Mac Very Slow After Software Update

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Everyone seems to love Sierra, but if your experience is like dragging your Mac through a swamp then it’s time to do something about it.

Let’s fix slow macOS Sierra

In this guide we’re going to highlight the most common problems that cause a slow Sierra and the solutions to help you speed up macOS. These solutions can be performed by anyone, but we’ve ordered them from easiest to hardest.

See how far up the Sierra speed solution ladder you can get.

Step 1 - Eliminate desktop clutter

Difficulty: Easy

Are you someone that puts everything on their desktop? To load all those icons takes up system resources that could be used for better things. Delete what you don’t need and group what you do into folders to improve macOS Sierra performance.

To quickly move files into folders:

  • Hold Control and click the items you want to group
  • Right-click any of the selected files and choose 'New Folder with Selection'

That was easy, wasn’t it? Now let’s use one of Sierra’s space saving features.

Step 2 - Optimize storage

Difficulty: Easy

Another way to free up space is to use one of Sierra’s features - the ability to automatically remove files that you don’t need. Optimized storage can remove old video files (like that movie you watched months ago) that you can always download from iTunes again. It can also remove old email attachments, which remain stored on the mail server should you need them again.

Clearing out old videos and email attachments can save a lot of space on your Mac and improve overall Sierra performance. Please note that you need to use Apple’s Mail app to make use of the email attachment setting. Also, having watched videos suddenly disappear may not be to everyone’s taste.

However, if you want to turn these settings on, follow these steps:

  • Go to About This Mac
  • Click on the Storage tab and click on Manage
  • Select Optimize
  • Check 'Automatically remove watched iTunes movies and TV shows'
  • Check 'Download only recent attachments' or to manually decide what gets downloaded, choose 'Don’t automatically download attachments'

If you tried these options but prefer the old way you’ll need to navigate to iTunes > Preferences > Advanced to uncheck 'Automatically delete watched movies and TV shows.'

If you want Sierra to download all your attachments again go to Mail > Preferences > Accounts > accountName > Account Information. Click on the Download Attachments drop-down menu and select 'All.'

That was a bit more work but still really easy, right? Next up is a way to always speed up a slow Sierra.

Step 3 - Remove background applications

Difficulty: Easy

Does your macOS slow down for no obvious reason? It could be that background apps are hogging your Mac’s memory. Most systems have multiple unneeded apps that use system resources. Next time things are slow open Activity Monitor (found in Utilities) and click on the top of the Memory column to order the apps by those that are using the most memory.

If you see an app that is using a good portion of memory (and you’re sure you’re not using it) select it and click the X at the top left to close the app.

Easy, huh?

The next steps are a little bit more challenging but if you want a Sierra that performs well we recommend you keep going!

Step 4 - Tone down visual effects

Mac Running Very Slow After Update

Difficulty: Moderate

Apple uses some fancy eye candy to make the Sierra UI (User Interface) a real treat for the eyes. But if Sierra is slow, it feels more like a trick than a treat.

To give Sierra a speed boost you can turn off transparency and motion effects. This is particularly effective if macOS 10.12 is running on older hardware.

To turn off effects in Sierra follow these instructions:

  • Navigate to Settings > Accessibility > Display
  • Turn on 'Reduce Motion' and 'Reduce Transparency'

You should now experience a snappier Sierra experience.

In our next step we’re going to show you how to take out the trash. Afterall, a clean Sierra is a fast Sierra!

Step 5 - Clean up full Mac hard drive to speed up Sierra

Difficulty: Moderate

Macs use available storage space on hard drives for the smooth running of the OS. When there isn’t much free space and your drive is almost full, Sierra will start running slow.

If you’ve seen the macOS 'Your disk is almost full' notification then you’vedefinitely got a problem that needs fixing. You can click the 'Manage' buttonon the notification, and it will take you to the Optimize Storage features.

A better solution would be to use CleanMyMac X, which has a bunch of tools to clean up your drive. With just a couple clicks you can clear out the junk and free up a ton of storage space for smoother operations.

Here’s how to easily remove hard drive junk:

  • Launch CleanMyMac X
  • Click on the Smart Scan tab
  • Let the app analyze your system and when it’s finished select Clean

Can you believe how much free space you have now? Your Mac should be running much better after the first 5 steps but if Sierra is still slow it’s time to get serious.

These next steps are a bit more difficult but you’ve made it this far. Don’t stop now!

