Slow iMac (27", 2.9 GHz, 16GB RAM, Late 2012, Yosemite 10.10.3)

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Level 1

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Slow iMac (27", 2.9 GHz, 16GB RAM, Late 2012, Yosemite 10.10.3)

Hi,

Thanks for everyone in advance for looking into this.

My iMac in subject is inexplicably slow and it has been like this since I bought it, about a year ago. The iMac that I replaced was a Mid 2010 model and it was faster than this one. I upgraded the RAM from 8GB to 16GB several months ago but it didn't make any difference. The system was even slower with Mavericks, it got a little bit faster since I installed Yosemite.

Interestingly, CPU activity and memory usage is not high, so the common causes for slowness may not apply. But it seems like it's always a lot of disk activity going on in the background. The slowness I am referring to primarily means slow program starts but some programs are also running quite slowly after they have already started. A simple copy-paste in Microsoft Excel sometimes takes many seconds to complete.

I timed some program startup times:

Google Chrome - 20 secs
Evernote - 15 secs
Adobe Photoshop CC - 45 secs
TextEdit - 28 secs (!!)

A system restart also takes about 4-5 minutes. It doesn't get any faster after a reboot. In the console log there are some errors but I have no idea if any of them are relevant or not.

(I read this thread, but I don't think it's the same problem, because this is probably not Safari related.)

Below I'm posting EtreCheck results and Activity Monitor screenshots. I don't know how to post them in such way that they are collapsed by default and only expanded on demand so I'm going to dump them here. Sorry about that.

Note: ESET Cybersecurity is NOT the cause of the problem. That was only installed yesterday: during my quest to find the root of the problem I also checked for malwares.

EtreCheck version: 2.2 (132)

Report generated 5/25/15, 11:23 AM

Download EtreCheck from http://etresoft.com/etrecheck

Click the [Click for support] links for help with non-Apple products.

Click the [Click for details] links for more information about that line.

Hardware Information: ℹ️

iMac (27-inch, Late 2012) (Technical Specifications)

iMac - model: iMac13,2

1 2.9 GHz Intel Core i5 CPU: 4-core

16 GB RAM Upgradeable

BANK 0/DIMM0

4 GB DDR3 1600 MHz ok

BANK 1/DIMM0

4 GB DDR3 1600 MHz ok

BANK 0/DIMM1

Empty

BANK 1/DIMM1

8 GB DDR3 1600 MHz ok

Bluetooth: Good - Handoff/Airdrop2 supported

Wireless: en1: 802.11 a/b/g/n

Video Information: ℹ️

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M - VRAM: 512 MB

iMac 2560 x 1440

System Software: ℹ️

OS X 10.10.3 (14D136) - Time since boot: 0:37:53

Disk Information: ℹ️

APPLE HDD WDC WD10EALX-408EA0 disk0 : (1 TB)

EFI (disk0s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB

Macintosh HD (disk0s2) / : 999.35 GB (212.39 GB free)

Recovery HD (disk0s3) <not mounted> [Recovery]: 650 MB

USB Information: ℹ️

Apple Inc. FaceTime HD Camera (Built-in)

Samsung SCX-4500 Series

Apple Inc. BRCM20702 Hub

Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller

Thunderbolt Information: ℹ️

Apple Inc. thunderbolt_bus

Configuration files: ℹ️

/etc/hosts - Count: 6

Gatekeeper: ℹ️

Mac App Store and identified developers

Kernel Extensions: ℹ️

/Applications/ESET Cyber Security.app

[loaded] com.eset.kext.esets_kac (600.01.40f01) [Click for support]

[loaded] com.eset.kext.esets_pfw (600.01.40f01) [Click for support]

/Applications/VMware Fusion.app

[not loaded] com.vmware.kext.vmci (90.6.3) [Click for support]

[not loaded] com.vmware.kext.vmioplug.14.1.3 (14.1.3) [Click for support]

[not loaded] com.vmware.kext.vmnet (0207.55.34) [Click for support]

[not loaded] com.vmware.kext.vmx86 (0207.55.34) [Click for support]

[not loaded] com.vmware.kext.vsockets (90.6.0) [Click for support]

Launch Agents: ℹ️

[not loaded] com.adobe.AAM.Updater-1.0.plist [Click for support]

[not loaded] com.adobe.AdobeCreativeCloud.plist [Click for support]

