100% CPU and doesn't decrease anymore.

I think it is related to locking the screen with password and screensaver and coming back. it always starts after unlocking.

obvious I can't feel any system slow down because auf the speed of the MBAir but it makes me kind a nervous...

cheers.kg

i found this discussion https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5497235?start=0&tstart=0 my be a hint - everybody seeing high CPU also has headphones in like me?

chees.kg