- How To Clear Everything On Mac Except For Apps Free
- How To Clear Everything On Mac Except For Apps Without
- How To Clear Everything On Mac Except For Apps Automatically
- How To Clear Everything On Mac Except For Apps Using
“No matter what I do, my Mac is still slow”, an average tech-consultant hears this phrase multiple times a day. Give a person even the most powerful computer, and pretty soon it will be cluttered with apps, extensions, and things that are too much for it to handle. To reverse it, one has to go back and сlean up the mess, removing memory agents one by one. Prepare for a fight — every byte of memory is at stake. So let’s put your Mac on a diet and get it more free RAM to breathe freely.
How to delete a file on a Mac. You could delete everything except that item, just click on Continue or Skip to skip through the items that can’t be deleted. (or quit all open apps if you. To learn how to delete everything on Mac, follow these steps. Go to Mac's desktop and click on Finder Applications Utilities. From here, you can launch the Disk Utility component of Mac. This will load the Disk Utility window on the screen with dedicated features for the internal and external drives.
First, remove desktop clutter. Get a combination of Setapp apps that clear away unneeded desktop files.
Download Declutter Free“Your system has run out of application memory”
How do you know your Mac is low on memory? Floating “rainbow wheels” aside, you may notice your Mac now takes ages to load. You’ll also see many browser applications crashing. You’ll be also thrown warning messages as “Your system has run out of application memory”. To help it, you should first visit the Activity monitor to see memory usage on Mac.
How to check RAM usage on Mac
Go to Applications and type in Activity Monitor in the search bar. This invokes a good old Activity Monitor that should tell how much free memory you’ve got left.
A shortcut to open Activity Monitor:
Press F4 and start typing Activity Monitor in the search bar.
I’ve attached a screenshot from my Mac and as you can see my memory usage almost reached full capacity. Here’s what it all means:
App memory: taken by apps and processes
Wired memory: reserved by apps, can’t be freed up
Compressed: inactive, can be used by other apps
Swap used: memory used by macOS
Cached files: memory you can really use
Wired memory: reserved by apps, can’t be freed up
Compressed: inactive, can be used by other apps
Swap used: memory used by macOS
Cached files: memory you can really use
Notice the colored graph under Memory Pressure. If your graph is all but red and yellow, your Mac is really gasping for fresh memory. It seems counter-intuitive, but “available memory” your Activity Monitor is not that important after all. In fact, it’s a system intended behavior to use all memory resources when available. On the contrary, the Memory Pressure graph is much more telling, so grow a habit to check this graph in the Activity Monitor every now and then.
How to check CPU usage on Mac
Open the CPU tab in Activity Monitor to keep in check CPU-heavy processes. Normally an app would be using 0-4% of CPU. If it takes abnormally more than that, go inside that particular item in the list and press the Quit button.
How to free up memory on Mac
Tip # 1. Remove Login Items to lower Mac memory usage
Login items are programs that load automatically upon Mac startup. Some of them covertly add themselves to the list and this is no good. If you’re looking to free up RAM, they are the first candidates for deletion. Don’t worry, you’re not deleting the app itself, you just stop it from auto-launching every time.
So, to remove Login Items and at the same time reduce your memory usage of your Mac, you need to:
- Open System Preferences and select Users & Groups.
- Click your nickname on the left.
- Select the Login Items tab.
- Check programs you don’t want to load as your Mac starts.
- Press the “–” sign below.
Now, you won’t see these apps pop up the moment you turn on your Mac. Although this method doesn’t require some superpowers of yours, some special Mac optimization and memory cleaner tools may do the job faster and ensure the smooth performance of your Mac. CleanMyMac X is an excellent example of such software. Here’s how to disable Login Items with CleanMyMac X:
- Download it for free and go to the Optimization tab.
- Check Login Items to see the list of apps that get opened when you start your Mac.
- Click Remove.
As you’ve already come to the Optimization module of CleanMyMac, you can also fix hung apps and heavy memory consumers there. In this way, you’ll free up the solid amount of RAM on Mac — 100% free of charge.
Tip # 2. Free up disk space if Mac is low on memory
The available space on your Mac’s drive translates into virtual memory. This comes to save you when you’ve run out of physical RAM. So now your computer relies on your hard drive space to keep your apps going.
The classic geek rule of thumb holds it that you should keep at least 20% of disk space on your startup drive. Not only this potentially reduces your future spending on iCloud storage but it also keeps your Mac speedier.
What to delete to free up space:
- Large unused files, like movies
- Old downloads
- Rarely used applications
- System junk
But here’s a simpler solution to save your time — clean up your drive with CleanMyMac X— the app I’ve mentioned above. Many users recommend it as an excellent way to free up more space because it searches for large & old files, useless system files, Photo junk, mail attachments and shows everything you can safely delete. Interestingly, it finds about 74 GB of junk on an average computer.
