How to maintain a Mac 1. Make redundant backups, keeping at least one off site at all times. One backup is not enough.
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Don’t back up your backups; all should be made directly from the original data. Don’t rely completely on any single backup method, such as Time Machine. If you get an indication that a backup has failed, don't ignore it. Keep your software up to date. In the App Store or Software Update preference pane (depending on the OS version), you can configure automatic notifications of updates to OS X and other Mac App Store products. Some third-party applications from other sources have a similar feature, if you don’t mind letting them phone home.
Otherwise you have to check yourself on a regular basis. Keeping up to date is especially important for complex software that modifies the operating system, such as device drivers. Before installing any Apple update, you must check that all such modifications that you use are compatible. Incompatibility with third-party software is by far the most common cause of trouble with system updates. Don't install crapware, such as “themes,” 'haxies,' “add-ons,” “toolbars,” “enhancers,' “optimizers,” “accelerators,” 'boosters,' “extenders,” “cleaners,” 'doctors,' 'tune-ups,' “defragmenters,” “firewalls,” 'barriers,' “guardians,” “defenders,” “protectors,” most “plugins,” commercial 'virus scanners,” 'disk tools,' or 'utilities.'
With very few exceptions, such stuff is useless or worse than useless. Above all, avoid any software that purports to change the look and feel of the user interface. The more heavily promoted the product, the more likely it is to be garbage. The most extreme example is the “MacKeeper” scam. As a rule, the only software you should install is that which directly enables you to do the things you use a computer for — such as creating, communicating, and playing — and does not modify the way other software works.
Use your computer; don't fuss with it. Safari extensions, and perhaps the equivalent for other web browsers, are a partial exception to the above rule. Most are safe, and they're easy to get rid of if they don't work. Some may cause the browser to crash or otherwise malfunction. Some are malicious. Use with caution, and install only well-known extensions from relatively trustworthy sources, such as the Safari Extensions Gallery. Never install any third-party software unless you know how to uninstall it.
Otherwise you may create problems that are very hard to solve. Beware of malware.
Malware is malicious software that circulates on the Internet. This kind of attack on OS X used to be so rare that it was hardly a concern, but it's now increasingly common, and increasingly dangerous. There is some built-in protection against downloading malware, but you can’t rely on it — the attackers are always at least one day ahead of the defense. You can’t rely on third-party protection either. What you can rely on is common-sense awareness — not paranoia, which only makes you more vulnerable. Never install software from an untrustworthy or unknown source.
If in doubt, do some research. Any website that prompts you to install a “codec” or “plugin” that comes from the same site, or an unknown site, is untrustworthy. Software with a corporate brand, such as Adobe Flash Player, must come directly from the developer's website.
No intermediary is acceptable, and don’t trust links unless you know how to parse them. Any file that is automatically downloaded from the web, without your having requested it, should go straight into the Trash.
A web page that tells you that your computer has a “virus,” or that anything else is wrong with it, is a scam. In OS X 10.7.5 or later, downloaded applications and Installer packages that have not been digitally signed by a developer registered with Apple are blocked from loading by default. The block can be overridden, but think carefully before you do so.
Because of recurring security issues in Java, it’s best to it in your web browsers, if it’s installed. Few websites have Java content nowadays, so you won’t be missing much. This action is mandatory if you’re running any version of OS X older than 10.6.8 with the latest Java update. Note: Java has nothing to do with Java Script, despite the similar names. Don't install Java unless you're sure you need it.
Most people don't. Don't fill up your boot volume. A common mistake is adding more and more large files to your home folder until you start to get warnings that you're out of space, which may be followed in short order by a boot failure. This is more prone to happen on the newer Macs that come with an internal SSD instead of the traditional hard drive. The drive can be very nearly full before you become aware of the problem. While it's not true that you should or must keep any particular percentage of space free, you should monitor your storage use and make sure you're not in immediate danger of using it up. According to, you need at least 9 GB of free space on the startup volume for normal operation.
