OnyX - How and When to Use

[Mark F]

Baased on good advice in another thread I've downloaded OnyX but now wonder how to use it properly. It does not come with an instruction readme file and there are several menu categories, each with its own subcategories. So a few questions please:

1. How often should I be using the Maintenance section and which of the four subsections should I run?

2. Same question for the Cleaning category of commands.

3. The Utilities category looks pretty complicated for someone like me who doesn't understand what's going on under the hood. Is this something I need to know now or can I wait until a problem shows up under the Maintenance or Cleaning categories?

4. Can I keep the default settings under the Automation category or are there recommended changes?

Sorry for the longish post and thanks in advance for your help.

Mark

 

[MacInWin]

The way Onyx comes as default is the best way to run it. You won't need to run it very often (I run it maybe every 6 months, if I remember, unless someone asks a question about it, then I'll run it to answer the question, but not do the "cleaning" or "Maintenance" functions. The "Maintenance" functions only need to be run if you have problems, but when Onyx starts it does a check of the boot drive and you can see the results of that check in the "Structure of the disk" tab.

Cleaning you can pretty much leave as the default, then go from tab to tab and Execute. I don't use the Automation tab, so I'll leave that to someone else to comment. Utilities I've not used either, but then I haven't needed to, fortunately.

Petty much I use Onyx to run the permission repair now that Apple has removed it from Disk Utility, then I use cleaning to get rid of junk. That's about all OS X needs.

 

[toMACsh]

Petty much I use Onyx to run the permission repair now that Apple has removed it from Disk Utility...

Hmmm. Did not know that. Why?

 

[MacInWin]

Why, as in Why did Apple remove it, or Why as in, Why do you run permissions? I have no idea in the first case, and in the second, I'll run it if I see something looking like a permissions problem (Something suddenly stops working, I can only open "read only," etc.). Apple says that permissions are now checked as a part of any update or install, but I like the option to run it when I want to.

 

[IWT]

For what it's worth, these are the conditions under which I use OnyX:

Firstly, those that don't require a reboot of your Mac:

1. To deal with a problem deleting Trash. If you have a problem, often associated with the message, "cannot delete because xyz is being used by an application" or similar wording.

The easiest solution is to click on the file in trash to highlight it and then Option + Command + Delete (backspace) and this will open a dialogue box allowing you to delete the file in nearly all cases. When it doesn't, go into OnyX > Cleaning > Trash > Execute. This always works.

2. If you have a problem with Launch Services, OnyX > Maintenance > Rebuilding > Execute

Then, there's the occasion when your Mac is misbehaving, going slow, permissions problems, and so on: OnyX > Automation > Execute. This requires a reboot. Rarely needed, perhaps 2 or 3 times a year.

Hope this helps. There's a lot more to OnyX, but for most users the above deals with most issues.

Ian

 

[harryb2448]

Every three months and with El Capitan Repair Permissions is tied up with System Intergration Protection, and is taken care of automatically. One thing ensure you have downloaded the correct version. For example, Mavericks requires a different version to El Capitan. If running Onyx worries you, the developpers also created a 'liughtweight' version called Maintenance. Again get the right version:-


http://www.titanium.free.fr/maintenance.html

 

[toMACsh]

Why, as in Why did Apple remove it, ... I have no idea .). Apple says that permissions are now checked as a part of any update or install,

I think you answered my question. But of course, there are always more questions. If permissions are now being checked "automatically" what happens when a problem is detected?

 

[MacInWin]

Who knows? But Onyx will still let you watch the process and fix non-system preferences. SIP, I think, blocks any such activity on system files, but then again, SIP is supposed to be protecting those files anyway.

 

[Mark F]

Thanks IWT and MacInWin I've a better idea on what to do now.