Computer maintenance and clean up

Ive had my mbp since 8/07 and i have yet to run any cleanups or maintenance on my computer. this is my 1st mac and dont really know the basics of keeping os 10.4 clean and healthy. thanks in adavnce

Kappy's Personal Suggestions for OS X Maintenance
For disk repairs use Disk Utility. For situations DU cannot handle the best third-party utilities are: Disk Warrior; DW only fixes problems with the disk directory, but most disk problems are caused by directory corruption; Disk Warrior 4.0 is now Intel Mac compatible. TechTool Pro provides additional repair options including file repair and recovery, system diagnostics, and disk defragmentation. TechTool Pro 4.6.1 is Leopard compatible; Drive Genius is similar to TechTool Pro in terms of the various repair services provided. The current version, 1.5.1, is Intel Mac compatible.
OS X performs certain maintenance functions that are scheduled to occur on a daily, weekly, or monthly period. The maintenance scripts run in the early AM only if the computer is turned on 24/7 (no sleep.) If this isn't the case, then an excellent solution is to download and install a shareware utility such as Macaroni, JAW PseudoAnacron, or Anacron that will automate the maintenance activity regardless of whether the computer is turned off or asleep.
OS X automatically defrags files less than 20 MBs in size, so unless you have a disk full of very large files there's little need for defragmenting the hard drive. As for virus protection there are few if any such animals affecting OS X. You can protect the computer easily using the freeware Open Source virus protection software ClamXAV. Personally I would avoid most commercial anti-virus software because of their potential for causing problems.
I would also recommend downloading the shareware utility TinkerTool System that you can use for periodic maintenance such as removing old logfiles and archives, clearing caches, etc.
For emergency repairs install the freeware utility Applejack. If you cannot start up in OS X, you may be able to start in single-user mode from which you can run Applejack to do a whole set of repair and maintenance routines from the commandline. Note that presently AppleJack is not compatible with Leopard.
When you install any new system software or updates be sure to repair the hard drive and permissions beforehand. I also recommend booting into safe mode before doing system software updates.
Get an external Firewire drive at least equal in size to the internal hard drive and make (and maintain) a bootable clone/backup. You can make a bootable clone using the Restore option of Disk Utility. You can also make and maintain clones with good backup software. My personal recommendations are (order is not significant):
1. Retrospect Desktop (Commercial - not yet universal binary)
2. Synchronize! Pro X (Commercial)
3. Synk (Backup, Standard, or Pro)
4. Deja Vu (Shareware)
5. PsynchX 2.1.1 and RsyncX 2.1 (Freeware)
6. Carbon Copy Cloner (Freeware - 3.0 is a Universal Binary)
7. SuperDuper! (Commercial)
8. Data Backup (Commercial)
The following utilities can also be used for backup, but cannot create bootable clones:
1. Backup (requires a .Mac account with Apple both to get the software and to use it.)
2. Toast
3. Impression
4. arRSync
Apple's Backup is a full backup tool capable of also backing up across multiple media such as CD/DVD. However, it cannot create bootable backups. It is primarily an "archiving" utility as are the other two.
Impression and Toast are disk image based backups, only. Particularly useful if you need to backup to CD/DVD across multiple media.
Visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQs on maintenance, optimization, virus protection, and backup and restore.
Additional suggestions will be found in Mac Maintenance Quick Assist.
Referenced software can be found at www.versiontracker.com and www.macupdate.com.

Similar Messages

System maintenance and clean up

From all the reading I have done, the way I understand the Mac is you should not have to do any system maintenance or clean up.
I was doing a spotlight search and several times tons of Entourage emails would show up. When I first got the Mac I gave Entourage a try before realizing I liked Outlook much better... so I deleted my exchange information from Entourage and discontinued using it.
I finally got curious as to why all these email files were showing up even though they had been removed from Entourage. I went traced down the folder and there was thousands of these Entourage email files in the cache folder!!
I deleted them all manually as they were taking a lot of space up.
What steps should I take to get rid of files like this, that the Mac obviously doesn't do automatically, so that I don't end up with Gigs of space being wasted in the long term??

I recommend first off, migrating away from Entourage*:
http://www.macmaps.com/entouragemigration.html
For cleaning up Mac OS X, see my FAQs*:
http://www.macmaps.com/diskfull.html
and:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1772235
- * Links to my pages may give me compensation.

Imac Maintenance and Clean Up

general question
in the past at the terminal i have used
sudo periodic daily weekly monthly
and I have gone into console to delete logs
as well as kept my drive in order (scan/repair/check) via disk utility
are there any other terminal commands that could be used to clear out caches or other temorary areas
that will help me keep my imac running in tip top form at all times (mountain lion user)

If a log gets very large I delete it, it does no harm and the logs load a bit faster when I need them (rarely), other than that it just uses a little time.
Onyx can be useful, but I don't recommend it as it is possible to mess things up with it. OSX can take care of itself very well, the most reliable machines I use are the ones with no 3rd party utilities on them.

Bridge crashes on start up, is there a way to do a clean install or properly troubleshoot? (Literally just uninstalled and cleaned computer of Adobe products and reinstalled Design and Web Premium and bridge still crashes..)