If storage space is running low, use a tool such as to explore the volume and find out what's taking up the most space. Move seldom-used large files to secondary storage. Relax, don’t do it. Besides the above, no routine maintenance is necessary or beneficial for the vast majority of users; specifically not “cleaning caches,” “zapping the PRAM,” 'resetting the SMC,' “rebuilding the directory,” 'defragmenting the drive,' “running periodic scripts,” “dumping logs,” 'deleting temp files,' “scanning for viruses,” 'purging memory,' 'checking for bad blocks,' 'testing the hardware,' or “repairing permissions.” Such measures are either completely pointless or are useful only for solving problems, not for prevention. Let go of the Windows mentality that every computer needs regular maintenance such as 'defragging' and 'registry cleaning.' Those concepts do not apply to the Mac platform.
The very height of futility is running an expensive third-party application called “Disk Warrior” when nothing is wrong, or even when something is wrong and you have backups, which you must have. Disk Warrior is a data-salvage tool, not a maintenance tool, and you will never need it if your backups are adequate.
Don’t waste money on it or anything like it. One thing I was surprised to find after buying my first mac (iMac last month) is how bizarre and seemingly incomplete the 'uninstall' procedure is for OS X.
I'm the type of user with Windows who would uninstall a program, then go hunt for any left behind folders. Over the years uninstallers have improved immensley and they get rid of everything 95% of the time. But with OS X, you just drag and drop the main icon into the trash, which at first I thought was BRILLIANT, but then I found that almost every piece of software left all their main folders behind, eating up space on the hdd. I found a youtube video that shows how to manually go in and keep things clean after 'uninstalls', but I didn't think this was necessary on the Mac side of things. Over time wouldn't you need a proper way to clean things up and prevent the OS from slowing down (and losing hdd space?). I work at a Computer repair shop in Naples FL.
So, that means - straightaway - you're not an average user, right? But still as someone who has to clean up adware I'm sure you know of the safe, free alternatives for that job, including Apple' own - also free - instructions. But again, I will offer this for people's consideration: And how come the folks who recommend always have very few points, and the folks who advise against have very many?
Coincidence that. Can you explain why all the experienced users on this site recommend against this app and its ilk? Anything to do with experience? Just wondering.
I having been using Clean My Mac 2 for a few months and accepted the free upgrade to Clean My Mac 3. It works well for me and my son and I am happy with my purchase. Since it hasn't been very long, I will post again if there seems to be trouble. The upgrade has several new features and I am just getting around to trying them. When I downloaded it I did so following the advice in an ebook called. I bought that book because my upgrade to Yosemite did not go well, I wanted to 'take control,' or try to, because my computer was not working well after the upgrade.
After running its tasks my computer worked better. I also used a product called Cocktail. That product also seemed to help. Both were recommended in the e-book. Sometimes cocktail has issues since I installed Clean My Mac 3 and I thought perhaps they were conflicting when I stumbled on this conversation.
Before I bought it, I spent a lot of time searching these forums and the web - searching through forums is for me an alarming time sink. There is a lot of disagreement. One feels the risks of taking one or another person's advice and judging without being able to test or understand quite what is happening. I dislike this feature of contemporary life.
I am not a 'power user' nor could I find the time or interest to become one. I am more than weary of devices that don't work quite right. Until recently my Apple devices were a welcome exception to the general crumminess of things - I have used Apple computers since I had a 512K in college. In the end, I bought the book above and decided to follow just one person's advice as a means of keeping things simple. I am glad I did, although i know problems will still occur. And there are just too many variables for me to control, especially given the amount of time it takes from things that interest me. I appreciate that the more experienced users who have posted in this thread warn against using Clean My Mac and other third party utilities.
As others have said one person's experience is not generalizable and I speak only for myself (and my very young son whose computer I maintain.) Perhaps my computer would have recovered performance on its own or a quick lesson from a power user would have worked better. I promise to post again if there is trouble. So far, Clean My Mac 3 works a treat and I am grateful for it. I hope my experience is useful to the OP. System 10.10.3 Model Name: MacBook Pro Model Identifier: MacBookPro8,2 Processor Name: Intel Core i7 Processor Speed: 2.2 GHz L3 Cache: 6 MB Memory: 8 GB. One thing I was surprised to find after buying my first mac (iMac last month) is how bizarre and seemingly incomplete the 'uninstall' procedure is for OS X.