Step 6 - Reset your SMC

Difficulty: Hard

'Reset my what?' SMC stands for System Management Controller, and a reset can solve extreme levels of slowness as well as battery faults and some other hardware faults like problems with your fan.

You should only take this step if everything else has failed to speed up Sierra.

Start by closing all apps (force-quit with Command-Option-Escape if necessary) and shut down your system.

SMC reset instructions for Mac notebook:

  • With your Mac shut down, plug in the power cord
  • Press the power button while holding down Shift-Control-Option at the same time
  • Let go and start your Mac up like normal

SMC reset instructions for Mac desktop:

  • Shutdown your Mac and unplug it
  • Plug it back in after 5 seconds
  • Wait 5 more seconds and then start your Mac as normal

Be honest, you thought that would be much harder didn’t you? If you reset your SMC you can definitely reset your PRAM/VRAM. That’s the next step!

Step 7 - Reset PRAM/NVRAM

Difficulty: Hard

NVRAM stands for 'non-volatile random-access memory.' 'P' used to stand for Parameter in older Macs where it is called PRAM. Resetting NVRAM is generally recommended when your Mac is behaving strangely. Things like your Mac starting with the wrong disk, screen resolution issues, or wonky battery charge reporting. If you’re not sure if you need it, there’s no harm in giving it a try just in case.

Follow these instructions to perform a PRAM/NVRAM reset:

  • Turn your Mac on from a shutdown state
  • When the startup chimes press Command+Option+P+R at the same time
  • Hold them until your Mac restarts and you hear the startup sound again
  • Let go of the keys

You’ve done it again. There are only two more steps left. Don’t stop now!

Step 8 - Speed Up Sierra’s Startup

Difficulty: Hard

If starting up macOS Sierra is taking too long it might be because you have too many startup items. Some apps you’ll want starting with Sierra, but others would be better off waiting till you open them.

You could use Step 3 to keep manually closing down these apps but that sounds like a waste of time to us. To stop macOS Sierra startup apps and items, follow these instructions:

  • Navigate to System Preferences > Users & Groups > Login Items
  • Tick the apps you don’t want loading at startup
  • Click the '-' button to remove the selected apps from startup

If you want even more control use CleanMyMac to easily deselect startup items or completely remove them from your macOS:

  • Launch CleanMyMac
  • Click the Optimization tab
  • Click on 'Login Items'
  • Click enabled/disabled to choose what apps load on startup and what apps don’t
  • If you never use an app you can also click the check box on the left and then click Remove

Congratulations, you’ve made it to the top of the ladder. You’ve taken every step to speed up Sierra. If macOS is still slow, it’s probably that your hardware is old. In the final step we’ll show you what you can do about it.

Step 9 - Upgrade hardware to SSD

Difficulty: Very Hard

If your Mac doesn’t have a SSD (Solid State Drive) then this single change would give you the greatest Sierra performance boost. SSDs are significantly faster than normal mechanical drives and they’re also less likely to fail.

Things to consider when shopping for a new SSD:

  • What size do you need? Nothing smaller than your current system drive.
  • What is your budget? SSDs are more expensive than regular drives.
  • Is the drive Mac-friendly? If so it will make it easier to keep your drive’s firmware updated and performing smoothly.

With all the different Mac models out there it would be hard to give you a step-by-step instruction. But if you search for your model + 'how to add SSD' you should find the instructions you need.

Or better yet, get a professional to install it for you.

Get macOS Sierra running faster

With the solutions above you should be able to easily transform your macOS Sierra from a slug to a responsive and snappy Mac that is a joy to use.

Just remember that over time, problems that slow down Sierra will build up. Bookmark this page so you can return to these solutions if you have the need.

Alternatively, just regularly run CleanMyMac’s range of optimization and cleaning tools to keep macOS Sierra from getting slow.

These might also interest you:

A year ago, it took me two days to update my Mac to the latest macOS, High Sierra, and I wrote this post to document the performance issues I encountered.

This year? Less than two hours!

Yes — I mean from preparing my Mac for Mojave update, downloading the Mojave pack from App Store and installing the new OS, to finally being able to experience the new elegant Dark Mode — the whole process took less than two hours to complete.

First impression — macOS Mojave is much better than High Sierra, both in performance and UI experience.

However, I did come across a few performance issues with macOS Mojave. For example, it randomly froze up for a few seconds, the new App Store was slow to launch until I force quit it, and there were several other small issues.

