Cleaning out startup items
I have now had my PowerBook about 10 months. I love it. However, during that time, I have accumulated quite a few system enhancements that startup when the OS loads (e.g., FruitMenu, Textpander, Sidetrack, etc.). As a result, my system seems to be running slower.
Is there one place where I can manage all these startup apps? It appears that a good many of these are listed under System Preferences | User Accounts, but not all of them. Is there a third-party app that will manage these?
Hi MGW,
dont know if its polite to reply like this but cant find no answer to my problem, wich is similar:
I got a lot of copies of the Extensis Suitcase app (however saying somthing like "unknown application") in the Preferences>accounts>login items pane, but cant delete them! I assume that I would need just one as much, would I?
I keep on selecting them and clicking the "-" button, but it fails to obbey... I have managed to place an alias in the folder "login items" (under library I think) and seems to work fine, but having this list in the Preferences>accounts>login items pane seems absurd to me...
Do you know a way to override this?
Thanks!!"
Similar Messages
-
Cleaning out startup drive safely of Leopard machine
I have a 500G startup drive in my MacPro and Leopard on it. I want to move to SL and I also need more space for my Aperture Library. I ran WhatSize to see what was taking up so much room and have started moving photos and other nonessential stuff off....but also see that there are folders inside the Library/Application Support folder of both the main machine and user that don't seem to have utility right now = some are supporting apps no longer on my machine and some I don't know why I have them.
For instance, I have TechTool Protection folder inside Library/ApplicationSupport and it takes up 5G - if I no longer have an application on the machine can I safely delete the folder inside the Library/AppSupport folder of the machine and of the user???
I will be moving to SnowLeopard but want to address the cleaning out process first.Within the /Home/Library/Applications Support/ folder it's safe to remove contents belonging to uninstalled applications. This is also true for the /Library/Applications Support/ folder provided you limit it to third-party applications no longer installed. However, do not start removing other files and folders from the /Library/ folder as they belong to the operating system.
If you plan to uninstall third-party applications and software then do so properly:
Uninstalling Software: The Basics
Most OS X applications are completely self-contained "packages" that can be uninstalled by simply dragging the application to the Trash. Applications may create preference files that are stored in the /Home/Library/Preferences/ folder. Although they do nothing once you delete the associated application, they do take up some disk space. If you want you can look for them in the above location and delete them, too.
Some applications may install an uninstaller program that can be used to remove the application. In some cases the uninstaller may be part of the application's installer, and is invoked by clicking on a Customize button that will appear during the install process.
Some applications may install components in the /Home/Library/Applications Support/ folder. You can also check there to see if the application has created a folder. You can also delete the folder that's in the Applications Support folder. Again, they don't do anything but take up disk space once the application is trashed.
Some applications may install a startupitem or a Log In item. Startupitems are usually installed in the /Library/StartupItems/ folder and less often in the /Home/Library/StartupItems/ folder. Log In Items are set in the Accounts preferences. Open System Preferences, click on the Accounts icon, then click on the LogIn Items tab. Locate the item in the list for the application you want to remove and click on the "-" button to delete it from the list.
Some software use startup daemons or agents that are a new feature of the OS. Look for them in /Library/LaunchAgents/ and /Library/LaunchDaemons/ or in /Home/Library/LaunchAgents/.
If an application installs any other files the best way to track them down is to do a Finder search using the application name or the developer name as the search term. Unfortunately Spotlight will not look in certain folders by default. You can modify Spotlight's behavior or use a third-party search utility, Easy Find, instead. Download Easy Find at VersionTracker or MacUpdate.
Some applications install a receipt in the /Library/Receipts/ folder. Usually with the same name as the program or the developer. The item generally has a ".pkg" extension. Be sure you also delete this item as some programs use it to determine if it's already installed.
There are also several shareware utilities that can uninstall applications:
AppZapper
CleanApp
Yank
SuperPop
Uninstaller
Spring Cleaning
Look for them at VersionTracker or MacUpdate.
For more information visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQ on removing software. -
Slow down after upgrading OS, issue with Startup item
Problem description:
slow after updating OS
EtreCheck version: 2.1.5 (108)
Report generated January 14, 2015 at 10:45:00 PM EST
Click the [Support] links for help with non-Apple products.
Click the [Details] links for more information about that line.
Click the [Adware] links for help removing adware.
