audiomxd high memory allocation port allocation CPU time

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audiomxd Memory and CPU screenshots


In February 2025, I bought a Mac Mini then migrated from my iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2015) to my current Mac Mini M4 Pro. The Mac Mini is probably running Rosetta.


About: Mac Mini 2024 M4 Pro. 64 GB Memory. macOS Sequoia 15.4.1. Apple Pro Display XDR with NO MICROPHONE and NO SPEAKER. No Audio app. No VST plugins.


The Apple Pro Display XDR is connected with an Apple Thunderbolt 5 cable to one of the three Thunderbolt 5 ports in back.


An external Lacie backup drive is connected with an Apple Thunderbolt 4 cable to one of the three Thunderbolt 5 ports in back. Time Machine backs up the Mac Mini M4 Pro once a week.


Feedback - Mac mini - Apple

Feedback report 6 on the audiomdx memory leak.

2025-04-26 12.23PM 1.36 GB 102,386 Ports.

2025-04-27 10.14AM 1.52 GB 130,067 Ports.


On 2025.04.27 I changed some settings then Shut Down.

Apple > System Settings > Apple Intelligence and Siri >

Apple Intelligence: OFF

Siri: OFF

Adobe Elements 2021 Organizer > Preferences > Media-Analysis >

Generate Auto Creations: OFF.


On 2025.04.29 I uninstalled an Adobe desktop app the Shut Down.

https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/help/uninstall-creative-cloud-desktop-app.html

Uninstall the Creative Cloud desktop app


On 25.05.02 I changed some settings then Shut Down.

Sequoia is moving my windows off the scre… - Apple Community

Settings > Desktop & Dock > Click wallpaper to reveal desktop change to Only in Stage Manager

Settings > Desktop & Dock > Drag Windows to screen edges to tile OFF

Settings > Desktop & Dock > Drag Windows to menu bar to fill screen OFF


On 2025.05.03 here are Activity Monitor screenshots of CPU Time and of Memory Allocation.


2025.05.03 12:49 PM audiomxd CPU Time 20:02:08.10


2025.05.03 12:49 PM audiomxd Memory 770.2 MB 39,904 Ports.


Usually, I Logout after each time I use the Mac Mini.

Occasionally, I only Lock the Screen.


Why is Memory allocated, but not freed after closing the app that was using the Memory?


Why does audiomxd need an ever-increasing Memory Allocation to manage the internal speaker on a Mac Mini? I have no external speaker or microphone.





[Edited by Moderator]

Mac mini, macOS 15.4

Posted on May 3, 2025 12:16 PM

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Question marked as ⚠️ Top-ranking reply

Posted on May 24, 2025 8:12 AM

You need to take some other measures in order to sort out the problem.


Mac's do not require third party AV, Protection, Cleaning or VPN to stay safe.

see > macOS - Security - Apple


1) I never heard of the GPG Suite, but it looks like protection ware that has totally invaded your Mac mini.

Uninstall GPG as per the developers instruction and test for a day or two.


2) I never hear of SENA, but it looks like it is some type of audio device paring manager.

Uninstall SENA as per the developers instruction and test for a day or two.

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Question marked as ⚠️ Top-ranking reply

May 24, 2025 8:12 AM in response to tcabq

You need to take some other measures in order to sort out the problem.


Mac's do not require third party AV, Protection, Cleaning or VPN to stay safe.

see > macOS - Security - Apple


1) I never heard of the GPG Suite, but it looks like protection ware that has totally invaded your Mac mini.

Uninstall GPG as per the developers instruction and test for a day or two.


2) I never hear of SENA, but it looks like it is some type of audio device paring manager.

Uninstall SENA as per the developers instruction and test for a day or two.

Reply

Jun 3, 2025 7:22 PM in response to tcabq

This still sounds like some bad third-party software or the Mac mini attempting to connect to a bluetooth audio device.

