Golden Gate Fiasco

So reinstall the Rosetta 2 framework that was removed when Golden Gate was upgraded. If you have any Intel code based apps still on your Mac open one and you will be presented with the option to install Rosetta 2.

Be aware though that this just kicks the can down the road for another year. When macOS 28 is released in the Fall of 2027 Rosetta 2 will be removed permanently and will not be able to be reinstalled at all, period.

That means if the printer manufacturers fail to update their drivers to support Apple Silicon they will stop working again. Most modern printers support AirPrint which does not require any driver to be installed.

You really should download the latest update. Once you've made the jump to a new OS the first few updates are very important as Apple addresses the bugs that are found in the early versions. I'm not guaranteeing that it will fix the issues you are seeing but it can't hurt.

For printers your best stop is the printer support site and, if available, you should download the Airprint driver.

If you've got VPN then, unless you absolutely need it to connect to as school, university or work website then you should delete it completely to see if that fixes anything. You can always download it again later.

If you've got any anti-virus or anti-malware software or scanners then uninstall them using the uninstaller that came with it. If there's no uninstaller then check the web for how to uninstall them and follow the instructions. My recommendation is not to reinstall them.

macOS Golden Gate Problems: Contacts, Mail and Epson Printer

Since installing macOS Golden Gate, I have experienced several problems: my printer stopped working, Contacts freezes with the spinning beach ball, and now Mail won't send emails. I'm reluctant to install the latest update until I know whether it addresses these issues.

If you are ‘experiencing similar problems, I'would  suggest working through the following steps before attempting major repairs.

1. Check your macOS version and back up your data.

Click Apple menu > About This Mac and note your macOS version. Check System Settings > General > Software Update to identify the update being offered. Before making changes, ensure your important files are backed up using Time Machine or another reliable method.

2. Restart and check system performance.

Restart your Mac, then test Contacts, Mail and your printer. If an app freezes, press Option–Command–Esc to force quit it; unsaved work may be lost.

If several apps continue freezing, check System Settings > General > Storage for available disk space. You can also open Applications > Utilities > Activity Monitor to check CPU usage and memory pressure.

Apple's guide: If an app on your Mac stops responding or won't open.

3. Troubleshoot Contacts.

If Contacts still freezes, check whether your contacts are accessible through iCloud Contacts. If they are, your data may still be safe even though the Mac app isn't responding. Avoid deleting Contacts data or repeatedly changing sync settings.

Apple's guide: If your iCloud Contacts won't sync.

4. Troubleshoot Mail.

Check your Outbox and, if Mail responds, open Window > Connection Doctor to look for connection errors. Try signing in to your email provider's website and sending a test message.

If webmail works but Mac Mail does not , the problem may involve Mail settings, authentication or the outgoing mail server. If webmail also fails, check your provider's service status or internet connection.

Apple's guide: Troubleshooting email on Mac.

5. Check the Epson printer.

Confirm that the printer is powered on, connected to the appropriate network if wireless, and free of paper or ink warnings. Open System Settings → Printers & Scanners and check its status and print queue.

Since a technician got it working yesterday, ask what workaround was used. Check Epson's compatibility information for your exact printer model and macOS version before changing settings. Avoid resetting the printing system prematurely, as this removes configured printers and presets.

Apple's guide: Solve printing problems on Mac.

6. Should you install the latest update?

Check Apple's macOS release notes and security updates for relevant fixes. However, without confirming the exact version and update number, we cannot say whether the update fixes these particular Contacts, Mail or printing problems.

Printer compatibility depends on the Epson model, macOS version and driver or printing method. Reports of printing failures do not necessarily mean all Epson printers are unsupported.

My recommendation is to back up your data, confirm your macOS version, and check Epson compatibility before upgrading. If Contacts and Mail continue freezing after a restart, contact Apple Support before attempting major repairs. Avoid erasing your Mac or reinstalling macOS without professional guidance.

To help narrow down the cause, three details would be useful:

1. What exact macOS version is installed?
2. What is your Epson printer's model number?
3. Does Mail freeze as soon as it opens, or only when you try to send an email?

With this information, we can focus on the most likely fixes rather than risk making unnecessary changes.

Any one of the following or combinations thereof  can be contributing factors in regards to the computer issues 

1 - Third Party 2 Way Firewalls 

2 -Commercial VPNs 

3 - Third Party Security Software 

4 - Third Party Disk Cleaners / Optimizer 

Worst Case  and to avoid a game of 20 questions   

Download the Application Etrecheck  ( External Link ) directly from the Developer.

This is a Diagnostic Tool that makes no changes to the computer.

It makes a coherent and readable inventory of both the Hardware and Software used on the computer 

The application is free or paid for added features. 

The Report will Not Reveal Any Personal Information. 

Post back the Full Report - Share Report >> Copy , then  paste  >>>> using the Additional Text Icon  <<<<

Regarding beachballing...

Runaway processes and low free storage space are common reasons for Macs to run slow / beachball. 

It is possible there are processes running in the background that are using significant resources. Check Activity Monitor, CPU tab (sort by % CPU) and Memory tab (sort by Memory) to see what's running hard. Make sure that View menu > All Processes is selected, so you are seeing everything.