Hardware Information: ℹ️
MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2012) (Verified)
MacBook Pro - model: MacBookPro9,2
1 2.5 GHz Intel Core i5 CPU: 2-core
4 GB RAM Upgradeable
BANK 0/DIMM0
2 GB DDR3 1600 MHz ok
BANK 1/DIMM0
2 GB DDR3 1600 MHz ok
Bluetooth: Good - Handoff/Airdrop2 supported
Wireless: en1: 802.11 a/b/g/n
Video Information: ℹ️
Intel HD Graphics 4000
Color LCD 1280 x 800
System Software: ℹ️
OS X 10.10.1 (14B25) - Uptime: 1:36:4
Disk Information: ℹ️
TOSHIBA MK5065GSXF disk0 : (500.11 GB)
EFI (disk0s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB
Recovery HD (disk0s3) <not mounted> [Recovery]: 650 MB
Macintosh HD (disk1) / : 498.88 GB (251.85 GB free)
Core Storage: disk0s2 499.25 GB Online
MATSHITADVD-R UJ-8A8
USB Information: ℹ️
Apple Inc. FaceTime HD Camera (Built-in)
Apple Computer, Inc. IR Receiver
Apple Inc. Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad
Apple Inc. BRCM20702 Hub
Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller
Thunderbolt Information: ℹ️
Apple Inc. thunderbolt_bus
Gatekeeper: ℹ️
Mac App Store and identified developers
Kernel Extensions: ℹ️
/Library/Extensions
[not loaded] org.virtualbox.kext.VBoxDrv (4.2.6) [Support]
[not loaded] org.virtualbox.kext.VBoxNetAdp (4.2.6) [Support]
[not loaded] org.virtualbox.kext.VBoxNetFlt (4.2.6) [Support]
[not loaded] org.virtualbox.kext.VBoxUSB (4.2.6) [Support]
Startup Items: ℹ️
VirtualBox: Path: /Library/StartupItems/VirtualBox
Startup items are obsolete in OS X Yosemite
Launch Agents: ℹ️
[loaded] com.google.keystone.agent.plist [Support]
[loaded] com.oracle.java.Java-Updater.plist [Support]
[not loaded] com.xamarin.mtvs.buildserver.plist [Support]
Launch Daemons: ℹ️
[loaded] com.adobe.fpsaud.plist [Support]
[loaded] com.google.keystone.daemon.plist [Support]
[loaded] com.oracle.java.Helper-Tool.plist [Support]
User Launch Agents: ℹ️
[loaded] com.adobe.ARM.[...].plist [Support]
[not loaded] org.virtualbox.vboxwebsrv.plist [Support]
User Login Items: ℹ️
SpeechSynthesisServer Application (/System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks /SpeechSynthesis.framework/Versions/A/SpeechSynthesisServer.app)
EOS Utility ApplicationHidden (/Applications/Canon Utilities/EOS Utility/EOS Utility.app)
Internet Plug-ins: ℹ️
FlashPlayer-10.6: Version: 16.0.0.235 - SDK 10.6 [Support]
Default Browser: Version: 600 - SDK 10.10
AdobePDFViewerNPAPI: Version: 11.0.10 - SDK 10.6 [Support]
AdobePDFViewer: Version: 11.0.10 - SDK 10.6 [Support]
Flash Player: Version: 16.0.0.235 - SDK 10.6 Mismatch! Adobe recommends 16.0.0.257
o1dbrowserplugin: Version: 5.38.6.0 - SDK 10.8 [Support]
QuickTime Plugin: Version: 7.7.3
googletalkbrowserplugin: Version: 5.38.6.0 - SDK 10.8 [Support]
Unity Web Player: Version: UnityPlayer version 4.6.0f3 - SDK 10.6 [Support]
DirectorShockwave: Version: 11.6.8r638 [Support]
JavaAppletPlugin: Version: Java 7 Update 71 Check version
User internet Plug-ins: ℹ️
aliedit: Version: 1.0 - SDK 10.6 [Support]
3rd Party Preference Panes: ℹ️
Flash Player [Support]
Java [Support]
TeXDistPrefPane [Support]
Time Machine: ℹ️
Time Machine not configured!
Top Processes by CPU: ℹ️
14% Dock
14% com.apple.WebKit.Plugin.64
5% WindowServer
2% Safari
2% com.apple.WebKit.Networking
Top Processes by Memory: ℹ️
210 MB com.apple.WebKit.WebContent
146 MB softwareupdated
125 MB Finder
94 MB loginwindow
90 MB Safari
Virtual Memory Information: ℹ️
57 MB Free RAM
1.75 GB Active RAM
1.73 GB Inactive RAM
746 MB Wired RAM
2.01 GB Page-ins
5 MB Page-outs
Diagnostics Information: ℹ️
Jan 14, 2015, 09:09:58 PM Self test - passed
Jan 14, 2015, 08:06:51 AM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/com.apple.WebKit.Plugin.64_2015-01-14-080651_[r edacted].cpu_resource.diag [Details]Add more RAM or cut back on concurrent applications. Startup Item is irrelevant.
