Written by
Vain RoweSummary: This post from iBoysoft guides you in figuring out what the logd process is on Mac and how to fix the issue that logd causes high CPU and takes up too much RAM. If you are interested in this stuff, click in to have a reading for detailed info.
I read the topics about the problem of the logd process. Many responses were from 2015, 2016, 2017... We are in 2020, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic and my Mac Mini (core i5, 2.5GHz, 16GB) is always with the logd using 100% cpu. I tried to leave the computer on overnight, with no applications open. Upon waking, logd was using 100% cpu. I don't have Google Chrome installed. Can anyone help?
Mac always has sorts of apps and programs running in the background, which makes your Mac a proper workstation. However, sometimes an unknown process called logd causes high CPU usage and takes up too much RAM, resulting in the machine getting warmer, the fan spinning and the OS operating slowly.
Till this moment, it's hard to ignore this logd process and the trouble it brings. Take it easy, this post is gonna explore what the logd process is on macOS devices and how to free up the CPU and RAM occupied by it. Just keep reading!
logd process on Mac: definition
logd process is a part of the unified logging system that is responsible for managing and dealing with historical data and related metadata. It handles entries generated via the os_log family of facilities.
All processes that use os_log share pages of memory with logs and append entries to them. logd reads pages and combines and compresses this data. Depending on configured policies, it keeps them in a local ring buffer or writes them out to persistent storage.
logd is a normal process that works in the Mac background, however, when you find it using 100% CPU and ranking top in taking up RAM, the situation gets abnormal. Reading the next section to learn how to end the case that the logd process uses too much CPU and RAM.
If you find this post informative, please share this post on your social platform to help more people!
How to fix the logd process causing high CPU and RAM on Mac?
After exploring what the logd process is on Mac on earth, now it's time to deal with the situation that logd uses 100% CPU and takes up high RAM. This post provides several solutions to release the CPU and RAM occupied by the logd process, you can try one as you like.
If you find the solution you're carrying out makes no sense in relieving the trouble, move to the next one directly.
Solution 1: A device reboot
The basic way to end a strange process on a Mac is to reboot your machine. Generally, a device restart stops any running apps and strange programs in the background, and it gets all components ready for the further work routine.
When logd swallows too much CPU and RAM, restart your Mac immediately: Apple Menu > Restart.
When the restart finishes, check if the logd process hogs memory and CPU still.
Solution 2: Kill logd in Activity Monitor
Activity Monitor is a powerful feature on macOS machines that can kill any apps and their related programs at work. When the logd process indeed makes trouble and interferes with your work, launch Activity Monitor to end it straightforwardly.
- Launch Activity Monito with Spotlight Search shortcuts.
- Locate the logd process in the Activity Monitor. You can search for it by typing its name in the top right search box.
- Select the logd process in the main window and click the "x" button on the top menu bar to kill it.
After quitting the logd process in Activity Monitor, it cannot cause your machine to work improperly any longer.
Solution 3: Boot into macOS Safe Mode
macOS Safe Mode is included in Mac startup options to help you troubleshoot most OS-related problems. It can be considered as a diagnostic mode of the Mac operating system.
When the abnormal logd process results the Mac in misoperation, you can boot into this mode to exclude the possible culprits. Here are how to boot into macOS Safe Mode based on Mac models:
Boot an Intel-based Mac in Safe Mode:
- Shut down your Mac computer and wait for 10 seconds.
- Press the power button to restart your Mac and simultaneously hold down the Shift key.
- Release the Shift key when seeing the login window.
Start a Mac with an Apple Silicon chip in Safe Mode:
- Shut down your Mac computer and wait for 10 seconds.
- Press down the power button until the startup options and the Options gear icon appear on the screen.
- Choose your startup disk.
- Hold down the Shift key and click Continue in Safe Mode. Then, release the Shift key.
In macOS Safe Mode, you can check if the logd is causing trouble still. If yes, move to the following solutions.
Solution 4: Uninstall insecure apps from your machine
Installing apps from non-Apple channels may put a risk to your machine since this app is not verified by Mac security in the lower security mode. For instance, the strange logd process lying in the background runs out of CPU and RAM.
If you have installed apps from unknown websites or developers, it's recommended to uninstall them for the sake of the device's security and performance.
iBoysoft MagicMenu ranks top in uninstalling apps on Mac. It not only takes away the apps but also all their related files including caches, root files, scripts, packages, extensions, launch helpers .etc with ease.
Just download this app > install Uninstall extensions > go to Finder > right-select the unwanted apps > choose Uninstall > then iBoysoft MagicMenu completes the whole app uninstall and file removal!
Solution 5: Reinstall macOS
If all these solutions mentioned above fail to terminate the strange logd from running high CPU and RAM, the final solution that you can give a shot is to reinstall macOS. macOS reinstallation takes away all troublesome factors and refreshes every component for further operation.
- Boot your Mac into macOS Recovery Mode.
- Go to the macOS Utilities window and select Reinstall macOS.
- Follow the on-screen wizard to complete the reinstall mission.
With a new OS installed on your machine, then the logd process disappears from the background.
