ALRIGHT! This is my advice thread and I say Bleh to these themes.
Carry on, with some useful poop, willya?
It's your unsolicited advice thread. Meaning it's all the advice you never asked for. So shut your pie hole. You'll get useful advice when we feel like it.
Here is my question for you: my G5 is purely a home computer used by me and my wife. I use it for photos and she has a nice-sized iTunes library. What we are finding is that this 1 year old machine has really slowed down over the last few months, with the spinning beach ball becoming a more frequent guest. Could you provide any insight as to how I might determine the cause: is it too many photos, too many music files or does the computer need to be defragmented? If I recall correctly I had it delivered with 1 Gb of RAM but I imagine this is where the problem lies.
Here are the things I would check:
Free space on your drives. You should have at least 10% free space.
Memory. The more RAM, the better, although that doesn't really explain a slow-down. Upgrade to at least 2GB of RAM.
UNIX CRONS. These are housekeeping routines that any UNIX machine (OSX included) will run in the middle of the night. If you're shutting down or sleeping your machine in the night, then they don't run.
File directory/catalog integrity. Over time the files that the computer uses to keep track of stuff on the drive can get corrupted. You need to periodically repair your drive. Periodically means at most once a month, more like 2x a year, or if you notice a problem.
Permissions can also become corrupt, and checking them is a good idea.
As can preference files. Check them, too.
Cache files build up over time, as well, and cleaning them can speed things up considerably.
There are lots of ways of tackling this, and here's what I recommend:
Download the freeware Applejack. It's not a normal application. Install it, then restart the computer, and immediately after the chime hold down command-s. Once you get white text on a black background, you know you're in single user mode, and you can let go. It'll look all geeky and texty. That's fine. Just type in 'applejack auto restart', and go get a cup of coffee. It should take less than 10 minutes. If you type auto in all-caps, it'll do a deep clean of your system cache, so that the machine will even forget that it's opened an application before. Either way, when it's done it'll restart and you can get back to work.
Here's what Applejack does:
repair your disk
repair permissions
clean up cache files
validate preference files
remove swap files
For the CRONS, you can just leave your system on overnight occasionally. You can also run freeware or shareware to do that. Check out Macaroni ($8 shareware), or OnyX.
You don't need to defragment, any file under 20MB is automatically defragmented when opened.
Make sure you're running a backup. I recommend making a clone of your boot drive, so that if anything goes wrong you're only a restart away from your most recent backup. Get a firewire drive and SuperDuper.
Thanks... Thanks David - that helps a great deal. I will download and run Applejack this evening and look into Macaroni & Superduper. I think upgrading the RAM will be useful as well as soon as the funds become available (a new 300 F/4 IS is still being justified to the Mrs ).
Thanks David - that helps a great deal. I will download and run Applejack this evening and look into Macaroni & Superduper. I think upgrading the RAM will be useful as well as soon as the funds become available (a new 300 F/4 IS is still being justified to the Mrs ).
Great. Make sure you backup important files before doing any of this. The problem you're having could be an indication of drive failure, or something serious that hasn't fully materialized yet, and these procedures can kick it into full gear. Back up, then do this stuff.
I also highly recommend SMARTReporter, which will keep an eye on the health of your drive for you, and notify you by the means of your choice. Its freeware.
So our house in England was broken into and my lappy (among other things) was stolen. The up side to that sucktacular event is I get a new mac book pro. So that's ... uh ... just great I guess. The new MBP's have a glossy screen option. What do you guys think about that? Glossy or non glossy?
Y'all don't want to hear me, you just want to dance.
So our house in England was broken into and my lappy (among other things) was stolen. The up side to that sucktacular event is I get a new mac book pro. So that's ... uh ... just great I guess. The new MBP's have a glossy screen option. What do you guys think about that? Glossy or non glossy?
This was something I was worried about when I learned that they'd switched to glossy-only for the MacBook. When I got my MacBook I put it right next to my 12" PowerBook in front of a window in order to see which was more usable.
In every case where the glossy screen was unusable, the matte screen was too. In fact, it was usually easier to move the angle of the screen on the glossy to get rid of nasty reflections than to find a similar angle on the matte screen. To say that this was a surprise is an understatement.