Try these in order testing your system after each to see if it's back to normal:
1. a. Resetting your Mac's PRAM and NVRAM
b. Intel-based Macs: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC)
2. Restart the computer in Safe Mode, then restart again, normally. If this doesn't help, then:
Boot to the Recovery HD: Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the Utilities menu screen appears. Alternatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.
3. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions: Upon startup select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions as follows.
When the recovery menu appears select Disk Utility. After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the main menu. Select Restart from the Apple menu.
4. Reinstall Yosemite: Reboot from the Recovery HD. Select Reinstall OS X from the Utilities menu, and click on the Continue button.
Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible
because it is three times faster than wireless.
5. Reinstall Yosemite from Scratch:
Be sure you backup your files to an external drive or second internal drive because the following procedure will remove everything from the hard drive.
How to Clean Install OS X Yosemite
Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible
because it is three times faster than wireless. -
How to find and clean out movie files?
Keep getting the "startup disk almost full" memo. I've had this problem for a few months and I've done just about everything for temporary fixes. I've gone through downloaded files, iPhoto and iTunes and browser history- cleaned out huge chunks of each of these AND emptied trash multiple times. I uninstalled iMovie, deleted many precious videos I spent hours making, and my movies folder on finder (under favorites) only shows that its taking up 2.68 GB, but about this mac storage page shows that movies takes up 39 gig????? insanity, Is that even possible???????????? (I'm angry) i've searched for .mov, .m4v and .avi files on my mac and it shows that all 4 files i have for any of those categories don't even take up 2 gig. what is going on??????? i also have this "other" category showing up on about this mac as taking up another 30 gig of storage. i've read all the discussions and done everything but buy some stupid software that will tell me what i already know. i don't use time machine or icloud (but i will if it will give me more storage space, but i assume that it will do just the opposite).
1. Start up in Safe Mode.
http://support.apple.com/kb/PH11212
2. Re-index Macintosh HD.
Do this twice.
Spotlight reindexing will take a while to finish.
System Preferences > Spotlight > Privacy
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht2409
About “Other”:
http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202867
8. Try free OmniDiskSweeper. This will give the storage size details of the items.
Select Macintosh HD and click “Sweep Selected Drive” at the bottom.
https://www.omnigroup.com/more -
I am trying to hold onto my iMac5 (Intel Duo Core) as long as I can. It is running very slow and I would like to clean out older software--previous versions of pages, for example. Can I uninstall all these older versions without impacting current files? And how do I uninstall so that everything is gone? Thanks.
Problem description:
Computer runs very slow.
EtreCheck version: 2.1.1 (104)
Report generated December 8, 2014 11:29:38 AM EST
Hardware Information: ℹ️
iMac (17-inch, Late 2006) (Verified)
iMac - model: iMac5,1
1 2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU: 2-core
1 GB RAM
BANK 0/DIMM0
512 MB DDR2 SDRAM 667 MHz ok
BANK 1/DIMM1
512 MB DDR2 SDRAM 667 MHz ok
Bluetooth: Old - Handoff/Airdrop2 not supported
Wireless: en1: 802.11 a/b/g/n
Video Information: ℹ️
ATY,RadeonX1600 - VRAM: 128 MB
iMac 1440 x 900
spdisplays_display_connector
System Software: ℹ️
Mac OS X 10.6.8 (10K549) - Uptime: 9 days 20:37:9
Disk Information: ℹ️
WDC WD1600JS-40TGB0 disk0 : (149.05 GB)
S.M.A.R.T. Status: Verified
- (disk0s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB
Macintosh HD (disk0s2) / : 159.70 GB (49.53 GB free)
USB Information: ℹ️
Micron Built-in iSight
Western Digital My Passport 07B8 931.48 GB
S.M.A.R.T. Status: Verified
- (disk1s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB
My Passport for Mac (disk1s2) /Volumes/My Passport for Mac : 999.83 GB (879.69 GB free)
Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller
Apple Computer, Inc. IR Receiver
Kernel Extensions: ℹ️
/System/Library/Extensions
[not loaded] com.flipvideo.IOUSBCameraMassStorage (1.0.1) [Support]
