How to Clean Mac Hard Drive

Is your mac running slow? Seeing that color pin wheel too often? Want to "clean up" your computer? Here's one way to do it using a free software called OnyX.

• Determine your Operating System: Click on the blue apple in the upper left, then click "About this Mac." At the top it will likely say "Mac OS X" and below it a version number, which you should write down. (If you have an old Mac it might say something about Version 9).
  
  
• Download and Install OnyX: You can find it at http://www.titanium.free.fr/pgs2/english/download.html You'll need to install the version that matches your operating system. [more details on downloading & installing software.]

Using OnyX: These are instructions I got from a discussion board. They worked for me. In particular, this process seemed to resolve a problem of very slow rendering with Final Cut Pro video editing software.

• Using OynX: The OnyX software has slight variations depending on the mac Operating system you have. I'm using OS X Version 4 (Tiger).
  
  For OS X version 4, I was prompted to do the following, which I did:
  
  
• check SMART status
  
  
• Verify Startup Disk
  
  As general advice, I ran the following steps without changing the default items that were selected.
  
  
• Check System Preferences: Under Unix Utilities, run plutil, which checks system preference files to ensure none are corrupted. Hopefully it will run and say "OK".
  
  
• Clear Caches: Under Cleaning run the program with the defaults. if you select other items, e.g., cookies, you'll delete auto passwords to sites you visit.
  
  For some versions of OnyX, depending on your operating system, you might need to reboot your computer and restart Onyx.
  
  
• Maintenance Scripts: Under Maintenance, run "verify permissions." Then, run the maintenance scripts. Then, run a "complete optimization."

Now you're done with OnyX.

Here's some more checks you can do following the use of OnyX:

Load "disk utility" software from the applications>utilities folder. Under first aid, verify the disk. If it's OK, great.

If it finds any issues, then reboot your computer from the OS X CD, holding the C key down. From the menu bar, start disk utility. Under first aid, repair the disk (you can't repair a disk the hard drive you booted from).

Thankfully, I've not had to do the latter, but would try it if necessary.

I hope this is helpful and not harmful. You can always Google the various terms used above to gain a better understanding of them.

Sources:

Discussion Thread from which I got this advice.

How to Download and Install Mac Software

This is a very limited "How to" on downloading, installing and running software from the internet.

In general, be careful about downloading software from websites you might not have reason to trust. Once you're ready to go, these tips might be of help.

• When you click the "download" button, a box will typically open giving you the option to save the file to your computer. The file is usually a compressed version of an installation package. If given the option to select a directory, I usually save it to my "Desk top." This makes it easier to find.
  
  Try to note the name of the file being downloaded to help finding it later.
  
  
• After the download is complete, find the installation package (hopefully on your desktop). If you have trouble finding it, it might have an extension .zip or .dmg. If you wrote the file name down, you can search for using the magnifying glass (spotlight), usually in the upper right of your screen (type .dmg or .zip or the filename).
  
  Tip: Open your Finder, Go to desktop, and you might see the new file. You can sort the files by date.
  
  Tip: F11 moves all of your open software aside so that you can see your desktop.
  
  
• Once found, Double-click and follow the instructions. In some cases the first file you clock on will simply unpack/unzip another "installation" file, either on your desktop or in a pop-up box. You'll then need to double-click this installation file. Follow the instructions, which usually ask you to agree to the conditions of the licensing agreement (sorry, we live in a corporatized world).
  
  
• After it says "Installation Complete," or something like that, you are sometimes given the option of starting the program. Other times, it simply finishes. Then what? How do you run the program?
  
  
• Running the new software: Sometimes, the new software creates an Icon on your desktop. Other times, you'll need to use Finder, click on "Applications" and try to find a file with an appropriate name and the extension .app The application file might also be stored within a folder.
  
  
• Finally, if this is a program you will use a lot, you can drag and drop the .app file to your "dashboard," the list of programs often located at the bottom of the screen.