By performing some basic maintenance on a regular basis, you can help your Mac to run more efficiently.

Note: The following is intended only as a set of guidelines. Consult the documentation that came with your computer for additional guidance.

Weekly:

1. Backup important folders and files onto another drive or disk (zip, floppy, etc.).

Monthly:

1. Install anti-virus updates, especially if you exchange files among different computers.
2. Rebuild the desktop:
   • Restart
   • Press and hold COMMAND + OPTION at end of start-up (before desktop appears)
   • Dialog box appears, asking if you want to rebuild the desktop
   • Click on "OK"
   The Desktop file is an invisible file found in the main level of your hard drive. It is the file that keeps track of all the documents and applications that are on your hard drive. Occasionally your Desktop file may become too large or may be damaged. Rebuilding the Desktop re-links documents to their correct applications and rewrites the Desktop file itself.
3. Run Disk First Aid:
   • Launch Disk First Aid application
   • Select one or more disks at top of window (press and hold SHIFT to select multiple disks)
   • Click the "Repair" button
   Disk First Aid is a utility that verifies and repairs some problems that may occur on your hard disk drive. Although Disk First Aid is able to repair problems on a startup hard disk, Apple recommends that you start your computer from a different disk (such as the Mac OS CD) before repairing the startup disk. Disk First Aid should be used to verify and/or repair all hard drives at least once a month and immediately after a crash or forced restart.

Every 6 months:

1. Zap the PRAM
   • Press and hold COMMAND + OPTION + P + R during startup
   • Continue holding down all 4 keys until you hear your Mac reboot 4 times
2. Clean out Finder Preferences
   • Click on System Folder - Preferences - drag to trash
   • Restart
   • Empty trash
   • Reset control panels that have defaulted Date and Time, General Controls, Memory, Mouse)
3. Defragment the hard drive. Although the Mac makes every effort not to, as you use your computer, pieces of information can be split up and written in segments onto the hard drive. As a result, to retrieve an application or file, the computer must search many areas of the hard disk thereby decreasing performance. Defragmenting a hard drive reduces the time the computer spends locating a file by placing all the segments in one continuous location. Although the Mac OS does not include a defragmentation program many 3rd party utilities are available (i.e., Norton Utilities Speed Disk, MicroMat's TechTool Pro 2, Alsoft's PlusOptimizer and DiskExpress Pro).

Every year:

1. Reinstall operating system. You'll need your Mac OS CD. With the CD inside, restart the machine, pressing the C key. Before you do the install, run Disk First Aid.

As needed:

1. All of the above
2. General Cleaning:
   • Clean mouse rollers with rubbing alcohol on a cotton swab.
   • Clean mouse surface and ball with warm water.
   • Clean keyboard with compressed air, moist cotton swab and lint-free cloth.
   • Clean monitor screen with screen cleaner.
   • Wipe down monitor and case with damp lint-free cloth.

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