Windows computers have a number of wellknown and easy-to-use diagnostic tools, but the people in the Mac camp lackthat versatility. MacOS is known to be harder to work with, and most users findit easier to let a specialized tech handle the problem rather than deal with iton their own.
Mac Tools® Diagnostic line of products are capable of performing critical diagnostics, reprogramming and quick code information. Windows computers have a number of well known and easy-to-use diagnostic tools, but the people in the Mac camp lack that versatility. MacOS is known to be harder to work with, and most users find it easier to let a specialized tech handle the problem rather than deal with it on their own. Jan 18, 2018 With this easy-to-use OBD-II diagnostic software, you can communicate with your vehicle's On-Board Diagnostic system and turn your computer or mobile into a highly capable automotive scanner. Apr 14, 2013 Which is the best tool for computer problem diagnostic? Which for software? Which for hardware? What about software for maintenance? Which is the best? Best answer would be 'Paid: x, y, z; Free: x, y, z,' as in include BOTH paid and free variants. If your Mac is from 2013 or later, use Apple Diagnostics, which is built into your Mac. If your Mac is from 2012 or earlier and has OS X 10.8.4 or later, use Apple Hardware Test, which is built into your Mac. If your Mac is from 2012 or earlier and has OS X 10.8.3 or earlier, use the system software disc or USB flash drive that came with your Mac.
But if you hail from the land of DIY, thenthese tools are for you. We’ve put together a list of some of the most usefuldiagnostic tools on macOS to help you figure out why you’re leaking memory, whyyour CPU is maxing out, and where all of your hard drive space has gone.
OnyX (Download)
OnyX is a free disk utility for the Macthat’s perfect for ferreting out why things aren’t running as quickly or assmoothly as they should be. OnyX lets you run diagnostics on your hard drive,perform various system maintenance tasks, and delete caches you might not evenknow are there. It also provides access to a lot of hidden features in macOS.
The best part? OnyX is totally free. Theprogram is consistently updated to work with the most recent OS updates, so youdon’t have to worry about incompatibility. The creator releases updates soonafter Apple does, so if it doesn’t work quite right immediately after theupdate, give it a bit of time.
Disk Utility
Disk Utility is a disk utility (surprise!)provided with macOS that helps handle drive errors and corrupted files. It’salso the go-to tool if your Mac won’t boot into its operating system. If you’venever heard of it before, you can find it tucked away in the Applications >Utilities folder.
Since Disk Utility comes with macOS, it’s afree program. If you have a drive that is throwing errors, you can run FirstAid on it after you launch the utility. You can also use this utility to createan image of your drive and export it to an external hard drive—a useful featureif your hard drive is failing.
MemTest86 (Download)
Apple computers are inscrutable in moreways than just their OS. Many of them make it difficult, if not impossible, towork on the hardware or modify it in any way. A Macbook tends to have all itscomponents soldered to the motherboard, but iMacs usually provide a way to swapout RAM. But as anyone that has worked with RAM before knows, it can be faulty.
When you find your RAM not workingproperly, give MemTest86 a spin. It’s a program that can be downloaded to abootable USB drive. When you want to use it, just press down the Option key asyour Mac boots. MemTest86 will test your RAM for any instability and help younarrow down where your memory problems might come from.
Malwarebytes (Download)
Malwarebytes is one of the most commonlyused programs for testing for malware. It’s more common for Windows users, butdespite the common belief, Macs can fall prey to malware and viruses.Malwarebytes is simple to use. Just run the scan at least once per month, ifnot once every two weeks, to make sure your Mac is free of any malware.
Even if the chance for a malware infectionis low, it’s still good to be on the safe side of things. A quick scan a coupleof times a month will keep you protected from phishing software, keyloggers,and much more.
DIY Diagnostics
As with any tool that lets you work inside the files of an operating system, use diagnostic tools with care. Make sure you are completely aware of what the commands you’re using do before you use them.
These tools can be tremendously useful for extending the lifespan of your Mac, but misuse of them can cause irreparable damage to your system.
I have put together a list of what are, in my opinion, the ten best Mac disk repair software and other excellent Mac tools for troubleshooting, diagnosing, and repairing a Mac. Many of them are free or offer a free trial. As Macs continue to gain market share, there is an increased likelihood that you will have to support them if you are a tech. And even if you aren’t a tech, it’s good to know which tools are the best to use when it comes time to repair your own.
Mac OS from Apple WWDC2019
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Disk Warrior Trial
Free Mac Disk Repair Software
Drive Genius – is it the Best Mac Repair App
Introduction to our Top 10 Mac Repair Software
Did you know there are several Mac disk repair options that each function differently and one may suit your needs better than another? I detail several for you below so you can decide.
More than just a list of disk repair software, I provide many Mac software solutions for you and your clients! Even better, some are free!
Want to clone a Mac drive? Want to monitor a Mac’s hardware sensors? Want heroic system recovery for mere mortals?! Oh, there are some great software here! Read on.
TechTool Protogo
TechTool Protogo is a Mac repair program suite which contains three of Micromat’s best Mac repair tools; TechTool Pro 8, TechTool Pro Classic, and DiskStudio.
Protogo creates a bootable Mac repair toolbox with these tools as well as any of your own tools on a portable hard drive or flash drive.
You can then boot from this drive, bypassing the OS, and run diagnostics on a computer to determine problems.
Protogo also allows you to repair and recover data from problematic hard drives as well as defragment, optimize, and securely delete data.
Cost: $129.99
Memtest OS X
Memtest OS X is a memory testing program for Mac OS X. It is a command line utility so it can be ran in OS X or in Single-User Mode if your Mac will not boot.
