This fall, Apple will release the latest iteration of their operating system, Catalina.  While you can always upgrade your Mac’s operating system without any special preparation when updates are available, new OS releases offer the perfect time to clean up your computer . Why bring along malware, bloatware, or unused or corrupted files when you’re starting with a fresh operating system? To get your Mac Catalina ready quickly, easily and effectively, you can’t do much better than CleanMyMac X , the latest release of the system optimizer from MacPaw. Here’s what you need to know.

CleanMyMac X

Smart Scan

After installing the software, the first order of business will be running the program’s Smart Scan , which can be handled with one click. This triggers five components of the software: Cleanup, Protection, Speed Optimization, and Applications and Files modules . Once the scan is done, you have complete control over which files to delete and which maintenance tasks to execute, so nothing is changed without your permission .

Cleanup

The Cleanup portion of the software scrubs every inch of your computer to find a variety of unused or unneeded files and functions across several areas of your system. The System Junk scan looks for old cache files and logs, broken app data, unused languages and excessive versions of saved documents created in Sketch, Pages, Keynote and Numbers. The Photo Junk scan identifies the redundant, full-sized copies of images that you’ve edited in Photos, as well as cache files that identify faces and local copies of photos already stored in the cloud. The Email Attachment scan will find system-hogging resources that have landed on your computer from email attachments such as local copies of attachments, logos and images. Finally, the iTunes Junk scan will show you ways to reduce the size of your music library, while the Trash Bin scan will ensure items you’ve moved to you’ve intended to delete really are erased from your hard drive.

Protection

This latest version of CleanMyMac has an extensive Safety Database which it references during the initial scan to identify malicious files like adware, viruses, spyware and cryptocurrency miners. As each threat is identified, you have the option to remove it immediately . An additional privacy module allows you to instantly remove all tracking activity from your Mac such as your chat history, cookies, downloads and other files that are stored as you go about your daily digital routine.

Speed

The Speedup module of the software spots potential sources of performance slowdowns and gives you the option to alter them. It will identify login items, launch agents, and apps that are no longer responding or using an outsized portion of your resources. Additionally, this module can provide regular maintenance functions including repairing disk permissions, freeing up RAM, and flushing your DNS cache to resolve network issues and more.

Applications

Even when you uninstall a program by dragging it your trash and them emptying it, traces of the program can still stay behind on your Mac. The Applications module will hunt them down and allow you to remove them. This portion of the software will also identify applications you no longer use and place them in a category so that you can review them, keeping only the ones you need. It can also automatically search for and install application updates.

Files

Finally, the Files module will organize every file on your computer according to size, kind and access date . This lets you look through a list to delete large files you never use, simplifying a task that might otherwise take hours.

CleanMyMac X