After using your Mac for a while, it's natural for the disk to start accumulating unnecessary files. To keep the system free of junk fil...
Currently, there are cleaning applications that make these tasks much easier and faster, so you won't have to worry about spending a lot of time.
Before starting any cleanup it is always wise to back up your data. You can do it on an external disk, or even on a cloud with enough space to store your files.
After ensuring the integrity of your backup, you can proceed with a few simple steps to start freeing up disk space and speeding up your Mac.
Check startup applications
If your computer is particularly slow on startup, the problem is possible that too many applications are loading at login. Many applications, by default, open automatically at startup.
Go to System Preferences > Users & Groups, then click on the “Startup Items” tab. There you will find a list of applications that run when the computer starts. Remove apps that you don't need to open at startup.
Identify and eliminate suspicious applications
If the computer is slower when performing several operations at the same time, the “ Activity Monitor ” can help detect which applications are using the most system resources.
You'll notice that the values constantly change, displaying the amount of CPU and memory each application consumes in real-time. If you detect any application with excessive consumption of resources, consider resorting to “lighter” alternatives.
If you are unfamiliar with the application in question, be suspicious! Use anti-virus or anti-malware software to check if your computer is infected with malicious applications.
Hard drive cleaning
It is very likely that you have many applications installed that you no longer need. The Mac has tools that help with this task, but there are also many free applications for this purpose.
Run the “ Disk Utility ” application to scan your computer and make any necessary disk repairs.
Take a look at the various folders on your Mac, such as the downloads folder, where we tend to accumulate lots of files that, over time, we discover we don't need.
Did you know that Apple ships every Mac with a variety of languages pre-installed? If you are sure you don't need those languages, you can free up some disk space using the free tool “Monolingual”.
Two of the biggest culprits for taking up hard drive space are the iTunes and iPhoto applications. But there are measures you can take to not take up as much disk space. The first is to empty the iPhoto application Trash. The application has its own recycle bin and all the photos you delete remain on your hard drive if you don't empty it. The same applies to the iTunes application, as duplicate entries accumulate over the years. There are several applications that facilitate the removal of duplicate items.
But be careful, as some duplications may be different versions of the same song or different albums.
Get into the habit of keeping your Mac's hard drive free of useless applications and unnecessary documents. Your equipment will run faster and improve your productivity.
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