2017 Retina 4K 21.5” iMac very slow

Question

My 2017 Retina 4K 21.5” iMac is extremely slow, often several minutes to cold boot or restart, and upon booting and logging in, it can take minutes before applications become responsive.  Minor software updates can also take several minutes or more.  I&#x27;ve done a complete reinstall of the OS, but the problem persists; I&#x27;m currently on 10.13.2 Beta.  Any suggestions?  I&#x27;ve run Etrecheck, and the test took 18:17 and performance was rated as poor.  Output is below.Eric---EtreCheck version: 3.4.6 (460)Report generated 2017-12-09 14:56:32Download EtreCheck from https://etrecheck.comRuntime: 18:17Performance: PoorClick the [Lookup] links for more information from Apple Support Communities.Click the [Details] links for more information about that line.Problem: Computer is too slowDescription:2017 Retina 4K 21.5” iMac is very slow to boot, install software updates, and restart. Hardware Information: ⓘ    iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2017)     [Technical Specifications] - [User Guide] - [Warranty &amp; Service]    iMac - model: iMac18,2    1 3.4 GHz Intel Core i5 (i5-7500) CPU: 4-core    16 GB RAM Upgradeable - [Instructions]        BANK 0/DIMM0            8 GB DDR4 2400 MHz ok        BANK 1/DIMM0            8 GB DDR4 2400 MHz ok    Handoff/Airdrop2: supported    Wireless:  en1: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac    iCloud Quota: 1.84 TB availableVideo Information: ⓘ    Radeon Pro 560 - VRAM: 4 GB        iMac 4096 x 2304Disk Information: ⓘ    APPLE HDD HTS541010A9E632 disk0: (1 TB) (Rotational)    [Show SMART report]        EFI (disk0s1 - MS-DOS FAT32) &lt;not mounted&gt;  [EFI]: 210 MB         (disk0s2) &lt;not mounted&gt;  [CoreStorage Container]: 999.35 GB        (disk0s3) &lt;not mounted&gt;  [Recovery]: 650 MB    APPLE SSD SM0032L disk1: (28 GB) (Solid State - TRIM: Yes)        (disk1s1) &lt;not mounted&gt;  [EFI]: 315 MB        (disk1s2) &lt;not mounted&gt;  [CoreStorage Container]: 27.55 GB        (disk1s3) &lt;not mounted&gt;  [Boot]: 134 MBUSB Information: ⓘ     USB31Bus      USB30Bus          USB Optical Mouse         Broadcom Corp. Bluetooth USB Host Controller         Apple Inc. FaceTime HD Camera (Built-in)         Apple Inc. Magic Keyboard          USB 2.0 Hub [MTT]              USB 2.0 Hub Thunderbolt Information: ⓘ    Apple Inc. thunderbolt_busVirtual disks: ⓘ    Macintosh HD (disk2 - Journaled HFS+) /  [Startup]: 1.03 TB (125.91 GB free)        Physical disk: disk1s2 27.55 GB Online        Physical disk: disk0s2 999.35 GB OnlineSystem Software: ⓘ    macOS High Sierra  10.13.2 (17C83a) - Time since boot: less than an hourGatekeeper: ⓘ    Mac App Store and identified developersKernel Extensions: ⓘ        /Library/Extensions    [not loaded]    com.lacie.driver.mvumi (1.3.20 - SDK 10.11) [Lookup]System Launch Agents: ⓘ    [not loaded]    8 Apple tasks    [loaded]    167 Apple tasks    [running]    115 Apple tasksSystem Launch Daemons: ⓘ    [not loaded]    37 Apple tasks    [loaded]    178 Apple tasks    [running]    115 Apple tasksLaunch Agents: ⓘ    [running]    com.lacie.lcss_autolaunch.plist (Seagate Technologies LLC - installed 2017-09-13) [Lookup]Launch Daemons: ⓘ    [running]    com.backblaze.bzserv.plist (Backblaze - installed 2017-10-29) [Lookup]    [loaded]    com.daisydiskapp.DaisyDiskAdminHelper.plist (Software Ambience Corp. - installed 2017-09-13) [Lookup]User Launch Agents: ⓘ    [running]    com.backblaze.bzbmenu.plist (Backblaze - installed 2017-12-09) [Lookup]    [running]    com.c-command.SpamSieve.LaunchAgent.plist (C-Command Software, LLC - installed 2017-08-24) [Lookup]    [loaded]    com.dropbox.DropboxMacUpdate.agent.plist (Dropbox, Inc. - installed 2017-08-10) [Lookup]    [loaded]    com.google.keystone.agent.plist (Google, Inc. - installed 2017-09-27) [Lookup]    [running]    com.spotify.webhelper.plist (Spotify - installed 2017-12-09) [Lookup]    [loaded]    com.valvesoftware.steamclean.plist (? 9f3a5b5f 9280bbdd - installed 2017-08-22) [Lookup]User Login Items: ⓘ    Spotify    Application - Hidden         (/Applications/Spotify.app)    Dropbox    Application         (/Applications/Dropbox.app)Internet Plug-ins: ⓘ    QuickTime Plugin: 7.7.3 (installed 2017-11-28)Safari Extensions: ⓘ    [enabled]    1Password - AgileBits - https://agilebits.com/onepassword (installed 2017-11-08)3rd Party Preference Panes: ⓘ    Backblaze Backup (installed 2017-10-29) [Lookup]Time Machine: ⓘ    Auto backup: YES    Volumes being backed up:        Macintosh HD: Disk size: 1.03 TB Disk used: 900.07 GB    Destinations:        Bolano [Local]         Total size: 4.00 TB         Total number of backups: 32         Oldest backup: 9/13/17, 11:57 PM         Last backup: 9/20/17, 1:40 AM         Size of backup disk: Excellent            Backup size 4.00 TB &gt; (Disk size 1.03 TB X 3)Top Processes by CPU: ⓘ        18%   WindowServer         9%   com.apple.WebKit.WebContent         8%   Safari         8%   kernel_task         7%   update_dyld_shared_cacheTop Processes by Memory: ⓘ    1.65 GB   kernel_task    635 MB    com.apple.WebKit.WebContent    414 MB    com.apple.WebKit.WebContent    378 MB    iTunes    306 MB    com.apple.MediaLibraryServiceTop Processes by Network Use: ⓘ    Input     Output    Process name    188 MB    385 KB    com.apple.WebKit.Networking    4 MB      1 MB      Spotify    703 KB    18 KB     Mail    560 KB    78 KB     mDNSResponder    100 KB    88 KB     apsdTop Processes by Energy Use: ⓘ     38.56 com.apple.WebKit.WebContent     27.68 WindowServer     19.68 com.apple.WebKit.WebContent      6.18 Dropbox      5.86 com.apple.WebKit.NetworkingVirtual Memory Information: ⓘ    3.98 GB   Available RAM    196 MB    Free RAM    12.02 GB  Used RAM    3.79 GB   Cached files    0 B       Swap UsedSoftware installs (last 30 days): ⓘ    Evernote: 6.13.1 (installed 2017-12-04)    Install information may not be complete.Diagnostics Events (last 3 days for minor events): ⓘ    2017-12-06 18:19:52    UNKNOWN PATH Hang [Open]