Bridge crashes on start up, is there a way to do a clean install or properly troubleshoot? (Literally just uninstalled and cleaned computer of Adobe products and reinstalled Design and Web Premium and bridge still crashes..)
Here is the crash report:
Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: APPCRASH
Application Name: Bridge.exe
Application Version: 5.0.0.399
Application Timestamp: 4f5ec62d
Fault Module Name: Bridge.exe
Fault Module Version: 5.0.0.399
Fault Module Timestamp: 4f5ec62d
Exception Code: c0000005
Exception Offset: 003209fa
OS Version: 6.1.7601.2.1.0.256.4
Locale ID: 1033
Additional Information 1: 0a9e
Additional Information 2: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789
Additional Information 3: 0a9e
Additional Information 4: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789
Read our privacy statement online:
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=104288&clcid=0x0409
If the online privacy statement is not available, please read our privacy statement offline:
C:\Windows\system32\en-US\erofflps.txt

Have you tried to reset preferences? And no you do not have to start Bridge to do this.,
Hold down the Ctrl key and start Bridge. You should get a reset window with 3 options. Choose all 3.

Old computer was wiped clean before CS6 could be deactivated. New computer and CS6 require serial number/activation code that I don't have recorded.

Old computer was wiped clean before CS6 could be deactivated. New computer/ CS6 require serial number/activation code that I don't have recorded.
How do I proceed?

Sign in to your Adobe account online and see if your serial number is available via the My products section. If you regstered your software then it should be available there.
Your only other hope beyond that would be to contact Adobe Support thru chat and see if they can help you. Also ask them to reset your activations so that the lost installation is essentially deactivated.
For the link below click the Still Need Help? option in the blue area at the bottom and choose the chat option...
Serial number and activation chat support (non-CC)
http://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/global/service1.html ( http://adobe.ly/1aYjbSC )

My computer was wiped clean and my backup didn't work properly, can I get my purchases back?

I had a nasty virus and my computer was wiped clean.My backup didn't backup properly so I only have folders, no files Can I recover any of my itunes that I had purchased? If so how?

Yes. Set up the new iTunes on your omputer, utorize it, then just log in to the iTunes Store with the Apple ID you used and select Purchases fom the Quick Links side bar on the right. Go thru all the tabs to download again for free.

Uninstalling and cleaning computer of ITunes

How do I completely uninstall and clean my compter of ITunes and begin again. I installed 11.1.2 and it didn't allow me to do what I desired, include my music folders, so I uninstalled it and installed ITunes 10 but it tells me it can't open because of already installed software

Hi,
Download this utility from Microsoft:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290301
Open it: Start > All Programs > Windows Installer CleanUp
Find QuickTime in it, click on it, and click Remove
Then, go here and download and install QuickTime
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/
NOTE: Make sure you choose the version of Quick Time that DOES NOT include iTunes.
Good luck,
CG

I think my iMac got virus on my iMac through opening an email from Facebook on Safari, anyone knows how to do a complete erase and clean up of the iMac?

I think my iMac got virus on my iMac through opening an email from Facebook on Safari, anyone knows how to do a completely erase and clean up of the iMac?

Things You Can Do To Resolve Slow Downs
If your computer seems to be running slower here are some things you can do:
Start with a visit to: OS X Maintenance - MacAttorney.
Boot into Safe Mode then repair your hard drive and permissions:
Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions Pre-Lion
Boot from your OS X Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu. 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 installer.
If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior and/or Tech Tool Pro to repair the drive. If you don't have either of them or if neither of them can fix the drive, then you will need to reformat the drive and reinstall OS X.
Repair the Hard Drive - Lion
Boot from your Lion Recovery HD. 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, then 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.
Boot to the Recovery HD:
Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the 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.
Restart your computer normally and see if this has helped any. Next do some maintenance:
Suggestions for OS X Maintenance
For situations Disk Utility cannot handle the best third-party utility is Disk Warrior; DW only fixes problems with the disk directory, but most disk problems are caused by directory corruption; Disk Warrior 4.x is now Intel Mac compatible.
OS X performs certain maintenance functions that are scheduled to occur on a daily, weekly, or monthly period. The maintenance scripts run in the early AM only if the computer is turned on 24/7 (no sleep.) If this isn't the case, then an excellent solution is to download and install a shareware utility such as Macaroni, JAW PseudoAnacron, or Anacron that will automate the maintenance activity regardless of whether the computer is turned off or asleep. Dependence upon third-party utilities to run the periodic maintenance scripts was significantly reduced since Tiger. These utilities have limited or no functionality with Snow Leopard or Lion and should not be installed.
OS X automatically defragments files less than 20 MBs in size, so unless you have a disk full of very large files there's little need for defragmenting the hard drive. As for virus protection there are few if any such animals affecting OS X. You can protect the computer easily using the freeware Open Source virus protection software ClamXAV. Personally I would avoid most commercial anti-virus software because of their potential for causing problems. For more about malware see Macintosh Virus Guide.
I would also recommend downloading a utility such as TinkerTool System, OnyX 2.4.3, or Cocktail 5.1.1 that you can use for periodic maintenance such as removing old log files and archives, clearing caches, etc.
For emergency repairs install the freeware utility Applejack. If you cannot start up in OS X, you may be able to start in single-user mode from which you can run Applejack to do a whole set of repair and maintenance routines from the command line. Note that AppleJack 1.5 is required for Leopard. AppleJack 1.6 is compatible with Snow Leopard. There is no confirmation that this version also works with Lion.
When you install any new system software or updates be sure to repair the hard drive and permissions beforehand.
Get an external Firewire drive at least equal in size to the internal hard drive and make (and maintain) a bootable clone/backup. You can make a bootable clone using the Restore option of Disk Utility. You can also make and maintain clones with good backup software. My personal recommendations are (order is not significant):
1. Carbon Copy Cloner
2. Data Backup
3. Deja Vu
4. SuperDuper!
5. SyncTwoFolders
6. Synk Pro
7. Synk Standard
8. Tri-Backup
Visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQs on maintenance, optimization, virus protection, and backup and restore.
Additional suggestions will be found in Mac maintenance Quick Assist.
Referenced software can be found at CNet Downloads or MacUpdate.
Additional Hints
Be sure you have an adequate amount of RAM installed for the number of applications you run concurrently. Be sure you leave a minimum of 10% of the hard drive's capacity as free space.
Add more RAM. If your computer has less than 2 GBs of RAM and you are using OS X Leopard or later, then you can do with more RAM. Snow Leopard and Lion work much better with 4 GBs of RAM than their system minimums. The more concurrent applications you tend to use the more RAM you should have.
Always maintain at least 15 GBs or 10% of your hard drive's capacity as free space, whichever is greater. OS X is frequently accessing your hard drive, so providing adequate free space will keep things from slowing down.
Check for applications that may be hogging the CPU:
Open Activity Monitor in the Utilities folder. Select All Processes from the Processes dropdown menu. Click twice on the CPU% column header to display in descending order. If you find a process using a large amount of CPU time, then select the process and click on the Quit icon in the toolbar. Click on the Force Quit button to kill the process. See if that helps. Be sure to note the name of the runaway process so you can track down the cause of the problem.
Often this problem occurs because of a corrupted cache or preferences file or an attempt to write to a corrupted log file.

