El Capitan running slowly?

I have this problem too - I am beginning to think it's a ploy to get us to upgrade our computers!! NO - ya think?????? iTunes was running fine before - with the loveable little hourglass - now every time I see that pesky little rotating beach ball I feel like throwing it out the window. Every time I want to change a play list - or even select a different song - I have to wait 10 seconds or so.... I won't even mention the problems I had with Powerpoint... Also my Time Machine external drive no longer works - and there is no software update from WD...yet!!! If there are going to be problems with older computers (mine is iMac 20-inch, Early 2008 with a 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor) - or applications etc - don't you think they should issue a caution before espousing all of the wonders of the new OS??? Would not have happened in Steve's day!!!!

MyNameIsJerf - wow! The spotlight - I would never have guessed. I was having the same slow down issues. I turned off most of those extras (especially the Bing) and now my computer is running faster than EVER ! Thanks for the heads up. I hope this sticks.

software compatibility - one more thing if all of previous fixes don't work for you.

I have attempted all of the fixes mentioned in this thread(spotlight/Reset NVRAM,reset SMC), but my MBP still get frozen from time to time. Also tried to leave it as it for one overnight - but I can't fix the issues completely. still freeze after 5 or 10 minutes use since reboot.

then I went to system log ,and found something suspicious , which occurred frequently before the MBP got stuck almost every time.

cd /var/log

sudo cat system.log

Nov 21 22:16:16 xxx com.apple.xpc.launchd[1] (cloudBackup): Service only ran for 0 seconds. Pushing respawn out by 10 seconds.

Nov 21 22:16:17 xxx com.apple.xpc.launchd[1] (com.mcafee.virusscan.fmpd): Service only ran for 0 seconds. Pushing respawn out by 10 seconds.

from above logging message, I found cloudBackup and Mcafee might be the offender for my case. Then i went ahead and remove the auto-start items of such apps.

check whether you have something related to such suspicious apps in your auto-start list.

cd /Library/LaunchDaemons

ls -la

# backup just in case

sudo cp *.plist ~/

# delete app in question.

sudo rm xxx.plist

I also did some other fixes before my MBP get back to normal - I don't think they are such important as above though, but it doesn't hurt to list them here.

1). delete outlook file directory(which is 14G) - I have another working laptop, thus I don't need to backup it here.

2). uninstall microsoft offices(outlook, word etc)

3). uninstall Mcafee - after installation the daemon above is still generating error message in system.log

4). uninstall Connected Backup - might not be the offender in logging(cloudBakcup), but I delete it as well.

Now my MBP(mid 2012) go back to normal .

Good luck.

Philip Stearns wrote:

I am noticing that lots of people have lots of different third party software installed, lots of plug-ins, MacKeeper... all sorts of stuff that could potentially create a conflict or be somewhat incompatible with El Capitan. Some people's Macs are really loaded. I think a good approach for everyone who is having problems might be to set up a fresh, clean User Account, log into it and test to see if the performance issues vanish. Hammer it. Try to break it. Use your browsers, etc. If all is well your focus might be best spent thinning out all the 'extras' in your main user account. Also, if you have migrated from older computers in the past, you probably have thousands of obsolete files in your user library... cache files, preference files, Application Support files, etc. It may be time to seriously clean house.

2010 13" Macbook Pro here, no SSD. This has worked to me, in the sense that the OS was running perfectly fast and fine (like new!) by using a guest user account. The problem must be in something in the administrator's account! Libraries, software...it really is a good idea to make a clean install in my case. I also went straight from Mavericks, skipping Yosemite which I never installed on this machine. It is absolutely unusable on my administrator account. Time for the clean up...

I've experienced a very, very slow new imac retina 27", and an older macbook pro 15" after upgrades to the latest 10.11.1 system. I've done a lot of online research and for most situations, it's evident that older/corrupted preference files are the culprit. I've run an app: 'cleanmymac' that helped to clear out some old(er) junk stuff on the systems. At the same time, check the activity monitor app, and also the ' console to see where the CPU hog is... my launcher app prefs got corrupted, causing my dock to be unresponsive - and consume about 100% of my CPU and 54 GB! of virtual memory .. bizar. Both systems are ok now. Make sure you check for speed optimization tips also - to turn off spotlight suggestions etc. this will speed up your daily operation considerably. Until now - this is the worst apple system experience i've had in 15 yrs... time to focus on quality again? 😉

