Why Is my Mac 10.9.5 getting so slow

Question

My Mac is getting slower at everything it does running software
EtreCheck version: 2.0.1 (82)
Report generated October 11, 2014 at 3:14:24 PM CDT
Hardware Information: ℹ️
  iMac (21.5-inch, Mid 2010) (Verified)
  iMac - model: iMac11,2
  1 3.2 GHz Intel Core i3 CPU: 2-core
  4 GB RAM Upgradeable
  BANK 0/DIMM0
  empty empty empty empty
  BANK 1/DIMM0
  empty empty empty empty
  BANK 0/DIMM1
  2 GB DDR3 1333 MHz ok
  BANK 1/DIMM1
  2 GB DDR3 1333 MHz ok
  Bluetooth: Old - Handoff not supported
  Wireless:  en1: 802.11 a/b/g/n
Video Information: ℹ️
  ATI Radeon HD 5670 - VRAM: 512 MB
  iMac 1920 x 1080
System Software: ℹ️
  OS X 10.9.5 (13F34) - Uptime: 0 days 4:33:25
Disk Information: ℹ️
  WDC WD1001FALS-40Y6A0 disk0 : (1 TB)
  S.M.A.R.T. Status: Verified
  EFI (disk0s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB
  Macintosh HD (disk0s2) /  [Startup]: 999.35 GB (630.01 GB free)
  Recovery HD (disk0s3) <not mounted>  [Recovery]: 650 MB
  HL-DT-STDVDRW  GA32N 
USB Information: ℹ️
  Western Digital My Book 111A 2 TB
  S.M.A.R.T. Status: Verified
  disk2s1 (disk2s1) <not mounted> : 32 KB
  My Book (disk2s3) /Volumes/My Book : 2 TB (320.01 GB free)
  Western Digital My Passport 071A 500.08 GB
  S.M.A.R.T. Status: Verified
  disk1s1 (disk1s1) <not mounted> : 32 KB
  disk1s2 (disk1s2) <not mounted> : 29 KB
  disk1s3 (disk1s3) <not mounted> : 29 KB
  disk1s4 (disk1s4) <not mounted> : 29 KB
  disk1s5 (disk1s5) <not mounted> : 29 KB
  disk1s6 (disk1s6) <not mounted> : 262 KB
  disk1s7 (disk1s7) <not mounted> : 262 KB
  disk1s8 (disk1s8) <not mounted> : 262 KB
  My Passport (disk1s10) /Volumes/My Passport : 499.94 GB (62.59 GB free)
  Apple Internal Memory Card Reader
  Apple Inc. BRCM2046 Hub
  Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller
  Apple Inc. Built-in iSight
  Apple Computer, Inc. IR Receiver
Firewire Information: ℹ️
  G-TECH G-DRIVE 800mbit - 800mbit max
  S.M.A.R.T. Status: Verified
  EFI (disk3s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB
  G-DRIVE (disk3s2) /Volumes/G-DRIVE : 4 TB (3 TB free)
Gatekeeper: ℹ️
  Mac App Store and identified developers
Kernel Extensions: ℹ️
  /System/Library/Extensions
  [not loaded] com.seagate.driver.PowSecDriverCore (5.1.1) Support
  /System/Library/Extensions/Seagate Storage Driver.kext/Contents/PlugIns
  [not loaded] com.seagate.driver.PowSecLeafDriver_10_4 (5.1.1) Support
  [not loaded] com.seagate.driver.PowSecLeafDriver_10_5 (5.1.1) Support
  [not loaded] com.seagate.driver.SeagateDriveIcons (5.1.1) Support
  /Volumes/My Book/Extras/WD +TURBO Installer.app
  [not loaded] com.wdc.driver.1394HP (1.0.9) Support
  [not loaded] com.wdc.driver.USBHP (1.0.11) Support
Launch Agents: ℹ️
  [not loaded] com.adobe.AAM.Updater-1.0.plist Support
  [loaded] com.adobe.CS5ServiceManager.plist Support
  [running] com.epson.epw.agent.plist Support
  [running] com.seagate.SeagateStorageGauge.plist Support
  [not loaded] com.teamviewer.teamviewer.plist Support
  [not loaded] com.teamviewer.teamviewer_desktop.plist Support
Launch Daemons: ℹ️
  [loaded] com.adobe.fpsaud.plist Support
  [invalid?] com.adobe.SwitchBoard.plist Support
  [loaded] com.microsoft.office.licensing.helper.plist Support
  [not loaded] com.teamviewer.teamviewer_service.plist Support
User Launch Agents: ℹ️
