Cleaning tools?

[Fred Claus]

I'm new to the world of Mac, and one of my former pastors gave me one of his old ones to learn on. What do you think of tools like iobit's Macbooers 8 and their Network fixing program for Mac? I've also heard about programs like Clean My Mac and others. Are they all just scam tools like their PC counterparts or is there something to them?

 

[Porthos]

Are they all just scam tools like their PC counterparts

The ones you mentioned are.

 

[NviGate Systems]

It's been ages since I actively worked on Macs, but in general, just like Windows, as the OS evolves, the need for certian utilities decreases.

The only real utilities I recommend for Mac are Alsoft DiskWarrior for repair of Logical Errors for HDD, and Boomerang Data Recovery. Beyond that, I've had only a smattering of utilities I used, but only for a specific problem. So in general, you don't need utilities to clean or do maintenance. In fact, if memory serves, there were companies that got into hot water because they "claimed" thier software would do xyz, but in fact, they only triggered the OS to do the very job.

 

[nlinecomputers]

The ones you mentioned are.

Not a Mac guy. So what tools was are any good.

 

[Sky-Knight]

I'm assuming an 8lb sledge is off the table?

All joking aside, I have never felt the need for special tools for Mac other than data recovery software. The platform is very self supporting, and doesn't usually require much in the way of actual work to get going again. Like Windows 10 that's fully patched, 90% of the time it's user error against a software configuration somewhere.

Apple Diagnostics takes care of the hardware.

 

[carmen617]

Malwarebytes for Mac. Onyx if you must use some sort of automated cleaning tool. Otherwise, keep it updated, use Time Machine to keep it backed up, and tell the client they need to budget a ton of money for a new one when the OS is out of support.

 

[Markverhyden]

As @NviGate Systems mentioned OS's evolve, usually for the better. Currently there's only one utility I'll use and that's Onyx. Even then it's very rare. It's very similar to Tweakings AIO. Just runs a whole mess of built in utilities. Remember that macOS is just another *nix. So it has a whole mess of standard *nix utilities and a lot more put together by Apple. But those are all CLI. And they also require a very goods understanding of what's going on. Just like in the M$ world in the end it's easier and quicker to just backup, nuke and pave, and restore than try to resurrect a troublesome patient.

Several of the one's you mentioned, like Clean My Mac, @Fred Claus actually fall into the scamware arena in my book. But Apple doesn't block them because the companies pay the Developers annual license.

For data recovery my preference is R-Studio, which runs on all 3 OS's and can read a ton of different filesystems irrespective of what OS it's running on.

Anti-malware? Apple's been implementing their own for a while. Some of the others used to be good at getting BHO's, adware and the like. But the last few times I've had to deal with it they were no help. Just had to carve it out by hand.

 

[Markverhyden]

I'm assuming an 8lb sledge is off the table?

All you really need is a 8 ounce ball peen.

 

[Porthos]

Not a Mac guy. So what tools was are any good.

Neither am I but I won't touch anything iobit ever.

 

[Sky-Knight]

All you really need is a 8 ounce ball peen.

True, but it's not as satisfying.

 

[Markverhyden]

True, but it's not as satisfying.

Ok I'm not going to lie. An 8-10 pounder does have a satisfying crunchy sound on a 27" iMac.

 

[Fred Claus]

Malwarebytes for Mac. Onyx if you must use some sort of automated cleaning tool. Otherwise, keep it updated, use Time Machine to keep it backed up, and tell the client they need to budget a ton of money for a new one when the OS is out of support.

I have Onyx on my Mac. Since I have an SSD I can't use the DiskWarrior. I will be looking at these others though.

 

[Fred Claus]

All you really need is a 8 ounce ball peen.

I have an old Mac that needs to be recycled. I will have to try the hammer option.

 

[Sky-Knight]

Ok I'm not going to lie. An 8-10 pounder does have a satisfying crunchy sound on a 27" iMac.

Right? I'm using an 8lb maul these days. When the hammer isn't enough, it gets the axe! XD