What software is recommended for tuning a Desktop Mac -- cookies, etc

Have had my Mac for nearly seven years now. Starting to slow down a little. Is there a legitimate software package that I need to get to clean things up -- eliminate cookies, etc. I'm from the windows world -- work -- and I expect to repair. BTW, I am on the most current software release.
Phil

Got lots of old macs here, but find they don't need a lot of mainanence as does windows (and the registry). Whatever browser you use, I would use it's built in functions to clean history and cookies and whatnot, and then for overall stuff I use MainMenu v.2.12 from www.incrediblebee.com, which I really like and have used for years. I use & prefer the old version, as picured here:
It's chockefd full of fun things to do!

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What software is recommended for the maintenance of mac?

What software is recommended for the maintenance of mac?

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; all should be made directly from the original data. 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 App Store or Software Update preference pane (depending on the OS version), 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.
Keeping up to date 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. Incompatibility with third-party software is by far the most common cause of trouble with system updates.
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, such stuff is useless or worse than useless. Above all, avoid any software that purports to change the look and feel of the user interface.
The more heavily 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, and doesn't change the way other software works.
Safari extensions, and perhaps the equivalent for other web browsers, are a partial exception to the above rule. Most are safe, and they're easy to get rid of if they don't work. Some may cause the browser to crash or otherwise malfunction. Some are malicious. Use with caution, and install only well-known extensions from relatively trustworthy sources, such as the Safari Extensions Gallery.
Never install any third-party software unless you know how to uninstall it. Otherwise you may create problems that are very hard to solve.
4. Beware of malware. Malware is malicious software that circulates on the Internet. This kind of attack on OS X used to be so rare that it was hardly a concern, but it's 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 come directly from the developer's website. No intermediary is acceptable, and don’t trust links unless you know how to parse them. Any file that is automatically downloaded from the web, without your having requested it, should go straight into the Trash. A web page that tells you that your computer has a “virus,” or that anything else is wrong with it, is a scam.
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 use 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 OmniDiskSweeper to explore the volume and find out what's taking up the most space. Move seldom-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.
Let go of the Windows mentality that every computer needs regular downtime maintenance such as "defragging" and "registry cleaning." Those concepts do not apply to the Mac platform. The machine should not be a focus of your attention. You shouldn't have to think about it at all. It should be a transparent, almost unnoticeable tool by means of which you communicate, work, and play. If you want a computer that depends on you to keep going, use a PC.
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.

What software is recommended for printing CDs?

CDs are not included in the online Avery templates. World label divides the CD up like a mosaic, and I just want to add one or at the most two pictures. Disclabel at smilesoftware.com looks to have potential but costs $35 which I am willing to spend if others recommend it. I have a stack of Avery #8692 labels (CD Labels) so I would prefer to use these if I can. Thx.

Pages can do it.
Download the Word template for your particular labels from the Avery site:
http://www.avery.com/avery/en_us/Templates-%26-Software/Templates/Labels/CD-%26- DVD-Media-Labels-%26-Inserts/CDDVD-Labels-2-per-sheet-plus-4-spine-labels_Micros oft-Word.htm
and open that in Pages, then position your images and text over the areas marked out in the template.
Peter

I just purchased MBP and it is my first Apple computer. How concerned should I be about virus software and what do you recommend for security software?

I just purchased MBP and it is my first Apple computer. How concerned should I be about virus software and what do you recommend for security software?