  [loaded] com.adobe.AAM.Updater-1.0.plist Support
  [loaded] com.google.keystone.agent.plist Support
  [running] com.memeo.Memeod.plist Support
User Login Items: ℹ️
  iTunesHelper ApplicationHidden (/Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/MacOS/iTunesHelper.app)
  Dropbox Application (/Applications/Dropbox.app)
  Hightail Desktop App Application (/Applications/Hightail Desktop App.app)
  Nero MediaHome 4 Essentials Application (/Applications/Nero MediaHome 4 Essentials.app)
  ConnectService Application (/Library/Application Support/ArcSoft/Connect Service/ConnectService.app)
Internet Plug-ins: ℹ️
  Flip4Mac WMV Plugin: Version: 2.4.0.11 Support
  FlashPlayer-10.6: Version: 15.0.0.152 - SDK 10.6 Support
  Default Browser: Version: 537 - SDK 10.9
  Flash Player: Version: 15.0.0.152 - SDK 10.6 Support
  JavaAppletPlugin: Version: 14.9.0 - SDK 10.7 Check version
  QuickTime Plugin: Version: 7.7.3
  SharePointBrowserPlugin: Version: 14.4.4 - SDK 10.6 Support
  Google Earth Web Plug-in: Version: 6.1 Support
  CouponPrinter-FireFox: Version: Version 1.1.5
  Silverlight: Version: 5.1.20913.0 - SDK 10.6 Support
  iPhotoPhotocast: Version: 7.0
Safari Extensions: ℹ️
  AdBlock
3rd Party Preference Panes: ℹ️
  Flash Player  Support
  Flip4Mac WMV  Support
  Growl  Support
Time Machine: ℹ️
  Skip System Files: NO
  Mobile backups: OFF
  Auto backup: YES
  Volumes being backed up:
  My Passport: Disk size: 499.94 GB Disk used: 437.36 GB
  Macintosh HD: Disk size: 999.35 GB Disk used: 369.34 GB
  Destinations:
  My Book [Local]
  Total size: 2 TB
  Total number of backups: 98
  Oldest backup: 2013-06-09 12:38:10 +0000
  Last backup: 2014-10-11 19:16:31 +0000
  Size of backup disk: Too small
  Backup size 2 TB < (Disk used 806.69 GB X 3)
Top Processes by CPU: ℹ️
      3% WindowServer
      1% backupd
      0% com.apple.WebKit.Plugin.64
      0% ConnectService
      0% fontd
Top Processes by Memory: ℹ️
  133 MB QuickBooks 2013
  129 MB com.apple.IconServicesAgent
  116 MB com.apple.WebKit.Plugin.64
  103 MB Safari
  86 MB WindowServer
Virtual Memory Information: ℹ️
  188 MB Free RAM
  1.82 GB Active RAM
  1.63 GB Inactive RAM
  646 MB Wired RAM
  637 MB Page-ins
  0 B Page-outs

Answer 1

Try installing more RAM.
Things You Can Do To Resolve Slow Downs
If your computer seems to be running slower here are some things you can do:
Start with visits to:     OS X Maintenance - MacAttorney;
                                  The X Lab: The X-FAQs;
                                  The Safe Mac » Mac Performance Guide;
                                  The Safe Mac » The myth of the dirty Mac;
                                  Mac maintenance Quick Assist.
Boot into Safe Mode then repair your hard drive and permissions:
Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions Pre-Lion
Boot from your OS X Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu. After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list.  In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive.  If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the installer.
Repair the Hard Drive - Lion/Mountain Lion/Mavericks
Boot to the Recovery HD:
Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the Utilites Menu screen appears. Alternatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD disk icon and click on the arrow button below.
