Mavericks 10.9.5 has become slow

[luceforall]

Hello and I wonder if anybody has a reply. I bought this Mavericks second hand and it was fine at first. One fine day it started requesting a user name and password to log in so I had to create one. Could be just a coincidence, but ever since the Mac takes ages to start up and to open files/programs after start up. I have looked at a way to eliminate this username/password feature but have been unable to find one - wanted to try and see if by eliminating the log in details the Mac regains its former speed.

Secondly, I checked the disk space and it is not full - I used about a quarter of its capacity. I have cleared internet cache/history, used the disk verify/repair utility and emptied the Libraries cache.

Am attaching some info and a question in my picture.

Anybody can throw any light? Many thanks in advance.

 

[honestone]

First of all, Mavericks is the OS, and you have the last version of it, which is fine. What would help is if you can let us know the exact Mac model you have.

Secondly, I believe that "message" you are inquiring about is OK.

Third, when you first got the machine, how long were you able to use it before you got the question about the user name and password?

Finally, did the Repair Permissions complete without any "hitches"?

What you should try first is to see if the internal drive is OK. You can do that in Disk Utility. Just select the "top" level (250.06 GB ST....), and then click of "Verify Disk". You should also do the same for the primary partition (ie, the second level). Just click on "Macintosh HD", and then click "Verify Disk". Both of those should tell you if there are any disk issues.

Now, here is an important question. Have you been making any backups at all, and preferably to that external 500.11 GB Seagate BUP drive? If you have, then if the Verify Disk operation described above shows any issues, you will then be able to boot to the (hidden) Recovery HD partition to run Disk Utility from there to repair the internal drive.

With a recent backup, you could also boot to the (hidden) recovery HD, use Disk Utility there to Erase and Format your internal drive, and then do a fresh installation of Mountain Lion. Not sure if that will be the last version, OS 10.9.5, but even if it is not, you'll be able to get to that (more on that after you 1) answer the questions I asked, and 2) what "Verify Disk" tells you). After that installation, you should be able to re-boot your machine, and use Migration Assistant to "migrate"/copy all the non-system stuff from your most recent backup.