Step-by-step

Make sure your Mac’s okay

1 Add security software

The Mac is more secure than other types of computer but it is not completely impervious to malware/adware. Get Intego Virusbarrier Scanner free from the Mac App Store.

2 Scan for malware

Start a scan. It found malware on our

Mac but because it is an app from the Mac App Store it may be a false positive. Investigate anything found and delete to be safe.

3 Validate fonts

Open Font Book and select File>restore Standard Fonts if any are missing. Click one font to select it and then press Cmd+a to select them all. Click File>validate Fonts.

4 Remove bad fonts

For various reasons problems can occur with fonts. After the check, select all fonts with errors and then click ‘Remove Checked’. There’s no point in keeping damaged ones.

5 Use software update

Open the Mac App Store and select ‘Updates’. Many macos/app updates include bug fixes and keeping your OS software up to date is the best way to avoid problems.

6 Check battery health

If you have a Macbook it is useful to monitor the battery health. Run coconutbattery (www.coconut-flavour.com) and check the second bar is greater than 80% for best health.

7 Use System Information

Open System Information in Utilities and some categories on the left display status information on the right. Select ‘Memory’ for example and check the status says ‘OK’.

8 Check the disk

Is the disk drive or SSD working properly and in full health? To find and fix problems, open Disk Utility and select each drive and partition and click the ‘First Aid’ button.

9 Use Etrecheck

Etrecheck (etrecheck.com) is a brilliant tool that checks everything in your Mac. Only five runs are available in free mode, so use them wisely. Run it and save the report.