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Is Clean My Mac 2 helpful for speeding up at Macbook Pro?

I've read some reviews of MacKeeper and Clean My Mac products, but am not sure if they are unbiased. Can someone set me straight?

MacBook Pro, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.3)

Posted on May 26, 2013 11:10 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on May 26, 2013 11:13 AM

Welcome to Apple Support Communities


MacKeeper can damage Mac OS X, so don't install it > https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3691 Users complain about it and Zeobit pays users to post good reviews about that app.


Respecting to CleanMyMac, I used it in the past and it worked correctly, but you shouldn't install this type of applications because they can delete a Mac OS X file and you have to reinstall it because you can't start up your MacBook Pro. Furthermore, OS X knows how to take care of itself, so you don't need any cleaning application. If your MacBook is slow, see > https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3521

54 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

May 26, 2013 11:13 AM in response to Mike5020

Welcome to Apple Support Communities


MacKeeper can damage Mac OS X, so don't install it > https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3691 Users complain about it and Zeobit pays users to post good reviews about that app.


Respecting to CleanMyMac, I used it in the past and it worked correctly, but you shouldn't install this type of applications because they can delete a Mac OS X file and you have to reinstall it because you can't start up your MacBook Pro. Furthermore, OS X knows how to take care of itself, so you don't need any cleaning application. If your MacBook is slow, see > https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3521

May 26, 2013 11:16 AM in response to Mike5020

I installed cleanmymac 2, and I deleted it right after. It leaves remnants after, and it also does more harm than good. Your mac looks after its self, and you do not need any "maintenance" tools. You can install it if you want, but I highly reccomend not doing so. All it does is free up disk space, no performance increase whatsoever, in my experiences. Hope this helps!

May 26, 2013 12:31 PM in response to Mike5020

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,” "boosters," “extenders,” “cleaners,” "doctors," "tune-ups," “defragmenters,” “firewalls,” "barriers," “guardians,” “defenders,” “protectors,” most “plugins,” commercial "virus scanners,” "disk tools," or "utilities." With very few exceptions, this 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 and Installer packages 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 people 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 Macs 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.


If storage space is running low, 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,” "defragmenting the drive," “running periodic scripts,” “dumping logs,” "deleting temp files," “scanning for viruses,” "purging memory," "checking for bad blocks," "testing the hardware," or “repairing permissions.” Such measures are either completely pointless or are useful only for solving problems, not for prevention.


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.

May 26, 2013 12:37 PM in response to Mike5020

Read how your machine works under the hood so you can identify yourself whats causing slowdowns and performance issues.


Why is my computer slow?



If you want us to take a peek, run this nifty little program and paste the results here that will tell us what's going on and we can make some recommendations, no personal information is transmitted and no admin password is required.


Tune up your Mac here

Jun 15, 2013 10:47 PM in response to Mike5020

Although I'll probably be looked at as someone who works for the company that distributes CleanMyMac, I assure you, I am not in any way affiliated with them.


I use and purchased CleanMyMac 2, and have had no problems with it. While it's along the same lines as CCleaner, it does a pretty decent job at cleaning up random bits of garbage I wouldn't think of getting at. It can help erase extensions and login items as well, but most of these options require authentication (meaning you need to punch in your system password) before it does anything to said files.


CleanMyMac 2 is quite powerful, in the sense that you can easily mess up your system if you just go around clicking on everything to delete, just like any other cleaner type applications.


MacKeeper has gotten consistently poor reviews from many people, but CleanMyMac seems to be okay in most people's eyes.


I use it, and so far, it hasn't treated me wrong. The first version was odd when it came to what it was that you were attempting to delete (it was vague), but the new version seems to be slightly less feature filled, making it a bit more difficult to really screw up your machine.


In reality, CleanMyMac is a decent program. It's not flawless, and I wish it was a little more explicit in what it is doing, but your standard scans won't touch delicate files, and won't delete stuff without your say so.


It's really up to you. The one thing I do love about it is the "uninstaller" feature. No more leftover junk files when I delete an app. Sure, I can clean them by digging through folders, but why not have a program show me what's left over, and I'll delete it then? Maybe it's just me.


Hope that helps!

Oct 5, 2013 3:58 PM in response to Linc Davis

LOL. Wow. You really don't know what you're talking about.


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,” "defragmenting the drive," “running periodic scripts,” “dumping logs,” "deleting temp files," “scanning for viruses,” "purging memory," "checking for bad blocks," "testing the hardware," or “repairing permissions.” Such measures are either completely pointless or are useful only for solving problems, not for prevention.


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.




I own and operate an Apple-Centric IT support company which has been in business since 2005 and I can tell you unequivically that although many of the other things in this post are basically accurate, this particular advice is complete bogus. Virtually every one of the above operations and techniques, which are apprently "completely pointless", are employed by myself and my technicians (as well as our local Apple Retail repair community) on a daily basis to repair problems and restore normal operations to OS X systems. The only shred of arguably truthful information in that paragraph is the statement "useful only (more) for solving problems, not for prevention".


To say that DiskWarrior is "the very hight of futility" and "expensive" is downright laughable. DiskWarrior is one of the most well developed, widely employed and universally useful tools available to any Mac user, and the price point is more competetive pound-for-pound than any other Mac utility out there. If we had to recoemmend only one piece of maintenance and repair software to Mac users, DiskWarrior would easily take the cake based on efficacy and value. What you clearly don't understand is that corrupt directories can easily lead to corrupted backup sets - Time Machine based or otherwise - which your approach of only backing up and doing nother else could never guard against, no matter how many discreet backup destinations you configure.


