Version History

Release 7.98 (Build 240214)

This is a routine update which fixes minor issues.

• Fixes a problem where TinkerTool System for Recovery Mode (ttsfrm) could show misleading instructions on Macs with Apple Silicon when it was launched outside of a recovery operating system.
• Avoids a possible race condition which could cause a potential failure of the feature to remove the security component.

Release 7.97 (Build 230822)

• Due to architectural changes in recent Macintosh models and macOS versions, the feature to disable System Integrity Protection by mouse click via the emergency utility (ttsfrm) had to be removed.
• Fixed a problem where the current status of System Integrity Protection may not have been shown correctly on Macs with Apple Silicon.

Release 7.96 (Build 230605)

This is a maintenance update which fixes a compatibility issue with specific versions of macOS where deleting a Time Machine snapshot was always rejected with error code 2 if the backup destination was an APFS volume.

Release 7.95 (Build 230414)

• Added new feature to show the build numbers of available macOS versions when presenting the list of installer applications offered by Apple for download. This feature is only available for macOS 12, not for macOS 11.
• Added new feature to detect if the size specifications advertised by Apple in the list of installer applications available for download are plausible. If not, the storage size will automatically be corrected.
• Added new feature to detect if volumes are handled by Apple’s LIFS technology (Live File Provider File System) to indicate that they are not compatible with the macOS volume exclusion tables shown on the System pane.

Release 7.94 (Build 230207)

• Internal changes for features with Internet access, enhancing compatibility with third-party firewalls.
• This version fixes a problem where different levels of operating system compatibility warnings could override each other in confusing fashion.

Release 7.93 (Build 221205)

• This version fixes a problem where the general reset feature may not have worked as expected for the Cloud Protection pane.

Release 7.92 (Build 221026)

• Added better user guidance when running the application with macOS 13 Ventura.

Release 7.91 (Build 221012)

• The error handling for the Ethernet firmware check (on Intel Macs) has been redesigned for clearer messages in specific situations.
• This versions fixes a problem where the time interval assistant for accessing the unified logs could set the last wake-up time instead of the system startup time under certain circumstances.

Release 7.9 (Build 220913)

This is a maintenance build which fixes a compatibility issue with recent versions of macOS Monterey. The feature to remove old versions of the privileged auxiliary tool will now show the correct status information instead of “unknown” on the affected systems.

Release 7.9 (Build 220809)

• The emergency tool (TinkerTool System for Recovery Mode) can now also be used on Macs with Apple Silicon if macOS 12.5 or later is installed.
• The user interface for the launch instructions of the emergency tool has been enhanced.
• Fixed a problem where the number of processor clusters was not indicated correctly for specific Apple Silicon processors.

Release 7.89 (Build 220711)

• Added new settings to remove the menu items for restart and shut down from the Apple menu. These preferences are part of the login screen settings.
• Added new features to work with stored sets of rights when changing permissions with the pane ACL Permissions. Users can now predefine permission settings for files or folders and reapply them later on different file system objects with a few mouse-clicks. Complex configurations with a high number of detailed Access Control Entries can now easily be transferred on the same computer.
• The user interface to automatically adapt volume exclusion settings after operating system updates on secondary volumes has been further optimized.

Release 7.88 (Build 220614)

• Added preliminary support for future versions of macOS.
• Added new feature to resolve a known issue with the software update feature of macOS Big Sur. It is now possible to reset Apple’s software updater in cases where the user interface of System Preferences shows an endless wait status when the user tries to search for the latest security updates.
• Added new feature to automatically update the volume exclusion tables when a volume of a secondary installation of macOS was listed, but an update of that operating system replaced the previous system volume by a new one. After user confirmation, updated volume IDs will be added and previous ones removed.
• Added new preference setting for switching between panes via arrow keys or buttons. Users of TinkerTool System can now select whether the arrows should navigate between adjacent panes (previous behavior) or within the selection history (matching the behavior of System Preferences).
• The pane to support additional hardware settings of portable Macs with “always-on” architecture can now also be used on the 8th and 9th generation of Intel-based MacBook Air models.
• Fixed a problem with the selection of control panes when pane navigation via menu was used within the same runtime session in which TinkerTool was embedded.
• Fixed an issue with the layout of embedded TinkerTool panes or switching between panes of very different heights.