Apple notebook batteries – maintenance and troubleshooting

Disclaimer: Apple does not necessarily endorse any suggestions, solutions, or third-party software products that may be mentioned in the topic below. Apple encourages you to first seek a solution at Apple Support. The following links are provided as is, with no guarantee of the effectiveness or reliability of the information. Apple does not guarantee that these links will be maintained or functional at any given time. Use the information below at your own discretion.
Apple notebook batteries – maintenance and troubleshooting
Apple notebook computers use lithium-polymer (MacBooks and MacBook Pros) or lithium-ion (PowerBooks and iBooks) batteries as a portable power source. The newest members of the MacBook Pro lineup have built-in (non-removable) batteries, which are physically larger and use a modified charging scheme for a longer lifespan – you can read more about them on this linked page. The following tips should help you get the most use out of your battery, and help with troubleshooting if you are experiencing problems. A short list of do’s and don’ts is followed by more detailed information, for those who want the details.
*Do’s & Don’ts*
DO use your battery frequently and lightly, ideally completing 1-2 charge cycles per week (minimum one charge cycle per month).
DO properly calibrate your battery when new and approximately every 2-3 months thereafter.
DON’T fully discharge your battery frequently (the infrequent, periodic calibration is an exception).
DON’T store your battery (or your computer) in a high temperature environment, such as the trunk of a car, especially a fully-charged battery.
DON’T run your MacBook or MacBook Pro on AC power with the battery removed.
*Usage Pattern*
Lithium-based batteries function best when used fairly frequently but lightly. Apple states +"An ideal use would be a commuter who uses her MacBook Pro on the train, then plugs it in at the office to charge. This keeps the battery juices flowing."+ Note that there is no "memory effect" for lithium-based batteries, unlike nickel-based batteries (NiCd, NiMH) which perform best when fully discharged then fully charged. It is best not to completely discharge your battery, with the exception of calibrating it (see below). It is also not a good idea to run on AC power all the time. Note that when you are running on AC power, there is no danger of "overcharging" your battery – the Mac will not initiate charging of the battery if the current charge is 95% or higher, as described in this kbase article. Basically, a good rule to thumb is to run on AC power much of the time, but run on battery power for a while a few times per week. Using the battery for 2 full charge cycles per week equates to 300 cycles in 3 years, which is the optimal use. An explanation of a "full charge cycle" can be found on this page. Note that for Apple portables with a removable battery, you _should not_ run a MacBook or MacBook Pro on AC power with the battery removed - Apple strongly recommends against this for two reasons: first, the risk of lost data and damage to the hard disk directory structure if the MagSafe plug is accidentally disconnected, and second, the computer will reduce the CPU processor speed. The latter is due to the fact that the CPU will sometimes (for brief periods) require more power than the AC adapter can provide, and the additional power is drawn from the battery; the OS throttles back the CPU to avoid this situation.
Calibration
The battery has an integrated microchip that acts as a "fuel gauge." Calibration resets this gauge, which allows the OS to better determine times to charge and discharge the battery. Calibration should be done approximately every two months. Failure to do so for a long period of time can result in the microchip "fuel gauge" in the battery losing the ability to accurately determine the remaining charge, and it will report that there is more charge in the battery than is actually present. As a result, the computer will not initiate Safe Sleep at the proper time, and instead undergo a hard shut down, one of the main causes of hard drive directory damage. Once the battery is in the state resulting from a failure to calibrate, it is not possible to calibrate the battery, and it will need to be replaced. For Apple portables with removable batteries, note that Apple specifies, +"A _properly maintained_ Apple notebook battery is designed to retain up to 80% of its original capacity at 300 full charge and discharge cycles."+ For MacBook Pros with built-in batteries, the battery should maintain 80% of it’s original capacity for 1000 cycles. Calibration is considered part of proper maintenance.
*Battery Life and Battery Lifespan*
Battery life is how long the battery will power the computer on a full charge. To maximize battery life, consider turning down the brightness of the display, which is one of the major power consumers in a notebook computer, and if you don’t need Bluetooth and/or Airport connectivity, consider turning those off as well. Apple offers these suggestions for maximizing notebook battery life. In practice, battery life is usually somewhat less that stated in the specifications for the various Apple notebook computer models – Apple’s testing of ‘wireless productivity’ is likely limited to browsing simple websites and basic word processing. During ‘real world’ use, battery life will normally be in the range of 1-3 hours less than the specified battery life, depending on model, usage and activity. If life is shorter than expected, see the Health and Troubleshooting sections below. Battery lifespan is how many cycles/years the battery will hold sufficient charge to power the computer for a reasonable time. For Apple portables with removable batteries, a properly maintained lithium-based battery will last approximately 400-500 charge cycles or 3-4 years, +whichever comes first+. Note that this means even an unused battery loses capacity, due to the continuous nature of the chemical reaction and the buildup of oxidation in the cells. For MacBook Pros with built-in batteries, Apple’s ‘adaptive charging’ results in a significantly longer battery lifespan.
