How to completely clean your Mac before selling it? Cleaning your MacBook of unnecessary files Clean your Mac of unnecessary files manually

If for some reason you decide to sell your Macbook Air or give it to someone else for a while, you will definitely need to clear some data from your account. Read this manual to learn how to do it correctly and quickly.

First of all, you will need to make a new account. Name it "admin" or something like that and create a simple password. From this account, you will be able to delete personal data and files from your previous account, as well as other user credentials. This method is quite simple, but it can take quite a lot of time, up to 10-12 hours. If you are not in a hurry, then this solution is quite suitable for you. A faster way is to format the HDD or SSD. For complete safety, do not be lazy to make a backup copy of the contents of your computer. Format the disk and install the appropriate operating system.

Quit the applications and don't forget to turn off additional features like "find my mac". If necessary, disable authorization and make a copy of the content in applications such as iTunes, iCloud and iMessage.



After reinstalling the system, when you turn it on, the Mac will offer you a new setting of data such as country, time zone and others. Leave this setup for the next owner and don't complete it by turning off your Mac air.


The new owner will receive a computer without unnecessary files that he does not need, and all your data will be safe.

macOS Sierra and later can free up space by storing content in the cloud. New tools make it easy to find and delete large or unnecessary files.

Storage Optimization in macOS Sierra and later can free up space by storing content in the cloud and downloading it on demand. When you need to free up storage space, files, photos, movies, email attachments, and other rarely used files are automatically transferred to the cloud for storage. Each file remains in the state it was in when it was last saved and is loaded when you open it. Your most recently used files and optimized versions of your photos remain on your Mac.

If you have not yet updated your operating system to Sierra, .

First, choose About This Mac from the Apple () menu, then click Storage. You'll see an overview of free space and space occupied by files of various categories, including programs, documents and photos:


Click the Manage button to see storage optimization recommendations. Fewer options will be presented if some are already enabled.


iCloud storage

iCloud stores files using the storage capacity in your current iCloud subscription. If you need more iCloud storage, starting at 50GB for $0.99 per month, directly from your Apple device. .

Storage optimization

Click the Optimize button, then choose one of the following options.

Optimized storage for movies, TV shows, and email attachments does not use iCloud storage.

Automatic Trash Emptying

The Empty Trash Automatically option permanently deletes files that have been in the Trash for more than 30 days.

Removing garbage

The Remove Junk option helps you find large files and files that may no longer be needed. Click the Browse Files button, then select any file categories in the sidebar, such as Programs, Documents, GarageBand, iOS Files, iTunes, or Trash.


Where are the settings for each function?

  • Choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, click the iCloud tab, then click the Options button next to iCloud Drive. iCloud Storage enables the Desktop and Documents Folders and Optimize Mac Storage options. To disable iCloud Drive completely, uncheck iCloud Drive.
  • In the Photos app, choose Photos > Preferences, then click iCloud. The iCloud Storage feature enables options and Optimize Mac Storage.
  • In iTunes, choose iTunes > Preferences, then click More. The Optimize Storage feature enables the Automatically delete watched movies and TV shows option.
  • In Mail, go to Mail > Preferences and open Accounts. The Optimize Storage feature in the Account Information section of your mail account selects Recent and None in the Load Attachments drop-down menu.

: In Finder, choose Finder > Preferences, then click More. The "Empty Trash Automatically" feature enables the "Delete items from Trash after 30 days" option.

Other ways to automatically save space in macOS

macOS Sierra and later automatically takes additional steps to conserve space:

  • detects duplicate downloads in Safari and keeps only the latest version of the download;
  • reminds you to remove used program installers;
  • removes old fonts, languages ​​and dictionaries that are no longer used;
  • Clears cache, logs, and other unnecessary data when you need to free up space.

Freeing up storage space manually

Even without using the storage optimization features in macOS Sierra or later, you can take steps to free up storage space.

Even the fastest and most powerful computers become clogged with unnecessary files over time, and Apple computers are no exception. A large amount of junk on your hard drive can take up a lot of free space and also affect the speed and stability of your computer. Is there a way to quickly find and delete all those junk files that are slowing down your Mac OS?

Luckily, there's Movavi Mac Cleaner, a simple and convenient tool that will scan every corner of your system, show you what's taking up disk space, and safely remove all unnecessary files. Free up gigabytes of space and speed up your computer now - download Movavi Mac Cleaner and follow our step-by-step instructions to clean up your Mac drive.

1. Install a Mac OS X cleaning program

Open the installation file and follow the on-screen instructions on your Mac to help you install the program correctly. Once installation is complete, launch Mac Cleaner.

