Kernel-task consuming 150% plus of CPU

I have a MacBook Air with 1.6GHz Core 2 Duo and 2GB RAM and running 10.6.3.
Recently the performance has become noticeably slow - indeed painful at times.
Mooching through the Utilities I discovered Activity Monitor and this tells me that a system process called kernel_task is consuming more than 150% of CPU resource. I've checked it several times over the past few days and whilst it does occasionally drop down, the process is using over 150% for the overwhelming majority of the time.
I've tried rebooting the machine from scratch, switching from wireless to wired network, and stopping as many applications as I can, but it doesn't seem to make any difference.
How can I persuade this process to stop playing with itself and share some CPU time with me?

Hey all, I had this same issue. Kernel_task was using between 104% to 136%, obviously bogging the system down badly. My Macbook (2010 2.66 ghz) was about 2 weeks old. I tried re-installing the operating system several times, reinstalling from a backup, ect...all did not change anything. I finally called Apple. They had me send it in for repair, the HARD DRIVE was the problem. With all the testing I did and repairs I attempted I believe it had something to do with the firmware which from what I was told was not accessible by me to download and repair (similar to a PC's bios). If you have an external drive with an operating system on it, try running your Macbook from that, if the problem is fixed then chances are good that you have a bad hard drive.
Hope this helps.
Steve

Similar Messages

Help with my MacBook Pro early 2008 kernel task use 120% of my cpu

I have the MacBook Pro early 2008 10.6.2 and when MBP start freeze for 5min and after the kernel task use 120% of my cpu all the time .... i have try clean install of leopard ,time machine to 10.5.2 but the problem still exist ... any help pls ?

OK. A Google search of "kernel_task" yielded the following link along with many others:
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-10330458-263.html
Evidently it will take some doing to narrow down exactly which task is causing the problem. This link has a list of suggestions for doing just that. Hopefully it will be a start.
Post back with how it goes.
Good luck!

Kernel task consumes over 300 %!

Hi everyone!
Greetings from Sweden, Stockholm (Where its hot, 32 degrees celsius outside today!)
My second time posting here.
So I have a Macbook Pro from early 2011 that I myself upgraded with 2 8GB Corsair Ram and a year later, a Samsung SSD Evo 500 Gb (as my main, dont have a secondary disk), after some trouble in the beginning with the SSD and 3 reinstallation of Maverick later I got it to work smoothly, now a month later my computer has just started to slow down soo much. Startup time is really fast, maybe 20 seconds, but just browsing the internet or doing basic task takes so much time, its ridiculous. When watching the Activity Monitor I see that kernel task its often at 300 percent, and at one time it was over 500 percent!
Been searching the forum for this problem but it seems like most people dont have the same issue as me and the solution often being to buy more RA,
also the only thing I have for startup is "itunes helper", nothing more, no Cleanmydrive or something like that since I know how much RAM those programs can consume.
I use my Macbook Pro for a lot of heavy audio editing with Logic Pro and Pro Tools, and need it so bad for work.
is there something Ican do? Am a student so if needed I have to buy a new Macbook Pro but my wallet wouldnt like it...
This is my "Etrecheck" report, if someone with a little more knowledge have the time to take alook I would be so thankfull:
EtreCheck version: 1.9.12 (48)
Report generated 4 Aug 2014 12:35:54 GMT+2
Hardware Information:
    MacBook Pro (13-inch, Early 2011) (Verified)
    MacBook Pro - model: MacBookPro8,1
    1 2.7 GHz Intel Core i7 CPU: 2 cores
    16 GB RAM
Video Information:
    Intel HD Graphics 3000 - VRAM: 512 MB
        Color LCD 1280 x 800
System Software:
    OS X 10.9.4 (13E28) - Uptime: 0 days 2:33:10
Disk Information:
    Samsung SSD 840 EVO 500GB disk0 : (500,11 GB)
        EFI (disk0s1) <not mounted>: 209,7 MB
        Macintosh HD (disk0s2) / [Startup]: 499,25 GB (135,99 GB free)
        Recovery HD (disk0s3) <not mounted>: 650 MB
    MATSHITADVD-R   UJ-8A8
USB Information:
    Apple Computer, Inc. IR Receiver
    Apple Inc. FaceTime HD Camera (Built-in)
    Apple Inc. Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad
    Apple Inc. BRCM2070 Hub
        Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller
Thunderbolt Information:
    Apple Inc. thunderbolt_bus
Configuration files:
    /etc/hosts - Count: 86
Gatekeeper:
    Mac App Store and identified developers
Kernel Extensions:
    [loaded]    com.Apogee.driver.DuetFWOverideDriver (1.4.4 - SDK 10.8) Support
    [loaded]    com.digidesign.iokit.DigiDal (10.3.9f207 - SDK 10.6) Support
    [not loaded]    com.paceap.kext.pacesupport.leopard (5.9.1 - SDK 10.4) Support
    [not loaded]    com.paceap.kext.pacesupport.master (5.9.1 - SDK 10.6) Support
    [not loaded]    com.paceap.kext.pacesupport.panther (5.9.1 - SDK 10.3) Support
    [loaded]    com.paceap.kext.pacesupport.snowleopard (5.9.1 - SDK 10.6) Support
    [not loaded]    com.paceap.kext.pacesupport.tiger (5.9.1 - SDK 10.4) Support
Startup Items:
    DigidesignLoader: Path: /Library/StartupItems/DigidesignLoader
Launch Daemons:
    [running]    com.DuetDaemon.plist Support
    [running]    com.paceap.eden.licensed.plist Support
    [loaded]    PACESupport.plist Support
Launch Agents:
    [loaded]    9ZTHPRB4MV.com.soundradix.TTLWrapperAgent.plist Support
    [loaded]    9ZTHPRB4MV.com.soundradix.TTLWrapperAgent.SL.plist Support
    [loaded]    9ZTHPRB4MV.com.soundradix.TTLWrapperSandbox.plist Support
    [loaded]    9ZTHPRB4MV.com.soundradix.TTLWrapperSandbox.SL.plist Support
    [running]    com.ApogeePopup.plist Support
User Launch Agents:
    [running]    com.spotify.webhelper.plist Support
User Login Items:
    iTunesHelper
Internet Plug-ins:
    FlashPlayer-10.6: Version: 13.0.0.214 - SDK 10.6 Support
    Flash Player: Version: 13.0.0.214 - SDK 10.6 Cannot contact Adobe
    QuickTime Plugin: Version: 7.7.3
    Default Browser: Version: 537 - SDK 10.9
Audio Plug-ins:
    BluetoothAudioPlugIn: Version: 1.0 - SDK 10.9
    AirPlay: Version: 2.0 - SDK 10.9
    AppleAVBAudio: Version: 203.2 - SDK 10.9
    iSightAudio: Version: 7.7.3 - SDK 10.9
iTunes Plug-ins:
    Quartz Composer Visualizer: Version: 1.4 - SDK 10.9
3rd Party Preference Panes:
    None
Time Machine:
    Skip System Files: NO
    Mobile backups: OFF
    Auto backup: NO - Auto backup turned off
    Volumes being backed up:
        Macintosh HD: Disk size: 464.96 GB Disk used: 338.32 GB
    Destinations:
        My Pasport [Local]
        Total size: 925.38 GB
        Total number of backups: 2
        Oldest backup: 2013-07-08 02:48:08 +0000
        Last backup: 2013-07-08 02:48:08 +0000
        Size of backup disk: Too small
            Backup size 925.38 GB < (Disk used 338.32 GB X 3)
        Seagate Backup Plus Drive [Local] (Last used)
        Total size: 931.19 GB
        Total number of backups: 13
        Oldest backup: 2014-06-23 23:47:10 +0000
        Last backup: 2014-07-02 03:56:56 +0000
        Size of backup disk: Too small
            Backup size 931.19 GB < (Disk used 338.32 GB X 3)
    Time Machine details may not be accurate.
    All volumes being backed up may not be listed.
Top Processes by CPU:
         5%    WindowServer
         5%    firefox
         2%    Finder
         2%    hidd
         1%    Dock
Top Processes by Memory:
    393 MB    firefox
    115 MB    com.apple.IconServicesAgent
    82 MB    mds_stores
    66 MB    Finder
    49 MB    WindowServer
Virtual Memory Information:
    12.29 GB    Free RAM
    1.06 GB    Active RAM
    1.19 GB    Inactive RAM
    1.45 GB    Wired RAM
    238 MB    Page-ins
    0 B    Page-outs
Thank you in advance,
Daniel

