EtreCheck

Contrary to popular belief, Macs can still run into software or hardware problems and because it doesn't display as many error messages as other systems, you may end up trying to figure out what is wrong, through guess work. Fortunately, you can turn to the Apple Support Community for help. This is where EtreCheck comes in. The application is capable of gathering a huge amount of information about a Mac, which can be useful if you need to specify your hardware configuration or other characteristics before receiving help.

EtreCheck is straightforward and fast. All you have to do is run it and click a button, to start scanning your machine. Although it is optional, you can also type a description about any problems you have with your machine, before starting the scan, to help people find a solution when they read your report. It takes about one or two minutes to complete the scanning process, during which you can enjoy a few neat animations on the application's compact user interface.

When the application is done scanning, it will display all the technical characteristics of your Mac in a long list. You can find all the information you need, including hardware resources, installed applications, kernel extensions, launch agents and daemons and much more. Certain entries are color coded, to indicate issues that need your attention. The information can be copied instantly to the clipboard, with a single click. You can also bring up the application's web page, where you can find a large amount of information about the results and what they mean.

Another clear advantage is the fact that EtreCheck doesn't require any administrative privileges. From the moment you run the application to the moment it's done scanning, you will never be prompted for a password, because the application is signed with a digital ID issued by Apple.