Not a scientific test, but if I were to have the choice today I would get glossy.
So our house in England was broken into and my lappy (among other things) was stolen. The up side to that sucktacular event is I get a new mac book pro. So that's ... uh ... just great I guess. The new MBP's have a glossy screen option. What do you guys think about that? Glossy or non glossy?
This discussion is in a thread here, somewhere. The conclusion was that for any kind of serious photo or graphics work, you want the matte. The glossy enhances saturation and brightness to a degree that makes it difficult to accurately judge an image when editing.
Buy almost $300 worth of shareware for $49, have 25% donated to charity.
Sigh, I shoulda known the one week I'm not watching this thread for the heist is the one someone would bring it up. But since it's long over now, I won't bother with the long plea for folks to avoid it, I am kinda surprised that photographers woulda gone for that con though. Just the thinking about it if those were your images, instead of someone else's programs I thought would have steered most photogs away from it. Oh well as has been pointed out, it was those developer's choice to do that.
SmugMug Sorcerer - Engineering Team Champion for Commerce, Finance, Security, and Data Support http://wall-art.smugmug.com/
Thanks David - that helps a great deal. I will download and run Applejack this evening and look into Macaroni & Superduper. I think upgrading the RAM will be useful as well as soon as the funds become available (a new 300 F/4 IS is still being justified to the Mrs ).
KK,
I'd love to know if any of that advice actually helped with your slowdown...
VMWare Fusion Beta it's out. I just installed it, totally painless. I loaded up Winders XP and all is well. It's a bit easier (installation-wise) than Parallels.
More on usability etc once I use it for a while.
Be SURE to install the VMTools as soon as you install your OS, then the mouse, etc will all work great
VMWare Fusion Beta it's out. I just installed it, totally painless. I loaded up Winders XP and all is well. It's a bit easier (installation-wise) than Parallels.
More on usability etc once I use it for a while.
Be SURE to install the VMTools as soon as you install your OS, then the mouse, etc will all work great
OK I take that back.
Just also installed latest version (beta) of Parallels Tools, and they now have easy drag and drop from Mac Desktop to PC desktop, and also the PC apps can reside in the Mac Dock, in the "coherence" mode - tres cool!
So we're going to have to put up with Mac weenies wetting themselves over every Jobs anouncement as they watch the webcasts tomorrow... aren't we? :bluduh
So we're going to have to put up with Mac weenies wetting themselves over every Jobs anouncement as they watch the webcasts tomorrow... aren't we? :bluduh
Heheh. You know that whole self-loathing that plagues minorities? It's already working on you. You're a Mac Weenie. Face it, bub.
So we're going to have to put up with Mac weenies wetting themselves over every Jobs anouncement as they watch the webcasts tomorrow... aren't we? :bluduh
Patch, now that Sid's broken that barrier...What do you think? Looks to be a pretty big one. 2 hours for this keynote, they're usually an hour...
I think we will see some really new stuff, at least I hope so.
How about a real iTV, Apple monitor, ala imac, but bigger, HDTV tuner, DVR, DVD player, awesome audio out, wifi, any other cool stuff they can fit on it.
So we're going to have to put up with Mac weenies wetting themselves over every Jobs anouncement as they watch the webcasts tomorrow... aren't we? :bluduh
Here is a long list of sites with live updates, enjoy.
Comments
One thing I'm really loving: dark gray menus.
Dgrin FAQ | Me | Workshops
Carry on, with some useful poop, willya?
Portfolio • Workshops • Facebook • Twitter
It's your unsolicited advice thread. Meaning it's all the advice you never asked for. So shut your pie hole. You'll get useful advice when we feel like it.
Dgrin FAQ | Me | Workshops
Portfolio • Workshops • Facebook • Twitter
my words, my "pro"pictures, my "fun" pictures, my videos.