The kernel is using excessive processor cycles. Below are some possible causes for the condition.
Throttling
When it gets high temperature readings from the hardware, or a low-voltage reading from the battery, the kernel may try to compensate by interrupting the processor(s) to slow them down and reduce power consumption. This condition can be due to:
☞ a buildup of dust on the logic board
☞ high ambient temperature
☞ a worn-out or faulty battery in a portable
☞ the malfunction of a cooling fan, a temperature sensor, a voltage sensor, or some other internal component
Note that if the problem is caused by a sensor, there may be no actual overheating or undervoltage.
If the computer is portable, test with and without the AC adapter connected. If kernel_task hogs the processor only on battery power, the fault is in the battery or the logic board. If it happens only on AC power, charging is causing the machine to heat up. That may be normal on some models. CPU usage should drop when charging is complete.
Apple Diagnostics or the Apple Hardware Test, though not very reliable, is sometimes able to detect a fault. For more thorough hardware testing, make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store, or go to another authorized service provider.
If nothing is wrong with the hardware, then whatever you can do to improve cooling may help.
Installed software
User-installed software that includes a device driver or other kernel code may thrash the kernel. That category includes virtualization software, such as Parallels and VMware, as well as most commercial "anti-virus" products. Some system-monitoring applications, such as "iStat," can also contribute to the problem. You can test for this possibility by completely disabling or removing the software according to the developer's instructions, or starting in safe mode. Note, however, that disabling a system modification without removing it or testing in safe mode may not be as easy as you think.
Corrupt NVRAM or SMC data
Sometimes the problem is cleared up by resetting the NVRAM or the SMC.
External display
Connecting an external LCD display to some MacBook Pro models while the lid is open may cause this issue. If applicable, test by closing the lid or disconnecting the display. You might get better results with a newer LED display.

Kernel task over 100%. High CPU Load. High Temp. Problem Solved.