When the recovery menu appears select Disk Utility. After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list.  In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive.  If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported, then click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the main menu. Select Restart from the Apple menu.
Restart your computer normally and see if this has helped any. Next do some maintenance:
For situations Disk Utility cannot handle the best third-party utility is Disk Warrior;  DW only fixes problems with the disk directory, but most disk problems are caused by directory corruption; Disk Warrior 4.x is now Intel Mac compatible.
Note: Alsoft ships DW on a bootable DVD that will startup Macs running Snow Leopard or earlier. It cannot start Macs that came with Lion or later pre-installed, however, DW will work on those models.
Suggestions for OS X Maintenance
OS X performs certain maintenance functions that are scheduled to occur on a daily, weekly, or monthly period. The maintenance scripts run in the early AM only if the computer is turned on 24/7 (no sleep.) If this isn't the case, then an excellent solution is to download and install a shareware utility such as Macaroni, JAW PseudoAnacron, or Anacron that will automate the maintenance activity regardless of whether the computer is turned off or asleep.  Dependence upon third-party utilities to run the periodic maintenance scripts was significantly reduced since Tiger.  These utilities have limited or no functionality with Snow Leopard or later and should not be installed.
OS X automatically defragments files less than 20 MBs in size, so unless you have a disk full of very large files there's little need for defragmenting the hard drive.
Under no circumstances should you install so-called maintenance software from MacPaw or ZeoBit (CleanMyMac/CleanMyDrive or Mac Keeper, respectively.) You do not need special software to maintain your computer.
Helpful Links Regarding Malware Protection
If you are having an immediate problem with ads popping up see The Safe Mac » Adware Removal Guide and AdwareMedic.
Open Safari, select Preferences from the Safari menu. Click on Extensions icon in the toolbar. Disable all Extensions. If this stops your problem, then re-enable them one by one until the problem returns. Now remove that extension as it is causing the problem.
The following comes from user stevejobsfan0123. I have made minor changes to adapt to this presentation.
Fix Some Browser Pop-ups That Take Over Safari
Common pop-ups include a message saying the government has seized your computer and you must pay to have it released (often called "Moneypak"), or a phony message saying that your computer has been infected, and you need to call a tech support number (sometimes claiming to be Apple) to get it resolved. First, understand that these pop-ups are not caused by a virus and your computer has not been affected. This "hijack" is limited to your web browser. Also understand that these messages are scams, so do not pay any money, call the listed number, or provide any personal information. This article will outline the solution to dismiss the pop-up.
Quit Safari
Usually, these pop-ups will not go away by either clicking "OK" or "Cancel." Furthermore, several menus in the menu bar may become disabled and show in gray, including the option to quit Safari. You will likely have to force quit Safari. To do this, press Command + option + esc, select Safari, and press Force Quit.
Relaunch Safari
If you relaunch Safari, the page will reopen. To prevent this from happening, hold down the 'Shift' key while opening Safari. This will prevent windows from the last time Safari was running from reopening.
This will not work in all cases. The shift key must be held at the right time, and in some cases, even if done correctly, the window reappears. In these circumstances, after force quitting Safari, turn off Wi-Fi or disconnect Ethernet, depending on how you connect to the Internet. Then relaunch Safari normally. It will try to reload the malicious webpage, but without a connection, it won't be able to. Navigate away from that page by entering a different URL, i.e. www.apple.com, and trying to load it. Now you can reconnect to the Internet, and the page you entered will appear rather than the malicious one.
An excellent link to read is Tom Reed's Mac Malware Guide.
Also, visit The XLab FAQs and read Detecting and avoiding malware and spyware.
See these Apple articles:
  Mac OS X Snow Leopard and malware detection
  OS X Lion- Protect your Mac from malware
  OS X Mountain Lion- Protect your Mac from malware
  OS X Mavericks- Protect your Mac from malware
  About file quarantine in OS X
If you require anti-virus protection Thomas Reed recommends using ClamXAV. (Thank you to Thomas Reed for this recommendation.)