Extra trick: How to free up RAM on Mac with CleanMyMac X
If you have downloaded CleanMyMac, you may also take advantage of its amazing feature — the ability to free up RAM in a few seconds. Try this next time you see “Your system has run out of application memory” message.
- Go to the Maintenance tab on the left.
- Click Free Up RAM.
- Click Run.
As simple as that!
And you can do it even if you download a free version of the app.
Tip # 3. Clean up your Desktop
This tip always comes at the bottom of instructions and unfairly so as it is quite effective. Without even looking at your Desktop I would assume it’s cluttered with mountains of icons. Thing is, your macOS was designed in a way that it treats every Desktop icon as a little active window. The more icons, the heavier memory usage on Mac. So in order to release available memory resources, it’s recommended to keep your Desktop clean.
You don’t have to do it all by yourself. With apps like Declutter and Spotless, every desktop cleaning session will be scheduled in advance and executed automatically. Your only job is to define the rules on how your files should be organized.
Tip #4. Clear cache files
Another way to free up RAM on Mac is to clear it of cache files. Of course, it won’t save you gigabytes of space, but deleting cache regularly, you can help your Mac run faster and avoid system issues.
So, to remove cache files on your Mac, you need to:
- Open Finder.
- From the Go menu, select Go to Folder.
- Type ~/Library/Caches in the field and press Go.
- In the window that appears, you will see all your cache files.
- Press Command+A to select all files or delete files one by one.
- Enter your user name and password to confirm.
If you find some files still in the folder after you emptied it, maybe you have some windows open on your Mac. Just like that, you can save up some space on your Mac. Don’t forget to empty the bin afterward.
Tip # 5. Tune up Chrome’s Task Manager
Although Google Chrome is not the one to blame for massive memory usage, it can indeed affect your Mac's performance. If you use Chrome as your primary browser, you probably have many windows opened there. Chrome runs a lot of processes to ensure a fast browsing experience for you. So, it uses your RAM for storing your tabs, plugins, and extensions. Look at how many entries Google Chrome has in Activity Monitor:
The question then arises, 'Why does Chrome use so much RAM?' The thing is that each process is responsible for a separate plugin or extension of your browser. For example, when a tab unexpectedly falls, you need to refresh it to continue your work there. If one process were responsible for all tabs and extensions, you would need to restart the whole browser instead. Can you imagine how many times would you do that? That’s the proper answer to why Chrome uses so much RAM.
I’ve been using Chrome for some years only to discover (recently) that Chrome had a task manager of its own. You can use it to force quit memory-heavy processes in the browser. It’s a handy tool because it lets you see how a page weighs on CPU usage on a Mac.
- Go to Chrome settings (dotted icon in the top right corner)
- Click More tools -> Task Manager
To free up even more RAM, close the GPU process. The GPU Process, though helpful in theory to accelerate pages, eats up a considerable amount of memory. Click to end it to free up RAM on your Mac.
Tip # 6. Manage RAM usage with CleanMyMac X menu
CleanMyMac X has another useful and convenient feature for managing your Mac’s performance and memory usage. As you install CleanMyMac X and start it for the first time, it’s icon will appear in your menu bar. Click the icon to open the CleanMyMac X menu. Here you can find updates on the current condition of your Mac and perform quick tweaks to increase your Mac's speed. Whenever you feel like your Mac underperforms, open the CleanMyMac X menu to check how much RAM is available and free it up as well.
Tip # 7. Close Finder windows
Okay, suppose you’re still asking yourself, how do I clear RAM on my MacBook Pro/MacBook Air. The next trick is as magical (you’ll see for yourself) as it is time-saving. It’s no secret that each window in the Finder eats up RAM. But how many open windows are there? Some of them are collapsed or stacked in some blind spot on your screen. This Finder command merges all your windows into one. See how to do it:
Click on Finder > Window > Merge All Windows
Now you can manage Finder windows more effectively and free up memory on MacBook.
What else you can do to minimize memory usage on Mac
I’ve saved the easiest tips for the end, as long as these ones are self-explanatory.
- Replace AdBlock (very memory-demanding) with a lighter extension
- Keep fewer opened tabs in the browser
- Restart your Mac more often to free up RAM
- Close all hung-up print queues
That was my take on how to make your Mac a bit speedier to use. If you’re looking for more guidance, check simple ways to speed up your Mac.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to check application memory on Mac?
To check RAM usage on your Mac, go to Activity Monitor (Applications > Utilities). In the Memory tab, you will see all the active processes that are using your Mac’s RAM. At the end of the window, there is a Memory Used graph, which indicates how much application memory is used.
How to find out whether your Mac needs more RAM?
