Background processes running. Use activity monitor the next time it happens and see what is using the CPU. Adobe pulled such a stunt and installed a background process that was consuming most of the CPU and was draining the battery. Adobe is evil and thinks they own the machine. Other application vendors may have the same attitude.
Some apps delay their primary activity until a specific time after the app is started.
Yes, this can be done from activity monitor. Stop the app in the Login Items and Extension under Settings. Or just remove the app if possible without causing the real application to function. I was able to do this with the offending Adobe app.
Yes, you can see the name in activity monitor. Sort the processes by CPU time so the most active is at the top of the list.
Not that I am aware. Activity monitor is real time and as far as I know provides no history.
Late last year noticed my fans running and after using activity monitor saw that mediaanalysisd was consuming about 40% of the cpu. This was odd since I don’t use Photos and keep all my photos and movies in a separate directory. After searching the web a fround a third party site that told me how to permanently disable this program. Apple is evil since it doesn’t allow me to say that I don’t want my photos analyzed by Apple programs,
Compared to Adobe, Apple are saints.
Go into setting and stop the app from starting up. Or just remove the offending app. That is what I did.
Apple installs multiple unwanted programs when you install in OS. Unlike Microsoft, they don’t provide a UI to disable programs started by launchctl.
Settings -> General -> Login and Extensions
mediaagent clearly, but cloudphotod if you don’t use cloud photos, wifianalyticd, gamecontrollerd, replayd (if you don’t use screen recording). I could go on.