Startup Items: ℹ️
M-Audio Firmware Loader: Path: /Library/StartupItems/M-Audio Firmware Loader
Startup items are obsolete in OS X Yosemite
Problem System Launch Daemons: ℹ️
[not loaded] org.samba.winbindd.plist [Support]
Launch Agents: ℹ️
[running] com.flipvideo.FlipShare.AutoRun.plist [Support]
[running] com.hp.productresearch.plist [Support]
Launch Daemons: ℹ️
[loaded] com.adobe.fpsaud.plist [Support]
[running] com.flipvideo.FlipShareServer.launchd.plist [Support]
[loaded] com.microsoft.office.licensing.helper.plist [Support]
User Launch Agents: ℹ️
[loaded] com.adobe.ARM.[...].plist [Support]
[running] com.ecamm.printopia.plist [Support]
[loaded] com.google.keystone.agent.plist [Support]
[not loaded] jp.co.canon.Inkjet_Extended_Survey_Agent.plist [Support]
[running] ws.agile.1PasswordAgent.plist [Support]
User Login Items: ℹ️
iTunesHelper UNKNOWN (missing value)
Microsoft AU Daemon Application (/Applications/Microsoft AutoUpdate.app/Contents/MacOS/Microsoft AU Daemon.app)
AdobeResourceSynchronizer UNKNOWN (missing value)
Canon IJ Network Scanner Selector2 ApplicationHidden (/Library/Printers/Canon/IJScanner/Utilities/Canon IJ Network Scanner Selector2.app)
AdobeResourceSynchronizer ApplicationHidden (/Applications/Adobe Reader.app/Contents/Support/AdobeResourceSynchronizer.app)
Octoshape Application (/Users/[redacted]/Library/Octoshape/Octoshape.app)
WDDriveUtilityHelper Application (/Applications/WD Drive Utilities.app/Contents/WDDriveUtilityHelper.app)
Dropbox Application (/Applications/Dropbox.app)
Internet Plug-ins: ℹ️
DirectorShockwave: Version: 11.0.0r458 [Support]
Google Earth Web Plug-in: Version: 7.1 [Support]
Flip4Mac WMV Plugin: Version: 2.4.1.4 [Support]
Musicnotes: Version: 1.19.0 [Support]
AdobePDFViewerNPAPI: Version: 10.1.12 [Support]
FlashPlayer-10.6: Version: 15.0.0.239 - SDK 10.6 [Support]
Silverlight: Version: 4.0.60831.0 [Support]
Flash Player: Version: 15.0.0.239 - SDK 10.6 [Support]
iPhotoPhotocast: Version: 7.0
QuickTime Plugin: Version: 7.6.6
SharePointBrowserPlugin: Version: 14.4.6 - SDK 10.6 [Support]
AdobePDFViewer: Version: 10.1.12 [Support]
EPPEX Plugin: Version: 3.0.5.0 [Support]
Scorch: Version: 6.1.0 [Support]
JavaAppletPlugin: Version: 13.9.8 - SDK 10.6 Check version
User internet Plug-ins: ℹ️
OctoshapeWeb: Version: 1.0 - SDK 10.8 [Support]
Stamps.com: Version: 1.1.12 [Support]
Safari Extensions: ℹ️
1Password-1
Audio Plug-ins: ℹ️
iSightAudio: Version: 7.6.6
3rd Party Preference Panes: ℹ️
Flash Player [Support]
Flip4Mac WMV [Support]
Printopia [Support]
Time Machine: ℹ️
Time Machine information requires OS X 10.7 "Lion" or later.
Top Processes by CPU: ℹ️
5% WDDriveUtilityHelper
3% mDNSResponder
2% WindowServer
1% mds
0% ps
Top Processes by Memory: ℹ️
92 MB Mail
73 MB WebProcess
68 MB AdobeReader
64 MB Pages
57 MB Safari
Virtual Memory Information: ℹ️
30 MB Free RAM
594 MB Active RAM
288 MB Inactive RAM
161 MB Wired RAM
3.57 GB Page-ins
2.19 GB Page-outs
Diagnostics Information: ℹ️ -
when using my mac book pro, there's a window that comes up saying to force quit applications. i've done the updates cleaned out computer and have taken it in but it wont stop coming up. what can i do?
The force quit window appears when you:
a) type the key combination <CMD> + <OPT> + <ESC>
b) you select the menu item " > Force Quit..." -
Adobe is not working properly after cleaning out a virus
After iyogi cleaned out a virus, adobe pdf insists everything is corrupt, re-loading saved files are getting corrupt error messages now that the system is clean. [email protected] 12/2/13
Carlospipo
A while back there was a thread which ended up in the same situation that you appear to be in.
Premiere elements crashing when adding disc menu on a mac
There does not seem to be a fixed answer in it. One suggestion seemed to be opening a new project which had no problems with the menus and that would trigger the problem project to work. From what you have written, it sounded like you have been there and done that.
I think this is going to go to permissions and preferences. But, not being a Mac user, I do not have any first hand information on that.
A common ground approach would be the deletion of the Adobe Premiere Elements Prefs file. But, haven't you done that already? Worth doing it
again after all the recent troubleshooting?
How many Timeline markers are you using? Have you allowed for at least a few frames between each marker....and no stop marker at the end of
the last item on the Timeline?
Please check out the above and then please let us know what is happening.
Thank you.
