Every few months I find macOS dragging and VERY slow. And every few months I repost this article in case you’re having the same issue. I’ve found only one solution that helps.
I looked at Task Manager and started to suspect that corespotlightd might be the root of all my troubles. I deleted all files under ~/Library/Metadata/CoreSpotlight/ .
To delete files in ~/Library/Metadata/CoreSpotlight/, use Terminal for a quick command to remove bloated folders like SpotlightKnowledgeEvents.
Or, like me, you can use the Finder by navigating to the folder by using the Go To command and entering ~/Library/Metadata/CoreSpotlight/ . Then drag its contents to the Trash and restart your Mac. This works, but what’s aggravating is that I have to do this every few months. That’s a flaw with macOS.
Another issue I’ve run across is audio stuttering whenever I’m playing music. Again the only way I find to (temporarily) fix the issue is to use the Finder’s Go To command, find all corespotlightd files, delete ‘em, then restart my Mac.
I contacted Apple about these issues weeks ago. They said the issues would be resolved via software updates.
So far, they haven’t. C’mon, Apple, get on the ball to address these and other issues.
It would be nice if Apple fixed these problems with macOS 27 (which could be dubbed “Big Bear”). macOS 27 — along with iOS 27, iPadOS 27, watchOS 27, tvOS 27, and visionOS 27 — will be previewed Monday when the 2026 Worldwide Developer Conference kicks off. They should be avaiable for end users in September or October.
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When you say “Every few months I find macOS dragging and VERY slow” are you talking about non Apple Apps like Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Office taking forever to launch when they normally launch in 1-2 seconds when things are working correctly? That is the issue I have been having for the last few releases of macOS.
What is this Task Manager that you speak of? That is a Windows tool. Are you perhaps referring to Activity Monitor? That is the only Task Manager-like utility that is in the macOS.