*Battery Health*
You can check the condition of your battery using System Profiler (Apple menu > About this Mac > More Info > Power section). The relevant numbers are Full Charge Capacity and Cycle Count. Mac OS 10.5 Leopard also provides a readout of battery Condition (not available in 10.4 Tiger), based on those parameters. “Health” refers to the full charge capacity of a battery relative to the nominal full charge capacity of a new battery, expressed as a percentage. Programs such iStat and CoconutBattery report the health, or you can calculate it manually: full charge capacity from System Profiler / nominal new full charge capacity * 100. For Intel-based Mac portables, nominal new full charge capacities are:
MacBook (Original, removable battery) - 5093 mAh
MacBook (Late 2008, removable battery) - 4167 mAh
13” Macbook Pro (Mid-2009, built-in battery) - 5478 mAh
15" MacBook Pro (Original, removable battery) - 5556 mAh
15" MacBook Pro (Late 2008, removable battery) - 4630 mAh
15” Macbook Pro (Mid-2009, built-in battery) - 6665 mAh
17" MacBook Pro (Original, , removable battery) - 6296 mAh
17” Macbook Pro (Mid-2009, built-in battery) - 13015 mAh
Note that health-reporting widgets (iStat Pro, CoconutBattery) use rounded values for the denominator of ‘health’. The above values are calculated from the wattage of the batteries (45 Wh to 95 Wh, see the specifications for each model, which can be found here or here) and their voltage (10.8 V for all removable batteries, 10.95 V for the 13” and 15” built-ins, and 7.3 V for the 17” built-in; those values are printed on the batteries); these capacities are nominal, and in practice new batteries will have full charge capacities that are slightly higher or lower than those values. PowerBooks and iBooks have batteries ranging from 45 Wh to 61 Wh - specs for individual models can be found here or here); these Li-ion batteries are all 10.8 V, so nominal new full charge capacity can be calculated by multiplying battery Wh x 92.6. (For the curious or algebraically-inclined, 92.6=1000/10.8, which converts Wh to mWh and divides by voltage to yield mAh, based on I=P/V derived from Ohm’s law). When Apple specifies, +"A properly maintained Apple notebook battery is designed to retain up to 80% of its original capacity at 300 full charge and discharge cycles,"+ they are referring to 80% health. Please note that health fluctuates from cycle to cycle, depending on factors such as the pattern of charging within recent cycles, ambient temperatures during use, and time since last calibration. It is normal for health to move up and down within a range of ~10% (e.g. between 86% and 96% over time).
*Troubleshooting – short battery life and sudden shutdowns*
If battery life is unacceptably short, it may be due to a background process that is running a high percentage of CPU activity. Check Utilities > Activity Monitor > CPU tab, set the pop-up menu to Active Processes, click on the CPU column to sort, and see if anything is using a high amount of CPU capacity. Short life and sudden shutdowns may also be due to a defective or an old battery - check the battery health and cycle count. If the cycle count is in the 400-500 range (or higher) for removable batteries, the battery has exceeded its useful life, and needs to be replaced. This does not indicate a defective battery - batteries are considered a consumable part, and need to be replaced at the end of their useful life. If the cycle count is less than 300, and the health is less than 80%, the battery may be defective - this applies primarily to the newer, Intel-based Mac portables. For a certain period of time (a rather long period, in fact), Sony produced defective batteries (both Li-polymer and Li-ion) - this issue affected many laptops (Apple, Toshiba, Dell, etc.) that use batteries manufactured by Sony. Apple officially acknowledged these defects for Intel-based notebook computers, as stated on this page, and extended the battery warranty to two years from date purchase for all Core Duo machines bought between February 2006 and April 2007. Battery Update 1.2 was designed to test batteries and expose defects. Note that there were actually two battery replacement programs from Apple concerning Intel-based Macs – both programs are _now officially closed_. One was an exchange/recall for specific serial numbers, and applied only to a relatively small number of 15” MacBook Pros; the other was the more general replacement program for the defective Sony batteries. There was also an exchange/recall for battteries in the 12" iBook G4 and 12"/15" PowerBook G4, also due to manufacturing problems at Sony (these were the batteries with a safety risk).
Following the above steps should ensure a long and useful life for the battery in your Apple notebook computer. Hope this helps...
This is the 2nd version of this tip. It was submitted on July 13, 2009 by neuroanatomist.
Do you want to provide feedback on this User Contributed Tip or contribute your own? If you have achieved Level 2 status, visit the User Tips Library Contributions forum for more information.