ATR -
Firefox opens at startup on my iMac. It is not in startup items and not checked to open at login.
There aren't really any more details to add. I have checked everything I can think of in the Library folder and thrown out anything I thought might affect it. Firefox is not set as my default browser.
I have read many threads of people having this problem both here and on the Apple Support site. Most seem to be solved by unchecking "Open at Login" in the Dock icon or removing Firefox from the Startup Items in the System Preferences. Neither applies here. HELP!!! I like Firefox and use it from time to time but it seems the only way to stop this behavior is to remove it from my computer, which I will do if a solution can't be found.
Thanks for your efforts.Yes. I checked all of the places I could think of and those mentioned in the threads I read. Login items is what I was referring to when I said, "removing Firefox from the Startup Items in the System Preferences".
This is a nefarious problem! -
where to find the best application for cleaning out my MacBook Air with OS X 10.7.5? I've been using MacKeeper but believe it's slowing down my laptop considerable. Thank you.
How to maintain a Mac
1. Make redundant backups, keeping at least one off site at all times. One backup is not enough. Don’t back up your backups; make them independent of each other. Don’t rely completely on any single backup method, such as Time Machine. If you get an indication that a backup has failed, don't ignore it.
2. Keep your software up to date. In the Software Update preference pane, you can configure automatic notifications of updates to OS X and other Mac App Store products. Some third-party applications from other sources have a similar feature, if you don’t mind letting them phone home. Otherwise you have to check yourself on a regular basis. This is especially important for complex software that modifies the operating system, such as device drivers. Before installing any Apple update, you must check that all such modifications that you use are compatible.
3. Don't install crapware, such as “themes,” "haxies," “add-ons,” “toolbars,” “enhancers," “optimizers,” “accelerators,” "boosters," “extenders,” “cleaners,” "doctors," "tune-ups," “defragmenters,” “firewalls,” "barriers," “guardians,” “defenders,” “protectors,” most “plugins,” commercial "virus scanners,” "disk tools," or "utilities." With very few exceptions, this stuff is useless, or worse than useless. Above all, avoid any software that purports to change the look and feel of the user interface.
The more actively promoted the product, the more likely it is to be garbage. The most extreme example is the “MacKeeper” scam.
As a rule, the only software you should install is that which directly enables you to do the things you use a computer for — such as creating, communicating, and playing — and does not modify the way other software works. Use your computer; don't fuss with it.
Safari extensions, and perhaps the equivalent for other web browsers, are a partial exception to the above rule. Most are safe, and they're easy to get rid of if they don't work. Some may cause the browser to crash or otherwise malfunction. Some are malicious. Use with caution, and install only well-known extensions from relatively trustworthy sources, such as the Safari Extensions Gallery.
Never install any third-party software unless you know how to uninstall it. Otherwise you may create problems that are very hard to solve.
4. Beware of trojans. A trojan is malicious software (“malware”) that the user is duped into installing voluntarily. Such attacks were rare on the Mac platform until sometime in 2011, but are now increasingly common, and increasingly dangerous.
There is some built-in protection against downloading malware, but you can’t rely on it — the attackers are always at least one day ahead of the defense. You can’t rely on third-party protection either. What you can rely on is common-sense awareness — not paranoia, which only makes you more vulnerable.
Never install software from an untrustworthy or unknown source. If in doubt, do some research. Any website that prompts you to install a “codec” or “plugin” that comes from the same site, or an unknown site, is untrustworthy. Software with a corporate brand, such as Adobe Flash Player, must be acquired directly from the developer. No intermediary is acceptable, and don’t trust links unless you know how to parse them. Any file that is automatically downloaded from a web page without your having requested it should go straight into the Trash. A website that claims you have a “virus,” or that anything else is wrong with your computer, is rogue.
In OS X 10.7.5 or later, downloaded applications and Installer packages that have not been digitally signed by a developer registered with Apple are blocked from loading by default. The block can be overridden, but think carefully before you do so.
Because of recurring security issues in Java, it’s best to disable it in your web browsers, if it’s installed. Few websites have Java content nowadays, so you won’t be missing much. This action is mandatory if you’re running any version of OS X older than 10.6.8 with the latest Java update. Note: Java has nothing to do with JavaScript, despite the similar names. Don't install Java unless you're sure you need it. Most people don't.
5. Don't fill up your boot volume. A common mistake is adding more and more large files to your home folder until you start to get warnings that you're out of space, which may be followed in short order by a boot failure. This is more prone to happen on the newer Macs that come with an internal SSD instead of the traditional hard drive. The drive can be very nearly full before you become aware of the problem. While it's not true that you should or must keep any particular percentage of space free, you should monitor your storage consumption and make sure you're not in immediate danger of using it up. According to Apple documentation, you need at least 9 GB of free space on the startup volume for normal operation.