Release 7.87 (Build 220509)

• Added new feature to export data from local or remote directory services currently bound to a Mac. This can be helpful, for example, to transfer user accounts from the abandoned macOS Server software to other operating systems. The new function can be found on the Maintenance pane.
• Added new feature to perform a simple audit on the system log to detect a suspicious number of failed logins at the console screen, or general user authorization failures. The new function can be found on the Operational Safety pane.
• Added new feature to determine the exact core configuration of Apple Silicon processors. The number of efficiency, performance and GPU cores, as well as the number of processor clusters can be read out.
• Added new feature to show copies of APFS snapshot overviews in external windows. The windows can be resized so that the complete dataset can be shown without clipped table columns.
• Added new feature to reset Launchpad to factory settings for the current user account.
• The item to repair System Preferences is no longer needed in up-to-date versions of macOS and has been removed.
• Most parts of the Network pane now keep their previous states when the application is relaunched.
• The user interface for the Trim feature overview for AHCI-based SSDs was updated.
• Entering a text filter when working with results of a log database query no longer requires to press the return key.
• Fixed a problem where the keyword search feature was not always working correctly for results on the Maintenance pane.
• Fixed a problem where a text filter could be reused unexpectedly after specifying a new query for the log database.
• Fixed a problem where the application could quit unexpectedly when communication with an external privileged utility was stopped while that program was sending data.

Release 7.86 (Build 220317)

• Added new workarounds for macOS Monterey when authentication of privileged operations fails due to undocumented “ACM policy” errors.
• The application can now show the private size (storage consumption) of each APFS snapshot.
• The user interface to list APFS snapshots has been redesigned.
• The application can now detect internal crashes of Time Machine components. This helps to diagnose system installations where Time Machine does not run reliably enough to perform maintenance operations.
• User guidance for the network quality test has been enhanced for cases where the user selected an interface not routed to the Internet.
• The application can now offer automatic re-registration after it has been migrated to a new computer.

Release 7.85 (Build 220214)

• Added new feature to reset file system permissions in a local user’s home folder to default values. This includes a “test run” option which allows a preliminary check.
• Added a new “reveal in Finder” button for unreadable objects detected by the feature to check the path lengths of deeply nested folders.
• Added an additional warning when editing the inheritance setting of Access Control Entries in cases where a combination of options is valid, but ineffective.
• Added new option for the retrieval of standard system logs for reports on “emergency power-off” events.
• Added new option for the retrieval of standard system logs for reports on application crashes that macOS recorded in iPhone IPS format.
• Many system logs will now be automatically reformatted and made easily readable if macOS has stored them in JSON format instead of plain text.
• Added new feature to open specific system logs in the Console application for cases where macOS uses undocumented post-processing to translate the raw log to interpreted text.
• In order not to cause performance problems with the graphical user interface of macOS when processing results of more than half a million entries, the feature to re-sort columns in the result table of the Time Machine comparison feature has been removed.
• The results of a Time Machine snapshot comparison can now be exported as additional text file.
• Fixed a problem where exporting a list of orphaned files could fail under specific circumstances.

Release 7.8 (Build 220112)

• Added new feature to retrieve new log types from macOS that contain diagnostic reports about in-application incidents.
• Added new time interval assistant to the user interface to retrieve modern macOS logs.
• Added new filter feature that allows to hide lines in the generated text of modern macOS logs in hindsight. The user can focus on messages containing a specific key word.
• Added new tab to the product records info window for some Apple Silicon machines to display technical data about internal power supply units. This feature is only available on specific Macintosh model series.
• The feature to create macOS install media now informs the user in detail if the creation fails due to an intended limitation of a specific installer that might block the operation when it detects a cross-architecture situation (e.g. creating an Intel-only installer on an Apple Silicon Mac).
• The preselection of objects to be deleted is now more consistent across all types of software when using the Uninstallation Assistant for applications.

Release 7.71 (Build 211122)

• Added new feature to run the built-in Internet speed test of macOS Monterey (macOS 12 or later only).
• Updated the handling of manufacturing dates for Apple devices released after August 2021.
• Added full support for fan tests of MacBook Pro 2021 models. This fixes a possible problem where the application could refuse to run the fan test if the system was too cold.

