Mac Maintenance

- Do I need anti-virus software on my Mac?
Sean: If you are very careful you don't need a anti-virus program, because the level of security on your operating system better at this point. If a malware attempts to change any setting deep in the system it will prompt you for a password. Which in this case, don't enter your password.

Andy: To be on the safe side, running a anti-virus on your Mac can't hurt.

- Having a Mac anti-virus software installed, will catch Windows viruses in your email.

- Do I need to defrag my Mac's hard drive?
Sean: You do not need to defrag your hard drive under normal computing conditions. With OS X you should only have to defragment the drive under extreme circumstances. For more information see About Disk Optimization with Mac OS X.

Andy: The operating system takes care it for you, which is a wonderful feature.

- For the Mac you can get iDefrag from Coriolis Systems.

- Do I to worry about file permissions on my Mac?
Sean: Yes, because file permissions can get messed up over time. To check file permissions do the following:
1) Open a Finder window
2) Click Command-N
3) Go into the Applications Folder
4) Scroll down till you find Utilities Folder and double click
5) Look for your Disk Utility
6) Click repair disk permissions

- File permissions describe which users or groups of users may read, change, or run that file.

- If file permissions are set wrong, certain applications may not work properly anymore.

- OnyX - Titanitm Software.

- Version Tracker Software

- Disk Inventory X - a disk usage utility for Mac OS X 10.3 (and later).