Mac users rely heavily on Finder for file management, but occasionally, it can become frustratingly slow. Recently, I encountered this issue myself: saving files from a browser, uploading files to a browser from Finder, or even moving files to the Trash resulted in the dreaded spinning rainbow wheel. The system would almost freeze, and opening “Open/Save” dialogs or performing file operations became painfully slow—even for small files.
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Steps I Tried to Fix the Issue
To resolve the problem, I tried several common troubleshooting steps:
- Restarting Finder.
- Checking storage settings and deleting unnecessary apps and files.
- Deleting Finder’s preference file (
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist) and restarting the system.
Unfortunately, none of these solutions worked.
iCloud Drive Consideration
Some users reported that turning off iCloud Drive resolved the issue. However, I wanted to keep iCloud Drive enabled as it’s an essential feature for me, so I decided not to pursue this option.
The Solution: Addressing the fileproviderd Process
While investigating further using Activity Monitor, I discovered that a process called fileproviderd was consuming an excessive amount of system resources. This led me to try the following steps:
- Navigate to
~/Library/Application Support/FileProvider. - Move all files in this directory to the Trash.
- Restart the Mac.
To my surprise, this completely resolved the issue! Finder returned to normal functionality, and file operations became fast and smooth again.
Conclusion
When dealing with performance issues on your Mac, it’s important to look beyond standard fixes and examine system processes for potential culprits. In my case, the fileproviderd process was causing Finder to slow down. By clearing its associated files, I was able to restore my Mac’s performance without disabling iCloud Drive or sacrificing any key functionality.
If you’re experiencing similar issues with Finder, I recommend trying this method—but always proceed with caution when handling system files. Make sure to back up important data before making any changes.
This solution worked wonders for me, and I hope it helps you too!
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