Whether you've just unpacked a shiny new Mac or you're hoping to get an older machine into shape, your first step should be to perform some initial cleanup and preparation tasks. These steps will help your Mac run better right now, and will make ongoing maintenance tasks easier.
If your Mac is already running the latest and greatest version of Mac OS X, good for you! Skip to the next section. If not, your first step should be to upgrade.
Every release of Mac OS X includes dozens if not hundreds of bug fixes that prevent crashes or other errors and that patch holes that ne'er-do-wells might use to damage or gain access to your system. That fact alone is reason enough to keep up to date. In addition, Apple constantly introduces useful new features, and some newer software runs only on recent versions of the operating system. Often, doing nothing more than updating your system software can eliminate a wide range of problemsand prevent others.
Mac OS X updates fall into two categories: major and minor. Major updates (more properly known as upgrades) increment the digit after the first decimal point in the version number: 10. 2, 10. 3, and 10. 4 were all major updates. With rare exceptions, Apple charges money (typically $129) for major updates. Minor updates increment the digit after the second decimal point: 10. 4. 2, 10. 4. 3, and 10. 4. 4 were all minor updates. Minor updates are always free.
Without exception, you should download and install every minor update. (I do, however, suggest waiting a few days after an update appears to make sure it doesn't contain any serious errors. ) The easiest way to do so is to use Software Update (see the next section). Major upgrades are less urgent, because they focus primarily on new features. But because they also fix numerous bugs, you should consider buying and installing them.
Some Mac users, having heard horror stories of half-baked releases that cause as many problems as they fix, feel anxious every time a software update appears. I won't lie to you: major errors occasionally sneak into system updates. But this happens rarely, and in most cases Apple resolves such problems promptly. In addition, a fair number of errors that appear to be update-related are in fact the result of existing problems on the user's machine, minor issues such as incorrect permissions, or even (gasp!) user errors. I can't guarantee that a software update will never break anything, but in my experience the benefits of incremental updates overwhelmingly outweigh the risksespecially if you maintain good backups.
Mac OS X includes a feature called Software Update, which checks Apple's servers periodically to see if free updates exist for any Apple software on your computer, and, if so, offers to download and install them for you. Software Update is the easiest way to keep your Mac up to date with bug fixes and minor enhancements, and I strongly recommend that you use it.
Note
I want to reiterate that Software Update handles only Apple software (including Mac OS X as well as applications such as iLife, iWork, Logic, and Aperture).
Software Update is enabled by default, but you should check to see that it's still on and that its options are configured optimally. To set up Software Update, follow these steps:
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Go to the Software Update pane of System Preferences |
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Make sure the Check for Updates checkbox is checked. Then, from the pop-up menu, choose how often Software Update should run: Daily, Weekly, or Monthly. (If you have an always-on, high-speed Internet connection, choose Daily; even if you choose not to install an update immediately, you'll know about it as soon as possible. ) |
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If you have a fast Internet connection and plenty of disk space, check Download Important Updates in the Background. This causes Software Update to download things like Mac OS X updates and security updates as soon as it sees them. You still get to choose whether or not to install them, but when you do choose, you don't have to wait for the download to completethe files are there, ready to go. |
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To perform an immediate check, click Check Now. Software Update informs you if any new software is available. (You can also check for updates at any time by choosing Software Update from the Apple menu. ) |
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Close System Preferences. At the interval you set, Software Update checks for new software. When it finds some, it displays a dialog in which you can select any or all of the updates for immediate installation, defer them to a later time, or remove items from the list entirely. |
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