Our Favorite Mac Apps

Here is a basic list of some Mac OS applications that we use and recommend! Leave a comment below if you have a program that you use/love and would like to recommend it! 

Web Browsers

Brave Browser - 3x faster than Chrome. Better protection from Google and Big Tech. Built with your privacy in mind!

Vivaldi - Not sure what browser to use? Vivaldi allows you to use features from various different browsers, including their add-ons! Get unrivaled customization options and built-in browser features for better performance, productivity, and privacy.

Choosy - Choosy can prompt you to select from the browsers on your Mac, or just the ones that are running, so you can decide which browser is right for a particular link.

OpenIn - OpenIn is a native application for Intel and Apple Silicon architecture and allows you to choose what happens when you click on a web link or an email link, and even open specific programs for certain file types! OpenIn can even modify file open requests, and send the application a request to open a parent folder instead of the file. Plus much more!

BitWarden - Secure cloud syncing lets you access your sensitive information from anywhere on any device. Protect your online data using a password manager you can trust. Bitwarden conducts regular third-party security audits and is compliant with GDPR, SOC 2, HIPAA, Privacy Shield, and CCPA standards.

System Utilities

Download and install current, or previous versions, of Mac OSX operating systems: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211683

Macs Fan Control - Mac OS application for real-time monitoring of fan speeds and temperatures. With this app, you can monitor your temperatures, and fan speeds, and help you solve overheating problems like those found on a MacBook Pro. Solve fan noise problems such as those caused by HDD replacement in iMacs and fan speed issues after various aftermarket parts replacements. 

Hot - Hot is a macOS menu bar application that displays the CPU speed limit due to thermal issues.

Stats - Mac OS system monitoring software.

Onyx - OnyX is a multifunction utility that you can use to verify the structure of the system files; run miscellaneous maintenance and cleaning tasks; configure parameters in the Finder, Dock, Safari, and some Apple applications; delete caches; remove certain problematic folders and files; rebuild various databases and indexes; and more.

Mac Cleaner Pro - Professional tools for Mac cleanup. Keep your Mac always fast, clean, and organized!

GmsartControl - GSmartControl is a graphical user interface for smartctl (from smartmontools package), which is a tool for querying and controlling SMART (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) data on modern hard disk and solid-state drives. It allows you to inspect the drive's SMART data to determine its health, as well as run various tests on it.

DriveDX - Advanced hard drive health diagnostics, drive health monitoring, and hard drive health testing software.

Disk Inventory X - Disk Inventory X is a disk usage utility for Mac OS X. It shows the sizes of files and folders in a special graphical way called "treemaps".

coconutBattery - With coconutBattery you're always aware of your current battery health. It shows you live information about your battery such as how often it was charged and how is the current maximum capacity in relation to the original capacity your battery had when it left the factory.

Security

Malwarebytes AntiMalware (MBAM) - Say hello to smarter, safer protection for all your family's devices. Specifically designed to catch malware on Mac, MalwareByte's threat intelligence & proven technology let you rest easy, knowing that we’re finding and crushing threats that other antivirus software missed. The best part, we do it all without hogging your system’s resources or spamming you with annoying notifications. Finally, cybersecurity that is smart enough for your Mac.

ClamXAV - Whether you’re a home user, business user, or education user, ClamXAV provides effective malware protection on a single Mac or an entire network. ClamAV is one of the oldest Unix AntiVirus programs around.

Clario - Modern protection from more modern threats! Protect your Apple Computer and digital identity from viruses, unsecured Wi-Fi, ID theft, or hacking; in real time. 100% Detection rate!

General Programs

Caffeine - Caffeine is a tiny program that puts an icon in the right side of your menubar. Click it to prevent your Mac from automatically going to sleep, dimming the screen, or starting screen savers.

VNC - Securely access and manage any device, from anywhere!

Sublime Text - Text editing, done right!

The Unarchiver - The Unarchiver is the only app you need to open RAR on Mac. It’s times more powerful than the native macOS utility and supports infinitely more archive formats.

Keka - Mac OS file archiver.

PDF Expert - PDF Expert is a uniquely fast, reliable, and easy-to-use PDF software. PDF Expert packs powerful features into a well-designed and intuitive interface. Effortlessly breeze through any type of PDF-related task!

Software Removal Tools

AppCleaner -  AppCleaner is a small application that allows you to thoroughly uninstall unwanted apps.
Installing an application distributes many files throughout your System using the space of your Hard Drive unnecessarily. AppCleaner finds all these small files and safely deletes them.

TrashMe - Your Mac is full of files that you consider to be junk because they are too old, too big, or useless to you: incomplete downloads, Windows files, old screen captures… In addition, macOS creates many large files like app caches, system updates, log reports or Xcode files. When space is precious, you can use TrashMe to remove all these files and recover many gigabytes!

