MacBook Pro experiencing random restarts and buggy behavior while running programs

My MacBook Pro (15inch Mid 2014) has been displaying odd behavior (slowdowns, problems running certain software packages including jGRASP, beach balls, delays in expected restarts, as well as unexpected restarts) for the last few weeks. The only thing that I can think of is I updated it to Big Sur. However, my issues started several days before I updated it. I reset the PRAM, SMC and ran Malwarebytes but the issues persist. Could someone please advise me on additional steps to take?

Solution 1:

"Could someone please advise me on additional steps to take?"

1. Check Activity Monitor (in /Applications/Utilities) to see if any processes are using excessive CPU% or Memory.

2. Make sure that all the software you use is up-to-date, and compatible with Big Sur. (Very often, the cause of problems after upgrading the OS is because of old, incompatible software that is crashing or hanging -- particularly 'invisible' background processes.)

3. Create a new user account and test the problem there. If the problem goes away, you know that something in your old user account was causing it. It might be a Login Item, Launch Agent or other process that's programmed to launch, or settings/preferences that are incorrect or corrupt. Go back to the old user account and investigate. If the problem continues, then you know it's a System-level issue, not a user-level one.

4. Check the logs for messages about crashes, unexpected restarts, and other errors. https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/console/cnsl1012/mac

It's also possible that problems like unexpected restarts are caused by hardware problems, such as battery, power supply or logic board issues.