TinkerTool is an application that gives you access to additional preference settings Apple has built into Mac OS X. This allows to activate hidden features in the operating system and in some of the applications delivered with the system. The tool makes sure that preference changes can only affect the current user.
Latest Version:
Requirements:
macOS 10.12 Sierra or later
Author / Product:
Marcel Bresink / TinkerTool System for Mac
Old Versions:
Filename:
TinkerToolSystem5.dmg
MD5 Checksum:
7e37fb0a533e83aad1fd85729f7bc977
TinkerTool System for macOS is Amazing! The features are controlled via a single window which allows you to use the application as a general toolbox and First Aid assistant. This includes:Tinkertool System 7 Download
- built-in maintenance features of macOS, usually not visible on the graphical user interface,
- extended file operations, not available in the macOS Finder,
- the possibility to access advanced system settings which are not visible in System Preferences,
- genuine and unique features of TinkerTool System, designed to resolve typical real-world problems of administrators and to fix the effects of certain defects ('bugs') in the operating system,
- an emergency tool to troubleshoot and repair macOS in cases where the graphical user interface is no longer starting correctly or the user account of the system administrator has been damaged,
- features to protect your privacy,
- functions to collect advanced information about the hardware, operating system, and applications.
Note: Limited functionality in the unregistered version. Requires 64-bit processor.
On the weekends, I bring you OS X Power Tips, which usually involve using the Terminal app and a command line to execute a feature or function of OS X that isn't normally exposed within the Mac's graphical user interface. If you're not big on Terminal, however, I'd like to bring your attention to some third-party apps that unlock a lot of these same features and more. The best news is for cheapskates: Some of these apps are free.
TinkerTool
Marcel Bresink's TinkerTool is a utility that gives you access to features and preferences built into the Mac that aren't obvious and that aren't accessible through System Preferences or tools in individual apps. There are a total of nine categories of apps and tools that TinkerTool manages: The Finder, Dock, general system settings, the Desktop, Applications, Fonts, Safari, iTunes, and QuickTime.
Tinkertool System 70
TinkerTool helps you access dozens of preferences that affect OS X system and app behavior, so if there are pet peeves of yours — for example, you hate the fact that Help windows are always in the foreground, or you'd really like to change the default fonts used in Safari, you can manage all these things (and much more) using TinkerTool.
- Free - Download now
Titanium Software's Onyx provides you with access to a lot of the same features and functionality that TinkerTool does, but it also gives you access to a lot more.
Onyx divides its activities into Maintenance, Cleaning, Automation, Utilities, Parameters, and Info. It also keeps track of its own actions in a log.
Maintenance lets you read and repair disk permissions; execute weekly maintenance scripts; rebuild caches; and more. Cleaning can delete caches used by the system; your web browser; fonts; and other features. Automation can force the execution of automatic scripts, while the Utilities feature delves in deep with main pages (the text-based help files included with many Unix utilities); showing and hiding disks and folders; managing screen sharing, network diagnostics and other tools; and more. Parameters lets you set a variety of features of commonly used apps.
Tinkertool System 7 1
There are specific versions of Onyx for each major release of OS X since 10.2 'Jaguar,' so make sure to download the one that's right for your Mac.
- Free - Download now
System 7 Microsoft
Tinkertool System Mac
Cocktail is commercial software developed by Swedish developer Maintain: It's long been a standby for individuals and system admins at big companies alike. You can use it to run scripts, purge memory, clear caches, repair disk permissions, tweak network settings, and manage hidden settings of Apple apps including Safari, Mail, and iTunes.
Tinkertool System 7 0
Cocktail is available as a downloadable demo; you must register and pay for it by its tenth launch or it deactivates itself. Family, business, and multipack licenses are available.
- $19 - Download now
MacPilot sports a lot of the same features I've described in utilities elsewhere in this roundup, but adds a lot more too. Koingo Software says that MacPilot sports more than 1000 features designed to help tweak and customize your Mac use. You can download a trial version for free; student and household licenses are available, as well as business licenses.
There's also a MacPilot Lite version available for download from the Mac App Store, but Koingo had to extensively tailor it for release because of Apple's sandboxing restrictions for Mac App Store apps. Just go straight to the vendor's site for the latest version, unencumbered by Mac App Store restrictions.
- $29.95 - Download now
Your pick?
I've had my say. What am I leaving off the list that you think is an excellent choice for tweaking OS X? Let me know in the comments.