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Routine Maintenance on a MAC 2
- Thread starter Lisas
- Start date
jimbopalmer
Programmer
For the classic Mac OS (version 9 or before) You can Run Disk First Aid, (similar to scandisk) You can rebuild the Desktop File, (it rebalances the Catalog Btree) I would only zap the PRAM if you had problems (similar to setting BIOS defaults)
Mac HFS file systems fragment much less than FAT filesystems, one program that has a bad rep for fragmenting is photoshop. (Norton Speed Disk would help for photoshop users)
You may want to check out Tech Tool Lite
I tried to remain child-like, all I acheived was childish.
Mac HFS file systems fragment much less than FAT filesystems, one program that has a bad rep for fragmenting is photoshop. (Norton Speed Disk would help for photoshop users)
You may want to check out Tech Tool Lite
I tried to remain child-like, all I acheived was childish.
- Thread starter
- #4
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1
- #5
a mac never needs to be maintained???
While I am fond of the comparatively less effort of maintenance of my Mac compared to my PC, please recognize that Macs still need an occasional kick in the seat. I'm assuming Shanksta is well aware of this and is just communicating how a Mac can be so much more enjoyable to maintain than Windows.
Seek out info on Drive 10, Tech Tool and Norton System Utilities (all good products).
The nice thing about these utilities is that they come on bootable CDs so you can legally get away with one CD for a lab of computers. When a computer gets sick, simply boot the CD and run scandisk & defrag. For better protection, purchase licenses for all of your computers to install the application on the hard drives. These utilities can be configured to scan at boot, shutdown and/or in the background. It is well worth the money to purchase a retail version of one of these programs. The lite version of Tech Tool is just to whet the appetite.
- - picklefish - -
While I am fond of the comparatively less effort of maintenance of my Mac compared to my PC, please recognize that Macs still need an occasional kick in the seat. I'm assuming Shanksta is well aware of this and is just communicating how a Mac can be so much more enjoyable to maintain than Windows.
Seek out info on Drive 10, Tech Tool and Norton System Utilities (all good products).
The nice thing about these utilities is that they come on bootable CDs so you can legally get away with one CD for a lab of computers. When a computer gets sick, simply boot the CD and run scandisk & defrag. For better protection, purchase licenses for all of your computers to install the application on the hard drives. These utilities can be configured to scan at boot, shutdown and/or in the background. It is well worth the money to purchase a retail version of one of these programs. The lite version of Tech Tool is just to whet the appetite.
- - picklefish - -
jimbopalmer
Programmer
Yep, macs DO need routine maintenance, every 5 years, replace the clock battery! 
I tried to remain child-like, all I acheived was childish.
I tried to remain child-like, all I acheived was childish.
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1
- #7
macgeneral
MIS
Lisas,
I want to check in on this "maintenance" bit. Since I service them I consider myself qualified to comment.
If it has moving parts it needs servicing. You're prudent to ask. I have several clients that have not had service on their machine(s) for three years of more. An ounce of prevention is worth apound of cure.
Some of the older Mac cases tend to collect a significant amount of dust. Dust and electronics components, not a good marriage. the iMacs will be more difficult to service in this regard while the mini towers are a breeze in terms of access.
Depending on your usage - how often you are opening and saving, rewriting files, doing large scale file operations (photoshop etc) you should Zap the PRAM and rebuild the desktop. Both apply in OS 9.x or earlier while only zapping the PRAM applys in in the OS X architecture.
Compresssed air for your keyboard cause no matter how much I tell you not to eat over the thing, you will. I've pulled some pretty haneous things out form under those keys.
Every six months or so you should run a disk utility. I prefer Tech Tool Pro. Or you can simply run boot up from the install CD and run the native Apple Disk First Aid on the boot volume.
And of course the "clock" battery does need replacemtn every once in a blue moon. In OS 9.x you'll notice your date and time doesn't stay still even after you set it. That's an indicator.
Otherwise, you are squared away. The Dodge Dart of computers.
MacGeneral
I want to check in on this "maintenance" bit. Since I service them I consider myself qualified to comment.
If it has moving parts it needs servicing. You're prudent to ask. I have several clients that have not had service on their machine(s) for three years of more. An ounce of prevention is worth apound of cure.
Some of the older Mac cases tend to collect a significant amount of dust. Dust and electronics components, not a good marriage. the iMacs will be more difficult to service in this regard while the mini towers are a breeze in terms of access.
Depending on your usage - how often you are opening and saving, rewriting files, doing large scale file operations (photoshop etc) you should Zap the PRAM and rebuild the desktop. Both apply in OS 9.x or earlier while only zapping the PRAM applys in in the OS X architecture.
Compresssed air for your keyboard cause no matter how much I tell you not to eat over the thing, you will. I've pulled some pretty haneous things out form under those keys.
Every six months or so you should run a disk utility. I prefer Tech Tool Pro. Or you can simply run boot up from the install CD and run the native Apple Disk First Aid on the boot volume.
And of course the "clock" battery does need replacemtn every once in a blue moon. In OS 9.x you'll notice your date and time doesn't stay still even after you set it. That's an indicator.
Otherwise, you are squared away. The Dodge Dart of computers.
MacGeneral
- Thread starter
- #8
jimbopalmer
Programmer
Resetting the PRAM is like clearing the BIOS back to it's defaults, not something I would do 'just because', but something I would do if I suspected the data in the PRAM (CMOS in PC Jargon) was corrupt.
to do so restart you Mac holding down these keys Command (may have a cloverleaf on it) Option P R
I tried to remain child-like, all I acheived was childish.
to do so restart you Mac holding down these keys Command (may have a cloverleaf on it) Option P R
I tried to remain child-like, all I acheived was childish.
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