Your Mac may be using almost all its RAM, but you don’t need more if it’s using it efficiently. Open Activity Monitor and go to the Memory tab. The Memory Pressure graph shows the current condition of your RAM: green color means your Mac’s using RAM effectively, while yellow is a sign that some application or process is using too much of application memory. The red memory pressure signals that your Mac needs more RAM.
How to quickly free up RAM on your MacBook?
To free up RAM on your Mac, firstly, you should find out what app uses so much of your memory. The memory-heavy programs are listed in Activity Monitor, Memory tab. If there is an app you aren’t using at the moment, click it and press the “X” sign to quit it. This will, in turn, free some of the application memory
These might also interest you:
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If you’re selling your computer or trading it in for something newer, you’ll probably want to wipe your hard drive.
After all, you don’t want to give it to its new owner with all your pictures and documents on it — or lose those things!
But how do you wipe it? How do you erase everything on your Mac and restore it to factory settings, so the next person gets a clean computer with none of your documents?
We’ve got all the answers right here!
Read on to find out how.
Jump To:
Backup Your Computer Using Time Machine
Before you even think about wiping your hard drive, make sure that you have everything backed up.
After all, even if you don’t want the computer anymore, you probably want all of the stuff on it.
And once you restore your computer to factory settings, all your photos, videos, documents, and downloads are going to be gone.
Whether you’re getting rid of the computer or wiping your hard drive to fix an error, the best way to back up your Mac is to use Time Machine.
Essentially, this is a tool that Apple created to help people create a “copy” of their computer that could be accessed at a later date.
Read Related Article: Hard Disk Drive vs. Solid-State Drive (SSD)
Here’s how you use it to back up your computer:
- Open System Preferences, located on the Apple Menu bar.
- Select the Time Machine icon in the System Preferences folder.
- Click Select Backup Disk, located in the top-middle of the window.
- Choose the disk you’d like to use to back up your computer. Typically, you’ll want to plug in an external hard drive and select that. This will create a copy of your internal hard drive and write it onto the external one.
- It’s a good idea to do this regularly even if you don’t plan on wiping your hard drive. By plugging in an external HD and backing everything up to Time Machine on a regular basis, you’ll create a copy of it that you can use in case you lose your data for any reason (it happens, believe us).
- If you’d prefer not to use Time Machine for any reason, you can use alternative methods. For example, you can use iCloud or another cloud storage solution to store all of your files online.
Click here to learn how to back up your computer to iCloud.
Deauthorize Your iTunes Account
If your iTunes account is connected to your computer, then the next owner will be able to access it.
So, you need to deauthorize the account. That way, your account will no longer be linked to the machine.
Here’s how you do it: https://eryuca.weebly.com/blog/do-any-apps-allow-usb-streaming-to-a-mac.
- Open iTunes on your computer
- Select Account from the options on the Menu bar.
- Scroll down to Authorizations and select Deauthorize This Computer.
- iTunes will ask you for your Apple ID and your password. Once you enter that, it will give you the option to Deauthorize your account. Click that, and you’re all set.
Log Out of iCloud and iMessage
Similar to iTunes, you have to sign out of your iCloud account, too. Otherwise, the next owner may be able to access it.
Luckily, it’s pretty simple.
Here’s what you do:
- Select System Preferences from the Menu bar.
- Click on the iCloud icon.
- Click the Sign Out option on the bottom-left side of the window.
Once you do that, you’ll be signed out!
Reformat Your Hard Drive Disk (HDD)
“Reformatting” is a fancy tech word for wiping the hard drive clean and reinstalling the operating system. Once you reformat it, everything will be gone, and the computer will be restored to factory settings.
The first step in the reformatting process is erasing the drive.
You can erase your computer by using the Disk Utility feature in any version of Mac OS. Pdf compress mac app.
Here’s how you do it.
- Turn your computer off entirely.
- Boot it up again by pressing and holding the power button, just like you would if you were starting it up for normal use.
- This time, however, you want to hold the command and R keys down simultaneously. Press and hold them as soon as you hit the power button.
- An Apple logo should appear on your screen. Once that appears, you can let go of the buttons.
- The Apple logo should be followed by a Mac OS X Utilities Menu with several different options. Select Disk Utility (it’s a little hard drive with a stethoscope) from the Menu and click Continue.Screenshot via Macworl
- Once you enter the Disk Utility, you’ll have to select the drive you want to erase.
In this case, you’ll want to choose Macintosh HD to wipe the entire drive.
- Then, click the Erase button at the bottom of the window.
Note: The Erase option will only appear as a clickable button when the computer is booted up using the command + R keys. If you attempt to reformat your hard drive after starting your computer as you normally would, this option won’t be clickable.
