Five Ways to Speed Up Your Mac

IMG_0899

Mac computers may not be prone to catching viruses, but they can be slowed down over time due to years of buildup and use. Using these tips can help you free up some space on your Mac and get it moving faster.

1.     Give It a Break!

When was the last time you shut your computer down? This is something that most people don’t even think about. Either it’s their work computer, and they don’t think twice about leaving it running because they aren’t paying the electricity bill, or it’s their personal computer, and they are constantly using it for browsing the internet, sending emails, streaming videos, and more. It’s easy to forget that your computer needs a break. Let it shut down completely more often. Closing down all applications and letting your computer restart can do wonders for how fast it runs. If possible, shut it down every night before bed.

2.     Use the Provided Tools

Macs come with this handy built-in application called Activity Monitor that does exactly what its name implies: it monitors everything that is running on your computer and tells you what your CPU, Random Access Memory (RAM), and virtual memory usages are. This will tell you exactly what is slowing down your system at the time. Use this tool to find out which applications and programs are running uselessly in the background and shut them down.

3.     Clean It Up

Does your desktop have icons everywhere? Every time a computer restarts, it has to load all of those items. Clean up and organize your desktop so that only essential items are visible. Simply clearing your Downloads folder and the Trash can get rid of megabytes of data. In fact, the best way to clean up your hard drive is to put all of your files on either an external hard drive or to upload them to a cloud-based storage system (Dropbox, Google Drive, and Box are some options).

4.     Keep It Updated

Ensuring that your operating system is always running the most up to date software will help your computer run faster. Each update contains improvements, patches, and bug fixes that the previous version was lacking. If you stay on top of your updates your computer will continue to run smoothly.

5.     If All Else Fails, Upgrade!

While the other solutions presented are free, sometimes shelling out some money will get you the best results. If the above tips haven’t improved your Mac’s performance, you may want to consider upgrading your hardware. There are several options, but upgrading your RAM is probably the simplest way to achieve this, and it is much cheaper than upgrading your processor. You can view your memory and processor by clicking Apple > About This Mac. At the very minimum, you should have 2 GB RAM; more, if you’re using Photoshop or Illustrator.

So that’s it! Hopefully, these tips will have your computer up and running so you can get back to it. Remember to keep your computer backed up so that if your computer ever quits on you, you still have access to your files!

Share Button
Follow Us
Facebook
Twitter