Speed up your Mac's System Performance . . .

Just for anyone who's got their capture folder on their system drive . . .
When I had no external drives (several months ago) I did a (free) Kona Speed Test:
http://aja.com/html/supportkonaLHeswd.html
Settings were:
2 GB File - 720x576 Frame Size.
The Quad was averaging around 42 MB/s.
I gathered at the time, that's at the low end of acceptable.
Just did the test today - with all my media files on seperate hard drive or external . . .
Settings were:
4 GB File - 720x576 Frame Size.
Average Reading 54.1 MB/s
Average Writing: 55.0 MB/s
I don't have a clue whether these figures are good (and if anyone knows how to improve them, please tell me - I LOVE SPEED) but you have to agree, they're a heap better than I was getting before!
(This is where someone chips in that their single processor G4's doing 85 MB/s and I feel really silly)!!!
Andy
G5 Quad. 8 GB. 250 & 500 GB Internal HDs. G-Tech G-Raid 1 TB. FCP 5.0.4 (Studio) Mac OS X (10.4.7) Sony HVR-Z1E.
You can't educate pork . . ..

Let's see, their website says they will respond within 24 hrs. It took a week. They said they were going to ship to an address that was wrong. I sent them urgent email saying it was the wrong address. They emailed back saying, of course they corrected it when they spoke to me on the phone. They never spoke to me on the phone. They said they were going to ship to a different address. still the wrong one. etc., etc., etc. The replacement terabyte drive failed within 2 weeks and they could not recover the files. When they said they would replace the drive I said I wanted a refund. They refused. I threatened a letter to their ceo, naming names with copies of all the emails and posting my story whenever I got the opportunity. They promised a refund within a few days. When I emailed a week later, they said to let them know if I didn't get the check within a week. And then they would check with accounting. That's where it stands now. I'm sending them a copy of this email. The registered letter to the ceo goes off at the end of the week.

Similar Messages

What would you do it you maintain your Mac(harddisk/system)?

I would like to gather some good ideas for maintaining Macintosh and prevent it from crushing. what tools you are using, please feel free to share.

Rule #1:
Always have a backup (preferably more than one).
Rule #2:
Backup regularly.
Rule #3:
Wouldn't hurt to run Disk Utility verify/repair on all your drives every once in a while.
Rule #4:
Be very careful, and keep a record of, all third party add ons (system "enhancements)" you install.
Rule #5:
Make sure there's always at least 25GB free for the boot system (to do it's paging, etc.). Some quote the amount to keep free as a percentage, which IMO, is rediculous in todays multi-gigabyte drives. But it's not a bad rule of thumb for a relatively small SSD I suppose.

Does a clean install really speed up your Mac?

I did a clean install on my iMac and it was running extremely fast. I have now restored some applications from TM and things seem to be slowing down.
Was it worth doing a clean install?

my mini was extremely fast right after i started using it and for the first 4 or 6 months of use.
now it seems almost as slow as my Cube.
and i don't have a lot of applications instaled or third-party preference panes or small utilities.

Speed up your mac

create
/etc/launchd.conf
with this content:
limit maxproc 2048
limit maxfiles 8129

in /etc. see launchctl limit. increase the number of process to 2048 and the number of file that can be open at the same time from 256 to 8129

Cleaning Up Your Mac

Okay well I know for Safari you do Safari>Reset Safari and it cleans up that...but are there others ways to clean Safari/ the computer to get rid of all the cookies and everything to make the computer run faster? Thanks.

Cookies should not affect the speed of your mac
It's not necessary to do the kind of cleanups you have to do in windows--the mac is a very good housekeeper without any interference from you. Keeping as much empty space on your hard drive as you can is probably the single biggest thing that keep your mac zipping along.
There are cache cleaning utilities, but except for browser caches, cache removal is a troubleshooting technique, not part of routine maintenance, and may actually hurt performance (you mac needs those system caches, for instance).
For Safari you can go to Safari>Empty cache, and that's all you really should need to do. If you have broadband, you can set safari not to cache anything, too.

Is ther a way to speed up a Mac? Mine has gotten slower and slower over time. When memory comes close to full would that have an effect on performance? Is there a way to determine unused programs/software to remove and free space?

Is there a way to speed up a Mac (similar to de-fragging on a PC)? Mine has gotten slower and slower over time.
When memory/disc comes close to full would that have an effect on performance? How should I determine what programs/software to remove and free space?