I’ll share those issues here. Hopefully, you can find some hints to solve the problems you are facing, or speed-up tips to increase your Mac’s performance.

First Things First: If you’ve decided to update your Mac to macOS Mojave but have yet to do so, here are a few things to check before you upgrade. I highly recommend you take a minute to go over the checklist to avoid potential data loss and other issues.

Also, if you are using your Mac for work, do not update the machine right away as it may take more time than you thought. Instead, do it at home if possible.

Ready to go? Great. Now go ahead and update your Mac. If you encounter a problem (hopefully you won’t), here are a list of issues and solutions you may want to look over

Note: It’s very unlikely that you’ll face all the performance issues below. Just navigate through the Table of Contents below; it’ll jump to the right issue and provide more details.

During macOS Mojave Installation

Issue 1: Mac gets stuck during installation and won’t install

More details: Normally, once you download macOS Mojave installer, all you need to do is follow the instructions (e.g. agree to software license agreement, input login password, etc.) and the new macOS installs on your Macintosh HD automatically. But you may see one of the following pop-up errors, or something similar:

  • “This version of macOS 10.14 cannot be installed on this computer.”
  • “Installation of macOS could not continue”

Possible Reason: Your Mac isn’t eligible for the Mojave update. Not every Mac machine can be upgraded to the latest macOS. It must meet these basic hardware and software requirements. For example, If you’re using a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro, it must be Mid-2012 or newer and have at least 4 GB of RAM (preferably 8 GB), as well as 15-20 GB of free disk space.. For example, If you’re using a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro, it must be Mid-2012 or newer and has at least 4 GB of RAM (preferably 8 GB) and 15-20 GB of free disk space.

How to Fix:

  • Check your Mac model. Click on the Apple menu on the top left of your screen, then select “About This Mac”. You’ll see your model specifications. For example, I’m on a 15-inch 2017 model (as seen in the screenshot above).
  • Check RAM (memory). On the same “Overview” tab, you’ll also be able to see how many GBs in memory your Mac has. If you have less than 4 GB, you’ll have to add more RAM in order to run macOS Mojave.
  • Check available storage. On the same window, click on the “Storage” tab. You’ll see a color bar that displays how much storage has been used and how much is available. Make sure you have at least 20 GB available. CleanMyMac is a good tool to help you reclaim storage quickly.

Issue 2: Installation is Stuck at “About a Minute Remaining”

More Details: The Mojave installation stops at 99% and won’t move forward; it’s stuck at “About a minute remaining”. Note: personally, I haven’t encountered this issue but last year I did while upgrading to the macOS High Sierra.

Possible Reason: Your Mac is running an older macOS version–for example, macOS Sierra 10.12.4 (the newest Sierra version is 10.12.6), or macOS High Sierra 10.13.3 (the newest High Sierra version is 10.13.6).

How to Fix: Update your Mac to the newest version first, then install macOS Mojave. For example, if you are on Sierra 10.12.4, first open Mac App Store, click the Update button under “Updates” tab, upgrade your Mac to 10.12.6 first, and then install the latest macOS Mojave.

Note: My MacBook Pro was running High Sierra 10.13.2 and I had no problem directly updating to Mojave without updating to 10.13.6. Your mileage may vary, especially if your Mac runs Sierra, El Capitan, or an older version.

After macOS Mojave is Installed

Issue 3: Mac Running Slow on Startup

Possible Reasons:

  • Your Mac has too many auto-run programs (programs that automatically run when your machine boots) and launch agents (third-party helper or service apps).
  • The startup disk on your Mac is almost full, leading to slow boot speed and other performance issues.
  • You are using an older Mac that’s equipped with a mechanical hard drive (HDD) or Fusion drives (for some iMac models).
After

How to Fix:

First, check how many Login Items you have and disable those unnecessary ones. Click on the Apple menu on the top-left corner and select System Preferences > Users & Groups > Login Items. Once you’re there, highlight the apps you don’t want to auto-start and hit the minus “-” option.

Next, check if you have got some “hidden” launch agents on your Mac. To do so, the easiest way is to use CleanMyMac, under Speed module, go to Optimization > Launch Agents, there you may see a list of helper/service applications, feel free to disable or remove them. This will help speed up your Mac’s startup speed as well.

If the startup disk on your Mac is almost full, you need to free up as much disk space as possible. Check out this article that shows 10 useful techniques to gain more storage, as well as tips to prevent your hard disk from filling up.