Disclaimer: Apple does not necessarily endorse any suggestions, solutions, or third-party software products that may be mentioned in the topic below. Apple encourages you to first seek a solution at Apple Support. The following links are provided as is, with no guarantee of the effectiveness or reliability of the information. Apple does not guarantee that these links will be maintained or functional at any given time. Use the information below at your own discretion.
Apple notebook batteries – maintenance and troubleshooting
Apple notebook computers use lithium-polymer (MacBooks and MacBook Pros) or lithium-ion (PowerBooks and iBooks) batteries as a portable power source. The newest members of the MacBook Pro lineup have built-in (non-removable) batteries, which are physically larger and use a modified charging scheme for a longer lifespan – you can read more about them on this linked page. The following tips should help you get the most use out of your battery, and help with troubleshooting if you are experiencing problems. A short list of do’s and don’ts is followed by more detailed information, for those who want the details.
*Do’s & Don’ts*
DO use your battery frequently and lightly, ideally completing 1-2 charge cycles per week (minimum one charge cycle per month).
DO properly calibrate your battery when new and approximately every 2-3 months thereafter.
DON’T fully discharge your battery frequently (the infrequent, periodic calibration is an exception).
DON’T store your battery (or your computer) in a high temperature environment, such as the trunk of a car, especially a fully-charged battery.
DON’T run your MacBook or MacBook Pro on AC power with the battery removed.
*Usage Pattern*
Lithium-based batteries function best when used fairly frequently but lightly. Apple states +"An ideal use would be a commuter who uses her MacBook Pro on the train, then plugs it in at the office to charge. This keeps the battery juices flowing."+ Note that there is no "memory effect" for lithium-based batteries, unlike nickel-based batteries (NiCd, NiMH) which perform best when fully discharged then fully charged. It is best not to completely discharge your battery, with the exception of calibrating it (see below). It is also not a good idea to run on AC power all the time. Note that when you are running on AC power, there is no danger of "overcharging" your battery – the Mac will not initiate charging of the battery if the current charge is 95% or higher, as described in this kbase article. Basically, a good rule to thumb is to run on AC power much of the time, but run on battery power for a while a few times per week. Using the battery for 2 full charge cycles per week equates to 300 cycles in 3 years, which is the optimal use. An explanation of a "full charge cycle" can be found on this page. Note that for Apple portables with a removable battery, you _should not_ run a MacBook or MacBook Pro on AC power with the battery removed - Apple strongly recommends against this for two reasons: first, the risk of lost data and damage to the hard disk directory structure if the MagSafe plug is accidentally disconnected, and second, the computer will reduce the CPU processor speed. The latter is due to the fact that the CPU will sometimes (for brief periods) require more power than the AC adapter can provide, and the additional power is drawn from the battery; the OS throttles back the CPU to avoid this situation.
Calibration
The battery has an integrated microchip that acts as a "fuel gauge." Calibration resets this gauge, which allows the OS to better determine times to charge and discharge the battery. Calibration should be done approximately every two months. Failure to do so for a long period of time can result in the microchip "fuel gauge" in the battery losing the ability to accurately determine the remaining charge, and it will report that there is more charge in the battery than is actually present. As a result, the computer will not initiate Safe Sleep at the proper time, and instead undergo a hard shut down, one of the main causes of hard drive directory damage. Once the battery is in the state resulting from a failure to calibrate, it is not possible to calibrate the battery, and it will need to be replaced. For Apple portables with removable batteries, note that Apple specifies, +"A _properly maintained_ Apple notebook battery is designed to retain up to 80% of its original capacity at 300 full charge and discharge cycles."+ For MacBook Pros with built-in batteries, the battery should maintain 80% of it’s original capacity for 1000 cycles. Calibration is considered part of proper maintenance.
*Battery Life and Battery Lifespan*
Battery life is how long the battery will power the computer on a full charge. To maximize battery life, consider turning down the brightness of the display, which is one of the major power consumers in a notebook computer, and if you don’t need Bluetooth and/or Airport connectivity, consider turning those off as well. Apple offers these suggestions for maximizing notebook battery life. In practice, battery life is usually somewhat less that stated in the specifications for the various Apple notebook computer models – Apple’s testing of ‘wireless productivity’ is likely limited to browsing simple websites and basic word processing. During ‘real world’ use, battery life will normally be in the range of 1-3 hours less than the specified battery life, depending on model, usage and activity. If life is shorter than expected, see the Health and Troubleshooting sections below. Battery lifespan is how many cycles/years the battery will hold sufficient charge to power the computer for a reasonable time. For Apple portables with removable batteries, a properly maintained lithium-based battery will last approximately 400-500 charge cycles or 3-4 years, +whichever comes first+. Note that this means even an unused battery loses capacity, due to the continuous nature of the chemical reaction and the buildup of oxidation in the cells. For MacBook Pros with built-in batteries, Apple’s ‘adaptive charging’ results in a significantly longer battery lifespan.
