Apple sold more than 22 million MacBooks in 2020. Not only are they lightweight, but they’re also powered by an advanced operating system, which allows them to run a variety of programs.
Like all computers, however, they tend to slow down over time. Don’t worry, though, there are ways to remedy the problem.
Is that why you’re here? Looking for a computer fix for your MacBook? Then you’re at the right place.
We’ll be going over some of the most common scenarios (and how to fix them) below. Keep reading to learn more!
1. You’re Running Low on RAM
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RAM stands for random access memory; it’s a type of temporary computer storage that allows stored data to be accessed almost instantly.
If it fills up, however, your Mac’s processor will have to repeatedly go to the hard drive to overlay the old data in the RAM with new data.
How can you tell if your RAM is full? Open ‘Activity Monitor’ and go to the ‘Memory’ tab. Look at the ‘Memory Pressure’ graph at the bottom—if it’s red, you’re running out of RAM space.
To free up some memory, all you have to do is quit some Mac apps. There are also cleaning programs that you can use that’ll locate and remove memory-hogging files.
2. Your Hard Drive Is Full
Having a full hard drive can slow down your Mac computer. For one thing, the operating system won’t be able to swap files out of RAM, which will slow down its performance. That’s why you want to leave at least 15% of your hard drive free.
To check your disk space, click on the Apple icon in the top left-hand corner of the screen. Select ‘About This Mac’ and click on the ‘Storage’ tab. A window will come up with a breakdown of your storage space.
As it is, the easiest way to free up space is to uninstall apps and files that you don’t need. It’s also a good idea to remove duplicate files from your hard drive. In fact, there are duplicate finder apps for that very purpose.
3. Your Desktop Is Cluttered with Files
Having a cluttered desktop can have a significant impact on your computer’s speed. This has to do with the fact that the operating system automatically creates file previews on your desktop.
If you have a lot of Mac files, your computer will have to load them every time it starts and that can take up a lot of resources.
Given that, it’s best not to keep things on your desktop; delete or move files that don’t need to be there. For example, you can put them in a folder (macOS doesn’t create preview icons for folders so it won’t cause the same problem) or external hard drive.
4. You Have a Lot of Startup Programs
Startup programs are applications that run automatically once the operating system boots up. For example, it’s not uncommon for antivirus software to start when you turn on your computer.
Having too many startup items, however, can eat up precious memory, and that can slow down your Mac.
To disable them, navigate to ‘System Preferences’ and click on ‘Users and Groups’. Select your profile and click on ‘Login Items.’ A list of programs will appear on the left-hand side.
Highlight the startup program that you’d like to remove and click on the minus symbol at the bottom—that’ll prevent it from starting automatically.
5. You Have Malware
Contrary to popular belief, Macs aren’t virus-proof. They can still get viruses, spyware, adware, and other malware. More often than not, they come from file sharing apps and malicious websites.
While some may deliberately slow down your computer, it’s often a side effect from them stealing resources to do other things. For example, some viruses might use your Mac to mine cryptocurrency in the background.
One way to prevent this is by limiting what apps can be installed on your computer. To do that, open ‘System Settings’ and go to ‘Security & Privacy’.
Click on the padlock at the bottom right-hand corner and type in your password. From there, go to the ‘General tab’ and select ’App Store’ under ‘Allow apps downloaded from’.
There’s also the option of downloading an antivirus program (ideally one with real-time protection).
6. Your Operating System Is Outdated
It’s important to keep your computer up-to-date with Mac updates. Not only will it protect you from security vulnerabilities, but it’ll also fix bugs and add performance enhancements, both of which will speed up your device.
To update, click on the Apple menu and select ‘System Preferences’. Click on ‘Software Update’ and a window will pop up.
There will be two options—you can either ‘Update Now’, which will install the latest updates for your current operating system, or ‘Upgrade Now’, which will install the latest OS version (e.g. macOS Big Sur).
If you want, you can also set it so that your Mac will check for updates automatically. To do that, select ‘Automatically keep my Mac up to date’ at the bottom.
A Computer Fix For a Slow MacBook
As you can see, there are many reasons why your Mac may be running slowly. The good news is that there’s a computer fix for all of these issues. If anything, you just need to identify the problem!
Was this post helpful? Looking for more Mac-related content? Then check out the rest of our macOS section!
