How to Run Mac OS X Maintenance Scripts

Macs automatically run these scripts between 3:15 a.m. and 5:30 a.m.

Mac OS X automatically runs maintenance scripts in the background on a schedule. These scripts delete temporary files, remove outdated log files and perform other housekeeping operations. If you run Mac OS X 10.5 or earlier, these scripts may not run if your computer is off during the scheduled time. Mac OS X 10.6 automatically runs these maintenance scripts when your computer turns on, if it was turned off during the scheduled maintenance time. You can force Mac OS X to run the scripts by executing a command in the terminal.

Instructions

1. Click the "Finder" icon on your dock, select "Applications" at the left side of the Finder window, open the "Utilities" folder and double-click the "Terminal" icon.

2. Type "sudo periodic daily" into the terminal and press "Enter" to run daily maintenance scripts. If you want to run weekly and monthly scripts as well, type "sudo periodic daily weekly monthly" instead.

3. Type your admin password at the password prompt and press "Enter."

4. Close the terminal once the scripts finish running. The scripts take longer to run if you included weekly and monthly scripts.

References

• Apple: Mac OS X: About Background Maintenance Tasks
• Apple: Periodic