Hi,
I thought i would make a post as i had been having trouble with my 13 inch mid 2009 MBP for sometime (6 months), with runaway kernel tasks causing high CPU loads. I had searched through forums and discussions for a long time trying to find the problem and isolate it. Initially i discovered some problems with finder preferances that were chewing up CPU which i solved by deleting the prefereance file, allowing the system to recreate a non corrupted version. This helped but still i had problems. I tried maintainance suites like onyx, reseting PRAM, booting into safe mode, hardware checks and diagnostics, and more little tricks than i can remember. Nothing i tried really seemed to make a differance. Through reading on this forum and others i found out the kernel tasks can be a direct result of hi CPU core temps as the system runs a lot of small kernel tasks to try and take some of the CPU load away from processor intensive processes that may be contributing to hi CPU load. The thing which solved my problem in the end was opening up my MBP, being careful not to touch the logic board and literally puting my vacuum cleaner over the fan, sucking dust and dirt and dust out of my latop. This computer has been through the dirt with me, literally its been dragged through rural south east asia for a year and accompianied me to warhouse parties to perform and run lighting and visuals. Its little wonder the fan was obviously clogged. I know people tend to be holier than though with their mac products and treat them with the upmost respect, but my love for the MBP has come from how sturdy and reliable it has been under less than desirable conditions.
Now im not telling people this is what they should do, i had just noticed alot of people with this problem in my attempts to solve mine, and in the end this is what helped. My MBP now runs at a temperature where i can touch the metal near the CPU without being worried about a 3rd degree burn and the CPU load is acceptable with no run away kernel tasks. Like i saw this might not be the cause of your porblem, as my laptop has lived a rough and fun life so far, but i thought i would share this with you all as i have had contstant help from this forum and others searches for solutions to problems with my apple products.

Already tried SMC and PRAM-reset with no luck.
On my MacBook late 2008 it's the same effect.

File copy results in kernel task high CPU usage

Macbook Pro
MacBook Pro
Model Identifier:          MacBookPro6,1
Processor Name:          Intel Core i5
Processor Speed:          2.53 GHz
2010 year model.
Snow Leopard 10.6.7
Copying files over the network, or via external Firewire 800 harddrive invariably results in rather hight cpu utilization for kernel task process. The number are in the range of 15-20% in the Acivity Monitor. To compare, iMac 27", 2009, full speed FireWire bus file copy at 80 mb/sec makes only 2-3% kernel task CPU use. Why is Macbook pro so much worse? Is it due to chipset limitations, or what?

Just now I have been copying some movie files over Gigabit local area network, the data received per second is up to 55 mb, and kernel task consumes 50% or more of CPU. The same task on iMac or on Windows based computer does not tax the CPU in any way, since it is handled properly by network adapter I suppose. So what is wrong with 2010 Macbook Pro?

Furious fans and Kernel Tasks

It seems that no-one has the answer to noisy iMac G5 fans - but here goes. My computer is doing nothing - no applications open. Fans start to get ready for take-off for no apparent reason. Start up a browser - broadband internet connection lost! This happens time and time again.
I checked Activity Monitor while the fans were running with no applications. It showed that "Kernel Tasks" was running at 86% CPU usage.
My computer falls under the serial number for free repair, but I don't show any of the symptoms to qualify.
Anyone any ideas?

If your serial falls under the repair numbers, I
would call and explain the fans running unchecked is symptomatic of a failure to control temps, hence a power failure. Talk to them and see what you can work out.
Please post back and let us know how you make out,

Kernel task goes insane, prefs get nuked

This happened on my MacBook... I had just plugged in a flash drive with some important work on it (which of course was on the MacBook drive as well) and it seemed to be indexing away. At the same time, I joined my home wireless network. Then the fan kicked and everything slowed down to a complete crawl.
I managed to get activity monitor open to see what was going on, and the kernel task was peaking at "1500%" CPU usage and dipping to and from 100% (I guess 1500 is impossible, so it must've just been stuck with something big).
I forced a restart, and all of my Apple app related preferences were mangled up. Safari and iTunes needed to be set up again, for instance. All other apps seem to be untouched.
I'm worried that something else might be damaged, I'm missing about 6GB of disk space (I use FileVault, maybe it's gone haywire, too), time for a reinstall??? I really don't have to time to rebuild the system, just wondering if this has happened to anyone else...

Try repairing permissions as well as your disk from Disk Utility when you boot up from the Mac OS X install disk.

Kernel task is hogging lots of threads and CPU time

My Mavericks Quad Macbook Pro is getting pretty slow these days and at some point I'll have to reinstall everything I think. However I can't start that for a while as I have important projects on the go. I looked in Activity Monitor first and I can see a kernel task constantly running with no indication of what it is doing. So I opened Console and looked at the Diagnostic log. I can see a lot of lines referring to com.apple.message. Hundreds of identical lines actually. I did not have Messages running so I opened it, and sure enough that showed up in console live. However the log shows a slightly different app and a totally different UUID, which seems odd.
Anybody understand what this is all about? See below. I opened one of the endlessly repeating items plus one that I know is from the Messages app below it.
23/03/2015 08:28:29.242 UserEventAgent[235]: com.apple.message.domain: com.apple.usage.app_activetime
com.apple.message.signature: universalAccessAuthWarn
com.apple.message.signature2: com.apple.accessibility.universalAccessAuthWarn ||| 1.0 (190.1)
com.apple.message.value: 633
com.apple.message.value2: 0
com.apple.message.value3: 0
com.apple.message.value4: 0
com.apple.message.value5: 0
com.apple.message.value6: 0
com.apple.message.value7: 0
com.apple.message.result: NO
com.apple.message.summarize: YES
Sender_Mach_UUID: 55428B1C-9198-32BF-80EA-4731081F402E
23/03/2015 08:44:17.426 Messages[8722]: com.apple.message.domain: com.apple.iChat.app.weeklyStats
com.apple.message.video_chat_passed: 0
com.apple.message.video_chat_failed: 0
com.apple.message.video_chat_noop: 0
com.apple.message.audio_chat_passed: 0
com.apple.message.audio_chat_failed: 0
com.apple.message.audio_chat_noop: 0
com.apple.message.screen_sharing_passed: 0
com.apple.message.screen_sharing_failed: 0
com.apple.message.screen_sharing_noop: 0
com.apple.message.average_message_length: 0.000000
com.apple.message.messages_sent: 0
com.apple.message.messages_received: 0
com.apple.message.sms_sent: 0
com.apple.message.sms_menu_used: User never selected SMS menu
com.apple.message.result: pass
com.apple.message.imessage_offered_upgrades: 0
com.apple.message.imessage_upgrades: 0
com.apple.message.imessage_declines: 0
com.apple.message.imessages_sent: 0
com.apple.message.imessages_received: 0
Sender_Mach_UUID: 212E34A8-B310-3729-8D11-879E9985A0BD
23/03/2015 08:44:17.427 Messages[8722]: com.apple.message.domain: com.apple.iChat.app.servicesUsedThisWeek
com.apple.message.aim: 0
com.apple.message.bonjour: 0
com.apple.message.yahoo: 0
com.apple.message.jabber: 0
com.apple.message.google_talk: 0
com.apple.message.imessage: 1
com.apple.message.other: 0
com.apple.message.result: pass
Sender_Mach_UUID: 212E34A8-B310-3729-8D11-879E9985A0BD
23/03/2015 08:44:32.607 Messages[8722]: com.apple.message.domain: com.apple.iChat.app.prefs
com.apple.message.one_on_one_style: com.apple.iChat.Styles.Balloons-ShowPictures
com.apple.message.group_style: com.apple.iChat.Styles.Balloons-ShowPictures
com.apple.message.incoming_bg_color: Automatic
com.apple.message.outgoing_bg_color: Automatic
com.apple.message.incoming_font: Default 12.000000
com.apple.message.outgoing_font: Default 12.000000
com.apple.message.save_history: Don't Save
Sender_Mach_UUID: 212E34A8-B310-3729-8D11-879E9985A0BD

