What about Clean My Mac 3?

As seventy-one points out:

I am often amazed at how many Etrecheck reports (very useful aid, I might say) show Clean my Mac present ... and after it's removal there is an immediate and substantial improvement in the machine's performance. Kind of says it all, doesn't it?

This certainly matches my experience also.

What was in that 20gigs of Junk, if you don't mind me asking?

Basically if someone reports an issue the first step is a restart, the second step... is remove any and all "cleaning" or "tune up" apps and restart. Then start troubleshooting if the problem isn't solved.

33% system what?

Those caches are not Junk, and removing them makes your Mac slower, not faster. There is a case for removing caches - exactly one case: if a cache is corrupted. If it's not then it's an utterly pointless exercise because caches are used to help your Mac run faster, and, once removed, must be rebuilt, so you lose speed as that happens. It's a classic example of an app that has a "feature" that no one routinely needs. There is zero case for routinely trashing caches.

So, we can establish that 2/3rds of what it found as "junk" demonstrably isn't. What about the other 1/3d?

Had it been that easy...

The Mac comes with a set of tools: "Time Machine" for backup and "Disk Utility" for keeping your disk and file system on this consistent. ALL the browsers I use allows me to set the "cache size" , bluntly, if you have a fast connection, this can be very minimal. Malware: You cannot just run code on a Mac as you can on Windows - but you may run malware on a Mac, just as on Windows. There is a difference between "can" and "may". You can use a hammer to wreck your Mac if you want to do that. So what is the purpose of "Clean my Mac"? Does it come with soap to make it nice and shiny - I use a damp cloth for that, and maybe that can come up with things that makes it look nice and clean longer. When it comes to MacOS, there are tonnes of things - tuning that can be done, buffer sizes, priority - you have these tools on Linux and they should be simple to port but nobody has done that. "Erase unused files" - yes, most of my files are unused for years, but when I need them, they are there. Unused OS files? I doubt there are much. So the purpose of these "Virus scanners" and "Cleaning Tools" is (a) to get people to pay for them, and well (b) obtain information about those that use them so they then will pay.

E.g. I suspect I have some leftover from one of them I tried, because my disk suddenly runs slow and memory is not released, causing the amount of RAM that is made available to the OS ("wired") to be absolutely minimal, while the RAM holds GB of disk buffers and compressed libraries. Well, MacOS comes with some scripts "daily", "weekly" and "monthly" that does just that - every day, every week.

I miss a tool that allows me to see in the activity monitor which of the processes are developed by Apple, those developed for them and are part of a product, and I do not have to look in the Memory for "Files opened" and chase a file in the MacKeeper or "CleanMyMac" file hierarchy - should say "CleanMyMac" and let me kill it, and erase it should it not be in the path of "/Applications"

I also want to be able to trigger the Firewall to log every site that is accessed and name and blame who accessed the site - more than just "Safari" - but the windows that Safari displayed - and then what was accessed from this. Format this neatly in the "Console" so I can copy and paste it into a abuse report to the sites, and stop having to explain how I managed to trace that it was "them " that forwarded the link to the site. Not everyone can debug DNS - give us a tool!

The Linux tools are Java based and use buffers and counters that is available on MacOS. But then Apple has a policy about Java and Flash...

...but primarily language files

Removing language files can affect an app working in some cases, and also affect updating. But CMM doesn't know the cases, and so, becomes a sledgehammer cracking something that resembles a nut but isn't. So, another "feature" of dubious quality.

I understood the main purpose of CMM to be about reclaiming disk space so the removal of a large cache, even if it's temporary, could be of use to someone

If a person's use of the Mac is so particular that s/he needs to temporarily recover disk space for a project, that person won't be using an app to do it, they'll be knowledgeable enough to do it themselves, and to do it selectively, depending on what exactly they are trying to do. But that kind of user is not the target market for this app, is it? The person buying this app is doing so precisely because they don't know how to do these things, or understand the effect of doing them. So, their business model is to separate the unwary and inexperienced user from their his or her cash by offering "features" that are not required - at best - and actively dangerous at worst.

There are a couple of the reasons experienced users on here warn about these apps, right there...

Wrong:

All applications have their "private data" in their own hidden space in the same folder as the ".app". Use Finder , Ctrl+click "Show package content" - click on "Content" and see. What remains is then the Apple supplied libraries that comes with the OS.