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 visits to:     OS X Maintenance - MacAttorney;
                                  The X Lab: The X-FAQs;
                                  The Safe Mac » Mac Performance Guide;
                                  The Safe Mac » The myth of the dirty Mac;
                                  Mac maintenance Quick Assist.
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.
Repair the Hard Drive - Lion/Mountain Lion/Mavericks
Boot to the Recovery HD:
Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the Utilites 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 disk icon and click on the arrow button below.
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.
Restart your computer normally and see if this has helped any. Next do some 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.
Note: Alsoft ships DW on a bootable DVD that will startup Macs running Snow Leopard or earlier. It cannot start Macs that came with Lion or later pre-installed, however, DW will work on those models.
Suggestions for OS X Maintenance
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 later 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.
Helpful Links Regarding Malware Protection
An excellent link to read is Tom Reed's Mac Malware Guide.
Also, visit The XLab FAQs and read Detecting and avoiding malware and spyware.
See these Apple articles:
          Mac OS X Snow Leopard and malware detection
          OS X Lion- Protect your Mac from malware
          OS X Mountain Lion- Protect your Mac from malware
          About file quarantine in OS X
If you require anti-virus protection I recommend using VirusBarrier Express 1.1.6 or Dr.Web Light both from the App Store. They're both free, and since they're from the App Store, they won't destabilize the system. (Thank you to Thomas Reed for these recommendations.)
Troubleshooting Applications
I recommend downloading a utility such as TinkerTool System, OnyX, Mavericks Cache Cleaner, or Cocktail that you can use for removing old log files and archives, clearing caches, etc. Corrupted cache, log, or temporary files can cause application or OS X crashes as well as kernel panics.
If you have Snow Leopard or Leopard, then for similar 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. Applejack does not work with Lion and later.
Basic Backup
For some people Time Machine will be more than adequate. Time Machine is part of OS X. There are two components:
1. A Time Machine preferences panel as part of System Preferences;
2. A Time Machine application located in the Applications folder. It is
    used to manage backups and to restore backups. Time Machine
    requires a backup drive that is at least twice the capacity of the
    drive being backed up.
Alternatively, get an external 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. Get Backup
3. Deja Vu
4. SuperDuper!
5. Synk Pro
6. Tri-Backup
Visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQ on backup and restore. Also read How to Back Up and Restore Your Files. For help with using Time Machine visit Pondini's Time Machine FAQ for help with all things Time Machine.
Referenced software can be found at 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:
Pre-Mavericks
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 (>=70,) 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.
Mavericks and later
Open Activity Monitor in the Utilities folder. Select All Processes from the View menu. Click on the CPU tab in the toolbar. Click twice on the CPU% column header to display in descending order. If you find a process using a large amount of CPU time (>=70,) 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.

The system doesn't recognize or capitalize the word (I) or the first word of every sentence. Another really annoying thing about the integrated mail on your Mac computers is the fact that the system learns the word as you type it more and more instead of

The system doesn’t recognize or capitalize the word (I) or the first word of every sentence. Another really annoying thing about the integrated mail on your Mac computers is the fact that the system learns the word as you type it more and more instead of highlighting it as incorrectly is this is a word that’s being misspelled. Can Apple fix this bug to make it user friendly as if you were using Office or a Word Document?

You hit the target CT.
It’s only fair that if Apple is going to integrate Mail into Mac PCs, it would be nice if the system does it for you like Office or perhaps Outlook. I just don’t to use Outlook although I have it installed and ready to use, but instead use Mail which comes with Mac OS already.
I hope to make some sense here.

You must set up your .mac account in system preferences

I setup a .mac account and can sign in. However every time i try to use iphoto to upload an album I get the message that You must setup your .mac account in system preferences.
I can't figure out what else I need to do to setup my .mac account.
Thanks

Eiqaverider
You must setup your .mac account in system preferences.
Have you set up your .mac account in your system preferences?
Apple menu ==> system preferences ==> Internet & Network ==> .Mac
LN

Improve your System Performance while using SIEBEL

Take a look at Intel & IBM Machines --> here
To improve ur system performance
Siebel CRM Bookshelf
Regards

Hi Srinivas,
Please refer to my blog posting [/people/divyesh.jain/blog/2010/07/20/package-size-in-spend-performance-management-extraction|/people/divyesh.jain/blog/2010/07/20/package-size-in-spend-performance-management-extraction] which gives the details about the package size setting for extractors. I am sure that will be helpful in your case.
Thanks,
Divyesh
Edited by: Divyesh Jain on Jul 20, 2010 8:47 PM