The kernel_task is the heart of the operating system. It will have on the order of a 100 threads (more or less). So when you ask the operating system to do something, like read/write a disk, do network I/O, talk to your mouse/trackpad, keyboard, monitor, etc... kernel_task is the code that is going to do that at the lowest levels.
Also if you have installed any 3rd party drivers (kernel extensions), they are going to become part of kernel_task and the CPU time they use will be part of kernel_task.
If you have anti-malware, Mac cleaner or memory cleaner software installed, many of these packages install drivers that then try to out-guess the kernel_task and often result in slowing down the system, interfering with the normal operation of the system, or causing kernel panics. These kinds of packages are not recommended by long term forum contributors.
Please provide the output from EtreCheck, which will show the 3rd party additions you have installed.
<https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-6174>

How can I fix kernel task from using 300% of my CPU?

Everytime I disconnect my MacBook Pro from the wall, Kernel Task uses 300% or more of my CPU and stays that way until I connect the power. I've tryed resetting the System Management Controller, restarting the computer, logging in to another account, and deleted all "bad" files (problem files I've found out via Google). Going to Safe Mode does remove this problem, so it's maybe a program error?

The most likely reason for it is that the battery needs to be replaced.

Kernel Task over 400% CPU usage

Hello, I have some questions about the Kernel Task in my activity monitor.
Recently, after a hard disk failure, I have my Macbook Pro wiped and start afresh with Mavericks. All was well, but it slowed down tremendously in the last couple of days. I checked the activity monitor and Kernel Task is always around 400-470%, sometimes it even peaked to 1000+%! I closed all my applications but it is still taking up all my RAM. I cannot work when it is freezing up every 2 seconds. What is the problem?
Here is the report, if it helps:
EtreCheck version: 1.9.12 (48)
Report generated 3 August 2014 12:38:14 BST
Hardware Information:
MacBook Pro (13-inch, Early 2011) (Verified)
MacBook Pro - model: MacBookPro8,1
1 2.7 GHz Intel Core i7 CPU: 2 cores
4 GB RAM
Video Information:
Intel HD Graphics 3000 - VRAM: 384 MB
Color LCD 1280 x 800
System Software:
OS X 10.9.4 (13E28) - Uptime: 1 day 8:2:57
Disk Information:
WDC WD5000LPVX-00V0TT0 disk0 : (500.11 GB)
EFI (disk0s1) <not mounted>: 209.7 MB
Macintosh HD (disk0s2) / [Startup]: 499.25 GB (121.06 GB free)
Recovery HD (disk0s3) <not mounted>: 650 MB
HL-DT-ST DVDRW GS31N
USB Information:
Apple Computer, Inc. IR Receiver
Apple Inc. FaceTime HD Camera (Built-in)
Apple Inc. Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad
Apple Inc. BRCM2070 Hub
Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller
Thunderbolt Information:
Apple Inc. thunderbolt_bus
Gatekeeper:
Anywhere
Kernel Extensions:
[not loaded] com.m-audio.driver.firewire.dice (2.4.2 - SDK 10.6) Support
Launch Daemons:
[loaded] com.adobe.fpsaud.plist Support
Launch Agents:
[running] com.maudio.profire.helper.plist Support
User Launch Agents:
[loaded] com.google.keystone.agent.plist Support
User Login Items:
iTunesHelper
Google Drive
Internet Plug-ins:
FlashPlayer-10.6: Version: 14.0.0.145 - SDK 10.6 Support
Flash Player: Version: 14.0.0.145 - SDK 10.6 Support
QuickTime Plugin: Version: 7.7.3
JavaAppletPlugin: Version: 14.9.0 - SDK 10.7 Check version
Default Browser: Version: 537 - SDK 10.9
Safari Extensions:
Searchme: Version: 1.3
Audio Plug-ins:
BluetoothAudioPlugIn: Version: 1.0 - SDK 10.9
AirPlay: Version: 2.0 - SDK 10.9
AppleAVBAudio: Version: 203.2 - SDK 10.9
iSightAudio: Version: 7.7.3 - SDK 10.9
iTunes Plug-ins:
Quartz Composer Visualizer: Version: 1.4 - SDK 10.9
3rd Party Preference Panes:
Flash Player Support
PreferencesPane Support
Time Machine:
Time Machine not configured!
Top Processes by CPU:
      11% Disk Utility
      11% repair_packages
      7% helpd
      5% WindowServer
      3% hidd
Top Processes by Memory:
233 MB Finder
66 MB mds_stores
49 MB WindowServer
37 MB mds
34 MB Disk Utility
Virtual Memory Information:
1.22 GB Free RAM
1.35 GB Active RAM
394 MB Inactive RAM
1017 MB Wired RAM
1.50 GB Page-ins
100 MB Page-outs