Possibly even when the Mac mini is suppose to be in sleep mode.


https://community.jamf.com/t5/jamf-pro/audiomx-process-maxed-out/m-p/342280

https://iboysoft.com/tips/audiomxd-processor-using-so-much-ram.html

https://macsecurity.net/view/614-coreaudiod-cpu-overuse-mac


If the audiomxd numbers seem to be building when the Mac mini is sleeping at night...?

Then as a test, shut down at night and check the audiomxd numbers in the morning after startup.

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May 12, 2025 8:55 AM in response to tcabq

EtreCheckPro is an excellent tool for finding and sorting out various problems.

Download and run the free version of EtreCheckPro, from > https://etrecheck.com/en/index.html

Then post back here with your Report, as per > How to use the Add Text Feature When Post… - Apple Community

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Jun 12, 2025 11:33 AM in response to tcabq

Maybe something below will help you figure out what process or service is opening ports.


On macOS, ports are opened by specific processes or services that need to communicate over a network. The system uses a process called launchdto manage these processes and open ports as needed. While macOS's firewall helps manage connections, apps and services can still request and be granted access through it. 


Here's a more detailed explanation:


1. Processes Open Ports:

  • When a process needs to listen for incoming connections or send outgoing requests on a specific port, it requests that port from the operating system.
  • If the process is allowed to use the port, launchd (a background service) will open it and keep it open as long as the process is running or actively waiting for connections. 

2. Sharing Services:

  • Sharing services like file sharing can automatically open specific ports to allow other devices on the network to connect.
  • These ports are opened and closed based on whether the sharing service is enabled or disabled. 

3. Firewall:

  • The macOS firewall allows or blocks connections based on applications and services, not individual ports.
  • You can add an app to the firewall's allowed list to grant it access, and macOS will automatically open the necessary ports. 

4. Identifying Open Ports:

  • You can use commands like lsof or nmap in the Terminal to see which ports are currently open and which processes are using them.
  • For example, lsof -i :8080 will list any processes using port 8080. 

5. Closing Ports:

  • You can close a port by stopping the process that's using it.
  • For example, you can use kill -9 <PID> to forcefully stop a process and close its associated ports. 


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May 15, 2025 6:50 PM in response to tcabq


Here's a log of Mac Mini activity from Wednesday afternoon to Thursday evening




2025-05-14 Wednesday


This morning I discovered that the audiomxd CPU Time, Memory, and Ports had continued to grow overnight.


After discovering this, I removed the following migrated items that were found by EtreCheckPro:

Internet Plug-ins:

Flip4Mac WMV Plugin: 3.3.3.1 (? - installed 2015-02-14)

Audio Plug-ins:

Flip4Mac WMA Import: 3.3.3.1 (? - installed 2015-01-05)

3rd Party Preference panels:

A Better Finder Preferences (? - installed 2010-03-21)

Flip4Mac WMV (? - installed 2015-01-05)

MacFUSE (? - installed 2010-09-12)


I looked at processes that were being launched at Startup.


Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions


There was one app that was being opened at Login. I Removed it from "Open at Login."


Next, I looked at "Allow in Background." None of the background apps were from Apple. All were non-Apple, third-party apps.


I had Uninstalled Adobe Creative Cloud, but it was still listed in the "Allow in Background" group.


I switched them all OFF. If this causes trouble, I may selectively switch them ON, but only one at a time.


Why are there three different background apps with the same name "uuid-patcher"?



Adobe Creative Cloud

2 items: 1 item affects all users


AMZN Mobile LLC

1 item


EPSON

1 item


EPSON Event Manager

2 items


fixGpgHome

Item from unidentified developer.


Google LLC

2 items: 1 item affects all users


GPG Suite

2 items


Seiko Epson Corporation

5 items: 1 item affects all users


shutdown-gpg-agent

Item from unidentified developer.