There is no "registry", there are no ".ini" - and the "Application" can only store "other files" in the "Library" folder - the "/Library". Here you will also find

The "/usr" and /var/usr" - are directories that MacOS will use. MacOS will create logs and temporary files. MacOS will remove them. You use "Console" to view the logs, and set the time for these to remain. After that they will be deleted. This is not Windows and those that make the applications has to use tools that enforce these ways.

Your system will not halt if a log is removed - but a system administrator will not be able to see what this contained and be able to solve problems. "Language packs" are not installed unless you need them, and bluntly, you have one keyboard layout per keyboard, but write in Pages in a dozen languages - and identify the languages you use, and only they will be installed. If you have not installed Swahili, it is a question in the installation procedure and a tick in "System Preferences". if you have installed it and use it now and then, the "Cleaning app" can suggest that you delete them, but you can use "System Preferences" - and that is safe removal.

On Linux there is "Aptitude" that will trace dependencies since one application can share libraries with others, such as "Qt". On Mac, Apple inc makes a decision about the libraries, and for the duration of the OS. They cannot add a parameter to a function call. Should "Pages" demand specific libraries, and "Numbers" use the same - on Linux you can update "Pages" and it will then detect that "Numbers" also use the same library and will rebuild both. This also applies to applications that others have coded, "Aptitude" maintain a database of dependencies. A variant of "Aptitude" is available on MacOS as "HomeBrew". On MacOS, all applications use their own set of libraries, so in theory, a critical flaw can be corrected in "Pages" and remain in "Numbers". They have to update every single one that they know has a bugs - it is not automatic, and you have to know for the applications you have supplied.

When you DELETE an application, you remove an entire hierarchy of files - but not a hidden application installed in the library that can be started by the "Launcher" or set to execute every now and then in a "crontab" entry.

The flaw is that you cannot DELETE all system libraries and user libraries - these also hold files used by MacOS.

I'm quite staggered at the amount of vitriol towards CleanMyMac on this thread. Statements like "CleanMyMac is malware for sure" is not backed up factually and the suggestion that OS X is not lacking a decent uninstall utility is frankly, ridiculous. Throwing an app in the trash does not remove everything from a Mac by a long stretch.

In the past week alone, Gruber and the MacCast have explicitly supported the latest version of CleanMyMac 3. To lump this app with the likes of MacKeeper is, at the least, unfair and I would argue, misguided. And this is coming from someone who hasn't even bought the app (yet.) I've downloaded version 3 to take a look and I see how this app could be beneficial to a lot of users, including someone like me who's been using Macs for more than 20 years.

Neil

First, a very proper comment, claims are often made without proof / evidence of malware.

However: One of them (MacKeeper) installed a demon on my Mac, that did not disappear when I uninstalled / removed MacKeeper as "application". Apple should use "Brew" from Linux - "apt-get" that will trace and log everything that is installed and will verify dependencies - but also identify "other activities" such as "what else is installed" and list this as "dependent".

I had a "Memory Cleaner" from the same vendor, and this tuned my Mac consistently wrong, increased available swap by manipulating disk cache that removed the benefit of SATA3 transfer / SSD. All of these "tools" will need network access, and when confronted by this, they claim they collect usage statistics. However, we work with "ransomware" and any application that use the net, open ports and connect to a remote server is a security threat. When they on top of that has problems with explaining what they do except "collecting statistics" (I have an email exchange with them where this is claimed) I wonder what statistics they collect, but know that they can encrypt my disks and demand ransom to decipher it, and I demand straight answers. If something is adjusted, tell me! Learn from Linux, and if you cannot or will not explain, expect to receive my suspicion: Something funny is going on.

I do not have time to analyse the packet log to see what is sent to them, but then I expect straight answers and they better be just as competent and qualified as me. No three letter abbreviations: i have managed Unix development, measurement and development of maintenance tools for a hardware vendor. Had anyone that worked in these divine answered such rubbish, they would have to look for somewhere else to work. My conclusion is that mumbling usually is a way to disguise a lie, and those that have to hide the truth are usually hiding much, much more.

My disk is still working at 40Mbps - 400Mbps is a thing of the past, something has made the driver "single-thread" and that was one of the three applications coming from them.

In the past week alone, Gruber and the MacCast have explicitly supported the latest version of CleanMyMac 3.

Both sponsored by the makers of the app. The "support" is bought and paid for. Gruber's "recommendation" contains an astonishing assertion:

CleanMyMac finds up to 74 GB of junk on an average Mac system.

Do you really have 74 gigs of "junk" on your Mac? Really?

