MacBook Pro overheats and shuts down unexpectedly

I see several issues.

1— This:

[Other] com.symantec.NortonInstaller.plist (Not signed - installed 2021-10-27)

Executable: ~/Downloads/Install Norton Security.localized/Install Norton Security.app/Contents/MacOS/Install Norton Security

The last version of Norton for Mac that did not cause issues and slowdowns was released about 1999. It's junk.

2— Startup items:

User Login Items:

[Not Loaded] DisplayLinkLoginHelper (DisplayLink Corp - installed 2025-04-04)

Modern Login Item

/Applications/DisplayLink Manager.app/Contents/Library/LoginItems/DisplayLinkLoginHelper.app

[Running] Google Chrome (Google LLC - installed 2025-11-20)

Application

Chrome is a HUGE resource hog, but you have it loading every time you start the computer. Chrome also has a nasty habit of phoning home even when not running. If you are forced by work to use Chrome, at last one start it only when you need it. If rits functions are required, you can use the Brave browser. It is based on the same engine as Chrome but without the overhead and curious nature.

3— Your storage performance indicates stress:

Performance:

System Load: 2.22 (1 min ago) 2.85 (5 min ago) 3.06 (15 min ago)

Nominal I/O usage: 0.04 MB/s

File system: 34.08 seconds

Write speed: 1424 MB/s ⬅️

Read speed: 1825 MB/s ⬅️

In your Mac model, both Writes and Reads should be over about 2200MB/sec, up to about 2700 MB/sec. The "file system" score is a measure of overall drive health and is OK. That suggests stress, and the most likely suspect in my experience is Norton.

4 — Device status

Configuration Profiles:

com.apple.wifi.managed

EAPClientConfiguration/EAPFASTProvisionPACAnonymously

EAPClientConfiguration/UserName

AutoJoin

HIDDEN_NETWORK....

Is this a computer managed by your employer? Then you may be limited on what your can or cannot do. You should also run your issue by your IT people as well. If not an employer-managed computer, we have more work to do.

The macOS can do a magnificent job of working with small amounts of RAM, but using Chrome and Creative Cloud can push that capability.

“MacBook Pro overheats and shuts down unexpectedly: My Macbook Pro overheats even when I’m running very few applications and will completely shut off/reboot. I have attached my EtreCheck report. Thanks in advance!”

———-

An Overheating Mac:

You're using a VPN here, that consumes system resources, making networking lag, particularly while uploading to OneDrive, in this case.

As for and your 8GB of RAM —it’s is primarily swollen up. RAM is intended for multitasking —the more free RAM the better.

So, I recommend you back up your Mac through use of Time Machine Backup, and then reset the Mac to Factory Settings. Next import some (not all) items from Time Machine Backup through use of Migration Assistant. This, in turn, may reset quite a few things. If it occurs again, then I recommend letting it be, and access it only as needed.

In short, I’d say it’s time to upgrade to much newer Mac of today’s world(2023 or after).

The answer to your question might be the same as mine: MICROSOFT CORPORATION.

Here is my post about constant crashes from my MacBook Pro 13" i7:

MacBook Pro 13" i7 Crashed Constantly; I … - Apple Community