is it safe to remove this?

[madelyn]

Hi everyone i'm fairly new to mac and loving the switch, could you guys maybe tell me if its safe to empty the cache folder ->

macintosh HD -> Library -> Cache

&

macintosh HD -> users -> my user account -> Cache

do i delete the complete folder (cache) or do i delete whats inside the cache folder?

What other tips are there to keep my mac clean?

thnx for all the help

 

[Hellhammer]

Why would you delete it? There is no need to mess up with system folders unless you have issues. OS X will delete the files it does not need, do not remove them manually.

The best way to keep it clean is to think what you download and put in there.

 

[madelyn]

Why would you delete it? There is no need to mess up with system folders unless you have issues. OS X will delete the files it does not need, do not remove them manually.

The best way to keep it clean is to think what you download and put in there.

well i read this article in a mac magazine stating that cleaning the cache from time to time makes your computer run faster and smoother

but if i understand its not a smart thing to actually do this?

 

[John T]

well i read this article in a mac magazine stating that cleaning the cache from time to time makes your computer run faster and smoother

The article could have been referring to emptying the cache in Safari.

 

[satcomer]

I use Yasu about once every three months. IMHO it keeps my 2 year old Mac Pro humming along almost like new. I just suggest after the program reboots your Mac immediately manually reboot again to completely rebuild the shutdown/startup cache.

You could also use Onyx or Maintenance to do similar things.

 

[snberk103]

Just let OS X manage it's own caches, and you'll be fine.

If read through the threads you will find a large number are contain "new to Macs" and "thought I'd clean/optimize my Mac". The phrase "thought I'd clean/optimize my Mac" is another way of saying "Thought I'd much about under the hood, without really knowing what I'm doing."

The engineers who designed the OS really do think about the possibility that caches might need to be cleaned. So let the OS manage itself, until you are not so new Macs, and at least know how to fix things when you muck them up.

Are you even making back ups?

I write this as someone who was new to Macs once, and buggered it up. Now, I don't do anything at all to it. I haven't had a kernel panic on this system (nearly 3 years old) at all. And it runs fine.

On my lap top if things start to run sluggishly, I "restart" it and do the software updates. Two days ago I restarted it after 39 days of uptime. Runs like new. I don't consciously try for long uptime numbers, I just honestly forget to turn it off.

 

[EmmEff]

Just leave it... OS X is not Windows. It typically does not need babysitting for optimal performance.

 

[rdowns]

Yeah, you need to lose that Windows mentality. Just use it and enjoy it. Most switchers don't know what to do with the extra free time. I use it to self pleasure myself.

 

[Kyffin]

Ah, the real reason people make the switch to Mac

 

[Dalton63841]

Believe it or not, Mac has optimization scripts that automatically clean up stuff.

 

[snberk103]

... Most switchers don't know what to do with the extra free time. I use it to self pleasure myself.

Believe it or not, Mac has optimization scripts that automatically clean up stuff.

???

 

[MisterMe]

???

It is unclear if you being snarky or what. However, rdowns and Dalton63841 are correct. MacOS X is not Windows. Left to its own devices, MacOS X will take care of itself. The most popular MacOS X maintenance utilities simply run standard UNIX tasks that are run automatically by the OS. This means that they are completely and totally unnecessary. Another task that Windows users find that they must perform often is defragging the hard drive. Again, MacOS X automatically defrags its own hard drive. A third-party defrag utility is unnecessary.

The bottom line is that futzing with MacOS X is unnecessary. Leave it alone and it will take care of itself.

 

[snberk103]

It is unclear if you being snarky or what. ...

The bottom line is that futzing with MacOS X is unnecessary. Leave it alone and it will take care of itself.

Well, if you read my post above ... you'll see that I advised letting OS X take care of itself.....

Read the last few words in rdowns' post, then last bit from Dalton63841's post.

Please don't make me point out the humour, this is a family place, eh?

(ps I edited that post to clarify a bit....)