Q: Why is my MacBook Pro running so slow (Bought Nov 2010)?

AO-GBM,

I have the same model MacBook Pro as you. Try disabling Sophos to see if that affects its speed.

Back up your documents and everything else important to you, not that there is any reason to believe your hard disk may be failing, but the symptoms you describe may presage an impending disk failure, and you should have backups anyway.

Start your Mac while holding the c key with its original OS X Install DVD inserted in its optical drive. At the Mac OS X Utilities screen, select Disk Utility. Select your startup volume (usually named "Macintosh HD") and click the Repair Disk button. Describe any errors it reports in red. If Disk Utility reports "The volume Macintosh HD appears to be OK" in green then you can be reasonably (though not completely) assured your hard disk is in good working order.

Startup Items:

          AGMacFSWatcher: Path: /Library/StartupItems/AGMacFSWatcher

• Do you know what the above is? If you do, research its developer's website for a possible update. If you don't, uninstall it.
• Are you still using a Blackberry?
  • Why?
• Uninstall Sophos according to its instructions, and evaluate your Mac's performance without it. If using non-Apple "anti-virus" software comforts you, then you must accept the consequences of them resulting in reduced performance and other unpredictable operational effects.

After completing the above please determine if the problems also occur in "Safe Mode":

• Safe Mode or "Safe Boot" is a troubleshooting mode that bypasses all third party system extensions and loads only required system components. Read about it: Starting up in Safe Mode
• You must disable FileVault before you can start your Mac in Safe Mode.
• Starting your Mac in Safe Mode will take longer than usual, graphics will not render smoothly, audio is disabled on some Macs, and some programs (iTunes for example) may not work at all.
• Merely starting your Mac in Safe Mode is not intended to resolve the problem, it's to observe its performance without certain additional components.
• To end Safe Mode restart your Mac normally. Shutdown will take longer as well.

System performance problems for reasons that cannot be isolated to any other cause justify an  SMC reset. Be sure to read the procedure carefully and follow all the steps exactly as written, even if they seem inapplicable or trivial.

Hi AO-GMB,

look everybody here wants to help !

And good people too !

1. Why use a Antivirus app on a Mac. Not necessary. Nut even if you insts it should not run contunuously ('on access'). Better uninstall it according ot the developers site.

A good site to visit once in awhile is    thesafemac.om.

2. The Blackberry stuff is not very Mac friendly, unless you can not without, uninstall.

3. AGMacFSWatcher: you either have or had F-secure installed?

In Finder go to MacintoshHD->Library->StartupItems  and in there delete  that file.

4. in SystemPreferences/Users&accounts/LoginItems remove all entries, with the minus sign underneath.

Restart, empty the trash bin.

This must be enough to have your old mac back.

You must update Flashplayer.

Lex

A lot of typo's... Again:

Hi AO-GMB,

look everybody here wants to help !

And good people too !

1. Why use a Antivirus app on a Mac. Not necessary. Even when you insist it should not run contunuously ('on access'). Better uninstall it according ot the developers site.

A good site to visit once in awhile is    thesafemac.om.

2. The Blackberry stuff is not very Mac friendly, unless you can not do without, uninstall.

3. AGMacFSWatcher: you either have or had F-secure installed?

In Finder go to MacintoshHD->Library->StartupItems  and in there delete  that file.

4. in SystemPreferences/Users&accounts/LoginItems remove all entries, with the minus sign underneath.

Restart, empty the trash bin.

This must be enough to have your old mac back.

You must update Flashplayer.

Lex

AO-GBM wrote:

 

Wow, thanks John Galt.

I don't know what much of what you've written means,

If something isn't clear, ask and I'll explain. For example "back up your documents and everything else important to you" means ensure that you have reliable copies of all the important information stored on your Mac. Ask yourself what you would do if your Mac were to suddenly stop working altogether. If you can answer that question to your own satisfaction, then you're OK. On the other hand if the prospect of permanently and irretrievably losing all the information your Mac contains concerns you, then write back for suggestions regarding that subject.

I've removed all the things from the LoginItems

iTunesHelper is used if you use an iPod or other iOS device and sync it with your Mac.. If you have one, leave it alone.

Merely dragging whatever Blackberry installed in Applications to the Trash will be insufficient to remove it. You should consult RIM for support, unless someone else is willing to provide specific instructions.

Re backing up - will something like Dropbox be ok for backing up?

Only if you have only a few critical items you wish to retain, in which case it might suffice for your needs. If you intend to back up all 177 GB of files, which you should, then Time Machine is the simplest solution and you already have it. You can buy an external USB hard disk drive with 1 TB of storage for as little as $70 US. Plug it in, format it with Disk Utility, and Time Machine almost literally does everything else with little or no attention from you.

Backing up Applications in addition to everything else is advantageous in that you can recover from a catastrophic disk failure by restoring your entire system from the Time Machine backup; a simple procedure that can be perfomed while leaving your Mac unattended.

You can purchase a smaller capacity HD for less money if you so choose. A 500 GB HD would be sufficient for your present needs, but given that they have become so inexpensive a 1 TB unit will be a very comfortable amount that you can keep in service if and when you decide to upgrade your Mac.

If you rely upon your Mac for business, having only one backup device may not be prudent. Two or more, kept in separate geographical locations, adds the desirable element of redundancy to your backup strategy. Time Machine can back up to both, or as many as you want, in sequential rotation.

If you elect to use Flash Player, make sure you keep it updated. To do that navigate to Adobe's web site on your own, using this link:

http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/

I suggest you decline any "optional offers". Personally I have no use for Flash, and you're better off without it. As a non-Apple product they cannot control, Adobe Flash Player will always have the potential for operational and security concerns, as is anything else not obtained directly from Apple.

The Trash icon's default location is the extreme right side of your Mac's Dock:

If you don't see it there, write back for instructions.

Very good job !

Can you do a new etrecheck list, to make sure that there are no leftovers?

RIM is still present, doing whatever it is it does, potentially using system resources while conveying no benefit, unless you use a Blackberry.

I have no use for Oracle's Java either, or Google's plethora of system modifications for that matter... same comments regarding Adobe Flash Player apply.

Yes, there are lefovers for Rim/Blackberry. Removal:

a. In Finder go to  MacintoshHD->Library->Extensions  folder, delete

the Blackberry driver.

b. Then go to  MacintoshHD->Library->LaunchDaemons  folder, delete

the rim plist file

c. Then go to  MacintoshHD->Library->LaunchAgents  folder, delete

the rim plist file

d. Then go to  MacintoshHD->Library->InternetPlugins  folder, delete

the JavaAppletPlugin: you have Java not installed so you can do without this plugin.

(this is not the Javascript plugin in Safari, which is something else altogether and indispensable.)

That is it.

Restart and empty the trash.