Sysdiagnose is killing my computer

[twomper]

Help!
After months of having hard drive space and battery waste away, I finally figured out what was causing the problem. Sysdiagnose! I found a folder containing about 300Gb of sysdiagnose log files (/var/tmp/). No matter how many times I restart, or kill the process in Activity Monitor, it just comes right back and eats away my battery and hard drive. Fans spin like crazy too. It makes these files called "WiFiDiagnostics_2019-11-15_19.53.21.759_Mac OS X_MacBookPro13,3_19B88" They're each about 295mb.

Anyone know what might be causing this, and how I might go about turning this thing off? (ideally without doing a clean reinstall)

Thanks!

 

[DeltaMac]

Sysdiagnose should run, then exit with a code 0, assuming that the exit (and the report) is clean. It should not run on its own, unless you have used a possible terrminal command to run that sysdiagnose on a continuing basis. I am not sure that is even possible - or even helpful in any way even for troubleshooting.
It runs when YOU decide to run it, either from the command line. or it also WILL run if you press the key combo of Control-Option-Command-Shift-period(dot). Hopefully, you haven't been using that key sequence, thinking that something else was supposed to happen.

Might be a good thing to run EtreCheck Pro - which reports all startup processes (among other items of information about your system)

Have you possibly given someone else access to remotely log in to your system? (and perhaps allowing them to run sysdiagnose on your system, as well as looking around your system with the idea to help you out with your previous problems!) Check for that login access by going to your System Preferences/Sharing pane, then uncheck "Remote Login", if the box is checked. You have to unlock that pane to make changes there.

 

[twomper]

Thanks for the reply! I'm not sure about this, but I think it might be caused by Karabiner Elements, which I'm using to remap my caps lock to command-option-control-shift. The key command to trigger sysdiagnose is command-option-control-shift-.(period). I suppose it's possible that I accidentally hit it that combo, many times a day...

 

[DeltaMac]

Ah, OK, that would do it.
You may want to re-think that particular combo!
Might work (as a suggestion) to remap your Caps Lock to Control-Option-Shift-z (keys are same area, you just would relearn one key - If you have been using that combo for a long time, muscle memory can be challenging, I know)