Massive memory leak in Safari since installation El Capitan

I had a similar problem with Sierra on my Macbook Pro. The Safari bookmarks sync agent would gradually eat most memory, real and virtual. I downloaded etreCheck on advice and when it ran it reported a corrupted OSX. So I reloaded Sierra and it runs fine and cool now. etreSoft is a shareware app.

I've not seen any such problem on any of my computers.

Try these in order testing your system after each to see if it's back to normal:

1. a. Resetting your Mac's PRAM and NVRAM

b. Intel-based Macs: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC)

2. Restart the computer in Safe Mode, then restart again, normally. If this doesn't help, then:

Boot to the Recovery HD: Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the

COMMAND and R keys until the Utilities menu screen appears.

3. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions: Upon startup select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions as follows.

When the recovery menu appears select Disk Utility and press the Continue button. After Disk Utility loads select the indented Macintosh HD

entry from the the left side list. Click on the First Aid button in the toolbar. Wait until the operation completes, then quit Disk Utility and return

to the main menu.

4. Reinstall OS X: Reboot from the Recovery HD. Select Reinstall OS X from the Utilities menu, and click on the Continue button.

Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible because it is three times faster than wireless.

Please download and install EtreCheck from http://www.etresoft.com/etrecheck

Run it and post the report here.

Back up all data before proceeding.

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

~/Library/Safari

Right-click or control-click the line and select

Services ▹ Open

from the contextual menu.* A folder named "Safari" should open. Quit Safari if it's running. One or more files in the open folder should have a name beginning in "History". Move those files, and only those, to the Desktop, leaving the window open. Relaunch the application and test. If there's no change, quit again and put the files you moved back where they were, overwriting the ones that may have been created in their place. Otherwise, delete the files you moved. The browser history will be empty. If possible, restore the deleted files from a backup that predates the problem.

*If you don't see the contextual menu item, 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 may not see what you pasted because a line break is included. Press return.

TThanks heaps. Been looking for a solution for 3 days. Lol

im wondering what could cause this to prevent this happening in the future.

This is not the first version of Safari to leak memory when the history files are corrupted.

I've got the same memory leak problem on a Mac Pro (mid 2012) running 10.11.1. I tried this fix but it didn't help. Further suggestions welcome!

If the solution offered in this thread didn't work for you then in all probability your problem is different. I suggest you start your own thread. In that thread post all of the details about your problem plus full details of what Mac and operating system you are using and what you have tried so far to fix the problem.

Unfortunately, It did not worked for me with my MacPro runnuning under 10.10.5...

Thank you Linc!

With my MacBook Pro running under 10.10.5 and safari 9.0.3, the memory remained stable (and not going up until computer crash due system running out of memory)!

EtreCheck version: 2.9.9 (260)

Report generated 2016-03-07 12:37:04

Download EtreCheck from https://etrecheck.com

Runtime 7:20

Performance: Below Average

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

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

Problem: Beachballing

Hardware Information: ⓘ

MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2010)

[Technical Specifications] - [User Guide] - [Warranty & Service]

MacBook Pro - model: MacBookPro7,1

1 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU: 2-core

6 GB RAM Upgradeable - [Instructions]

BANK 0/DIMM0

2 GB DDR3 1067 MHz ok

BANK 1/DIMM0

4 GB DDR3 1067 MHz ok

Bluetooth: Old - Handoff/Airdrop2 not supported

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

Video Information: ⓘ

NVIDIA GeForce 320M - VRAM: 256 MB

VA903-2SERIES 1280 x 1024 @ 75 Hz

System Software: ⓘ

OS X El Capitan 10.11.3 (15D21) - Time since boot: less than an hour

Disk Information: ⓘ

FUJITSU MJA2160BH G2 disk0 : (160.04 GB) (Rotational)

EFI (disk0s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB

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

Macbook HD (disk1) / : 158.81 GB (81.11 GB free)

Core Storage: disk0s2 159.18 GB Online

MATSHITADVD-R UJ-898 ()