2. Scan the system

As soon as you launch Mac Cleaner, the program will immediately begin checking your computer for junk. When the scanning process is completed, the screen will show the total amount of space occupied by unnecessary files.

3. Clean up your Mac drive

To quickly clean your Mac of debris, click Start cleaning. Thus, the program will erase all unnecessary cache and log files, and also delete files located in the Recycle Bin.



You can also delete unnecessary files manually. Notice the tabbed panel on the left side of the interface. In the tab System cleaning you can choose to delete cache and log files by clicking on the corresponding switches. If you want to delete individual files, click Details opposite the desired category. Next, mark the files you want to get rid of and click Start cleaning.



Open the tab Removing languages. In it you can remove all unnecessary application localizations and other language files that you will most likely never need. Just check the boxes for unnecessary localizations and click the button you already know Start cleaning.



Tab Large and old files will help you quickly find and delete “heavy” files that have been on your computer for a long time and, probably, you no longer need. To erase these files from your hard drive, check them and click Start cleaning.



To free up additional disk space, remove unused applications, as well as files remaining on the disk from programs that were previously removed. To do this, open the tab Uninstaller and select a section User Applications, OS X Applications or Leftovers. Check the box next to the programs or files you want to erase and click Delete.

When I first purchased the MacBook, it loaded so quickly and opened applications and pages on the Internet so quickly! But over time, a lot of unnecessary files have accumulated on it, which are really of no use, but they take up an unforgivably lot of space. Therefore, if you have already deleted a number of your personal unnecessary files, but still do not understand where the space goes, it will be useful for you to learn how to clear memory on a MacBook.

How to get rid of residual files

Many MacBook models come with little free hard drive space. This space is immediately filled with residual and temporary files. To free it from various debris:

  • Close applications that are not currently needed.
  • Don't forget to empty your trash.
  • Pay attention to the “downloads” folder, it is clogged with a huge number of temporary small unnecessary files.
  • Restart MacBook.
  • Install software to clean your system of junk.

In the "downloads" folder, you can sort files by weight and remove the largest unnecessary ones. A chaotic mess often accumulates there.

When you restart your MacBook, it automatically deletes residual system files, most of them. Therefore, rebooting your laptop from time to time is simply necessary to free up space in the process.

Cleaning programs

There are several programs designed to clear temporary files, and with them the browser cache. This software searches for residual and outdated files, and can be used to remove applications that are no longer needed. When uninstalling applications through additional software, you can get rid of unnecessary directories that the system itself can skip.

Memory cleaning programs are downloaded through the AppStore. Programs such as CleanMyMac, AppTrap or OmniDiscSweeper can help clean up disk space. Some programs are provided completely free of charge, but there is also paid software.

Clearing the browser cache

While the user spends time on the Internet, his browser’s cache becomes clogged with a huge number of temporary files necessary for the correct display of the pages he opens. Therefore, when the browser starts to work very slowly, and the space on your hard drive is clogged with unknown temporary files, you need to clear the cache.

  1. Open the Safari browser (which is what most MacBook owners use).
  2. Open options.
  3. Select the settings item and find the “advanced” tab in it.
  4. Find the item "clear cache" and select it.
  5. Wait until the temporary files are deleted and turn off the browser.
  6. Re-enable the browser to continue working.

With cleaning programs and periodic monitoring of excess data, you can keep your MacBook running at optimal performance.

One of the reasons is insufficient free space on the hard drive. In this article, we will share tips with which you can free up space on your Mac hard drive.

Remove disk images

For many Mac users, in the folder Downloads there are a large number of disk images with programs that were needed only for installing programs, and now just take up space on the disk. To get rid of disk images once and for all, open the folder Downloads V Finder. Then enter the phrase "disk image" in the search field. Now you can immediately delete all .dmg and .iso files that are taking up space on your hard drive.

Removing email attachments

If you use the standard Mail application in OS X, then when you view attached files, the system saves them to a separate folder on your hard drive. Over several months of working with an email client, the folder size can grow to several GB.

The easiest way to find this folder is to use. In the search box, enter "Mail Downloads".


If this method does not work, then use the function Finder– go to the folder Shift+Cmd+G. Enter in the field:

~/Library/Containers/com.apple.mail/Data/Library/Mail

Clearing the cache

We often hear advice that you need to clear the cache if you have any problems with your browser. However, OS X stores a large number of cache files, and not only related to the browser. You can find all the cache files in the ~/Library/Caches folder. You can also use the special Cocktail program - the most convenient utility for deleting cache files and more.


The free version has a limit of 10 launches, later you can buy a license for $20.

Remove unnecessary program files

If you, like me, often install new applications to try out and then delete them, then you probably know that files associated with them still remain on the system. To easily delete these files, use the free AppTrap program.


