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

Nobody wants a low-performing PC, and that’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_stores’ high CPU process issues on Mac. 

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. 

This process is essential for Mac, and if it’s not there, then Spotlight Search won’t work in the way that it was intended to. But if it’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 it’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. 

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. Here’s how-

• Press Command + Spacebar, and then type Activity Monitor. Press Return to open Activity Monitor on your Mac. 
• Head to the CPU tab on the Activity Monitor. 

• Look for the mds_stores process here. 

• Under the %CPU tag, check how much CPU is being consumed by mds_stores. 

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 here’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. Here’s how to do that-

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

• Click on the Restart button again to restart your Mac.

Restart Spotlight

If restarting your Mac didn’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 the Launchpad icon on the dock, search for Terminal, and open it. 

• After this, type the following command and execute it-

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

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

• Now, execute the following command-

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

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

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. Here’s how-

• Open the Apple Menu from the top left corner. 
• Now, click on the System Settings option. 

• After this, click on General on the left pane. 

• Click the Software Update option, and your Mac will check for the available updates. 
• If any update is available, click on the Update Now button to download and install the update. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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 Mac’s storage. You can try clearing the system data and see if that fixes the issue. You can follow this guide to clear system data storage on Mac. 

6. Disable Spotlight

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

• Click on the Launchpad icon at the dock, type Terminal, and press Return to open it. 

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

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

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 command sudo mdutil -a -i on in the terminal. 

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 didn’t then you must contact Apple Customer Support.

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