24 Mac Air unbelievably slow, spinning beachball.

1) Completely uninstall CleanMyMac (aka TrashMyMac) as per the developers instructions.

2) Startup in Safe Mode then restart, as per > Start up your Mac in safe mode - Apple Support

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

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

lbandrew wrote:

Thanks, again.

You're welcome.

It is running normally now, but I think I'm still in "Safe" Mode. (Is it safe to stay in "Safe" Mode?)

1) No you can not/should not run in Safe Mode forever.

2) Safe Mode disables third-party login item and extensions.

3) Safe Mode is used to repair the startup disk and clear out caches.

Please carefully re-read > Start up your Mac in safe mode - Apple Support

It looks to me from the Activity monitor that the real hog is Carbonite, which seems to stay on all the time I guess in order to do my backups.

I can get rid of some of these apps that I don't use many times every day, but is it safe NOT to let Carbonite stay on--- and I guess have to remember to turn it on and run it regularly? I do a manual backup, but I don't remember to do it daily. I continue to have difficulty with them and have to uninstall/reinstall very often.

I do not use Carbonite, so I can not help you with that problem.

If Carbonite is slow, using tons of resources or not working properly for you..?

Then I suggest dumping it and using Time Machine or CarbonCopyCloner to make local backups on an external drive.

I think when I tried to find startup items there were only two, but I forgot where I found that. Will check for a post here as to how to do that.

see > Remove login items to resolve startup problems on your Mac - Apple Support

Sadly some third-party app's sneak things in behind the scenes that are harder to find.

Sorry to be so needy. This is REALLY not my field! I don't see getting another computer anytime soon, so will attempt to follow all your suggestions.

No problem, I understand. Sometimes we have to make do with what we have.

You should be OK if stop some of those app's from automatically opening at login.

Then only open the one(s) that you need to use and quit the app when your done.

Another big resource hog in your line up that I do not use is Google Chrome.

If possible, you should use Safari instead of that personal data collecting app called Google Chrome.

Is Entrecheck worth investing in to keep tabs on this or anything else? It seems completely integrated with this platform, and of course I am grateful to it. And to you!

No you do not need the paid version of EtreCheckPro for basic troubleshooting.

However it never hurts to give the developer of EtreCheckPro a monitory boost for the upgrade.

lbandrew wrote:

Thanks den.thed, will do these things although I really LIKE Clean My Mac, and it hasn't ever caused a problem on any other Macs I've owned. Is there some change in the program that now allows it to harm Macs? My inclination would be to reinstall it once the problem is resolved, unless there's some good reason (which I assume you must have) that I should not. Please share.

There are two options available once the " BrickMyMac "aka CleanMyMac has been installed and used on this computer

1 - Remove the application as per the Developers Instructions . Though be very aware, the computer will never be the same once it was installed and or removed - full stop

Actions have consequences, which in turn have repercussions. These repercussions from CleanMyMac may not always appear immediately, but when they do, they are often the least expected.

2 - The " Atomic " option which is unpopular for some, though, at the same time the more effective method

You can spend hours or days hunting down all the bits and pieces of this software and never really get it all off the computer

For Apple Silicon computer >> Use Disk Utility to erase a Mac with Apple silicon.

For Apple Intel computers >>   Use Disk Utility to erase an Intel-based Mac followed by How to reinstall macOS

Always make a Time Machine Backup  before  proceeding 

Emphasis on User Account Only

If going this route - I suggest Not using Startup Assist to migrate everything back.

This will probably Re-Introduce ( BrickMyMac ) back into the Operating System . 

That poor MacBook Air with 8GB of RAM is loading and running a heavy burden of third-party App's.

Full boat of MS apps

Google Chrome

Perplexity

Fathom

Carbonite

One Drive

Proton

What you need to do, is backoff on how many of those are set to startup at login and only open what you need to use at the time. Then close that app when your done and open the next one.

The other option, is to get a more powerful Mac with more RAM, that is able to do everything that you want.

Because you don't really need it.

Because we have seen bad results here.

In the end it's your choice to keep it or uninstall it.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/255036185?sortBy=oldest_first

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/255249088?sortBy=oldest_first&page=1

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/253280969?sortBy=oldest_first&page=1

Did Safe Mode help or not...?

Where is your EtreCheckPro report...?

👍

den.thed wrote:

👍

+ +1

Has been awhile since participating here and sort of good to be semi back

Same here.. I've been focusing more on our list of home projects than the forum.