Maintenance tips for OS X: cache deletion on updates

Macintouch - Mac OS X 10.3.7

Jim Wade
I have a suggestion for the readers who are seeing slow start ups after installing 10.3.7.

I recently got around to installing the 10.3.6 Combo update on my 15' TiPB. MUCH slower starting up, mostly after logging in. I remembered seeing a tip somewhere to clear the System and User caches. So I used my copy of Cocktail (but there are other utilities out there as well) to clear/delete the system and user caches. The user cache took several minutes to clear, BTW. Afterwards, the machine was even faster than before installing 10.3.6! So try it with the 10.3.7 update.

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It's common to see recommendations to redo permissions after OS X updates. I've found deleting caches to be much more important, and occasionally deleting preference files. Neither is part of routine maintenance. OS X system updates ought to routinely delete all caches -- there's no reason not to start afresh.

I prefer ONYX to Cocktail. I think Cocktail's installation is too invasive, and it behaves oddly when one tries to install as a regular user (needs to be installed and run as a logged-in admin, not as a sudo'd admin, but it doesn't say that...).

Apple tips on selective restore of bundled software

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This article is for 10.3.4 or later machines. Several ways to restore or install bundled software. Cite via macintouch.

From the ancient past, words of wisdom

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Lancaster was a geek's geek in the 1980s and 1990s. Here he collects his words of wisdom. They are little dimmed by time, and each reference is a gateway to lost worlds at a time when the world was entering a time of change -- the 1990s.

In the world of tech, this is like opening a lost Egyptian grave. Visit with respect, and practice neo-archeology.

The usual problem: multiple users, one computer, multiple devices (iPods)

How to use multiple iPods with one computer

A common problem with computers and users. OS X is a bit ahead of XP in this regard, but neither have really straightened out the device, data, user conundrum. A good series of workarounds are described here, but they are really workarounds to a problem that's yet to be solved. (Things are really ugly in the XP/PalmOS world.)

Top 10 OS X Shareware Apps of 2004

MacZealots.com - Articles - Top 10 Shareware Apps of 2004

I have most of them (registered of course). A pretty good list!

Amazon's customer service number is 1-800-201-7575

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The Nokia 6600: a stealthy smart phone

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