Q: MacBookAir all of a sudden very slow
Hi,
for three years, i never had any problems with my Mac. Now, suddenly, from one moment to another, it runs very slow. Also, I have to force every start of the Mac with pressing ON-button for several seconds. When closing the laptop and opening it again, it crashes as well (only black monitor, start has to be forced).
First thing I noticed was that kernel_task is using up to 400% of the RAM. I tried to find the problem myself, read things about kernel_task and did the following things (without success):
- Updating to newest version of El Capitan
- resetting NVRAM and SMC
- running apple diagnostics hardware test (Code: ADP000 nothing found)
- removing protected system files from /System/Library/Extensions/IOPlatformPluginFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/ACPI_SMC _PlatformPlugin.kext/Contents/Resources into another folder, then restarting
- doing an EtreCheck.
Can someone help me? Especially with interpreting the EtreCheck diagnosis?
EtreCheck version: 2.9.13 (267)
Report generated 2016-08-08 15:04:23
Download EtreCheck from https://etrecheck.com
Runtime 6:37
Performance: Below Average
Click the [Support] links for help with non-Apple products.
Click the [Details] links for more information about that line.
Problem: Computer is too slow
Description:
All of a sudden, MacBookAir runs very very slow. Everything takes ages.
Have to force every start by pressing ON-button for 7 seconds.
kernel_task uses ±300% RAM all the time.
No fan noise, no liquid spill. MacBookAir has temperature like always (not hot at all).
Resetting NVRAM and SMC did not help.
Hardware test says no hardware error (Code: ADP000).
MacBook Air (13-inch, Mid 2013)
[Technical Specifications] - [User Guide] - [Warranty & Service]
MacBook Air - model: MacBookAir6,2
1 1,3 GHz Intel Core i5 CPU: 2-core
4 GB RAM Not upgradeable
BANK 0/DIMM0
2 GB DDR3 1600 MHz ok
BANK 1/DIMM0
2 GB DDR3 1600 MHz ok
Bluetooth: Good - Handoff/Airdrop2 supported
Wireless: en0: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Battery: Health = Normal - Cycle count = 522
Intel HD Graphics 5000
Color LCD 1440 x 900
OS X El Capitan 10.11.6 (15G31) - Time since boot: less than an hour
APPLE SSD SM0128F disk0 : (121,33 GB) (Solid State - TRIM: Yes)
EFI (disk0s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB
Recovery HD (disk0s3) <not mounted> [Recovery]: 650 MB
Macintosh HD (disk1) / : 120.10 GB (17.04 GB free)
Core Storage: disk0s2 120.47 GB Online
Apple Inc. BRCM20702 Hub
Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller
Apple Inc. thunderbolt_bus
Mac App Store and identified developers
/Applications/Tunnelblick.app
[not loaded] net.tunnelblick.tap (20141104 (Tunnelblick build 4560) - 2016-05-09) [Support]
[not loaded] net.tunnelblick.tun (20141104 (Tunnelblick build 4560) - 2016-05-09) [Support]
[not loaded] 5 Apple tasks
[loaded] 167 Apple tasks
[running] 66 Apple tasks
[not loaded] 46 Apple tasks
[loaded] 160 Apple tasks
[running] 84 Apple tasks
[loaded] com.google.keystone.agent.plist (2016-07-12) [Support]
[not loaded] com.oracle.java.Java-Updater.plist [Support]
[loaded] com.adobe.fpsaud.plist (2016-06-29) [Support]
[loaded] com.apple.installer.osmessagetracing.plist
[loaded] com.flexera.ia.helper.plist (2016-05-09) [Support]
[loaded] com.google.keystone.daemon.plist (2016-07-12) [Support]
[not loaded] com.oracle.java.Helper-Tool.plist [Support]
[loaded] net.tunnelblick.tunnelblick.tunnelblickd.plist (2016-05-09) [Support]
[not loaded] org.eyebeam.SelfControl.plist (2016-06-07) [Support]
[loaded] com.bittorrent.uTorrent.plist (2016-01-18) [Support]
[failed] com.facebook.videochat.[redacted].plist (2014-08-17) [Support]
[loaded] com.nchsoftware.switch.schedule.LikeSurvey.plist (2015-06-15) [Support]
[loaded] net.tunnelblick.tunnelblick.LaunchAtLogin.plist (2015-01-08) [Support]
[loaded] 410 Apple tasks
[running] 163 Apple tasks
FlashPlayer-10.6: 22.0.0.209 - SDK 10.9 (2016-08-04) [Support]
QuickTime Plugin: 7.7.3 (2016-07-09)
Flash Player: 22.0.0.209 - SDK 10.9 (2016-08-04) [Support]
EPPEX Plugin: 4.1.0.0 (2011-07-27) [Support]
o1dbrowserplugin: 5.41.3.0 - SDK 10.8 (2015-12-16) [Support]
Default Browser: 601 - SDK 10.11 (2016-07-09)
googletalkbrowserplugin: 5.41.3.0 - SDK 10.8 (2015-12-11) [Support]
Silverlight: 5.1.41212.0 - SDK 10.6 (2016-02-05) [Support]
Unity Web Player: UnityPlayer version 4.6.5f1 - SDK 10.6 (2015-05-07) [Support]
AdBlock - BetaFish, Inc. - https://getadblock.com (2016-03-20)
Facebook Cleaner - Sonny Fazio - http://sonstermedia.com (2013-08-30)
Adblock Plus - Eyeo GmbH - https://adblockplus.org/ (2016-07-24)
Newsfeed-Eradicator - Anton Osika - http://antonosika.github.io/newsfeed-eradicator/ (2016-06-09)
Ghostery - GHOSTERY, Inc. - https://www.ghostery.com/ (2016-04-06)
Flash Player (2016-06-29) [Support]
Time Machine not configured!
36% Safari
35% com.apple.WebKit.WebContent(3)
32% WindowServer
22% mds_stores
12% kernel_task
700 MB Safari
627 MB com.apple.WebKit.WebContent(3)
495 MB kernel_task
201 MB mdworker(13)
147 MB mds_stores
206 MB Free RAM
3.80 GB Used RAM (801 MB Cached)
0 B Swap Used
Aug 8, 2016, 02:44:22 PM Self test - passed
Aug 8, 2016, 01:58:15 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Safari_2016-08-08-135815_[redacted].hang
/Applications/Safari.app/Contents/MacOS/Safari
Thanks a lot!
KlausKandinsky
MacBook Air (13-inch Mid 2013), OS X El Capitan (10.11.6)
Posted on Aug 8, 2016 6:29 AM
Hi,
now, a couple of weeks later, the problem is resolved. Before, I tried a clean install and a couple more small things, with no improvement.
So I finally went to the local apple store and gave it for repair. They could find the fault: it was a defect sensor (i assume temperature) on the logic board, which means that the logic board had to get replaced. As the fault appeared only several days after the expiration of my Apple Protection Plan, I called Apple directly and ask to pay for the repair, which they finally did. This saved me 600€ (480€ for a new logic board and 120€ for replacement).
I assumed for a long time, that the hardware was okay, as I ran a hardware test (booting up while pressing "D" button) which showed me no defects. However, this basic test just tests if the components are working at all, not at what performance. The logic board was still working, just extremely restricted by kernel_task, a process which drastically restricts the performance, as it gets a warning from a temperature sensor. So it was a hardware defect at the end.
Thanks,
Klaus
Posted on Sep 5, 2016 1:53 AM