Release 7.7 (Build 211021)

• Added full support for macOS 12 Monterey.
• Added new feature on the System pane to control the policy how macOS joins WiFi networks when multiple networks are available or joining the chosen network failed.
• Enhanced the live status display when the application retrieves log data from macOS.
• Fixes a problem with the German user interface on the Info pane where some dialogs could be shown in English unexpectedly.

Release 7.6 (Build 210927)

• This version adds many internal changes to maintain compatibility with future versions of macOS.
• Added a find option for the feature to retrieve system logs.
• Added a find feature for many other report text views in the application.
• Added an option to remove severity level marking colors from computed system logs.
• All features with print output now avoid to print a black background even if the user has configured a dark system appearance.
• The feature to clean the partition table of used disk drives now offers to unmount all affected volumes instead of ejecting them, which is more adequate.
• The feature to search for long file system paths now automatically prevents sleep mode while running.
• TinkerTool System for Recovery Mode (ttsfrm) now accepts that more processes are running in the background which will resolve problems with the detection of the recovery OS.
• Corrected a problem where the presentation of privacy-protected entries in the system log didn’t match the behavior described in the reference manual.

Release 7.5 (Build 210824)

• Added new diagnostic feature to test display screens for dead or hanging pixels. It can also help to clean the display glass or when identifying dust issues.
• Added new pane to lock specific services of iCloud for all users, so a service can no longer be activated accidentally.
• The feature to retrieve logs from the macOS logging subsystem now uses color backgrounds in the reports to clearly mark messages of different severity levels.
• The user interface of the feature to search for file system paths that exceed a user-specified length has been revised. It is no longer necessary to press the return key when changing the limit, and the last used limit is remembered by the application. The quick-search result window can now show the complete paths and reveal them in the Finder.
• The user interface of all features to inherit Time Machine backups has been revised.
• For non-English versions of TinkerTool System, program and documentation will now use the correct terminology for Macs with Apple Silicon processors.
• Fixes an issue which could result in unexpected program termination after manually thinning, deleting, or creating a Time Machine snapshot.

Release 7.41 (Build 210721)

• Added changes for upcoming versions of macOS.
• Added new feature to automatically eject all volumes of a physical disk before using the function to erase all partitioning information.
• The feature to download macOS installer applications from Apple will now automatically open the Applications folder after the operation has completed.
• The user interface to prevent volumes from automatic mount operations has been revised.
• Fixed a problem where the stop button may not have worked when trying to cancel a privileged operation that had already been running for a considerable time.

Release 7.4 (Build 210621)

• Added preliminary support for future versions of macOS.
• Added new feature to retrieve new panic reports of the “Always on” part of Macintosh models with Apple Silicon in the standard logs section of the Info pane.
• Added new feature to application security checks that indicates whether software products use the hardened runtime environment.
• Added support to create install media for future versions of macOS.
• Added the categories Media & Apple Music, HomeKit and Bluetooth to the feature to reset the privacy settings for applications.
• The feature to reset the language preferences for a user account is no longer needed with up-to-date versions of macOS and has been removed.
• Fixed a problem where the web interface for CUPS printing could not be opened via the respective button in the System pane.
• Fixed a problem where the feature to enforce a rerun of the Setup Assistant in the Recovery Mode emergency tool did not work with specific versions of macOS.
• The APFS feature to work with snapshots no longer includes mounted snapshots themselves in the menu of APFS source volumes.

Release 7.3 (Build 210518)

• Added support for macOS 11.4.
• Cloning the operating system is now supported again if macOS 11.4 or later is used. Please see the reference manual for current restrictions.
• Adds workarounds for multiple defects in macOS 11.3 and later where creating install media was not working for specific macOS 11 installers.
• The policy for the format of possible destination disks when creating install media was changed to reflect the behavior of Apple’s latest installer applications.
• Error handling when creating install media was extended to show the user the exact reason why an operation has failed.
• Fixes a problem where a repaired copy of the defective installer for macOS 10.12.6 Sierra was not accepted to create install media.
• Fixes a problem where cleaning the staging area for kernel extensions was rejected with an “invalid argument” message.

