System maintenance
Indispensable tools for fixing problems and keeping data secure
At startup >>> The most commonly useful startup key combos are:
to enter Safe Mode; Alt to select an alternative startup disk; to start a hardware diagnostics test, if available, or hold Alt as well to start it over the internet; to enter OS X Recovery, or hold Alt too for the online version; Alt+ to reset NVRAM (see bit.ly/mf-nvram); or for single-user or verbose mode ( bit.ly/mfsuverb); and
for target disk mode.
Check logs >>> When your Mac keeps spinning the wait cursor, if apps quit unexpectedly, or if it just isn’t working right, browse the logs immediately in Console. In it, select All Messages and look for clues to explain what went wrong. Entries are chronological. Many processes are named as if they are websites in reverse – com.apple. WebKit, for example, which refers to Apple’s WebKit components that support Safari and other internet connectivity. This could give you a clue.
Caches >>> Apps store temporary data in cache files in /Library/Caches, ~/Library/Caches, and hidden system folders such as /tmp. These can get overburdened, orphaned, or corrupted, losing free disk space and causing unwanted behavior. Starting in Safe Mode cleans some caches, including fonts. Go through each folder trashing caches, but be careful of what you remove. Tools such as TinkerTool System can clean caches – see bit.ly/mfcac for more about this utility and how it can help with caches.
Go to sleep >>> Macs should sleep when inactive for the delay set in the Energy Saver pane, or when you shut a MacBook’s lid. If yours won’t, it may be because a process is preventing it. Open Activity Monitor, and add a column to the table of processes by rightclicking the column header row: select the Preventing Sleep item in the contextual menu, which helps to identify what’s preventing sleep, and then quit those processes.
Hide folders >>> Keep private documents from prying eyes by putting them in a folder in Documents, then enter in Terminal: chflags hidden, type a space, then drag the folder onto Terminal’s window and press . You can still use Finder’s Go > Go to Folder command to open the folder again.
Repeat keys >>> If you don’t want to see accented key options when you hold a key, but want the key to repeat, enter in Terminal: defaults write -g ApplePressAndHoldEnabled -bool false then log out and in. To return to accents, replace false with true.
Lock keepers >>> Protect important files from inadvertently being trashed by locking them when not being edited. Select them in Finder, press and put a check mark next to Locked, under General. Attempting to trash locked files prompts you for confirmation.
Hidden tools >>> The /System/Library/ CoreServices folder and Applications within it contain valuable tools for solving problems: Archive Utility, with more compression and decompression options than Finder; Network Utility, with various graphical network tools, Wireless Diagnostics for testing Wi-Fi; and Network Diagnostics for general network testing. All but the last can be opened from Spotlight.
Check tasks >>> Some of the tasks running on your Mac may be puzzling or suspicious. To check which are genuine or might result from adware or malware, use TaskExplorer ( objective-see. com). It checks network connections, code signatures, and more, and returns a malware risk assessment from VirusTotal ( virustotal.com).
Complete backup >>> Keeping a complete backup of your startup volume enables you to get up and running as quickly as possible in the event of disk or other hardware failure. Time Machine is easy to set up and use, but takes a while to restore to another drive. You can use Carbon Copy Cloner ( bombich.com) or SuperDuper! ( shirt-pocket. com) to periodically update a bootable copy of your system.
Rotate backups >>> If you use your Mac in two or more places, such as at home and work, and want to use Time Machine at each, click Select Disk in Time Machine’s preferences pane and add two volumes to use. When asked, opt to use both and not replace the existing disk. The first backup to each destination will be complete, after which it’s incremental, rotating through the disks.
Burn a CD/DVD >>> Burning optical discs has been removed from Disk Utility, but still works just fine in Finder. Put files in a Burn folder, or select them all and choose File > Burn to Disc (or its equivalent in the contextual menu).
Burn DVD -Video >>> Use Burn ( burn-osx.sourceforge.net) to author discs in DVD-Video format on recent Macs.
Test restore >>> Never just assume that Time Machine backups are working okay. Every few weeks, enter Time Machine, browse through your backups and restore an old document and folder to check. Ensure you don’t overwrite any current work in the process.