Although Macs are well known for their dependability and relative long life, they can still get bogged down and benefit from . Here are some services we can do for your iMac, MacBook, or even Mac Mini to prolong it’s useful life.
Memory Upgrade
It is very common for a laptop or computer to only have 4GB of RAM. If you upgrade to 8GB of RAM, that would be comfortable for most people’s computers and would noticeably speed up your Mac. If you need storage for huge amounts of data, such as video editing or graphic design, then 16GB would be ideal— but that would be too much unnecessary space for your thousands of pictures from vacation or a few videos of your children blowing out candles on their birthdays!
Hard Drive Replacement
A Solid State Hard Drive will revolutionize your experience on your Mac. It will feel much more responsive, and even if you have a small amount of memory, swapping to a Solid State Hard Drive will also help because an SSD is especially fast at the transfer of data from the memory to the hard drive— much faster than an ordinary hard drive. An SSD is nearly 100x faster than an ordinary hard drive, and can even extend the battery life in a laptop as well!
Solid State Hard Drives have no moving parts, so they are much more reliable because over time the ordinary hard drive parts will wear down and fail with use. SSDs also generate no noise and significantly less heat than an ordinary hard drive does.
Utilize Your Additional Storage Options
Computers perform badly when their main storage drive is full. A common rule is to leave at least 10 % of your drive free—so consider adding additional storage and offloading files you don’t use often to it. This might be external storage, such as a USB flash drive or external hard drive. Getting those extra files that you don’t need on-hand off of your hard drive will free up some extra space and make your computer run more efficiently.
Update your Operating System
It is highly recommended to install the latest Operating System on your Mac for the increased security and features. Technologies such as App Nap— a feature that pauses apps not being used and reduces power usage— and compressed memory in OS X 10.10 Yosemite can actually improve performance on weaker hardware, such as your original hard drive.
Updating your Operating System can be tricky. The newest version of OS X for Mac is El Capitan, but we have seen some issues with completing the upgrade and computers not rebooting quickly afterward. If you tried to update your operating system and there was a problem with the install, then we encourage you to bring your Mac to us to get it back on track. If you bring your computer in to the Computer Doctor in Hampden for us to update your operating system, then you will receive $10 off if you mention this article!
The benefits to updating your OS X definitely outweigh the drawbacks— that is, if you have a newer Mac. If your Mac model is older than 2008, then it might not be the best idea to update it to the newest operating system. We’ve heard horror stories of older Macs completely grinding to a halt under the strain of the new OS X, and there’s definitely a danger with older Macs that newer operating systems will demand too much. At the Computer Doctor, we have every Mac operating system since Snow Leopard came out in 2009. We can install any of the operating systems that have come out in the past 6 years directly onto your Mac, and we will advise you which one would be the most efficient for your computer.
Apple has produced a line of outstanding products, and at the Computer Doctor we have found Macs to run better, quicker, and be more dependable than other brands of computers. If you bring in any Mac computer, laptop, or mini on or before November 28, 2015, then you will receive 10% off any service if you mention this article!
Come see us at 50 Main Road North in Hampden, Maine; across the street from the Circle K in the same building as Rivertown Family Eye Care. You can also call us anytime at (207) 862-7019.
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There are many factors that affect the speed of your computer. If you find yourself getting extremely frustrated with the (what seems like) long hours to simply log on to your email, then we have some tips for you to try.
1. Reboot Your Computer
A reboot is when a working computer system is restarting. Try not to do a “cold” reboot, when you would unplug the power or physically press the power button, because it could cause some damage. If possible, do a “warm” reboot by choosing the turn off or restart option in the start menu. In either situation, please do not actually kick your computer.
2. Close Background Programs
Open your Task Manager to see what programs are running in the background and close them if they are not necessary. If there is an antivirus scanner or spyware protection program running, then wait for the scan to complete before you close the program.
3. Delete Temp Files
Temporary files are stored on the hard drive as a computer runs programs, but it can also take up space. Use the Windows Disk Cleanup utility to delete temporary files.
4. Free Hard Drive Space
Check to see that you have at least 200-500 MB of free hard drive space. Click on either Computer or This PC on the desktop to see a small percentage bar of how much disk space is being used on your hard drive. If you need more space, it might be time to delete all those blurry photos from vacation last summer.
5. Bad, Corrupted, or Fragmented Hard Drive
Run ScanDisk to verify there is nothing physically wrong with the hard drive, or Defrag to ensure data is arranged on the hard drive in the most efficient way.
6. Scan for Malware
Spyware and malware can slow down a computer. Even if an antivirus scanner is installed on the computer, it is recommended you run an additional malware scan, such as the free version of Malwarebytes.
7. Scan for Viruses
If your computer is infected with a virus, it can cause your computer to run very slow. If you do not have an antivirus program installed, it is highly recommended you purchase one.
We install Avast Security on most devices infected with viruses that are brought in to the Computer Doctor, and have found that program to be the most efficient.
If you do believe you have a virus, we encourage you to bring your computer to us; we are the onlydoctor in the Bangor Area to get rid of these types of viruses.
8. Update Windows and Internet Browsers
Make sure you have the latest Windows updates installed on your computer by checking online.
If your computer is especially slow on the internet, make sure all browser plugins are up-to-date.
In Internet Explorer and Firefox, browser plugins are called add-ons. In the menu bar, select Tools > Add-ons. A list should pop up of the currently installed add-ons or plugins.
In Google Chrome, plugins are called extensions. Click on the wrench in the upper right-hand corner of the browser, and navigate to Tools > Extensions. You should see a list of the currently installed extensions.
Make sure all plugins are up to date, and try to disable any that you don’t use often.
9. Upgrade Memory
If you have had your computer for more than 2 years, you may need more memory, or RAM. At the Computer Doctor, we can increase your computer’s RAM quickly and easily.
10. Clean Out the Dust
If your computer is overheating, the processor speed will automatically be reduced to help compensate for the heat. Dust, dirt, and hard constrict proper airflow inside your computer. If you have a computer case on, make sure it is clean and the fans are not obstructed.
11. It’s Time to Buy a New One
If your computer is more than 5 years old, simply the age could be slowing it down. Newer software programs are optimized for newer computers, and older computers are not able to perform as well.
At the Computer Doctor, we can assist you in all your computer needs. If your computer is frustratingly slow and you have seriously considered hitting it with a hammer…
Please don’t!
Just bring it down to us and we’ll get it back up to speed!
We’re located at 50 Main Road North in Hampden, Maine. Across the street from the Circle K in the same building as Rivertown Family Eye Care. You can call us anytime at (207) 862-7019. If you mention this article, you will receive 10% off any service until November 7!
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Memory Upgrade
A Solid State Hard Drive will revolutionize your experience on your Mac. It will feel much more responsive, and even if you have a small amount of memory, swapping to a Solid State Hard Drive will also help because an SSD is especially fast at the transfer of data from the memory to the hard drive— much faster than an ordinary hard drive. An SSD is nearly 100x faster than an ordinary hard drive, and can even extend the battery life in a laptop as well!
1. Reboot Your Computer
8. Update Windows and Internet Browsers