Mac red hot after installing app store timer app. Timemachine is enough?

[LarTeROn]

A few times after pulling my laptop out of my bag the thing is red hot. Difficult to even hold!

The only thing I've done recently is install this app:

‎Timer RH

‎Capabilities: + Multiple timers + Repeating & Interval timers + Stopwatch + Text and color labels + One-touch timers adding + Status bar and Dock icon widgets + Scenarios (combining timers) + Shortcuts and Hotkeys for quick use + Scheduler for day-to-day repetitive tasks + Fullscreen mode +...

apps.apple.com

I've scanned the whole system with Malwarebytes. Nothing.

I use Firefox and a lot of adblocking that includes Malware blocking so while it's possible, I doubt this as a path to cryptominer infection. If I catch it in the act again, is there a log I can check? It's too slow to do anything at that point, like open a terminal and run $top.

So, Timemachine back a few days, trying to guess when I installed that Timer app, right?

edit:
Something else that could be related was that I just switched to FoxItReader. I was running 4.1.3.0129 and I can't update it. The update server seems to be blocked?

 

[FNH15]

Open Activity Monitor - what does the CPU graph look like? Are your fans running (doesn’t apply if you have a MacBook Air)?

 

[chabig]

It sounds like your Mac isn't going to sleep. Perhaps the Timer app isn't so benign. Also, FoxItReader is suspicious to me because it is a Windows-first app. The Mac version doesn't have very good App Store review, and I'm not surprised considering the developers are porting what I consider to be a bloated Windows product. I don't think there is anything it can bring to a Mac that Preview doesn't already do.

 

[fisherking]

ideally, you want to track down where the issue is, but, temporarily, you could shutdown your mac before putting it in the bag. but yes, it sounds like the mac isn't going to sleep...

 

[LarTeROn]

ideally, you want to track down where the issue is, but, temporarily, you could shutdown your mac before putting it in the bag. but yes, it sounds like the mac isn't going to sleep...

It's not just not shutting down, it's almost too hot to pick up.

I removed foxit and the timer app and I haven't seen it do it again.

However, I don't know what caused it because when it was going wrong it was too slow to run activity monitor.

Do I use time machine? If so, how do I figure out which day I installed those 2 apps?

 

[DeltaMac]

Do you think your fan is not running like it should?
Your fan should be kicking up when things slow down (and particularly when the system heats up).
(You did not say which Mac you have (?) )

You can check that the fan(s) works when needed, by running a utility that can allow you to change the fan speed, such as Macs Fan Control, or smcFanControl

 

[mj_]

Do I use time machine? If so, how do I figure out which day I installed those 2 apps?

Go to your applications folder in Time Machine and see what day they first appear in there 🤷‍♂️

 

[fisherking]

It's not just not shutting down, it's almost too hot to pick up.

I removed foxit and the timer app and I haven't seen it do it again.

However, I don't know what caused it because when it was going wrong it was too slow to run activity monitor.

Do I use time machine? If so, how do I figure out which day I installed those 2 apps?

you're saying you can't shut it down before you put it away?...

 

[LarTeROn]

you're saying you can't shut it down before you put it away?...

That's right. I can only hold the power button if it's in that state.

I just tried Time Machine but I see it's for restoring individual files. I want to restore as much as possible.
How?

How would I even restore say, Firefox back to it's original settings and get the o/s back to how it was before the software installs (foxit and timer). I have to find everywhere Firefox stores it's files and restore each of those folders, right?

I just tried to select the whole disk and it complained that the disk is in use. I can't select anything on the STARTUP drive that way. In fact, I can't select anything to restore at a level high enough to be of much use :-/

But when I hold mac+r on boot I also can't use Time machine safely because it tells me I need to reinstall from scratch and then use MIGRATION TOOL. However, if something goes wrong, I'd lose everything that way.

Just to confirm:

You all think I probably don't have any malware?

 

[fisherking]

which macbook (year, model, processor, ram)? and are you using the default AC adapter?

you could try resetting the SMC, and the nvram (google for instructions for your particular model).

 

[DeltaMac]

That's right. I can only hold the power button if it's in that state.

...

I think the question was not about after it's in the state, but before.
Do you have any problems if you shut your Mac off before you put it away?

Time Machine: just choose a date from the time machine list. You don't have to select a random file. If you just select a date, then restore will - well, restore to the condition on that date.

 

[LarTeROn]

Everything's working fine now but I don't feel secure. I'd like to do a full restore, but how can I?

If I wipe everything and try to migrate everything back via migration assistant... what if migration assistant fails? I'd lose everything.

Is there really no O/S restore/backup in OSX?

 

[fisherking]

Everything's working fine now but I don't feel secure. I'd like to do a full restore, but how can I?

If I wipe everything and try to migrate everything back via migration assistant... what if migration assistant fails? I'd lose everything.

Is there really no O/S restore/backup in OSX?

"everything's working fine now". why not just move forward, and consider the alternatives if & when you really need to? seems simpler, less stressful...

 

[LarTeROn]

Planning ahead. I still think I need a full image backup solution.

 

[DeltaMac]

"Full image backup solution"?
Carbon Copy Cloner.