USB Information: ⓘ

Apple Inc. BRCM2046 Hub

Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller

Apple Computer, Inc. IR Receiver

Apple Inc. Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad

Apple Card Reader

Apple Inc. Built-in iSight

Configuration files: ⓘ

/etc/sysctl.conf - File exists but not expected

Gatekeeper: ⓘ

Mac App Store and identified developers

Kernel Extensions: ⓘ

/System/Library/Extensions

[not loaded] com.ZTE.driver.ZTEUSBCDCACMData (1.2.19 - 2016-02-29) [Support]

[not loaded] com.ZTE.driver.ZTEUSBMassStorageFilter (1.2.19 - 2016-02-29) [Support]

[not loaded] com.novatelwireless.driver.3G (3.0.7 - 2016-02-29) [Support]

[not loaded] com.novatelwireless.driver.DisableAutoInstall (2.0.6 - 2016-02-29) [Support]

[not loaded] com.option.driver.Option72 (2.15.0 - 2016-02-29) [Support]

[not loaded] com.option.driver.OptionHS (3.26.0 - 2016-02-29) [Support]

[not loaded] com.option.driver.OptionMSD (1.21.0 - 2016-02-29) [Support]

[not loaded] com.option.driver.OptionQC (1.11.0 - 2016-02-29) [Support]

[not loaded] com.vodafone.driver (3.0.5 - 2016-02-29) [Support]

[not loaded] de.novamedia.driver.NMLGEDriver (3.2.10 - 2016-02-29) [Support]

[not loaded] de.novamedia.driver.NMSamsung (0.0.2 - 2016-02-29) [Support]

[not loaded] de.novamedia.driver.NMSmartplugSCSIDevice (1.0.1 - 2016-02-29) [Support]

[not loaded] de.novamedia.oem.vodafone.vtp.huawei.cdc (0.0.2 - 2016-02-29) [Support]

/System/Library/Extensions/NMHuaweiPhonesVTPCDC.kext/Contents/Resources

[not loaded] de.novamedia.driver.NMUSBCDCACMData.VTP (3.2.6 - 2009-09-25) [Support]

/System/Library/Extensions/NMLGEDriver.kext/Contents/PlugIns

[not loaded] de.novamedia.driver.NMLGEUSBCDCACMControl (3.1.9 - 2009-09-25) [Support]

[not loaded] de.novamedia.driver.NMLGEUSBCDCACMData (3.1.9 - 2009-09-25) [Support]

/System/Library/Extensions/NMSamsungDriver_106.kext/Contents/PlugIns

[not loaded] de.novamedia.driver.NMUSBCDCACMControl (3.2.12 - 2009-09-25) [Support]

[not loaded] de.novamedia.driver.NMUSBCDCACMData (3.2.12 - 2009-09-25) [Support]

/System/Library/Extensions/NovatelWireless3G.kext/Contents/Plugins

[not loaded] com.novatelwireless.driver.3GData (3.0.7 - 2009-09-25) [Support]

/System/Library/Extensions/Vodafone.kext/Contents/Plugins

[not loaded] com.vodafone.driver.Data (3.0.5 - 2009-09-25) [Support]

Startup Items: ⓘ

HWNetMgr: Path: /Library/StartupItems/HWNetMgr

HWPortDetect: Path: /Library/StartupItems/HWPortDetect

Startup items are obsolete in OS X Yosemite

System Launch Agents: ⓘ

[not loaded] 7 Apple tasks

[loaded] 160 Apple tasks

[running] 69 Apple tasks

System Launch Daemons: ⓘ

[running] de.novamedia.nmnetmgrd.plist (2009-09-21) [Support]

[not loaded] 45 Apple tasks

[loaded] 159 Apple tasks

[running] 83 Apple tasks

Launch Agents: ⓘ

[failed] de.novamedia.VodafoneDeviceObserver.plist (2009-09-21) [Support]

Launch Daemons: ⓘ

[loaded] com.adobe.fpsaud.plist (2016-01-29) [Support]

[loaded] com.avid.sari.plist (2016-01-27) [Support]

[loaded] com.microsoft.office.licensing.helper.plist (2010-08-25) [Support]

User Launch Agents: ⓘ

[failed] com.jdibackup.JustCloud.autostart.plist (2016-01-22) [Support]

[loaded] com.jdibackup.JustCloud.backupstart.plist (2016-01-22) [Support]

[loaded] com.jdibackup.JustCloud.notify.plist (2016-01-22) [Support]

User Login Items: ⓘ

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

VMCStatusMenu UNKNOWN (missing value)

