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Slow Context Menu Loading (Right click)

Hi guys,

My problem is, ever startup on my MacBook Pro, the first time I Right Click takes a long time to appears, but only the first time!

Someone nows how to fix?

In the ~/Library/Contextual Menu Items doesnt have anything.

/System/Library/Contextual Menu Items doesnt existe


Anybody can hep me?
Thanks!

MacBook Pro (13-inch Mid 2012), OS X El Capitan (10.11.3)

Posted on Feb 5, 2016 9:31 PM

Reply
Question marked as Best reply

Posted on Feb 7, 2016 7:39 AM

Hi Marconato,


Thank you for visiting Apple Support Communities.


If the first time you right click takes a long time when you start up your MacBook Pro, I recommend first testing in safe mode and a new user account. These tests can help us determine what to try next, as mentioned in How to test an issue in another user account on your Mac.


Start up in safe mode using the steps below, and see if the contextual menu takes a long time to appear when you right click. If so, restart your computer normally and test again.



If you're seeing unexpected behavior on your Mac try these steps first:

Try starting your Mac in Safe Mode. Restart your computer. Hold the Shift key when you hear the startup sound. Release the Shift key when you see the Apple logo appear. This starts your Mac in Safe Mode. Safe mode performs a directory check of your startup disk, and removes some cache data. After your Mac finishes starting up, restart your Mac normally (without holding the Shift key) and see if the issue is resolved.


If the same thing happens in safe mode, try a new user account next:


How to test with another user account

You can figure out if unexpected behavior is related to user file or setting by trying to reproduce the issue from another user account. This process includes creating a new user account, logging in to it, and testing for the issue.

Create a test user account

  1. From the Apple menu, choose System Preferences.
  2. Click the Users & Groups icon in the System Preferences window.
  3. Click the lock icon, then enter an administrator name and password.
  4. Click the Add button (+) below the list of users.
  5. Choose a type of user from the New Account pop-up menu.
  6. Give the user a full name, account name, and password.
  7. Click OK.
  8. Close the System Preferences window.

Log in to the test user account

Log out of your current user account by choosing Log Out from the Apple menu, then log in to the new account you created. If you're prompted to sign in with your iCloud account or Apple ID when you log in, skip this step.

Try reproducing the issue

Try the same steps that caused the unexpected behavior to appear before. For example, if you were unable to print, try printing from this user account. If you were unable to connect to the Internet, try browsing a website from this user account.


Sincerely.

54 replies
Question marked as Best reply

Feb 7, 2016 7:39 AM in response to Marconato

Hi Marconato,


Thank you for visiting Apple Support Communities.


If the first time you right click takes a long time when you start up your MacBook Pro, I recommend first testing in safe mode and a new user account. These tests can help us determine what to try next, as mentioned in How to test an issue in another user account on your Mac.


Start up in safe mode using the steps below, and see if the contextual menu takes a long time to appear when you right click. If so, restart your computer normally and test again.



If you're seeing unexpected behavior on your Mac try these steps first:

Try starting your Mac in Safe Mode. Restart your computer. Hold the Shift key when you hear the startup sound. Release the Shift key when you see the Apple logo appear. This starts your Mac in Safe Mode. Safe mode performs a directory check of your startup disk, and removes some cache data. After your Mac finishes starting up, restart your Mac normally (without holding the Shift key) and see if the issue is resolved.


If the same thing happens in safe mode, try a new user account next:


How to test with another user account

You can figure out if unexpected behavior is related to user file or setting by trying to reproduce the issue from another user account. This process includes creating a new user account, logging in to it, and testing for the issue.

Create a test user account

  1. From the Apple menu, choose System Preferences.
  2. Click the Users & Groups icon in the System Preferences window.
  3. Click the lock icon, then enter an administrator name and password.
  4. Click the Add button (+) below the list of users.
  5. Choose a type of user from the New Account pop-up menu.
  6. Give the user a full name, account name, and password.
  7. Click OK.
  8. Close the System Preferences window.

Log in to the test user account

Log out of your current user account by choosing Log Out from the Apple menu, then log in to the new account you created. If you're prompted to sign in with your iCloud account or Apple ID when you log in, skip this step.

Try reproducing the issue

Try the same steps that caused the unexpected behavior to appear before. For example, if you were unable to print, try printing from this user account. If you were unable to connect to the Internet, try browsing a website from this user account.


Sincerely.

Feb 7, 2016 8:00 AM in response to jeremy_v

Safe Boot, the same problem. I also noted, in Safe Boot my mac is VERY SLOW, I dont know if it`s normal.

In new user, same problem.

Another fact I forgotten to comment: when I shut down my MBP, I always press the Caps Lock and the green light turn on, when all the computer is off, the green light keeps on for a long time too.

Thanks!

Feb 8, 2016 6:24 AM in response to Marconato

Hi there Marconato,

Thank you for your reply.

It's normal for some things to be slower in safe mode, although context menus should behave about the same in both environments. See Limited graphics performance in OS X recovery or safe mode for more information.

It looks like you see the same behavior in safe mode and a new user account. This tells us that what you're seeing isn't caused by factors like third party software conflicts or unusable preference files in your user account.

In my testing, I've seen a one or two second delay between right clicking on the desktop and the context menu appearing. Do you see a longer delay on your MacBook Pro?

Also, here are a few more steps that may help with the situation:

Start up in OS X Recovery and run First Aid from Disk Utility.

  1. Choose Apple menu > Restart. Once your Mac restarts and you hear the startup chime, hold down the Command and R keys.

    When the Apple logo appears, you can release the keys.

  2. Click Disk Utility, then click Continue.

  3. In the sidebar, select the disk you want to repair.

  4. Click the First Aid button User uploaded file.

  5. Click Repair Disk.

For more help with this see Disk Utility (El Capitan): Repair a disk


Empty your system cache folder.

  1. In the Finder menu choose Go > Computer.

  2. Choose your hard drive (usually called Macintosh HD.)

  3. Go to Library > Caches.

  4. Move the contents of this folder to the Trash (but don't empty it yet.)

  5. Restart your Mac.

Cheers.

Feb 10, 2016 12:33 PM in response to Marconato

Exactly the same problem here. I've tried everything mentioned in this thread and some more but nothing works more than temporary.


Emptying the user (not system) cache fixes the problem temporary, but after the next restart it's back.


I've put some energy into figuring out exactly which cache I need empty and it's the application cache. Deleting all user application cache in Onyx before reset makes the problem go away after the next reboot, I've tried it multiple times now and I'm sure. Then I went on to trying to figure out which application cache by deleting it trough Finder, and at first I thought I found the right one but it seems like it's not the same application cache every time.


So now I'm thinking about creating my own shut down "button". A script that deletes the cache and then shuts down the computer instead of going trough the Apple menu.

Feb 11, 2016 12:12 PM in response to Marconato

RAM problems could of course be the problem, as in many cases, but I'm pretty sure it's not the cause in this case.

I'm my case, which so far has been identical to yours, I'm sure RAM is not the issue.

How do I know that?

For starters I've booted from an external disk running OS X 10.9 and the problem does not exist there. And then, isn't it pretty unlikely that the RAM problems started happening exact the same second after El Capitan was installed?

Sound to me the Apple support you're talking to is just guessing. Ask them if you could perhaps talk to someone who actually knows something. Siri could have done better than the answers you've gotten so far...

Slow Context Menu Loading (Right click)

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