Dominokat
Premium
join:2002-08-06
Boothbay, ME
clubs:
 ·RoadRunner Cable
| [Leo] Maintenance
As you all know, I am a new Mac user from Windows. So I have a learning curve and you guys are doing teaching me about my new Mac! Thank you to all who have helped.
Now, ANOTHER question.
With Windows, a user had to often "clean" the registry and/or other files to keep the system working.
I assume this isn't needed with Macintosh systems?
So, how does the system cope with programs installed and uninstalled, and other things that normaly would effefct WINDOWS users?
In other words, how do I keep the system working at its full potential? Or does it even matter? |
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hyperjoe
Premium
join:2000-11-03
Gates Mills, OH | do nothing. |
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Mike
Premium,Mod
join:2000-09-17
Pittsburgh, PA
clubs:  | reply to Dominokat
Believe it or not, when you uninstall a program, it uninstalls if it is a native OS X program. |
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Zyncotl
Zed X
Premium
join:2002-09-13
Wayne, MI
| reply to Dominokat
Check out a program called Onyx. It'll automate some basic practices like repairing disc permissions and some other items.
Also when you remove a program from the applications folder you've uninstalled the program but haven't cleaned up after it completely. Check under the User ~ Library folder and User ~ Library ~ Application Support folder to clear out a few unneeded files after deletion.
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I'd take the time to insult your intelligence, but you probably wouldn't get it. |
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Thinkdiff
Premium,MVM
join:2001-08-07
Los Angeles, CA | reply to Dominokat
There's no registry in OS X. Follow hyperjoe's advice
(did I just say that?) |
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ArchAngel21x
Obama 2008
Premium
join:2001-10-28
Lincoln, NE
 ·Internet Nebraska
edit:
May 8th, @01:27AM
| reply to Dominokat
It's been my understanding that the only time you should bother with repairing disk permissions is when you are having problems or when you installed an update with software update.
--
Proud owner of a Mac Book & iPod Touch (8 Gig) | Mac Rumors | Apple Store |
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Eddyisgreat
Premium
join:2003-01-21
Seattle, WA
clubs:
·Comcast
| reply to Dominokat
I hate to admit it but i still follow the tried and true 6 month reinstall method.
- chill out fan boi's and girl's, i have my reasons, and I don't recommend it for everyone -
See , my issue is that i have no problems installing lots and lots of useless junk and utilities which commendeer my startup folder and my home folder becomes a mess also.
I customize my installations now, so I make sure I have a lean config.
Just don't install anything trivial or you think you won't need, and keep your dashboard nice n' trimmed. |
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tinysquare
Premium
join:2001-08-11
El Paso, TX | Or you can disable your dashboard if you don't use it. Onyx should let you do this. |
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bbarrera
Premium,MVM
join:2000-10-23
Sacramento, CA
clubs:
·SureWest Internet
·FrontierNet Intern..
| reply to Dominokat
said by Dominokat  :In other words, how do I keep the system working at its full potential? Or does it even matter? Disks get slow when they fill up (any OS). Outside that if you experience anything strange then I recommend forcing various system checks by doing a safe boot (hold S key while booting). |
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chevyrulz099
join:2004-04-05
Westminster, MD
| reply to Dominokat
try an app called "appDelete". it really does a great job at removing everything that accompanies a "program archive", such as the pref files, and all the extra stuff thats left once you delete the app normally.
some might like this stuff to be left, in case they want to reinstall the program one day, they have their same Preferences. I personally, if i delete an app, chances are its not coming back. |
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bobrk
4079
Premium
join:2000-02-02
San Jose, CA | reply to Dominokat
There is nothing to do here. Just move on. Find somethign useful to do with your computer. |
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Macaroonie
@comcast.net
 from:
Johnny
| reply to Dominokat
KISS
Ignore all the suggestions to add extra software to your Mac to do this function--not needed. When you do a periodic upgrade to your system software, it "defrags" your HD as part of the install process. That should be sufficient to keep your Mac running fine. Remember, this isn't a PC. You don't have to sweat the registry, or keep piling on these little "enhancer" programs to keep your Mac running well. Enjoy! |
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elias
Premium,VIP
join:2000-07-24
Miami, FL
clubs:
| reply to Dominokat
Re: [Leo] Maintenance
As long as you keep your computer on it will automatically run chron jobs for its own maintenance. The file system doesn't let itself get fragmented.
