How to Clean Up Your Mac

Like any computing platform, Mac computers have their share of cleanup needs. While the Mac does not have a windows registry like PCs, there are other file burdens that hog disk space over time necessitating a Mac cleanup operation. You will know it is time to clean your Mac when you notice appreciable slowing of your computer.

Mac cleanup operations can be performed manually or with ‘clean up’ software. Your Mac comes with some disk utility tools that you can access and run on a regular basis. These tools are helpful to keep your hard drive in good working order. Corrupted volume or system information on your hard disk will cause slowing of your Mac if not outright errors written to your computer screen. Disk Utility is an application that has been bundled with Mac OS X systems for quite some time now and is worth investigating.

Disk utility is but one tool specifically for your Mac’s hard drive. You will need to have Mac cleanup software for the following types of files build up over time and contribute to your Mac slowing down and taking up hard disk space:

• Logs – log files are part of Mac applications and over time grow. Such files are for the most part unnecessary after a few days or weeks and just take up hard disk space.
• Cache Files – cache files are related to general user activities while you use your Mac. Cache files are also created from Internet web site visits. The latter type of files help in rendering web pages faster when you revisit them but also slow your Mac’s computing performance over time. Most Macs today have a Log/Cache clean up utility for both types of files.
• File Copies – file copies are duplicates that Mac software establishes during a user session where temporary files are created against a work in progress or a delay in processing a file. A lot of Mac programs have duplicate removing utilities that can sort through files, find the duplicates for you, and remove them, irrespective of file name.
• Excess Languages – Mac software is usually delivered with multiple international interface languages. Unless you are actually multilingual and use them for your computing, you should just get rid of them.
• Unneeded Binary Files– your Mac applications include executable instructions for both processor types that can be installed for the latest MacBooks and Pros. Knowing your processor as either an Intel or Power PC will allow you to remove the executable binaries for the other processor type. Many applications themselves typically have a feature that does this for you.

Mac optimizing software such as MacKeeper or Optimizer Pro for Mac are programs you can check out to determine if they will meet your needs for Mac cleanup to keep your Mac running optimally.