Q: safari running slow

I transferred my data from my old macbook air which also had the same issues of safari running slow.

May have transferred a third party plug-in that was compatible with a previous version of Safari but not Safari 7.

Try troubleshooting Safari third party plugins.   (not extensions)

Go to Safari > Preferences > Security.

Deselect:  Allow all other plug-ins. Quit and relaunch Safari to test.

If that made a difference, instructions for troubleshooting plugins here.

And emtpy the Safari cache ...

From your Safari menu bar click Safari > Preferences then select the Advanced tab.

Select:  Show Develop menu in menu bar

Now click Develop from the menu bar. From the drop down menu click Empty Caches.

Quit and relaunch Safari to test.

Please answer as many of the following questions as you can. You may already have answered some of them. In that case, there's no need to repeat the answers.

Have you restarted your router and your broadband device (if they're separate) since you first noticed the problem? If the answer is no, do that now and see whether there's any change.

Are any other web browsers installed, and are they the same?

What about other Internet applications, such as iTunes and the App Store?

Are there any other devices on the same network that can browse the Web, and are they affected?

If you can test Safari on another network, is it the same there?

If you connect to your router with Wi-Fi and you can also connect with Ethernet, do that and turn off Wi-Fi. Any difference?

Step 1

From the Safari menu bar, select

Safari ▹ Preferences ▹ Extensions

Turn all extensions OFF and test. If the problem is resolved, turn extensions back ON and then disable them one or a few at a time until you find the culprit.

If you wish, you may be able to salvage the errant extension by uninstalling and reinstalling it. Its settings will revert to their defaults. If the extension still causes a problem, remove it permanently or refer to its developer for support.

Continue if the problem isn't resolved.

Step 2

From the Safari menu bar, select

Safari ▹ Preferences... ▹ Privacy ▹ Remove All Website Data

and confirm. Test.

Step 3

Enable guest logins* and log in as Guest. Don't use the Safari-only “Guest User” login created by “Find My Mac.”

While logged in as Guest, you won’t have access to any of your personal files or settings. Applications will behave as if you were running them for the first time. Don’t be alarmed by this; it’s normal. If you need any passwords or other personal data in order to complete the test, memorize, print, or write them down before you begin.

Test while logged in as Guest. Same problem?

After testing, log out of the guest account and, in your own account, disable it if you wish. Any files you created in the guest account will be deleted automatically when you log out of it.

*Note: If you’ve activated “Find My Mac” or FileVault, then you can’t enable the Guest account. The “Guest User” login created by “Find My Mac” is not the same. Create a new account in which to test, and delete it, including its home folder, after testing.

Step 4

Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed for the test, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Boot in safe mode and log in to the account with the problem. Note: If FileVault is enabled on some models, or if a firmware password is set, or if the boot volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Ask for further instructions.

Safe mode is much slower to boot and run than normal, and some things won’t work at all, including sound output and Wi-Fi on certain models.  The next normal boot may also be somewhat slow.

The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.

Test while in safe mode. Same problem?

After testing, reboot as usual (i.e., not in safe mode) and verify that you still have the problem. Post the results of steps 3 and 4.

Remove the Norton/Symantec product by following the instructions on either of these pages:

Uninstalling your Norton product for Mac

Removing Symantec programs for Macintosh

If you have a different version of the product, the procedure may be different. Back up all data before making any changes.

Remove "MacKeeper" as follows.

"MacKeeper" has only one useful feature: it deletes itself.

Note: These instructions apply to the version of the product that I downloaded and tested in early 2012. I can't be sure that they apply to other versions.

IMPORTANT: "MacKeeper" has what the developer calls an “encryption” feature. In my tests, I didn't try to verify what this feature really does. If you used it to “encrypt” any of your files, “decrypt” them before you uninstall, or (preferably) restore the files from backups made before they were “encrypted.” As the developer is not trustworthy, you should assume that the "decrypted" files are corrupt unless proven otherwise.

In the Finder, select

Go ▹ Applications

from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-A. The "MacKeeper" application is in the folder that opens. Quit it if it's running, then drag it to the Trash. You'll be prompted for your login password. Click the Uninstall MacKeeper button in the dialog that appears. All the functional components of the software will be deleted. Reboot.

Failure to remove MacKeeper will result from neglecting any one of these points:

Quit MacKeeper before dragging it to the Trash.

Don't empty the Trash after dragging the application to it. Let MacKeeper delete itself.

Don't try to drag the MacKeeper icon in the Dock to the Trash.

Here are some general suggestions. If you want your computer to be usable, don't install crapware, such as “themes,” "haxies," “add-ons,” “toolbars,” “enhancers," “optimizers,” “accelerators,” "boosters," “extenders,” “cleaners,” "doctors," "tune-ups," “defragmenters,” “firewalls,” "barriers," “guardians,” “defenders,” “protectors,” most “plugins,” commercial "virus scanners,” "disk tools," or "utilities." With very few exceptions, this stuff is useless, or worse than useless.

The more actively promoted the product, the more likely it is to be garbage. The most extreme example is the “MacKeeper” scam.

The only software you should install is that which directly enables you to do the things you use a computer for — such as creating, communicating, and playing — and does not modify the way other software works. Never install any third-party software unless you know how to uninstall it.

Linc Davis,

I am having the same issue with my Safari 7.0.

Just to answer your question:

Have you restarted your router and your broadband device (if they're separate) since you first noticed the problem? If the answer is no, do that now and see whether there's any change. - No change

Are any other web browsers installed, and are they the same? - No

What about other Internet applications, such as iTunes and the App Store? - iTunes is very slow, even slower when I try to connect with the iTunes Store

Are there any other devices on the same network that can browse the Web, and are they affected?- Other devices are fine

If you can test Safari on another network, is it the same there? - Yes

If you connect to your router with Wi-Fi and you can also connect with Ethernet, do that and turn off Wi-Fi. Any difference? - No difference, still runs very slow

I ran the test that you suggested. Here are the results:

com.oracle.java.Helper-Tool

com.adobe.fpsaud

iTunesHelper

I hope you cal help me.

Thank you very much.

I was getting frustrated with Safari because it would stall or hang when searching or loading websites.  A simple solution was to delete the cache.db for Safari. 

users/library/Caches/com.apple.Safari/

Check the size of the file Cache.db. 

Delete the file. 

Delete the folder fsCacehdData

Restart Safari.

Worked really well and the webpages pop open now. 

Good luck. 

I have been having the problem of Safari stalling / hanging when searching and loading websites... even when opening a new tab, it would hang for a while, with the blue bar going across the address / search bar just stopping around a fifth way across... I was getting infuriated by it, as my Mac is only a month old, and is fast. Pages should load within a second (my broadband is really good). I read this thread... nothing helpful, so I looked in the Safari preferences - EXTENSIONS. I have no Safari extensions, though I had extensions turned on. I turned it off as it was redundant anyway AND VOILA!! Fast Safari, loading pages and new tabs and searches in super quick time!

Thanks BlankO, This worked perfectly for me also!