[loaded] com.oracle.java.Java-Updater.plist [Click for support]

[not loaded] com.teamviewer.teamviewer.plist [Click for support]

[not loaded] com.teamviewer.teamviewer_desktop.plist [Click for support]

Launch Daemons: ℹ️

[loaded] com.adobe.fpsaud.plist [Click for support]

[loaded] com.barebones.bbedit.plist [Click for support]

[running] com.eset.esets_daemon.plist [Click for support]

[loaded] com.microsoft.office.licensing.helper.plist [Click for support]

[loaded] com.oracle.java.Helper-Tool.plist [Click for support]

[loaded] com.oracle.java.JavaUpdateHelper.plist [Click for support]

[not loaded] com.teamviewer.teamviewer_service.plist [Click for support]

User Launch Agents: ℹ️

[not loaded] com.adobe.AAM.Updater-1.0.plist [Click for support]

[not loaded] com.adobe.ARM.[...].plist [Click for support]

[loaded] com.google.keystone.agent.plist [Click for support]

User Login Items: ℹ️

iTunesHelper Application (/Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/MacOS/iTunesHelper.app)

Dropbox Application (/Applications/Dropbox.app)

DashExpander Application (/Applications/DashExpander.app)

Google Drive Application (/Applications/Google Drive.app)

Air Video Server HD Application Hidden (/Applications/Air Video Server HD.app)

Mail Application Hidden (/Applications/Mail.app)

Cinch Application (/Applications/Cinch.app)

Things Application Hidden (/Applications/Things.app)

ESET Cyber Security Application (/Applications/ESET Cyber Security.app)

Internet Plug-ins: ℹ️

AdobeAAMDetect: Version: AdobeAAMDetect 2.0.0.0 - SDK 10.7 [Click for support]

FlashPlayer-10.6: Version: 17.0.0.188 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]

Default Browser: Version: 600 - SDK 10.10

AdobePDFViewerNPAPI: Version: 11.0.11 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]

AdobePDFViewer: Version: 11.0.11 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]

Flash Player: Version: 17.0.0.188 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]

QuickTime Plugin: Version: 7.7.3

SharePointBrowserPlugin: Version: 14.0.0 [Click for support]

JavaAppletPlugin: Version: Java 8 Update 45 Check version

User internet Plug-ins: ℹ️

TenHandsPlugin2: Version: 2.0.1.1796 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]

WebEx64: Version: 1.0 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]

Safari Extensions: ℹ️

historious

igTranslator for Google

LastPass

SaveFrom.net helper

3rd Party Preference Panes: ℹ️

Flash Player [Click for support]

Java [Click for support]

Soocial [Click for support]

Time Machine: ℹ️

Skip System Files: NO

Mobile backups: OFF

Auto backup: YES

Volumes being backed up:

Macintosh HD: Disk size: 999.35 GB Disk used: 786.96 GB

Destinations:

Data [Network]

Total size: 2.00 TB

Total number of backups: 81

Oldest backup: 2014-05-17 02:57:36 +0000

Last backup: 2015-05-23 22:29:04 +0000

Size of backup disk: Too small

Backup size 2.00 TB < (Disk used 786.96 GB X 3)

Top Processes by CPU: ℹ️

2% WindowServer

1% fontd

0% Mail

0% taskgated

0% mdworker(2)

Top Processes by Memory: ℹ️

965 MB kernel_task

442 MB softwareupdated

147 MB Google Drive

98 MB mds_stores

98 MB com.apple.WebKit.WebContent(2)

Virtual Memory Information: ℹ️

10.00 GB Free RAM

5.58 GB Used RAM

0 B Swap Used

Diagnostics Information: ℹ️

May 25, 2015, 10:40:07 AM Self test - passed

May 24, 2015, 09:46:22 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/iBank 5_2015-05-24-214622_[redacted].hang

iMac, OS X Yosemite (10.10.3)

Posted on May 25, 2015 3:58 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

thunderzzz

Level 6

8,452 points

May 25, 2015 4:04 AM in response to pkarsai

Try restarting your Mac in Safe mode:

- Shut down your Mac

- Wait until your computer turns off and after that press the Power button

- Right after you hear the startup tone, press and hold the Shift key

- Release the Shift key when you see a grey Apple sign and the progress bar below this sign

- Once you see Desktop, start a Disc Utility scan to detect and repair file system errors (don't forget to choose your main hard drive)

- Click on Verify Disc and then, if asked to fix problems, on Repair Disk

- After this, click on Verify Disc Permissions and then on Repair Disc Permissions

- After the process is finished, shut down your Mac and turn it back on after about 30 seconds

Reply

Answer 2

pkarsai Author

Level 1

0 points

May 25, 2015 6:54 AM in response to thunderzzz

Thank you for your suggestion!