/free-hard-drive-testing-programs-2626183_final-5b1169ce43a10300368e2e8f.png "Diagnostic")
It is great for testing intermittent system problems when you are having trouble determining if it is a memory problem.
If you prefer memtest with a GUI front-end, then be sure to check out Rember.
Rember will run in OS X but will not work in Single-User Mode so Memtest OS X is the better option.
Cost: $1.39
Mac Disk Repair – DiskWarrior 5
Disk Repair for Macs – DiskWarrior utilizes a unique disk repair method for Macs
DiskWarrior is arguably one of the best hard drive repair programs for the Mac.
It works differently than other data repair programs.
Instead of trying to rebuild the damaged data itself, DiskWarrior builds replacement data based off of the original data.
It then verifies the new data structure based on the original to make sure it is error free.
You can also use DiskWarrior as a preventative maintenance utility for hard disks.
When run, it rebuilds your directory eliminating any damage that you may not be aware of. It also optimizes the directory for better performance.
Cost: $99.95 but look for a trial.
If it is more serious and your Mac’s hard drive has crashed, I have provided an extensive data recovery guide with a list of Hard Drive Recovery Tools in my article How to Recover Data from a Crashed Hard Drive.
First Free Disk Repair-Mac – OnyX
Onyx is a maintenance, optimization, and personalization utility for Mac OS X.
It allows you to run hard drive diagnostics, run system maintenance tasks, delete caches, and configure tons of OS X hidden features.
Even if you aren’t using it as a repair utility, it is a great application to help keep your Mac running in top shape.
Cost: Free!
Mac Data Rescue
Data Rescue is a data recovery program that focuses purely on recovering data from corrupt drives instead of hard drive repair.
It scans the corrupt drive analyzing all of its contents and allows you to choose which data you would like to recover.
It even scans for deleted files. Data Rescue II restores the data to a separate drive leaving the original data intact.
It comes with an emergency boot CD that you can use to recover data when the computer will not boot and it also works on drives that won’t mount.
Cost: $99.00
AppCleaner
AppCleaner may not be classified as a repair tool but it can be used as one.
Free Mac Diagnostic Software
When you are having trouble with an application in OS X, you can simply remove it by dragging it to the Trash.
However, this still leaves behind the applications preferences, caches, and other files that could still cause the same problem after you reinstall it.
AppCleaner will remove all of these files making sure that the app is completely gone before you attempt a reinstall.
Interesting interface!
Cost: Free!
Drive Genius – Is this the Best Mac Repair App?!
Drive Genius is a disk utility application for Macs.
Its main features include:
- defragmenting,
- running benchtests,
- directory repair,
- integrity checks,
- surface scans,
- repartitioning,
- cloning,
- shredding data, and more.
With all these features, you can see why I ask is it the best Mac repair app overall!
This is actually the same program used to defrag Macs at the Genius Bar in Apple Stores.
Oh yes, Apple uses it.
Drive Genius also comes on a bootable DVD so you can run it even when a Mac will not boot.
Cost: $99.00
Mac Backup – Carbon Copy Cloner
Carbon Copy Cloner is a simple yet very effective backup utility for the Mac. Like most other backup utilities, it can be scheduled to backup your Mac on a regular basis.
The best part, however, is its ability to completely clone a hard drive with it still being bootable.
Best Computer Diagnostic Software
This tool comes in very handy when you are replacing hard drives, setting up multiple Macs, or recovering from a system crash.
Carbon Copy Cloner is donation-ware so you can download it for free without any restrictions.
Maybe you will be so pleased you will buy them a coffee anyway!
You can also check out SuperDuper which has more features but costs $27.95.
However, if you just need a simple backup and cloning utility, Carbon Copy Cloner does a great job.
Cost: Free! (donation-ware)
Apple Mac Disk Repair – AppleJack
AppleJack is a troubleshooting utility for Mac OS X. It runs under Single-User Mode so it can be used even when OS X will not boot.
AppleJack will repair disks, repair permissions, cleanup cache files, validate preference files, and remove swap files.
You can select these tasks individually or have AppleJack run all of them and even reboot when finished.
Unfortunately, at the time of writing this article, AppleJack is not yet compatible with Leopard but a new version is in the works. Be sure to check their page frequently for an update because this is an invaluable tool.
When I updated this article for 2020, I checked on SourceForge and there were over 600 downloads last week!
Cost: Free! (open-source)
Hardware Monitor
Hardware Monitor is a utility that allows you to view data from the hardware sensors in a Mac.
It currently has support for temperature readings, battery data, voltage, current, fan speed, power and load, ambient light, as well as user-defined artificial sensors.
It’s a great utility to use when simply trying to find out if your hardware is malfunctioning.
Cost: € 7.00 (can also be purchased with U.S. Dollars)
Also consider
OSX disk repair
This is kind of a nice segway into handy hardware tools and toolkits. Click on the following link if you want to see some great ideas on what I recommend for your Mac or PC Repair Toolkit.
As you may know, I believe your should support Macs in your Computer IT Consultant Business. I state my case here in my article on Why You Should Support Macs With Your IT Business.
Well if you were counting, that is 4 totally free Mac OSX disk repair utilities, and one so cheap it may as well be free!
The best Mac repair disk software may well be a paid one depending on your exact needs, and I’ve shown you my pick for the best of those too.
If you know of other great Mac software let me know in the comments below. What Mac OS X repair tools do you like? Is there another Mac Disk Repair utility you’d suggest? Please leave a comment to help others, or if the above tools have helped you.
And as for hardware, click this link if you want to repair hard drive-Mac for more details.
Summary of Best Mac Repair Software:
Excellent Mac disk repair software is provided above, for you to consider and try their features for yourself. I didn’t stop there. This list contains some other handy Mac software I consider to be the best tools for techs and Mac owners.
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