The kernel is using excessive processor cycles. Below are some possible causes for the condition.
Throttling
When it gets high temperature readings from the hardware, or a low-voltage reading from the battery, the kernel may try to compensate by interrupting the processor(s) to slow them down and reduce power consumption. This condition can be due to:
☞ a buildup of dust on the logic board
☞ high ambient temperature
☞ a worn-out or faulty battery in a portable
☞ the malfunction of a cooling fan, a temperature sensor, a voltage sensor, or some other internal component
Note that if the problem is caused by a sensor, there may be no actual overheating or undervoltage.
If the computer is portable, test with and without the AC adapter connected. If kernel_task hogs the processor only on battery power, the fault is in the battery or the logic board. If it happens only on AC power, charging is causing the machine to heat up. That may be normal on some models. CPU usage should drop when charging is complete.
Apple Diagnostics or the Apple Hardware Test, though not very reliable, is sometimes able to detect a fault. For more thorough hardware testing, make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store, or go to another authorized service provider.
If nothing is wrong with the hardware, then whatever you can do to improve cooling may help.
Installed software
User-installed software that includes a device driver or other kernel code may thrash the kernel. That category includes virtualization software, such as Parallels and VMware, as well as most commercial "anti-virus" products. Some system-monitoring applications, such as "iStat," can also contribute to the problem. You can test for this possibility by completely disabling or removing the software according to the developer's instructions, or starting in safe mode. Note, however, that disabling a system modification without removing it or testing in safe mode may not be as easy as you think.
Corrupt NVRAM or SMC data
Sometimes the problem is cleared up by resetting the NVRAM or the SMC.
External display
Connecting an external LCD display to some MacBook Pro models while the lid is open may cause this issue. If applicable, test by closing the lid or disconnecting the display. You might get better results with a newer LED display.

Kernel task high CPU usage?

So I noticed my macbook pro (17" 2011, 16GB RAM) running slow, especially graphics. opened up the activity monitor, and lo and behold there is something using 283% of my CPU: kernel_task. Before I even ask how this is possible, what is kernel task, and could this be responsible for my sluggish machine?
I did notice a week ago that google chrome is allowing many pop up windows with messages trying to get me to download system checks and other nonsense... Not sure if this is related but that's annoying too.
Any ideas?
Thanks

ALso, restarting does nothing to alter this slow state it seems. Restarted twice with no improvement

My kernel task is using 400% of my CPU

My coMputer is very slow, i need help. I saw the kernel task and is using yhe 400% of my CPU.
Hardware Information:
          MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2012)
          MacBook Pro - model: MacBookPro9,2
          1 2.5 GHz Intel Core i5 CPU: 2 cores
          4 GB RAM
Video Information:
          Intel HD Graphics 4000 - VRAM: 1024 MB
System Software:
          OS X 10.9.2 (13C64) - Uptime: 0 days 0:5:35
Disk Information:
          APPLE HDD HTS547550A9E384 disk0 : (500.11 GB)
                    EFI (disk0s1) <not mounted>: 209.7 MB
                    MacBokk Pro CJ4LV4R3z (disk0s2) / [Startup]: 499.25 GB (473.36 GB free)
                    Recovery HD (disk0s3) <not mounted>: 650 MB
          MATSHITADVD-R   UJ-8A8
USB Information:
          Apple Computer, Inc. IR Receiver
          Apple Inc. BRCM20702 Hub
                    Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller
          Apple Inc. Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad
          Apple Inc. FaceTime HD Camera (Built-in)
FireWire Information:
Thunderbolt Information:
          Apple Inc. thunderbolt_bus
Launch Daemons:
          [System] com.adobe.fpsaud.plist 3rd-Party support link
User Login Items:
          iTunesHelper
Internet Plug-ins:
          FlashPlayer-10.6: Version: 12.0.0.77 - SDK 10.6 3rd-Party support link
          Flash Player: Version: 12.0.0.77 - SDK 10.6 3rd-Party support link
          QuickTime Plugin: Version: 7.7.3
          Default Browser: Version: 537 - SDK 10.9
Audio Plug-ins:
          BluetoothAudioPlugIn: Version: 1.0 - SDK 10.9
          AirPlay: Version: 2.0 - SDK 10.9
          AppleAVBAudio: Version: 203.2 - SDK 10.9
          iSightAudio: Version: 7.7.3 - SDK 10.9
iTunes Plug-ins:
          Quartz Composer Visualizer: Version: 1.4 - SDK 10.9
3rd Party Preference Panes:
          Flash Player 3rd-Party support link
Old Applications:
          None
Time Machine:
          Time Machine not configured!
Top Processes by CPU:
              18%          com.apple.WebKit.Networking
              13%          syncdefaultsd
               7%          WindowServer
               5%          com.apple.WebKit.WebContent
               4%          mdworker
Top Processes by Memory:
          98 MB          Safari
          94 MB          com.apple.WebKit.WebContent
          33 MB          Dock
          33 MB          WindowServer
          29 MB          EtreCheck
Virtual Memory Information:
          2.47 GB          Free RAM
          890 MB          Active RAM
          130 MB          Inactive RAM
          543 MB          Wired RAM
          191 MB          Page-ins
          0 B          Page-outs

