How to Fix a Slow or Hot MacBook

Prerequisites

• Comfortable using macOS

Difficulty Level

• Member | Nerd | Platypus

Estimated Time

• 15-30 minutes

Expected Outcome

• A faster, cooler MacBook

Tools Required

• MacBook
• Fingers or some other touch device
• Some courage

How to Fix a Slow or Hot MacBook

1. Find and Kill Resource-Consuming Processes:
   • Open Activity Monitor by pressing Command + Space and typing ‘Activity Monitor’.
   • Click on the CPU tab and sort by ‘% CPU’ to see the most resource-consuming processes.
   • Select the process and click ‘Quit’ to terminate it.
2. Check for macOS Updates:
   • Click the Apple icon in the upper-left corner.
   • Select ‘About This Mac’.
   • Click ‘Software Update’.
   • If updates are available, click ‘Update Now’.
3. Restart Your MacBook:
   • Click the Apple icon in the upper-left corner.
   • Select ‘Restart’.
   • Wait for your MacBook to restart.
4. Free Up Space:
   • Click the Apple icon in the upper-left corner.
   • Select ‘About This Mac’.
   • Click the ‘Storage’ tab.
   • Click ‘Manage’ to see storage options and recommendations.
5. Limit Background Apps:
   • Check your dock for open apps (indicated by a dot).
   • Right-click on each active app and select ‘Quit’.
6. Manage Startup Items:
   • Click the Apple icon and go to ‘System Preferences’.
   • Click ‘Users & Groups’.
   • Unlock the settings by clicking the lock icon and entering your password.
   • Select your username and go to ‘Login Items’.
   • Uncheck the apps you don’t want to auto-launch.
7. Clear Cache:
   • Open Finder and click ‘Go’ in the menu bar.
   • Select ‘Go to Folder’ and type ‘~/Library/Caches’.
   • Select all unnecessary cache files and move them to Trash.
   • Empty Trash to complete the process.
8. Add More RAM:
   • Open Activity Monitor and go to the ‘Memory’ tab.
   • Check the Memory Pressure graph. If it’s yellow or red, consider adding more RAM.
9. Clean Your Desktop:
   • Right-click on the desktop and select ‘Use Stacks’ to automatically organize files.
   • Delete unnecessary files and move others to appropriate folders.
10. Check for Malware:
    • Download a trusted anti-malware app like Clario.
    • Run a quick scan and follow the on-screen instructions.

Additional Resources

• Moving files to an external hard drive
• Guidelines for adding RAM