my imac is getting really slow and locking up

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Level 1

4 points

my imac is getting really slow and locking up

My iMac running latest software runs really slow and is constantly locking up. Particularly Google Chrome and Apple News. I keep programs up to date and don’t have high CPU usage programs running. It get to the point where my only option is to do a hard shut down with the power button. Even then a reboot takes 5-10 minutes. Is this thing cooked or is there a way to “defrag” like a PC. I have plenty of storage and really only use this device for internet and basic household use/storage. I also have an external hard drive attached that we use for photos and backups

Posted on Mar 21, 2025 5:35 AM

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Answer 1

BobHarris

Level 9

56,759 points

Mar 21, 2025 8:42 AM in response to Mac_bug

If kernel_task is using a large percentage of your Mac CPU - Apple Support

Also consider that you may have dust/pollen/smoke particles clogging up the fans and heat sinks, which will cause the Mac to overheat, which will cause the kernel_task to intervene and put the CPU into a low power idle mode that makes the kernel_task appear as if it is using a lot of CPU, which technically it is, but it is also letting the CPU take brief naps so it can cool down.

Applications -> Utilities -> Activity Monitor -> View (menu) -> All Processes -> CPU (tab)

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