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Mac Cleaners ???

post #1 of 16
2/28/11 at 1:06am
Thread Starter 
Hello...
Any suggestions about the best Mac Cleaner (Clean my Mac, MacKeeper, ONYX,...)?

I have read mixed reviews of all of them and the thing that worries me the most is that sometimes you delete things when they do the clean up and programs stop working, etc...., and the last thing I want is the hassle....

Any personal experiences? Any advice on how to use them/before using them, precautions to take, etc...

Thanks a lot.
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post #2 of 16
2/28/11 at 6:54am
This is like asking for a review of buggy whips--or crank starters. This is software that you do not need.
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post #3 of 16
3/1/11 at 12:32pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Me View Post

This is like asking for a review of buggy whips--or crank starters. This is software that you do not need.



Sorry to be a pain, but my Mac is going slower in the last few months that what it used to, and reading in several websites, with the little knowledge that I have of computers, it makes sense that it is because all those temp files, bits that stay even after you delete an application, gaps in the hard-drive, etc... and that as I didn´t have ZapApper or similar, they might have left something behind, slowing down the system...
And if these tools/programs weren´t needed at all, why are quite a few around? And why one of them is advertised on AppleInsider website all the time?

Sorry, I am a bit confused by your reply.... (but I am not saying that you are not right... But in that case, are there any things that I could do, or things that you advise doing in future to keep things working up to scratch?)

Thanks a lot again.
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post #4 of 16
3/1/11 at 2:15pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ericvet8b View Post

And if these tools/programs weren´t needed at all, why are quite a few around? And why one of them is advertised on AppleInsider website all the time?

I believe P.T. Barnum had the answer to those two questions!
From out there on the moon, international politics look so petty. You want to grab a politician by the scruff of the neck and drag him a quarter of a million miles out and say, "Look at that!" -...
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From out there on the moon, international politics look so petty. You want to grab a politician by the scruff of the neck and drag him a quarter of a million miles out and say, "Look at that!" -...
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post #5 of 16
3/1/11 at 3:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Me View Post

This is like asking for a review of buggy whips--or crank starters. This is software that you do not need.

This is not entirely true. Onyx helps me work around OS X bugs on a regular basis (caches becoming corrupt and needing to be deleted), and it's a quick and easy way of setting hidden preferences, many of which I find helpful.

The thing with Onyx and its ilk, is that it's really best that you know what you are doing. If you're a novice and think they will magically speed up your computer, there's a risk you'll make things worse rather than better.
it's = it is / it has, its = belonging to it.
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it's = it is / it has, its = belonging to it.
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post #6 of 16
3/1/11 at 4:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. H View Post

This is not entirely true. Onyx helps me work around OS X bugs on a regular basis (caches becoming corrupt and needing to be deleted), and it's a quick and easy way of setting hidden preferences, many of which I find helpful.

The thing with Onyx and its ilk, is that it's really best that you know what you are doing. If you're a novice and think they will magically speed up your computer, there's a risk you'll make things worse rather than better.

I started using OnyX back when OnyX became available. I have nothing against the utility, per se. Certainly, it is priced right.

Having said that--I adhere to my original point. It is not necessary. The most important things done by OnyX are done automatically by the OS. The rest of it? Placeboware. This is a nice way to say that I agree with KingOfSomewhereHot.

The only thing that I have found that fixed a real problem on my Mac is File System Check (fsck) in Single User Mode. Commercial software? Disk Warrior. However, these are not routine maintenance utilities. Run them when you have a real identifiable problem. Otherwise, you are wasting your time.
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post #7 of 16
3/1/11 at 4:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Me View Post

However, these are not routine maintenance utilities. Run them when you have a real identifiable problem. Otherwise, you are wasting your time.

Exactly.

When Preview and Word start fscking up fonts in PDFs and I use Onyx to delete the font caches and reboot and then everything is working again (till the next time), that is not placebo. When the character palette and/or the keyboard viewer open up every time I'm presented with an OS password dialogue and I use Onyx to delete the international preferences cache and reboot and the problem is gone, that is not placebo. When the launchd database becomes corrupt and several copies of the same program appear in the "open with" contextual menu and I use Onyx to rebuild the database and that fixes the problem, that is not placebo. When I use Onyx to change the appearance of the dock, that is not placebo.

All of these things can be done via the command line but it's nice to not have to remember the commands and the specific launch parameters necessary to do what you want.
it's = it is / it has, its = belonging to it.
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it's = it is / it has, its = belonging to it.
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post #8 of 16
3/3/11 at 2:37pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. H View Post

Exactly.

When Preview and Word start fscking up fonts in PDFs and I use Onyx to delete the font caches and reboot and then everything is working again (till the next time), that is not placebo. When the character palette and/or the keyboard viewer open up every time I'm presented with an OS password dialogue and I use Onyx to delete the international preferences cache and reboot and the problem is gone, that is not placebo. When the launchd database becomes corrupt and several copies of the same program appear in the "open with" contextual menu and I use Onyx to rebuild the database and that fixes the problem, that is not placebo. When I use Onyx to change the appearance of the dock, that is not placebo.