If storage space is running low, use a tool such as the free application OmniDiskSweeper to explore your volume and find out what's taking up the most space. Move rarely-used large files to secondary storage.
6. Relax, don’t do it. Besides the above, no routine maintenance is necessary or beneficial for the vast majority of users; specifically not “cleaning caches,” “zapping the PRAM,” "resetting the SMC," “rebuilding the directory,” "defragmenting the drive," “running periodic scripts,” “dumping logs,” "deleting temp files," “scanning for viruses,” "purging memory," "checking for bad blocks," "testing the hardware," or “repairing permissions.” Such measures are either completely pointless or are useful only for solving problems, not for prevention.
The very height of futility is running an expensive third-party application called “Disk Warrior” when nothing is wrong, or even when something is wrong and you have backups, which you must have. Disk Warrior is a data-salvage tool, not a maintenance tool, and you will never need it if your backups are adequate. Don’t waste money on it or anything like it. -
I want to clean out my macBrook pro for my daughter to use in college
I have a macBook pro I want to clean out, would it be better to take it to the apple counter or do it myself? If doing it myself, simple simple pls, how do I go about it?
I assumed you didn't mean physically clean it.
Follow these instructions step by step to prepare a Mac for sale:
Step One - Back up your data:
A. If you have any Virtual PCs shut them down. They cannot be in their "fast saved" state. They must be shut down from inside Windows.
B. Clone to an external drive using using Carbon Copy Cloner.
1. Open Carbon Copy Cloner.
2. Select the Source volume from the Select a source drop down menu on the left side.
3. Select the Destination volume from the Select a destination drop down menu on the right
side.
4. Click on the Clone button. If you are prompted about creating a clone of the Recovery HD be
sure to opt for that.
Destination means a freshly erased external backup drive. Source means the internal
startup drive.
Step Two - Prepare the machine for the new buyer:
1. De-authorize the computer in iTunes! De-authorize both iTunes and Audible accounts.
2, Remove any Open Firmware passwords or Firmware passwords.
3. Turn the brightness full up and volume nearly so.
4. Turn off File Vault, if enabled.
5. Disable iCloud, if enabled: See.What to do with iCloud before selling your computer
Step Three - Install a fresh OS:
A. Snow Leopard and earlier versions of OS X
1. Insert the original OS X install CD/DVD that came with your computer.
2. Restart the computer while holding down the C key to boot from the CD/DVD.
3. Select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu; repartition and reformat the internal hard drive.
Optionally, click on the Security button and set the Zero Data option to one-pass.
4. Install OS X.
5. Upon completion DO NOT restart the computer.
6. Shutdown the computer.
B. Lion and Mountain Lion (if pre-installed on the computer at purchase*)
Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible because
it is three times faster than wireless.
1. Restart the computer while holding down the COMMAND and R keys until the Mac OS X
Utilities window appears.
2. Select Disk Utility from the Mac OS X Utilities window and click on the Continue button.
3. After DU loads select your startup volume (usually Macintosh HD) from the left side list. Click
on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
4. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Optionally, click on the Security button
and set the Zero Data option to one-pass.
5. Click on the Erase button and wait until the process has completed.
6. Quit DU and return to the Mac OS X Utilities window.
7. Select Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion and click on the Install button.
8. Upon completion shutdown the computer.
*If your computer came with Lion or Mountain Lion pre-installed then you are entitled to transfer your license once. If you purchased Lion or Mountain Lion from the App Store then you cannot transfer your license to another party. In the case of the latter you should install the original version of OS X that came with your computer. You need to repartition the hard drive as well as reformat it; this will assure that the Recovery HD partition is removed. See Step Three above. You may verify these requirements by reviewing your OS X Software License. -
Launchd, Startup Item crud - -what am I doing wrong?
So, I have a startup item which works when I type
sudo SystemStarter start MayaFlexlm
Works great. Spawns flexlm, a daemon that listens for incoming connections for licensing.
Trouble is, it does not automatically start on reboot. I always have to type that command to make it run. This is obviously a problem and I don't understand why SystemStarter doesn't do what it claims.
So I said, good time to migrate to launchd. When I made a plist, however, and tried to run it with
sudo launchctl load -w /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.rcook.mayaflexlm.plist
I get nothing in the system log, no daemon running, and life ***. Can someone take a look at my code and tell me what I'm doing wrong?
Here is the Startup Item which works:
=====================================
#!/bin/sh
Maya license server daemon startup, hacked up by Rich Cook extenstion 3=9605
. /etc/rc.common
StartService ()
if RUNNING=$(/usr/aw/COM/bin/lmstat -c /var/flexlm/aw_server.dat | grep -v 'not running' >/dev/null 2>&1); then
ConsoleMessage "Starting Maya flexlm server."