1. This comment applies to malicious software ("malware") that's installed unwittingly by the victim of a network attack. It does not apply to software, such as keystroke loggers, that may be installed deliberately by an intruder who has hands-on access to the victim's computer. That threat is in a different category, and there's no easy way to defend against it. If you have reason to suspect that you're the target of such an attack, you need expert help.
2. All versions of OS X since 10.6.7 have been able to detect known Mac malware in downloaded files, and to block insecure web plugins. This feature is transparent to the user, but internally Apple calls it "XProtect." The malware recognition database is automatically checked for updates once a day; however, you shouldn't rely on it, because the attackers are always at least a day ahead of the defenders.
The following caveats apply to XProtect:
It can be bypassed by some third-party networking software, such as BitTorrent clients and Java applets (see below.)
It only applies to software downloaded from the network. Software installed from a CD or other media is not checked.
3. Starting with OS X 10.7.5, there has been another layer of built-in malware protection, designated "Gatekeeper" by Apple. By default, applications and Installer packages downloaded from the network will only run if they're digitally signed by a developer with a certificate issued by Apple. Software certified in this way hasn't actually been tested by Apple (unless it comes from the Mac App Store), but you can be reasonably sure that it hasn't been modified by anyone other than the developer. His identity is known to Apple, so he could be held legally responsible if he distributed malware. For most practical purposes, applications recognized by Gatekeeper as signed can be considered safe.
Gatekeeper has, however, the same limitations as XProtect, and in addition the following:
It can easily be disabled or overridden by the user.
A malware attacker could get control of a code-signing certificate under false pretenses, or could find some other way to evade Apple's controls.
For more information about Gatekeeper, see this Apple Support article.
4. Beyond XProtect and Gatekeeper, there’s no benefit, in most cases, from any other automated protection against malware. The first and best line of defense is always your own intelligence. All known malware circulating on the Internet that affects a fully-updated installation of OS X 10.6 or later takes the form of so-called "trojan horses," which can only have an effect if the victim is duped into running them. The threat therefore amounts to a battle of wits between you and the malware attacker. If you're smarter than he thinks you are, you'll win.
That means, in practice, that you never use software that comes from an untrustworthy source. How do you know whether a source is trustworthy?
Any website that prompts you to install a “codec,” “plug-in,” "player," "extractor," or “certificate” that comes from that same site, or an unknown one, is untrustworthy.
A web operator who tells you that you have a “virus,” or that anything else is wrong with your computer, or that you have won a prize in a contest you never entered, is trying to commit a crime with you as the victim. (Some reputable websites did legitimately warn visitors who were infected with the "DNSChanger" malware. That exception to this rule no longer applies.)
Pirated copies or "cracks" of commercial software, no matter where they come from, are unsafe.
Software of any kind downloaded from a BitTorrent or from a Usenet binary newsgroup is unsafe.
Software with a corporate brand, such as Adobe Flash Player, must be downloaded directly from the developer’s website. If it comes from any other source, it's unsafe.
5. Java on the Web (not to be confused with JavaScript, to which it's not related, despite the similarity of the names) is a weak point in the security of any system. Java is, among other things, a platform for running complex applications in a web page, on the client. That was never a good idea, and Java's developers have had a lot of trouble implementing it without also creating a portal for malware to enter. Past Java exploits are the closest thing there has ever been to a Windows-style "virus" affecting OS X. Merely loading a page with malicious Java content could be harmful. Fortunately, Java on the Web is mostly extinct. Only a few outmoded sites still use it. Try to hasten the process of extinction by avoiding those sites, if you have a choice.
Java is not included in OS X 10.7 and later. Discrete Java installers are distributed by Apple and by Oracle (the developer of Java.) Don't use either one unless you need it. Most people don't. If Java is installed, disable it — not JavaScript — in your browsers. In Safari, this is done by unchecking the box marked Enable Java in the Security tab of the preferences dialog.
Regardless of version, experience has shown that Java on the Web can't be trusted. If you must use a Java applet for a specific task, enable Java only when needed for the task and disable it immediately when done. Close all other browser windows and tabs, and don't visit any other sites while Java is active. Never enable Java on a public web page that carries third-party advertising. Use it only on well-known, password-protected, secure websites without ads. In Safari 6 or later, you'll see a lock icon in the address bar with the abbreviation "https" when visiting a secure site.
Follow these guidelines, and you’ll be practically as safe from malware as you can be.
6. Never install any commercial "anti-virus" or "Internet security" products for the Mac, as they all do more harm than good, if they do any good at all. If you need to be able to detect Windows malware in your files, use the free software ClamXav — nothing else.
Why shouldn't you use commercial "anti-virus" products?
Their design is predicated on the nonexistent threat that malware may be injected at any time, anywhere in the file system. Malware is downloaded from the network; it doesn't materialize from nowhere.
In order to meet that nonexistent threat, the software modifies or duplicates low-level functions of the operating system, which is a waste of resources and a common cause of instability, bugs, and poor performance.
By modifying the operating system, the software itself may create weaknesses that could be exploited by malware attackers.
7. ClamXav doesn't have these drawbacks. That doesn't mean it's entirely safe. It may report email messages that have "phishing" links in the body, or Windows malware in attachments, as infected files, and offer to delete or move them. Doing so will corrupt the Mail database. The messages should be deleted from within the Mail application.
ClamXav is not needed, and should not be relied upon, for protection against OS X malware. It's useful only for detecting Windows malware. Windows malware can't harm you directly (unless, of course, you use Windows.) Just don't pass it on to anyone else.
A Windows malware attachment in email is usually easy to recognize. The file name will often be targeted at people who aren't very bright; for example:
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥!!!!!!!H0TBABEZ4U!!!!!!!.AVI♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥.exe
ClamXav may be able to tell you which particular virus or trojan it is, but do you care? In practice, there's seldom a reason to use ClamXav unless a network administrator requires you to run an anti-virus application.
8. The greatest harm done by anti-virus software, in my opinion, is in its effect on human behavior. It does little or nothing to protect people from emerging threats, but they get a false sense of security from it, and then they may behave in ways that expose them to higher risk. Nothing can lessen the need for safe computing practices.
9. It seems to be a common belief that the built-in Application Firewall acts as a barrier to infection, or prevents malware from functioning. It does neither. It blocks inbound connections to certain network services you're running, such as file sharing. It's disabled by default and you should leave it that way if you're behind a router on a private home or office network. Activate it only when you're on an untrusted network, for instance a public Wi-Fi hotspot, where you don't want to provide services. Disable any services you don't use in the Sharing preference pane. All are disabled by default.

