Weekly troubleshooting utilities update

Our utilities update report is a list of updates for Mac utilities that have been released in the past week. Though a utility can be any tool that helps you perform a routine task (including image manipulation and synchronization), our focus in this column is to bring you those tools that help in troubleshooting Mac hardware and software problems. This week there are only a few updates for filesystem utilities and a popular maintenance utility.

Filesystem utilities
The first update this week is to a filesystem utility that is exceptionally useful for managing the size of volumes that hold a large number of files. Not only can disks accommodate larger files, but the number of files on disk can also skyrocket easily. DaisyDisk uses an intuitive fan graphical representation of the the hard drive to show which files are taking up the most space. This allows you to easily pinpoint where space is being used on the drive, and better manage keeping space free. This release of DaisyDisk is the first beta of the upcoming 2.0 release, which includes a number of new features, such as a new UI based on Core Animation, simultaneous scanning of different folders, more information about disks and files, file-deletion support, and numerous tweaks and bug fixes from the previous version. DaisyDisk is free to try but will cost $19.95 for a license.

The second utility this week is Tidy Up, which is a tool that scans the drive for file clutter, identifying duplicate files, and sorting them by type (music, photos, applications, etc.). Tidy Up is not a program like DaisyDisk that will show you which files are using the most space; instead, it will show you duplicates of the files you have, regardless of space being used to prevent clutter as you brows through your filesystem. Tidy Up is $30 after the free trial period.

Maintenance utilities
The only maintenance-related update this week is MacPilot, which is one of the more in-depth tweaking and maintenance tools available for OS X. The tool not only provides options for optimizing the system, but also allows you to unlock hidden settings for a variety of applications and system features, opening your Mac to a lot more customization than what Apple provides by default. MacPilot is $19.95 after the 15-day trial period.

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