I'm the type of user with Windows who would uninstall a program, then go hunt for any left behind folders. Over the years uninstallers have improved immensley and they get rid of everything 95% of the time. But with OS X, you just drag and drop the main icon into the trash, which at first I thought was BRILLIANT, but then I found that almost every piece of software left all their main folders behind, eating up space on the hdd. I found a youtube video that shows how to manually go in and keep things clean after 'uninstalls', but I didn't think this was necessary on the Mac side of things. Over time wouldn't you need a proper way to clean things up and prevent the OS from slowing down (and losing hdd space?). How to maintain a Mac 1. Make redundant backups, keeping at least one off site at all times.
One backup is not enough. Don’t back up your backups; all should be made directly from the original data. Don’t rely completely on any single backup method, such as Time Machine. If you get an indication that a backup has failed, don't ignore it. Keep your software up to date.
In the App Store or Software Update preference pane (depending on the OS version), you can configure automatic notifications of updates to OS X and other Mac App Store products. Some third-party applications from other sources have a similar feature, if you don’t mind letting them phone home. Otherwise you have to check yourself on a regular basis. Keeping up to date is especially important for complex software that modifies the operating system, such as device drivers. Before installing any Apple update, you must check that all such modifications that you use are compatible. Incompatibility with third-party software is by far the most common cause of trouble with system updates.
Don't install crapware, such as “themes,” 'haxies,' “add-ons,” “toolbars,” “enhancers,' “optimizers,” “accelerators,” 'boosters,' “extenders,” “cleaners,” 'doctors,' 'tune-ups,' “defragmenters,” “firewalls,” 'barriers,' “guardians,” “defenders,” “protectors,” most “plugins,” commercial 'virus scanners,” 'disk tools,' or 'utilities.' With very few exceptions, such stuff is useless or worse than useless. Above all, avoid any software that purports to change the look and feel of the user interface. The more heavily promoted the product, the more likely it is to be garbage. The most extreme example is the “MacKeeper” scam. As a rule, the only software you should install is that which directly enables you to do the things you use a computer for — such as creating, communicating, and playing — and does not modify the way other software works. Use your computer; don't fuss with it.
Safari extensions, and perhaps the equivalent for other web browsers, are a partial exception to the above rule. Most are safe, and they're easy to get rid of if they don't work. Some may cause the browser to crash or otherwise malfunction. Some are malicious. Use with caution, and install only well-known extensions from relatively trustworthy sources, such as the Safari Extensions Gallery. Never install any third-party software unless you know how to uninstall it. Otherwise you may create problems that are very hard to solve.
Beware of malware. Malware is malicious software that circulates on the Internet. This kind of attack on OS X used to be so rare that it was hardly a concern, but it's now increasingly common, and increasingly dangerous. There is some built-in protection against downloading malware, but you can’t rely on it — the attackers are always at least one day ahead of the defense. You can’t rely on third-party protection either. What you can rely on is common-sense awareness — not paranoia, which only makes you more vulnerable. Never install software from an untrustworthy or unknown source.
If in doubt, do some research. Any website that prompts you to install a “codec” or “plugin” that comes from the same site, or an unknown site, is untrustworthy. Software with a corporate brand, such as Adobe Flash Player, must come directly from the developer's website.
No intermediary is acceptable, and don’t trust links unless you know how to parse them. Any file that is automatically downloaded from the web, without your having requested it, should go straight into the Trash. A web page that tells you that your computer has a “virus,” or that anything else is wrong with it, is a scam. In OS X 10.7.5 or later, downloaded applications and Installer packages that have not been digitally signed by a developer registered with Apple are blocked from loading by default.
The block can be overridden, but think carefully before you do so. Because of recurring security issues in Java, it’s best to it in your web browsers, if it’s installed. Few websites have Java content nowadays, so you won’t be missing much.