Release 7.21 (Build 210504)

• Added support for macOS 11.3.1. We now strongly advise against using macOS 11.3(.0).
• Adds a workaround for a problem where a defect in macOS 11.3 causes many Apple installers to be considered not genuine when creating install media.
• Fixes a problem where the health report for Apple flash memory showed zero readings for some older Apple SSD models. The application now makes clear that the full report can only be retrieved for configurations that comply with the NVMe standard.
• Fixes a problem where the tab item Protection on the pane Info could be empty after upgrading to macOS 11.3.
• Fixes a problem where the table of results from a mass security check for applications could not be sorted by the contents of the detail columns.

Release 7.2 (Build 210414)

• Added support for macOS 11.3.
• Added new diagnostic feature to show the health status of original Apple SSDs or Apple flash storage. This includes the estimated consumed lifespan.
• Added new feature to fix a problem with the App Store application when users receive incorrect update notifications for Apps that have already been updated. The App Store can be reset for one or all users of a Mac.
• Added new feature to display the list of macOS installer Apps that are available for direct download from Apple. Users can now simply select and fetch an installer.
• Added new feature to create ISO disk images from a macOS installer App. An ISO image can be used to install OS X or macOS in Virtual Machines.
• Added new feature to repair the defective October 2019 edition of the macOS installer App for macOS 10.12.6. After repair, TinkerTool System can accept the App as source to create installation media for macOS Sierra.
• Added new feature to launch applications with special options, e.g. with hidden windows, without a Recent Items entry, or as multiple copies.
• Added new feature for Apple Silicon Macs to clear the accessible parts of the NVRAM (not necessary for Intel-based Macs).
• Added new feature for users of upgrade licenses: An administrator who activated the application via a upgrade registration file can now create a “single-step ticket” that combines the information about the upgrade license and the license for a prerequisite product into one file. This file can be used to re-register the application in a single step without having to prove upgrade eligibility again, e.g. when migrating to a new computer.
• The Time Machine parts of the application have been rewritten completely. The program now uses different panes when operating Time Machine in macOS 10 mode (HFS+ destination), or macOS 11 mode (APFS destination), respectively. Support for network-based backup destinations has been re-established.
• The Time Machine comparison feature has moved from the Diagnostics pane to the Time Machine pane.
• The application uses more detailed error messages if removing a bad startup job fails for some reason.
• The application uses more detailed error messages when a third-party application has deactivated the security environment of TinkerTool System.
• The application has been made more robust against bugs in other third-party applications that misidentify the security component of TinkerTool System as adware.
• Adds a workaround for a bug in macOS Big Sur where communication with external programs could fail if they have been called in rapid succession.
• Fixed a problem where candidates of software components pre-selected for deletion by the Uninstallation Assistant have been shown with type information in the wrong language.
• Fixed a problem where setting the startup language failed with the message “file doesn’t exist” on specific system configurations.
• User guidance for evaluation mode uses better wording in the English user interface.

Release 7.12 (Build 210208)

• Added new feature to repair user accounts that are affected by a bug in macOS 11.2 that causes all user interface elements for connecting to network computers to fail. TinkerTool System can validate and fix active local user accounts where the Network folder of the Finder, login panels for servers, AirDrop, Handoff, and Instant Hotspot are missing.
• Added new internal feature to allow normal users to check, remove and re-apply Access Control Lists for file system objects they own. This makes it possible that non-administrative users regain permission to deactivate, reactivate, or delete their personal caches if the cache folders use Apple’s recommended default permission settings.
• TinkerTool System no longer relies on Time Machine itself to detect whether Time Machine is configured for a network-based backup target. Because current versions of macOS 11 are too unreliable to perform Time Machine maintenance features on network servers, TinkerTool System now completely hides all its Time Machine features when it detects such a configuration.
• The detail display for the current settings of System Integrity Protection has been updated for the latest macOS versions.
• User guidance when changing the selection of startup jobs to repair when the repair operation is already running has been improved.