/usr/aw/COM/bin/aw_flexlm start
else
ConsoleMessage "Maya license server (flexlm) is already running."
fi
StopService ()
ConsoleMessage "Stopping Maya flexlm server"
/usr/aw/COM/bin/aw_flexlm stop
RestartService ()
StopService
StartService
RunService "$1"
======================================================
Here is the launch daemon which makes me hate Apple Computers:
======================================================
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
<key>RunAtLoad</key>
<true/>
<key>Label</key>
<string>rcook.mayaflexlm</string>
<key>ProgramArguments</key>
<array>
<string>/usr/aw/COM/bin/aw_flexlm</string>
<string>start</string>
</array>
<key>ServiceDescription</key>
<string>Maya FlexLM licensing for Maya and CityEngine</string>
</dict>
</plist>
=====================================================wealthychef wrote:
As one of our scaly unpleasant friends was hinting at, labels are not used for much by launchd; they have little operational significance, I believe.
I've never seen one whose label was different that the file name (less .plist) so it's a good thing to change anyway. Perhaps labels are only used to identify them in a human-readable listing.
I do get an error in the log, though, which I think means that the process exited immediately.
That is an important plot point.
Perhaps there launchd expects the daemon to keep running and kills it if it doesn't? I recall in the man page or somewhere they said the process cannot daemonize itself.
That is correct.
aw_flexlm starts the actual license software and then exits. This is probably my problem. But I didn't write this code -- all I want is for this thing to start up on launch. I will trust it won't crash.
Is aw_flexlm a binary or a script?
If it is a script, you should be able to look inside and find where it actually kicks off a program. Duplicate that line and turn it into an echo. Run it and now you'll have your actual executable and arguments.
If aw_flexlm is a binary, you will have to look for documentation for it. There are sometimes options that will prevent some or all of the various daemonization actions.
I did a quick check and it seems that aw_flexlm is indeed a script. You should be able to look around in it. The 'start' operation is easy. See what it does for the 'stop' operation. Launchd can't perform any complicated shutdown process. It expects the program to shutdown cleanly if killed. Not all programs will do that. -
What is best way to clean up startup disc? What apps work?
What is the best way to clean up my startup disc? Are any of the clean up apps trustworthy?
Here are some general tips to keep your Mac's hard drive trim and slim as possible
You should never, EVER let a computer hard drive get completely full, EVER!
With Macs and OS X, you shouldn't let the hard drive get below 15 GBs or less of free data space.
If it does, it's time for some hard drive housecleaning.
Follow some of my tips for cleaning out, deleting and archiving data from your Mac's internal hard drive.
Have you emptied your Mac's Trash icon in the Dock?
If you use iPhoto or Aperture, both have its own trash that needs to be emptied, also.
If you store images in other locations other than iPhoto, then you will have to weed through these to determine what to archive and what to delete.
If you are an iMovie/ Final Cut user, both apps have their own individual Trash location that needs to be emptied, too!
If you use Apple Mail app, Apple Mail also has its own trash area that needs to be emptied, too!
Delete any old or no longer needed emails and/or archive to disc, flash drives or external hard drive, older emails you want to save.
Look through your other Mailboxes and other Mail categories to see If there is other mail you can archive and/or delete.
STAY AWAY FROM DELETING ANY FILES FROM OS X SYSTEM FOLDER!
Look through your Documents folder and delete any type of old useless type files like "Read Me" type files.
Again, archive to disc, flash drives, ext. hard drives or delete any old documents you no longer use or immediately need.
Look in your Applications folder, if you have applications you haven't used in a long time, if the app doesn't have a dedicated uninstaller, then you can simply drag it into the OS X Trash icon. IF the application has an uninstaller app, then use it to completely delete the app from your Mac.
To find other large files, download an app called Omni Disk Sweeper.
http://www.omnigroup.com/more
Also, Find Any File
http://apps.tempel.org/FindAnyFile/
Typically, iTunes and iPhoto libraries are the biggest users of HD space.
move these files/data off of your internal drive to the external hard drive and deleted off of the internal hard drive.
If you have any other large folders of personal data or projects, these should be archived or moved, also, to the optical discs, flash drives or external hard drive and then either archived to disc and/or deleted off your internal hard drive.
Moving iTunes library
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1449
Moving iPhoto library
http://support.apple.com/kb/PH2506
Moving iMovie projects folder
http://support.apple.com/kb/ph2289
Things to consider before moving your iPhoto Library Folder to a new or external location like an external hard drive.
If you make movies on any iDevices using iMovie for iOS,, then transfer the video footage, the IOS version of iMovie saves the footage as a movie file in IPhoto for IOS and will automatically get transferred to iPhoto for the Mac when you upload the video from your iDevice.