What anti virus software is recommended for iphone 3gs

what anti-virus software is recommended for iphone 3GS?

You don't need it for an iPhone, assuming that you have not made any unauthorised changes to the OS, such as jailbreaking.

My Macbook Air is sending a message saying my hard drive is almost full. What software is recommended to delete unused files and to delete duplicated files? Thank you.

What software is recommended to create space in my Macbook Air's hard drive?

Empty the Trash if you haven't already done so. If you use iPhoto, empty its internal Trash first:
iPhoto ▹ Empty Trash
Do the same in other applications, such as Aperture, that have an internal Trash feature. Then restart the computer. That will temporarily free up some space.
According to Apple documentation, you need at least 9 GB of available space on the startup volume (as shown in the Finder Info window) for normal operation. You also need enough space left over to allow for growth of the data. There is little or no performance advantage to having more available space than the minimum Apple recommends. Available storage space that you'll never use is wasted space.
When Time Machine backs up a portable Mac, some of the free space will be used to make local snapshots, which are backup copies of recently deleted files. The space occupied by local snapshots is reported as available by the Finder, and should be considered as such. In the Storage display of System Information, local snapshots are shown as Backups. The snapshots are automatically deleted when they expire or when free space falls below a certain level. You ordinarily don't need to, and should not, delete local snapshots yourself. If you followed bad advice to disable local snapshots by running a shell command, you may have ended up with a lot of data in the Other category. Ask for instructions in that case.
See this support article for some simple ways to free up storage space.
You can more effectively use a tool such as OmniDiskSweeper (ODS) or GrandPerspective (GP) to explore the volume and find out what's taking up the space. You can also delete files with it, but don't do that unless you're sure that you know what you're deleting and that all data is safely backed up. That means you have multiple backups, not just one. Note that ODS only works with OS X 10.8 or later. If you're running an older OS version, use GP.
Deleting files inside an iPhoto or Aperture library will corrupt the library. Any changes to a photo library must be made from within the application that created it. The same goes for Mail files.
Proceed further only if the problem isn't solved by the above steps.
ODS or GP can't see the whole filesystem when you run it just by double-clicking; it only sees files that you have permission to read. To see everything, you have to run it as root.
Back up all data now.
If you have more than one user account, make sure you're logged in as an administrator. The administrator account is the one that was created automatically when you first set up the computer.
Install the app you downloaded in the Applications folder as usual. Quit it if it's running.
Triple-click anywhere in the corresponding line of text below on this page to select it, then copy the selected text to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C:
sudo /Applications/OmniDiskSweeper.app/Contents/MacOS/OmniDiskSweeper
sudo /Applications/GrandPerspective.app/Contents/MacOS/GrandPerspective
Launch the built-in Terminal application in any of the following ways:
☞ Enter the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search. Select it in the results (it should be at the top.)
☞ In the Finder, select Go ▹ Utilities from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-U. The application is in the folder that opens.
☞ Open LaunchPad. Click Utilities, then Terminal in the icon grid.
Paste into the Terminal window by pressing command-V. You'll be prompted for your login password, which won't be displayed when you type it. Type carefully and then press return. You may get a one-time warning to be careful. If you see a message that your username "is not in the sudoers file," then you're not logged in as an administrator. Ignore any other messages that appear in the Terminal window.
The application window will open, eventually showing all files in all folders, sorted by size. It may take a few minutes for the app to finish scanning.
I don't recommend that you make a habit of doing this. Don't delete anything as root. If something needs to be deleted, make sure you know what it is and how it got there, and then delete it by other, safer, means. When in doubt, leave it alone or ask for guidance.
When you're done with the app, quit it and also quit Terminal.