AppTrap constantly works in the background, and is activated only when you delete an application to the trash. At the same time, in the window AppTrap The files associated with this program will appear. You can leave them or also add them to your cart.

No matter how stable OS X is, you still can’t do without occasional cleaning of this system from all kinds of garbage. Experienced users can do this manually. And for those who do not have sufficient knowledge or time, special utilities will help.

It would probably not be a great exaggeration to call the CleanMyMac utility one of the most famous among all those designed for cleaning OS X. And its third edition has become even more functional and has received an even more advanced cleaning algorithm. At the same time, the advantage of CleanMyMac 3 lies not only in the ability to clean out garbage from the system that appears as a result of using the computer, but also files that were present there initially, but you never needed.

CCleaner

The undoubted advantage of this utility is the availability of a free version with the minimum required functionality. If there is a need for additional capabilities, then the user is offered two options to choose from. In general, CCleaner has excellent capabilities in cleaning the system and optimizing computer performance. This utility is very popular all over the world. There are also versions for PC and mobile devices running Android.

CCleaner

MainMenu

A good competitor to CleanMyMac 3 and CCleaner. It provides quite a wide range of opportunities not only for cleaning, but also for fine-tuning the system, as well as various useful additions, such as maintaining the clipboard history. The utility is available in two variations: MainMenu and MainMenu Pro, which differ from each other in functionality (and, of course, cost). All features are accessed through a special additional menu in the menu bar, which is how the utility got its name.

MainMenu

Onyx

The main purpose of the Onyx utility is to fine-tune the system to suit your needs. This is a good way to access hidden OS X settings without resorting to the Terminal, which novice users, for obvious reasons, don’t really like to use. However, the matter is not limited to settings, and this utility can also help in removing various garbage, be it all kinds of logs, application caches, temporary files, etc.

Onyx

Magican

A very interesting and useful utility for cleaning the system. Although it is somewhat overloaded, which may not be very convenient for a novice user. The application is distributed free of charge and at the same time offers ample opportunities not only for cleaning, but also for monitoring the system and increasing its security. It was once extremely popular. However, unfortunately, the project has not been developing for the last couple of years, its future is in question.

Magican

An interesting utility with an unusual interface. It does not clean the system on its own, but is capable of in-depth analysis of the contents of the hard drive. On the basis of which it will be possible to find unnecessary files, which sometimes take up a lot of free space. Information is visualized in the form of rays, which makes the finished graph more reminiscent of a daisy (hence the name of the utility). DaisyDisk can be a good addition to any of the utilities listed above.

To keep your Mac in tip-top shape, we recommend using CleanMyMac to scan and clean your system of junk and unnecessary files.

How to Clean a Mac Quickly and Effectively

You can download the free version of CleanMyMac 3. CleanMyMac 3 requires at least OS X 10.8 and 500 MB of free space on your Mac.

Try the free version to clean your Mac, and if you like this program you can purchase it from the following link.

A CleanMyMac license for one Mac costs about $40. Next we will tell you how to use this program, using the full version of CleanMyMac as an example.

How to clean up your Mac

To get started, run a full system scan of your computer using the Smart Cleanup option at the top of the menu.

It may take a while, but when CleanMyMac finishes checking you will see item by item the items that will be removed, such as the option to clear browser history and more. Check all the settings and click on Clean, this will remove unnecessary files.

Then, click Large & Old Files. CleanMyMac will collect information about the largest files on your Mac. Large files can take up a lot of space and will eventually slow down your computer. Click the “Review Files” button to see what files were found and select the ones you want to keep and the ones you want to delete.

Since in our example all the files found were on the external hard drive, we completely deleted all the files found, thereby clearing 9 gigabytes.

Smart Scan runs all cleaning options, but you can also run each section as you wish.

Below the Cleaning section is the Utilites section. Here you will find options Maintenance, Extensions, Shredder, Privacy andUninstaller.

  • Maintenance– use scripts to optimize and maintain the performance of your system.
  • Extensions– View all unnecessary extensions and disable unnecessary ones.
  • Shredder– Completely erase files. Eliminates the chance that someone will be able to recover previously deleted files.
  • Privacy– Disables all online and offline activities of browsers installed on your device.
  • Uninstaller– Uninstall applications and associated files.

The Utilites option allows you to control all system files without the need to create scripts or download individual programs. For example, you can disable many dictionaries for other languages ​​using the Extensions option, this will allow you to remove unnecessary dictionaries.

CleanMyMac is a great way to periodically clean and keep your Mac in great condition, without going to service centers or the Apple Store.

But also on a Mac computer - especially if you have a 128 GB SSD under the hood. In this case, you can, of course, use third-party applications, but for good programs, and there are ways to clean a Mac using standard operating system tools.

