[DM-MUG] Slow Mac - good points

[Victoria L. Herring]

>For me, I refresh speed this way:
>
>Spotlight Speed
>-in Spotlight prefs, drag the boot volume in, close prefs, open up, 
>go back to spotlight prefs and drag it out. This is supposed to 
>rebuild the index.

you can rebuild the index using Onyx, but I guess I didn't see a need 
to do that

>
>Hard Drive Speed
>-I have a mirror backup drive that I can do a full new backup to, 
>reboot into and then restore to the other one, hoping to clear up 
>some fragmentation.
>-Let the computer stay on overnight to catch the OS X automatic 
>maintenance routines.

I do that

>-Reboot so that temporary virtual memory files are reset if the 
>nightly maintenance didn't have a chance to run.

I do so every now and then

>-Keep fewer files in the same folders. Deepend the hierarchy. Then 
>the Finder doesn't have to generate or display as many preview icons 
>per listing.

I don't understand - do you mean only use 3-5 folders - or files for 
htat matter - within each folder and thus, limit the icons being 
displayed?

>
>Internet Connection Speed
>-Reset the router and DSL modem by turning both off for a minute and 
>turning back on.

good reminder...I forget that

>
>Apple Mail speed
>-I routinely export mailboxes, or drag and drop messages into a 
>folder in the Finder to keep its list of messages to manage small. I 
>can always click twice on mail boxes or messages to open them 
>individually without maintaining them in Mail. Spotlight makes 
>finding their content real easy anyway.
>
>Memory / CPU Resources
>-Look at my user account in system prefs for startup items I don't 
>want loading anymore.
>-Use the utility "Diablotin" to look for other things that are 
>loading that I don't want to.
>-Use the process viewer to look for things running in the background 
>that are using the CPU. I was onced surprised to find that just 
>having my Grahpire draw table plugged in kept a constant 2% load. I 
>leave it unplugged unless in use now.
>-Look in the sharing section of system preferences and make sure 
>things like file sharing isn't turned on (unless intentional)
>-Switch to the dashboard and close widgets I left open that I'm not 
>actively using.

-- 
Victoria L. Herring, Attorney, Discrimination & Employment Law, 
<http://www.HerringLaw.com>;  Travel research, 
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