Is your Mac getting slower and slower? Storage of a lot of data and various additional settings can make the computer operating process slow down. Here are some tips and tricks along with ways to delete less important data, troubleshoot newly installed programs, update hardware, and reinstall Mac OS X.
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Method 1 of 4: Basic Principles
Step 1. Update the system on the computer
Regularly updating the software and operating system will make the system more secure and operate quickly as it should. When the software is updated, the operating process will be even faster. If you keep your operating system up to date and keep it safe, then files that are harmful and slow down the operating system can be prevented.
- Open the Mac App Store, then select “Updates”. This is used to check for updates that are still working on the operating system and some other apps that you have installed via the App Store.
- On older Macs, click the Apple menu and select Software Update. The program will check for updates that are still available to install on your computer's applications and operating system.
Step 2. Delete unused apps
Maybe this application is not used, but it will still take up storage space on your computer. If left unchecked, then this can cause problems because the operating process on your computer will slow down if the storage space is low.
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Step 3. Remove various useless items from your desktop screen
Installing a lot of icons on the desktop screen can have a bad effect on the operation of the computer because Mac OS X displays icons and must save the previous display in RAM. It might not have much of an impact, but it can be very annoying if you have a lot of icons..
Speed up Your Mac Step 4 Step 4. Widgets that are not working
If you use Dashboard and widgets, there is a possibility that it will eat up your computer's system memory. Widgets are simple programs that always work in the background. Therefore, even though the widget is simple, it will consume a lot of power on your computer..
- Use of individual widgets that do not work by opening the Dashboard and clicking the button (Yosemite) or + button (older operating systems). Click the x on the button on the top left of the widget to disable it.
- Disable the entire dashboard by opening System Preferences then selecting Mission Control, and turning the dashboard to “Off”.
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For operating systems older than Yosemite (OS X 10.10), you can disable the dashboard via Terminal. Open the Applications folder then select Utilities. In Terminal, follow the following message:
defaults write com.apple.dashboard mcx-disabled –boolean YES
killall Dock
To return to the Dashboard, perform the same command, but select NO instead of YES.
Speed up Your Mac Step 5 Step 5. Remove less important programs from the Startup list
These programs will start running when you turn on your Mac and may have an effect on how long it takes to turn your computer on to be ready for use. We recommend that only applications that are important are activated when turning on the computer.
- Open User Preferences. Select the Apple menu in the upper-left corner of the screen then click “System Preferences”. In System Preferences, select "Users & Groups". Then select your user and proceed to the “Login Items” button.
- Delete the application. Click the app you want to remove using the button to remove from the list. If the list of applications changes to a gray color, click the lock on the button on the left side of your window, then enter your username and password.
Method 2 of 4: Maintaining and Optimizing Hard Drive
Speed up Your Mac Step 6 Step 1. Delete old useless data
Step 2. Delete unused languages
If you usually use one or two languages on your Mac, you can delete the data for the other language to increase the storage space on your Mac. To do this, you can use the following program Monolingual. This program is free and open-source, and older versions support older operating systems.
Deleting English data from Mac OS X may cause errors to function
Speed up Your Mac Step 8 Step 3. Verify hard disk eligibility
Hard disk checks can minimize errors before fatal problems occur. In addition, OS X comes with a program to verify. You can access it through Applications, then Utilities. Select Disk Utility.
- Select the hard disk in the left frame. In the mainframe, select the First Aid tab, then select Verify Disk. Then Disk Utility will start checking your disk. The results will be displayed in a legible part of the frame. The checking process will take some time, especially if you have a large drive.
- Repair damaged disks. If Disk Verification shows problems with your disk, click Repair Disk under First Aid. Disk Utility will fix any problems that arise. However, if the problem is serious, your hard drive may need to be replaced. Several options that can be used include Drive Genius or Disk Warrior.
Speed up Your Mac Step 9 Step 4. Using the cleaning system
Step 1. Addition of memory
Depending on your computer model, you can add RAM (Random Access Memory) memory. RAM can make it easier for programs to store information in easy-to-access memory at a speed that the program can reach.
Speed up Your Mac Step 11 Step 2. Determine what RAM your Mac needs
Different systems will require different types of RAM. MacBooks use different RAM than desktop Macs, and different models will also use their own speed. Adjust the type of memory to be added to your needs.
- To find out how much memory you have installed, as well as how fast the memory is, click the Apple menu and then choose About This Mac. After that, a window will open showing the version of OS X you have installed, your processor, and your memory.
- This screen will not show how much usable memory your system has. Usually, you can install up to 4GB, although there are some types of MacBooks that can only be installed up to 2GB. Make sure you double-click on the document to see how much memory you can use.
- When the installed memory is 2GB, and then you want to add another 2GB, it's not as easy as buying a 2GB memory stick and adding it just like that. You can only add if there are two RAM slots, and each new slot is installed 1GB. To add up to 4GB, you'll need to double the 2GB stick.
Speed up Your Mac Step 12 Step 3. Open your computer
If you have installed MacBook memory, you will need to remove the back cover from your laptop. Make sure you remember which hole each screw belongs to as they come in different sizes. If you want to increase your computer's desktop memory, you will need to remove the cover so you can see the components.
When you are opening components inside your computer, make sure to cut off all electricity by touching the metal on the laptop cover
Speed up Your Mac Step 13 Step 4. Remove the old RAM
If you install a MacBook, the RAM slot will have a lever on the edge. Press until the RAM comes out. Take the RAM by pulling it hard. If you remove desktop RAM, the slots are vertical, with plastic locks at each end.
Speed up Your Mac Step 14 Step 5. Install the new RAM
The installation starts from the memory with the lowest slot to the highest one. Press firmly until the slot snaps into place. If you're installing RAM for a desktop, add it directly into the slot, then press until the stick snaps into place.
Speed up Your Mac Step 15 Step 6. Restart your computer
You can verify that the RAM is properly installed by clicking the Apple menu, then selecting About This Mac. Make sure you have the correct RAM installed. Otherwise, your RAM is either not installed, or installed with the wrong type.
Method 4 of 4: Reinstalling Mac OS X
Speed up Your Mac Step 16 Step 1. Restart Recovery mode
Step 2. Erase the disc
Select Disk Utility from the Recovery menu. From your list of drives, select the hard drive that has OS X installed. Click Erase, then select Mac OS Extended (Journaled) on the Format menu. Enter a name on the hard disk, then click Erase.
After the erase process is complete, click Disk Utility, then select Quit Disk Utility
Speed up Your Mac Step 18 Step 3. Connect to the network
To reinstall Mac OS X, you will need an internet connection. You can use either a wired or Wi-Fi connection. You can access the Wi-Fi menu in the upper right corner of the computer screen.
Step 4. Reinstall Mac OS X
Click the Reinstall Mac OS X button, then click Continue. After the question for license approval appears, make sure you accept it. Then, select the disk you want to install with Mac OS X. The disk you should choose is the one you will delete in the second step later.
- A question will appear for your Apple ID to continue the installation process. If you are signed in, the installation process starts and takes about an hour.
- When the installation process is complete, the computer will restart with the new Mac OS X installed. After that, you need to reset some basic settings like language, date and time options.