From user Joe Bailey comes this equally useful advice:
The facts are:
1. There is no anti-malware software that can detect 100% of the malware out there.
2. There is no anti-malware that can detect everything targeting the Mac.
3. The very best way to prevent the most attacks is for you as the user to be aware that
     the most successful malware attacks rely on very sophisticated social engineering
     techniques preying on human avarice, ****, and fear.
4. Internet popups saying the FBI, NSA, Microsoft, your ISP has detected malware on
    your computer is intended to entice you to install their malware thinking it is a
    protection against malware.
5. Some of the anti-malware products on the market are worse than the malware
    from which they purport to protect you.
6. Be cautious where you go on the internet.
7. Only download anything from sites you know are safe.
8. Avoid links you receive in email, always be suspicious even if you get something
    you think is from a friend, but you were not expecting.
9. If there is any question in your mind, then assume it is malware.
Troubleshooting Applications
I recommend downloading a utility such as TinkerTool System, OnyX, Mavericks Cache Cleaner, or Cocktail that you can use for removing old log files and archives, clearing caches, etc. Corrupted cache, log, or temporary files can cause application or OS X crashes as well as kernel panics.
If you have Snow Leopard or Leopard, then for similar repairs install the freeware utility Applejack.  If you cannot start up in OS X, you may be able to start in single-user mode from which you can run Applejack to do a whole set of repair and maintenance routines from the command line.  Note that AppleJack 1.5 is required for Leopard. AppleJack 1.6 is compatible with Snow Leopard. Applejack does not work with Lion and later.
Basic Backup
For some people Time Machine will be more than adequate. Time Machine is part of OS X. There are two components:
1. A Time Machine preferences panel as part of System Preferences;
2. A Time Machine application located in the Applications folder. It is
    used to manage backups and to restore backups. Time Machine
    requires a backup drive that is at least twice the capacity of the
    drive being backed up.
Alternatively, get an external drive at least equal in size to the internal hard drive and make (and maintain) a bootable clone/backup. You can make a bootable clone using the Restore option of Disk Utility. You can also make and maintain clones with good backup software. My personal recommendations are (order is not significant):
  1. Carbon Copy Cloner
  2. Get Backup
  3. Deja Vu
  4. SuperDuper!
  5. Synk Pro
  6. Tri-Backup
Visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQ on backup and restore.  Also read How to Back Up and Restore Your Files. For help with using Time Machine visit Pondini's Time Machine FAQ for help with all things Time Machine.
Referenced software can be found at MacUpdate.
Additional Hints
Be sure you have an adequate amount of RAM installed for the number of applications you run concurrently. Be sure you leave a minimum of 10% of the hard drive's capacity as free space.
Add more RAM. If your computer has less than 2 GBs of RAM and you are using OS X Leopard or later, then you can do with more RAM. Snow Leopard and Lion work much better with 4 GBs of RAM than their system minimums. The more concurrent applications you tend to use the more RAM you should have.
Always maintain at least 15 GBs or 10% of your hard drive's capacity as free space, whichever is greater. OS X is frequently accessing your hard drive, so providing adequate free space will keep things from slowing down.
Check for applications that may be hogging the CPU:
Pre-Mavericks
Open Activity Monitor in the Utilities folder.  Select All Processes from the Processes dropdown menu.  Click twice on the CPU% column header to display in descending order.  If you find a process using a large amount of CPU time (>=70,) then select the process and click on the Quit icon in the toolbar.  Click on the Force Quit button to kill the process.  See if that helps.  Be sure to note the name of the runaway process so you can track down the cause of the problem.
Mavericks and later
Open Activity Monitor in the Utilities folder.  Select All Processes from the View menu.  Click on the CPU tab in the toolbar. Click twice on the CPU% column header to display in descending order.  If you find a process using a large amount of CPU time (>=70,) then select the process and click on the Quit icon in the toolbar.  Click on the Force Quit button to kill the process.  See if that helps.  Be sure to note the name of the runaway process so you can track down the cause of the problem.
Often this problem occurs because of a corrupted cache or preferences file or an attempt to write to a corrupted log file.