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Computer low on memory

M

Muizen

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 25, 2013
21
0
Mechelen, Belgium
On my iMac OS High Sierra 10.13.6 I get now and then a message after "start up":
Your computer is low on memory
To free up some memory close a few application;

Memory on my iMac consists of 4 times 4GB, or 16GB all slots are currently in use.

I have no intensive use of my iMac at all.
The MacHD has a capacity of 499,9GB of which 299,9GB is being used.

I wonder why I get the above message?
One sometimes can read about computers being used by third parties?

* I don't understand what is happening?
* I would not know what applications I can remove without causing problems to my iMac.

As you can conclude I am just a simple user, not a computer specialist!
Your advise will be appreciatie!

Harry
 
Dear Casperes1996
Is this what you asked for?
Harry
1580120927063.png
 
No. You double clicked on "Activity Monitor" under Process Name.

Just open Activity Monitor and click on the second tab, "Memory" then click on the Memory column until they're sorted from high to low…then screenshot.
 
Muizen said:
View attachment 890808
Click to expand...
Memory pressure is plenty fine. It's normal that macOS caches files aggressively, so you don't have to worry about the 8,64 gigs of cached files. Please screenshot the warning if it comes again, AND this Activity Monitor (sorted by Memory, so you can see what's hogging the most RAM).
 
Thank you all for your help!

My iMac is from 2011 and it must be carrying a whole lot of unnecessary data files etc....

It seems to have become kind of slow in its "responses" over the years, but I have not the required knowledge for a clean up of all matter that should not be on my iMac.

Does anybody know of perhaps a review (on a step-by-step basis) which could enable me applying a clean up?
I have very little expercience and knowledge in the computer field, so I am hesitant to go in to actions that I can not quite understand.

Thank you for an advice!

Harry
 
Could well be a manifestation of malware...

Problem is, many of the so called security scanners are quite dodgy themselves. For instance, a program calling itself "Mac Security Plus" will spawn alert boxes that look like this.

lowmem.jpg


In reality, it's an adware program that hijacks your browser.



I've run malwarebytes (the free version) without incident, though.

https://www.malwarebytes.com
 
Muizen said:
Thank you all for your help!

My iMac is from 2011 and it must be carrying a whole lot of unnecessary data files etc....

It seems to have become kind of slow in its "responses" over the years, but I have not the required knowledge for a clean up of all matter that should not be on my iMac.

Does anybody know of perhaps a review (on a step-by-step basis) which could enable me applying a clean up?
I have very little expercience and knowledge in the computer field, so I am hesitant to go in to actions that I can not quite understand.

Thank you for an advice!

Harry
Click to expand...

If you want I can walk you through erasing your drive and reinstalling macOS, but I wouldn’t advice any other “clean-up”. Aside from startup processes you‘re unaware of though, leftover data on the drive from over the years shouldn’t affect performance. - However, it is normal for an older computer to feel slower running newer software. If it doesn’t already have an SSD, running the OS and such off of an SSD is usually the best way of making ”normal operations” feel a lot snappier on machines like this, and is my recommended route if you want to continue using the computer for a good few more years. You don’t have to replace the internal drive; a good external SSD will be faster too.
 
In 2014 I had a - Samsung HD Intern 500GB SSD/840 EVO; series/2,5"/SATA-3 - installed.

If a take a look at my "application" and see the large number of applications listed, of which I only use relatvely a small number, I wonder whether removing those that are never being used would create a "better performing iMac?
The problem for me would be to know what what applications to remove and thereby not affecting negatively the functioning of my iMac?
Harry
 
jerwin said:
Could well be a manifestation of malware...

Problem is, many of the so called security scanners are quite dodgy themselves. For instance, a program calling itself "Mac Security Plus" will spawn alert boxes that look like this.

View attachment 890867

In reality, it's an adware program that hijacks your browser.



I've run malwarebytes (the free version) without incident, though.

https://www.malwarebytes.com
Click to expand...
I tried to run Malwarebytes.com but got a message
"Please check your Internet connection"
But the Internet connection functions perfectly.

They just want me to purchase the full version?
Harry
 
Muizen said:
I tried to run Malwarebytes.com but got a message
"Please check your Internet connection"
But the Internet connection functions perfectly.

They just want me to purchase the full version?
Harry
Click to expand...
Or it could be malware trying to prevent you from using a malware scanner. If I designed malware I would try to make it so malware scanners couldn't run but I would do it in some way that makes it appear the problem is something entirely different.. like an internet connection problem.
 
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Muizen said:
I tried to run Malwarebytes.com but got a message
"Please check your Internet connection"
But the Internet connection functions perfectly.

They just want me to purchase the full version?
Harry
Click to expand...

I've been using the free version of Malwarebytes for years and have never seen a message like that. I would pay attention to that message and check your connection (router). There are definitely instances of infected routers.
 
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Muizen said:
On my iMac OS High Sierra 10.13.6 I get now and then a message after "start up":
Your computer is low on memory
To free up some memory close a few application;

Memory on my iMac consists of 4 times 4GB, or 16GB all slots are currently in use.

I have no intensive use of my iMac at all.
The MacHD has a capacity of 499,9GB of which 299,9GB is being used.

I wonder why I get the above message?
One sometimes can read about computers being used by third parties?

* I don't understand what is happening?
* I would not know what applications I can remove without causing problems to my iMac.

As you can conclude I am just a simple user, not a computer specialist!
Your advise will be appreciatie!

Harry
Click to expand...
My Mac with the same OS and the same physical memory does the same thing. I think it's a bug in the OS. If I walk away after power on and leave the Warning! box unacknowledged for a while, it will permanently remain on the screen. Clicking OK does not clear it. Force Quit does not even see it running. Worse, it remains on top so any applications you try to run opens behind the Warning! box so the box blocks the active window.
I just tried the following and the Warning! hasn't reappeared yet: Power off the Mac. Hold Cmd+Opt+P+R and turn power on. It takes two hands to hold all those keys including Shift to get the uppercase so you can use right hand to hold Cmd+Opt+Shift+P then press power on button with left hand and quickly hold R.
After boot up, shutdown again, and do this: Hold Shift+Control+Option and the Power button for 10-15 seconds. Your should hear the start up bong twice. Then let go. That does it. I found this on https://setapp.com/how-to/fix-macos-high-sierra-problems. There it says this procedure resets NVRAM and the System Management Controller. The fix is in response to a different problem, though. It supposedly fixes the problem where the Mac doesn't wake up out of sleep mode until minutes after "you've jammed every key on the keyboard."
I have this problem too. So I gave it a try. So far so good and no Low Memory warning. The first thing I noticed is the start-up time is much diminished.

Few hours later... It's back! The low memory warning popped up twice and I was able to dismiss it both times by clicking OK immediately but both times it opened WhatsApp - the last application I was using and had quit. To clarify, WhatsApp had been closed and quit. It launched itself after I hit OK to close the Low on Memory warning, and it happened twice. Seems High Sierra 10.13.6 is buggy. Too bad I can't go back to previous OS. I had to purchase upgrades for many apps whose previous version would not work with the new High Sierra.
-Dana
 
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