How do I clean up my computer?

[ange55]

Hello, I'm running out of space on my computer and know for sure there is a LOT of unnecessary files hidden away on there. How do I remove them and speed up my computer?  Is there an updated version of the old file that used to be on Damiens Facebook page?  

I have a Mac desktop running Mojave and Photoshop CC. It is over 2 years old, and has 8GB of RAM. Its hard drive has 10.17GB free out of 1000GB. The last time I shut down was more than 2 days ago. I have never run a cleanup program. 

[Damien Symonds]

Hi @ange55, you definitely should run CleanMyMac promptly.

[Brian]

CleanMyMac X from MacPaw.com!! Right now it's on sale for $34.95 and will be the best money you will spend, besides Damien's Classes.

10.17GB Free?!?!?

HOLY SH*TBALLZ. YOU ARE IN DANGER OF CORRUPTION AND POSSIBLE TOTAL MELTDOWN!!! YOU NEVER-EVER-EVER-EVER WANT TO GET THAT NUMBER. Realistically, you don't ever want to go more than 75% full, on ANY Mac HD. So we are looking to clear out at least 600GB of "stuff," from your 10GB free. Heck, at this point if we could get you to 500GB free, that's a start. 

First things first, do you have an external hard drive? If so, how much capacity? If not, we need to get you one and you MUST move files off your main drive and put them on a EHD. Hard Drives ARE NOT DUMPING GROUNDS! I know it's really tempting to just keep loading stuff on it, all those images from your camera. Weddings, Family Photo Sessions, those 3000 images here and few hundred there add up over time. Trust me, you do not need 75 photos of your lunch from 5 years ago. Those photos that will never see the light of day? Delete them. Cull-Cull-Cull. Be ruthless.

Second thing, head to your Downloads folder. It should be along the Dockbar, towards the right. Open the folder. You'd be surprised on just how much crap is in that folder. Go through it with a fine-toothed comb and report back. You really need to kill any and all unnecessary files. Also, how much crap is on your Mac Desktop? The more files and folders you have on your Desktop, the slower it runs. The reason is the Mac OS treats all of those files and folders as open windows, for lack of a better term, even if you aren't accessing them. If they are on the Desktop, it's hogging resources.

This is going to be a process and will probably take you a couple of solid days or even a week...and please do not delay this process because you could lose everything. I'm dead serious.