Mac Tip : Clean Up your Hard Drive
Apple Macintosh computers are great, but they all seem to have hard drive storage issues. Here I’ll show you how to:
1. Clean up your hard drive and eliminate clutter
2. Permanently delete files in your trash
3. Delete all cookies and cache system wide
4. Repair permissions on your mac files
5. Edit many system wide options using OnyX
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First Get OnyX
I’m able to do all of the above with a free Macintosh tool called OnyX. Here is how you install it:
- Go to http://www.titanium.free.fr/download.php
- Select the version of OnyX based on the operating system you are using
- You can find your operating system info, by clicking the Apple icon and then About This Mac
- Choose to open with DiskImageMounter
- Drag the OnyX logo into you Application folder
- Double click on the OnyX icon to open it
How to Delete Mac Trash
If you have a Mac, eventually you will have a problem deleting your trash. Laugh it up PC’s! OnyX will delete the trash everytime.
- Just click on the tab in Onyx called Utilities
- Select Trash in the toolbar
- Make sure the Delete radio button is selected
- Click the Execute button
This might take a bit to process, but I guarantee it will permanently delete and over write all of your trash. It will even delete files that are locked or in use, so watch out.
Clean Up Mac Hard Drive
PC’s have a tool called CCleaner, that deletes cookies, and other garbage files system wide. You can do the same thing with OnyX:
- Click on the Cleaning Button in OnyX
- Click on the Internet tab
- Select what you want deleted, by clicking in the check boxes
- Click Execute and everything is gone
Fix Permissions on Mac
Permissions get messed up on the Mac as well, leaving you unable to access your files. You can fix them by:
- Click on the Maintenance Button in OnyX
- Selecting the Permission option
- Click Execute
- All of your Permissions should now be fixed
Change Settings on Mac
You can also change many settings in OnyX, that aren’t available in your general Settings program. Click on the Parameters icon in OnyX.
General OnyX Settings
Under the General tab you can:
- Define where arrow keys are located for scrolling
- Define the screen capture file format
- Define the number of files to display in your Recent Files menu
- Choose to have a Mac animated desktop background!!!
- Remove the warning you see, when you run an application you downloaded
Finder OnyX Settings
Under the Finder tab you can:
- Define many graphic effect options
- Choose to show hidden files by default
- Define the look of your Menu Bar Background
- There are also additional options you can choose to show
Dock OnyX Settings
Under the Dock tab you can:
- Define animations on the Dock
- Define where the applications will open on the screen
- Choose what will appear on your Dock
- Hide the Dock, when out of focus
- Lock down the Dock icons
- Define how Stacks operate on the Dock
The Rest of the OnyX Parameter Options
You can also tweak many options available in:
- QuickTime
- Safari
- iTunes
- Login Options
- Many other miscellaneous options
That’s All Folks
To put it simply, OnyX is a great tool if it only provided it’s Mac disk clean up tools. Try it out. It’s Free!
If you have any questions or comments leave them in the comment section below.
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Think Tank
I use a MAC OS X version 10.7.3 – After attempting to delete files, many appeared in my “All My Files Folder” which when I then attempted to delete any of them I was given a choice to click on either “Delete The Alias” or “Fix The Alias”.
Clicking on “Delete The Alias” gives me the message – The Alias: plus an ID number of the specific file I was attempting to delete, and then the message – “can’t be opened because the original item can’t be found”.
When I then clicked on “Fix The Alias” I get the message:
“The operation can’t be completed”.
“An Unexpected error occurred (error code – 43)”
How do I delete these error code – 43 files that I’m now unable to delete by any means, and are cluttering up my list of legitimate files?
Sorry, but I wasn’t able to figure out that issue. Apple is normally pretty good at providing support answers. I just used Apple Expressway the other day and they where great.