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MacKeeper 1.8.1

MacKeeper Editor's Review

MacKeeper features cleaning utilities, different tools and online services.

On the right of the application you have a short "what is", "Watch tutorial", and 24/7 costumer support, phone, email and live chat. This shows that MacKeeper has a great support and they are oriented on user experience.

The "Cleaners"

The first time I used this tool I just pressed a single click on "one click scan" and in real time, all the cleaners : cache, duplicate, language, binaries, logs, old files - started scanning. I really had no idea what is for and how to use this software. Like most of people I just read a few words of what it does and dive right in it.
Of course any file can be unchecked, so you can have control, on what the application deletes and what doesn't.

The first "binaries cutter" tells that any application consists of two parts, which make it able to run both under the new Intel or PowerPC. Your Mac uses only one architecture, therefore the part that doesn't use, is unnecessary unless you plan to switch to another platform. I have found here around 700Mb of space to free up. I clicked on the intuitive "remove" button and free space began to emerge. It took a while but eventually I finished this part.

The second cleaner is called "cache cleaner" I think you can easily figure this out. To read data faster, your operating system copies the original files and data into areas from where they can be loaded easily. This is called caching and can help your computer run faster. However, with time and frequent use this process wastes more and more drive space. Removing old cached files frees up lost space. I had here around 1.5Gb of data. The instant I pressed remove, the application crashed. They have a built in very easy to use "send errors" and I used that. I was dazzled when I saw the next day an update. After I updated, the crash never happened again. After I used binary cutter and cache cleaner, the nice "preview Top Sites" from Safari disappeared.

The Duplicate Finder

Duplicates Finder offers an easy way to find duplicate files that may be taking up space on your hard drive. This utility groups identical files, even if they were renamed, enabling you to remove unnecessary duplicates.
This feature works slower, but good. The main problem is that you might have duplicates, that is normal, to have files with the same name, but you have to be very careful about what you delete. Also there are 5 columns : check/uncheck , filetype, path , size and filename. Let's say I found a file that I might want to delete, the path column can't be extended or shown somewhere to see the exact locations of those two files. Here a additional full path, like the one you find in spotlight might be very useful, also a criteria filter, so you don't delete anything important, might improve the software.

The Language Cutter

Most applications come with a large number of different interface languages that waste disk space. Define your preferred languages and get rid of all unneeded ones. I scanned my computer and I couldn't believe it, over 2.4 Gb of space I could free up by pushing one simple "remove" button. The application crashed again. Send error report, fixed, update and now works excelent. You can also group the languages by the application that uses them.

Logs Cleaner

Lots of apps create log files for statistical purposes. Unfortunately, these files tend to pile up on your hard drive. These can easily be removed using the Log Cleaner utility. As a result, you’ll get additional disk space and application performance won’t be affected. This feature worked just as advertised.

Old files cleaner

Why search for old files on your hard drive? There are at least two reasons:
1 You wish to delete files that are no longer necessary.
2 You know that you have old files, but you’ve lost track of them and have forgotten where they are saved.
The Old Files Finder utility can be useful in both cases.
It will show you checkbox, filetype, file-path with the name, last opened and size. You really have to know your files and be careful not to delete any application or files from within an application.

After the cleaners you can use a large variety of tools like : Backup, Data Encryptor, Default Apps, Disk Usage, Login Items, Shredder, undelete, wise Uninstaller.

The Backup tool allows you to backup any data, folders, files, to ZeoDisk, FTP servers or local drives. You can assign different tasks to various destinations. For example you can chose to save music on your FTP and work documents on your flash drives. After you added the desired files you can chose how many copies you want, what kind of backup mode manual/automatic and the destination.

The Data Encryptor tool will hide the filename, encrypt the data and access it only from MacKeeper with the correct password. The encryption can be AES-128bit or 256bit. The MacKeeper will act as a file manager - you can only access your data with it.

Default Apps can help you manage file associations. It will show you the extension, the application which is assigned and the affected extensions (optional). Of course you could chose manually the files and assign applications to each file individually from "get info".

Disk usage shows you any large files on your computer, maybe you have a large setup dmg that you forgot of. MacKeeper will show you the folders which contain the biggest size files.

Login Items tool does exactly what the name says, you can see what items are at login and add or remove them. Of course you could find the same thing also in preferences-accounts, but is easier to find using MacKeeper.

Shredder tool will delete in a secure way any file you have, and make it difficult or impossible to be recovered again.

Undelete tool restores accidentally or not-intended deleted files, even if you emptied the trash. Most of the recently deleted files were recognized and found, but if you copied and modified the hard-disk structure with new files, then you might change the "bytes" inside the recovered files, making them unusable.

Wise Uninstaller is a tool that allows you to uninstall completely applications, widgets, plug-ins and preference panes.

The last section that MacKeeper has is Services. Here you find Anti-Theft, Geek on Demand and ZeoDisk. All three of them are sign-up account based.

Anti-Theft will help you in case you Mac is stolen. In that case, when your Mac goes online, it will send a report of its location, helping you to retrieve it. You will have to install a service on your Mac.

Geek on Demand will provide you access to Mac qualified specialists, they will answer you any software/hardware question you might have. After you sign-up the app will redirect you to MacKeeper and you can ask there your questions.

ZeoDisk is under construction.

Compared to CleanMyMac, MacKeeper is more expensive and with annual fees, but it offers much more than just a cleaner/uninstall/erase tool.

Pluses: Great, complex and a full application/tool. The developers update and resolve the errors very fast, if you send the errors. Easy to use, video and brief tutorials everywhere, intuitive buttons.

Drawbacks / flaws: You can also try CleanMyMac which will cost you around $29.99 and is lifetime license if you are looking for just a cleaner, MacKeeper will cost you $10 more and is only for one year, but will bring you much more. The application crashes from time to time.

In conclusion: This software can help you in anything from cache to anti-theft, from secure deleting to recover files, from file associations to backup and much more.

version reviewed: 0.9.3

What's New in Version 1.8.1 of MacKeeper

1. General Changes: Localizations
Now the Support bar works properly in French, Polish, Danish, Norwegian and Spanish localizations.
Fixed mistakes and misprints in Danish and Dutch localization texts.

2. Security: Anti-Theft
Now Anti-Theft works in daemon mode on Mac OS X Lion.

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