arneay
Level 1 (4 points)
Notebooks

Q: macbook air: fan runs constantly after installing el capitan

I've installed El Capitan on my Macbook Air (Mid 2011, 4 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD).

It runs fluently but the fan runs permanently and the CPU gets hot. Even when just using safari with other apps closed.

SMC reset did not solve the issue. Sometimes, a reboot helps for a certain time.

Working with the macbook ist hardly possible as the battery drains rapidly.

 

What else could I do?

BR

Arne

MacBook Air (13-inch Mid 2011), OS X El Capitan (10.11)

Posted on Oct 18, 2015 7:07 AM

by Linc Davis,Solvedanswer
Linc Davis Linc Davis
Level 10 (208,037 points)
Applications
A:

If you don't already have a current backup of all data, back up before proceeding. There are ways to back up a computer that isn't fully functional. Ask if you need guidance.

Start up in Recovery mode. When the OS X Utilities screen appears, select Disk Utility.

In the Disk Utility window, select the icon of the startup volume from the list on the left. It will be nested below another disk icon, usually with the same name. Click the Unlock button in the toolbar. When prompted, enter the login password of a user authorized to unlock the volume, or the alternate decryption key that was generated when you activated FileVault.

Then, from the menu bar, select

          File ▹ Turn Off Encryption

Enter the password again.

You can then restart as usual, if the system is working. Decryption will be completed in the background. It may take several hours, and during that time performance will be reduced.

If you can't turn off encryption in Disk Utility because the menu item is grayed out, you'll have to erase the volume and then restore the data from a backup. Select the Erase tab, and then select

          Mac OS Extended (Journaled)

from the Format menu.

You can then quit to be returned to the main Recovery screen. Follow these instructions if you back up with Time Machine. If you use other backup software, follow its developer's instructions.

Don't erase the volume unless you have at least two complete, independent backups. One is not enough to be safe.

Posted on Oct 22, 2015 4:58 PM

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arneay

Q: macbook air: fan runs constantly after installing el capitan

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Oct 18, 2015 7:56 AM in response to arneay
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    Oct 18, 2015 7:56 AM in response to arneay

    Apps can affect Mac performance, battery runtime, temperature, and fan activity - Apple Support

  • by arneay,

    arneay arneay Oct 18, 2015 10:14 AM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Notebooks
    Oct 18, 2015 10:14 AM in response to Linc Davis

    Thanks for your reply. Maybe my post was misunderstanding - the fan runs on high speed with only safari running. Everything else closed. Lots of free RAM available.

    I never had any problems like that with my Macbook on any OS-X. Even with plenty of Apps running it was very economical. But not anymore with El Capitan...

    So, there must be a cause related to the new OS-X

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Oct 18, 2015 10:28 AM in response to arneay
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    Oct 18, 2015 10:28 AM in response to arneay

    In the Safari preferences window, please select the General tab and make the following menu selections:

              New windows open with: Empty Page

              New tabs open with: Empty Page

    Test.

  • by arneay,

    arneay arneay Oct 18, 2015 11:02 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Notebooks
    Oct 18, 2015 11:02 PM in response to Linc Davis

    Hi,

    I tested it yesterday without success.

    Also, I recocnized that my Macbook Air seems to be very busy with El Capitan alone.

    I closed all apps including Safari. Then I only opened a simple table with Excel 2011 and waited two minutes. Without working with the Notebook the CPU got hot and the fan went up to 4000-5000 rpm. The bottom of the Macbook gets hot.

    I used to have mobile working time of about six hours running Mavericks. Now it's maybe an hour or 1.5 hours.

    Any other ideas what to do?

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Oct 19, 2015 7:37 AM in response to arneay
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    Oct 19, 2015 7:37 AM in response to arneay

    Does Activity Monitor show that Safari, and nothing else, is using a lot of energy?

  • by arneay,

    arneay arneay Oct 19, 2015 12:02 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Notebooks
    Oct 19, 2015 12:02 PM in response to Linc Davis

    Hi again,

     

    the processes with most CPU usage are

    - kernel_task

    - mds

    - corestoraged

     

    Safari doesn't seem to use much of the CPU time/CPU power.

    Maybe FileVault is the reason? I just saw that encryption is close to final.

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Oct 19, 2015 4:58 PM in response to arneay
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    Oct 19, 2015 4:58 PM in response to arneay

    I just saw that encryption is close to final.

