Part
1 - Routine Glitches & Sluggishness
Sometimes
your Mac just doesn't seem as peppy as it used to, particularly if it's
been running for a long time. Memory and Disk Problems are the most
common causes of routine glitches and sluggishness. Routine disk maintenance
and whether to let your Mac go to Sleep vs. Shutting Down are also discussed.
Part
2 - Disk & Hardware Problems
If
the computer won't boot you may have disk directory problems. physical
damage or other hardware gremlines. Disk repair utilities and problems
caused by bad RAM or PRAM are covered, as well as how to eject CDs and
other Open Firmware tricks for non-cooperating PowerPC-based Macs.
Part
3 - Backup Strategies
Everyone
knows they need to backup their data, but most people don't do so regularly
(if at all). Backups are confusing and annoying, who has time? Well,
your perspective may change during a post-crash enlightenment. The best Mac Maintenance you can do is to have current
backups of all your files.
Part
4 - Software Updates
The
task of updating software on your Macintosh can range from mundane to
annoying to catastrophic, depending on what gets updated and how successful
the process goes. Understanding when it is and isn't necessary to update,
and doing so in a methodical and reliable fashion, can ensure that you
remain both relatively current and continuously working with your Macintosh.
This
series was also published in the Adam's
Apple column on Low End
Mac
