Fix macOS "Finder" High CPU Usage

Is Finder consuming 100% CPU and making your Mac sluggish?

Recommended Troubleshooting Tool

Before proceeding with manual fixes, we recommend using CleanMyMac X. Quickly identify high CPU apps and optimize system memory with one click.

- [Download CleanMyMac X Free Here](#)

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The Symptom

Activity Monitor shows Finder at the top of the CPU list. You might see a "Not Responding" message when right-clicking files.

The Fix

1. Relaunch Finder

Option+Right-click the Finder icon in the Dock and select Relaunch.

1. Delete Finder Preferences

Corrupted settings files often cause loops. In Terminal:

rm ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist
killall Finder

1. Clear QuickLook Cache

Finder often hangs while trying to generate a preview of a corrupted file.

qlmanage -r
qlmanage -r cache

Fix 3: The Automated "Optimization" Solution

When background processes are forcing Finder into a loop.

Finder often hangs because it's waiting for a response from a background helper (like a cloud sync service or a broken Spotlight index).

Recommended Tool: CleanMyMac X

- Maintenance Module: Includes "Speed Up Mail" and "Reindex Spotlight" tools. Since Finder relies heavily on the Spotlight index for metadata, repairing the index often fixes Finder hangs.

- Optimization: Use the "Heavy Consumers" tool to identify if a specific app extension is crashing the Finder process.

[Link: Fix Finder and Speed Up your Mac with CleanMyMac X]

Pro Tip

Check your Desktop. If you have thousands of files on your Desktop, Finder spends excessive CPU cycles rendering icons. Move them into a folder.