This action is mandatory if you’re running any version of OS X older than 10.6.8 with the latest Java update. Note: Java has nothing to do with Java Script, despite the similar names. Don't install Java unless you're sure you need it. Most people don't. Don't fill up your boot volume. A common mistake is adding more and more large files to your home folder until you start to get warnings that you're out of space, which may be followed in short order by a boot failure. This is more prone to happen on the newer Macs that come with an internal SSD instead of the traditional hard drive.
The drive can be very nearly full before you become aware of the problem. While it's not true that you should or must keep any particular percentage of space free, you should monitor your storage use and make sure you're not in immediate danger of using it up.
According to, you need at least 9 GB of free space on the startup volume for normal operation. If storage space is running low, use a tool such as to explore the volume and find out what's taking up the most space. Move seldom-used large files to secondary storage. Relax, don’t do it.
Besides the above, no routine maintenance is necessary or beneficial for the vast majority of users; specifically not “cleaning caches,” “zapping the PRAM,” 'resetting the SMC,' “rebuilding the directory,” 'defragmenting the drive,' “running periodic scripts,” “dumping logs,” 'deleting temp files,' “scanning for viruses,” 'purging memory,' 'checking for bad blocks,' 'testing the hardware,' or “repairing permissions.” Such measures are either completely pointless or are useful only for solving problems, not for prevention. Let go of the Windows mentality that every computer needs regular maintenance such as 'defragging' and 'registry cleaning.' Those concepts do not apply to the Mac platform. The very height of futility is running an expensive third-party application called “Disk Warrior” when nothing is wrong, or even when something is wrong and you have backups, which you must have. Disk Warrior is a data-salvage tool, not a maintenance tool, and you will never need it if your backups are adequate. Don’t waste money on it or anything like it.
I know this is a little late but several things here. One there is NO ' as far as I can tell; CleanMyMac2 is latest in that line. Second, let's be honest here, the software Apple provides for maintenance is bare bones at best when it exists. Couple that with people who have no idea on how to write programs for the MacOS and have the program drop files all over the hard drive as if they were on Windows and you have a problem. So there are there are a handful of “cleaners,” 'doctors,' 'tune-ups,' etc that are useful: TechTool Pro (which at one time was part of the Apple Care package) and the aforementioned CleanMyMac2 being the more bang for your buck ones. Third, if you like me have moved your files form Mac to Mac over the years you are going to have files that will cause weird behavior in the OS.
CleanMyMac2 was able to find an old OS X extension I didn't even known I still had and it removeal stopped some really flaky behavior of the OS. CleanMyMac2 doesn't do 'damage' as long as you use it intelligently. It is a tool and like any tool it can be misused and cause problems as a result. The claim 'There is nothing it can do that you can't do yourself, for free and more safely.' Yes the Unix under the MacOS hood is powerful but unless you really know what the sam hill you are doing you can really mess things up. Apple's Disk Utility is still very limited compared to TechToolPro or even the one trick pony DiskWarrior in fixing what find and it still flags stuff that really aren't problems and more you have to fiddle to fix an issue that some third party software can fix in like 10 minutes in the more it it is costing you in terms of actually using your computer.
The point is there is no such thing as 'free' with DIYS. I have never had it do any damage to a system. With the rise in malware and adware on Macs cleanup programs are becoming necessary.
Most can be simply dragged to the trash but there a quite a few that totally hijack all the internet browsers in the OS. Resetting the browsers and dragging the apps to the trash does not resolve the problem. I have had to use adware removal tools on at least 15 macs in the last 3 months and it appears to be an increasing problem. I work at a Computer repair shop in Naples FL. There actually is a Clean My Mac 3 beta that just came out but this only existed a few days ago. I work at a Computer repair shop in Naples FL. So, that means - straightaway - you're not an average user, right?
But still as someone who has to clean up adware I'm sure you know of the safe, free alternatives for that job, including Apple' own - also free - instructions. But again, I will offer this for people's consideration: And how come the folks who recommend always have very few points, and the folks who advise against have very many? Coincidence that. Can you explain why all the experienced users on this site recommend against this app and its ilk?
