slow down issue in Catalina (10.5.5)

[wfriedwald]

I upgraded to the latest Catalina (10.5.5) on my 2018 MAC MINI.

ever since then, I suffer from serious slowdowns every few hours. The whole OS gets slower and slower.

The only obvious solution is just to re-start, sometimes I do a "SAFE" boot, followed by a regular re-start.

it kind of works, but it's an awkward work-around!

I expect better of a Mac OS!

does anyone have any other solutions, other than waiting for BIG SUR in the Fall?

thanks for any feedback.

w

 

[Taz Mangus]

Do you have any anti-virus software installed?

 

[wfriedwald]

thank you for the response! No, I haven't personally installed anything like that. (Nothing beyond whatever comes as part of OS 10.5.5.). thanks again!

 

[pacmania1982]

Have you checked Activity Monitor to see if anything is consuming CPU cycles or RAM at the time?

 

[Taz Mangus]

Just to clarify something. Did you do a clean install or upgrade on top of your previous OS?

 

[wfriedwald]

thanks for suggestion re activity monitor - I will do that!

Also, re the most recent OS - I believe that every time there has been a new OS (since I got the Mac Mini), I have upgraded, rather than a clean install. is that a mistake??

 

[mikzn]

FWIW - I never do a "Clean Install" if I can avoid it and have never had an issue.

I will second the activity monitor approach by pacmania1982 - this can be a great way to isolate this kind of issue.

Recently I was helping a friend with a similar issue (with activity monitor) and it turned out to be the Microsoft Update App was corrupt - once that was fixed all was good.

 

[wfriedwald]

thanks! I restarted about 90 minutes ago --- will check the activity monitor when/if the slowdown starts again.

Thanks everyone!

w

 

[Taz Mangus]

I always do clean installs when I do a major OS upgrade. One thing you can try is create a new partition on your internal drive and clean install Catalina to it and try it out to see how it works. That is what I do sometimes when I want to check out a new MacOS.

 

[CooperBox]

thanks for suggestion re activity monitor - I will do that!

Also, re the most recent OS - I believe that every time there has been a new OS (since I got the Mac Mini), I have upgraded, rather than a clean install. is that a mistake??

I also second the advice to check activity monitor, which often highlights what may be hogging memory and hampering CPU activity.
Fwiw for every new OS I have never simply upgraded over the installed OS, but always done a clean install. Sure it may take longer but like a spring-clean, clears out unwanted 'rubbish' files from the system. Never had a problem. Having said that I've avoided and will continue to avoid Catalina, as for every contented user there seem to me more who dislike it. Definitely sticking with Mojave for the next few years - and enjoying it!

 

[flowrider]

FWIW - I can't remember the last time I did a clean install. Must be over 10 years. Even when I got my new 2019 NcMP. I moved my SSDs (on PCIe cards) from my old cMP over to the new mac. Booted from the stock SSD and upgraded the old boot SSD from Mojave to Catalina. I then restarted from the from the old boot SSD. Never had a problem ?

Lou