First, you need to find out whether you even have this “Other” thing. Go to the Apple menu - “About This Mac”, where we open the “Storage” tab. As you can see, I have almost 180 gigabytes occupied for some reason.


First, we clear the cache files - depending on the computer, they can take up from a couple of gigabytes to 10 or even 20 gigabytes. Open and select the keyboard shortcut Command + Shift + G. In the window that appears, enter the path ~/Library/caches.


After this, you will have access to application cache files: choose for yourself which folder to delete. We recommend that you first view how much disk space it takes up.

Another good thing to do is clean out your “Downloads” folder. Yes, no need to be surprised, have you been looking at it for a long time? For example, I still have last year’s files and folders of several gigabytes each. Over time, as a rule, you forget about them, and they remain a burden on your hard drive or SSD.

What everyone forgets about is the old ones in iTunes. It’s okay if there are copies of 3-4 gigabytes, but what if they are 30-40? Open iTunes, select "Settings" - "Devices" tab and remove unnecessary junk. Now all this is in iCloud!

In general, do not forget to delete unused applications.

Remember how fast your Mac was when you first bought it? How did it load instantly and open websites and apps smoothly? Over time, your Mac becomes filled with various applications, system updates, documents, photos and a variety of other files that cause a slowdown effect. If you want to make your Mac as fast as it was when you first took it out of the box, we've got some helpful tips for you.

1. Clear the startup list

Most of the applications you install are automatically added to the startup list, and every time you turn on or restart your Mac, the system is forced to waste resources to launch all these applications and services. As long as there are few of them, they do not have a significant impact on performance, but sooner or later this moment comes.

Fortunately, in OS X it is very convenient to control and regulate all this “economy”:

  • Open system settings and go to the section Users and groups.
  • Select your account in the list on the left and open the tab Login objects.
  • We carefully review the list and leave only those applications that you really need immediately after starting the system. We mercilessly remove everything else from there by highlighting and pressing the button – .

2. Update to the latest version of OS X

Your Mac should update itself, but it's a good idea to make sure your computer is running the latest OS. You can easily check this using the Mac App Store. Just open the application and go to the tab Updates. The icon will show the number of available updates, which you can download both together and individually. For the future, it would be a good idea to check and enable the automatic download and installation of updates in the section App Store system settings.

3. Putting the disk in order

One of the best ways to prevent system performance is to clear your hard drive of various files that you no longer need. The category of such files includes all kinds of logs, caches, temporary files, extensions, duplicate files and much, much more. To find and remove this file garbage, you can resort to special applications or use Disk Utility.

  • Launch Disk Utility and select your hard drive from the menu on the left
  • Go to the tab First aid and press the button Check and then To correct.
  • The system will start scanning and correct errors if any are found.

After that, check your home folder and other folders on the drive to see if there are caches or temporary files that you no longer need. If you don’t want to delve into the depths of the file system, it’s better to use a specialized utility.

4. Checking for gluttonous processes

If you notice a drop in performance while working on your Mac, using System Monitor you can easily determine which application is eating up all your resources.

  • Opening System monitoring from folder Programs - Utilities.
  • Switching between tabs CPU And Memory and looking through running processes, we find applications that consume excessive amounts of resources.
  • If you find a process consuming more than 90% (not a root process), feel free to terminate it using the button Complete.

5. Delete unused localization files

Every Mac has a ton of unused language files. Usually we use Russian and English, but the rest of the localizations that developers supply their applications with remain “dead weight” on the hard drive. You can remove them manually (a very tedious process) or use some special application. For example, the same CleanMyMac can do this and when cleaning, it always, among other “garbage”, scans the file system, including for the presence of unused language files.

6. Clean the desktop

Some users prefer to store files and application shortcuts on the desktop, considering it very convenient. Not really. Because the system has to handle all of these connections over time, this approach to storing and organizing your workspace can negatively impact system performance and responsiveness. Therefore, remove all unused icons and move documents and files to appropriate folders. Better yet, check out our guide to achieving desk zen.

7. Disable widgets

Widgets are miniature applications located on a specially designated desktop. You can add as many different widgets as you like, such as a virtual aquarium, an interactive calendar or a convenient weather informer. While some of them perform useful tasks and help you, many simply consume resources, thereby slowing down system performance. Therefore, audit your Dashboard and disable or delete all unnecessary widgets that you do not use - this will free up memory and increase system responsiveness.

All of the above tips are more relevant for owners of old Macs or machines with insufficient RAM. The slowdown effect on newer computers will be almost unnoticeable or noticeable even at the most advanced stages (monitoring tools). However, in any case, prevention and putting things in order have never bothered anyone. ;)