Ask Different is a question and answer site for power users of Apple hardware and software. Join them; it only takes a minute:

Sign up
Here's how it works:
  1. Anybody can ask a question
  2. Anybody can answer
  3. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top

I started to have troubles with really high CPU usage when I replaced my battery. I didn't buy an original Apple one and from the first boot I had issues with the kernel_task process. I managed to solve this on Yosemite by moving the plist file for my Mac model following this tutorial: How to fix kernel_task CPU usage on Yosemite worked perfectly!

Anybody knows a way to do this or where to find this file on Sierra? I can't find a IOPlatformPluginFamily.kext dir

share|improve this question

The path: /System/Library/Extensions/IOPlatformPluginFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/ACPI_SMC_PlatformPlugin.kext/Contents/Resources" is still existing and it indeed contains a lot of plists with Mac identifier names (e.g. MacBookPro8_1.plist). The whole path starting with /System is protected by SIP though. To modify (i.e. move) files here you have to disable SIP.


I strongly recommend to leave the plist where it is and search for the real culprit. In your linked example it's not really the kernel_task but the AirMail process which bogs the CPU. One solution is then to disable/modify Airmail.

Since you didn't add an Activity Monitor screenshot I don't know the real reason why your CPU is forced to its knees.

share|improve this answer

Your Answer

 
discard

By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.