Release 7.11 (Build 210114)

• Due to major performance problems and critical errors in Apple’s Time Machine interface for third-party applications, support for all features managing network-based backups has been disabled. (Disk-based backups are not affected.) The features are planned to be reinstated again as soon as this macOS component will work correctly in future versions of the operating system.
• Communication with slow components of macOS in the background could sometimes be misinterpreted as alleged “hang” of the application. To avoid this, many user interface elements to control features of Time Machine, Spotlight, and CUPS have been changed over to asynchronous behavior. TinkerTool System will no longer wait for immediate response of macOS, but temporarily disable the affected controls until the corresponding operations have completed.
• The list of known defects in the startup jobs of macOS 11.1 has been updated.
• This version fixes a problem with the creation of install media where installer apps of macOS 11 could be shown as invalid after such an app had been launched and quit in the same user login session.

Release 7.1 (Build 201214)

• The feature to deactivate the personal standard caches of a user was reinstated.
• Added changed feature to clean system-wide caches.
• The feature to clean personal high-speed caches of a user was reinstated.
• The feature to clean caches of the operating system was reinstated.
• The function to remove invalid keychains of Xcode can additionally handle import entries now, in addition to the already existing feature for export entries.
• Added support for the 4th generation of the System Management Controller used in the latest Mac models.
• More detail data is shown on the system information page of the Info pane for Macs with Apple Silicon.
• Added new information sheet listing internal product data of Macs with Apple Silicon.
• The quick help feature was revised completely with updated links to new web pages of Apple that contain additional information on certain support and maintenance topics.
• User guidance was changed when users try to clone the system volume, which is not supported by macOS 11.
• Communication with external programs was optimized, especially regarding possible error situations, which could otherwise result in memory leaks, file handle exhaustion, or unexpected program termination.
• Fixes a problem where the “Always On” Mobiles pane could be shown for specific portable Mac models which cannot support this feature.
• The feature to set the software update server had to be removed because Apple no longer permits third-party servers.

Release 7.01 (Build 201119)

• Added support for future versions of macOS.
• Fixes a problem for Macs with Apple Silicon where the system installation date was shown instead of the manufacturing week.
• Fixes a possible layout problem in the table of IPv6 addresses of the Network info pane where parts of the addresses could be clipped depending on the widths of other values.
• Fixes a problem where the application may have linked to the home page of version 6 instead of 7.

Release 7.0 (Build 201111)

• Added full support for macOS 11.0 Big Sur. macOS 11 is the minimum OS version for using TinkerTool System 7.
• Added new feature to remove invalid keychain entries of type “accountsKeychainExport” created by Xcode.
• Added new feature to show the Apple order number and enclosure type number for Macs with Apple processors.
• The Network Utility which was discontinued in Big Sur is reinstated by a new pane in TinkerTool System and supports modernized features:
  • Added new feature to show network interfaces, addresses and statistics.
  • Added new feature to show the routing table, protocol statistics, multicast information, and socket connections.
  • Added new feature for ping diagnostics over IPv4 and IPv6.
  • Added new feature to determine addresses or host names for IPv4 and IPv6.
  • Added new feature to trace network packet routes.
  • Added new feature to query whois databases.
  • Added new feature to query the “finger” information service for network users (RFC 1288).
  • Added new feature to scan open IPv4 ports.
• VoiceOver is now fully supported in the ttsfrm emergency tool.
• Indicating the S.M.A.R.T. status in ttsfrm is now additionally supported for SSDs with NVMe interfaces.
• When testing fans, the fan speeds are now always indicated with rounded numbers, even when using Mac models where Apple is measuring rotational speeds with decimal places.
• Hundreds of other small changes and adjustments for macOS 11.
• The following features have been removed because they are no longer part of macOS Big Sur, no longer make sense, or have been superseded by new macOS features: repeating system optimization, deactivation of caches while the system is running, rebuilding the driver cache, rebuilding the XPC cache, resizing DMG image files, showing the list of blocked kernel drivers, automatically suggesting components when removing software, disabling automounting of disks outside a login session, control of the option to support captive networks, additional display of HiDPI resolutions, disabling the option-ROM security feature for the Startup Manager, disabling 32-bit software, screen saver control for the login screen.

