Q: My iMac is Slow – No Idea Why

Launch the Console app - it is in your Utilities folder and looks like this

You can find it by selecting Utilities from the Finder's Go menu.

Open Console.

If the log list column on the left is not already displayed, show the log list by selecting Show Log List from Console's View menu. Select Show Toolbar if it is not already shown.

Locate system.log in the list and select it. Many date and time-stamped entries will appear, hundreds of them, and you must find the entries relevant to your Mac's problem.

To do that click the Clear Display button in the Toolbar. All previously displayed log entries will reappear.

Next: Perform whatever actions cause the Mac to exhibit the slow behavior. If the problem is caused by errors logged by the system, the Console window will show them being recorded in system.log.

One or more of them, along with their time stamps, may reveal the reason for the problem you describe.

Copy and paste those log entries in a reply. If hundreds of the same repetitive messages appear, please edit them before posting. There should be no need for more than 100 or so total log entries.

Most of the entries will be cryptic but will contain information you might consider personal such as your Mac's name. If you do not want that information to appear, delete or obscure it when posting your reply. Leave enough information so that the entries can be deciphered.

Hi tawsh

Are you actually using a Whitesmoke product, or did you install a free demo of it? You would know since it's a subscription-based product for which you must pay a recurring fee.

If you know you did not purchase it, or if you are not certain, then its components must be removed. Write back for additional instructions.

Be sure to back up your Mac's content according to the following: Mac Basics: Time Machine backs up your Mac. If you have not already done so, do that now. Don't make any changes to your Mac until you are completely satisfied that you have adequate backups of your important work.

To remove the WhiteSmoke spyware, first back up all data, then select

          Safari ▹ Preferences... ▹ Extensions

from the Safari menu bar. For any extension with a name you don't recognize, select it and click Uninstall. If in doubt, delete all extensions.

If you use Firefox or Chrome, do the equivalent in those browsers. You might have to delete Chrome completely and reinstall it from a fresh download.

Triple-click anywhere in the line of text below on this page to select it:

~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.whitesmoke.uploader.plist

Copy the selected text to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C. In the Finder, select

          Go ▹ Go to Folder

from the menu bar and paste into the box that opens by pressing command-V. You won't see what you pasted because a line break is included. Press return. A folder may open with a file selected. Delete the selected file. Then do the same with this line:

~/Library/Application Support/WhiteSmoke

Finally, this:

/Applications/WhiteSmoke.app

This time you may be prompted for your administrator password.

Log out and log back in.

Here are specific removal instructions for Google Chrome: http://www.whitesmoke.com/remove-toolbar

If they do not work, write back.

Whitesmoke appears to be adware thinly disguised as a productivity enhancement tool. If you did not intentionally install it, then you were deceived into doing so. For an explanation or how that may have occurred and how to avoid it in the future, read How to install adware.

Good. In that case do the following. Do it after following the removal instructions for Chrome that I linked earlier.

If you have not already done so, back up your Mac's content according to the following: Mac Basics: Time Machine backs up your Mac. Don't make any changes to your Mac until you are completely satisfied that you have adequate backups of your important work.

Then:

Remove "whitesmoke" as follows. Be sure to read the instructions with care.

Select the entire line that follows (triple-click to select it), then control-click, and from the contextual menu that appears, select Services > Reveal in Finder:

~/Library/Application Support

A Finder window will appear with the folder named "Application Support" selected. Open that folder and search for any items containing the name "whitesmoke". Drag the entire folder to the Trash. If there is no item containing the name "whitesmoke" continue with the following.

Repeat with the following lines.

~/Library/LaunchAgents

Open the "LaunchAgents" folder. Look for a file containing the name "whitesmoke". Drag it to the Trash.

Next: Open your Applications folder by selecting Applications from the Finder's Go menu. Look for an icon named "Whitesmoke". Drag it to the Trash. You may need to authenticate to make this change.

Restart your Mac.

The trojan that you installed has nothing to do with the spelling corrector. I posted instructions for removing it.

Launch the Console application. Click the Clear Display icon in the toolbar. Then take one of the actions that you're having trouble with. 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 by pressing command-V.

The log contains a vast amount of information, almost all of which is irrelevant to solving any particular problem. When posting a log extract, be selective. A few dozen lines are almost always more than enough.

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

Please unmount all external storage devices and disconnect the mobile device(s). Any difference?