How to Reclaim Computer Memory

Computer memory and storage space can get clogged and fragmented. This slows down the computer and can causes crashes. There are fixes for both problems.

Things You'll Need

• Apple Macintosh computer
• Optimization software

Instructions

Reclaim Hard Drive Space

1. Clean up a hard drive periodically to prevent problems. Optimizing once every 3 months or so should solve routine problems. Over time, programs and files become fragmented. That means bits and pieces of them are spread across the hard drive. It takes longer to access each bit of the program or file to run it.

2. Back up any hard drive files before beginning. While most optimization programs are fairly safe, a serious problem can cause a loss of data. Back up to another hard drive or to discs. If you are running Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) with Time Machine, it backs everything up automatically regularly. Check the external hard drive used for Time Machine for the latest backup. If it has been a while, run the program now.

3. Use Disk Utility under Applications on the Mac first. This will repair minor damage and some fragmentation.

4. Use a disc repair utility program like MacTool Pro or Disk Warrior. It’s best to run this program routinely. When there is a fragmentation problem, these and other programs can solve them most of the time.

5. Run a check for fragmentation. This will tell you in percentages how much of the hard drive is fragmented. It also usually gives a visual of how scattered programs and files are. If it says there is minimal or negligible fragmentation, it generally isn’t necessary—but still a good idea—to run the optimization.

6. If the hard drive is severely fragmented, run the optimization program. If you haven’t done this often, it can take a long time to complete. The more frequently you run optimization, the less time each run will take.

7. Check the fragmentation again after running optimization. Most of the time, this will show a well-ordered hard drive. On rare occasion, it will be necessary to rerun the optimization program.

Reclaiming Memory

1. Shut down each program that is open until none are running. Reclaiming memory, meaning the RAM space available on the Mac, is easy, yet many users don’t think of it. Memory gets clogged when multiple programs are running at once over a long period. Each time the user does anything in any program, remnants of the program get stuck in RAM.

2. Restart the Mac. It shouldn’t be shut down every time the user walks away from it for a few minutes or a few hours. If you are not going to use it for a few days, shut it down. On the other hand, if the Mac is running slowly and there are program glitches, it’s time to restart. Choosing "Restart" from the Apple menu is softer on the Mac’s systems, but if there are serious software crashes frequently, use Shut Down instead. Give the Mac a few moments to rest, then restart.

3. Replace the RAM chips if there is a constant problem. Testing for the correct one is difficult without specialized equipment. RAM these days is relatively cheap, so buying new chips probably is the best bet. If you don't have the maximum amount of RAM in the Mac already, this is a good time to upgrade.

4. Follow the instructions in the manual or check online to replace RAM in a Mac. Several dealers have instructions about how to remove and replace the chips online.

Tips & Warnings

• Always back up data before optimizing to avoid losses.