Activity Monitor User Guide for Mac - Apple Support

Confirm that you have sufficient free space on your internal storage. The absolute minimum is ~30-40 GB free space, and as a rule of thumb you should aim to have 15-20% of your total internal storage as free space. You can check the amount of free space you have on your Mac in a variety of ways:

• Select your internal drive then click File menu > Get Info, check Available space
• Go to System Settings > General > Storage, check the graphical display at the top of the settings pane
• In Disk Utility (in Applications > Utilities), by selecting the main container disk below the drive itself (you may need to select View menu > Show all devices to see it)
• In the System Report – hold the Option key and click the Apple menu > System Information (the top menu item), look for the name of your internal drive (Macintosh HD, unless you have renamed it as I did)

Note that on versions of macOS prior to Golden Gate, the ‘available’ space reported with the first two methods above was greater than the ‘free’ space reported by the second two methods. Apple corrected that confusion with Golden Gate, and as shown in the above screenshot, the available/free space is consistent across the different methods. For more details, see this User Tip.

Some steps to take to safely free up space:

Free up storage space on Mac - Apple Support

Optimize storage space on your Mac - Apple Support

How to free up ‘System Data’ and other st… - Apple Community

If nothing in the above reveals an obvious culprit, then appropriate troubleshooting steps are Safe Mode and creating a new user account to test. 

See if the problem is present when you boot in safe mode. That process performs some system cleanup and clears caches, and also disables 3rd party extensions that may cause problems.

Start up your Mac in safe mode - Apple Support

If that does not correct the issue, test in a new user account. A newly-created user account will have all settings at default, and if the issue does not occur in that new account then it provides guidance on what may need to be changed to correct the issue.

Add a user or group on Mac - Apple Support

Once the testing is complete, the new account can easily be deleted.

Delete a user or group on Mac – Apple Support

If you have 3rd party ‘protection’ software installed, that may be the problem. That includes:

• Cleaners (software claiming to automatically free up space)
• Optimizers (software claiming to make your Mac run faster)
• Antivirus software
• VPN software (unless provided by a school/employer to enable access to internal resources from a remote location)

Such 3rd party system ‘helpers’, ‘cleaners’ and ‘protectors’ do more harm than good. In fact, such products are completely unnecessary for macOS and the only ‘good’ (if you want to call it that) they do is to put money in the developers’ pockets. Cleaners and protectors cause compatibility issues, often after macOS updates. Commercial VPNs claim to hide your browsing activity from websites, and while that may be true those VPN providers just sell your browsing data to others. For the user, all of these types of software offer only harm…and if that is limited to harm to your bank account, then count yourself lucky. If you have installed such software, follow the developer’s instructions to completely uninstall it (note that some developers fail to provide instructions and their software installs can be pervasive, meaning the only way to truly remove it is to erase your Mac, reinstall macOS then restore your user files from a backup).

It might help to download and run EtreCheck, written by a long-time forum member. The free version is fine. Post the full report using the Additional Text button. No personal information is revealed. 

Regarding your printer not working, you don't list the model but Rosetta 2 (the macOS engine for running Intel apps on Apple Silicon) is needed for some old printer drivers. Even if it was installed on your Mac previously, the upgrade to macOS 27 Golden Gate removed it (though reportedly if upgrading from Tahoe or prior to macOS 27.2, that no longer happens). If Rosetta 2 is not installed and you launch an Intel app, you’ll be prompted to install it. That is what happened here, when I launched an app that I had used frequently on Tahoe then launched for the first time after upgrading to Golden Gate.

That prompt does not happen with a printer driver. Accordingly, it may help to install Rosetta 2 using Terminal. Apple provides instructions for that HERE. The short version is launch the Terminal app (find in Spotlight or in Applications > Utilities) and paste the following, then press return.

softwareupdate --install-rosetta

Note that if this enables your old printer drivers to work, you’ve only put off the inevitable. As the dialog box above indicates, macOS 27 is the last version that will support Intel-only apps (and printer drivers). If you upgrade to macOS 28, you will need to find another solution – either a new printer (get one that supports AirPrint), or for example setting up a Raspberry Pi as a print server (not too hard and plenty of tutorials, but the cost will be similar to an inexpensive printer).

If that does not help, then the first step is to reset your printing system. Note that doing so will remove all your printers and you will need to re-add them, but that is Apple’s suggested method to solve printing problems.

Steps to Reset the Printing System

• Open System Settings > Printers & Scanners
• Secondary-click (right-click, two-finger click) in the top two lines or on any printer and select Reset Printing System

• More info: Reset the printing system on your Mac to solve a problem - Apple Support

Since your printer does not support AirPrint, check the manufacturer’s website, and if there are no updated drivers, then you may be able to set up your printer on macOS using a generic driver.

Steps to Connect and Print

• Connect the printer: Plug the printer into your Mac using a USB cable, or connect it to your local network via an Ethernet cable. 
• Add the printer: Click Add Printer, Scanner, or Fax (the + button).
• Choose Driver: Select your printer from the list. In the "Use" drop-down menu, choose Generic PostScript Printer.
• Finish setup: Click Add to complete the installation.
• More info: Add a printer to your printer list so you can use it on Mac - Apple Support

Re-installing Rosetta on Golden Gate has fixed many printers which still rely on old Intel software components.