****How to speed up/Fix installation errors on your Mac****

I recently went to the geniuos bar, and got some help. For some reason my Mac wouldnt install anything made by Apple. Not iTunes, iPhoto, even iLife. I was stuck, but they helped. The main problem that happens quite abit is a problem with your OS. All you have to do, is re-install your OS. How do you do that? Well, here we go.
First, grab your Mac OS X install disk.
Next, double-click on the Install Mac OS X icon in the CD on your desktop.
Then, Follow the onscreen instructions. In the pannel where you select the destination disk, select your current Mac OS X disk.
Then, Click options. If you want to save your existing files, users, and network settings, (yes, you want to. It saves EVERYTHING.)
Then, click continue.
Finally, click install.
Let it install, and then when installation is done, let your computer boot up. As it boots up, it will put all of your stuff back where it was. Then, when you get to your desktop, update your version of OS X to the newest version. Finally, go into /your name/previous systems. Now, delete previous system 1. There you go! Now, all your files are back where they where, the problems are fixed, and your Mac should be running like they are new!
(NOTE: After doing this, you may have to re-install the plugins for the Safari webbrowser.)

Kelly:
Glad a re-install solved your issue. However, it is not the only, nor is necessarily the best solution to some issues.
In terms of the re-install one should always backup the Users Folder, if you have any data on it, and any third party apps you want to save.
Again, I am glad your issue was resolved to your satisfaction.
Good luck.
cornelius
PismoG4 550, 100GB 5400 Toshiba internal, 1 GB RAM; Pismo 500 OS X (10.4.5) Mac OS X (10.4.5) Beige G3 OS 8.6

Had desktop Mac Pro set up with recent operating system there is a message that say setting up your Mac on the screen do I have to wait for the this process to complete or is there a way out of this screen?

I took all of my devices in to the apple store in ridge hill in Yonkers, the rep helped me set up the new operating system on all my
Devices from my phone to my desk top tower at home. I powered up my desk top this morning and a message came up saying that
The system did not recognize a program that was not compatible with the new operating system and it went right into "Setting up your Mac"
Mode. Do I have to wait for the setup or is there a way to by pass this process?
Dee Brown

I think maybe wait for a bit. Usually, on startup and installing the new OS, the assumption is that the user might not know too much, and that compatibility must be checked, which may be helpful, or not. For now, I'd say ignore it, wait until it's done its thing, then update the program that's not compatible. If you can, Mr. Brown, find out which one isn't "making nice" with Mavericks. Hopefully it'll give you a name
John b

What is MacKeeper - 911 for your Mac, Instant Mac cleanup, High-level security, Mac performance boost, Univ? I keep getting a pop up on my iMac?

What is MacKeeper - 911 for your Mac, Instant Mac cleanup, High-level security, Mac performance boost, Univ? I keep getting a pop up on my iMac?

Do not install MacKeeper (and how to uninstall it if you have):
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-6221
(Please note that references to the original developers, Zeobit, also now refer to Kromtech Alliance Corp, who acquired MacKeeper and PCKeeper from ZeoBit LLC in early 2013.)
This recent court case is illuminating:
http://www.courthousenews.com/2014/01/21/64695.htm

Is this beta? The image for Yosemite is a very big rock, appropriate as this OS sends your mac back to the stone-age. iTunes crashes on open, iPhoto won't download, movies won't play, Safari won't show graphics, wifi down to speed of crippled snail.

Is this beta. The image for Yosemite is a very big rock, appropriate as this OS sends your mac back to the stone-age. iTunes crashes on open, iPhoto won't update, Safari shows text without graphics, can't get Java 8 'cause Safari "can't find server". Wifi slower than a crippled snail. Does anyone know how to uninstall this rubbish?

travellingbirder wrote:
Is this beta ?
You tell us Finding the OS X version and build information on your Mac.

Any mac user use some kind of apps to "clean" your mac???

i know that a lot of software are build for "CLEAN YOUR MAC", software like clean my mac, mac keeper, ccleaner. etc
they all said that when we use our mac, there are a lot of "dummiy files " like language pack or used history .ect that need to be cleaned.
if we dun clean it, it will make the system laggy.
i know some ppl on the internet said its true,then other ppl said that all these softwares are jus malware, its totally unecessary to use all these.
the mac ox system will clean itself.
which one is true???
did Apple claim or announce anything about these software???
If its true,the softwares can clean your mac, how come all of these apps CANT go to Mac App Store???
IF its true, you guys use what software to run the cleaning process???

