Q: OS X El Capitan slow

i am having the same issue. both of my macs 2009 imac i7,8gb ram, 2tb drive with 1.5 tb free, and my 2011 mac mini i5 4 gig of ram 500 gig drive, about 280 gig free. both have been rediculously slow since installing this new operating system. spinning wheel after clicking on anything right click left click.. doesnt matter.  boot time is slower than yosimite which i thought was impossable but apparently not.  opening applications is a nightmare, i click on an application icon and it just sits there spinning and spinning. very laggy while using applications as well, i mostly use safari and adobe light room and some nikon software i use for my images. when i open the activity monitor theres NOTHING really popping out at me that says "hey theres allot of usage here" im extreemly disapointed in this update. im a huge huge huge fan of this company but this operating system just flat out stinks. im not an expert user of osX like i was with windows so i dont know how to tweak anything or even where to look.. as far as the terminal  or console useless as a rock lol

El Capitan is "slow" and Safari is "slow" and just about everything is "slow" with El Capitan. All things being equal and comparable, normal usage is "slow" with El Capitan. Repeat:  Normal every day usage now compared to before El Capitan. What do I mean exactly by "slow"?  Start with the dictionary meaning:

not moving quickly : not able to move quickly

: not happening quickly : taking more time than is expected or wanted

: not operating quickly

Have you tried any of brenden dv suggestions?

What happened if you did?

My MBP was doing the same thing: spinning beachball in Safari, during launching applications, shutting down applications, typing in text boxes, switching applications, you name it. It was driving me nuts. I ran Etrecheck and discovered that my internal drive was failing. I used Carbon Cloner to copy my internal HD to an external one and I am presently working off the external drive. No beachball and everything is working just fine. I am now in the market for a new laptop since this one is 5 years old and a couple of weeks ago, a row of pixels died in the screen. I hope this helps.

Option 1) Testing in a new User will quickly tell you if the problem is system wide or if it's your User's folder that contains the problem.

You can use the Guest User or create a new User for testing.

CREATE A NEW USER

Go to System Preferences --> Create a New User in Users & Groups.

Switch to the New User by logging out under the Apple in the Menu bar.

You can skip logging in to your Apple ID unless you want to test iClouds.

Only default Apple apps will  be in the Dock in the new User. Go to Applications to open other apps you might want to test.

Do you still see the issue? If no,  download EtreCheck and paste results here for help troubleshooting.

Option 2) Open Activity Monitor in Applications/Utilities. Sort on Memory tab to check memory usage. You want to see green. If you leave Activity Monitor open in the background it's easy to quickly switch over when you are experiencing slowdowns to help identify problems.

Option 3)  Reset Home Directory Permissions and ACLs

Boot into the Recovery Drive by holding down Command R when restarting.

In the menu bar, select Utilities -> Terminal. Type resetpassword in the Terminal and press Enter.

1 Select your main hard drive.

2 In the dropdown box under "Select the user account" make sure to select your username.

3 Select the option: "Reset Home Directory Permissions and ACLs", click the Reset button. It's not obvious when it's complete.

4 Quit the Reset Password application.

5 Quit the Terminal.

At this point you can restart or do other tasks like running Repair Disk in Disk Utility, Reinstall OS X or Restore from Time Machine Backup.

To Restart: Click Mac OS X Installer in the top left and click Quit Mac OS X Installer. Click the Startup Disk button. Click on your main hard drive and click the Restart button.

Spotlight will re-index your drive after restarting. Give it some time to complete before testing.

Option 4)

1) Start with booting in Safe Boot mode then restart normally.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201262

More info:

http://osxdaily.com/2010/04/20/using-safe-boot-mode-in-mac-os-x/

2) Log in to your User holding down Shift key to disable your login items.

This  will eliminate any issues with your login items.

3)  Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC) on your Mac - Apple Support

4)  How to Reset NVRAM on your Mac - Apple Support

I had no problems until I upgraded to El Capitan. Then safari began running VERY slowly. Everything else works fine.

Specifically:

-when you click in Safari's address bar and either type in a web address or click on the icon of one of the top sites displayed below 80% of the time it takes several minutes before the page loads. sometimes you get an error message saying the page is not available.

-when you use gmail or facebook or other websites in Safari sometimes it takes several minutes before a message is sent or a new page loads.

