A Quick Guide to MacOS Maintenance Tools
Keeping a good routine is essential for a “healthy” workstation. Learn about some of the best MacOS maintenance tools to use for clutter security and more
The best maintenance practices are crucial to keeping your Mac in tip-top shape and extending its lifespan.
On average, you should expect your Mac to last you about five to eight years. However, if you take really good care of it, you can get more than ten years out of your Mac.
Taking care of your Mac isn’t rocket science and doesn’t require a lot of effort. Plus, there are plenty of macOS maintenance tools to keep your Mac in great shape. So all you have to do is find the right maintenance tools and take care of your Mac’s hardware.
To keep your Mac running seamlessly throughout its entire life, here are a few maintenance tools you should consider.
Disk Utility (Free)
Your MacOS comes with a hidden disk utility feature that helps you keep your disk drives in good order. To get to disk utility, all you have to do is go to applications and open the utility folder.
From disk utility, you can format your drives to get rid of any clutter you accumulated over time. You can also mount and unmount disk volumes and address any other issues with your drives.
The disk utility tool has tons of useful features that you can use to achieve different goals. It’s pretty easy to use and should be your first stop before heading to the other MacOS maintenance tools.
CleanMyMac ($39.95)
CleanMyMac by MacPaw has been a hit with Mac users because of its ease of use and variety of functions. It’s the all-in-one tool for, as the name suggests, cleaning up your Mac.
The most notable feature of CleanMyMac is the general cleanup feature. This is a simple cleanup tool that removes any temporary lingering files that don’t add any value to your Mac. It also removes any unnecessary segments of files and folders to free up some storage space.
If the simple clean up tool doesn’t work for you, then you could always do it the good old-fashioned way. CleaMyMac allows you to sift through your photos, emails, and other files and delete anything that may be hurting your Mac’s performance. It also has a feature that clears all the leftover baggage after you uninstall an app.
For a proper Mac clean up, CleanMyMac is the go-to app. There’s a trial version that allows you to clean up to 500 MB. The full version goes for $39.95 but is worth every penny.
App Cleaner and Uninstaller (Free/$9.99)
App Cleaner and Uninstaller is a light app that does an incredible job of cleaning up your computer. It clears everything from broken file links, extensions, and everything that’s left behind after you uninstall and app. It also uninstalls the apps you don’t want and makes sure everything goes.
The app’s layout is simple and is also effortless to use. The free version allows you to do most of the cleaning but is riddled with ads. The paid version has a couple of extra features and is also ad-free.
Apple Diagnostics (Free)
This is a simple utility tool from Apple that’s meant to solve simple hardware and software problems with your Mac. The Apple Diagnostics tool will tell you the exact component or file that’s causing the issue.
It works just like the Apple Hardware Test, which is another diagnostic tool that identifies issues with your hardware. However, don’t expect it to detect and solve serious hardware issues. You best leave such issues to the professionals.
It does, however, make for a great first step when you want to pin down the cause of any issue with your Mac. Once you do, you can now clear space on Mac and it’ll run smoothly.
OnyX (Free)
OnyX is another all-in-one tool maintenance for your Mac, just like CleanMyMac.
It’s great for clearing up any non-useful files, verifying the structure of your disk, and other functions. It allows for access to deep system files so you can tweak or get rid of anything you don’t want.
If you need to rebuild databases, leave it to OnyX, and you can also repair permissions effortlessly with it. It also does a great job of clearing almost all the caches regardless of the directory. OnyX is a tool best left to the pros, but some features may be useful to the average Mac user.
MacBooster 7 ($39.95)
MacBooster 7 is another incredible maintenance tool that packs incredible features. Its most notable features are the several clean up features. These include a feature for removing duplicate content, a large file scanner, and a performance booster, among others.
Aside from the usual cleanup tools, MacBooster 7 also comes with an anti-malware tool. This useful tool scans for any malware and either delete it or quarantines the affected file.
MacBooster 7 may be too much for beginners and isn’t the easiest of apps to use. You should tread cautiously with the MacBooster 7 or reserve it for the final round-up of your routine maintenance. You can download the 14-day trial for free and later upgrade for $39.95.
KnockKnock (Free)
You can think of KnockKnock as a very comprehensive anti-malware for your Mac.
It just doesn’t scan for malware in your drives. Instead, KnockKnock detects apps and files that are persistently trying to install malware in your Mac.
Nowadays, malware isn’t as obvious as it used to be a few years ago. Today malware uses benign programs as vehicles where the programs download them the moment you connect to the internet.
KnockKnock scans for such programs and shows them the door.
Get the Best MacOS Maintenance Tools for the Best Job
Only the best MacOS maintenance tools can keep your Mac in beast mode throughout its entire life cycle.
Hopefully, you now know what you should be looking for when it comes to maintaining your Mac. Remember, it’s okay to spend a little for a great cleanup tool—you may not get as much from the free ones.
Also, don’t forget to take good care of your Mac’s hardware. Lastly, remember to check out other articles on our site for more informative reads.