The kernel is using excessive processor cycles. Below are some possible causes for the condition.
Throttling
When it gets high temperature readings from the hardware, or a low-voltage reading from the battery, the kernel may try to compensate by interrupting the processor(s) to slow them down and reduce power consumption. This condition can be due to
a buildup of dust on the logic board
high ambient temperature
a worn-out or faulty battery in a portable
the malfunction of a cooling fan, a temperature sensor, a voltage sensor, or some other internal component
Note that if the problem is caused by a sensor, there may be no actual overheating or undervoltage.
If the computer is portable, test with and without the AC adapter connected. If kernel_task hogs the processor only on battery power, the fault is in the battery or the logic board. If it happens only on AC power, charging is causing the machine to heat up. That may be normal on some models. CPU usage should drop when charging is complete.
Apple Diagnostics or the Apple Hardware Test, though not very reliable, is sometimes able to detect a fault. For more thorough hardware testing, make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store, or go to another authorized service provider.
If nothing is wrong with the hardware, then whatever you can do to improve cooling may help.
Installed software
User-installed software that includes a device driver or other kernel code may thrash the kernel. That category includes virtualization software, such as Parallels and VMware, as well as most commercial "anti-virus" products. Some system-monitoring applications, such as "iStat," can also contribute to the problem. You can test for this possibility by completely disabling or removing the software according to the developer's instructions, or starting in safe mode. Note, however, that disabling a system modification without removing it or testing in safe mode may not be as easy as you think.
Corrupt NVRAM or SMC data
Sometimes the problem is cleared up by resetting the NVRAM or the SMC.
External display
Connecting an external LCD display to some MacBook Pro models may cause this issue. If applicable, test by disconnecting the display. You might get better results with a newer LED display.

Kernel.task using 300% of CPU. MacBookAir mid 2013

Hi
I have a MacBookAir mid 2013, 13-inch.
Starting my mac up after sleep to weeks ago, it behaved very strange and has done it since that day. The fan turns on at full speed, and the Kernel.task operation is taking up 300% of the CPU, or in other words the system is constantly using between 65 - 80 % of the memory, hereby making the Mac very slow, and useless to use for anything. Also at the same time the sound disappeared, in the system configuration there is no output audio to select.
I have tried a lot of things in order to fix this problem, based on things I found in the discussion forum here. I have tried memory cleaner, to remove sound files, to remove plists (as many suggests, but for this MacBookAir6,2.plist, does not exist), I have formatted my hard disk and reinstalled the original OS X system (Mountain Lion), and the upgraded to the current version (Yosimite). But nothing has worked.
Does anyone having the same problem? Or know how to fix this? Anyone been in contact with Apple related to this problem?
Best regards
Morten

First, get rid of "Memory Cleaner," which is useless at best. Then see below.
The kernel is using excessive processor cycles. Below are some possible causes for the condition.
Throttling
When it gets high temperature readings from the hardware, or low voltage readings from the battery of a MacBook, the kernel may try to compensate by interrupting the processor(s) to slow them down and reduce power consumption. This condition can be due to:
☞ a buildup of dust on the logic board
☞ high ambient temperature
☞ a worn-out or faulty battery in a portable
☞ the malfunction of a cooling fan, a temperature sensor, a voltage sensor, or some other internal component
Note that if the problem is caused by a sensor, there may be no actual overheating or undervoltage.
If the computer is portable, test with and without the AC adapter connected. If kernel_task hogs the processor only on AC power, charging is causing the machine to heat up. That behavior may be normal for some models. CPU usage should drop when charging is complete.
Apple Diagnostics or the Apple Hardware Test, though not very reliable, is sometimes able to detect a fault. For more thorough hardware testing, make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store, or go to another authorized service provider.
If nothing is wrong with the hardware, then whatever you can do to improve cooling may help.
Installed software
User-installed software that includes a device driver or other kernel code may thrash the kernel. That category includes virtualization software, such as Parallels and VMware, as well as most commercial "anti-virus" products. Some system-monitoring applications, such as "iStat," can also contribute to the problem. You can test for this possibility by completely disabling or removing the software according to the developer's instructions, or starting in safe mode. Note, however, that disabling a system modification without removing it or testing in safe mode may not be as easy as you think.
Corrupt NVRAM or SMC data
Sometimes the problem is cleared up by resetting the NVRAM or the SMC.
External display
Connecting an external LCD display to some MacBook Pro models while the lid is open may cause this issue. If applicable, test by closing the lid or disconnecting the display. You might get better results with a newer LED display.

Kernel task 300% CPU and sleep problem

MacBook Air 13-inch, Early 2014, ПО OS X 10.9.5 (13F34)
The system seems overloaded, big delays on keyboard typing. Activity Monitor shows kernel_task consume 300-400% of CPU, but otherwise system does not look as overloaded - laptop is not hot
and fan silent.
Also there is problems with system wakeup. It is impossible to wakeup system after closing the lid for more then 20 seconds, it turns off.
I think you have to add battery info.
Информация о модели:
Серийный номер: D8641061KJ3F90KAU
Производитель: SMP
Имя устройства: bq20z451
Pack Lot Code: 0
PCB Lot Code: 0
Версия прошивки: 511
Версия аппаратного обеспечения: 000a
Версия батареи: 1200
Информация о заряде:
Оставшийся заряд (мА·ч): 7282
Полностью заряжен: Да
Идет зарядка: Нет
Полная емкость заряда (мА·ч): 7282
Информация о степени исправности:
Количество циклов перезарядки: 43
Состояние: Обычный
Установлен аккумулятор: Да
Ток (мА): 0
Напряжение (мВ): 8539

In safe mode the problem does not go away. Actual overheating the computer does not have, it is cold. The problem is with the power on and without. All programs are not included in the basic package, I removed. I also tried to reinstall the OS with the protection of personal data. The problem exist. The problem may be due to high humidity? I live in Sri Lanka. And there is a problem with sleep mode.
"Also there is problems with system wakeup. It is impossible to wakeup system after closing the lid for more then 20 seconds, it turns off."

