Mac troubles - need help

[TylerDurden]

I have been recently having trouble with my Mac(6 or 7 years old). It keeps crashing all the time. I am wondering what freeware software I can install and use which can solve this problem. The trouble is that so far the software used for speeding up Macs won't install on my PC because it's too old. Any help appreciated re finding freeware that my ancient Mac can use for defragmenting/speeding up my PC etc.

[raw-al]

There is no speeding up software for Macs that I am aware of. My Mac is early 2007 and it is fine. Every program you run slows down the computer a bit. If you are running the dashboard that slows it down. Some programs slow it down a lot. You may have a program that is really screwing it up. I am not sure what you can do about that.

Do you have all the updates for your OS? Go to 'Apple' (top left corner of the screen) 'System Preferences', 'Software Update' (4 down 4 across) click on that and it will run automatically.

What OS are you running?

I use two programs for fixing the Mac and both are payware -

Disc Warrior  http://www.alsoft.com/diskwarrior/

TechTool Pro  http://www.micromat.com/techtool-pro-6-learn-more

I run these monthly and have it in my schedule to remind me.

The other thing you can do is to get out the 'Techtool' version that probably came with your computer and try that.

One easy thing to start with is to turn off the Mac, unplug it, then if it's a laptop, turn it over, remove the battery, or if it's a desktop, remove the plug wire from the unit. Not just from the wall. Leave this off for say 2 minutes. Then plug it all back in again. This resets something inside.

Also run Disc Utility.

Select 'Finder' then select 'applications' then select (almost the bottom of the list) 'Utilities' then select 'Disc Utility'. When that opens up you click on the left where it says 'Macintosh HD', then select 'Repair Disc Permissions'. Run that a few times. Don't ask why it doesn't repair them all at once. God only knows why... Each time will take 5 minutes or less.

BTW it doesn't hurt to run this say once every month or two.

Then after that, click on the left side where it says the size of your HD (Right above MacIntosh HD) Mine is 250 GB, Then go to the right side of the box and click on 'repair disc'. Run that once or twice.

See if that helps.

I will post how to do the next step after I try it first, as I don't have it memorized.

It involves using the Install discs, so go find them.

BTW you might try Googling your question also.

[raw-al]

If that was not sufficient one more possibility is to run Disc utility from the startup disc.

It's easy. Just put the first of the discs that you got with the computer when it was brand new in the drive.

Then select restart while holding down the "C" key and hold it down while it shuts down, then restarts and don't release it till you see the Apple Logo on the screen.

Then just let it complete till it shows the screen that asks you whet language. Select, I assume English.

Then on the next screen go to the menu bar on the upper left and select... I think it's either 'Utilities' or 'Disc Utility', then select Disc Utility.

When it opens do the same thing that I described before with disc permissions and repair disc.

Then restart.

If that doesn't help... then run Time machine to an external drive, and then simply reinstall the operating system and bring up to date with the original discs and then update the OS to the latest one you have discs for and then do the updates.

Let me know if that helps.

[goodsamaritan]

Just buy a new macbook air.  Problem solved.

[raw-al]

Naw, a 27" imac is what you need. 

The air has no HD space worth talking about

[goodsamaritan]

If he's not doing videos or taking too many pics, then the air is good enough.
My wife has one.

There's an external hard drive for the mac book air if you need one.

[raw-al]

I like the solid state HD in them. That is nice. Faaasst! (also small)

[TylerDurden]

I have no startup disc as I got this computer from a friend. I tried most of  the above suggestions,   but I am still having the problem re CTDs on startup(though I think they are a little less frequent than before).

Well, I'll just hand it over to a Mac repair guy tomorrow. Googling hasn't been too helpful.

[raw-al]

If the slowness is on startup that is because you have stuff on the desktop. That slows it to a crawl.

Any files say in MS Word you should save into a document folder which is not on the desktop. Basically store the files other than on the desktop.

Another thing you can do is to get rid of old useless files. They just plug up the HD and make it harder to access files because the files get so defragmented.

What you'll pay the Mac repair guy would be better invested in Disc Warrior and TechTool Pro.

Also the Best place to go for advice like this is to www.Macworld.com/forums then go down the list to Mac 911. There is a lot of helpful people there, some of whom are Apple employees.

[TylerDurden]

The Mac repair guy gives his services at a massive discount because my father once got him established in the field by ensuring he got a contract with the University. I've already got rid of the large number of files I had on the desktop some days ago, I had no idea that they could cause a problem.

[raw-al]

The Mac repair guy gives his services at a massive discount because my father once got him established in the field by ensuring he got a contract with the University. I've already got rid of the large number of files I had on the desktop some days ago, I had no idea that they could cause a problem.

It's amazing what a diference they make. On startup, the system checks out all the files on the desktop for some reason, which takes a few minutes. I used to store everything there, but now I put it in a document file which shows up in the dock.