Kappy · Answer

Why do you think your computer is slow? The Poor Performance indication doesn&#x27;t mean the computer is slow. It is not a speed rating.As for the EtreCheck report try removing/uninstalling Spotify (and remove the Login Item,) EverNote, DaisyDisk, BackBlaze, and Valve. Reboot the computer into Safe Mode then run another EtreCheck report.

offmango · Answer

I was thinking it might be a faulty hard drive, but the EtreCheck report went much faster after removing the apps you suggested and booting in Safe Mode.  I did see some odd graphics performance when in safe mode, however (lots of stuttering on animations such as the dock sliding up and down and weird artifacts when the desktop was first appearing).  Maybe I&#x27;ll call AppleCare.EtreCheck report from safe mode is below:EtreCheck version: 3.4.6 (460)Report generated 2017-12-09 18:50:03Download EtreCheck from https://etrecheck.comRuntime: 2:04Performance: ExcellentClick the [Lookup] links for more information from Apple Support Communities.Click the [Details] links for more information about that line.Problem: Computer is too slowDescription:iMac is very slow too boot and restart and launch applicationsHardware Information: ⓘ   iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2017)   [Technical Specifications] - [User Guide] - [Warranty &amp; Service]   iMac - model: iMac18,2   1 3.4 GHz Intel Core i5 (i5-7500) CPU: 4-core   16 GB RAM Upgradeable - [Instructions]       BANK 0/DIMM0           8 GB DDR4 2400 MHz ok       BANK 1/DIMM0           8 GB DDR4 2400 MHz ok   Handoff/Airdrop2: supported   Wireless: en1: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac   iCloud Quota: 1.84 TB availableVideo Information: ⓘ   Radeon Pro 560 - VRAM: 4 GB       iMac 4096 x 2304Disk Information: ⓘ   APPLE HDD HTS541010A9E632 disk0: (1 TB) (Rotational)   [Show SMART report]       EFI (disk0s1 - MS-DOS FAT32) &lt;not mounted&gt; [EFI]: 210 MB       (disk0s2) &lt;not mounted&gt; [CoreStorage Container]: 999.35 GB       Recovery HD (disk0s3 - Journaled HFS+) &lt;not mounted&gt; [Recovery]: 650 MB   APPLE SSD SM0032L disk1: (28 GB) (Solid State - TRIM: Yes)       (disk1s1) &lt;not mounted&gt; [EFI]: 315 MB       (disk1s2) &lt;not mounted&gt; [CoreStorage Container]: 27.55 GB       (disk1s3) &lt;not mounted&gt; [Boot]: 134 MBUSB Information: ⓘ    USB31Bus    USB30Bus        USB Optical Mouse       Broadcom Corp. Bluetooth USB Host Controller       Apple Inc. FaceTime HD Camera (Built-in)       Apple Inc. Magic Keyboard        USB 2.0 Hub [MTT]            USB 2.0 HubThunderbolt Information: ⓘ   Apple Inc. thunderbolt_busVirtual disks: ⓘ   Macintosh HD (disk2 - Journaled HFS+) / [Startup]: 1.03 TB (131.91 GB free)       Physical disk: disk1s2 27.55 GB Online       Physical disk: disk0s2 999.35 GB OnlineSystem Software: ⓘ   macOS High Sierra 10.13.2 (17C88) - Time since boot: less than an hourGatekeeper: ⓘ   Mac App Store and identified developersKernel Extensions: ⓘ       /Library/Extensions   [not loaded]   com.lacie.driver.mvumi (1.3.20 - SDK 10.11) [Lookup]System Launch Agents: