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Warning ⚠️ Badware Recommended by Many!

This is my testimony and experience with an App from a developer named Crystalidea, which is a PC based developer, except for this one app named “Macs Fan Control”, and recommend, after a several week experience of spurious very high temperatures exceeding 92°C causing three different iMac’s to shut down automatically and restart, and giving me an Apple notice to send to Apple concerning a Panic Event! Do NOT download and install on your macOS computer, is only my opinion and Experience.

After installing and using Cyrstalidea’s App “Macs Fan Control” for several weeks, I was able to consistently and repeatedly on three different iMac’s (2011 iMac, 2014 iMac, 2020 iMac, all 27 inch), caused all three to overheat receiving Numerous warning numerous warningnumerous warnings notices from iStat Menus of temperatures Exceeding more mor than 92°C for over 10 seconds, causing all three to shut down and restart, as set in system preferences. My normal fan rpm’s on all three devices were in the upper 900’s to 1200’s, yet even in idle mode doing nothing except changing desktop pictures or screensaver pictures the fans were racing audibly in the 2000’s to 3000’s RPM, Temperature to fluctuate from the high 50s to the mid 90°C to the mid 90°Ctemperature to fluctuate from the high 50s to the mid 90°C!. No settings we’re set in The apps configurations for boosting fan speed; but, all set to System control for fans.

For weeks I thought something was seriously wrong and got some feedback that there was an overheating problem with Big Sur in the newer iMac, and I had recently vacuumed the ports for dust on the two older iMac’s. I was convinced that I was lucky to have this app to control the fan speed to keep my computer running cooler! After some discussion here with folks I became suspicious of this app and another named “TG Pro “. I decided to delete everything except iStat Menus, which I paid for and have been using for about a decade with never a problem. I did a Delete of “Macs Fan Control” using App Cleaner.

Notice all other software from this developer is for the PC, except this one App. Being suspicious that not all orphan files were deleted using app cleaner, are use another app that many years and never read a complaint, Find Any File to check for orphan files under the apps name without the spaces, and another search using the option key when clicking start so it will search everywhere, and must type in your iMac password. Over a dozen orphan files all over the place were discovered. Only after deleting these orphan files that suddenly did erratic high temperatures and erratic high RPMs of the fans completely disappeared and now running what they had been running for many years from 900 to 1200 rpm, and temperatures now never exceed the high 30’s to 50°C 50°C. Suddenly everything was back to normal for the past several days now. Coming home from work one day I was alarmed to see that it had re-installed itself somehow on my 2020 iMac, Then orphan files reappeared on the other iMac’s, seeing the Mac’s fan Control icon in the menu bar once again. The only way it could’ve done this is transfer from my one terabyte SanDisk clone copy of my boot drive that was connected to do weekly copies on Sunday early mornings. I once again did another search with Find Any File and orphan files were found on all three computers that are connected via ethernet. This is really a very bad behavior for an App on an external drive using Carbon Copy Cloner to reinstall itself on the boot drive of my 2020 iMac then reinstall it on the other iMac’s that are connected via ethernet.

Crystalidea at I was convinced was safe, and a number of folks recommended to control one’s fans and check sensors and temperatures. I completely disagree.

I place this notice here as a warning to others that might feel confident as I did and download this app from Crystalidea, which is a PC-based developer except for this one particular App, “Macs Fan Control”. I would recommend NOT downloading and installing on your macOS computer.

Best, Seth



[Link Edited by Moderator]


Posted on Mar 7, 2022 5:00 AM

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Posted on Mar 7, 2022 5:10 AM

I do not agree. I have been using MacFanControl for many many years and never had a single problem.


As I recall it seems like you also had other fan utilities like SMCFanControl and iStat all installed at the same time.

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8 replies

Mar 7, 2022 6:07 AM in response to Seth77

I received a message from A member here that has used Macs fan control for years without a problem. Please note my reply concerning this app and have decided that the several different fan control apps accessing the sensors and trying to control the fans interacted badly in someway, and perhaps none of them were at fault. However, I was concerned that after deleting all the fan control apps somehow Macs fan control got reinstalled while I was at work to my surprise. The only place the app was located was on a cloned of my boot drive on a 1 TB SanDisk drive which was connected. This I thought very odd, and I’m not sure what to think, but if even one person has no problems using the same app for years, almost now give no recommendation either way concerning this app. I am completely puzzled by my experience. Best, Seth

Mar 7, 2022 8:59 PM in response to HWTech

Yes, I noticed that when I first opened the app to install.

I am now thinking that there was some conflict between three different apps that were accessing the sensors and fans that caused the crazy wild fan RPMs and somehow getting the computer to overheat. After deleting everything and all orphan files using find any file, and there are about 15 of them or so, everything went back to normal. So now I’m only using a stat menus which I’ve had for about 10 years.

I tried to delete my post but could not. So I add added an addendum to let people know that my findings and experience were not those of others, and mine was some fluke of interacting apps trying to control the sensors and fans. That’s all I can think of. Best, Seth

Mar 7, 2022 9:49 AM in response to Seth77

FYI, It is possible to run Macs Fan Control without installing any drivers so you can run the app as a standalone app. When you are prompted for your admin password when running the app for the first time, just click "Cancel" (make sure to check the box to remember this answer) and Macs Fan Control will only have the base app itself plus the custom preference (aka settings) files. It is very easy to just give the app permisssions. I do this for testing fan & temperatures on client systems so that I don't permanently add anything to their computers. When you don't give admin privileges to Macs Fan Control, then you do lose the ability to update the app automatically or through the manual "update" option in the app's menu. I just use the app for monitoring fan speed and temps. I don't use the app for adjusting fans as I want the system to run as designed by macOS.

Mar 7, 2022 6:00 AM in response to den.thed

Yes, that was my experience initially and only when it had reinstalled itself somehow after deleting it off of all three computers did I decide to post that warning. Band occurred when I only had a StatMenus working, and deleted everything else. It was TG Pro I had also installed, and I’m not familiar with the app you mentioned. However, your experience now puts into question what happened? Perhaps you’re right that interaction between the apps TG Pro, Macs fan control and iStat Menus caused a problem? It’s just the reinstallation of Macs Fan control after deleting all fan control apps that gives me pause on how that was accomplished. But from your many years experience I’ll delete the warning and place what occurred among bad behavior because of similar apps checking on sensors and controlling fans giving weird results. If you have any ideas why or how could’ve got an idle computers, three different ones, giving greater than 92°C from all CPUs and CPU die and maxing out all the fans is quite strange. Now all is functioning normally with just a iStatMenus i’m going to leave it alone. I did get a fan control Apple Watch because my 2011 optical bay fan went out and registration zero RPM and got a notice using Apple‘s hardware testing that The optical bay fan had a problem. I tried several fan control apps to see if I could get it up and running again, but nothing worked, so I replaced it. It was only after replacing the fan that all this craziness started happening and I thought it was something I might’ve done while opening out the machin using my Dyson to vacuum all the dust out of the two older Macs.

Thanks for the reply so quickly. I’ll see if I can take down that notice. Best, Seth

Warning ⚠️ Badware Recommended by Many!

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