What software is recommended to clean malware off an iMac?

What software is recommended to clean malware off an imac?

What software is recommended to clean malware off an imac?
Why do you ask? If you believe you are infected, most of the time that is a false belief. Very few problems people have with a Mac are actually caused by malware. If you can clarify, we can help you solve the problem, whether it's malware or not.
For more information about malware, see my Mac Malware Guide. If you want anti-virus software after reading that, either ClamXav or Sophos are good, free choices.

HT1923 what software should download for iPOd classic in a computer with windows 8

what software should download for iPOd classic in a computer with windows 8

Not sure what you mean?
Software for what?

What software can I use on my new Mac that no longer supports "AppleWorks"? To easily transfer my database for mailmerge.

What software can I use on my new Mac that no longer supports "AppleWorks"? To easily transfer my database for mailmerge.

Two thoughts:
(1)     It is possible that your Adobe software was the result of belonging to a now-discontinued Adobe Print Service Provider program where for a certain annual membership fee, print service providers were provided with (a) both a Windows and Macintosh license to the Adobe print-oriented software products (such as InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Acrobat) and (b) special direct product support as well as the ability to put your name on Adobe's website as a member of this program. The program ended over a year ago if I remember correctly.
(2)     You may wish to contact Adobe Customer Support (not Technical Support) and see if they can track down any and all licenses associated with your company. If you have the names of the former employees who worked with this software, it would be helpful. Likewise, if you were a member of the discontinued Adobe Print Service Provider program, you may have some options for upgrading/updating the software you have.
Unfortunately, you cannot get any more definitive information about your situation on these forums.
Good luck.
          - Dov

What is the recommendation for cleaning ones sensor? I have a 5D.

What is the recommendation for cleaning the sensor on the 5D III
Thank you,
M

The manual recommends using a blower when the automatic cleaning fails - or better yet, sending it to Canon for service. Sometimes - rarely - a blower will work and is the simplest and reasonably safe thing to use.
Otherwise many like the Sensor Swab solution. It is tedious and expensive, but I have used it effectively several times - especially on the 5D that seemed more prone to spots than the newer models. The problem I always have is going from bad to worse to finally better - a lot of patience is required and wasting or going through several of the swabs is not uncommon. Maybe my technique sucks, but I find it takes a lot of time and swabs to be eventually be satisfied. That said, I have never caused any damage and I have always managed to finally get the sensor clean. Along with the swabs, good lighting and magnification (reading glasses or similar) is also necessary as the spots that look huge on a photo will be nearly invisible.
http://www.sensorswab.com/
Steve
EOS 5D MKIII

What OS is recommended for LabVIEW to run on a PDA?

