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Any Mac App Store apps like CleanMyMac ?

Are there any apps available and downloadable from the Mac App Store which is at least equivalent to CleanMyMac in terms of functions and effectiveness ?

MacBook Air, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2), Core i7 2GHz, 8GB RAM, 512GB Flash

Posted on Dec 18, 2012 2:40 AM

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Posted on Dec 18, 2012 3:48 AM

Mac does not need any application like "CleanMyMac".


Install all system,applications and security updates released by Apple.


Restart the computer once in a while.


Best.

9 replies

Dec 18, 2012 4:09 AM in response to Norwegian Forest Cat

OS X requires no periodic "maintenance."

Caches rarely, if ever, need to be "cleaned." Cleaning them periodically will slow your Mac. If you ever get a corrupt cache, just manually remove it from the caches folder or use something like OnyX. I have OnyX on my system, but haven't opened it since Snow Leopard. No need.

Deleting the unnecessary languages from an app may disable the app. Yes, it is poor programming, but it does happen. The space saved is almost meaningless.

Logs are "rotated" periodically by the OS. No need to do it yourself. In very rare cases a log file will run away, but I haven't seen that since Snow Leopard. If you see that (due to continuous loss of disk space), just find the log and delete it. The Console will show a near infinite number of repeating messages generated by some program or process. Fix the process and delete the log file.

Dec 18, 2012 6:32 AM in response to Norwegian Forest Cat

CleanMyMac isn't a totally useless program but it doesn't make my must have list or even my good to have list. Its functions break down into three categories: those already done by the OS automatically (clean caches and log files), those that have some benefit but can be dangerous too (remove unnecessary languages and universal binaries), and useful and not dangerous but not necessarily needed (delete applications).


An applicatioin that deletes applications can be had for much less than CleanMyMac.

Dec 18, 2012 10:45 AM in response to Norwegian Forest Cat

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; make them independent of each other. 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.


2. Keep your software up to date. In the Software Update preference pane, 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. This 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.


3. Don't install crapware, such as “themes,” "haxies," “add-ons,” “toolbars,” “enhancers," “optimizers,” “accelerators,” “extenders,” “cleaners,” "tune-ups," “defragmenters,” “firewalls,” "barriers," “guardians,” “defenders,” “protectors,” most “plugins,” commercial "virus scanners,” "disk tools," or "utilities." With very few exceptions, this sort of stuff is useless, or worse than useless.


The more actively 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.


Never install any third-party software unless you know how to uninstall it. Otherwise you may create problems that are very hard to solve.


The free anti-malware application ClamXav is not crap, and although it’s not routinely needed, it may be useful in some environments, such as a mixed Mac-Windows enterprise network.


4. Beware of trojans. A trojan is malicious software (“malware”) that the user is duped into installing voluntarily. Such attacks were rare on the Mac platform until sometime in 2011, but are 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 be acquired directly from the developer. No intermediary is acceptable, and don’t trust links unless you know how to parse them. Any file that is automatically downloaded from a web page without your having requested it should go straight into the Trash. A website that claims you have a “virus,” or that anything else is wrong with your computer, is rogue.


In OS X 10.7.5 or later, downloaded applications 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 disable 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 JavaScript, despite the similar names. Don't install Java unless you're sure you need it. Most users don't.


5. 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 Mac notebooks 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 consumption and make sure you're not in immediate danger of using it up. According to Apple documentation, you need at least 9 GB of free space on the startup volume for normal operation.


Use a tool such as the free application OmniDiskSweeperto explore your volume and find out what's taking up the most space. Move rarely-used large files to secondary storage.


6. 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,” “running periodic scripts,” “dumping log files,” “scanning for viruses,” "purging memory," or “repairing permissions.” Such measures are either completely pointless or are useful only for solving problems. They're not for preventive maintenance.


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.

Dec 18, 2012 11:01 AM in response to Norwegian Forest Cat

Norwegian Forest Cat wrote:


I see. So I will just ignore their ads.


Broadly speaking you should ignore all ads for such junk. The more ad placements you see, the more you should ignore them. They are selling snake oil. Don't buy it, even if it's "free". Recovering from the potential damage they can cause will cost you in lost time at best, lost money and data at worst.


There is no program with the intelligence to automatically identify and eradicate extraneous files safely. There is no way for them to discriminate between superfluous files that may be safely deleted and required system components that must not be deleted.


It is nearly impossible for a user to inflict such damage using normal methods.


To learn how to increase disk space read: OS X: Increase disk space

Any Mac App Store apps like CleanMyMac ?

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