Newer versions of iMovie will work and link those video files found in your iPhoto Library on your Mac, but those links can be lost if you move your iPhoto library and you will not be able to relink that video afterwards as the current versions of iMovie seem to not have a relink option for the video portion of the files (ironically, current versions of iMovie HAVE the ability to re-link the audio files from the video footage, though (The inability to re-link the video files could be a possible bug or oversight in current versions iMovie).
The lost video links show up as "blacked-out" video blocks with no content.
Before moving the iPhoto Library
If you make movies with iMovie using iPad or iPhone video then 'Consolidate' the files before you finish. This will gather (albeit by duplicating) all the relevant files in the project in one place. After consolidating/duplicating all of the audio and video footage to a seperate, independent location,it should be safe to move your iPhoto library.
The potential way to circumvent this issues maybe to try and import iPad and iPhoto video directly into iMovie which would be another solution.
Good Luck! -
Removing system startup items?
Hey, I've got an app called WLAN which provides drivers and a config utility for using unsupported wireless USB dongles. I've now moved, and I'm in a place where it's fine to use wired ethernet, and so I don't need to currently use the app, but it keeps opening at startup and I can't work out how to disable it. It isn't in the startup items section of accounts in system prefs, so I assume it's considered as a system app (it did install itself in utilities when the drivers were installing)... I know I can just use an uninstaller app to remove the program, but I will be moving between here and home where I'll need wireless access again, and it was such a pain to set up that I want to keep it on!
I'm running a G4 Mini 1.42 btw, obviously with no airport/bluetooth module.Nah, tried the login items already...in library:startupitems I have Qmaster, retrorun (for backup) and a folder called RDUSB0064startup, which doesn't return any hits on google! :S Ill try deleting that and see what happens!
-
Window Clock Listed 4 Times in Startup Items
Hello, all!
On the job I work on a Mac running 10.3.9, and I have an odd little question. Everything runs fine, but I was curious about this.
In my System Preferences I have the Date & Time control panel set to show the Date and Time, view in window, view as digital. This places a handy little date calendar on the screen that I can always have displayed in a window that I can move around as I please.
I have two monitors hooked up to the Mac. I large main display where I do my main work, and than a smaller "slave" monitor where I position my application pallettes and programs I leave open all the time. It is there that I position the WindowClock.
The odd thing is that when I check the Startup Items in the Accounts Control Panel the WindowClock is listed 4 times.
I'm wondering if it's safe to delete 3 of them.
PowerBook G4 Mac OS X (10.4.5) My first Mac was a IIcx. Those were the days!Hi rngman
I just tried your setup and put the clock on the desktop - its quite good isn't it - and then did a restart - got to test these things out - and it was where I left it in the desktop, and no it wasn't added to the Start-up items, and nor it should have been.
So you could strike all four of them out, and you would still be OK.
regards roam -
Friend has a laptop running OSX 10.6.8, with latest software update 22Jun2012. One of the User's items to startup on Login is a file titled "
apple-scc-20111227-074257"
No idea what this does or where it is located.....any ideas on what it starts up and if it can be safely removed from startup items? Thanks for any info.If you mouse over the item in your Login Items you should see a tool tip indicating where it is. Alternatively right (control) click on it and a contextual menu item, Reveal in Finder will be shown which you can select to open the folder containing the item.
By the way the 20111227 portion of that name looks like a date -- 12/27/2011.
I'm sure you can delete it. Nothing major is going to happen. But you really should find out where it is.
If Reveal in Finder doesn't show anything it may be because the file is invisible (which might be considered somewhat suspicious). In that case use the finder find command (command-f) and look for kind filename plus invisible. Or just use Find any File to find it.
Maybe you are looking for
-
Cannot install Windows 8.1 via Boot Camp on MBPr 13" Early 2013; tried almost everything.
Hi guys, yesterday, I decided to install Windows 8.1 on my Mac using Boot Camp. I tried to install it, but the first attempt ended into booting to the screen, where it says "Cannot find any bootable device" or something like that. So I googled it up
-
PLEASE GUYS HELP ME OUT...ITS URGENT!!!!
-
How do I remove the music in my iphone?
How do I remove the music in my iphone?
-
FCP 6 - getting Sequence to conform to clips
FCP 6.0.6 imported a folder full of images into a brand new sequence. getting red in TL manually conformed Sequence to "clips" (still images with dur of 2 secs) Ive read that drag and drop (a clip to the sequence icon) in the browser or the TL should
-
How to use stored Procedure in PLD
Hi All, I have create a procedure for converting number to words in SQL. I want to call this procedure in PLD. Is this possible? Thanks & Regards, Sheetal