HT203184: Apps can affect Mac performance, battery runtime, temperature, and fan activity

Learn about Apps can affect Mac performance, battery runtime, temperature, and fan activity
charlesfromaitkin

Q: How do I speed up my Mac and free disk space?

MY Mac book is 6 years old and I need more space. Can I "redo" the hard drive to sort of start over?

iMac, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2)

Posted on Sep 17, 2016 1:04 PM

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Q: How do I speed up my Mac and free disk space?

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  • by BobHarris,Solvedanswer

    BobHarris BobHarris Sep 17, 2016 4:17 PM in response to charlesfromaitkin
    Level 6 (19,609 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 17, 2016 4:17 PM in response to charlesfromaitkin

    Please post the output from EtreCheck

    <https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-6174> or <http://etrecheck.com>

     

    This will show your system configuration, along with all the 3rd party additions you have added, some of which may be responsible for your performance issues.

     

    As for finding storage to free up, try OmniDiskSweeper (free download)

    <http://www.omnigroup.com/more>

     

    When using OmniDiskSweeper, or any utility that shows all your files...  See the following article if you want to run it as root

    <http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/how_to_recover_missing_hard_drive_space>

     

    Boiler Plate Warnings:

     

    If you have a recurring, running out of disk space, problem, then OmniDiskSweeper may help identify where the space is going.  Posting the suspected locations and files will help the forum help you to figure it out.  Remember, we cannot see into your disk, you have to give us information to work with.

     

    DO NOT delete files in your Home Folder -> Library tree as there are things like your iPhone backups, your email messages, your application preferences, etc…  If you think you have found something in your Home Folder -> Library that can be deleted, you should ask first.

     

    DO NOT delete files outside your home folder, as you may end up deleting something essential to Mac OS X, and turn your Mac into an expensive “Door Stop”.

     

    I will point out that you will find some very large files in private -> var -> vm (these are the Mac OS X virtual memory paging files (swapfiles) and where Mac OS X stores the copy of RAM when your Mac is put to sleep).  The swapfile(s) get deleted on reboot, and the sleep image is just going to be created again when you put your Mac to sleep.

     

    If you think you have found something to delete outside your home folder, it would be best to ask first before deleting.  There are many examples of people deleting files outside their home folder, or renaming files, or changing the ownership or file permissions, and then their Mac stops running.  Do not be one of those people.  Ask first.

  • by charlesfromaitkin,

    charlesfromaitkin charlesfromaitkin Sep 17, 2016 4:57 PM in response to BobHarris
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 17, 2016 4:57 PM in response to BobHarris

    TThanks. I'll give that a try

  • by Eric Root,

    Eric Root Eric Root Sep 18, 2016 8:45 AM in response to charlesfromaitkin
    Level 9 (72,634 points)
    iTunes
    Sep 18, 2016 8:45 AM in response to charlesfromaitkin