April 1, 2025

Best Mac Maintenance Tips for Beginners to Keep Mac Fast


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A Mac that is maintained in the right way is a rather critical aspect that has a lot of impact on the user’s experience. For those who have recently bought the Mac or for those who want tips on how to make it function better, the maintenance article on Mac will be very helpful in avoiding slowdowns, crashes, and system issues.

Beginners who want to use Mac, which start from learning step by step of how to delete duplicate photos on Mac to diagnosis of the Git issue using the command to understand if it is orphaned to knowing about the Mac maintenance scripts are strongly recommended that your Mac is as new as before because of the user-friendly tips.

1. Back Up Your Data

The first step one should do, the most crucial point is to save the data from the very start of in-depth diagnostics. Macs, that possess long history of reliability and quality, in spite of this still are likely to suffer from hardware failure, damage, and cyber-attacks.

Best Mac Maintenance Tips for Beginners to Keep Mac Fast

How to keep your Mac healthy?

First, set up a Time Machine:

  • Plug an external hard drive in.
  • Go to System Settings > General > Time Machine.
  • Identify the disk and make a promise to yourself to behave like a well-behaved user by following the instructions to backup data hourly, daily, and weekly.

The creation of a backup produces a replica that can be used to recover or maintain a copy of the relevant files and photos along with the remaining other important files whenever the system fails.

2. Use a Mac Maintenance App

To clean manage, or fix the system, a Mac maintenance app is an easy option.ย  Tools like CleanMyMac or OnyX Mac automate system cleanups, junk file removal, and performance optimization.

Let’s say that CleanMyMac offers the following:

  • One-click junk file cleanup.
  • RAM optimization tools.
  • Malware cleanup.
  • System log cleanups.

Another free and generally recognized app for running maintenance scripts and sorting hidden junk files is OnyX Mac.

3. Clean Up Junk Files Regularly

Learning how to clean up Mac to run faster is essential for keeping performance smooth. It is important to provide the basics of smoother performance, clear out unused files, and apps.

Hereโ€™s how:

  • Go to System Settings > General > Storage.
  • Utilize Appleโ€™s Recommendations to find and remove large files or unused apps.

If you are going to delete some of the files on your Mac, be extremely careful. Many times, if it does not belong in the Trash but was incorrectly put there, it is removed, while others like cache files and preferences that may still be around are not.

Moreover, a Mac maintaining app such as CleanMyMac has the potential to go deeper into the system thus remove all the necessary chips from your computer.

4. Declutter Your Desktop

A messy desktop is not just an undue burden on the sight, and it will definitely slow down your Mac. Every visible item is constantly using RAM, which in turn eats up system resources, hence the slow responsiveness.

Apply the following to all these things:

  • Get rid of the unnecessary icons.
  • Organize files in folders.
  • To use the Stacks feature, simply press the “Right-click” button on your desktop. Then you can “Use Stacks” to put the files in the proper folder based on the file type.

Getting rid of unnecessary files on your PC is relatively simple and yet one of the best measures to keep your Mac healthy.

5. Keep Software Updated

Obsolete applications and macOS versions expose your system to potential security issues and performance problems, which is unacceptable.

This is a way of making sure you always have the most recent version:

  • Go to System Settings > General > Software Update and switch on Automatic Updates.
  • Open the App Store and select Updates > Update All.
  • Use the tool App Updater of CleanMyMac to easily manage both App Store and non-App Store apps.

Keeping your apps and OS updated helps in speedy recovery as well as security of the system.

6. Restart Your Mac Periodically

Restarting the computer resolves memory and cache files and gives the Mac a new beginning each time. A quick reboot once every week or two can eliminate slowdowns or app crashes.

Most users underestimate this easy method, although it is a significant part of a MacBook’s maintenance.

7. Use Disk Utility for Disk Repairs

If the Mac displays issues related to file corruption or any unexpected behavior:

  • Go to Finder > Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility.
  • Click on your hard drive.
  • Finally, click First Aid > Run.

In addition, the Disk Utility might be capable of fixing minor disk issuesย that might be slowing down your system.

8. Scan for Malware

MacOS is, although, more secure than other systems, but it is not malware immune. Regular scans with trusted antivirus software or a Mac maintenance app like CleanMyMacโ€™s Protection feature will:

  • Detect and remove malware.
  • Clean up adware and spyware.
  • Ensure your Mac stays safe and secure.