    Wait for that to finish and see whether there's an improvement.

  • by Whickwithy,

    Whickwithy Whickwithy Oct 19, 2015 5:26 PM in response to arneay
    Level 1 (68 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 19, 2015 5:26 PM in response to arneay

    I'm sorry, I just can't resist.  You may not be in a humorous mood so, forgive me, if so.

     

    macbook air: fan runs constantly after installing el capitan: That's why they call it "Air"!!!

  • by JPB63,

    JPB63 JPB63 Oct 20, 2015 1:55 AM in response to Whickwithy
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 20, 2015 1:55 AM in response to Whickwithy

    A little humor is always welcome.  However, until I upgraded to El Capitan I didn't even know my mid-'13 MBAir even HAD a fan.  Mine now runs intermittently, and with no consistency as to which app is running.  Yesterday it was idling with no open apps and the bottom was very hot and the fan (or something in there that's circulating air!) kicked-in.  Any concrete suggestion is welcome (along with more comedic intervals, too).

     

    Thanks.

  • by Whickwithy,

    Whickwithy Whickwithy Oct 20, 2015 6:20 AM in response to arneay
    Level 1 (68 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 20, 2015 6:20 AM in response to arneay

    I'm afraid all I can provide is comic relief, though I did add a "I have this question too", because your description of not realizing that there was a fan sounds just like my mini and I would be interested to know the answer in case it ever happens to me.

     

    Okay, I will add this and hope it helps but, really, it is just a repeat of Linc Davis' first post.  I would selectively disable all third party apps and see if that helps.  Okay, one more, have you clear all of your cookies from Safari?

     

    So, when it finished encryption that didn't help?  Did you shutdown and restart?

     

    I think, after all of that, I would become concerned about a virus.

     

    Errr, sorry to say, I confused the two people who are having problems.  Still like to know what works.  I mini is running as smooth as can be with El Capitan, but best to be prepared.

  • by arneay,

    arneay arneay Oct 21, 2015 9:08 AM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Notebooks
    Oct 21, 2015 9:08 AM in response to Linc Davis

    Filevault somehow doesn't finish. The progress bar shows about 97% or so and stays there. I left the Macbook working overnight and still no progress.

    Can this be the reason for all the trouble?

  • by Whickwithy,

    Whickwithy Whickwithy Oct 21, 2015 10:54 AM in response to arneay
    Level 1 (68 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 21, 2015 10:54 AM in response to arneay

    It sure seems so.  If it's not finishing, then god knows what it is doing.

  • by Linc Davis,Solvedanswer

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Oct 22, 2015 4:58 PM in response to arneay
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    Oct 22, 2015 4:58 PM in response to arneay

    If you don't already have a current backup of all data, back up before proceeding. There are ways to back up a computer that isn't fully functional. Ask if you need guidance.

    Start up in Recovery mode. When the OS X Utilities screen appears, select Disk Utility.

    In the Disk Utility window, select the icon of the startup volume from the list on the left. It will be nested below another disk icon, usually with the same name. Click the Unlock button in the toolbar. When prompted, enter the login password of a user authorized to unlock the volume, or the alternate decryption key that was generated when you activated FileVault.

    Then, from the menu bar, select

              File ▹ Turn Off Encryption

    Enter the password again.

    You can then restart as usual, if the system is working. Decryption will be completed in the background. It may take several hours, and during that time performance will be reduced.

    If you can't turn off encryption in Disk Utility because the menu item is grayed out, you'll have to erase the volume and then restore the data from a backup. Select the Erase tab, and then select

              Mac OS Extended (Journaled)

    from the Format menu.

    You can then quit to be returned to the main Recovery screen. Follow these instructions if you back up with Time Machine. If you use other backup software, follow its developer's instructions.

    Don't erase the volume unless you have at least two complete, independent backups. One is not enough to be safe.

  • by arneay,

    arneay arneay Oct 25, 2015 1:29 AM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Notebooks
    Oct 25, 2015 1:29 AM in response to Linc Davis

    Thanks again - now it seems to work!

    It wasn't possible to fix the issue with the disk utility tool in recovery mode. So I deleted the start volume and used time machine to restore it.

    After installation of the recent El Capitan update I started the encryption manually - it was done after one hour. Since them, the Macbook Air finally runs as expected with OS-X 10.11; most of the time really silent