If youโre here, then you must be one of the 100 million active Mac users around the world. Macs are reliable machines, after all, but even the best machines need maintenance. Youโll want to make sure that your machine is efficient and clean enough for you.
As a user, Mac maintenance is something you should never overlook. If you don’t know where to start, don’t worry. We’ve compiled a few MacBook maintenance tips that you can use as a guide to keeping your device at peak performance.
1. Keep Your Software Up to Date
Software updates get rid of bugs and fix security issues from outdated OS versions. You don’t want to miss out on new patches and their new features. Some features boost your device’s performance and make it that much more efficient.
You don’t want to keep dealing with problems that are already solved on the OS. Keeping all of Apple’s software updated is a simple process thanks to the Apple Menu. There’s a built-in utility service that checks if there are any new updates available.
If there are any new updates shown, you can choose to update them in “Software Updates.” You could also set it to update automatically as soon as a new one goes on Apple’s servers. Just go to the Software Updates preference pane and click on the “Scheduled Check” tab to set your preferences.
2. Back-Up Data
Losing your data isn’t a rare occurrence, so it’s better to be safe than sorry and back-up your data. Mac has a built-in back-up system called “Time Machine” that automatically saves data. It makes hourly, daily, or monthly back-up versions of your Mac so you can go back to anything you’ve lost.
You can go to Time Machine’s settings and adjust the back-ups to your preferences. You can even download third-party back-up software to use along with Time Machine. This is if you want to prioritize certain files or save your whole device’s data.
3. Install an Anti-Virus
You never know if you’re going to become a target of malware online. The number of attacks on macOS users has been steadily increasing, with 1.8 million cases in early 2019. Mac maintenance involves periodically scanning your device for malware and viruses.
Look for virus protection on a Mac that you can install online, with both paid and free options. The app should effectively scan your device and get rid of any unwanted malware. Look for anti-viruses that also block incoming threats to prevent becoming a victim of malware infections.
4. Get Rid of Junk Files
One reason for your device slowing down could be an overload of unnecessary data. To ensure that you get a smoother performance, you need to keep at least 10% of disk space free. To do this, get rid of all the junk stored in your files.
Once again, Apple has a built-in Optimized Storage feature that gets rid of junk files right away. Whether it’s deleting your trash or reducing the unnecessary clutter. The Optimized Storage feature helps you free up space on your computer easily.
To perform a deeper cleaning on your device, you could install other cleaning apps. You’ll also want cache and preference files to stop taking up space. You can find apps that perform a deep scan and find broken or outdated files that you don’t need.
5. Watch Your Hardware
One of the most important things to keep an eye on is your computer hardware. Most of today’s hard drives include Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology or SMART. This helps you monitor the status of your hardware and to see if everything is working normally.
You can check up on the status of your drive to see if you need to make a back-up to replace it. Do this at least once a month to avoid any sudden issues with the performance of your computer.
6. Only Run the Programs That You Need
You might not be aware of the number of programs that are running all at once on your Mac. This uses up more RAM and will make your computer run slower. Your processors will have a harder time keeping up with all the active programs.
To avoid this, open up your Dock and close any programs you aren’t using at the moment. You can also remove extra dashboard widgets and close background programs that are running.
7. Check Your Mac’s Directory
To do basic directory maintenance, you can go to Apple’s Disk Utility. This is where you can fix file corruption, apps unexpectedly closing, or external devices that aren’t working right.
You’ll need to launch the utility and click on your hard drive disk. Then you can click on the “First Aid” tab and find out what you need to repair. If you really need to pinpoint problems start here and list down the issues.
8. Don’t Forget to Restart Your Device
A quick fix to your device slowing down is to restart it. It helps free-up extra RAM, clear cache files, and close unused apps. If you aren’t coming across any performance issues, it’s still a good idea to restart your device every two weeks or so.
9. Restart Your Web Browsers
The programs that run the longest and need the most RAM are your web browsers. If you find your device slowing down, try quitting, and reopening your web browsers. This will smoothen performance and free up extra memory on your Mac.
10. Try Installing a MacBook Maintenance Program
If you want something that takes care of most of these problems in one convenient app. Try downloading a MacBook maintenance program. Look online and look for the features you need to help maintain your MacBook for you.
Follow These Must-Know Mac Maintenance Tips Now!
We hope that we were able to help you learn more about Mac maintenance. It’s all about consistent check-ups to help improve overall performance.
There’s always more you can learn but now you know more about tips for caring for Mac. Weโre here to provide the information you need. Never hesitate to check out the rest of our guides right here!