- Once you click the Erase button, you’ll have the opportunity to choose from a range of different security options. The security options window contains a sliding bar that allows you to select the comprehensiveness of the erasure.
There are four different levels you can choose from, ranging from fastest to slowest. If you select the slowest option, you’ll erase the maximal amount of data. But, the process takes a little longer.
If you choose the fastest option, however, the process goes quite quickly. But, the data is not removed as thoroughly (and could be restored through a file recovery application).
- After you’ve determined the level at which you want to erase your computer, click Erase. The operating system will proceed with the erasing process.
Read Article: Apple Watch Review (Full Breakdown)
How to Secure Erase a Mac SSD
Newer MacBooks don’t have a traditional hard disk drive. Instead, they have a solid state drive or SSD.
Now, the process for wiping your solid state drive is the same as erasing a hard drive.
So, if you want to clean it, go ahead and follow the steps outlined in the section above.
It’s important to note, however, that erasing an SSD completely is not recommended.
Here’s why:
Solid state drives can only be rewritten a certain number of times. In other words, the more times you rewrite your drive, the worse it’s going to function.
So, even if you reformat your drive just once, you may notice that it functions slightly worse afterward.
![How How](/uploads/1/3/4/2/134211479/727394185.jpg)
Of course, there may be cases in which you have no choice but to erase your drive. If you’re getting rid of your Mac, for example, and you want to be sure that every tiny bit of data is wiped clean from it, then you’ll probably want to erase it.
But, if you’re erasing the entire thing with the intention of restoring it afterwards — don’t.
It’s going to do more harm than good. You can either erase as many files as possible on your own or take it to the Apple store directly (provided that it’s still under warranty) and ask them to help you with whatever problem you’re experiencing.
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Don’t know if your computer has a solid state drive or not?
Here’s how to figure it out:
- Press the F4 key on your keyboard (the one with the six little squares on it).
- Select the Other icon.
- Click the System Information icon.
- Select the ATA option from the Hardware drop-down menu on the left side of the window.
- A profile of your device should appear on the right-hand side of the window.
- Look for the row that reads “Model.” The corresponding product number should have either an HDD or an SSD in it.
These letters will let you know whether your device is equipped with a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD).
You should approach the erasure process accordingly.
Reinstall the Mac OS
The second half of the reformatting process is the reinstallation of the operating system.
How To Clear Everything On Mac Except For Apps Free
When you erase your data, you also delete the OS that allows you to use the computer.
So, you’ve got to install it again if you want the computer to work.
Even if you’re selling the computer to someone else, it’s a nice courtesy to reinstall it beforehand so that they don’t have to do it themselves. After all, not everyone will be able to figure out how.
Here’s what you do:
- You’ll need internet access to do this. It’s going to be impossible otherwise, so make sure that the wifi connection is turned on.
- Boot the computer up by pressing the power button.
- Hold command + R, the same way you did when you erased your drive.
- Let go once the Apple logo appears.
- In the Mac OS Utilities Menu, select Reinstall MacOS.
- Click Continue.
- You may need to enter your Apple ID upon installation. Only do this if you intend to use the computer yourself. If you plan on selling it or handing it off to another person, you can end the process here.
- Once the installation is done, you’ll be free to start using your freshly-cleaned Mac.
FAQS
Can you reset a MacBook without losing data?
The only way to reset your computer without losing data is to back it up first. Once you’ve erased your hard drive, that data is gone.
You might be able to use a recovery app to restore your files if you ran a fast, low-level erasure. But most of the time, the data is completely cleared from the device.
Do you have to wipe a Mac’s hard drive before you sell it?
No law says you have to. But it’s smart. Unless you erase it (and erase it thoroughly), the next owner could get access to your files.
Can you erase your hard drive and keep the same programs?
Once you reinstall the OS, your computer will be loaded with all of the programs that come with that software. Any programs you installed on your own before erasing the drive will be gone.
Of course, if you’ve backed up your drive, you can reinstall them using Time Machine.
Can you wipe a Mac without the password?
No. To erase the hard drive, you’ll have to enter the owner’s Apple ID and password. Otherwise, you will not have the option to wipe the drive.
Can you install Windows on a Mac after you erase it?
Yes. You can use Boot Camp to install Windows on your Apple computer if you’d like to. Please note, however, that not all Apple products support Windows.
Wiping Your Hard Drive is Simple
Clearing the hard drive may seem confusing at first, especially for the average Mac user, but it’s not.
How To Clear Everything On Mac Except For Apps Without
Just a few clicks and you’ll have your computer restored to factory settings in no time.
Always remember to back up your data.
How To Clear Everything On Mac Except For Apps Automatically
Whether you’re using the computer again in the future or moving onto a new model, you’ll probably want to hold onto those files.
How To Clear Everything On Mac Except For Apps Using
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