Is there an alternative to using EtreCheck for diagnosis here?

Yes but that alternative involves asking a dozen or more questions regarding the particular Mac that's involved, its operating system, the software installed, the various modifications that have been made to it... it's impracticable.

Often the user doesn't know the answers to those questions or doesn't even know how to find out. Obtaining accurate information could (and did) take days of back-and-forth discourse resulting in frustration all around.

EtreCheck avoids all that. As such, it's a model for how all that copious data can be collected and shown in a manner that's easily understood.

And, its author has avoided what must be an irresistible temptation to collect, use, and sell that information to others seeking to exploit it for personal gain. No personal information is collected, displayed, or retained.

EtreCheck was written by a discussions.apple.com volunteer for use in these forums.

It has evolved based on feedback from other volunteers.

EtreCheck is very much tailored for use in these forums.

EtreCheck has always maintained a free mode that is ideal for posting in these forums. The paid mode, adds features that are not relevant to these forums.

But it can be used for free without posting the results in the forums.

User wrote " Is there an alternative to using EtreCheck for diagnosis here? "

tiffytrained wrote:

I'm trying to demonstrate to a friend how information about what is on one's Apple computer may be shown in an easily understood format.

I am prepared to Share such a Etrecheck report if requested to 😎

But as for an alternative - not that I have found

In light of all the very good explanations regarding Etrecheck Application and what it does and does not do

In " Good Faith " , am not waiting for the request

please refer to a recent Etrecheck Report I ran on this computer

Welcome for the example report

If you look very carefully at ALL the Details

It was generated: 2024-01-18 10:34:32 and today is 2024 -01-31

No Time Machine Backup - you are right none.

In the process of using a different Method outside of TM Backup

I will refrain from directly injecting myself in to question you posed to @John Galt

I will only say.

That if there was any provable evidence " personal information is collected, displayed, or retained. "

This software would never see the light of day on 2 - M2 and 1 - M1 machines I own and operate

You can infer what one wishes from that statement

From having used it, and from observing the information transmitted from a Mac. The only information sent is to correlate the specific model identifier to Apple's database of supported models, and to associate it with its more readable marketing name.

Logically, if information is not sent, then it cannot be retained.

Besides, a model identifier cannot reasonably be considered "personal information".

Furthermore, its developer made its source code publicly available and even invited others to modify it for their own personal needs (although I am not 100% certain if that is still the case — you'll need to verify that on your own).

John Galt wrote:

From having used it, and from observing the information transmitted from a Mac. The only information sent is to correlate the specific model identifier to Apple's database of supported models, and to associate it with its more readable marketing name.

It sounds like you may be responding to some post that has been deleted or edited. Plus, that is outdated information.

Many year ago, the first open-source versions of EtreCheck did use some undocumented Apple internet services. It would send part of the computer serial number to Apple to identify the "marketing name" of a computer. But EtreCheck stopped doing that years ago. And Apple has been shutting off those services anyway since they changed to a completely randomized serial number format.

Internally, EtreCheck and its web services have extensive levels of privacy protection. Even if my website were hacked and everything exfiltrated, they would not get a single bit of customer information. How many other companies can say that?

Furthermore, its developer made its source code publicly available and even invited others to modify it for their own personal needs (although I am not 100% certain if that is still the case — you'll need to verify that on your own).

I took down the Github site years ago too. The only person that cared about it was cyber-stalker.

PRP_53 wrote:

Feeding troll like behaviours of those living under the bridge is generally not a good idea

I must have missed something, as the person to whom I was replying appeared more confused than trolling. I was trying to help. But, it's all gone now.

Rather like the more " Full Bodied " approach better 😎

Hope OP may consider the free version for their purposes

<sigh>

Again?

Cyber-stalker clean-up needed in aisle 6.

Probably. Lacking any personal perspective on the matter, I'll refrain from judgement. For now.

etresoft wrote:

Cyber-stalker clean-up needed in aisle 6.

I wondered if that might be the case.

Thank you for that updated information.

It sounds like you may be responding to some post that has been deleted or edited.

It would appear so.