*Battery Health*
You can check the condition of your battery using System Profiler (Apple menu > About this Mac > More Info > Power section). The relevant numbers are Full Charge Capacity and Cycle Count. Mac OS 10.5 Leopard also provides a readout of battery Condition (not available in 10.4 Tiger), based on those parameters. “Health” refers to the full charge capacity of a battery relative to the nominal full charge capacity of a new battery, expressed as a percentage. Programs such iStat and CoconutBattery report the health, or you can calculate it manually: full charge capacity from System Profiler / nominal new full charge capacity * 100. For Intel-based Mac portables, nominal new full charge capacities are:
MacBook (Original, removable battery) - 5093 mAh
MacBook (Late 2008, removable battery) - 4167 mAh
13” Macbook Pro (Mid-2009, built-in battery) - 5478 mAh
15" MacBook Pro (Original, removable battery) - 5556 mAh
15" MacBook Pro (Late 2008, removable battery) - 4630 mAh
15” Macbook Pro (Mid-2009, built-in battery) - 6665 mAh
17" MacBook Pro (Original, , removable battery) - 6296 mAh
17” Macbook Pro (Mid-2009, built-in battery) - 13015 mAh
Note that health-reporting widgets (iStat Pro, CoconutBattery) use rounded values for the denominator of ‘health’. The above values are calculated from the wattage of the batteries (45 Wh to 95 Wh, see the specifications for each model, which can be found here or here) and their voltage (10.8 V for all removable batteries, 10.95 V for the 13” and 15” built-ins, and 7.3 V for the 17” built-in; those values are printed on the batteries); these capacities are nominal, and in practice new batteries will have full charge capacities that are slightly higher or lower than those values. PowerBooks and iBooks have batteries ranging from 45 Wh to 61 Wh - specs for individual models can be found here or here); these Li-ion batteries are all 10.8 V, so nominal new full charge capacity can be calculated by multiplying battery Wh x 92.6. (For the curious or algebraically-inclined, 92.6=1000/10.8, which converts Wh to mWh and divides by voltage to yield mAh, based on I=P/V derived from Ohm’s law). When Apple specifies, +"A properly maintained Apple notebook battery is designed to retain up to 80% of its original capacity at 300 full charge and discharge cycles,"+ they are referring to 80% health. Please note that health fluctuates from cycle to cycle, depending on factors such as the pattern of charging within recent cycles, ambient temperatures during use, and time since last calibration. It is normal for health to move up and down within a range of ~10% (e.g. between 86% and 96% over time).
*Troubleshooting – short battery life and sudden shutdowns*
If battery life is unacceptably short, it may be due to a background process that is running a high percentage of CPU activity. Check Utilities > Activity Monitor > CPU tab, set the pop-up menu to Active Processes, click on the CPU column to sort, and see if anything is using a high amount of CPU capacity. Short life and sudden shutdowns may also be due to a defective or an old battery - check the battery health and cycle count. If the cycle count is in the 400-500 range (or higher) for removable batteries, the battery has exceeded its useful life, and needs to be replaced. This does not indicate a defective battery - batteries are considered a consumable part, and need to be replaced at the end of their useful life. If the cycle count is less than 300, and the health is less than 80%, the battery may be defective - this applies primarily to the newer, Intel-based Mac portables. For a certain period of time (a rather long period, in fact), Sony produced defective batteries (both Li-polymer and Li-ion) - this issue affected many laptops (Apple, Toshiba, Dell, etc.) that use batteries manufactured by Sony. Apple officially acknowledged these defects for Intel-based notebook computers, as stated on this page, and extended the battery warranty to two years from date purchase for all Core Duo machines bought between February 2006 and April 2007. Battery Update 1.2 was designed to test batteries and expose defects. Note that there were actually two battery replacement programs from Apple concerning Intel-based Macs – both programs are _now officially closed_. One was an exchange/recall for specific serial numbers, and applied only to a relatively small number of 15” MacBook Pros; the other was the more general replacement program for the defective Sony batteries. There was also an exchange/recall for battteries in the 12" iBook G4 and 12"/15" PowerBook G4, also due to manufacturing problems at Sony (these were the batteries with a safety risk).
Following the above steps should ensure a long and useful life for the battery in your Apple notebook computer. Hope this helps...
This is the 2nd version of this tip. It was submitted on July 13, 2009 by neuroanatomist.
Do you want to provide feedback on this User Contributed Tip or contribute your own? If you have achieved Level 2 status, visit the User Tips Library Contributions forum for more information.