ⓘ   [not loaded]   8 Apple tasks   [loaded]   180 Apple tasks   [running]   102 Apple tasksSystem Launch Daemons: ⓘ   [not loaded]   38 Apple tasks   [loaded]   186 Apple tasks   [running]   106 Apple tasksLaunch Agents: ⓘ   [not loaded]   com.lacie.lcss_autolaunch.plist (Seagate Technologies LLC - installed 2017-09-13) [Lookup]Launch Daemons: ⓘ   [not loaded]   com.apple.installer.osmessagetracing.plist (Apple, Inc. - installed 2017-12-01)   [not loaded]   com.backblaze.bzserv.plist (Backblaze - installed 2017-10-29) [Lookup]   [not loaded]   com.daisydiskapp.DaisyDiskAdminHelper.plist (Software Ambience Corp. - installed 2017-09-13) [Lookup]User Launch Agents: ⓘ   [not loaded]   com.backblaze.bzbmenu.plist (Backblaze - installed 2017-12-09) [Lookup]   [not loaded]   com.c-command.SpamSieve.LaunchAgent.plist (C-Command Software, LLC - installed 2017-08-24) [Lookup]   [not loaded]   com.dropbox.DropboxMacUpdate.agent.plist (Dropbox, Inc. - installed 2017-08-10) [Lookup]   [not loaded]   com.google.keystone.agent.plist (Google, Inc. - installed 2017-09-27) [Lookup]   [not loaded]   com.spotify.webhelper.plist (Spotify - installed 2017-12-09) [Lookup]   [not loaded]   com.valvesoftware.steamclean.plist (? 9f3a5b5f 9280bbdd - installed 2017-08-22) [Lookup]User Login Items: ⓘ   Dropbox   Application       (/Applications/Dropbox.app)Internet Plug-ins: ⓘ   QuickTime Plugin: 7.7.3 (installed 2017-12-09)Safari Extensions: ⓘ   [enabled]   1Password - AgileBits - https://agilebits.com/onepassword (installed 2017-11-08)3rd Party Preference Panes: ⓘ   Backblaze Backup (installed 2017-10-29) [Lookup]Time Machine: ⓘ   Auto backup: YES   Volumes being backed up:       Macintosh HD: Disk size: 1.03 TB Disk used: 894.07 GB   Destinations:       Bolano [Local]       Total size: 4.00 TB       Total number of backups: 32       Oldest backup: 9/13/17, 11:57 PM       Last backup: 9/20/17, 1:40 AM        Size of backup disk: Excellent           Backup size 4.00 TB &gt; (Disk size 1.03 TB X 3)Top Processes by CPU: ⓘ        1%    WindowServer        1%    fontd        0%    kernel_task        0%    identityservicesd        0%    ManagedClientTop Processes by Memory: ⓘ   838 MB     kernel_task   153 MB     media-indexer   120 MB     WindowServer   110 MB     Finder   108 MB     DockTop Processes by Network Use: ⓘ   Input      Output     Process name   36 KB      18 KB      mDNSResponder   32 KB      9 KB       cloudd   7 KB       15 KB      apsd   4 KB       1 KB       assistantd   1 KB       354 B      netbiosdTop Processes by Energy Use: ⓘ    14.10 WindowServer     0.48 Dock     0.44 hidd     0.18 launchdVirtual Memory Information: ⓘ   12.91 GB   Available RAM   9.67 GB    Free RAM   3.09 GB    Used RAM   3.24 GB    Cached files   0 B        Swap UsedSoftware installs (last 30 days): ⓘ   Evernote: 6.13.1 (installed 2017-12-04)   Install information may not be complete.Diagnostics Events (last 3 days for minor events): ⓘ   2017-12-09 18:44:44   Last shutdown cause: 0 - Power loss   2017-12-09 14:46:23   com.apple.WebKit.WebContent High CPU use [Open] [Details]