HomemacOSTop 6 Ways to Fix MDS_Stores Consuming Mac High CPU Process Issues

Top 6 Ways to Fix MDS_Stores Consuming Mac High CPU Process Issues

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Nobody wants a low-performing PC, and thatโ€™s the reason many people switch to Mac. But the most disappointing thing that one can ever expect is low performance on Mac. Often the low performance is caused by processes running in the background that take up a major chunk of your CPU and RAM. One such process that is often reported to be causing high CPU usage is mds-stores.

But what is this process, and why does it cause high CPU usage? If you have similar questions about the mds_stores process and want to fix the low-performance issues caused by it, then you are at the right place. In this article, we will be guiding you on how you can fix mds_storesโ€™ high CPU process issues on Mac.ย 

How to Fix MDS_Stores Consuming Mac High CPU Process Issues

What is mds_stores?

mds_stores is an indexing process that is used by the Spotlight Search on Mac. The main task of this process is to index all the data that is on your Mac so it can be listed through the Spotlight Search whenever the user searches for it.ย 

This process is essential for Mac, and if itโ€™s not there, then Spotlight Search wonโ€™t work in the way that it was intended to. But if itโ€™s an in-build process and not something harmful, then why does it cause high CPU usage?

The reason behind this is simple, if you are facing high CPU usage due to the mds_stores process, then itโ€™s possibly due to a large amount of data on your Mac or due to constant change in the large number of files. Sometimes, the issue can also be caused by system bugs, interrupting third-party software, or even due to issues with the Spotlight Search.ย 

How do you check high CPU usage due to mds_Stores?

Before continuing ahead, it is important to find out whether it is mds_stores causing high CPU usage or something else. You can check this out from the Activity Monitor on your Mac. Hereโ€™s how-

  • Pressย Command + Spacebar, and then typeย Activity Monitor. Pressย Returnย to openย Activity Monitorย on your Mac.ย 
  • Head to theย CPU tab on the Activity Monitor.ย 

How to Fix MDS_Stores Consuming Mac High CPU Process Issues

  • Look for theย mds_storesย process here.ย 

How to Fix MDS_Stores Consuming Mac High CPU Process Issues

  • Under theย %CPUย tag, check how much CPU is being consumed by mds_stores.ย 

Fix Mds Stores High CPU Mac Process Issues

If mds_stores is taking up a lot of your CPU resources and making your Mac feel laggy and slow, then hereโ€™s what you can do to fix this issue-

Restart your Mac

The first thing to do if you are stuck by the mds_stores high CPU Mac process issues is to restart your Mac. Restarting the Mac will fix the issue if it is caused by some bug or temporary glitch. Hereโ€™s how to do that-

  • Click on theย Apple icon at the top left corner and then onย Restart.ย 

How to Fix MDS_Stores Consuming Mac High CPU Process Issues

  • Click on theย Restartย button again to restart your Mac.

How to Fix MDS_Stores Consuming Mac High CPU Process Issues

Restart Spotlight

If restarting your Mac didnโ€™t solve the issue, then what you can do is restart the Spotlight. This will solve any underlying issues with the Spotlight and the mds_stores should cause high CPU usage anymore. The steps given below will guide you on how to do that-

  • Click on theย Launchpadย icon on the dock, search forย Terminal, and open it.ย 

How to Fix MDS_Stores Consuming Mac High CPU Process Issues

  • After this, type the following command and execute it-
sudo launchctl unload -w/System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.metadata.mds.plist

Stop Spotlight

  • You will be asked to enter the admin password; enter the password to continue.ย 
  • Once done, restart your Mac.ย 
  • After this, launch theย Terminalย on your Mac again.ย 

How to Fix MDS_Stores Consuming Mac High CPU Process Issues

  • Now, execute the following command-
sudo launchctl -w/System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.metadata.mds.plis

Restart Spotlight

  • Enter the admin password when you are asked to.ย 
  • After this close the Terminal, and restart your Mac.ย 

3. Update macOS

The mds_stores process can cause a high CPU process if the macOS is outdated. Previously installed updates on the Mac may have some bugs that can cause this issue. You can try updating your macOS to the latest version to fix the issue. Hereโ€™s how-

  • Open theย Apple Menuย from the top left corner.ย 
  • Now, click on theย System Settingsย option.ย 

System Settings

  • After this, click onย Generalย on the left pane.ย 
  • Click the Software Updateย option, and your Mac will check for the available updates.ย Software Update
  • If any update is available, click on theย Update Nowย button to download and install the update.ย 

Update Now

4. Delete Data and Disconnect Drives

The mds_stores process causes high CPU usage, then it can be because of multiple unwanted files that are being indexed by Spotlight or due to multiple external drives connected to your system.ย 

Firstly, try deleting the unwanted files from your Mac. Look for files that are old like movies, videos, and any other that you no longer use. Delete these files from your Mac and also remove them from the Bin.ย 

Not only this, but if you have multiple external drives connected to your system then remove them as well. More drives mean, more files (or area) to be indexed in Spotlight Search, which means more CPU consumption. If you have connected external drives that are not in use currently, then prefer disconnecting them from your Mac.ย 

5. Clear System Data

System data often contains cache and temporary files of the system and the data from the apps that are either deleted or not required. System data can often take a large chunk of your Macโ€™s storage. You can try clearing the system data and see if that fixes the issue. You can follow this guide toย clear system data storage on Mac.ย 

6. Disable Spotlight

If none of the above methods solve the issue then you can try disabling Spotlight. Hereโ€™s how you can disable Spotlight on your Mac-

  • Click on theย Launchpadย icon at the dock, typeย Terminal, and pressย Returnย to open it.ย 

How to Fix MDS_Stores Consuming Mac High CPU Process Issues

  • Now, type the following command in the Terminal and then execute it-
    • sudo mdutil -a -I off

Disable Spotlight

  • After executing the command, you will be asked to enter the admin password; enter the password and pressย Return.ย 

This will disable Spotlight Search on Mac. Once done, the mds_stores process will no longer cause high CPU usage. If you want to re-enable it, then simply execute the commandย sudo mdutil -a -i onย in the terminal.ย 

Bottom Line

Facing mds_stores high CPU Mac process issues? If your Mac is laggy or slow due to high CPU usage by the mds_stores process, then you can follow the above steps to fix this issue. We hope this article solves the issue for you, but if it didnโ€™t then you must contactย Apple Customer Support.

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Anurag Jain
Anurag Jainhttps://itechhacks.com
Anurag is a Senior content analyst with 4 years of experience in the industry. Based in India, He is extremely skilled at Windows related to How to Troubleshooting matters. His favorite topics are Windows 11, Android, and How To's.

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