-sometimes when you try to close a page or a tab it takes several minutes before the page goes away.

It's torture. I usually prefer Safari but i'm having to switch to Chrome because it's frustrating when you want to do a quick search.

ALSO: computer boots slowly now. It used to boot in record time. Not anymore. I get that booting page with the power bar slowly filling up before it boots.

I tried your suggestions:

-I created a test user, results were the same.

-I ran the activity monitor.

It's got everything to do with El Capitan and Safari.

EtreCheck version: 2.6.3 (223)

Report generated 11/6/15, 6:19 PM

Runtime 1:27

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.

Click the [Click to remove] links for help removing adware.

Hardware Information: (What does this mean?)

    MacBook Pro (Retina, Mid 2012)

    [Click for Technical Specifications]

    [Click for User Guide]

    MacBook Pro - model: MacBookPro10,1

    1 2.6 GHz Intel Core i7 CPU: 4-core

    8 GB RAM Not upgradeable

            BANK 0/DIMM0

            4 GB DDR3 1600 MHz ok

        BANK 1/DIMM0

            4 GB DDR3 1600 MHz ok

    Bluetooth: Good - Handoff/Airdrop2 supported

    Wireless:  en0: 802.11 a/b/g/n

    Battery: Health = Replace Soon - Cycle count = 1074 - SN = D86234136JSDNMGAA

Video Information: (What does this mean?)

    Intel HD Graphics 4000

        Color LCD 2880 x 1800

    NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M - VRAM: 1024 MB

System Software: (What does this mean?)

    OS X El Capitan 10.11.1 (15B42) - Time since boot: about one day

Disk Information: (What does this mean?)

    APPLE SSD SM512E disk0 : (500.28 GB) (Solid State - TRIM: Yes)

        EFI (disk0s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB

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

        Macintosh HD (disk1) / : 499.05 GB (167.81 GB free)

            Encrypted AES-XTS Unlocked

            Core Storage: disk0s2 499.42 GB Online

USB Information: (What does this mean?)

    Apple Inc. FaceTime HD Camera (Built-in)

    Apple Inc. Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad

    Apple Inc. BRCM20702 Hub

        Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller

Thunderbolt Information: (What does this mean?)

    Apple Inc. thunderbolt_bus

Gatekeeper: (What does this mean?)

    Mac App Store and identified developers

Adware: (What does this mean?)

    Genieo, InstallMac Adware! [Click to remove]

Kernel Extensions: (What does this mean?)

        /Applications/SurfBouncer.app

    [not loaded]    net.tunnelblick.tap (1.0) [Click for support]

    [not loaded]    net.tunnelblick.tun (1.0) [Click for support]

        /System/Library/Extensions

    [not loaded]    com.AmbrosiaSW.AudioSupport (4.1.2 - SDK 10.7) [Click for support]

Launch Agents: (What does this mean?)

    [loaded]    com.adobe.AAM.Updater-1.0.plist [Click for support]

    [failed]    com.adobe.ARMDCHelper.cc24aef4a1b90ed56a...plist [Click for support]

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

Launch Daemons: (What does this mean?)

    [running]    com.adobe.ARMDC.Communicator.plist [Click for support]

    [running]    com.adobe.ARMDC.SMJobBlessHelper.plist [Click for support]

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

    [loaded]    com.ambrosiasw.ambrosiaaudiosupporthelper.daemon.plist [Click for support]

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

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

User Launch Agents: (What does this mean?)

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

    [running]    com.spotify.webhelper.plist [Click for support]

User Login Items: (What does this mean?)

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

    AdobeResourceSynchronizer    Application Hidden (/Applications/Adobe Reader.app/Contents/Support/AdobeResourceSynchronizer.app)

    Google Chrome    Application Hidden (/Applications/Google Chrome.app)

    AdobeResourceSynchronizer    Application Hidden (/Applications/Adobe Acrobat DC/Adobe Acrobat.app/Contents/Helpers/AdobeResourceSynchronizer.app)

    Spotify    Application Hidden (/Applications/Spotify.app)

    SurfBouncer    Application  (/Applications/SurfBouncer.app)

Other Apps: (What does this mean?)

