VTEncoderXPCService Process using over 100% CPU, slowing MacBook Pro to a crawl

I'm running OS X 10.11.4 on my mid-2009, 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo 13-inch MacBook Pro, upgraded to 8GB RAM. For the past few days, a process named "VTEncoderXPCService" has been running like crazy on my Mac, constantly using about 150% CPU. This slows my Mac to a crawl, particularly Safari, where I will typically end up with beach balls every 20 - 40 seconds. I need help[ figure out what's causing this, as my Mac is essentially unusable due to the performance hit.

MacBook Pro, OS X El Capitan (10.11.4), 13-inch, mid 2009

Posted on Apr 18, 2016 3:47 PM

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15 replies

Apr 18, 2016 6:22 PM in response to Linc Davis

Surge enough, when I disabled Photos, the process went away. When I turned it back on, the process came back. The process went away for a minute or two, but now It has returned. Also, com.apple.photos.VideoCoversionService has appeared and is consuming about 90% CPU, ON TOP of the usage from VTEncoder.


ALao, I can't use AirDrop from my iPhone because my Maconly supports the "old" AirDrop.

Apr 18, 2016 6:30 PM in response to christich99

Please 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.

Click the Clear Display icon in the toolbar. Then enable iCloud Photos. Select any lines that appear in the Console window. Copy them 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 which is irrelevant to 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 or email address, 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.

Apr 18, 2016 7:53 PM in response to christich99

Please back up all data before proceeding.

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

~/Library/Containers/com.apple.photos.VideoConversionService

Right-click or control-click the line and select

Services Reveal in Finder (or just Reveal)

from the contextual menu.* A folder should open with an item selected. Uncheck the iCloud Photos box if it's checked. Move the selected item to the Trash. Recheck the box and test.

*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.

Apr 19, 2016 8:05 PM in response to christich99

We've reached the limit of what I know about iCloud Photos, a service I don't use. Something in your photo library seems to be triggering a bug, presumably some kind of video. If you like, you can try removing all videos from the library on all your devices. If that stops the runaway activity, put them back in one or a few at a time until you identify the culprit(s). Only Apple Engineering could tell you more, and they aren't here.

Apr 26, 2016 1:32 AM in response to christich99

Had the same problem on my wife's macbook air and couldn't find the file anywhere when doing a search in finder. Eventually went into system preferences/icloud and removed the tick from photos; then shut the mac down (not restart) and when I powered it up both VTencoderXPCService and com.apple.photos.VideoConversionService were off. This has cured the hogging of the cpu and stopped the fan from running - I have also noticed the battery is lasting longer - hope this helps but I have a feeling it won't be a permanent fix.

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VTEncoderXPCService Process using over 100% CPU, slowing MacBook Pro to a crawl

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