Apologies - Another EtreCheck report for diagnosis

I'm not sure on how to get Apples wdhelper to load correctly. It's manual page is rather brief…

https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/Darwin/Reference/ManPages/ man8/wdhelper.8.html

Users that did similar 'clean up or remove' reported it wasn't failing after getting rid of some old software. My guess is that it is having trouble because of one of the system level items is causing it trouble :). It's possible it just fails on its own, after a few days of usage, so check it again once you have updated / removed and has the OS running for several days.

As for AV scanners, I like ClamXAV it doesn't try to do lots of maintenance & security tasks. It's also free, and used by OS X server for scanning incoming mail. It didn't do too well in Thomas's test though :(

Braunius wrote:

Many thanks for the rapid reponse. This is not the first time I have seen Kaspersky referred to like this. Interesting to know why you think it is so bad and also what would you recommend in its place.

I recommend following common sense practices, most of which are not unique to using Macs (see below).

... I have seen a few comments on other posts saying it is unecessary to install AV software on a Mac - which seems extreme?

It's not extreme in the least, if you understand that OS X already has robust protection against viruses and malware. You already paid for Apple to do that, and all you have to do now is let it work as designed. Third party vendors who profess unique knowledge of Macs and OS X that is somehow superior to Apple's should be regarded with suspicion, if not outright ridicule for making such outrageous claims.

The vast majority of problems reported on this site are the direct result of downloading and using junk like Kaspersky. Nearly all those products exist for one sole purpose: to take your money, and in that regard the most aggressively marketed products are the ones to be most avoided. The detrimental effects of using such nonessential junk on overall system performance vary by degrees. Some are worse than others, and one similar product I recently tested rendered a brand new Mac nearly unusable. Every time Apple updates or upgrades OS X those effects can change, so a third party "anti-virus" product that performs unobtrusively today may crash your Mac tomorrow. Unless you are willing to spend a significant portion of your time testing and evaluating their relative worth, or worthlessness, with each succeeding OS X update as well as all the other software you need to perform the tasks you require of your Mac, you should avoid all of them. Your Mac is a tool designed to be used, not fussed over every day and then discarded out of utter frustration like a Windows PC.

• Never install any product that claims to "speed up", "clean up", "optimize", or "accelerate" your Mac. Without exception, they will do the opposite.
• Never install pirated or "cracked" software, software obtained from dubious websites, or other questionable sources. Illegally obtained software is almost certain to contain malware.
• Don’t supply your password in response to a popup window requesting it, unless you know what it is and the reason your credentials are required.
• Don’t open email attachments from email addresses that you do not recognize, or click links contained in an email:
  • Most of these are scams that direct you to fraudulent sites that attempt to convince you to disclose personal information.
  • Such "phishing" attempts are the 21st century equivalent of a social exploit that has existed since the dawn of civilization. Don’t fall for it.
  • Apple will never ask you to reveal personal information in an email. If you receive an unexpected email from Apple saying your account will be closed unless you take immediate action, just ignore it. If your iTunes or App Store account becomes disabled for valid reasons, you will know when you try to buy something or log in to this support site, and are unable to.
• Don’t install browser extensions unless you understand their purpose. Go to the Safari menu > Preferences > Extensions. If you see any extensions that you do not recognize or understand, simply click the Uninstall button and they will be gone.
• Don’t install Java unless you are certain that you need it:
  • Java, a non-Apple product, is a potential vector for malware. If you are required to use Java, be mindful of that possibility.
  • Disable Java in Safari > Preferences > Security.
  • Despite its name JavaScript is unrelated to Java. No malware can infect your Mac through JavaScript. It’s OK to leave it enabled.
• Block browser popups: Safari menu > Preferences > Security > and check "Block popup windows":
  • Popup windows are useful and required for some websites, but popups have devolved to become a common means to deliver targeted advertising that you probably do not want.
  • Popups themselves cannot infect your Mac, but many contain resource-hungry code that will slow down Internet browsing.
  • If you ever see a popup indicating it detected registry errors, that your Mac is infected with some ick, or that you won some prize, it is 100% fraudulent. Ignore it.
• Ignore hyperventilating popular media outlets that thrive by promoting fear and discord with entertainment products arrogantly presented as "news". Learn what real threats actually exist and how to arm yourself against them:
  • The most serious threat to your data security is phishing. To date, most of these attempts have been pathetic and are easily recognized, but that is likely to change in the future as criminals become more clever.
  • OS X viruses do not exist, but intentionally malicious or poorly written code, created by either nefarious or inept individuals, is nothing new.
  • Never install something without first knowing what it is, what it does, how it works, and how to get rid of it when you don’t want it any more.
  • If you elect to use "anti-virus" software, familiarize yourself with its limitations and potential to cause adverse effects, and apply the principle immediately preceding this one.
  • Most such utilities will only slow down and destabilize your Mac while they look for viruses that do not exist, conveying no benefit whatsoever - other than to make you "feel good" about security, when you should actually be exercising sound judgment, derived from accurate knowledge, based on verifiable facts.
• Do install updates from Apple as they become available. No one knows more about Macs and how to protect them than the company that builds them.

Summary: Use common sense and caution when you use your Mac, just like you would in any social context. There is no product, utility, or magic talisman that can protect you from all the evils of mankind.

Great.

Personally I'd consider getting a bigger HD before the RAM. At the moment you are pretty full up on a slow HD (5400rpm), so Lightroom will be reading & writing to the 'slower end' of a 'slow disk'.

Think about a wheel, the outside moves faster than the center. The same is true of your disk. Data is stored from the outside towards the inside for this reason.

The graph I was referring to earlier illustrates it for 3 drives (read & write).

http://macperformanceguide.com/images/SeagateMomentus/graph-fill-volume-compare. gif

RAM will help with the swapping, but you will still be writing the changes to a slow disk.

Assuming you could get a big enough SSD it would reduce the amount of slowdown swapping causes, and they don't suffer from the slowdown across the entire volume like spinning disks do.

I have looked at the cost of replacing the RAM to double from 4 to 8GB and will probably go for this as well - hopefully as the icing on the cake.

Ahh, yes, if you only have 4 GB of RAM and are using power apps like LIghtroom, you would probably be happier with 8 GB.

P.S. I marked John's first comment as solving my problem, apologies to everyone else that I couldn't mark likewise

Don't worry about it... most of us aren't here for the points! 🙂