Oh dear, This fantastic thing was getting slower & slower AGAIN. So did ALL the resets AGAIN and now we are running ok again till the next time (probably a week). I only use about three apps & occasionally a game of full deck solitaire. I don't have any photo albums or video's files at all..A quick look at a couple of websites & thats it. I have about 475gb free on the 500 gb drive.. I don't use mail or that search thing (spotlight). So there should be Nothing to slow up this thing because its not doing anything. Activity monitor shows very little going on & memory usage is very low. Still can't get iTunes to play without stopping in the middle of a song/tune etc. I would not call this an upgrade at all.. Sorry if the mods on here don't like whats being written. But if you have a CURE for the crap upgrade could you re-upgrade & get this system sorted out.. People shouldn't have to delete all their files for gods sake. Oh & i phoned apple and they couldn't really help. the guy said maybe its time to get a new one..Great !!!

Fed up with trying to find the solution and after 500+ people said "I have this problem too"....

I did this:

Make a Yosemite Boot Install USB ThumbDrive. (good to have one around anyway)

Open ONYX and make all folders an files visible. <-----very important to copy everything including all the hidden system stuff and hidden library stuff.
It ensures that when you bring it back..most of your settings are there will save you time.

Copy EVERYTHING - Do NOT USE TIME MACHINE...when you come back from Time Machine it will bring El Capitan back.

---You can use CarbonCloner, SuperDuper or just drag n drop folder by folder to a backup drive including all those hidden files off main drive. (some of these you can't copy...that's ok) COPY APPLICATIONS, SYSTEM Folder and all LIBRARIES including your USER LIBRARY. --- Some files are fussy....you might have to GET INFO on some of them, unlock them and give yourself privileges.

• VERIFY that folder sizes are exactly or close to a match from backup from your MAIN HD...before you...
• Boot up with Yosemite USB Thumbdrive (COMMAND-R)....and use Disk Utility to Erase your MAIN HD.
• Quit Disk Utility and choose INSTALL OS
• INSTALL Yosemite on it.
• Boot up
• Re setup your settings...by doing the following:

Copy BACK OVER only things you NEED.....except SYSTEM stuff. There might be one or two things in there that you might want to bring back...but UNLESS you know what it is..like Hamachi/Logmein)...don't...and.. most likely NO)

Copy over ONLY WHAT YOU NEED back from the HD/LIBRARY. Stuff related to Pro Apps, Adobe, Application Support folders (just ONLY what you need), Preferences like Firefox Mozilla profiles..etc. ONLY WHAT YOU NEED.

Don't open anything till you have copied over those preferences..etc.

REBOOT after copying all that stuff back.

FRESH!!! yyyeeaaahhhhhhhhh!

I started this all by back up and did the erase and fresh install before bed.....the next day when I got home..took me about an hour or two to get all the stuff I needed back.

NOTE: I do run Server and bringing the Server folder back to Library worked! (Everything except my users and SSL certificate I had to reissue) - Great!

I was actually surprised with how fast it took me to get everything back.

I'm back to lighting fast computing on a 2010 Mac Mini. Everything is running faster.....NO SPINNING WHEEL.

And one more thing....DO NOT UPGRADE to El Capitan until you hear otherwise that they have fixed this.

Tjerja wrote:

I've experienced a very, very slow new imac retina 27", and an older macbook pro 15" after upgrades to the latest 10.11.1 system. I've done a lot of online research and for most situations, it's evident that older/corrupted preference files are the culprit. I've run an app: 'cleanmymac' that helped to clear out some old(er) junk stuff on the systems. At the same time, check the activity monitor app, and also the ' console to see where the CPU hog is... my launcher app prefs got corrupted, causing my dock to be unresponsive - and consume about 100% of my CPU and 54 GB! of virtual memory .. bizar. Both systems are ok now. Make sure you check for speed optimization tips also - to turn off spotlight suggestions etc. this will speed up your daily operation considerably. Until now - this is the worst apple system experience i've had in 15 yrs... time to focus on quality again? 😉

CleanMyMac is fraudulent garbage. The only thing it's cleaned is your wallet. It's one of the worst programs you could put on your computer intentionally. Get rid of it. Now. It's no better than malware.

Based on what if i may ask? Can you please explain?