Lastly, if you are on an old Mac with a spinning hard drive or Fusion Drive rather than solid-state flash storage, chances are it will take much longer to start up. There’s no fix for this except swapping out your old hard drive with a new SSD.

Issue 4: Mac App Store is Slow to Load and Shows Blank Page

More Details: Excited to see how the brand new Mac App Store looks in Mojave, I tried to open the app immediately after macOS Mojave was installed. However, I ran into this error: a blank page?! I waited for at least a minute hoping to see the new interface, but it didn’t work.

This screenshot was taken before adjusting my MacBook Pro to Dark Mode, yours may look like a black page

Mac Slow After Software Update

Possible Reason: Unknown (perhaps a macOS Mojave bug?)

How to Fix: I tried to quit App Store, only to find that option was greyed out.

So I went to Force Quit (click Apple icon and select “Force Quit” option) and it worked.

Then I re-opened the app, and the brand new UI in Mac App Store worked perfectly.

Issue 5: Web Browser Freezes

More Details: I mainly use Chrome on my Mac. While I was writing this article, my Mac froze up a bit–that spinning rainbow wheel showed up and I couldn’t move the cursor for five seconds or so.

Possible Reason: Chrome is probably the culprit (that’s my hunch at least).

How to Fix: In my case, the random freeze only last for a few seconds and everything went back to normal. Out of curiosity, I opened Activity Monitor and noticed that Chrome was “abusing” the CPU and Memory. So I think it’s the culprit.

My first suggestion to those of you who are facing Safari, Chrome, Firefox (or any other Mac web browser) issues on macOS Mojave is this: update your browser to the latest version. Meanwhile, try to open as few tabs as possible while you are surfing the Internet. Some web pages can “abuse” your Internet browser and system resources in the form of annoying display ads and video ads.

If the issue still persists, check if your Mac has Adware or malware. You can do this with MalwareBytes for Mac or Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac.

Issue 6: Third-party Apps Running Slowly or Unable to Open

Possible Reason: The apps may not be compatible with macOS Mojave thus are unable to run smoothly.

How to Fix: First of all, open Mac App Store and go to the “Updates” tab. Here you’ll likely see a list of apps available for updates. For example, I found Ulysses (the best writing app for Mac), Airmail (the best email client for Mac), along with a few other Apple apps waiting to be updated. Simply hit “Update All” and you are good to go.

For those third-party apps not downloaded from App Store, you’ll have to visit their official websites to see if there are new versions optimized for macOS Mojave. If that’s the case, download the new version and install it. If the app developer has yet to release a Mojave-compatible version, your last option is to find an alternate program.

Issue 7: iCloud Sign-in Slow

More Details: While macOS Mojave was still in beta, I heard about some iCloud bugs from the App community. I tested it myself and found the sign-in process was surprisingly slow. It took me about 15 seconds. At first, I thought I put in the wrong password, or that my Internet connection was weak (turns out it wasn’t the case).

Possible Reason: Unknown.

How to Fix: Wait a few more seconds. That’s what worked for me. I then was able to access the data stored I have stored in iCloud.

Finally, the “Next” button is clickable

Final Thoughts

This is the first time I ever immediately updated my Mac to a major new macOS. Previously, I always waited for those brave early birds to test the water. If the new OS is good, I’ll update one day; If it’s not, forget it. Remember the security bug that popped up shortly after macOS High Sierra’s public release? Apple had to push out a new version, 10.13.1, to fix that and the incident generated a lot of criticism in the Mac community.

I didn’t hesitate to update this time. Maybe I was too impressed by the new features in Mojave, I don’t know. I’m glad that I chose to upgrade, and quite happy about the performance of Apple’s macOS Mojave overall–even though there are some performance issues related to the new OS or the apps I’ve installed.

My advice to you is this: If you’re using a brand new (or relatively new) Mac computer, updating to Mojave is a wise decision. It won’t take you much time, and it’ll save you the hassle of being bothered by Apple’s annoying update notifications. Plus, Mojave is really awesome. Do make sure to back up your Mac data before you upgrade just in case.

If you are on an old Mac with a mechanical hard drive, has limited RAM, or is running short of storage, you should rethink updating. Sure, Mojave looks elegant, but it demands more hardware resources too.

If you’ve chosen to update to macOS Mojave, I hope you won’t encounter any of the performance issues listed above. If you do, I hope the fixes I listed above help you solve those problems. Have any new issues related to macOS Mojave? Leave a comment and let me know.