Macs do not need "cleaning". Apps such as the ones you mention have the ability to wreck your Mac.
If its true,the softwares can clean your mac, how come all of these apps CANT go to Mac App Store???
Because they are not safe to use.
There are apps in the App Store that suggest the ability or necessity to "clean" memory or unwanted files. They are worthless and are only capable of degrading performance and wasting power. They will also waste your time and your money. Deleting localization files will cause problems and cannot be un-done without reinstalling OS X. Language files use a negligible amount of disk space.
IF its true, you guys use what software to run the cleaning process???
A much better question is "how should I protect my Mac":
Never install any product that claims to "speed up", "clean up", "optimize", or "accelerate" your Mac. Without exception, they will do the opposite.
Never install pirated or "cracked" software, software obtained from dubious websites, or other questionable sources. Illegally obtained software is almost certain to contain malware.
Don’t supply your password in response to a popup window requesting it, unless you know what it is and the reason your credentials are required.
Don’t open email attachments from email addresses that you do not recognize, or click links contained in an email:
Most of these are scams that direct you to fraudulent sites that attempt to convince you to disclose personal information.
Such "phishing" attempts are the 21st century equivalent of a social exploit that has existed since the dawn of civilization. Don’t fall for it.
Apple will never ask you to reveal personal information in an email. If you receive an unexpected email from Apple saying your account will be closed unless you take immediate action, just ignore it. If your iTunes or App Store account becomes disabled for valid reasons, you will know when you try to buy something or log in to this support site, and are unable to.
Don’t install browser extensions unless you understand their purpose. Go to the Safari menu > Preferences > Extensions. If you see any extensions that you do not recognize or understand, simply click the Uninstall button and they will be gone.
Don’t install Java unless you are certain that you need it:
Java, a non-Apple product, is a potential vector for malware. If you are required to use Java, be mindful of that possibility.
Disable Java in Safari > Preferences > Security.
Despite its name JavaScript is unrelated to Java. No malware can infect your Mac through JavaScript. It’s OK to leave it enabled.
Block browser popups: Safari menu > Preferences > Security > and check "Block popup windows":
Popup windows are useful and required for some websites, but popups have devolved to become a common means to deliver targeted advertising that you probably do not want.
Popups themselves cannot infect your Mac, but many contain resource-hungry code that will slow down Internet browsing.
If you ever see a popup indicating it detected registry errors, that your Mac is infected with some ick, or that you won some prize, it is 100% fraudulent. Ignore it.
Ignore hyperventilating popular media outlets that thrive by promoting fear and discord with entertainment products arrogantly presented as "news". Learn what real threats actually exist and how to arm yourself against them:
The most serious threat to your data security is phishing. To date, most of these attempts have been pathetic and are easily recognized, but that is likely to change in the future as criminals become more clever.
OS X viruses do not exist, but intentionally malicious or poorly written code, created by either nefarious or inept individuals, is nothing new.
Never install something without first knowing what it is, what it does, how it works, and how to get rid of it when you don’t want it any more.
If you elect to use "anti-virus" software, familiarize yourself with its limitations and potential to cause adverse effects, and apply the principle immediately preceding this one.
Most such utilities will only slow down and destabilize your Mac while they look for viruses that do not exist, conveying no benefit whatsoever - other than to make you "feel good" about security, when you should actually be exercising sound judgment, derived from accurate knowledge, based on verifiable facts.
Do install updates from Apple as they become available. No one knows more about Macs and how to protect them than the company that builds them.
Summary: Use common sense and caution when you use your Mac, just like you would in any social context. There is no product, utility, or magic talisman that can protect you from all the evils of mankind.

How to speed up a mac

How to speed up a Mac.

More information is required to begin addressing your question, much more. What specific model Mac Pro are you using?  (Apple) menu > About This Mac...
Whatever you do, do not download or install any product claiming to magically "clean up" or "speed up" or "optimize" your Mac. Without exception, they will do the opposite. If you already did, you found the problem. Fix it.
If it is only Web browsing that seems to be slower than it used to, that is often the result of such sites becoming ever more demanding of hardware and bandwidth. Short of paying for faster Internet service, buying additional memory, or a faster Mac, there is little you can do to cope with such so-called progress.
If you are experiencing general slowdowns or "freezes" unrelated to Internet activity, the problem may be related to your computer or the software you installed and is something you may be able to fix, or at least improve. Aside from hardware failures and software that you install, including OS upgrades, there is no reason that your computer should not work precisely the same as it did when it was new.
Without a more specific description it is difficult to provide specific guidance. Read the following to determine if something may apply to your concern:
General Mac maintenance: Tips to keep your Mac in top form
General purpose Mac troubleshooting guide: Isolating issues in Mac OS X
Creating a temporary account to isolate user-specific problems: Isolating an issue by using another user account
Memory limitations: Using Activity Monitor to read System Memory and determine how much RAM is being used
Identifying resource hogs and other tips: Runaway applications can shorten battery runtime, affect performance, and increase heat and fan activity
To identify potential hardware problems: Apple Hardware Test.
To resolve startup issues and perform disk maintenance, use Disk Utility.
Safe Mode or "Safe Boot" is a troubleshooting mode that bypasses all third party system extensions and loads only required system components. Read about it: Starting up in Safe Mode

Speed up your Mac's System Performance . . .

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