Just done a fresh install of Snow Leopard with all updates,iMac 5.1 behaves strange, sometimes I start Google Chrome and look at youtube videos the computer freezes and shuts down immediately, I believe its related to overheating ?

Just done a replacement of the pata DVD drive (its new and is working ok), and a fresh clean install of Snow Leopard with all updates, iMac 5.1 behaves strange, sometimes I start Google Chrome and look at youtube videos the computer freezes and shuts down immediately,
I believe its related to overheating ?
iStat Pro shows GPU diode temp at 66 C, CPU at 48 C, Fan rpms is around 1000
Any ideas somebody ?
The hard disk has been previously checked with state of the art techniques that have confirmed that the hard disk drive is in perfect condition.

1.5-3 minute boot up as opposed to 15-20 seconds
And
why it takes a long time to load a lot of things.
I have restored this
from a time machine partition.
TimeMachine is only a backup and restore, it won't fix issues in software and according to your information, doesn't even optimize the restore for best performance on boot hard drives.
What you need to do to regain your speed is to understand how your machine works
Why is my computer slow?
Fix any and all issues in software following this list of fixes
..Step by Step to fix your Mac
Then follow this defrag method I've outlined
How to safely defrag a Mac's hard drive
Most commonly used backup methods
There shouldn't be need to reinstall OS X fresh unless your having file structure issues which if they are should appear when in the Steps, which then a zero erase and install will cure as well as any bad sector issues, the defrag step wouldn't be necessarry on a freshly installed system obviously as the files are written all together, not in portions all over the drive.
Hope this assists.

Computer crashes and has to be shut down whenever Firefox is opened.

The problem started when I tried to open specific websites and then it worsened so that whenever I attempt to go to a page other than the Firefox home page, my computer has to be shut down. I can open Firefox but I can't do anything else; it even bombs my computer when I try to do troubleshooting. The problem doesn't occur when I use either Safari or Chrome.
Have tried the following:
1. Resetting preferences.
2. Doing a clean reinstall.
3. Opening Firefox in safe mode.
4. Updating active plug-ins.
I can't send any crash reports because there are none listed. I think it's because the computer bombs and is unable to record any info. I've tried to attach the troubleshooter.xpi file below, but it never loads. Don't know if it's because I'm working in Safari.
Application Basics
Name: Firefox
Version: 35.0
User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; Intel Mac OS X 10.6; rv:35.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/35.0
Multiprocess Windows: 0/1
Crash Reports for the Last 3 Days
All Crash Reports
Extensions
Name: DivX Plus Web Player HTML5 <video>
Version: 2.1.2.145
Enabled: false
ID: {23fcfd51-4958-4f00-80a3-ae97e717ed8b}
Graphics
Device ID: 0x71c5
GPU Accelerated Windows: 0/1 Basic Blocked for your graphics card because of unresolved driver issues.
Vendor ID: 0x1002
WebGL Renderer: ATI Technologies Inc. -- ATI Radeon X1600 OpenGL Engine
windowLayerManagerRemote: false
AzureCanvasBackend: quartz
AzureContentBackend: quartz
AzureFallbackCanvasBackend: none
AzureSkiaAccelerated: 0
Important Modified Preferences
browser.cache.disk.capacity: 358400
browser.cache.disk.smart_size.first_run: false
browser.cache.disk.smart_size.use_old_max: false
browser.cache.frecency_experiment: 2
browser.places.smartBookmarksVersion: 7
browser.startup.homepage_override.buildID: 20150108202552
browser.startup.homepage_override.mstone: 35.0
extensions.lastAppVersion: 35.0
gfx.blacklist.direct2d: 3
gfx.blacklist.layers.direct3d9: 3
gfx.blacklist.webgl.msaa: 4
media.gmp-gmpopenh264.lastUpdate: 1421453305
media.gmp-gmpopenh264.version: 1.1
media.gmp-manager.lastCheck: 1421453305
network.cookie.prefsMigrated: true
places.history.expiration.transient_current_max_pages: 80531
plugin.disable_full_page_plugin_for_types: application/pdf
privacy.sanitize.migrateFx3Prefs: true
Important Locked Preferences
JavaScript
Incremental GC: true
Accessibility
Activated: false
Prevent Accessibility: 0
Library Versions
NSPR
Expected minimum version: 4.10.7
Version in use: 4.10.7
NSS
Expected minimum version: 3.17.2 Basic ECC
Version in use: 3.17.2 Basic ECC
NSSSMIME
Expected minimum version: 3.17.2 Basic ECC
Version in use: 3.17.2 Basic ECC
NSSSSL
Expected minimum version: 3.17.2 Basic ECC
Version in use: 3.17.2 Basic ECC
NSSUTIL
Expected minimum version: 3.17.2
Version in use: 3.17.2
Experimental Features
Please note that I can't update my computer's OS X because it's too old for the latest versions.
Please help me fix this problem. Firefox has been my favorite browser for years and I'd hate to have to use something else after all this time. Thank you.

Ok, sorry to hear that the crashes are not recording. I did notice that there was an issue with the graphics card. There are two things we can try:
Try disabling graphics hardware acceleration. Since this feature was added to Firefox, it has gradually improved, but there still are a few glitches.
You might need to restart Firefox in order for this to take effect, so save all work first (e.g., mail you are composing, online documents you're editing, etc.).
Then perform these steps:
#Open Firefox ''Options'' window (''Preferences'' on Mac or Linux) as follows:
#* In Firefox 29.0 and above, click the menu button [[Image:New Fx Menu]] and select ''Options'' for Windows or ''Preferences'' on Mac or Linux.
#* In Firefox 28.0 and previous versions, click the orange Firefox button at the top left, then select the "Options" button, or, if there is no Firefox button at the top, go to Tools > Options.
#In the Firefox Options (or Preferences) window, click the ''Advanced'' tab, then select ''General''.
#In the settings list, you should find the ''Use hardware acceleration when available'' checkbox. Uncheck this checkbox.
#Now, restart Firefox and see if the problems persist.
Additionally, please check for updates for your graphics driver by following the steps mentioned in the following Knowledge base articles:
* [[Troubleshoot extensions, themes and hardware acceleration issues to solve common Firefox problems]]
Or try this:
* [[Upgrade your graphics drivers to use hardware acceleration and WebGL]]
Did this fix your problems? Please report back to us!
Thank you.

