Slow startup (all Affinity apps)

[Hoby]

To be fair, there is one other app that at least on Mac that also takes 27 seconds to open: Devinci Resolve 18. But in my experience, that is the only other one.

Most are between 1 and 10 seconds on M1 (Mac) and i7 (Windows) hardware.

[Odebek]

I was having this issue as well on MacOS.   I came across an old post that suggested holding down the CTRL key while right clicking the application icon and selecting `Open`.  After launching this way, then quit and relaunch as normal (e.g. clicking the icon in the dock) This changed my application launch time from ~25 seconds to ~5 seconds.  I have relaunched a few times, and is still fast, not sure if it will revert to being slower again over time.

[R C-R]

4 minutes ago, Odebek said:

I have relaunched a few times, and is still fast, not sure if it will revert to being slower again over time.

Is first launch still fast if you restart your Mac?

[Andrew Berth]

I came across a blog post that probably discusses the root cause of this issue: Mac app launches slowed by malware scan

From the post:

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From the spindump I discovered that the slow launches are caused by the syspolicyd process, specifically DispatchQueue "com.apple.security.syspolicy.yara"

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YARA is the name of a tool primarily used in malware research and detection.

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Xcode, Chrome, and Wireshark are very large apps, so it makes sense that a malware scan of them would be slow. However, FileMerge is much smaller, only 2 MB. Why does that take so long? My theory is that syspolicyd also scans the launched app's linked libraries. The command otool -L in Terminal will show them:

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In case you're wondering, Apple hasn't exempted Mac App Store apps from malware scanning, not even its own apps.

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You may remember our friend syspolicyd as the process that phones home to Apple when running unsigned executables.

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 In any case, syspolicyd sucks, and I really wish there were a way to completely disable the malware scanning and allow my apps to always launch quickly.

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I've now confirmed that disabling SIP does indeed eliminate the syspolicyd malware scan. Xcode launches so fast, it's beautiful.

If you use the otool -L terminal command, you can see the Affinity apps link to large amounts of libraries.

I also tried disabling System Integration Protection. When it's turned off, all Affinity apps started after about two bounces. After enabling it again, the apps took over 30 bounces once again.

 

[v_kyr]

1 hour ago, Andrew Berth said:

If you use the otool -L terminal command, you can see the Affinity apps link to large amounts of libraries. ...

Yes and add to that large amount of libs also the overall size of some of them ...

I for example usually tend to thin (strip out, lipo) out unneeded binary architectures out of macOS fat binary apps (from all executable code an app has, so also from app internal used libs), in order to gain some occupied disk space back. My own used tools therefor list step for step which mach-o files they are actually processing when performing the task. Thinning liblibpersona.dylib & liblibrastertools.dylib ... takes due to their size some much more and overall most time here for those libs!

So the same as processing libs for thinning, applies also for libs scanning after malware here. The whole takes it's time.

Maybe I should add, that in these unsecure times, letting a system scanning for malware makes more sense than ever. So I won't recommend leaving that processing step out, just for speeding up app startups!

[Oufti]

1 hour ago, Andrew Berth said:

I came across a blog post that probably discusses the root cause of this issue: Mac app launches slowed by malware scan

Could be completed by this article to have more details about the processes implied:
https://eclecticlight.co/2023/07/05/how-does-ventura-check-the-security-of-known-apps-and-command-tools/

[loukash]

On 2/16/2024 at 11:32 AM, Andrew Berth said:

I also tried disabling System Integration Protection. When it's turned off, all Affinity apps started after about two bounces. After enabling it again, the apps took over 30 bounces once again.

Interesting. Disabling SIP is the first thing I do on any new MacOS installation. Hence I never experience any slow app launches except for the respective very first one.

[chirpy]

On 9/20/2023 at 9:38 AM, DEMinSoCAL said:

You might want to post this as it's own topic to get a better response because this thread is about STARTUP delays when launching Affinity apps, not slowness when USING the apps.

I just made a post a couple days ago. I had no idea this thread already existed, but I recently got a brand new MacBook and the startup time on Affinity apps is SLOWER than on my 5 year old iMac. What gives?