You really don't have to do anything. My MacBook Pro ran Tiger for a year and it never got slower.
I'm now on Leopard and don't find it getting slower in any way.
I do have Onyx in case I want to make a small tweak (it lets you see a few hidden options), but I do have everything pretty close to default.
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My Webmaster Gig | Crunching the Midnight Oil |
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N3OGH
LVM, Forum Snitch
Premium
join:2003-11-11
Philly burbs
·Verizon Online DSL
| reply to Dominokat
I use a program called Mac Janitor to rotate the logs and clean things up.
Any time I install an update to the OS, I always repair disk permissions. I know it's not necessary, but I lead a boring life, so I need something to generate some excitement....
--
Petty people are disproportionably corrupted by petty power… |
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cableties
Premium
join:2005-01-27
Levittown, PA
| reply to Dominokat
I prefer Cocktail or MainMenu.
Cocktail is shareware but MainMenu is free.
Because OS X is based on Unix, there are daily/weekly/monthly scripts that you can run to clean up, logs to clean/roll, caches to clean, permission repairs (after software installs), ...
Another nifty app is AppZapper. You drag the program you are going to install ontop and it builds a db of the app so if you want to uninstall it later, its pretty painless.
(something Windows has over Apple with Add/Remove software. However, some Apple vendors do use packages and make it easy to drag and drop in Applications folder. Others, e.g. Adobe, make you want to just Archive & Install a new OS!)  |
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Thinkdiff
Premium,MVM
join:2001-08-07
Los Angeles, CA
| said by cableties :Because OS X is based on Unix, there are daily/weekly/monthly scripts that you can run to clean up, logs to clean/roll, caches to clean, permission repairs (after software installs), ... Which OS X does completely on it's own and automatically.
said by cableties :Another nifty app is AppZapper. You drag the program you are going to install ontop and it builds a db of the app so if you want to uninstall it later, its pretty painless. (something Windows has over Apple with Add/Remove software. However, some Apple vendors do use packages and make it easy to drag and drop in Applications folder. Others, e.g. Adobe, make you want to just Archive & Install a new OS!) I don't see how having a necessary Add/Remove programs system is an advantage. Most of the time, using the Windows Remove programs thing doesn't even remove the entire program. There's the whole registry thing as well. I much prefer Apple's implementation of just dragging the application to the trash. For the applications that require a bit more clean up, they usually come with their own uninstallers. |
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badcat
join:2000-10-18
Glastonbury, CT
·Cox HSI
edit:
May 8th, @06:21PM
| reply to Dominokat
Re: [Leo] Maintenance
I fall into the "do nothing" camp myself. It's hard for ex-Windoze users to grasp initially (myself included), but once you get used to it, it's pretty nice. 
--
"The stars are matter, we're matter, but it doesn't matter." |
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shavano
Stop hiding under your bed
join:2003-06-08
Dallas, TX
| reply to Thinkdiff
said by Thinkdiff :Most of the time, using the Windows Remove programs thing doesn't even remove the entire program. There's the whole registry thing as well. On a one-month-old Windows system with nothing but the corporate standard packages, I've been unable to get a necessary application to fully install. Apparently it uses Macrovision's "lmgrd" license server which would not start properly and thus preventing the complete application from installing. Repeatedly.
Doing the Windows Add/Remove accomplished nothing that I see except removing the icon from the Start Menu. All the files were left and two dozen registry entries were left. Despite the "uninstall", "lmgrd" would crash immediately upon every restart, so it definitely was never removed. I couldn't manually delete the program's directories because some parts were always in use.
Finally after about 90 minutes of searching the Registry for terms I knew were related and deleting all the keys it would let me delete, I was able to remove all traces and re-install the thing. This time it worked.
said by Thinkdiff :I much prefer Apple's implementation of just dragging the application to the trash. Absolutely!!!
--
Spineless, pandering Congressional Democrats ... the only thing worse is ANY Republican. Throw all the bums out. |
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Dominokat
Premium
join:2002-08-06
Boothbay, ME
clubs:
·RoadRunner Cable
| reply to Dominokat
Wow....
It looks like the consensus is that I don't need to do a thing.
I like that option. I run a "cleaner" almost weekly on my Windows machine to keep it happy.
I like that "low maintenance" thing that I am getting from you all about Macs.
--
"Open the Pod bay door Hal" |
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