Mac OS regular maintenance?

[cjwworld]

Re: Mac OS regular maintenance?

Every new OS X comes with a script-based program called mainmenu. You can even load it up on startup. Its a icon on menu bar to clear caches , repair permissions, etc.

I believe also you can download program from apple. I use this monthly

cjwworld

 

[jim4pp]

Re: Mac OS regular maintenance?

cjworld,

Thanks for the input.

You stated +"Every new OS X comes with a script-based program called mainmenu."+ I have Tiger (10.4) and do not have mainmenu installed. I looked on the OS install CD and don't see it there either.

Apple does have it as a download, as you mentioned, but it is Freeware from a company named Santa Software, not an Apple product. Looks like it is not part of the standard OS install.

Anyone else using this tool?

Jim

 

[gordo]

Re: Mac OS regular maintenance?

I use MainMenu to run all the Cron maintenance scripts once a month and to repair permissions after every software/install/update. So far no problems. I downloaded it from VersionTracker.com

gordo

 

[dj]

Re: Mac OS regular maintenance?

[http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/system_disk_utilities/iceclean.html] from Apple. Deep purging of naughtly corrupt preference files.

Cheers, DJ

ww.prepresspilgrim.com

 

[Mike]

Re: Mac OS regular maintenance?

Actually it looks like Ice Clean is from luca sala (www.macdentro.com).

I still think most of these are just as effective as the magic dance I do before updating itunes. Updating itunes has messed up my library many times, and ever since i started that dance it's had good upgrades.

 

[jim4pp]

Re: Mac OS regular maintenance?

Michael, What is the "magic dance" you do before updating iTunes (and other software I assume)?

 

[tapdn]

Re: Mac OS regular maintenance?

ditto here!!! I want that dance! Updating iTunes on my home puter last night screwed everything up. I had to reboot twice but now it seems fine.

 

[Guest]

Re: Mac OS regular maintenance?

iTunes should not be updated if any of these conditions are met:

it's the same day an update is released, there is a full moon, you have been drinking, it's hotter than 76º, there is snow on the ground or a chance of rain, the Dow Jones closer on a low, the RIAA puts out a press release that they are suing more people, safari is running or ran sometime during the day, you have visited a myspace page, logged into or visited B4Print, ran a red light, or ate at a fast food taco joint.

If you do decide to update iTunes, make sure your itunes directory is backed up in triplicate.

I have seen Mike's "+dance+," consider yourself lucky that you have been spared the agony.

 

[chris_r]

Re: Mac OS regular maintenance?

good day all,

i have been using the automator application "Maintenance 3.7" for quite a while, and it does all i need of it. repairs permissions, clears out caches, verifies preferences. using automator, you can schedule it to do it for you once a week or however often you want, or just do it manually. once it is done, it automatically restarts or shuts down, whatever you want. i have it sitting on my desktop, and usually give my machine the works every monday morning. each time you use it, you can choose exactly what you want it to do, so you dont have to give it the works every time, you canuse it simply to repair permissions, if you choose.

if find it very handy. the less extra software i have to load on my mac the better, i like trying to use what tools i can that are sometimes hidden from view. automator has some pretty cool functionality for prepress, you dont hear much about it on the boards. ill save that for another topic, though.

good luck,

cr

 

[LucianoSampaio]

Re: Mac OS regular maintenance?

i'm also a mainmenu user. i only think a bit more paranoid than most around. i actually run all maint. scripts once a week, clean caches every now and then (not really a regular stuff..whenever i fel like it) and repair permissions once a month. it's simple, quick and effective.

 

[P-Rex]

Re: Mac OS regular maintenance?

Try Xupport. It is a handy little app from Applicorn. Go to: http://www.tucows.com/preview/284738

 

[Rome]

Re: Mac OS regular maintenance?

The only maintenance I do on my Dual 2Gb G5 is a little glass cleaner and canned air.
Seems to do the trick!

 

[cjwworld]

Re: Mac OS regular maintenance?

I use mainmenu. It has batch tasks and you can program it to do several task at the same time.

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/25902

 

[cjwworld]

Re: Mac OS regular maintenance?

yes, you are right, I was mistaken. I found out that when I was sent to a sister company to do maintenance on their macs and it wasn't there. I had to download it,

 

[sprale]

I usually don't do anything (no even permissions)..

the only regular thing I do is run Font Finagler, but that is usually because I can't get quark to load a font.

You can also delete the jaws folder in the Quark XPress folder to rebuild the Quark font caches.

I run Font Finagler, though YASU does the same thing. I do keep my workstations and server on the same version at all times, seems to help. Repairing disk permissions after any installs or system changes helps.

I have an Apple GSX account, so I have access to all the Apple Service Diagnostic discs any time I think there may be a more serious issue. If I do run into any more serious issues, I simply re-image the Mac. It seems to take less time than fighting little bugs under the surface.

Other than that, I run a few Terminal commands on occasion to repair OS issues, nothing special...

If I could afford to get everyone I know to run Macs, I might not do any IT work...