 

[Oufti]

On 5/12/2023 at 1:38 PM, Dan C said:

The reason it happens every time you restart your mac is that the YARA/Gatekeeper system may have been improved since last time it checked our application, so it does not “save” the fact our application has already been checked. 

I'm not sure of it yet but I have the impression that launching Aff apps is very slow (30 seconds instead of 2-3) the first time  I launch them after XProtect has been updated (according to System Information > Software > Installations - sort by Date) — even when the Mac has not been restarted.

[mliving]

What utter nonsense.

Fix you apps Affinity.

[walt.farrell]

56 minutes ago, mliving said:

What utter nonsense.

Fix you apps Affinity.

Did you read the post from a few days ago? 

 

 

[Oufti]

On 2/23/2024 at 12:24 AM, Oufti said:

I'm not sure of it yet but I have the impression that launching Aff apps is very slow (30 seconds instead of 2-3) the first time  I launch them after XProtect has been updated (according to System Information > Software > Installations - sort by Date) — even when the Mac has not been restarted.

I can confirm this:

Having read that "Apple has just released updates to XProtect and XProtect Remediator", I launched Apub (updated to 2.4 some days ago) in 3 seconds (for record).
Then I used SilentKnight to install the two updates for Xprotect and relaunched directly Apub: it took 20 seconds to launch. Next launch took only 2 seconds, as usual. 

 

 

[GeGr]

It would be interesting to get to know, why only the Affinity apps are slowed down during the first launch (?), while other rather "big" programs, like e.g. Ableton Live, Cubase, etc. are launching within a twinkle of an eye on my M2 Pro macOS Sonoma system ...

and that´s ongoing, since it also happened (only with the Affinity apps) with older versions than V2.4 on my systems ...

(edit: and the apps first launch is still slow after a restart of my system ...)

[Dan C]

On 3/9/2024 at 2:34 PM, GeGr said:

It would be interesting to get to know, why only the Affinity apps are slowed down during the first launch (?)

Please see my 'recommended' post in this thread for more information here - 

 

[acsr]

I fixed Slow Startup for me by Changing Display Performance Settings today! 
All other occult tricks not needed.
TL;DR: Change Preferences `Performance`-> `Display` from `OpenGL` to `Metal`

Result: Apps start within 3 seconds (for me).

Prerequisites: I am on an M1 Max under Ventura and Affinity Apps Version 2.4.0, purchased directly from Serif. 
Productivity suffered from slow startup over 30 Seconds or longer since almost all Affinity versions on M1.

Quote

Credits: The hint is from a post in this forum, but I need to find it again to proper quote it, (Source was gone during login to answer, needs followup by me later). 

Until then THXalot to this genius!

Quote

 

Rollback Warning!

I got this hint after my post, so be careful and watch the result and report your findings…

33 minutes ago, DEMinSoCAL said:

This does NOT fix it.  It's a myth.  It was suggested like a year or two ago and almost immediately debunked because while it may SEEM like it fixes it, the slow startup comes right back after some time (as is the case anyways due to the fact the slow startup is actually due to the macOS security system, not some obscure display setting).  Check back in after a couple weeks and let us know if it still is working for you (it didn't for me a long time ago when I tried the "trick").

App startup time WILL be fast for a number of times until one restarts their Mac at which time it may decide to slow again.

 

 

Procedure in Detail

1. In Affinity Designer 2.4.0, purchased directly from Serif.
2. checked the setting the App Preferences Section `Performance` in the menu selection field `Display` (Darstellung in german)
   • value was `OpenGL`
3. changed `Performance`-> `Display` to `Metal`.
4. initialize the setting by Dual Restart of the 3 Apps
   • Close and restart all Affinity 2.4.0 apps 2 times
   • Initial startup maybe still slow.
   • After a second restart now all statup very fast 

Remarks:

Possible Cause:

• I guess setting up the OpenGL Emulation for the AppleSilicon environment takes ages lo load and initialize.
• OpenGL was maybe necessary for early versions on M1+

Suggestion for Serif!