I want to send information from a PDA via RS232 to a lens. I'm wondering if LabVIEW 6.1 will run on a PDA or if its an exe that is loaded onto the PDA. If a new version of LabVIEW for PDA's is available. Finally, what OS is recommended for LabVIEW to run on a the PDA, I've been looking at MS Windows for Pocket PC. Thanks.

In article <[email protected]>,
"cmiranda" wrote:
> I want to send information from a PDA via RS232 to a lens. I'm
> wondering if LabVIEW 6.1 will run on a PDA or if its an exe that is
> loaded onto the PDA. If a new version of LabVIEW for PDA's is
> available. Finally, what OS is recommended for LabVIEW to run on a the
> PDA, I've been looking at MS Windows for Pocket PC. Thanks.
Have you looked at the Linux version of the Sharp Zaurus SL-5500 PDA. I
believe there are several Intel processor based PDAs that can run Linux.
Since they can run Linux, they can run LabVIEW for Linux. Wow, that's
awfully simple... perhaps I should get one. A used one on Amazon is
$380. Tell us how it goes.
-Kevin

What software is there for recording video?

What software is available for recording video using the built-in camera?

some apps included with OS X are listed here: OS X: Use your Mac’s built-in camera
You can also use Apple - QuickTime - Convert digital media with QuickTime 7 Pro.
or search the web for os x video recording software applications.
Message was edited by: EZ Jim
Mac OSX 10.9

What software is needed for system recovery? (cont'd)

What software is needed for system recovery of a Toshiba Satellite Pale8u-02p01D (also known as L355D-S7901) running Vista?
If I can just get the name/number for the recover software I will get it from eBay.
Thanks!
Solved!
Go to Solution.

Satellite L355D-S7901
If you want to look for that on eBay, look for the recovery discs for the model above. I doubt you'll find them there.
You can order them from Toshiba, of course.
   Order Toshiba Recovery Media
And you might get them cheaper from a third-party vendor.
   Digitalmedia-labs.com
   MyRecoveryCDs.com
   Recovery-CD.com
   RestoreDisks.com
   RestoreCD4u
-Jerry

What is the recommended number of clients per Mac server? Also what are some recommended specs when purchasing an Apple machine that will have Mac OS X server installed?

What is the recommended number of clients per Mac server? Also what are some recommended specs when purchasing an Apple machine that will have Mac OS X server installed? We have around 300 clients that need to be enroled on the Mac server. I want to know what is the recommended amount of clients a Mac server should contain. Also what are some recommended specs to make sure the server will flawlessly?

Hello cpreasbeck,
Thank you for contacting Apple Support Communities.
I was able to find the following transition guide for Xserve that provides some workload guidance to determine performance when planning a server deployment.
Transition Guide Xserve
http://images.apple.com/xserve/pdf/L422277A_Xserve_Guide.pdf
On page 9, Performance there is a chart that provides maximum numbers of connected users for various activities such as file sharing, mail, web, calendar, directory services and Time Machine and the CPU used as a server (Xserve, Mac Pro, Mac Mini). This information is a bit dated as the referenced software is Snow Leopard Server (OS X 10.6), and the hardware is older also, but it should give you a general idea of what you might need to look for.
Regards,
Jeff D.

HT1338 What software do I need to get from Mac OS X 10.5.8 to the newest available software?

What software do I need to get from Mac OS X 10.5.8 to the newest available software?

OS X Lion Technical Specifications
http://www.apple.com/macosx/specs.html
Installing Lion: Our complete guide
http://www.macworld.com/article/161064/2011/07/installing_lion_complete_guide.ht ml
How to install Lion over Leopard
http://www.macworld.com/article/161087/2011/07/install_lion_over_leopard.html
OS X Lion: Installation Guide, Boot Discs and Q&A
http://www.macstories.net/mac/os-x-lion-installation-guide-boot-discs-and-qa/
 Cheers, Tom

What software is recommended for tuning a Desktop Mac -- cookies, etc

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