That dang beachball is chasing me!

[Asliceofpie]

I have Safari 11.0.1 which is important to state the system and software version so you can get more accurate help. I can go into preferences and then privacy to manage cookies and data. You can click on Data Management where you get a whole list of sites and what space they occupy on your computer. You can then remove them one by one or all. Some are on multiple locations on your computer and why you need to clean out the Cache too. I also would not use the button on the exterior of the computer to do a regular shut down (hard shut down) kind of like using the emergency brakes and can eventually cause HD problems; use the system to shut down by clicking the Apple Icon in the menu bar and click shut down. Check out post #11 for help clearing Cache.

 

[heycal]

I have Safari 11.0.1 which is important to state the system and software version so you can get more accurate help. I can go into preferences and then privacy to manage cookies and data. You can click on Data Management where you get a whole list of sites and what space they occupy on your computer. You can then remove them one by one or all. Some are on multiple locations on your computer and why you need to clean out the Cache too. I also would not use the button on the exterior of the computer to do a regular shut down (hard shut down) kind of like using the emergency brakes and can eventually cause HD problems; use the system to shut down by clicking the Apple Icon in the menu bar and click shut down. Check out post #11 for help clearing Cache.

I have Safari 11.0.3, as mentioned earlier. I normally don't use the actual button to shut down, but do it the way you suggest.

I believe I sucessfully cleared out cache as detailed in post #11. Bu the cookie thing is odd. Not only was there 114 sites that resisted removal, each one with the word 'databases' under them if that matters, but next time I used my computer after a few hours and went back in there to look, some 441 cookies were somehow back in there. Googled instructions on how to clear them all out, and got rid of all them, even the stubborn 'database' ones. For about 10 minutes... Then over 100 assorted ones were back, and these ones didn't all have the word "database" under them, some just "cookies" or "Cache, cookies".

Any theories? Also, where can I access "Data management"?

 

[Phil in ocala]

As mentioned, there is two things problematic in your setup.

1. Your RAM is insufficient.
2. Your SSD space is insufficient.

You can try to clean up the SSD and delete some stuff off of it (after making MULTIPLE backups, not just one Time Machine backup), but that doesn't solve your RAM issue.

It's time to start thinking about getting a new machine, which is too bad, because I'm guessing your CPU is fine for what you do. For a new machine, a 256 GB SSD plus 8 GB RAM might be enough, but if you plan on keeping the machine a while, you might want to consider a 512 GB SSD +/- 16 GB RAM, depending on what you actually do or plan on doing with your machine.

I have a mac mini...16 GB of Memory and the 500GB hard drive the unit came with and I get the spinning beach balls too...I cannot wait until they put out the next OS.

 

[Asliceofpie]

Data management is located; click the following, Safari, preferences, privacy, data management. I suspect you have been infected with "Forever Cookies and or Super Cookies" put on your computer by some devilish sites; not http(s). It appears they are flash player dependant and why apple does not have it on the system and you get a message when you are on a site that requires it to see the video. You can also clean up your Cache through Safari but you have to go through Develop on the menu bar which has to be enabled by clicking Safari, preferences, advanced (at the bottom). You can also elect in preferences, privacy, to select to block all cookies and website data for the future. You may need Apple support to help you get rid of the stubborn ever cookies if you can't get rid of them.

Once you do this clean up of the cookies and then do the shut down procedure I mention before, check your activity monitor again and see what your Ram memory is showing now to tell if you are OK or still short on Ram. If you are low on memory, hopefully you can upgrade because not all IMAC's can upgrade the Ram memory or cannot simply be replaced by a user I learned. I do bet you see a performance improvement once you clean up your system, but keep notes because you will need to do this regularly at least I do but I have a habit of opening more than one browser at a time so that can multiply the cookie problem for me. Good Luck!

 

[Asliceofpie]

Recent developments; I just had similar problems until I went about clearing my cache and cookies this way:
Again I have Sierra, I clicked on Finder, then clicked Go in the menu bar, then press Opions and hold until Library appears in the drop down and you select it. This should display the Cache folder and the Cookies folder. Double click folder to display the cookies then select them all, now go to Edit and select "Move to Trash" you maybe prompted for your admin password first I was before it deletes them, then do the same thing for the Cache folder. Be sure to "Empty the Trash" afterwards.

I have spent a good amount of time learning about cache memory verses Ram and I discovered I have a lot to learn. Cache is used by the CPU like short term memory to increase the processing speed much like our brains do, if that paticular memory is not accessed for awhile it is over ridden by something else going on and when we do need that information in the future, we have to dig it out of our long term memory again, then if it seems likely we might need that memory soon, it is saved or stored in short term memory again and the cycle repeats. If the files in the Cache get messed up/corrupted, then deleting and starting fresh is the way to address it. BUT I LEARNED A IMPORTANT STEP- I WAS NOT PREVIOUSLY INFORMED YOU WANT TO QUIT EVERYTHING ELSE BEFORE DOING THIS BECAUSE IT IS STILL SENDING INFORMATION TO THE CPU SO YOU DON'T WANT TO SUDDENLY DELETE ALL CACHE FILES UNTIL YOU QUIT EVERYTHING WHICH ONLY MAKES SENSE.

I talked with APPLE CARE SUPPORT today after I cleaned out my Cache, cookies etc. and did a shut down/reboot to eliminate my operating problems so the activity monitor barely showed but a small green line (good). There is more than one Cache too by the way; one for the internet find in Safari>Develop and the other for the macOS find in Finder>Go>Library (and it gets more complicated but this is what's important where this is concerned). It was suggested I look at the activity monitor and memory usage to see what app or process(s) is running when I start to experience the same problems again like the beach ball. Also a file in the Cache could of gotten corrupt and not performing as it was suppose to and needs to be removed to get a new copy of the file. I discovered the Activity monitor should show that Ram "used" is about maxed out because it is not intended to be empty. So saying it's not enough RAM right off is subjective and needs further investigation into the cause. It's true upgrading to more RAM will provide more room for operating files but I am not sure you will get more cache with it and that is where the real speed performance comes from.