UpdaterStartupUtility

Item from unidentified developer.


uuid-patcher

Item from unidentified developer.


uuid-patcher

Item from unidentified developer.


uuid-patcher

Item from unidentified developer.





2025-05-15 Thursday


Yesterday evening, I removed selected Plugins, Preference Panes, and "Open at Login" apps, and switched OFF all the "Allow in Background" apps, then I Logged Out.


Just now, I Logged In and discovered that audiomxd has been: 1) using the CPU most of the time, 2) allocated a little more memory than WindowServer, 3) has opened about three times as many Ports as WindowServer. This may be OK. The question is whether, in the long-term, Memory and Ports remains constant or decreases. Then it would not be a memory leak. Especially, if most of the allocated Memory would be freed and available if the user had need of it.


If audiomxd memory demand continues growing (2, 3, 4 ... GB) and if it is not available to the user, then that would be worth investigating further.




Reply

May 19, 2025 11:39 AM in response to tcabq

Probably not the cause but should still be gone, delete this file & restart…


~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.adobe.AAM.Updater-1.0.plist


Also the high usage started on the day these were installed…


2025-05-12 EPSON Printer Driver (13.26) - Installer

2025-05-12 Epson Scan 2 (6.4.143) - Installer

2025-05-12 EPSON PC-FAX Driver (2.40) - Installer

2025-05-12 Epson Extended Service Plan (1.0.1) - Installer

2025-05-12 ET-4850 (1.0) - Installer

2025-05-12 macOS 15.5 (15.5) - Software update

2025-05-12 RosettaUpdateAuto (1.0.0.0.1.1746349326) - Install on demand

Reply

Jun 12, 2025 2:44 PM in response to tcabq

audiomxd activity after Start Up 2025-06-12 1:01PM


2025-06-12 1:19PM CPU Time 14:50.00 130.2 MB 2,450 Ports

2025-06-12 2:05PM CPU Time 14:50.58 130.2 MB 2,448 Ports

2025-06-12 2:05PM CPU Time 1:38:49.82 249.5 MB 6,510 Ports


Reply

Jun 20, 2025 8:51 AM in response to tcabq

So it looks like the audiomxd CPU usage has subsided, but the creation of new ports is still off the chart.


A Google AI response says:

In macOS, various processes can create and utilize ports. While launchd is responsible for managing many system services and their associated ports, individual applications can also open ports for communication. To identify the specific process using a port, the lsof -i :<port_number> command is useful. This command lists open files and network connections, allowing you to see which process is associated with a particular port. 


for more info, see > what macOS process is creating ports


Personally I think that I would just uncheck Ports on the Activity Monitor toolbar and go on with life.

Reply

Jun 24, 2025 6:04 AM in response to tcabq

audiomxd activity after Start Up 2025-06-21 02:28PM

2025-06-21 6.26PM CPU Time 0.05 2.8 MB 55 Ports

2025-06-22 6.05AM CPU Time 11:20:54.15 589.4 MB 54 Ports

2025-06-22 8.11AM CPU Time 12:44:59.98 622.3 MB 10,636 Ports

2025-06-22 10.59AM CPU Time 14:57:36.42 669.4 MB 17,254 Ports

2025-06-22 3.53PM CPU Time 15:31:47.87 682.9 MB 30,779 Ports

2025-06-23 6.06AM CPU Time 29:03:18.19 904.5 MB 66,986 Ports

2025-06-23 7.29AM CPU Time 29:03:19.30 904.5 MB 66,986 Ports

2025-06-23 10.09AM CPU Time 31:09:38.18 932.4 MB 66,987 Ports


Apple menu > System Settings... > Privacy & Security > Local Network

Ecrp: OFF (Epson Customer Research Participation )

Epson Installer: OFF (This may be optional for an AirPrint printer)

EtreCheckPro: ON


Log Out.

Shut Down.

Start Up 2025-06-23 10:42AM.

