startup files to delete

Major Issues:

Anything that appears on this list needs immediate attention.

Battery failure - Your battery is reporting that it needs to be serviced.

Obsolete hardware - This computer may be considered obsolete.

A battery failing can cause problems, with not just decreased performance but ultimately it may cause your mac to fail.

It the battery swells it can also cause your trackpad to stop working.

System Software:

macOS Big Sur 11.7.1 (20G918)

Time since boot: About a day

Boot args: keepsyms=1 debug=0x100

You seem to have used some hack to allow this mac to run an unsupported OS.

In this situation it is to be expected that things may not work well.

Configuration Files:

/etc/hosts - Count: 212

Unusual... if you know you manually edited the hosts file, for some reason, then fine. If not, this is suspicious

Antivirus software: Apple and AVG

Uninstall avg. Never installed any third party "antivirus" or "cleaners". They decrease system security and hinder performance. Their main function is to separate you from your money.

Plugin: /Library/Internet Plug-Ins/nplastpass.plugin

Plugin: /Library/Internet Plug-Ins/AdobeExManDetect.plugin

Plugin: /Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Flip4Mac WMV Plugin.plugin

Plugin: /Library/Internet Plug-Ins/SlingPlayer.plugin

Plugin: /Library/Internet Plug-Ins/SharePointBrowserPlugin.plugin

Plugin: /Library/Internet Plug-Ins/npDDRia.plugin

Plugin: /Library/Internet Plug-Ins/EPPEX Plugin.plugin

Plugin: /Library/Internet Plug-Ins/DirectorShockwave.plugin

Plugin: /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/HAL/InstantOn.driver

Preference Pane: /Library/PreferencePanes/Flip4Mac WMV.prefPane

Lots of old an not working plugins.

Startup Items:

tun Path: /Library/StartupItems/tun

tap Path: /Library/StartupItems/tap

You can delete those.

In Finder, press Command-Shift-G and paste

/Library/StartupItems

and drag the files to the trash. You will probably be asked for your password to confirm this.

Then restart your mac.

You also have an inordinate amount of launch agents and launch daemons.

All of those use system resources, and probably some or many of them have been installled a long time ago, and would warrant a closer look.

Among those:

[Not Loaded] com.piriform.ccleaner.engine.xpc.plist (? 0 - installed )

[Not Loaded] com.piriform.ccleaner.services.submit.plist (? 0 - installed )

[Not Loaded] com.piriform.ccleaner.services.xpc.plist (? 0 - installed )

[Not Loaded] com.piriform.ccleaner.uninstall.plist (? 0 - installed )

[Not Loaded] com.piriform.ccleaner.update.xpc.plist (? 0 - installed )

As I understand it, ccleaner is a must in some windows systems, but not so in a mac. Again: macs don't need any "cleaners" (though this one does not appear to be as bad as others we know about).

I, being the "other person", can perhaps clarify my comments:

1) This page shows the mac models compatible with Big Sur:

macOS Big Sur is compatible with these computers - Apple Support

As you can see, no 2012 mac qualifies.

2) The presence of "Boot args" is an indication that something nonstandard is at play, and I have heard from a user on another thread that he had done this as part of the "hack" to make Big Sur run on unsupported hardware.

From the OP's Etrecheck report:

Boot args: keepsyms=1 debug=0x100

1. Absolutely NOT.
2. and 3.: probably, but we need more information in order to not only determine if such files can be deleted, but hopefully to ascertain what else may be contributing to your mac's low performance.

Please run Etrecheck and post its full report here. Use the "additional text" button and paste the report into the text box.

This will let us know about system modifications, which are the most common reasons for poor performance or crashes.

Your system won't allow you to delete the first file as its a system file. So you can't safely delete that one no. Are those two files coming up in the Login Items report under Users in your settings or where did you get that info.

The cause of your computer running slow could be a number of things from outdated software to the temperature in your room causing the computer to throttle its activities intentionally.

If you're implying that its running slow as the result of various files or data that may shouldn't be there or are part of a malicious program then you should also be aware that you may have some part in how unwanted files may be getting there in the first place. You should always be cautious when using the internet and careful about what sites you visit.

Also the users of this forum don't work for Apple so they are just giving you their opinions on things.

It's safest to only download apps from the App Store. If an app isn't in the App Store there must be a reason. Typically the app does something that Apple prohibits apps to do. There are rules not to do something or to do something the proper way which help keep users and their data secure but if an app can't follow those rules then it won't be accepted into the App Store.

Assuming that that information isn't leaving other things out, as a "System Report" your mac will generate for you contains additional information.

The other person here said you must have done something to make your computer run Big Sur? Is that the case or do you know why this might be?

Either way the conclusion that some "hack" has been utilized here is almost certainly correct whether it was to enable the use of an unsupported OS or not based on the nvram debug variable.

Is it true that this computer is the same OS that has been installed since at least 2013? If so you may want to consider backing up all of your personal files, shutting the computer down, wiping the NVRAM by holding down the appropriate keys until you hear the system chime at least two or three times, then without allowing the computer to proceed to the login in screen switching the keys you are pressing to the appropriate ones to boot into Internet Recovery, partitioning the hard disk you have properly so that all the disks contained within are removed (or even partitioning it to a format you don't intend to use, opening terminal and clearing your nvram, then shutting the computer down, repeating the steps above until Internet Recovery starts up again, and then installing a new OS from there. If the install process doesn't allow you to partition the hard drive properly from there then do it yourself with the available utility and start the install again.

I'm saying to do it like that because it seems like there has been unauthorized access.

Do you know why its saying for /etc/hosts count 212? Is that supposed to mean 212 entries to your hosts file?? Did you do that? You may find some additional clues if you see what the data in that file says.

Sounds right to me not sure why you're repeating this info but sounds good. I was asking if he had any insight into why his computer was running Big Sur. I wasn't asking whether or not it was supported/possible. And yes I agree about number 2 which is why I said the other person was almost certainly correct. An "indication" can't be the basis for a definitive conclusion.