Don't you know, you can order only APPLE pie here?
http://milan.smugmug.com
http://500px.com/macmilan
twitter: @milanovec
Here are the things I would check:
There are lots of ways of tackling this, and here's what I recommend:
Download the freeware Applejack. It's not a normal application. Install it, then restart the computer, and immediately after the chime hold down command-s. Once you get white text on a black background, you know you're in single user mode, and you can let go. It'll look all geeky and texty. That's fine. Just type in 'applejack auto restart', and go get a cup of coffee. It should take less than 10 minutes. If you type auto in all-caps, it'll do a deep clean of your system cache, so that the machine will even forget that it's opened an application before. Either way, when it's done it'll restart and you can get back to work.
Here's what Applejack does:
For the CRONS, you can just leave your system on overnight occasionally. You can also run freeware or shareware to do that. Check out Macaroni ($8 shareware), or OnyX.
You don't need to defragment, any file under 20MB is automatically defragmented when opened.
Make sure you're running a backup. I recommend making a clone of your boot drive, so that if anything goes wrong you're only a restart away from your most recent backup. Get a firewire drive and SuperDuper.
Hope that helps!
Dgrin FAQ | Me | Workshops
Great. Make sure you backup important files before doing any of this. The problem you're having could be an indication of drive failure, or something serious that hasn't fully materialized yet, and these procedures can kick it into full gear. Back up, then do this stuff.
I also highly recommend SMARTReporter, which will keep an eye on the health of your drive for you, and notify you by the means of your choice. Its freeware.
Dgrin FAQ | Me | Workshops
http://photos.mikelanestudios.com/
This was something I was worried about when I learned that they'd switched to glossy-only for the MacBook. When I got my MacBook I put it right next to my 12" PowerBook in front of a window in order to see which was more usable.
In every case where the glossy screen was unusable, the matte screen was too. In fact, it was usually easier to move the angle of the screen on the glossy to get rid of nasty reflections than to find a similar angle on the matte screen. To say that this was a surprise is an understatement.
Not a scientific test, but if I were to have the choice today I would get glossy.
jimf@frostbytes.com
Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
Sigh, I shoulda known the one week I'm not watching this thread for the heist is the one someone would bring it up. But since it's long over now, I won't bother with the long plea for folks to avoid it, I am kinda surprised that photographers woulda gone for that con though. Just the thinking about it if those were your images, instead of someone else's programs I thought would have steered most photogs away from it. Oh well
http://wall-art.smugmug.com/
my words, my "pro"pictures, my "fun" pictures, my videos.
Yep, just go into your Finder Prefs and turn off what you don't want. That's how I have it.
Dgrin FAQ | Me | Workshops
my words, my "pro"pictures, my "fun" pictures, my videos.
KK,
I'd love to know if any of that advice actually helped with your slowdown...
Dgrin FAQ | Me | Workshops
More on usability etc once I use it for a while.
Be SURE to install the VMTools as soon as you install your OS, then the mouse, etc will all work great
Portfolio • Workshops • Facebook • Twitter
OK I take that back.
Just also installed latest version (beta) of Parallels Tools, and they now have easy drag and drop from Mac Desktop to PC desktop, and also the PC apps can reside in the Mac Dock, in the "coherence" mode - tres cool!
Portfolio • Workshops • Facebook • Twitter
Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
Heheh. You know that whole self-loathing that plagues minorities? It's already working on you. You're a Mac Weenie. Face it, bub.
Dgrin FAQ | Me | Workshops
You were the first one to post about it. :haha
Patch, now that Sid's broken that barrier...What do you think? Looks to be a pretty big one. 2 hours for this keynote, they're usually an hour...
Dgrin FAQ | Me | Workshops
and 1000 years of world peace.
I think we will see some really new stuff, at least I hope so.
How about a real iTV, Apple monitor, ala imac, but bigger, HDTV tuner, DVR, DVD player, awesome audio out, wifi, any other cool stuff they can fit on it.
iWatch (wristwatch like thingie)
iPhone w/ Cingular service
OS X TiVoToGo, iTV
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take" - Wayne Gretzky
Dgrin FAQ | Me | Workshops
I'm already drinking. And I don't have a Mac. Or any iAnything appliance. But I am drinking.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take" - Wayne Gretzky
...only 11 hours to go... (12 if you count the long build-up before the "one more thing")
Here is a long list of sites with live updates, enjoy.