There is such a thing as a computer hypochondriac in my experience, and running many of these utitlities or performing these tasks compulsively or without professional guidance can be futile, or even occasionally detrimental if performed incorrectly, but every system that doesn't run all ECC memory components and has any risk at all of ever losing power during operation will eventually need some of the above. Using a quality UPS on ALL desktop systems, and ALWAYS having at least one on-site and one off-site backup at all times are the three most important preventative precautions any computer user can take.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ECC_memory


Check your facts people. Trolling takes many forms, the most insidious of which is the apparently informed psuedo-expert.

Oct 8, 2013 2:31 PM in response to Mike5020

MacKeeper - NO!

CleanMyMac - Yes.


While it is true that Mac's maintain themselves with little user intervention, there is no issue with CleanMyMac. It is very good at uninstalling programs. While there is no need to clean caches for maintenance, you may at one time or another need to delete your caches for troubleshooting purposes - if you don't know exactly what you're doing.


Don't take much stake in the 'experts' advice above. I've been a "loyal" Mac user since 2004. I'm no expert but I've learned a lot from trial and error.


My best advice is to let Time Machine take care of your backups on one extra drive and use SuperDuper or Carbon Copy Cloner on another extra drive to keep a [bootable] monthly or bi-monthly backup.


Onyx is also the best freeware you can keep. It's very reputable and does much, much more than 'maintainance.'


I've learned also to check MacUpdate.com for software, and its user reviews if there's anything I'm interested in.


One thing about so-called "hacks," particularly user interface types, they're not all bad and there's one I've found to be indispensable. It's called Flux. In the evening, it slowly adjusts the hue of your monitors for better night-time viewing.


Also, BitDefender is free from the App store. For antivirus purposes it's a good tool to have. It's passive (not always on and active). This way you can occasionally scan your system to make sure you have no known viruses and check files to be sure that you're not passing anything dangerous along to Windows users. If you're interested in having an "active" scanner use Sophos. It's free and I've never had any issues using it.


With proper backups, do whatever you like. You can always do a 'clean' install of OSX if you really mess things up. Tinker away...and learn.


Message was edited by: urabus

Oct 8, 2013 2:40 PM in response to urabus

You picked a fairly old posting to jump in on.

urabus wrote:


BitDefender is free from the App store. For antivirus purposes it's a good tool to have. It's passive (not always on and active). This way you can occasionally scan your system to make sure you have no known viruses and check files to be sure that you're not passing anything dangerous along to Windows users.

I don't disagree with that, but it hasn't done as well as some of the other free A-V apps available from the AppStore or the web. This testing is a bit old now (January), but it will give you some idea Mac anti-virus testing, part 2.

Oct 8, 2013 2:56 PM in response to MadMacs0

Wow, thanks for the info. The fruitful benefits from jumping in on an old post 😉


I like BitDefender because it scans incredibly fast. Avast is a bit intrusive for my tastes, but I think I'll give it another go.


Sophos, like BitDefender, produced no ill effects to my computing experience - unlike countless other AV scanners for Macs and PC's.


The funny thing is though, the only times I've ever had an AV program alert me on my Mac was from .exe attachment in an e-mail. I've never had a 'real' virus so I can judge AV software only by functionality and wether or not it negatively affects anything.

Jan 18, 2014 6:08 PM in response to Crozlo

Mr. Crozlo,

I have worked with Macs of all stripes since the Mac Plus, and have seen countless utilities come and go, and I am totally in agreement re: your opinion of Mr. Davis' advice. And no, I have no connection with Disk Warrior in any way, shape, or form, other than being a satisfied user. I have used it both personally and in support of the non-profit organizations I have worked for, where tight budgets often determine that there will be no software expenditures that are not both efficacious and of reasonable cost.


Disk Warrior is absolutely one of the few Mac utilities that is unquestionably worth the money. I have used it hundreds of times; it often finds minor issues, and occasionally major issues, that Apple's Disk Utility misses or can't repair. It almost always has been able to repair them, and, most importantly, I have NEVER had it do any damage (I'm not saying it can't - any powerful tool in the wrong hands can be dangerous). No, it doesn't solve all problems, nor is it intrinsically a preventative measure - but then again, neither is it a "data salvage" tool as Mr. Davis states (perhaps he is thinking of something like ProSoft's Data Rescue); but it has proven itself many times by repairing corrupted directory structures caused by things like faulty installation of software (often from trustworthy and known sources like Adobe and Microsoft), power failures, etc. These things do happen to even the most conscientious users, and can sometimes lead to very serious issues.The consequences of corrupted directory structures range from insignificant to catastrophic, and, as you implied, backing up a corrupted directory is very likely to lead to a useless backup set.


For Mr. Davis to follow up your reasonable analysis by making a blanket statement suggesting that anyone who disagrees with him or who recommends any Mac utility software is incompetent proves your point about "apparently informed pseudo-experts". Hopefully he hasn't had to waste too many hours restoring his entire machine from backups because of a simple catalog error that something like Disk Warrior could have fixed in fifteen minutes.

Is Clean My Mac 2 helpful for speeding up at Macbook Pro?

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