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Tuesday, April 24, 2012

How to Speed Up Your Macbook

By Tyler G. Danaher


Nothing's more annoying for Mac users than the spinning beach ball icon, telling you that you're going too fast for your MacBook to keep up with you. In most cases, slow performance on your MacBook is the result of a number of factors, including insufficient RAM, low disk space or unnecessary processes running in the background.

Ram Upgrades

Items you will need:

#00 screw-driver

Step 1. Purchase your RAM at a local computer hardware retailer or online store. MacBooks come with 2 RAM slots. Ask your mac expert what kind of memory will work in your mac, it will differ depending upon which model of Macbook you have.

Step 2. Just to be safe, back up your hard drive.

Step 3. Shut down your MacBook. Disconnect all of the cables plugged into your computer and allow the MacBook to cool down. Typically, it can take up to a half an hour for your computer to completely cool.

Step 4. Carefully turn your MacBook on its back so the monitor LED is facing you. Using your #00 screwdriver, remove each of the eight screws securing the bottom panel of your MacBook. The sizes of these screws vary, so remember which hole each of the screws goes with.

Step 5. Lift off the bottom panel and avoid touching any of the internal components unnecessarily. Touch one of the metal plates to safely discharge any static electricity on your fingers.

Step 6. The ejection lever will release the RAM modules from there slots. Triggering this lever lifts the slots upward from RAM module seating.

Step 7. Install your new RAM into the empty slot. Firmly push the module into place so it's parallel with the other RAM module. You should hear a click.

Step 8. Replace the back panel and reattach the eight screws to their corresponding holes.

Step 9. Restart your computer. The initial startup takes a few minutes to register your new RAM module. After your desktop loads, click the Apple icon and select "About This Mac." The memory should show your new RAM.

Clean Your Hard Drive

Step 1. Open up your hard drive icon by double clicking it. This will reveal its contents.

Step 2. Sort through all of your file directories, including your "Downloads," "Documents," "Pictures," "Music" and "Movies" folders, and drag unwanted files to your "Trash," (located in your dock).

Step 3. Empty your trash by right-clicking on the trash can icon and selecting "Empty Trash".

Adjust your Application Processes

Step 1. Open a new Finder window by clicking on the Finder icon. Select "Applications".

Step 2. Scroll down, open the "Utilities" folder and open "Activity Monitor." A window appears, displaying all of the processes that are presently active on your computer. Each process uses a percentage of your central processor's capacity, slowing down your computer. Review the list and look for unwanted processes that are eating up your CPU's capacity.

Step 3. Click the unwanted process and click the "Quit Process" button at the top right to terminate the system process.

Manage Your Startup Applications

Step 1. Click the Apple icon and select "System Preferences."

Step 2. Locate the "Users and Groups" item and then the "Login Items" tab. The list displays the applications that are set to launch automatically upon start up your and can significantly slow down your MacBook's performance.

Step 3. Highlight the unnecessary login items and click the minus icon below the list to delete them from the list of startup utilities.




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