Vodafone Mobile Broadband UNKNOWN Hidden (missing value)

uTorrent Application (/Applications/uTorrent.app)

Other Apps: ⓘ

[running] com.bittorrent.uTorrent.77792

[running] com.etresoft.EtreCheck.80992

[loaded] com.trendmicro.ATLoginItemHelper

[running] com.trendmicro.DrCleaner.76832

[loaded] 399 Apple tasks

[running] 171 Apple tasks

Internet Plug-ins: ⓘ

SharePointBrowserPlugin: 14.6.1 - SDK 10.6 (2016-02-23) [Support]

FlashPlayer-10.6: 20.0.0.306 - SDK 10.6 (2016-02-10) [Support]

QuickTime Plugin: 7.7.3 (2016-01-14)

Flash Player: 20.0.0.306 - SDK 10.6 (2016-02-10) [Support]

PepperFlashPlayer: 20.0.0.306 - SDK 10.6 (2016-02-10) [Support]

Default Browser: 601 - SDK 10.11 (2016-01-14)

Safari Extensions: ⓘ

Adblock Plus (2016-01-21)

3rd Party Preference Panes: ⓘ

Flash Player (2016-01-29) [Support]

Time Machine: ⓘ

Skip System Files: NO

Mobile backups: OFF

Auto backup: NO - Auto backup turned off

Volumes being backed up:

Macbook HD: Disk size: 158.81 GB Disk used: 77.70 GB

Destinations:

VIDEOS [Local]

Total size: 499.76 GB

Total number of backups: 8

Oldest backup: 12/02/2016, 12:45 AM

Last backup: 4/03/2016, 5:14 PM

Size of backup disk: Excellent

Backup size 499.76 GB > (Disk size 158.81 GB X 3)

Top Processes by CPU: ⓘ

86% Safari

31% uTorrent

4% kernel_task

4% loginwindow

3% launchservicesd

Top Processes by Memory: ⓘ

3.17 GB Safari

397 MB kernel_task

129 MB mdworker(10)

74 MB Finder

68 MB mds_stores

Virtual Memory Information: ⓘ

16 MB Free RAM

6.23 GB Used RAM (1.05 GB Cached)

0 B Swap Used

Diagnostics Information: ⓘ

Mar 7, 2016, 12:27:31 PM Self test - passed

Mar 7, 2016, 12:11:03 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Safari_2016-03-07-121103_[redacted].cpu_resourc e.diag [Details]

/Applications/Safari.app/Contents/MacOS/Safari

Mar 7, 2016, 08:12:30 AM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Safari_2016-03-07-081230_[redacted].cpu_resourc e.diag [Details]

Mar 7, 2016, 02:07:39 AM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Safari_2016-03-07-020739_[redacted].cpu_resourc e.diag [Details]

Mar 6, 2016, 01:24:18 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Safari_2016-03-06-132418_[redacted].cpu_resourc e.diag [Details]

Mar 6, 2016, 01:21:13 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Safari_2016-03-06-132113_[redacted].hang

Mar 6, 2016, 10:34:08 AM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Safari_2016-03-06-103408_[redacted].cpu_resourc e.diag [Details]

Mar 6, 2016, 02:31:30 AM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Safari_2016-03-06-023130_[redacted].cpu_resourc e.diag [Details]

Mar 5, 2016, 04:01:16 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Safari_2016-03-05-160116_[redacted].cpu_resourc e.diag [Details]

Mar 5, 2016, 10:52:56 AM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Safari_2016-03-05-105256_[redacted].cpu_resourc e.diag [Details]

Mar 5, 2016, 06:28:53 AM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Safari_2016-03-05-062853_[redacted].cpu_resourc e.diag [Details]

Mar 5, 2016, 04:43:05 AM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Safari_2016-03-05-044305_[redacted].cpu_resourc e.diag [Details]

Mar 4, 2016, 03:01:24 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Safari_2016-03-04-150124_[redacted].cpu_resourc e.diag [Details]

Mar 4, 2016, 02:47:18 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Safari_2016-03-04-144718_[redacted].cpu_resourc e.diag [Details]

For some reason this is not fixing my Safari. The memory leak keeps coming. Very frustrating.

Please read my reply to jdien. It most likely applies to you also.