HT204319: OS X versions and builds included with Mac computers

Learn about OS X versions and builds included with Mac computers
roroco1

Q: Slow processing

iMac, early 20008, OS 10,11.1

 

Operates OK but processor very slow. Beachball spins 15 to 30 seconds when trying to process. Programs open OK but takes WORD about 25 seconds to load. I do not have the Apple Hardware Test software. I used Disk Utility, Clean My Mac 3.2 and ONYX. All checks OK but problem persists. Would Disk Warrior ot TechTool Pro find the problem?

iMac (24-inch Early 2008), OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2)

Posted on Jan 2, 2016 1:18 PM

Close

Q: Slow processing

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by Kappy,

    Kappy Kappy Jan 2, 2016 1:29 PM in response to roroco1
    Level 10 (270,190 points)
    Desktops
    Jan 2, 2016 1:29 PM in response to roroco1

    Ways to help make a slow Mac faster

     

    17 Reasons Why Your Mac Runs Slower Than it Should

    Slow Mac Performance? This Article Solves It!

    Fix slow start-ups in OS X | MacFixIt - CNET Reviews

    6 Easy Tips to Speed Up OS X Yosemite on Your Mac

     

    Avoid using any third-party software that claims to clean up your computer. Usually this software does more bad than good. Furthermore, you don't need it. Note that all computers will become slower over time even under normal use. Experienced users typically erase the hard drive and do a clean install from scratch at least once a year or whenever installing a major OS upgrade. Of course doing so also means you must maintain regular and multiple backups.

     

    Add more RAM or cut back on the number of concurrently running applications and utilities. Remove unnecessary software such as anti-malware and software that promises to clean your Mac. Check for runaway processes: Runaway applications can shorten battery runtime, affect performance, and increase heat and fan acti… Also see:

     

    Pre-Mavericks

     

    Open Activity Monitor in the Utilities folder.  Select All Processes from the Processes dropdown menu.  Click twice on the CPU% column header to display in descending order.  If you find a process using a large amount of CPU time (>=70,) then select the process and click on the Quit icon in the toolbar.  Click on the Force Quit button to kill the process.  See if that helps.  Be sure to note the name of the runaway process so you can track down the cause of the problem.

     

    Mavericks and later

     

    Open Activity Monitor in the Utilities folder.  Select All Processes from the View menu.  Click on the CPU tab in the toolbar. Click twice on the %CPU column header to display in descending order.  If you find a process using a large amount of %CPU, then select the process and click on the Quit icon in the toolbar.  Click on the Force Quit button to kill the process.  See if that helps.  Be sure to note the name of the runaway process so you can track down the cause of the problem.l

     

    Use EtreCheck

     

    Download and run EtreCheck Find out what your Mac is running. Examine the report for additional informaion on what may be slowing things up.

     

    The Ultimate Fix

     

    Backup everything, erase the drive, reinstall OS X, and restore your data from the backup. Reinstall third-party software from original media/scratch.

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Jan 2, 2016 4:11 PM in response to roroco1
    Level 10 (207,926 points)
    Applications
    Jan 2, 2016 4:11 PM in response to roroco1

    A

    "CleanMyMac" is a scam and a common cause of instability and poor performance. Depending on what version you have, the developer's instructions may not completely remove it. Please follow those instructions, then do as below.

    Please back up all data before proceeding.

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

    /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.macpaw.CleanMyMac2.Agent.plist

    Right-click or control-click the highlighted line and select

              Services Reveal in Finder (or just Reveal)

    from the contextual menu.* A folder may open with an item selected. If it does, move the selected item to the Trash. You may be prompted for your administrator login password.

    Repeat with this line:

    /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/com.macpaw.CleanMyMac2.Agent

    Restart the computer and empty the Trash.

    You may also have to remove one or more of these items in the same way:

    ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.macpaw.CleanMyMac.helperTool.plist
    ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.macpaw.CleanMyMac.volumeWatcher.plist
    ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.macpaw.CleanMyMac3.Scheduler.plist

    Never again install "CleanMyMac" or anything like it.

    *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.

    B

    If you still have a problem after removing "CleanMyMac," please see below.

    When you see a beachball cursor or the slowness is especially bad, note the exact time: hour, minute, second.  

    These instructions must be carried out as an administrator. If you have only one user account, you are the administrator.

    Launch the Console application in any one of the following ways:

    ☞ Enter the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search. Select it in the results (it should be at the top.)

    ☞ In the Finder, select Go Utilities from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-U. The application is in the folder that opens.

    ☞ Open LaunchPad and start typing the name.

    The title of the Console window should be All Messages. If it isn't, select

              SYSTEM LOG QUERIES All Messages

    from the log list on the left. If you don't see that list, select

              View Show Log List

    from the menu bar at the top of the screen.

    Each message in the log begins with the date and time when it was entered. Scroll back to the time you noted above.

    Select the messages entered from then until the end of the episode, or until they start to repeat, whichever comes first.

    Copy the messages to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C. Paste into a reply to this message by pressing command-V.

    The log contains a vast amount of information, almost all of it useless for solving any particular problem. When posting a log extract, be selective. A few dozen lines are almost always more than enough.

    Please don't indiscriminately dump thousands of lines from the log into this discussion.

    Please don't post screenshots of log messages—post the text.

    Some private information, such as your name, may appear in the log. Anonymize before posting.

    When you post the log extract, you might see an error message on the web page: "You have included content in your post that is not permitted," or "The message contains invalid characters." That's a bug in the forum software. Please post the text on Pastebin, then post a link here to the page you created.

    If you have an account on Pastebin, please don't select Private from the Paste Exposure menu on the page, because then no one but you will be able to see it.