This link is about MacKeeper, but since both it and CleanMyMac are cut from the same fraudulent cloth, everything about one applies to the other.

http://www.thesafemac.com/ongoing-mackeeper-fraud/

If you don't do your research before putting nonsense like this on your computer, frankly, it's your own fault when things go wrong. All you need to do is do a search of these forums for both MacKeeper and CleanMyMac and you'll see thousands of people not only being told how damaging they are for your system, but how they're basically scams that in some cases, rip people off from their money. You have no idea the kind of damage these "cleaners" do to your system. Macs don't need them. They don't need cleaners, refreshers, organizers, optimizers, or anything else of the like. They do a great job of for the most part, taking care of themselves.

Well Mackeeper is a adware. Nothing good comes of it. If you really need optimizing software go with Onyx. I am not sure about cleanmymac myself.

sprintmick;

You obviously have something wrong with your computer. Millions of users are running El Capitan with no problems at all. So to blame your problem on the upgrade is totally un fair. Right now I am running 13 programs all at the same time (including iTunes) and having no problems at all with speed. If you have followed all the suggested corrections included herein and still have problems you need to have your computer checked out.

I have experienced 2 of the problems outlined in this discussion and the suggested fixes worked just fine. I had the problem with "Mail" and after the fix was a little upset that I lost all my mailboxes. But I figured out where they were (deep in my Library) and reloaded them back in and have been running great ever since. The only problem I have not been able to correct is that iMovie 9.0.9 does not work on El Capitan. I'm just praying that Apple will take pity on us old diehards who don't like the new iMovie and fix that problem.

As of me writing this....just this forum alone.... has 548 ("I have this problem too"). That doesn't include all the other forums on the slowness nor the other places people might go to get their computers checked out..or people taking their computers directly to apple.

546 having this problem too..is an EXTREME high number alone for this issue.

This is why articles like this are popping up?

http://www.macworld.co.uk/feature/mac-software/mac-os-x-el-capitan-updates-issue s-fixes-features-specs-3594193/

So I dont know where you are getting using your "millions users"...based on what fact? Does that include new laptops and desktops that already have it installed? Does that number include downgrades back to Yosemite?..or does it inlcude people who have had to wipe their drives and install a new version of El Capitan?

How about how many of them have had to search articles which are popping up on how to downgrade to Yosemite?? I've found about 5 that have instructions on how to get Yosemite back...

Blaming the problem ON THE UPGRADE is competely FAIR. Upgrades are supposed to improve...that is why they call it an "upgrade".

I've seen the damage El Capitan has done around the office. I made the mistake of upgrading my home computer two days after. That ususally goes against my best judgment.

So no..there was nothing wrong with the computers around the office before the upgrade...so you might want to use logical and rational thinking before spewing your unhelpful input.

K I M B A K A T;

Looks like I hit a nerve here. Sorry, that was not my intention. I thought I was being helpful.

sprintmick's comment was, "But if you have a CURE for the crap upgrade could you re-upgrade & get this system sorted out.. People shouldn't have to delete all their files for gods sake." I was merely pointing out that the vast majority of people who have upgraded have had no problem at all. That would indicate that the problems some of us are experiencing are probably due to other circumstances rather than the El Capitan upgrade. If it were the fault of Apple or the El Capitan system, ALL would have problems.

So if sprintmick has tired all the fixes outline herein he may want to consider having his computer checked out.

Hi , If you read my earlier post you will see that this thing has been in for service recently & it was supposed to be all ok. I also put a brand new set of memory in(16gb) just in case that was causing an issue. I will tell you this though, It does run better on parallels installed running windows XP from my old computer hard drive. That seems to run without any hiccups. If i use anything that is mac like safari, iTunes etc.its not long before things start to go titsup and the beachballs return.. So now what is the next move. I honestly am stumped. The following is all i use this thing for. Safari = browsing crash net, thomascook for holidays, eBay ,Auto-trader google searches for info & thats about it.. I use windows for my Aol email, Ham Radio Deluxe, windows media player for music as iTunes stops during playback for a secend or two. Thats about it for that. I did use a windows app for my cctv camera but since DOWNGRADING to elcapitan that no longer wants to work. All i get is half a fuzzy lined screen & the other half is black.. Cctv used to work with just a normal usb 2.0 capture device on mac or windows.. But thats about all this thing is used for..It shouldn't even build up a sweat should it.. So if you have any other things or suggestion i might try please let me know..

The current status is Hardrive capacity=479.49gb. Used=69.88gb.Available=408.6gb. Apps= 59.45gb photos=4.08gb Audio=6.78gb Movies=14.47gb other=zero available 408.6gb. Not much really is it..