Clean Up Your Desktop Now For Better Performnce

How many icons counting hard disks, network volumes, and removable mediaare sitting on your Desktop right now? (My answer: 11, though I usually try to keep it closer to 6. Ask me again tomorrow, after I've performed my weekly housekeeping.) I know lots of people who regularly have dozens or even hundreds of icons on their Desktops, who use it as a catchall for downloaded files, work in progress, email enclosures, and everything else that needs a temporary home.

The fact is this may lead to slow up your Mac ,here is how:

• Mac OS X considers every icon on your Desktop a window, and because every open window uses up a certain amount of RAM, more Desktop icons means greater RAM usage.

• Exposé shortcuts notwithstanding, putting files and folders on your Desktop makes them harder to find, because they're so easily hidden behind windows. (You can, of course, access the contents of your Desktop folder in a regular Finder window, but some people put items on the Desktop specifically to avoid working with Finder windows.)

• Your Desktop displays files and folders in icon view, unlike the more efficient list and column views available in other windows. (Yes, I know, you can view the contents of your Desktop folder in a window too, but work with me here...)

• Tossing lots of files into a single big storage area (wherever it may be) creates more work later on when you try to locate specific files.

• If you use your Desktop to hold important items that you want to keep "in your face" at all times, you'll lose that effect when the files become too numerous.

A cluttered Desktop slows you down, so take a few minutes once a week to organize most (if not all) the items on your Desktop into other folders.

I know of numerous organizational philosophies, but I have no wish to impose a rigid system on you. Instead, simply consider these suggestions for keeping files off your Desktop:

TIP
If your chief concern is keeping track of a few important files, use the Finder's label feature (select a file and choose a color label from the bottom of the Edit menu) to mark all high-priority files in a given color. Then, use a smart folder to display all files on your disk labeled with that color. Choose File > New Smart Folder, choose Color Label from the first pop-up menu, and click the color you used to label the files. Then click Save and give your smart folder a name. The folder automatically updates itself to display all the files labeled with the selected color, wherever they may be stored on your disk.

TIP
If you store downloaded files on your Desktop, instead make a new folder named Downloads, put that on your Desktop (or somewhere else convenient, such as in your Documents folder), and keep the downloaded files inside it.

To change the location to which Safari downloads files, choose Safari > Preferences, click the General button, and choose a location from the Save Downloaded Files To pop-up menu (choose Other to select any folder on your disk).

TIP
Check your Desktop for files you no longer need, such as software you've already installed, PDFs you downloaded and printed, or outdated text clippings, and delete them.

If you keep files and folders on your Desktop because you find it difficult to work with Finder windows, you may be able to improve your experience considerably by customizing the default Finder window.



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Maintenance Of Your Mac Hardware: Apple Hardware Test (recommended)

When you purchased your Macintosh, the box should have included a CD or DVD with an application called Apple Hardware Test. Depending on when you bought your computer, this could be an independent disc, or it may be included on the Mac OS X Install Disc. (Look for tiny lettering on the disc that says "To use Apple Hardware Test, hold down the Option key as the computer starts up," or words to that effect.) Find this disc now.

You have in your hands a very special program. Apple Hardware Test can run only when you start up from the CD or DVD it came on; don't bother trying to copy it to your hard disk. This program performs a series of diagnostic tests on your Mac's hardware, including the AirPort card, logic board, hard drive, RAM, modem, and video RAM.
It doesn't repair anything, and it doesn't look for problems such as directory errors that are the province of Disk Utility. But it can identify subtle hardware defects that could later lead to serious problems. Whether your Mac is fresh out of the box or years old, you owe it to yourself to make sure its major components are in good health, and this is the easiest way to do so.

To run Apple Hardware Test, follow these steps:

1.Insert the disc with Apple Hardware Test on it into your Mac and restart, holding down the Option key until icons appear representing the available startup volumes.

2.Click the Apple Hardware Test icon, and then click the right arrow.

3.After the program loads, select a language and click the right arrow.

4.On the Hardware Tests tab, click Extended Test.

5.Take a nice hot bath or enjoy a stroll around your neighborhood. This test takes a while!
The screen says, "Estimated time: 10-15 minutes, or longer depending on the amount of memory installed." Take the "or longer" part seriously. On a fairly fast test machine with 2 GB of RAM, the test took almost an hour and 45 minutes.

6.If all is well, the word "Passed" appears next to all the applicable tests in the Test Results area. If not, a failure message appears; if this happens, look in the About the Test and Results area for advice.

7.Click Restart to restart your computer.

I recommend running the test again after installing RAM or any other new hardware inside your computer, or if you begin to have inexplicable problems that ordinary disk utilities do not solve.

written by Avipar\\

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Six Tips to Keep Your Mac in Top Form

1) Keep Things Up to Date
Make it a point to check for Apple software updates once a month to keep your system running optimally. From the Apple menu, choose Software Update while your computer is connected to the Internet.
Software Update will assess the Apple software on your computer and check our servers for new versions. If it finds any, the updates will appear in the Software Update window. Select the checkbox for the software you want and then click the Install button to download and install the software.
You can configure Software Update to automatically check for updates either daily, weekly, or monthly.

2) Put Your Files Away To A Safer Place
Put your files away where you can easily find them. I prefer to put all my new files I downoaded or are working on in a folder called Inbox. This helps me to get organized and can help prevent accidental file deletion and help you find things much more efficiently.

You can get organized by creating new folders (in the Finder, press Shift-Command-N) and arranging them into a workable hierarchy for your files at hand, or you can move your files into existing folders.

3) Name Your Files Correctly
Go through your generically-named files and folders and give them more descriptive names so you can find what you need fast. Right-click on any file and choose Get Info from the drop-down menu.
Go to the Spotlight Comments area and fill in some keywords for that file.This can help you get organized and makes it easier for Spotlight to search.

4) Go Through Your Files. Clean It Up!
Having unneeded files can use RAM so delete them frequently. To reduce the amount of clutter on your hard drive, free up some disk space by archiving large, seldom used files , and be sure to name the resulting archive file appropriately too, so you know what's in it.

Delete any unnecessary or outdated personal files whenever possible and anything that you no longer want or need—just drag them all into the Trash and don't forget to Empty Trash.

5) Auto-Back Up Your Files
To prevent losing your prized or important files, make it a point to back up on a regular basis. You can back up files onto a CD, DVD, external hard drive, iPod, iDisk, or other storage medium and then delete the copies on your hard drive to free up some space. To learn how to back up files, choose Mac Help from the Help menu in the Finder and do a search for “back up files.”

6) Clean the Outside Regularly
It goes without saying that you must dust-free your Mac regularly.I love my Mac and do it once every weekend atleast. Dust and other debris can harm your computer's hardware if you allow the stuff to build up around your workspace.

Use a soft, dry, lint-free cloth, feather duster to clean your Mac's outside as well as the surface areas around it. You can use a slightly water-dampened cloth to clean the screen. Do not use any type of liquid cleaner to clean your Mac use a specific one.


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