All of these things can be done via the command line but it's nice to not have to remember the commands and the specific launch parameters necessary to do what you want.

Wow!! All of that sounds way too complicated for me..... I think I keep things simple... I do not use any of those, just in case...

Mr. Me...:
Quote:
The only thing that I have found that fixed a real problem on my Mac is File System Check (fsck) in Single User Mode.

....How do you to this, and when? Through the command line?
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post #9 of 16
3/8/11 at 6:30am
I personally like cleanApp. I can virtually remove any program i want to uninstall.
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post #10 of 16
3/8/11 at 7:20am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Me View Post

This is like asking for a review of buggy whips--or crank starters. This is software that you do not need.

You don't?
When installed, Microsoft Office for Mac 2008 e.g. consists of well over 5,000 files, scattered invisibly across your HD. If you trash the application by dragging its icon from the Applications folder to the Trash, you trash only that one file! You don't trash the other 5,000 orphaned files that reside elsewhere on your HD! And which unnecessarily occupy over 900MB of HD space. And interfere with the proper operation of your system and other software.

AppCleaner and the like remove all the files connected to the application from your HD! Reclaiming space, and improving overall system performance instead of degrading it (because it needs to pointlessly schlepp around thousands of orphaned files).
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post #11 of 16
3/8/11 at 9:34am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rokcet Scientist View Post

.... And interfere with the proper operation of your system and other software.

Nonsense. Care to explain how orphaned files can interfere with the operation of a Mac?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rokcet Scientist View Post

AppCleaner and the like remove all the files connected to the application from your HD! Reclaiming space, and improving overall system performance instead of degrading it (because it needs to pointlessly schlepp around thousands of orphaned files).

I do not and will not install a utility like AppCleaner. However, others have reported that these types of utilities may remove files that should not be removed. The result is that imaginary problems are converted into real problems.
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post #12 of 16
3/8/11 at 11:41am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Me View Post

Nonsense. Care to explain how orphaned files can interfere with the operation of a Mac?

Sure: 1) it is useless ballast, using your storage, occupying space you could use for other stuff, and needing to be backed up all the time. For what? And 2) it can interfere with the operation of your Mac because other applications make calls on Office apps because they think Office is still on your HD. They're "seeing" Office files on your Mac, which is correct, because they are indeed still there. Only: it is an incomplete set of Office files (you trashed one, didn't you?). So those calls can never be executed.

Quote:
I do not and will not install a utility like AppCleaner.

You sound like someone obstinately steeling himself against better judgement.

Quote:
However, others have reported that these types of utilities may remove files that should not be removed. The result is that imaginary problems are converted into real problems.

I've used AppCleaner for at least 3 years now. Almost daily. And never, IRL, had any of the problems you're imagining. None!
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post #13 of 16
3/8/11 at 12:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rokcet Scientist View Post

Sure: 1) it is useless ballast, using your storage, occupying space you could use for other stuff, and needing to be backed up all the time. For what? And 2) it can interfere with the operation of your Mac because other applications make calls on Office apps because they think Office is still on your HD. They're "seeing" Office files on your Mac, which is correct, because they are indeed still there. Only: it is an incomplete set of Office files (you trashed one, didn't you?). So those calls can never be executed.

...

And which apps might these be?
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post #14 of 16
3/8/11 at 6:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rokcet Scientist
Sure: 1) it is useless ballast, using your storage, occupying space you could use for other stuff, and needing to be backed up all the time. For what? And 2) it can interfere with the operation of your Mac because other applications make calls on Office apps because they think Office is still on your HD. They're "seeing" Office files on your Mac, which is correct, because they are indeed still there. Only: it is an incomplete set of Office files (you trashed one, didn't you?). So those calls can never be executed.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Me View Post

And which apps might these be?

Not so much apps as files. Of the types generally associated with Office, DUH! Office word processing files, Office database files, and Office spreadsheet files, which, as it so happens, are about the most numerous on earth. Because Micro$haft.
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post #15 of 16
3/8/11 at 7:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rokcet Scientist View Post

Not so much apps as files. Of the types generally associated with Office, DUH! Office word processing files, Office database files, and Office spreadsheet files, which, as it so happens, are about the most numerous on earth. Because Micro$haft.

but those "unexecuteable calls" that you think are happening do nothing to "slow down" your computer ... they just do nothing.
From out there on the moon, international politics look so petty. You want to grab a politician by the scruff of the neck and drag him a quarter of a million miles out and say, "Look at that!" -...
Reply
From out there on the moon, international politics look so petty. You want to grab a politician by the scruff of the neck and drag him a quarter of a million miles out and say, "Look at that!" -...
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post #16 of 16
3/8/11 at 9:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rokcet Scientist View Post

Not so much apps as files. Of the types generally associated with Office, DUH! Office word processing files, Office database files, and Office spreadsheet files, which, as it so happens, are about the most numerous on earth. Because Micro$haft.

Care to try again?
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