Taming OS X - Reminders

Questions & Suggestions
#1

Maybe I should be on windows, but I like my Mac and I like my iPhone. But I use Google services extensively.

Anyway, with regard loading of my system, there is a strange situation where I observe high CPU usage under tccd. tccd I thought had something to do with my contacts application, but irrespective, the noticeable heavy loading occurs when Reminders is started. I shut down reminders, and the tccd item loading goes away (or is greatly reduced).

The issue is that Reminders starts up… without me starting it. And then the high level CPU load returns.

I am guessing it might be tied in to Calendar or notifications (I turned off notifications) or some other application that is “cleverly” tied into Reminders. But I was wondering the following:

  • Any ideas on why this would keep starting up?
  • Any solutions?
  • If not, is there a way via KM to kill the Reminder application just as it is starting up so I never have to see it?
#2

There are a couple of reports on high CPU usage by tccd (linked here). I’ve also seen it going on rampage when targeting Reminders with an AppleScript.

No idea. As you said, maybe some third-party plugins from other apps. A Mail plugin?

If Reminders is not called directly, it may help to unregister it from the LaunchServices database:

/System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/LaunchServices.framework/Versions/A/Support/lsregister -u /Applications/Reminders.app

There’s also the handy RCDefaultApp pref pane, which gives you a GUI to manage URL schemes and UTIs:

This:

#3

Hey Tom - asked… AND ANSWERED! Really appreciate you taking the time to respond. I’ll probably go and implement ALL of these. The unregister one looks interesting, but I do like the brut-force KM action.

Thanks again!

#4

Handy indeed!

#5

Just a quick FYI that via RCDefaultApp and the KM Kill script, no returning of reminders.

#6

And w/o the KM Kill script?

(If the Kill macro triggers, it means Reminders already has returned.)

#7

Not sure if the Kill script is being called… yet. I just added a
notification command in the kill script so that I will be notified. I
figure there is a log file but if this thing is still happening, it will
happen within 24 hours for sure. If it does not occur, then likely the
RCDefault app aided in stopping the app.

I will report back.

#8

Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate it.

You should see past notifications also in the Notifications Center (at the right end of the menu bar).

Of course, the clean solution would be to find out what is calling the Reminders app. And, since you mentioned the log file: It might be that you find an indication for this in the logs. (/Applications/Utilities/Console.app, All Messages; to filter the messages type into the Search field.)