Last updated December 1, 2020
Explore the best System Utilities software for Mac. Browse our catalog of over 50 000 mac apps. MacUpdate is serving app downloads since 1997. The majority of apps listed here are free and they'll appeal to general Mac users, not just the techie crowd. The Best Mac Apps & Utilities. This collection of essential Mac Apps includes mostly lesser-known apps so the popular ones — like Evernote, Dropbox, Skype, OneNote, or Google Drive — aren't listed here. 30 free macOS apps every Mac user should have From useful utilities to handy archivers and transcoders, here are 30 free yet powerful macOS apps you can download today.
All About Mac Utilities
In order for your computer to run smoothly, you need more than just a good configuration. No matter how good the components are and how new, fast and powerful your computer is when you first purchase it, it's not going to stay like that forever.
Just like with any other item, computers also need a lot of maintenance, in order to keep running at their best capacity.
After years of wear out, browsing the Internet, endlessly installing and uninstalling programs, moving around files and folders, downloading stuff and so on, you will notice the effects. Your system will get slower and less efficient with time. That's where utility software springs into action.
Utility software is a program/app that helps your computer work better. There are a lot of types of utility software, depending on what part of your computer it focuses on: the operating system, data storage, hardware and so on. There are apps that clean up your junk files from your Mac and free up the space on your hard drive. Others may detect apps that are running unnecessary in the background, slowing down your system and help you optimize it. There are programs that detect malware, viruses, bloatware and so on, that help you recover lost data or protect sensitive information. The list goes on…
All computers usually come with built-in utility tools and Macs make no exception. Some examples are: Console, Disk Utility, AirPort Utility, Keychain Access, Activity Monitor and others.
But these integrated tools are not always as efficient as utility software developed by third-parties. However, you shouldn't expect miracles from any program. Although you will experience an increase in performance after using them, none of them has the ability to make your computer behave like it is brand new again.
Here are some of the most common types of utility software:
- Antivirus utilities
- Disk cleaners
- Disk cloning utilities
- Backup utilities
- Cryptographic utilities (they let you encrypt files and folders for increased protection)
- Memory testers
- System monitors (they monitor the performance and resources)
- Network utilities
Mac Utilities - What to Look For
There are a lot of apps out there that claim they can boost your Mac's performance. While some of them can be tested for free and don't cost you anything, a lot of them are paid apps, so you should be careful what you pay for.
You should always try the free apps first and only if they prove to be worthless, go for the paid ones. Also, the good news is that most of the paid apps also have trial versions, so you can test the product before you buy.
In order for your computer to run smoothly, you need more than just a good configuration. No matter how good the components are and how new, fast and powerful your computer is when you first purchase it, it's not going to stay like that forever.
Just like with any other item, computers also need a lot of maintenance, in order to keep running at their best capacity.
After years of wear out, browsing the Internet, endlessly installing and uninstalling programs, moving around files and folders, downloading stuff and so on, you will notice the effects. Your system will get slower and less efficient with time. That's where utility software springs into action.
Utility software is a program/app that helps your computer work better. There are a lot of types of utility software, depending on what part of your computer it focuses on: the operating system, data storage, hardware and so on. There are apps that clean up your junk files from your Mac and free up the space on your hard drive. Others may detect apps that are running unnecessary in the background, slowing down your system and help you optimize it. There are programs that detect malware, viruses, bloatware and so on, that help you recover lost data or protect sensitive information. The list goes on…
All computers usually come with built-in utility tools and Macs make no exception. Some examples are: Console, Disk Utility, AirPort Utility, Keychain Access, Activity Monitor and others.
But these integrated tools are not always as efficient as utility software developed by third-parties. However, you shouldn't expect miracles from any program. Although you will experience an increase in performance after using them, none of them has the ability to make your computer behave like it is brand new again.
