Chapter 18

Maintaining Your Mac

IN THIS CHAPTER

Bullet Scan a Drive for Errors

Bullet Keep Catalina Up to Date

Bullet Back Up Important Files and Folders

Bullet Remove Unnecessary Files

Although your Mac doesn’t roam the highway like your car does, a computer still needs regular maintenance. Over time, regular use (and unexpected events, such as power outages) can produce problems ranging from hard drive errors to slower browser performance.

Don’t worry — there’s no oil filter to change! In this chapter, you find out how to

  • Detect and correct errors in your Mac’s file system.
  • Automatically download and install the latest updates for macOS Catalina.
  • Back up your important files and folders with an inexpensive USB flash drive.
  • Trim those unnecessary and outdated files from your drive to reclaim space.

Scan a Drive for Errors

Image of the Disk Utility icon, a handy tool (stethoscope) for troubleshooting and repairing a hard drive. Catalina’s Disk Utility is a handy tool for troubleshooting and repairing your hard drive (whether you’re noticing that your Mac has slowed considerably or you have problems opening ...

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