Don't get me wrong, in both cases I completely understand that they were feed/show sponsors. Neither were saying nice things because they weren't effectively being paid to (and I wouldn't be surprised if the script was written for them.) However, both parties - Gruber especially - have nothing to gain from pushing a sponsor who's app could bring untold misery and (still no proof), malware. I could not see either speaking up for MacKeeper at any price, for example.

That 74gb assertion. Yeah, that seems a little unrealistic. In my case, a looked-after and cautious MacBook Pro, still had nearly 20GB of junk (which I didn't actually trash because I was trying the trial version to see what the fuss was about.)

I accept there's a lot of dodgy and unnecessary apps out there. I'm just not convinced that CMM is one of them.

I understood the main purpose of CMM to be about reclaiming disk space so the removal of a large cache, even if it's temporary, could be of use to someone.

Haven't got the time or motivation to list the System stuff but primarily language files.

Honestly, I'm not that bothered about what folks think of this app and whether they chose to use it or not. I just think it's a bit dodgy banding around terms like 'malware' when it can't be justified. I suspect if I deleted Office, my Mac might speed up.

You say ...

I just think it's a bit dodgy banding around terms like 'malware' when it can't be justified.

But that simply isn't true either. As my post of 10.01 said , after its removal there is an immediate and substantial improvement.

This is verified by the number of people who later mark their posts as solved.

But I think your initial post was less a considered comment than some gentle stirring of the pot. At which point I'm off.

Old post I know. Clean my Mac is malware, for sure.

I tell a lie. Having run it again, it was 15GB.

Roughly 33% System, 33% Photo (cache), and 33% iTunes (cache)

I'm not in a position that I'm running out of SSD room so not in a rush to delete any of this and likely won't. But it's useful to know.

if you have a 250Mbps LAN - fully possible on 5G, and your disk is running at 40MBPS, drop using the disk on the MAC and get a NAS server. and get this running at full speed.

If you have say 100Mbps Internet access, then set cache size to 0, checking it is just wasting time, it is twice as fast to get it from Facebook, as long as your ISP can deliver this.

10Mbps here is the same as 10Mbps there. The problem is bottle necks - whatever everything has to visit in order to get things done. My favourite example is "AdBlock" in your browser and all "extensions". there more "extensions" the slower it goes.

I see a lot of people on these forums like to rubbish this software—people who in most cases have never actually used it. I came up against one such user in another thread. He kept lumping it in with 'other bogus "maintenance" programs' and kept using words like 'scam', 'garbage', 'fraudulent crapware', etc—again, without having ever actually used the program himself. Not exactly an objective or scientific way of reviewing software. I think this kind of uneducated bias tends to come from Apple fans who can't bring themselves to believe that the Mac could possibly want for anything that Apple, in its infinite wisdom, doesn't produce itself. I'm not saying there aren't crappy utilities out there (there are and I've had the misfortune of trying a few of them), but I don't think this one deserves some of the nasty comments made by others on this forum.

Now as someone who has used this software over a number of years, I can only report good things. It has never to my knowledge caused any problem or deleted anything I didn't want it to. And it has been very useful. I originally bought it because my internal SSD was filling up to the point that I was getting warnings about the disk being full. I just needed something to help locate unnecessary cache files, etc, and clear some space. It did that and kept me going until I bit the bullet and upgraded to a much larger SSD.

I don't really need to clear space now, but when I trash an app, it gives me the option of uninstalling it properly—that is getting rid of all the associated files that apps tend to leave sprinkled everywhere. Maybe not everyone cares if their Mac's drive starts to resemble a wasteland of unused cache and preference files, but I like to keep mine clean and lean. It's why I'll very occasionally do a clean install of a new OS (I'll probably end up doing it with High Sierra), and setup my Mac from scratch again. It takes a lot of work, but the Mac comes out lean and mean at the end of it. It's much easier to run CleanMyMac and get it to uninstall unused apps.

That's just my experience. By all means, search the web for other reviews and user-experience.

A warning though… This tool helps you delete stuff on your Mac, and deleting stuff can be painful if you delete the wrong thing. Like any tool of this nature, you need to take the time to understand what it's doing and how to use it. It gives you a lot of information and control if you choose to drill down. Having said that, I think you're probably far less likely to delete something you wanted by using this app, than if you start messing about by yourself in the Finder. Final word: backup!! No matter how you choose to delete files and clean up your Mac, you need to backup regularly to save yourself the pain of accidental deletion.