Release 6.93 (Build 201007)

• The security feature that protects critical files has been modernized to respect recent changes in macOS.
• Added a new workaround and documentation for macOS defects that can cause Time Machine maintenance features to fail if the backup is network-based.
• Added a feature to detect broken versions of the installer application of macOS Sierra which are not capable of creating installation media. Apple has officially withdrawn any assertions that the Sierra 10.12.6 installation app is capable of performing this operation and TinkerTool System has been updated accordingly.
• Fixes a problem where the APFS pane is not shown or not updated correctly when attaching a disk containing a volume with future APFS features that is considered invalid by the running operating system.
• Fixes a problem where items in the table of privacy settings for applications may not have been translated to the user’s preferred language if running macOS Mojave.

Release 6.92 (Build 200910)

• Added SIP-protected startup option to control how a non-maskable interrupt (NMI) can be triggered. The settings and their description regarding start of the macOS remote kernel debugger have been clarified.
• The startup option to control how kernel panic messages should be shown was removed, because the underlying feature is no longer implemented in modern versions of macOS.
• Fixes a problem where network-based backups of Time Machine could not be selected for re-association with a volume if macOS Catalina was used.
• Fixes a packaging issue which could cause the quick help page for the ACL ID-Finder feature not to be shown.
• Includes the “build 200813 hotfix” which corrected minor issues with the user interface of version 6.91 for product activation. This affects remembering the position of the registration window, double-clicking a registration file, and the processing of manually entered prerequisite data for upgrade licenses.

Release 6.91 (Build 200804)

• Added preliminary support for creating installation media for and with macOS 11.
• Added support for detecting features of future APFS implementations.
• In specific situations, communication with Time Machine now runs in the background, so the user interface is more responsive even when using slow Time Machine devices.
• The accessibility has been further optimized by more than 800 changes in the user interface, especially for users of VoiceOver.
• The instructions for the emergency tool have been revised, taking into account the latest versions of the macOS Recovery operating system.
• Parts of the user interface for product activation and registration management have been redesigned.

Release 6.9 (Build 200702)

This version adds preliminary support for future operating systems.

Release 6.89 (Build 200527)

• This version adds support for macOS 10.14.6 Build 18G5033 (Security Update 2020–003): Because Apple intentionally sabotaged the operating system feature to ignore the macOS Catalina update in macOS Mojave, the corresponding settings have been removed.
• Added notification to suggest removal of the system setting to ignore the macOS Catalina update after an upgrade to macOS Catalina has been performed.
• Added a workaround for layout issues in some status displays for physical hard disks when working with specific third-party drives that provide excessively long serial numbers with more than 80 digits.
• Added a workaround for an issue with the authentication user interface of macOS where the system only showed an undocumented “ACMContextVerifyPolicyEx” error message.

Release 6.88 (Build 200427)

This version resolves a compatibility issue between the startup setting “Use special OS for next start: Recovery system” and specific firmware or Recovery OS versions: On some systems, the one-time setting remained permanently effective until clearing the parameter RAM. If you don’t use this option of the startup setting, you won’t need this update.

Release 6.87 (Build 200422)

• Added new feature to clear the staging area macOS uses to collect kernel extensions that wait for approval or denial by the user. This function is available at the tab item to clear the kernel extension cache.
• Added new feature to control the protected kernel option which disables processor-assisted support for Virtual Machines. This can help to avoid crashes of macOS Catalina when copying large amounts of data.
• The launch limit for unrestricted product evaluation without license has been increased by one, because macOS may relaunch the application to update its privacy settings. Six (6) launches per computer are permitted now.
• The application now accepts that the user provides a custom icon.
• Log files for kernel panics are now shown in a more readable fashion if macOS has stored them with embedded reports in JSON formats.
• Fixed a problem where Time Machine storage statistics reports could be shown with swapped lines and without a summary.
• Fixed a problem where the storage gain summary could sometimes show wrong numbers after Time Machine snapshots have been deleted.
• Fixed a problem where the display of the system’s stored setting for handling trim commands on third-party AHCI SSDs could be wrong with some OS versions while the live policies for each affected drive were shown correctly.