• What the heck is this thread long and Serif should address this in the next update by an automatic suggestion if this strange setting is detected.

Armin

[DEMinSoCAL]

5 hours ago, acsr said:

 

I fixed Slow Startup for me by Changing Display Performance Settings today! 
All other occult tricks not needed.
TL;DR: Change Preferences `Performance`-> `Display` from `OpenGL` to `Metal`

Result: Apps start within 3 seconds (for me).

Prerequisites: I am on an M1 Max under Ventura and Affinity Apps Version 2.4.0, purchased directly from Serif. 
Productivity suffered from slow startup over 30 Seconds or longer since almost all Affinity versions on M1.

  Quote

Credits: The hint is from a post in this forum, but I need to find it again to proper quote it, (Source was gone during login to answer, needs followup by me later). 

Until then THXalot to this genius!

Procedure in Detail

1. In Affinity Designer 2.4.0, purchased directly from Serif.
2. checked the setting the App Preferences Section `Performance` in the menu selection field `Display` (Darstellung in german)
   • value was `OpenGL`
3. changed `Performance`-> `Display` to `Metal`.
4. initialize the setting by Dual Restart of the 3 Apps
   • Close and restart all Affinity 2.4.0 apps 2 times
   • Initial startup maybe still slow.
   • After a second restart now all statup very fast 

Remarks:

Possible Cause:

• I guess setting up the OpenGL Emulation for the AppleSilicon environment takes ages lo load and initialize.
• OpenGL was maybe necessary for early versions on M1+

Suggestion for Serif!

• What the heck is this thread long and Serif should address this in the next update by an automatic suggestion if this strange setting is detected.

Armin

This does NOT fix it.  It's a myth.  It was suggested like a year or two ago and almost immediately debunked because while it may SEEM like it fixes it, the slow startup comes right back after some time (as is the case anyways due to the fact the slow startup is actually due to the macOS security system, not some obscure display setting).  Check back in after a couple weeks and let us know if it still is working for you (it didn't for me a long time ago when I tried the "trick").

App startup time WILL be fast for a number of times until one restarts their Mac at which time it may decide to slow again.

[acsr]

31 minutes ago, DEMinSoCAL said:

This does NOT fix it.  It's a myth.  It was suggested like a year or two ago and almost immediately debunked because while it may SEEM like it fixes it, the slow startup comes right back after some time (as is the case anyways due to the fact the slow startup is actually due to the macOS security system, not some obscure display setting).  Check back in after a couple weeks and let us know if it still is working for you (it didn't for me a long time ago when I tried the "trick").

App startup time WILL be fast for a number of times until one restarts their Mac at which time it may decide to slow again.

OK, I am happy you questionized it. I am looking forward to watch if this is persistent or not – and will report here!
It is always a singular point of view.
I will edit my post to mention your findings!

THX

[R C-R]

5 hours ago, acsr said:

I am looking forward to watch if this is persistent or not – and will report here!

The main thing to check is the startup time after you have restarted your Mac.

[Oufti]

I noticed today a slow startup, even if I didn't reboot my Mac: I checked in the Apple menu (with Option key pressed) > System Info > Software > Installation. Once again, an update to XProtectPlistConfigData occurred since my last use of Affinity (yesterday). 

I definitely think this is the trigger for unexpected slow startup. 

[Oufti]

Now is the moment to test if XProtect updates are the trigger for a slow launch.

https://eclecticlight.co/2024/03/19/apple-has-just-released-updates-to-xprotect-and-xprotect-remediator-10/ 

[yellowsaber]

Glad I found this thread, I thought I was going crazy. I can’t believe Affinity can’t fix this though, no other app has this problem. The weird thing is if I force quit the app while it’s starting and then open it again it opens right up.  However if I download the app from Serif and not the app store, the problem seems to be fixed.

[abra100pro]

I wonder if Affinity has not enought influence to talk with Apple about it. I mean, Photoshop needs 4secs! If Adobe can do it with a 30+ years old app...?