If I use Spotlight to do quick calculations, I get massive CPU usage, and fans spin up for 10-15 seconds. Does anyone have a solution for this? MBPro 13 2020 i7.
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High CPU usage from mds_store and Spotlight
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OK...so it looks like this is a particular issue of my machine/installation then? Or do other people also see this?
OK...2 days and 116 views...and no-one is able to reproduce/refute this?
I'm trying to figure out if it is a problem with my installation/spotlight, or if it is a general macOS bug.
I'm trying to figure out if it is a problem with my installation/spotlight, or if it is a general macOS bug.
OK. It seems this is an established Catalina bug. Holy crap it is awful! How to deal with it on a new MBPro? This kills my workflow.
I have a 2015 iMac running High Sierra and have no problem with Spotlight calcs there.
Calculator in Spolight causes high CPU us… - Apple Community
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I have a 2015 iMac running High Sierra and have no problem with Spotlight calcs there.
How did Catalina get through 7 revisions with this bug persisting?!?
I've noticed that problem appears to arise when the calculation includes either a decimal point or an asterisk.
I'm still testing but it looks like it is possible to avoid the CPU spike if I either replace the asterisk for a "x" character, or include spaces. e.g. 32 * 443
Will update later...
I've noticed that problem appears to arise when the calculation includes either a decimal point or an asterisk.
I'm still testing but it looks like it is possible to avoid the CPU spike if I either replace the asterisk for a "x" character, or include spaces. e.g. 32 * 443
Will update later...
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FWIW, I have three Macs running the latest update of Catalina.
On just one of them, a 2019 MBP 16" (which is also the newest - the others are 2012 and 2014), I get mds_stores randomly taking over 100% CPU and ramping the fans up to maximum.
The only way I've been able to stop this is to effectively make Spotlight useless as a file search utility by adding all the volumes on the MBP to its Privacy list, meaning it won't try and index them.
However, there's no problem with calculations. I've just tried the one in your first post, and the fans didn't even twitch.
All I can suggest, unfortunately, is to back up your data and then do an in-place reinstall of Catalina and see if that makes any difference.
I tried it for my mds_stores issue and it didn't help, but it can't hurt to try.
On just one of them, a 2019 MBP 16" (which is also the newest - the others are 2012 and 2014), I get mds_stores randomly taking over 100% CPU and ramping the fans up to maximum.
The only way I've been able to stop this is to effectively make Spotlight useless as a file search utility by adding all the volumes on the MBP to its Privacy list, meaning it won't try and index them.
However, there's no problem with calculations. I've just tried the one in your first post, and the fans didn't even twitch.
All I can suggest, unfortunately, is to back up your data and then do an in-place reinstall of Catalina and see if that makes any difference.
I tried it for my mds_stores issue and it didn't help, but it can't hurt to try.
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Thanks AVR2. I just tried a brand-new admin account and see the same Spotlight behaviour. I am sceptical that a complete reinstall will solve this...and it is a lot of time to reinstall all software...
Based on your tested (and the lack of feedback in this thread), I'm wondering if it could be a specific problem with the 2019/2020 CPUs? Something specific to the macOS installation on those machines?
To any helpful readers of this thread: To test the CPU response of your system, launch activity monitor > %CPU. Then Command+Space to launch Spotlight, then try some simple calculations. In my experience, the CPU spikes as soon as the calculation includes a decimal point or an asterisk (multiply sign).
Please also reply with macOS version number and hardware.
I can also try updating to BigSur...but don't really want to unless that is proven to solve the issue.
OK - I've bypassed this problem by installing Alfred 4.
Compared to Spotlight, searches are instant, and calculations use almost no CPU.
Compared to Spotlight, searches are instant, and calculations use almost no CPU.
Thanks. On my machine high CPU is triggered as soon as I use an asterisk or decimal point in the calc.
Does that change thigns for you?
For me on Mojave (an older iMac), CPU only peaks at 100% (rather than 400% for 4 threads) and only for a second or so.
Anyway - I have to say: Alfred is amazing - The speed compared to Spotlight is astonishing! And there is no CPU spike at all.