Anything to do with experience? Just wondering. Apple Footer. This site contains user submitted content, comments and opinions and is for informational purposes only. Apple may provide or recommend responses as a possible solution based on the information provided; every potential issue may involve several factors not detailed in the conversations captured in an electronic forum and Apple can therefore provide no guarantee as to the efficacy of any proposed solutions on the community forums. Apple disclaims any and all liability for the acts, omissions and conduct of any third parties in connection with or related to your use of the site. All postings and use of the content on this site are subject to the.
In my opinion, only about 20 percent of an app’s features should be considered premium features that users should have to pay for. However, In most cases, users really only need the other 80 percent of features which should be free. But, to get those useful 80 percent of features, users have to dig into their pockets and pay for the 20 percent of features they don’t really need. For CleanMyMac, a disk cleaner, which part is the 80 percent you should have gotten for free? Is there an app that provides that 80 percent?
Of course, there is. I’d like to recommend Trend Micro’s Dr. Cleaner, a free app that’s comparable with CleanMyMac.
Let’s see what functions CleanMyMac provides to its subscribers that Dr. Cleaner also provides, while pointing out features in CleanMyMac that might create problems or aren’t that necessary for the average user. System Junk “System” as defined by CleanMyMac includes user cache files, system log files, as well as the application language packs. The latest version of Dr. Cleaner supports the cleanup of user cache and system files, but stops at removing application language packs due to safety considerations: for certain software, there might be program errors once the language pack is removed.
Moreover, a single language pack is very small and does not significantly affect the entire disk space 2. Photo Junk When iPhoto users synchronize their phone camera with the computer terminal, it creates residual cache files that speed up photo browsing for the user, but also increases the burden on disk by using up space. We can say that this kind of space consumption is a double-edged sword, since browsing is speeded up. But for infrequent iPhoto users, this feature is somewhat superfluous.
You get this feature as one of CleanMyMac’s value-added services, while Dr. Cleaner merges this function into the iTunes cache-cleaning function, because this function is too simple to separate out for display.
Mail Attachments When using the Mail app on the Mac, you can accumulate a lot of attachments over time. As you can see, these attachments are located in CleanMyMac, but did you know there is a risk when cleaning mail attachments? Once you have removed a mail attachment and are unable to sync to your mail server, you cannot get them back. Cleaner, we designed mail caches into the Junk Files feature which does not affect your mail attachments. Large Files Large file scanning is a very useful feature. Users tend to ignore what they have downloaded, such as large software installation packages or movies. These large files can account for half of the disposable space of the disk.
This function can indeed become a paid-for function, as it is with CleanMyMac, but in exchange for the support of its users, Dr. Cleaner provides this valuable function for free. Cleaner, you can also lock some files that you don’t want to remove in case you want to make sure you do not delete important files. Disk Map We think it is user-friendly to help you manage all the files on your hard disk using a visual map, so we added the Disk Map feature into Dr.
Cleaner for free. However, no functions like this can be found in CleanMyMac. Disk Map quickly scans your drive and builds an amazing visualization of all the files and folders on your computer, allowing you to easily navigate the system and find the content that takes up the most space.
In addition, all folders and files under the home folder are listed out by size. As for some system-required critical files, deleting them would provide a prompt that those are important and are not allowed to be removed. With the Disk Map feature you can also find out when a file or folder was created, modified or last opened. Furthermore, hovering your mouse on one folder then clicking the magnifier icon will direct you to the file location. Conclusion Is Dr. Cleaner worth trying? Absolutely, yes!
Don’t hesitate. It not only cleans up your disk space but also solves other Mac issues you might have. In addition, we are also the least expensive cleaning app on macOS. If you still cannot afford it, you can call your friends or family to share the cost. Thanks Apple for letting us share wonderful applications together via family sharing. Regardless if you are new to the Mac or an advanced user, will be a good choice for you. Cleaner can help you free up a lot of space, please don’t forget to back up your important files, in case an unfortunate event happens like your hard disk malfunctions.
We regard customers’ data security as the most important thing. I hope you will have fun with Dr. Cleaner in the future! Waiting for You Thanks for taking the time to read my article.
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