How To Fix "Mds_Stores" High CPU Process On Mac - MacMyths (2024)

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If you’ve noticed your Mac running slower than normal, it could be because of a process called mds_stores. Although this process is majorly used to keep your files organized and searchable through Spotlight, it can sometimes use up a significant amount of CPU and thus slow down your Mac. Hence, we have devised solutions to fix this issue.

The good news is that fixing the mds_stores issue isn’t complicated. We only need a few simple steps and changes to Mac settings; your system will be back to normal.

So, let’s dive in and explore how to fix mds_stores high CPU Process on Mac.

What is mds_stores on a MacBook?

Mds_stores is the background process on your Mac that is responsible for helping you search for files and other data through the Spotlight Search feature. It indexes and catalogs all the files stored on your Mac’s hard drive, which in turn allows the Spotlight search feature to locate these files.

However, the entire process consumes a significant amount of CPU resources during indexing. This eventually slows down the system and even heats it up at times. You can acknowledge the issue and optimize your Mac through a few simple methods mentioned below.

How Do You Fix “mds_stores” high CPU Process on your Macbook?

Here are some of the methods that are tried and tested to help you fix the high CPU process on your mac.

1. Restart your Mac

We will start with something very basic that solves a wide range of Mac-related issues. Some of you might have already tried this, but if you have not yet, you can begin by restarting your mac.

Step 1: Click on the apple icon on the top-left menu bar

Step 2: Choose Restart in the drop-down list

Wait for your system to restart. Try working as you would normally do and see if the issue has been resolved. If this does not work, you can try out the other methods below.

2. Disable Spotlight

Since the entire mds_stores function revolves around Spotlight Search, it is only necessary to disable Spotlight and see if the issue is resolved. Here is what you need to do:

Step 1: Open Terminal through Spotlight search

Step 2: Now, enter the following command to disable Indexing and hit Enter

sudo mdutil -a -i off

Step 3: Enter your Mac password

Your Spotlight is now disabled, along with indexing. You will no longer see data, files, or even apps listed while using Spotlight.

However, if you wish to get it back, simply enter sudo mdutil -a -i on command on Terminal and hit Enter. It will be back to normal.

3. Restart Spotlight

Here is another method to stop the indexing process for mds_stores function.

Step 1: Open Terminal through Spotlight Search (Command + Spacebar)

Step 2: Now, enter the command to stop Spotlight indexing:

sudo launchctl unload -w/System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.metadata.mds.plist

Step 3: Enter your Mac login password.

This will stop the indexing for Spotlight search you can also check on your activity monitor. You will not find the mds_stores in the list.

Now, we have to restart the entire process to get things working again and back to normal.

Step 4: Again, enter the command given below in Terminal:

sudo launchctl -w/System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.metadata.mds.plist

Step 5: Enter the password and hit Enter to confirm

That is all you need to do to restart Spotlight. You can restart your Mac and check if the issue has been resolved.

Check our article on Best External Hard Drives for Time Machine.

Why Does mds_stores Take Up So Much Space on a MacBook?

mds_stores is a major part of the Spotlight Search feature on the system. It is responsible for indexing all the files and data on your Mac which helps in an easier and faster way to search those files and data.

Now, since mds_stores indexes all the files and folders on your Mac, it is bound to take all the data it will need to provide quick search results. If your Mac is fairly new, then this function might not take up much space. However, the more data or files your Mac has, the more space mds_stores will take.

You can choose to reduce the storage capacity for this function by excluding certain files from the list for indexing. Here is how you can do it.

Step 1: Click on the Apple menu icon on the top left of your screen

Step 2: Now, choose System Settings

Step 3: Type Spotlight in the search option and choose Spotlight Search categories

Step 4: Scroll down and select Spotlight Privacy

Step 5: Now, click on the + icon and add whichever file or app you want to deindex

Once you have added the files, click on Done.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

The methods we have mentioned might look complicated, considering we are using Terminal and certain complicated commands. However, you simply have to follow the steps, copy & paste those commands, and you are good to go.

Start by simply restarting the Mac, which mostly fixes all the issues you might have. If that does not work, try disabling Spotlight or restarting it. This should fix the high CPU process you are struggling with.

Try these out and let us know in the comment section below if this worked for you. Keep following us for more troubleshooting methods to fix any issue you have with your Mac.