Spindump on Mac

Even if you’ve learned how to effectively kill background process in Mac and free up system resources, it’s still worth learning more about macOS Spindump, as it could come in handy one day.

What is Spindump on Mac?

Mac’s Spindump is a debugging tool that provides a report on unresponsive apps that were force quit. This can be requested by an app developer or member of the support team to determine the root of the app’s performance issues, including hanging, crashing, and a noisy fan.

Spindump files can be created in Activity Monitor on Mac, where you can also disable resource-intensive processes and programs.

What does Spindump do on Mac?

Spindump collects and analyzes data on macOS to help Mac users, support teams, and developers troubleshoot issues with Mac apps. However, the technical nature of the data provided by Spindump makes it more valuable to support team members and developers than the average Mac user.

Apart from apps, another resource-intensive process is the WindowServer process on Mac, as it runs in the background. However, users can kill it in Activity Monitor to free up RAM on Mac.

Why Spindump uses CPU resources

Spindump may consume a significant amount of CPU resources when an app or process hangs or crashes, prompting it to collect and process a detailed report. This can also happen when your Mac either identifies system performance hindrances or when prompted to provide logs in the Mac device’s Activity Monitor or Terminal app.  

If certain apps continuously cause performance issues, consider doing something about it. For instance, you can delete default Mac apps you don’t need to free up memory and enhance your Mac’s performance.

A note from our experts:

 

Spindump could be a useful tool for your Mac, but it has some significant shortcomings. We recommend using MacKeeper’s Memory Cleaner for your Mac optimization.

 

Here’s how we use MacKeeper’s Memory Cleaner to manage our Mac’s RAM:

1. Download MacKeeper on your Apple computer.
2. Navigate to the sidebar and select Memory Cleaner, then click on the blue Open button.
3. Review the live report and click on Clean Memory.

How to create Spindump on Mac

To create a Spindump Mac process on your Mac, launch Finder > Applications > Utilities > Activity Monitor. Then, find the troublesome process or app on the list and select it. Click View > Run Spindump in the menu bar.

MacKeeper will now automatically create reports on the app when it fails, including the cause of the crash.

When to use Spindump for diagnostics  

Use Spindump if your apps consistently fail, crash, or freeze, or when you notice a huge spike in CPU resources or memory.  

An alternative from our team: 

 

MacKeeper’s Memory Cleaner is an excellent multi-use tool that quickly and safely removes redundant processes and helps manage your Mac’s memory usage more efficiently. Use it to automate the process of optimizing your Mac for optimal performance.

We followed the steps below to use MacKeeper’s Memory Cleaner:

1. Download MacKeeper on your MacBook and open it.
2. Click on Memory Cleaner on the left, followed by the Open button.
3. MacKeeper will present a report of your available and occupied memory. Click the Clean Memory button to free up RAM.

How to turn off Spindump on Mac

To disable Spindump:

1. Restart your Mac and press the Command + R keys when it reboots to enter Recovery Mode.
2. Open Terminal, enter the command below, and press Enter:
   • csrutil disable
3. Reboot your device.
4. Launch Terminal again, enter the command below, and press Enter:
   • sudo su launchctl unload -w /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.spindump.plist
5. Type your password when prompted and press the Enter button.
6. Enter the commands below on separate lines, pressing Enter after each one:
   • mount -uw /
   • killall Finder
   • cd /System/Library/LaunchDaemons
   • mv com.apple.spindump.plist com.apple.spindump.plist.bak
7. Exit Terminal.
8. Repeat the first three steps, using the command below instead to re-enable SIP on your MacBook: csrutil enable
9. Reboot your laptop.

Identify app issues with Spindump on Mac

Spindump on Mac helps users understand the root of their app issues. If you notice a pattern of your Mac suddenly hanging, crashing, or refusing to operate while using certain apps, Spindump can help you get to the root of it. Alternatively, if you find Spindump reports too complex to comprehend, app developers and Apple Support technicians can help break it down for you.

Explore Spindump in our helpful guide, including what it is, what it does, how to create and disable a Spindump, and when to use it for diagnostics. To go a step further, we recommend using a third-party tool such as MacKeeper’s Memory Cleaner. This expert software provides a comprehensive view of your Mac’s memory and resource consumption, helping you optimize your Mac’s memory and remove resource-intensive processes that may be dampening your device’s performance.