Here are some of the most common types of utility software:
- Antivirus utilities
- Disk cleaners
- Disk cloning utilities
- Backup utilities
- Cryptographic utilities (they let you encrypt files and folders for increased protection)
- Memory testers
- System monitors (they monitor the performance and resources)
- Network utilities
Mac Utilities - What to Look For
There are a lot of apps out there that claim they can boost your Mac's performance. While some of them can be tested for free and don't cost you anything, a lot of them are paid apps, so you should be careful what you pay for.
You should always try the free apps first and only if they prove to be worthless, go for the paid ones. Also, the good news is that most of the paid apps also have trial versions, so you can test the product before you buy.
When looking for utility apps for your Mac, you can either install specific apps that can perform specific tasks: cleaning apps, data recovery apps, encryption apps, backup apps, security apps and so on, or choose a suite that incorporates all of them.
No matter which option you choose, you should pay attention to some essential aspects when searching for the right utility app. The most important ones are:
- cost vs. quality
- features
- ease of use
- performance
- how the customer support is for that specific app
- security
Here are some of the best choices we could find:
Mac backup software:Data Backup, Carbon Copy Cloner, Acronis True Image, SuperDuper, ChronoSync
Mac recovery software:EaseUS, Stellar Phoenix, Prosoft Data Rescue, Disk Drill Pro, Wondershare, Cisdem DataRecovery
Mac encryption software:Concealar, Hider 2, Espionage 3, MacKeeper, Data Guardian 3
'All-in-one' Mac utility software:MacKeeper, OnyX, iDoctor, Data Rescue 3, Stellar Drive ToolBox
Free Mac Utilities For Cleanup
A freeware utility to spoof MAC address instantly
Version 6.0.7
Windows 10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP/Server 2012 R2/Server 2012/Server 2008 R2/Server 2008/Server 2003/Server 2000
Technitium MAC Address Changer allows you to change (spoof) Media Access Control (MAC) Address of your Network Interface Card (NIC) instantly. It has a very simple user interface and provides ample information regarding each NIC in the machine. Every NIC has a MAC address hard coded in its circuit by the manufacturer. How to get windows on mac air. This hard coded MAC address is used by windows drivers to access Ethernet Network (LAN). This tool can set a new MAC address to your NIC, bypassing the original hard coded MAC address. Technitium MAC Address Changer is a must tool in every security professionals tool box.
Features
- Works on Windows 10, 8 & 7 for both 32-bit and 64-bit.
- Enhanced network configuration presets with IPv6 support allow you to quickly switch between network configurations.
- Allows complete configuration of any network adapter.
- Command line options with entire software functionality available. You can select a preset from specified preset file to apply directly.
- Update network card vendors list feature allows you to download latest vendor data (OUI) from IEEE.org.
How Does It Work?
This software just writes a value into the windows registry. When the Network Adapter Device is enabled, windows searches for the registry value 'NetworkAddress' in the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlClass{4D36E972-E325-11CE-BFC1- 08002bE10318}[ID of NIC e.g. 0001]. If a value is present, windows will use it as MAC address, if not, windows will use the hard coded manufacturer provided MAC address. Some Network Adapter drivers have this facility built-in. It can be found in the Advance settings tab in the Network Adapter's Device properties in Windows Device Manager.
How To Change MAC Address
- Starting MAC address changer will list all available network adapters.
- Select the adapter you want to change the MAC address. You will get the details of your selection below.
- In the Information tab, find the Change MAC Address frame. Enter new MAC address in the field and click Change Now! button. You may even click Random MAC Address button to fill up a randomly selected MAC address from the vendor list available.
- To restore the original MAC address of the network adapter, select the adapter, click Restore Original button in the Change MAC Address frame.
Free Mac Utilities Software Downloads
NOTE: This tool cannot change MAC address of Microsoft Network Bridge. Network Bridge will automatically use the original MAC address of the first NIC added into bridge with the first octet of MAC address set to 0x02.
Help Topics
Click here for frequently asked help queries.
Apple Mac Utilities
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Free Mac Utilities Software
Read this blog post for more details on issues with wireless networks and workaround.