I did what you recommended. There were no major issues found:

I also tested application start times in Safe Mode. Everything was faster by 33 - 75 % even though as far as I know Safe Mode should be slower. The graphics were indeed slower but everything else was faster. I also noticed that mds_stores and mdworker were not running in Safe Mode. Could those be responsible for the problem?

After restarting in normal mode the startup was slow as always and when I launched Safari the icon was bouncing for 2 minutes (no exaggeration, I measured it) on the dock before a window appeared. But since then things seem to be faster now. App launch times are similar to those experienced in Safe Mode.

I'm wondering that maybe I should have Spotlight to rebuild its database. When I was trying to use it to launch applications it happened both in Safe Mode and in normal mode that it only gave me dictionary results and no other hits. This problem is gone but I still see mds_stores and mds to top the Bytes Read column in Activity Monitor with mds_stores' amound increasing with about 10 MB every few seconds.

I'll keep posting my further findings here and please let me know if you have any further recommendations.

Edit:

I found this error in the console log:

25/05/15 15:24:16,475 mdworker[671]: code validation failed in the process of getting signing information: Error Domain=NSOSStatusErrorDomain Code=-67062 "The operation couldn’t be completed. (OSStatus error -67062.)"

Is this relevant?

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Answer 3

Lexiepex

Level 6

14,102 points

May 25, 2015 7:29 AM in response to pkarsai

You have to completely uninstall the ESET software.

First remove it from SystemPreferences->Users&Groups->LoginItems, with the minus sign underneath.

restart, then find the Eset developers uninstall prescription and uninstall.

Then restart again.

This is the reason that your iMac has been slow from the beginning.

I propose to take out all items in the Users&Groups LoginItems.

I would also delete all Safari extensions.

I would also not start Chrome until all is solved and use Safaro only.

I would also uninstall Soocial.

Perhaps there are (remnants of) hacked software on your mac, rethink the use of those softwares.

Rethink the TM backup situation.

Lex

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Answer 4

pkarsai Author

Level 1

0 points

May 25, 2015 7:42 AM in response to Lexiepex

Thanks for your suggestion.

You may have missed this from the OP:

Note: ESET Cybersecurity is NOT the cause of the problem. That was only installed yesterday: during my quest to find the root of the problem I also checked for malwares.

That said I will certainly remove it, as I don't believe that a Mac needs such a software to be running permanently. As for your other recommendations, I am certainly going to try them and get back with the results.

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Answer 5

Allan Jones

Level 9

68,606 points

May 25, 2015 8:19 AM in response to pkarsai

This is not normal:

Configuration files: ℹ️

/etc/hosts - Count: 6

Please see this article for repair instructions:

Fixing a hacked /etc/hosts file

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Answer 6

Lexiepex

Level 6

14,102 points

May 25, 2015 8:41 AM in response to Allan Jones

Yes, a hosts file that is "mentioned" like that in the etrechecklist is not "normal".

But you should not "repair" it just like that.

these "hacks" are placed in the hosts file by a keygenerator to hack a software and normally it prevents the browser to access the sites of the software provider to be accessed by that software (for updates or whatever) so that basically these hacks in the hosts file are a safety to avoid that the hack is exposed....

Also the method to "repair" the hosts file is flawed, such that it does not change the permissions of the hosts file back to original, although that possibly does not cause issues.

So "repair" is not really necessary.

Lex

Reply

Answer 7

pkarsai Author

Level 1

0 points

Jun 4, 2015 12:32 AM in response to pkarsai

I'm wondering that maybe I should have Spotlight to rebuild its database. When I was trying to use it to launch applications it happened both in Safe Mode and in normal mode that it only gave me dictionary results and no other hits. This problem is gone but I still see mds_stores and mds to top the Bytes Read column in Activity Monitor with mds_stores' amound increasing with about 10 MB every few seconds.

This seems to have solved the problem. Since I did had Spotlight rebuild its database the computer is much faster. Thanks to all of you who took the time to look into this.

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