Release 6.86 (Build 200323)

• Added support for macOS Catalina 10.15.4 and later. Note that previous versions of TinkerTool System are not compatible with this operating system version.
• Added a separate, fully resizable APFS overview window. This is helpful when performing complex APFS operations affecting multiple partitions or disks.
• Added percentage values to the Storage Space overview feature.
• Added new workarounds for continuing defects in macOS that can cause the system to lose preference and Resume settings when the user logs out too fast. The dialogs that indicate that the user must be logged out to continue a pending maintenance operation have been redesigned.

Release 6.85 (Build 200218)

• Added new feature to enable the classic startup chime on selected Macintosh model series released after summer 2016.
• Added new startup option to select special maintenance systems for the next restart. The Recovery OS, Internet Recovery, Apple Diagnostics, and Apple Diagnostics via Internet are available.
• Added new option to add available “signpost” information for software developers when retrieving log data from the operating system.
• The Startup pane was redesigned to consume less space on small screens.
• The Info pane was redesigned to consume less space on small screens.
• Internal diagnostic features have been optimized.
• Communication with the privileged component supports new features to ensure that data is processed in the correct order even under critical situations with high system load or strongly parallelized operations.
• Corrected a problem where some lines of log reports could be partially damaged or would appear in the wrong order.

Release 6.84 (Build 200117)

• The user interface to present the hierarchy of APFS objects was enhanced.
• The privacy protection warning that is shown when the user has not yet given consent for Full Disk Access by the application is now highlighted more prominently.
• Error messages and error handling have been optimized to better differentiate between the reasons of access failures caused by System Integrity Protection, privacy approval, user permissions, or other issues.
• This version adds a workaround for an ambiguity that could cause an incorrect display of production dates for Macintosh model series that have up-to-date operating system support for more than 10 years.
• This version fixes a problem where macOS may have refused to clone an APFS volume group if it was part of a container with multiple volume groups.
• Corrected a problem where resetting privacy settings did not work for all categories when using specific versions of macOS Catalina.
• The application now adds specific user guidance when resetting a privacy category that has influence onto the application itself.

Release 6.83 (Build 191211)

• Added new feature to get an overview on all details about the current APFS configuration, presenting the relationships between containers, physical disks, volume groups, and volumes.
• Added new feature to show the complete list of APFS snapshots on a volume.
• Added new feature to remove some or all APFS snapshots from a volume.
• Added new feature to copy APFS containers, volume groups, volumes, or snapshots by fast replication. (Only available for macOS 10.15 Catalina or later.)
• Added new feature to safely delete Time Machine snapshots from an active backup.
• Added new features to safely delete Time Machine snapshots, backup sets, or all Time Machine data from local disk drives.
• Added new user interface to show outstanding privacy approvals. If necessary, a missing approval will now be directly visible in the toolbar of the control window. This avoids that the application has to attempt a possibly failing operation before it can indicate a policy conflict to the user.
• Added new feature to create an optional text report when finding orphaned objects on a volume.
• The features to prevent volumes from automatic mounting or program execution will now additionally support invisible but mounted data volumes of non-running Catalina installations. This is helpful for users that have multiple copies of macOS Catalina installed. (Only necessary for macOS 10.15 or later.)
• The Info pane now supports retrieval of details about the Apple T2 processor in addition to the original iBridge system. The user interface has been modified accordingly.
• Printing the instructions for launching the emergency tool in recovery mode will now automatically resize the output to the printer’s paper size to make sure the instructions are fully readable and not clipped.
• User guidance for changing file permission settings has been redesigned for cases where the operating system cannot fully support permissions.
• The application now adds warnings about possible APFS bugs affecting the handling of automatic ACL permission inheritance.

Release 6.82 (Build 191114)

• The check for slow system startup due to cleared NVRAM settings was modified in order not to cause false alarms on specific Mac Pro models.
• The check for correct communication with the security component was modified in order not to cause false alarms when the application was launched under extreme overload conditions.
• Added a fix for an issue with macOS 10.15.1 that could cause the warning for a missing user-based approval for full disk access not to be shown under specific conditions.
• Added a fix for an issue that could cause volumes with HFS+ format not to be offered for specific features of the System pane.
• Clarified the meaning of the “dark wake” startup option in the user interface and in the reference manual.

