Problem with Kernel Task - El Capitan

I had this issue with a previous upgrade and this fix worked great. However, in El Cap this is a protected system file. In order to delete it you need to:

0. Reboot into recovery mode (Command + R on boot prior to startup chime), select Utilities/Terminal, csrutil disable <Enter> (repeat process, use csrutil enable after removing the file), reboot.

1. Go to About this mac under the apple in the upper left and click on More info

2. Click on system report

3. make a note of what it says after Model Identifier (MacBookPro8,2 is mine).

4. From the Root drive (not home folder): – System Library – Extensions – IOPlatformPluginFamily.kext (alt-click/View Contents) – Plugins – ACPI_SMC_PlatformPlugin.kext – View Contents – Resources -– find the name from step 3 and move it to a folder that you can find again if needed.

3. Restart and you’re done (other than enabling SIP).

I can use my Mac again!

Late 2011 15", i7 2.2, 16GB 1333, 1TB hybrid drive, OSX 10.11.1

The kernel is using excessive processor cycles. Below are some possible causes for the condition.

Throttling

When it gets high temperature readings from the hardware, or low voltage readings from the battery of a MacBook, the kernel may try to compensate by interrupting the processor(s) to slow them down and reduce power consumption. This condition can be due to:

☞ a buildup of dust on the logic board

☞ high ambient temperature

☞ a worn-out or faulty battery in a portable

☞ the malfunction of a cooling fan, a temperature sensor, a voltage sensor, or some other internal component

Note that if the problem is caused by a sensor, there may be no actual overheating or undervoltage.

If the computer is portable, test with and without the AC adapter connected. If kernel_task hogs the processor only on AC power, charging is causing the machine to heat up. That behavior may be normal for some models, but it may also be an indication of a hardware fault.

Apple Diagnostics or the Apple Hardware Test, though not very reliable, is sometimes able to detect a fault. For more thorough hardware testing, make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store, or go to another authorized service provider.

If nothing is wrong with the hardware, then whatever you can do to improve cooling may help.

Installed software

User-installed software that includes a device driver or other kernel code may thrash the kernel. That category includes virtualization software, such as Parallels and VMware, as well as most commercial "anti-virus" products. Some system-monitoring applications, such as "iStat," can also contribute to the problem. You can test for this possibility by completely disabling or removing the software according to the developer's instructions, or starting in safe mode. Note, however, that disabling a system modification without removing it or testing in safe mode may not be as easy as you think.

Corrupt NVRAM or SMC data

Sometimes the problem is cleared up by resetting the NVRAM or the SMC.

External display

Connecting an external display to some MacBook Pro models while the lid is open may cause this issue. If applicable, use the external display in clamshell mode.

I just dragged it to my desktop, then to my Things folder after moving it from it's original location to the Trash. What's your device and OS? When did it start? Is anything else it's doing weird or wrong?

angelefc wrote:

I've followed your steps but my activity monitor still shows kernel_task using about 500MB of RAM. Someone knows why? Should I be worried?

Thanks.

kernel_task is your operating system. How much total RAM do you have installed? That will tell you if 553.8 MB is excessive or not.

Hello! I know you comment was made awhile ago, but was hoping you could help me.

I followed the steps you listed but I can't find Resources! (What I see instead when I go to

/System/Library/Extensions/IOPlatformPluginFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/ACPI_SMC_PlatformPlugin.kext/Contents/)

I have done something similar to another OS (Yosemite) and it worked fine so not sure what's wrong here.

Please help! Thank you!!

Thanks Linc Davis! This is really helpful. Assuming the kernel_task issue is due to a software installation, what is the fix for it?

Any additional help would be much appreciated, and thank you!

TL;DR

I can't just do without the likely software culprits such as vmware (I've also been suspicious of R and LaTeX). My kernel_task is currently running 1.34GB of RAM at 136 threads (and no change over the course of writing this post).

As for the other possibilities, this happens to my MBPro (and the MBAir before it) regardless of external display connectivity, regardless of the fact that I have reset the NVRAM & SMC controller on numerous occasions with no improvement, and temperature isn't an issue due to good environment. I should note that this often happens when I come back to the computer after it's been sleeping for some indistinguishable period of time. When I acquired the MBPro, I set it up from scratch without using Migration Assistant.

Thank you, Linc Davis.

I have had recurring kernel_task problems in Yosemite and now El Capitan, always associated with the connection of external devices (ext. display, ext. audio).

Clamshell mode seems to have fixed it for now.

Again, many thanks.

Tim W.

No, it's not. It could be, but telling people that as an absolute could cost people a lot of money unnecessarily. Hardware malfunction after a software update would be more likely to be coincidence.

Malacaih,

I've had kernel_task issues with several different OS versions - Mountain Lion, Yosemite and now El Capitan.

