Common causes and solutions for slowing down Mac include: 1. Too many startup items lead to stuttering, you can enter the "Login item" to cancel unwanted startup programs, such as WeChat, QQ, etc.; 2. Disk space exceeds 85% affects the running speed, it is recommended to clean files, use the "Optimized Storage" function and delete cache regularly; 3. Insufficient memory causes multi-task lag, you can view memory usage through "Activity Monitor", close and unused programs or upgrade memory; 4. If the system is old or software conflicts slow down, you should update macOS, uninstall unnecessary system extensions, try to enter safe mode to fix the problem or create new users to test the cause of stuttering.

Your Mac is slowing down, probably not because it is getting old, but because these common reasons are at the forefront.

Too many startup items, it gets stuck when you start

Many users do not notice that as many programs automatically start when Mac boots up, the speed will be significantly slower. Especially those applications that check "Start on" by default when you install the software.

Solution:

• Open System Settings → Users and Groups → Login Items
• Delete or uncheck the program that does not need to be started
• Commonly closed include: WeChat, QQ, NetEase Cloud Music, Input Method Tools, etc.

Although some programs do not run on the desktop, they will be loaded silently in the background, occupying memory and CPU resources.

The disk space is almost full, and the system cannot run

Macs are more sensitive to disk space, especially the macOS system itself requires a certain amount of "breathing space". If your hard drive is used more than 85%, the system will be significantly slower and may even affect virtual memory scheduling.

Suggested practices:

• Check "About this machine" → "Storage space" to see if only a few dozen MB is left available
• Delete unnecessary files, or use the Optimized Storage feature to clean large files and old photos
• If it is a mechanical hard disk (HDD), too many fragments will also affect reading and writing; SSD will have a smaller impact, but don't be too full.

A little trick: Cleaning up temporary content in download folders and cache folders regularly can make a lot of space.

Insufficient memory, frequent multi-task lag

If you often open dozens of tabs on your browser and run editing software, Excel tables, development tools, etc. at the same time, it is likely that it is because there is not enough memory (RAM).

what to do?

• Check the "Memory" tab in "Activity Monitor" to see if "Swap" is often prompted
• If you are using an old Mac, you can consider upgrading the memory (some models support it)
• Or develop a habit and close the unused programs in time

For example: Chrome browser itself consumes memory. Opening more than a dozen web pages and plug-ins may directly occupy more than 4GB of memory.

Systems are old or software conflicts, slowing down overall performance

Sometimes the system version is too old and does not support the optimization features of the new software; sometimes it may be caused by a third-party driver or tool that causes the system to stutter.

Troubleshooting method:

• Update macOS to the latest stable version
• Uninstall infrequently used system extensions (such as virtual machines, peripheral drivers)
• Enter "Safe Mode" to start once, let the system fix some problems

If you are not sure which software is a problem, you can create a new user account to test whether it is still stuck.

Basically these common reasons. It is not complicated but easy to ignore, especially some small habits accumulate over a long period of time, which slowly slows down the Mac.

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