Please help! - My computer crashed and I need help reinstalling my CS3 software

Please help! My computer crashed and now I am trying to reistall my CS3 software. I'm receiving Unable to Install errors for all of the programs in the Suite except the Acrobat 8 Professional. Can someone please help me? I cannot afford to upgrade, but need this software to do freelance work. I own the software and serial number but Adobe will not support me as it is an older version.

I downloaded and ran the Creative Suite Cleaner Tool. It showed no files to remove, but still said it was successful. I then tried reinstalling the entire suite. Acrobat 8 Professional was the only program that installed. All other programs gave me a componant failed error. Any other advice would be greatly appreciated?!
Thanks

Imac frozen at blue screen after i went into disk utilities and cleaned my free space. I tried holding down T key as it reboots and i get a message. Start up disk full empty it how can one emptie it if you cant get past the blue screen

Imac frozen at blue screen after i went into disk utilities and cleaned free space.
I tried holding down T key as it reboots
and i get a message. Start up disk full empty it how can one emptie it if you cant get past the blue screen?
to make matters worse we bought the IMAC of amazon uk on the 4/07/011 so what can we do?
please remember how frustrating it is when asking for help when the helper telling you to type something on the screen when its frozen
Tell us when you can type some instuctions to the software how do you get to the doss prompt so to speak to do this
Thanks

i tried all this thanks
i can not get past blue screen and message Your disk is full it needs to be emptied Please not I cant proceed past this message.
no matter what you tell me
Am i right ok in thinking that
when i went into disk utilities and chose to clean my free space i left it over one hour to do its stuff
i came back and there was no progress bar just the box so i quit the program and when i opened mac mail the system just froze i forced quit mail rebooted and blue screen death
Now when free space is being cleaned is it the same as windows dose the utility write lots of 0 on the hard drive then rebbot its self to free the space
basicly is my hard drive full of 00000 is this why im getting this message because the process was interupted
I need to know if i need outside help i bought the computer on line on amazon uk what dose one do next

Windows 7 automatic computer maintenance - Registry edit for group policy?

A lot of folks at my company have broken desktop shortcuts (refer to http://support.microsoft.com/kb/978980 for the issue) and I want to edit the group policy so we can turn off scheduled computer maintenance for everyone. Is there a specific
registry location for this change?
Thanks,
Elizabeth

Not sure how to disable shorcut cleanup portion. Here is what it does
Broken shortcuts - Broken shortcuts are invalid references to programs and other resources. For example, a desktop shortcut for a USB device may be regarded as broken if the USB device is not connected when the System Maintenance troubleshooter
performs its maintenance. When there are more than 4 broken shortcuts on the desktop, then all broken shortcuts on the desktop are removed.
Troubleshooting history is taking up disk space - Frees up disk space by removing troubleshooting history logs older than 1 month.
System time is incorrectly set - Sets the correct system time and synchronize system clock with the time server. When the system time is set incorrectly, features that rely on time measurement such as Product Activation, malware scanners,
browser certificates, etc... might not work correctly.
Unused desktop icons - Icons and shortcuts on the desktop that have been unused in 3 months are removed.
Disk volume errors - Frees up disk space by repairing hard disk volume errors such as bad sectors, lost clusters, cross-linked files and directory errors. These problems can cause the file system to report incorrect volume details and occupy
excessive disk space.
Error reports are taking up disk space - Frees up disk space by removing error reports and logs older than 1 month.

Cannot find daqmx control task.vi after upgrading computer, OS and LabVIEW

Hello,
I have recently upgraded both my computer, OS and my LabVIEW version and I am having some issues.
My old system was:
LabVIEW 8.6 Professional Development System running on Windows XP SP3 (Dell Desktop computer)
My new system is:
LabVIEW 2014 SP1 Professional Development System running on Windows 8.1 Pro (MS Surface Pro computer)
I did a clean install of the LV 2014 which went smoothly. I then copied my old projects from the old machine to the new.
The simpler projects load without problem.
Some of the bigger project begin loading but hang on "Find the VI Named "DAQmx Control Task.vi" which does not seems to exist on the new computer.
There are several other DAQmx VIs that the project loader wants and do not appear to exist on the computer also.
I'm guess this could be because of the new OS, new LabView version, or because the new PC is a "tablet", or some combination of those?
Any ideas?
adTHANKSvance,
Bob

Hi bob,
when the old PC could load these VIs without complaining abut missing DAQmx functions it had DAQmx installed. Point.
Start the DeviceDriver DVD and install DAQmx.
Hint: Whenever you want to replicate your LabVIEW installation on a different computer you should check the "Software" section in MAX. It will list all needed parts/toolkits/drivers you have installed!

Computer maintenance and clean up

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for