mac software

guydub

Hi

Have just switched over from PC to Mac and i was hoping some of you experienced mac users could recommend me some software.

is there a free antivirus software , junk/reg repairs / defragmentors etc

thanks for all your help

Sad Professor

You don't need anti-virus. You don't need to defrag either.

Maintenance isn't really necessary, but some people use OnyX - but DON'T use it unless you know what you are doing. I don't run any maintenance apps and I've been using OS X since it came out 10 years ago. Just repair permissions and verify the hard disk using Disk Utility every now and then. OS X will take care of the rest.

Unlike Windows, you don't have to reinstall OS X every 6 months or do daily maintenance to keep it running smoothly.

guydub

thanks for the reply

I have heard its a myth that their arent viruses on macs
also why dont u need to defragment a harddrive on a mac , whats different to a mac harddrive as a pc one

whats a good maintenance practice to get into

Sad Professor

guydub wrote: »

I have heard its a myth that their arent viruses on macs

Macs CAN get viruses. But there are currently no Mac viruses in the wild. Viruses simply aren't a problem at the moment. If/when they become a problem you'll know about it. In the meantime, you can run an AV app if you want, but all it is really going to do is scan for Windows viruses (which don't affect OS X) and eat up resources. Trojans are a separate issue, but the only protection against them is common sense. They can't do anything unless you let them.

also why dont u need to defragment a harddrive on a mac , whats different to a mac harddrive as a pc one

Windows uses a different filesystem than OS X. NTFS is ridiculously prone to fragmentation. OS X uses HFS+ and does a lot of the defragging itself. Fragmentation is still a small issue but not something you need to be worried about. I've never had to defrag any of my Macs. However, if you install Windows on your Mac via Bootcamp then you will need to defrag the Windows partition.

whats a good maintenance practice to get into

I don't really do any myself so I don't know. The system does most of it for you. Don't install crap apps is my best advice. And repair permissions every now and then. There are also apps for cleaning out leftover files left by deleted apps.

guydub

Thanks a million , you have been a great help

Liameter

Download and install "Applejack" (free). Run it once a month or if a problem occurs. It has been extremely helpful to me. Also, I found Disk Warrior fixed a few serious faults but it's not cheap. However, I was glad I'd paid for it when my Hard Drive started to die!

Apart from that, just leave your Mac on and it will do its own housekeeping.