What is the correct way to use Onyx?

[Jae Hokes]

I have onyx downloaded on my mac to help keep my computer clean, but im nervous to delete the wrong stuff so in the maintenance tab (where u can delete "system" "user" "fonts" etc) what should i not delete and leave alone

 

[gorskiegangsta]

Mac OS X does not need to be "cleaned" as Windows does. "Cleaning" in OS X rarely increases system performance. OS X is a very polished, stable and self sufficient operating system that (for the most part) takes care of itself.

While OnyX is an excellent utility for advanced power users, it is of little to no use to most OS X users. Additionally, with programs like this, it is very easy to remove file(s) that may be essential to system or app stability. It would be very difficult to explain how to "properly" use OnyX since many of it's features require intermediate to advanced knowledge of OS X and its filesystem. Thus, I would advise against using it. Rest assured, OS X will run just fine without regular maintenance of its filesystem on your part.

 

[Jae Hokes]

Ok i understand that and thank you for your answer but are there any other programs for simple maintenance as in clearing caches, deleting unused files, and just cleaning the junk out- as polished as os x is it doesnt delete all the basic things that slow down a computer ya know?

 

[Macman45]

Ive Been

Ok i understand that and thank you for your answer but are there any other programs for simple maintenance as in clearing caches, deleting unused files, and just cleaning the junk out- as polished as os x is it doesnt delete all the basic things that slow down a computer ya know?

Using it since the Lion BETA was released. Its good for repairing permissions, cleaning out the Safari cache and deleting old log files and the like, but as posted above, it really isn't going to speed up your Mac.....It's faster than Disk Utility which is why I like it.

 

[GGJstudios]

Ok i understand that and thank you for your answer but are there any other programs for simple maintenance as in clearing caches, deleting unused files, and just cleaning the junk out- as polished as os x is it doesnt delete all the basic things that slow down a computer ya know?

Having files stored on your hard drive has no effect on system performance, unless you're almost out of disk space. Your system performance is a function of what you have running, not what you have installed or stored.

 

[gorskiegangsta]

Ok i understand that and thank you for your answer but are there any other programs for simple maintenance as in clearing caches, deleting unused files, and just cleaning the junk out- as polished as os x is it doesnt delete all the basic things that slow down a computer ya know?

As I said above, OS X maintains itself quite well. The leftover files will not slow down your system as they're only accessed when requested. I think you're analogizing the OS X filesystem with Windows and its registry, which constantly becomes fragmented due to the OS's inexorable dependence on it.

My friend still uses her Aluminum Macbook ('08 model); she never even once "cleaned" it with maintenance software, nor did she use any "uninstaller" software. Yet the laptop still runs as fast (or as fast as the now old CPU will allow it to) as it did the day she bought it. It's pretty scratched up though

 

[davidlv]

I have onyx downloaded on my mac to help keep my computer clean, but im nervous to delete the wrong stuff so in the maintenance tab (where u can delete "system" "user" "fonts" etc) what should i not delete and leave alone

What version are you using? In the latest version for Snow Leopard, Ver. 2.3.1, the items you mentioned "system" "user" "fonts" etc." are located in the "Cleaning" section, and they all refer to the related caches, not "system" "user" or "font" files themseves.
In that cleaning section, all of the ones you mentioned, "system" "user" "fonts", require a reboot after you delete those caches, while using the "Internet, Logs, or/and "Misc." tabs to delete those related caches does not require a reboot.
In regard to correct usage, I would suggest you will rarely need to use the ones you mentioned, and deleting the "Fonts" caches requires the re-use of Font Book to re-disable any disabled fonts. Use these only if you suspect an issue is related/due to these caches.
A quick and easy tune-up can be done using the "Automation" tab, and selecting only the bottom 3 items in the "Cleaning" section and maybe the "Execute Maintenance Scripts" in the "Maintenance" section.
This is of course not really necessary, the system will do it automatically, but it does delete about 700 files on my system, so I do it before running a backup at the end of a workday.

 

[munkery]

Select the "Automation" tab.

Uncheck the following:
- Repair permission (this can be done using Disk Utility if needed)
- Execute Maintenance Scripts (this is already done automatically by OS X)
- Spotlight Index (very time consuming, only needed for specific issues)
- Mail's Envelope Index (very time consuming, only needed for specific issues)

Run all the remaining tasks.

Also, the check "Preferences" function via the "Verify" tab is helpful for troubleshooting problematic apps. Just make sure to enable the "Show only corrupt preferences files" or the output is somewhat cumbersome.

Hope this helps.

 

[Jae Hokes]

I appreciate everyones help thank you ill try it