Log In.


audiomxd activity after Start Up 2025-06-23 10:42AM

2025-06-23 10.58AM CPU Time 0.06 2.9 MB 55 Ports

2025-06-23 12.50AM CPU Time 1:36:51.94 249.0 MB 3,390 Ports

2025-06-23 3.03PM CPU Time 3:22:24.95 337.6 MB 7,752 Ports

2025-06-24 6.57AM CPU Time 18:23:05.68 733.1 MB 12,265 Ports


Reply

Jun 25, 2025 6:05 AM in response to tcabq

Monitoring audiomxd Memory growth -

audiomxd activity after Start Up 2025-06-23 10:42AM

2025-06-23 10.58AM CPU Time 0.06 2.9 MB 55 Ports

2025-06-23 12.50AM CPU Time 1:36:51.94 249.0 MB 3,390 Ports

2025-06-23 3.03PM CPU Time 3:22:24.95 337.6 MB 7,752 Ports

2025-06-24 6.57AM CPU Time 18:23:05.68 733.1 MB 12,265 Ports

2025-06-24 12.52PM CPU Time 24:08:27.34 828.2 MB 29,518 Ports

2025-06-24 4.35PM CPU Time 27:18:14.56 876.1 MB 40,574 Ports

2025-06-25 6.58AM CPU Time 41:36:07.62 1.03 GB 40,578 Ports


Reply

May 19, 2025 5:45 PM in response to den.thed


The online Epson Printer Product ET-4850 stalled when I selected macOS 15.x


The Epson Universal driver that I installed on Monday 2025-05-12 had an uninstaller, so I ran it. I selected all the boxes in the Epson software then launched the Uninstaller. After several minutes, a popup declared success, but the Uninstaller popup window continued to remain open. About 15 minutes later I closed it manually.


Next, I went to Apple > System Settings... > Printers & Scanners >

then removed all the Epson printers and scanners. That should have been done before attempting to uninstall the printer driver.


EtreCheckPro was used to remove: com.epson.scannermonitor.plist

Finder was used to remove: /Library/Extensions/EPSONUSBPrintClass.kext

Logged Out. Shut Down. Started Up. Logged In.


Here's the current EtreCheckPro Report.





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May 28, 2025 5:41 AM in response to tcabq


audiomxd activity after startup at 12:40 PM Sunday 2025-05-25


2025-05-25 1:35PM CPU Time 48:02.88 189.3 MB 2,960 Ports

2025-05-25 3:50PM CPU Time 48:03.70 189.4 MB 2,959 Ports

2025-05-26 7:25AM CPU Time 15:51:04.50 684.0 MB 2,961 Ports

2025-05-26 1:30PM CPU Time 20:08:59.49 764.1 MB 25,818 Ports

2025-05-26 3:58PM CPU Time 20:09:02.76 764.1 MB 25,820 Ports

2025-05-27 8:18AM CPU Time 35:23:58.33 979.9 MB 35,137 Ports

2025-05-28 6:14AM CPU Time 56:08:04.12 1.18 GB 64,688 Ports


EtreCheckPro Performance 2025-05-28 at 6.29.57 AM.jpg

EtreCheckPro Memory 2025-05-28 at 6.28.01 AM.jpg

Mac Mini 2025-05-28 06.25.05.txt




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Jul 6, 2025 2:45 PM in response to tcabq

audiomxd activity after Start Up 2025-06-13 11:04AM


Screen Locked(?)

2025-06-13 2.21PM CPU Time 0.00 2.8 MB 55 Ports

Logged Out.

2025-06-13 4.22PM CPU Time 44:58.00 189.0 MB 7,135 Ports

2025-06-14 7.08AM CPU Time 15:13:42.05 675.6 MB 7,217 Ports

2025-06-14 12.17PM CPU Time 19:26:51.25 761.9 MB 41,500 Ports






[Edited by Moderator]

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audiomxd high memory allocation port allocation CPU time

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