Has your Mac become slower than you were used to? The reason is usually accumulated system data, temporary files, stored cookies, caches, streamed data and so on.
Try these tips for speeding up your MacBook
Quick navigation:
Shorten startup
Restart
Tidy up your computer
Don't overload your browser
Update
Add more RAM
Replace the SSD
1/ Shorten startup
You turn your computer on in the morning and it takes an eternity to start up? The cause is what's known as startup lag, when the whole operating system is unusable. The system is slowed down by the number of installed programs that are set to launch at startup and then keep running in the background.
Some were installed automatically; some you installed yourself and may have long since forgotten about. And if you don't use them regularly, there's no point at all in having them launch every time.
How to fix it
- Go to Settings, Apps and Login Items (Mac)
- Go through the list of programs that launch automatically and stop them from launching if you don't use them regularly
2/ Restart
Apple computers are designed to run for weeks and months without a restart. You just close the lid. Once in a while, though, it's a good idea to actually shut the computer down, or at least restart it. This lets macOS empty the contents of the RAM and clear all the disk caches.
3/ Tidy up your computer
The more unnecessary programs, files and cached data there are, the slower the computer. Free up disk space and you'll notice it straight away in the computer's speed too.
How to fix it
- Uninstall programs you don't use
- Delete files you don't need, or move them to an external drive or to cloud storage
- Clear the cache
- Empty the Bin
Specialised apps, known as PC cleaners, will do this best for you. There are many paid and free tools; one of the most popular is CCleaner, for example. You can run the clean-up manually, or you can set the app to take care of regularly tidying your computer for you.
4/ Set up your antivirus
An antivirus program is a must, of course, but it's also very demanding on hardware when it scans in real time. The program doesn't need to check the entire contents of the disk all the time. You can set up selective scanning and choose a time when you can run it. You'll find the procedure in the help for the antivirus program you use.
5/ Optimise the way you work with your web browser
10 windows open in your browser and you're surprised the computer is slow? Every open web page puts a constant load on the computer's memory. There are apps and browser extensions that put unused tabs to sleep. But the simplest thing is to work only on the tasks you actually have in hand. You'll make not only your computer's work more efficient, but your own too 😊
Browser add-ons place demands on the system too. So go through the list of extensions / add-ons you've accumulated and keep only the ones you really use.
6/ Update
A favourite piece of advice and a universal fix for computer or phone problems, second only to turning it off and on again. Updates bring improvements and fix bugs and problems in apps and programs. Programs that haven't been updated may be behind your computer slowing down and, what's more, may contain flaws that haven't escaped the attention of hackers. Did you think the most common way to “catch a virus” was browsing dubious websites? Not at all – that reason comes only second, behind an out-of-date system.
How to fix it
- Update your Mac following the recommended procedure.
7/ RAM upgrade
Did the tips above not help? Then your system's current capacity probably isn't enough for you and it would make sense to increase it. The more RAM the system has, the bigger the workspace you have available and the faster programs run. Do you need a new, more powerful computer? No. All it takes is increasing the RAM in your existing Apple Mac.
Upgrading the RAM to 8 GB
This upgrade is enough for everyday use of an Apple Mac. It will do for ordinary web browsing, email, active use of social networks, and playing and editing media. This capacity is enough for ordinary multitasking with several programs and browser windows open.
Upgrading the RAM to 16 GB
Do you use your computer for graphics? For editing photos and videos in professional tools? Then 16 GB of RAM or more is a must for you.
You'll find the price of a RAM upgrade in our price list.
8/ SSD replacement
As well as RAM, you can also fit your Mac with a faster SSD. MacBooks are among the more expensive laptops, so many users choose the basic 128 GB SSD, because the price difference for a higher capacity is around 6,000 Kč, which is no small sum. In the end, though, the user finds that small storage is very limiting, slows their work down, and means constantly keeping an eye on what they've downloaded and installed on the computer. With a higher-capacity SSD, the computer's performance increases significantly. Especially if you're moving from a Mac with a traditional hard drive.
Need to boost your computer's performance? Come and see us! We specialise in Apple products.
✆ 607 855 558
✉ info@appleguru.cz
Seifertova 683/83, Prague 3 – Žižkov