My Mac is running INCREDIBLY slow, Kernel-task and LR, PS, PSE, etc. are not functioning well.

Hi! Been trying to follow a thread about the Kernel-task and slow Mac performance. I did download EtreCheck and ran the report. I am a photographer using LR 4 and Chrome is my main browser. Both Chrome and LR (or PSE, or PS or Xee (a photo viewing app) make my computer run beyond ridiculously slow. I have so much work to do for clients and I get stopped in the middle of editing and cannot move forward because my beloved Mac is having issues. I did go through several old apps and the Application Support and Prefernces and deleted what I could of what I knew "what was what". I would appreciate any help in getting my Mac back on track. Thanks!
- Amy
Problem description:
My Mac is running incredibly sluggish. Chrome continues to lag, and the spinning ball is ridiculous when I am working in LR. I did the EtreCheck and the report is below. I JUST cleared out my LR catalogs and now have just two folders in the catalog from a current wedding I am working on. I will have to consider using separate catalogs for my other genres or even smaller catalogs and just make a catalog for each client. Thanks for looking this over! I am so frustrated.
Amy
EtreCheck version: 2.1.8 (121)
Report generated March 14, 2015 1:38:01 PM CDT
Download EtreCheck from http://etresoft.com/etrecheck
Click the [Click for support] links for help with non-Apple products.
Click the [Click for details] links for more information about that line.
Click the [Adware! - Remove] links for help removing adware.
Hardware Information: ℹ️
    iMac (21.5-inch, Mid 2010) (Technical Specifications)
    iMac - model: iMac11,2
    1 3.2 GHz Intel Core i3 CPU: 2-core
    4 GB RAM
        BANK 0/DIMM0
            Empty
        BANK 1/DIMM0
            Empty
        BANK 0/DIMM1
            2 GB DDR3 1333 MHz ok
        BANK 1/DIMM1
            2 GB DDR3 1333 MHz ok
    Bluetooth: Old - Handoff/Airdrop2 not supported
    Wireless: Unknown
Video Information: ℹ️
    ATI Radeon HD 5670 - VRAM: 512 MB
        iMac 1920 x 1080
System Software: ℹ️
    OS X 10.8.5 (12F2501) - Time since boot: 3:36:47
Disk Information: ℹ️
    WDC WD1001FALS-40Y6A0 disk0 : (1 TB)
        disk0s1 (disk0s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB
        Macintosh HD (disk0s2) / : 999.35 GB (177.87 GB free)
        Recovery HD (disk0s3) <not mounted> [Recovery]: 650 MB
    OPTIARC DVD RW AD-5680H
USB Information: ℹ️
    Wacom Co.,Ltd. Bamboo Pad, wireless
    Apple Inc. BRCM2046 Hub
        Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller
    Apple Internal Memory Card Reader
    Generic External         2 TB
        disk1s1 (disk1s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB
        Archive 2TB (disk1s2) /Volumes/Archive 2TB : 2.00 TB (47.65 GB free)
    Generic Mass Storage Device
    Apple, Inc. Keyboard Hub
        Apple Inc. Apple Keyboard
    Apple Inc. Built-in iSight
    Apple Computer, Inc. IR Receiver
Configuration files: ℹ️
    /etc/hosts - Count: 15
Gatekeeper: ℹ️
    Mac App Store and identified developers
Adware: ℹ️
    Conduit [Adware! - Remove]
    Geneio [Adware! - Remove]
Kernel Extensions: ℹ️
        /System/Library/Extensions
    [not loaded]    com.wacom.kext.pentablet (5.3.3 - SDK 10.8) [Click for support]
Problem System Launch Daemons: ℹ️
    [failed]    com.apple.coresymbolicationd.plist [Click for details]
    [failed]    com.apple.wdhelper.plist [Click for details]
Launch Agents: ℹ️
    [not loaded]    com.adobe.AAM.Updater-1.0.plist [Click for support]
    [loaded]    com.adobe.CS5ServiceManager.plist [Click for support]
    [failed]    com.conduit.loader.agent.plist [Adware! - Remove]
    [running]    com.genieoinnovation.macextension.plist [Adware! - Remove]
    [loaded]    com.oracle.java.Java-Updater.plist [Click for support]
    [running]    com.wacom.pentablet.plist [Click for support]
Launch Daemons: ℹ️
    [not loaded]    .plist (hidden) [Click for support]
        /usr/local/libexec/TorchUpdater /usr/local/libexec/TorchUpdater --hello=torch
    [loaded]    com.adobe.fpsaud.plist [Click for support]
    [loaded]    com.adobe.SwitchBoard.plist [Click for support]
    [loaded]    com.genieoinnovation.macextension.client.plist [Adware! - Remove]
    [loaded]    com.microsoft.office.licensing.helper.plist [Click for support]
    [loaded]    com.oracle.java.Helper-Tool.plist [Click for support]
    [loaded]    com.oracle.java.JavaUpdateHelper.plist [Click for support]
    [loaded]    com.skype.skypeinstaller.plist [Click for support]
    [running]    com.xrite.device.xrdd.plist [Click for support]
User Launch Agents: ℹ️
    [loaded]    com.adobe.AAM.Updater-1.0.plist [Click for support]
    [loaded]    com.adobe.ARM.[...].plist [Click for support]
    [loaded]    com.citrixonline.GoToMeeting.G2MUpdate.plist [Click for support]
    [loaded]    com.facebook.videochat.[redacted].plist [Click for support]