    [running]    com.SurfBouncer.tunnelblick.SurfBouncer.4512

    [running]    com.apple.xpc.launchd.oneshot.0x1000001c.EtreCheck

    [running]    com.google.Chrome.46112

    [running]    com.spotify.client.62432

Internet Plug-ins: (What does this mean?)

    o1dbrowserplugin: Version: 5.41.0.0 - SDK 10.8 [Click for support]

    Google Earth Web Plug-in: Version: 7.1 [Click for support]

    Default Browser: Version: 601 - SDK 10.11

    AdobeAAMDetect: Version: AdobeAAMDetect 1.0.0.0 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]

    FlashPlayer-10.6: Version: 19.0.0.226 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]

    AdobePDFViewerNPAPI: Version: 15.009.20077 - SDK 10.8 [Click for support]

    Silverlight: Version: 5.1.40728.0 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]

    QuickTime Plugin: Version: 7.7.3

    Flash Player: Version: 19.0.0.226 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]

    googletalkbrowserplugin: Version: 5.41.0.0 - SDK 10.8 [Click for support]

    SharePointBrowserPlugin: Version: 14.5.7 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]

    AdobePDFViewer: Version: 15.009.20077 - SDK 10.8 [Click for support]

    GarminGpsControl: Version: 4.2.0.0 - SDK 10.8 [Click for support]

    DirectorShockwave: Version: 12.0.2r122 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]

User internet Plug-ins: (What does this mean?)

    Picasa: Version: 1.0 - SDK 10.4 [Click for support]

3rd Party Preference Panes: (What does this mean?)

    Flash Player  [Click for support]

    FUSE for OS X (OSXFUSE)  [Click for support]

Time Machine: (What does this mean?)

    Time Machine not configured!

Top Processes by CPU: (What does this mean?)

         6%    Google Chrome Helper(11)

         4%    WindowServer

         2%    fontd

         1%    Spotify Helper(2)

         1%    Spotify

Top Processes by Memory: (What does this mean?)

    991 MB    Google Chrome Helper(11)

    871 MB    kernel_task

    311 MB    com.apple.WebKit.WebContent(3)

    311 MB    mdworker(21)

    213 MB    Google Chrome

Virtual Memory Information: (What does this mean?)

    85 MB    Free RAM

    7.91 GB    Used RAM (1.93 GB Cached)

    0 B    Swap Used

Diagnostics Information: (What does this mean?)

    Nov 6, 2015, 05:27:55 PM    /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/com.apple.WebKit.Networking_2015-11-06-172755_[ redacted].cpu_resource.diag [Click for details]

    Nov 5, 2015, 10:57:07 PM    Self test - passed

You need to get rid of the adware.  Download and run Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for Mac to remove it.  You'd be amazed at just what that will do.  You also should stop using Google Chrome.  It's a massive memory hog, and requires too many "helpers" in order to run.  Safari is native to Apple and is a much less intrusive browser.

I ran the Malwarebytes program. Ive been trying to get rid of that malware for a year now.

I'll see how it goes...

I use Chrome because it has good extensions to block pop ups, ads and VPM-type extensions. ill try closing it and see what happens.

You might want to reconsider using Chrome as your browser after reading these:

Google Chrome Listening In To Your Room Shows The Importance Of Privacy Defense In Depth.

Unseen Burdens in Chrome That Can Lead a Mac to Lag

How to Manage the Secret Software That Google Chrome Installs on Your Mac

Google is known to "phone home" with users data as was found out with this new Google Photos service:  Google Photos may be free — but there's still a cost.

Just some food for thought.

loopdeloop13 wrote:

 

I ran the Malwarebytes program. Ive been trying to get rid of that malware for a year now.

I'll see how it goes...

 

I use Chrome because it has good extensions to block pop ups, ads and VPM-type extensions. ill try closing it and see what happens.

Safari has both Adblock and Adblock Plus, depending on which one you prefer, and both block pop-ups and ads.  So, that's not a good reason to keep using Chrome.

Thanks! good advice.

I have to say a few weeks later nothing has changed. Its so frustrating. I had to start using Chrome again.

50% of the time Safari just won't open pages! whether you type in the address, click a link on a website, select a page from your bookmarks. 50% of the time Safari just won't open it. Or play videos! Videos rarely play and then you go to Chrome ands they play instantly.

very frustrating. I wish I hadn't upgraded to El Capitan.

You get error messages

Be sure to report it to Apple Feedback so it can be logged and put in the queue to be fixed.

http://www.apple.com/feedback/macosx.html