Mac Mini Running Slow – How to Speed Up Mac Mini?


If you are an owner of a Mac Mini, you must be well aware of its affordability and powerful performance. However, after using it for several years, you may have noticed that it has become annoyingly slow and, at times, even freezes during some operations. While there is more than one reason behind the decreased performance of a Mac Mini, you can speed it up using certain optimization tricks.

How to Speed Up Mac Mini?

If your Mac Mini is running slow, you can speed it up if you go to System Preferences -> Users & Groups -> Login items and remove startup apps that you do no use. Also, of course, you can speed up Mac Mini if you remove malware from Mac, or clean the hard disk from necessary files,  update OS with the latest patch, or if you upgrade memory (older versions).

The accurate cause behind the slow working of Mac Mini can be known only through its complete diagnosis. Generally, it is due to Mac OS or software system-related issues, improper usage, or hardware function. To enhance the speed of your Mac Mini, you may have to upgrade the software or its memory, clean the hard drive, and try similar other techniques.

After a long time of usage, almost every digital device fails to function properly. Likewise, your Mac Mini may work slightly slower after some years. But, if it is operating at a plodding speed, you need to do something to rectify the issue. Given below is a detailed description of different ways to speed up the Mac Mini:

Check for Malware Issues

No doubt, the Mac OS is quite less vulnerable to virus problems than the Windows OS. However, some reports of the Mac OS being attacked by software installed via third-party websites, adware, or malware. On the other hand, very few Malwares cause serious harm even though they slow down the system. For examining and eliminating the malicious software and programs, you can use the Bitdefender Antivirus application on the Mac Mini. This will remove any potential threats that are lurking in your system.

Update the Operating System

Since the last few years, Apple has released free new versions of Mac OS. So, if your Mac is running on Sierra or Mavericks, it’s better to update it to the latest OS Catalina. To do this, open the App Store of your Mac and go to the ‘Updates’ section. Here, check if there is any new version available for download. If you find one, then complete the update process.

Upgrade the Memory

If you do not know whether your Mac Mini has a solid-state drive (SSD) or hard disk drive (HDD), or if its Random Access Memory (RAM) is sufficient, you can check it from the system details. For this, go to ‘About This Mac’ and choose ‘More Info.’ Here, click on ‘Storage’ to view the details.

If your Mac has a spinning drive or 4GB RAM, it is time to upgrade it. This upgrading is especially essential if you use the system for heavy operations like software testing, video editing, etc. Either increase the RAM or add an SSD in place of the hard drive.

Manage Login/Startup items

Sometimes, Mac Mini gets slow because of overloading caused by redundant services and apps. These programs start running when your system boots up. To check this, go to the Apple icon present on the desktop’s upper left corner. Here, select ‘System Preferences, ‘ click on ‘Users & Groups, and choose ‘Login Items.’ See if any unnecessary programs are enabled here. As per your requirements, enable and disable the listed programs. Next, select the ‘-‘ (minus) button for the apps you do not want to load on startup.

Optimizing the login items is the simplest way to speed up the Mac Mini.

Clear the Hard drive

Another effective solution for a slow Mac Mini is clearing up its hard drive. This is especially required when your Mac’s hard drive is nearly full. It may be filled with caches, hidden junks, plugins, apps, photos, widgets, and similar data. These things take up the memory space very quickly. When the hard drive becomes full up to 50% or more of its capacity, the system starts exhibiting frozen or slowdown issues.

Even though there are ways to clean up the hard drive manually, it consumes a lot of time and calls for certain technical skills. Therefore, a better option is to make use of popular cleaning applications. CleanMyMac is considered quite efficient in clearing up all types of unneeded files and data in less time.

The above-mentioned tips are most likely to work in case of common slowdown problems. However, you may have to get your Mac Mini checked by an expert in case of serious technical issues.

Igor Milosevic
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