For me, kernel_task most frequently misbehaves when my MacBook Pro 8,2 is connected to external devices - an external monitor, something plugged into the audio out (headphone jack), etc.

Try using the computer standalone - starting the computer with all external devices disconnected - and see if that resolves kernel_task swallowing up all your CPU cycles. If so, connect one external device, reboot, launch Activity Monitor and observe. Disconnect, shut down, and connect a different (and only one) external device, and lather, rinse, repeat. Essentially, try to identify which external device is pulling the trigger on kernel_task. Depending on what you observe, there may be specific (or more global) solutions available to you.

Hope this helps some.

Hello there,

I have an iMac12,2 (model identifier) - which I removed according to the instructions.

But didn't do the trick unfortunately.

I have an iMAC 27-inch running El Capitan.

Ever since I have upgraded my memory has been eaten up by kernel_task. Right now it is at 1.25GB

Is there something else I could try? 🙂

The iMac12_2.plist file has been removed from that folder --- actually this solution did work for me before I upgraded but NOW

kernel_task is sticking around and my Mac is slooooow...

Thank you in advance for your advice

Chaba

yeah been having kernal problem since Yosemite too, I have a late 2011 MBPro. I now carry my power adapter with me all the time. Seem silly but that the only way my laptop wont slow down. I was thinking of buying a new macbook pro laptop since this one was getting outdated but I done with apple laptop now. my next buy will for sure be a window book or surface pro.

I'm working on a 2013 iMac that was brought to my office because the fan is always at its maximum speed. Initially I thought it was just a problem with the fan, but before ordering a new one I noticed that the Kernal Task is Shreking the CPU. I tried your fix for the issue, but terminal replies "command not found". (I'm stuck at step 0). Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks! I'm so close now, but there's one more problem.
My system report says "iMac14,1" which is nowhere to be found in the resources folder of the path you specified. There's a list of very similar ones, such as "iMac12,2" but no iMac14,1

If deleting the file that relates to your machine doesn't hurt anything, I can't see how deleting the rest would either. Just copy that entire kext to your desktop or somewhere, then delete it from the system folder.

ps This stopped the kernel task issue, but my fans have been running full blast since the Yosemite update - AHT shows a faulty temp sensor, but I can't find to which one the error code corresponds.

Thanks for getting back to me
I already tried deleting all of the files. I put them in a folder on my desktop and deleted them from their native location. After restarting, the kernal_task was still at 98% and the fan was still hitting max speed (from about 50 seconds after booting, and maintaining speed indefinitely unless shut down). Keep in mind this is a late 2013 iMac. It's not one of those iMacs where you can just take a suction cup to the glass screen, pull it off, unscrew the casing, and access the hardware right away. You have to take a plastic too to this screen and carefully "scrape" the screen off of the fitting. It also requires a 20 dollar glue kit from apple every time you remove the screen. This iMac is so slim that the "fastest" way to replace the on it RAM is to remove the entire motherboard. However, you can't remove the motherboard without removing the fan, the PSU, and loosening the left speaker. My point is that this is still a new and only lightly used computer. It has a 2.7ghz Intel Core i5, 16 gigs of RAM, Intel Iris Pro graphics, and a 1TB drive with 979 gigs of space free. It was purchased by Outside Magazine for one of its designers and they expected it to work properly for longer than it has.

As mentioned, I did try deleting all of the files. After spending 15-20 minutes staring at the list, hoping I was somehow overlooking the 14,1 file, I ended up taking my chances and just deleting them all. Hardware aside, I have nothing to lose with this iMac. I have already done a clean install on it multiple times with an external optical drive. The fan/kernal issues persist even before upgrading to Yosemite. To make thing even weirder, one of my first attempts to fix the problem involved replacing the HD with the drive from my personal Macbook Pro (which doesn't have this issue). Although the iMac booted up with my username, password, background color, files, and programs, it still had the issue with kernal_task eating up the CPU. Obviously something is causing the kernal task to consume the iMac's CPU, but it's as if the cause is in no way related to the OS, any of the iMac's files, or even the Hard Drive itself. In fact, I'm pretty sure I can even remove the hard drive completely and boot this guy into diagnostics with a disk, and the fan will STILL go nuts. The reason I assume this is because I've booted her up from an external OS installation disk, opened activity monitor in the utilities, and found the Kernal task eating the CPU. Even though the hard drive was not disconnected, it had not been booted from.

As a full time IT-technician, it's my job to fix this iMac for the company I work for. It's not like I'll lose my job if I can't, but I would really appreciate any addition help/options. I'm still new to this job, but this is the only issue I've encountered so far that has left me clueless.

Thanks in Advance,

love you Badgermonkey

-Will