    [loaded]    com.google.keystone.agent.plist [Click for support]
    [loaded]    com.Installer.completer.download.plist [Click for support]
    [loaded]    com.Installer.completer.ltvbit.plist [Click for support]
    [loaded]    com.Installer.completer.update.plist [Click for support]
    [failed]    com.mediafire.express.plist [Click for support]
    [running]    com.spotify.webhelper.plist [Click for support]
    [not loaded]    jp.co.canon.Inkjet_Extended_Survey_Agent.plist [Click for support]
User Login Items: ℹ️
    iTunesHelper    UNKNOWN (missing value)
    Microsoft AU Daemon    UNKNOWN (missing value)
    Canon IJ Network Scanner Selector2    Application Hidden (/Library/Printers/Canon/IJScanner/Utilities/Canon IJ Network Scanner Selector2.app)
    GrowlHelperApp    UNKNOWN (missing value)
    AdobeResourceSynchronizer    Application Hidden (/Applications/Adobe Reader.app/Contents/Support/AdobeResourceSynchronizer.app)
    Google Drive    Application (/Applications/Google Drive.app)
    ColorMunkiDisplayTray    Application (/Library/Application Support/Colormunki/Display/Tools/ColorMunkiDisplayTray.app)
    Spotify    Application (/Applications/Spotify.app)
    apple-scc-20131227-135420    UNKNOWN (missing value)
    Google Chrome    Application Hidden (/Applications/Google Chrome.app)
Internet Plug-ins: ℹ️
    WacomTabletPlugin: Version: WacomTabletPlugin 2.1.0.2 [Click for support]
    iPhotoPhotocast: Version: 7.0 - SDK 10.8
    QuickTime Plugin: Version: 7.7.1
    JavaAppletPlugin: Version: Java 7 Update 75 Check version
    Google Earth Web Plug-in: Version: 7.1 [Click for support]
    WacomNetscape: Version: 2.1.0-1 - SDK 10.8 [Click for support]
User internet Plug-ins: ℹ️
    RealPlayer Plugin: Version: Unknown
Safari Extensions: ℹ️
    TelevisionFanatic
    Readability
    Produtools_Manuals_21
3rd Party Preference Panes: ℹ️
    Java [Click for support]
    PenTablet [Click for support]
Time Machine: ℹ️
    Skip System Files: NO
    Auto backup: NO - Auto backup turned off
    Destinations:
        Everything - 2TB [Local]
        Total size: 0 B
        Total number of backups: 0
        Oldest backup: -
        Last backup: -
        Size of backup disk: Excellent
            Backup size 0 B > (Disk size 0 B X 3)
    /sbin excluded from backup!
    /usr excluded from backup!
    /System excluded from backup!
    /bin excluded from backup!
    /private excluded from backup!
    /Library excluded from backup!
    /Applications excluded from backup!
Top Processes by CPU: ℹ️
         2%    activitymonitord
         1%    WindowServer
         1%    Activity Monitor
         1%    Google Chrome
         0%    ColorMunkiDisplayTray
Top Processes by Memory: ℹ️
    210 MB    mds
    189 MB    Google Chrome
    90 MB    Google Drive
    90 MB    Google Chrome Helper
    86 MB    Microsoft Word
Virtual Memory Information: ℹ️
    1.52 GB    Free RAM
    1.65 GB    Active RAM
    480 MB    Inactive RAM
    644 MB    Wired RAM
    1.92 GB    Page-ins
    16.91 GB    Page-outs
Diagnostics Information: ℹ️
    Mar 14, 2015, 09:58:17 AM    Self test - passed
    Mar 14, 2015, 09:53:54 AM    /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Google Drive_2015-03-14-095354_[redacted].crash
    Mar 11, 2015, 02:33:04 PM    /Users/[redacted]/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Google Chrome_2015-03-11-143304_[redacted].crash
    Mar 14, 2015, 10:04:09 AM    /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Spotify_2015-03-14-100409_[redacted].hang
    Mar 14, 2015, 08:28:48 AM    /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/PenTabletDriver_2015-03-14-082848_[redacted].cr ash
    Mar 12, 2015, 12:56:47 PM    /Users/[redacted]/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/ColorMunkiDisplayTray_2015-03- 12-125647_[redacted].crash

Several problems exist.
1.
Back up your Mac prior to making any changes to its file system. Time Machine has not been configured properly To learn how to use Time Machine read Mac Basics: Time Machine backs up your Mac - Apple Support.
2.
You inadvertently installed adware. You do not need to download or install anything to fix it.
For a description of how this may have occurred, how to avoid it in the future, and for Apple's recommended actions read How to install adware. Apple's instructions are linked in the Recovery Procedure near the end of that document. Read and follow them carefully. Pay particular attention to the easily overlooked passages directing you to restart your Mac when required.
3.
That Mac's Hosts file appears to have been modified. Fixing a modified Hosts file requires specific instructions. Apple Support Communities contributor and EtreCheck author etresoft recently added a User Tip discussing that concern, and how to correct it: Fixing a hacked /etc/hosts file

Kernel-task consuming 150% plus of CPU

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