All posts tagged performance

8 Steps for better osx performance

Annoyed with slow performance from your Mac? No need to worry much because there are several ways that you can boost your Mac’s performance without even having to open your wallet. Below are proven and effective ways to improve the performance of your slow Mac.

1. Remove unwanted login items.

If you’re not using some files and applications in your startup menu then it’s best to remove them. You can check out what is in your login items by simply going to System Preferences>Accounts>Login Items. Doing this will cut some lag in your Mac computer especially when you startup.

2. Disable other items at the System Preferences.

If you have other preference panes that you no longer need or use then better remove them too. This is true even with Universal Access features that use up some RAM resources. If you don’t need this very often then it’s better to disable it in the System Preferences options. Other options that you can disable are Internet Sharing, Speech Recognition and Bluetooth.

3. Mac comes with pre-installed languages that are unnecessary.

If you want to free up a lot of space on your hard drive space then it’s a good idea to remove some of them. A helpful tool that can do this quickly is Monolingual.

4. Clear out other useless junk.

Over time your Mac’s hard drive will get full of files and applications. Determine the ones that are important to keep and clean out the rest of them. If you delete any unneeded or unnecessary apps and files then your Mac’s hard drive will have more free space and as a result your Mac will now load faster.

5. Perform some maintenance tasks on your Mac.

Most of the reasons why Mac slows down is because of cache files that are taken for granted. Better run some maintenance applications such as MacCleaning, MainMenu and Onyx to help you clear out these cache files and even repair some disk permissions.

6. Keep only useful widgets on your Mac.

Even if Dashboard is hidden, the widgets can still consume a lot of your RAM space. Better empty the ones that are less important to you, because doing so will surely improve and help your Mac to perform better. You can also use tools such as TinkerTool or Onyx to delete them.

7. Periodically check out the Activity Monitor.

This is located in the Utilities folder. You can run this monitor to help you determine which of the applications and files are sucking up the most RAM. Then you can decide which ones are not needed and deactivate them, which will help your Mac’s performance.

8. Power up your Mac.

If you want to optimize your Mac performance then you can go to System Preferences>Energy Saver then Options. Set the processor performance to the Highest option if you want to see some improvements in your Mac machine.

If you got a Mac that’s slow, just remember the simple steps above and it will be easier on your part to boost your Mac’s performance; all without the need for you to even spend money.

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When you multitask or even just use one application and your Mac doesn’t want to cooperate then it’s high time that you do something about it. Using some of the simple tips below will surely help you to improve your Mac’s performance without dipping into your wallet.

  1. Rebuild Your Mac’s Desktop: In order for you to do this restart your computer and press and hold down the Command and Option keys until your Mac asks you if you want to rebuild the Desktop. Once it gives you this option click the OK option. This should be done at least once a month.
  2. Get Rid of Unnecessary and Unneeded Fonts: Mac comes with pre-installed fonts but in reality some of them are not that important to you. Just determine the ones that you need or use the most and then get rid of the rest of them. Check also for fonts that are corrupted in your system and make sure to delete them too when looking over the Fonts folder.
  3. Disable Unnecessary System Extensions: If you want to disable some extensions that are not important to you then got to Extensions Manager, which can be found in the control panel. Check which of the extensions are not necessary to you and then turn them off. For example, if you don’t have any printers attached to your system then turn off the printer driver.
  4. Run Mac’s Utility Tools: There are useful tools that came preinstalled with your Mac that when used, will ensure that your Mac performs at its best. They can clean up temporary files, logs and cache files in the system and even repair disk errors if there are any discrepancies. Running these tools will ensure that your Mac is at its optimum performance.
  5. Close Unused Files and Applications: If you use applications and other files at the same time then you are consuming more of your Mac’s virtual memory which then affects its performance. It would be better to open only the application that you need and close the rest.
  6. Remove Unnecessary Language Packs: Pre-installed on your Mac are gigabytes worth of language packs. Since you only need one language you can use a freeware application like Monolingual, to get rid of these excess languages and restore a few gigabytes to your hard drive.
  7. Remove Unnecessary Dashboard Widgets: Although widgets can be useful to you they also consume a lot of your Mac’s resources, so it’s better to determine which ones that you need and remove or disable the rest. This will immediately improve your Mac speed.
  8. Add Extra RAM: If the rest of the above steps fail to speed up your Mac and boost its performance on your Mac then the best way to improve these things will be to add extra RAM. This is a more costly solution but it is the fastest and most guaranteed way to speed up your Mac.

When you have performance issues on your Mac, try out these tips and they will improve your Mac’s performance in return. Best yet, most of these tips require no money, but all of them will help you to speed up your Mac and optimize its performance.

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