9. Empty Trash Regularly

The trash still remains occupied by the deleted files, so space is still used even after removing them.

How to automate this:

  • Right-click the Trash icon and select Empty Trash.
  • Or, by navigating to Finder > Settings > Advanced and subsequently clicking Remove items from Trash after 30 days.

10. Manage Login Items

Most applications launching during boot might take out more of your Mac’s performance.

To manage them:

  • Visit the System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions.
  • Choose all the unwanted items and click the minus (โ€“) option.

Controlling the login items will make the system faster and reduce boot time.

11. Run Mac Maintenance Scripts

Have you ever wondered what Mac Maintenance Scripts is? These are scripts that are part of your machine, and they do file deletion of old logs and temporary files automatically.

Mac usually is programmed to carry out “these scripts” since sleep arrives at night, but you can execute a manual run if you prefer.

How to run maintenance scripts on Mac:

  • Open Terminal (Finder > Applications > Utilities).
  • Type:

bash

CopyEdit

sudo periodic daily weekly monthly

  • Enter your administrator password to start the process.

In case your Macโ€™s power has been turned off, these intervals might go out of schedule. Therefore, a solution to this would be to manually start them.

โš ๏ธ Note: Run maintenance scripts Mac failed errors can occur on macOS Sonoma where this feature is disabled.

12. Check When Scripts Last Ran

Do you want to know if the Mac executed its scripts?

  • Open Terminal.
  • Type:

bash

CopyEdit

ls -al /var/log/*.out

  • This command indicates the timestamps of your Macโ€™s daily, weekly, and monthly scripts.

13. Optimize System Data

If you areย wondering about how toย optimize System Data on Mac, then do the following:

  • Deleting cache files manually from ~/Library/Caches.
  • Pruning old system logs from ~/Library/Logs.
  • Removing an unused app.

System data is known to contain system cache, temporary files, and other clutter that may be minimized and cleaned on a regular basis, which is the best way to remove them.

14. Reduce Visual Effects

Cutting down flashy animations can speed up system operation:

  • Go to System Settings > Accessibility > Display.
  • Click on the checkboxes for Reduce Motion and Reduce Transparency.

Switching off animations will also contribute to the improvement of performance, especially for the old Mac users.

15. Use Safe Mode for Troubleshooting

While in Safe Mode, non-essential caches can be erased, and this helps you to pinpoint the software that is causing the system performance to drop:

  • Restart your Mac and press Shift until you see the login window.
  • Sign in, and macOS will use the tools to check and turn off the nonessential applications.

FAQs

How to clean up a Mac to run faster?

Using apps such as CleanMyMac or OnyX Mac, you will be able to manage the junk files, clear the cache, and ease the RAM.

What are Mac maintenance scripts?

They are maintenance scripts that work automatically to clean system logs and temporary files so as to keep macOS in good condition.

How much does MacBook maintenance cost?

The cost of a fix relies significantly on whether it is manual or tool-based. Manual maintenance does not cost anything, but CleanMyMac can be bought for $39/year on average. Nonetheless, self-service also gets the stamp of approval from most of the users.

How to optimize system data on Mac?

Erasing the cache files, removing outdated logs, and deleting apps you do not want. For these tasks, apps such as OnyX Mac also have an automated version, including tools that can manage the removal issues.

Would OnyX Mac or CleanMyMac be a better choice for you?

CleanMyMac is user-friendly and has many features, but OnyX Mac is only geared to users who have expert computer knowledge and experience.

Why did the message run maintenance scripts on the Mac failed to appear?

The issue may have been caused by restrictions in macOS Sonoma or system limitations that are impacting its operation.

CleanMyMac official site

Conclusion

Following the best Mac maintenance tips for beginners will allow you to steer clear of the typical system slowdowns and also to keep your Mac going longer. It doesnโ€™t matter how you clean upโ€”whether by hand or using the Mac maintenance app, staying proactive is the key to a healthy, fast-running Mac.

M.SAEED
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M. Saeed is a versatile full-stack web developer with expertise in a wide range of technologies, including WordPress, Laravel, React, Next.js, Angular, Shopify, and CRM systems. With a specialization in HRMS solutions, he also brings proficiency in Selenium with Python and holds a (CEH) credential. Beyond his development skills, Saeed is a dedicated YouTuber, sharing his knowledge and experiences in the tech world.

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