finder very slow after installing OS X Mavericks

Only the Finder? Everything else runs at normal speed?

Please read this whole message before doing anything.

This procedure is a test, not a solution. Don’t be disappointed when you find that nothing has changed after you complete it.

Step 1

The purpose of this step is to determine whether the problem is localized to your user account.

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 2

The purpose of this step is to determine whether the problem is caused by third-party system modifications that load automatically at startup or login, by a peripheral device, by a font conflict, or by corruption of certain system caches.

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 1 and 2.

That's a bit vague. Was there a significant difference in either step?

sorry, wrong subject, don't know how I get here.

Launch the Console application in any of the following ways:

☞ Enter the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search. Select it in the results (it should be at the top.)

☞ In the Finder, select Go ▹ Utilities from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-U. The application is in the folder that opens.

☞ Open LaunchPad. Click Utilities, then Console in the icon grid.

Make sure the title of the Console window is All Messages. If it isn't, select All Messages from the SYSTEM LOG QUERIES menu on the left. If you don't see that menu, select

View ▹ Show Log List

from the menu bar.

Click the Clear Display icon in the toolbar. Then try the action that you're having trouble with again. Select any messages that appear in the Console window. Copy them to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C. Paste into a reply to this message (command-V).

When posting a log extract, be selective. In most cases, a few dozen lines are more than enough.

Please do not indiscriminately dump thousands of lines from the log into this discussion.

Important: Some private information, such as your name, may appear in the log. Anonymize before posting.

Hello Linc,

I am new in this forum, but have exactly the same problem. I did all what You asked to do, whithout success.

In my monitor:

Nov 21 19:59:07 MacBookAirFF.local Finder[175]: SFBrowserCopyNodeForURL hostPart is NULL

Nov 21 19:59:37 --- last message repeated 152 times ---

Thank You for your help.

François

Remove "MacKeeper" as follows. First, back up all data.

"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.

Oh my goodness! Thank you so much! I have tried so many things to get rid of the problem I had with Finder running slow. But I have also been noticing that a lot my software had been running slow as well. I did have mackeeper on my computer and deleting has restored all the processes back to normal speed! Thank you so much again!

I have been reading about people having issues with finder being slow for them and I wonder if this will solve the problem for them too...

Did you ever find a solution to this problem? I am experiencing the same thing. Only Finder is slow and my console reads hundreds of

Finder: SFBrowserCopyNodeForURL hostPart is NULL whenever I open a folder. This is the only mention of this error I can find.

Any ideas would be great. I don't have MacKeeper installed and have tried all the normal avenues. I have plenty of hard drive space, and my CPU and memory are all fine. If I log into a guest account I do not have this problem.

2013 Macbook Air running Yosemite. Everything is up to date. Reinstalling the OS is not exactly what I wanted to do with my day so hopefully there is a solution. Thanks in advance for any insight.