Jon Pienkowski

Pacific NW Computers

www.linktr.ee/pnwcomputers

*Last Updated ~ August 28th, 2023*

Failing CPU AIO Water Cooling Loops

So for a few months now I have been seeing a WAVE of failing CPU AIO loops coming into the shop. A CPU AIO (all-in-one) is a pre-packaged device that will liquid-cool your CPU. It's a CPU water-cooling solution, that can be easily installed into a system without having to heat/bend tubing, install/test fittings, etc. The AIO combines the water block, radiator, tubes, fans, fittings, and pump into an all-in-one (AIO) package.

At first, most of the failing CPU AIO loops I was seeing, were related to iBuyPower systems using their own self-branded water-cooling loops. More recently, however, I am starting to see other CPU AIO loops, from other brands, failing as well. What gives? Why are these loops dying all of a sudden?

That's when it hit me; they all had one particular characteristic in common. 

I noticed that instead of the pump for the AIO being a part of the assembly that is directly attached to the CPU, the pump was actually installed in the RADIATOR!?!

But why would the pump for AIO be in the radiator and not on top of the CPU itself!? 
Having the pump directly on the CPU itself is the most efficient method for moving hot liquid away from the CPU! So what gives?!

Well after doing some research, I have found that the Danish company Asetek, actually developed and owns the patent(s) on what would be considered a modern-day CPU AIO water cooling loop. So when you see CPU AIO loops from Corsair, CoolerMaster, etc. The fundamental loop design is actually licensed from Asetek! Manufacturers may make some modifications, make some improvements, add some features, and add their own brand to the product. But that's it!
The core functions and design of a modern "CPU AIO Water Cooling Loop" are all patented by Asetek.

So what can manufacturers do to increase their profits and not have to pay Asetek any licensing fees??

Well, some manufacturers are deciding to switch to a different design of CPU AIO water cooling loop altogether. Not because it's more efficient, but likely just to avoid licensing feed. So by moving to a design where the main components have been moved around (more specifically the pump) manufacturers don't have to license the AIO functionality from Asetek, and more profits are to be had.

Brilliant! *shakes head in disappointment*

Because of this little money-making move? I am now seeing custom computers that are using these radiator-pump-based CPU AIO loops, and they are clogging/dying left and right. 
So when you are buying a custom-ordered system from a manufacturer, try to pay close attention to the design of the CPU AIO Loop they are using/installing, and make sure the pump used in the loop is located on the CPU itself, and not in the radiator. Even if you have to pay a little more for an upgraded AIO CPU water cooler... It will be worth it in the long run.

Jon Pienkowski
Pacific NW Computers
www.pacificnwcomputers.com
www.linktr.ee/pnwcomputers

Find Your Microsoft BitLocker Recovery Key

So your Windows Computer just recently completed some Windows Updates, or maybe you changed some system settings. But NOW all of a sudden, your Windows computer is asking for a "BitLocker Recovery key" to be able to start your computer!
But you have no idea what BitLocker is, what BitLocker does, nor do you know what to do!

"BitLocker Drive Encryption is a data protection feature that integrates with the Windows operating system and addresses the threats of data theft or exposure from lost, stolen, or inappropriately decommissioned computers."

Which is all fine and dandy if you purposefully set it up, and saved the recovery key information. The BitLocker disk encryption keeps your data safe in the event your computer is lost or stolen. But, more often than not, folks don't even realize that BitLocker is even turned on, and thusly do NOT have any recovery methods ready to go if they were to get locked out!

If your system is asking you for your BitLocker recovery key, the following information may help you locate your recovery key. 

There are several places where your recovery key may be, depending on the choice that was made when activating BitLocker.  If you purposefully turned on BitLocker hard drive encryption, you may have printed out the security key that was created.   Or you may have saved that BitLocker Recovery key information to a USB thumb drive and thusly created a "Recovery USB Key". If so, just use the appropriate recovery method that you have created/saved, to get back into your system!

If you don't have any kind of Recovery Key information backed up or saved, the easiest way to find your BitLocker recovery key is through the Microsoft account you were using on that computer! Your Microsoft account is typically tied to your everyday email address, plus a password that was set up.

So all you need to do is use another computer or a tablet, or even your cell phone, and sign in to your Microsoft account to find your recovery key. This is the most likely place to find your recovery key! 

You can do this by visiting, https://account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey

If you are NOT able to find any sort of recovery key, you would be looking at having to reinstall the Windows Operating System to get the system functional again. But, since the hard drive is encrypted, data backup nor data recovery would be possible.

If we can be of any assistance with this type of problem or issue, please don't hesitate to reach out!

Jon Pienkowski
Pacific Northwest Computers
360.624.7379
www.linktr.ee/pnwcomputers