Release 6.81 (Build 191030)

• Added support for macOS 10.15.1.
• Added new feature to save the report on startup jobs into an RTF text file.
• Added new feature to download selected macOS installer apps provided by Apple without using the App Store (macOS Catalina only).
• Added new feature to suppress update notifications regarding macOS Catalina and the associated Dock reminder marker (macOS Mojave only).
• Added new feature to change the user account security policy for Remote Apple Events (macOS Catalina only).
• The feature to clear and refresh the driver (kernel extension) cache was reinstated for macOS Catalina.
• The feature to create macOS install media uses updated knowledge and revised safety policies regarding size requirements for target volumes.
• This version detects additional situations in the operating environment that can cause communication with system services to fail. The user will be automatically warned about such issues.
• The feature to search for software components of specific types as preparation for the Uninstall Assistant is no longer available when running macOS Catalina, because it no longer makes sense in modern system versions.

Release 6.8 (Build 191009)

• This version adds full support for macOS 10.15 Catalina.
• Added new feature to display the notarization state of applications or disk images (macOS Catalina only).
• The reference manuals have been updated with information that could not be published while the news embargo for macOS Catalina was active.
• Evaluation mode (“Try Before Buy” testing) is now unlocked for macOS Catalina.
• Fixed an issue where the list of startup jobs shown for the category User Service Login Item could be inaccurate, showing entries already deactivated.
• Fixed an issue where the data portion of the Catalina system volume was not offered for specific maintenance operations.

Release 6.7 (Build 190916)

• Added new feature to resize disk images (DMG files), hereby avoiding the flaws of Disk Utility.
• Added further support for future versions of macOS.
• The standalone version of TinkerTool System (tts in Single User mode) has been rewritten completely. The new “TinkerTool System for Recovery Mode” (ttsfrm) supersedes the previous emergency utility. This leads to the following advantages:
  • Compatibility with present and future versions of macOS is improved, because Single User mode is no longer officially supported by Apple.
  • For Macs with T2 security chip, it will no longer be necessary to change the security settings.
  • Issues with keyboard debouncing on certain Mac models are avoided.
  • Apple’s Single User mode terminal is avoided, so readability on systems with Retina screens is fully restored.
  • The emergency tool can now use the full character set and a graphical user interface.
  • Separate, proactive installation steps for the emergency tool are no longer necessary.
• A graphical interface to disable or enable System Integrity Protection has been added to the emergency tool. The following features no longer make sense in macOS Recovery Mode and have been removed: file system check for the system volume, deleting Input Managers, rebuilding XPC caches, self-removal.
• The feature to create macOS installation media now accepts destination volumes which have slightly less than 8 GB of storage. This takes into account that Apple’s installer is based on working with volumes (not disks) whose formatted capacity can be significantly lower than that of the physical storage device.

Release 6.6 (Build 190812)

• Many internal changes to support future operating system versions.
• Added new “ID Finder” feature for user and group accounts. After entering either account name, full name, POSIX identifier or UUID, the application will find the three remaining other items.
• Added new log type to retrieve the macOS log for disk write events.
• Added new log type to retrieve the macOS log for differential privacy submissions.
• Added new log type to retrieve the macOS log for iCloud services.
• Added new log type to retrieve the macOS log for baseband processor incidents.
• Added new log type to retrieve the macOS log for telephony monitoring.
• Added new log type to retrieve the macOS log for trust checks.
• Added new log type to retrieve the macOS log for iPhone software updates.
• Added new log type to retrieve the macOS log for iPad software updates.
• Added new log type to retrieve the macOS log proactive events.
• The user interface for license registration was redesigned.

Release 6.51 (Build 190625)

• This update is necessary to maintain compatibility with new versions of TinkerTool (7.4 or later).
• Added further support for future versions of macOS.
• Better guidance for the feature to remove unsuitable update notifications for users who have a customized update server set.
• Fixed a problem where the application could hang while beginning to display live output from external utility tools that have been started without privileged permissions.

Release 6.5 (Build 190611)

• Major architectural changes have been implemented that make it possible to make many long running operations interruptible.
• Added operating system setting for full protection against the “ZombieLoad” attack (Micro-Architectural Data Sampling Vulnerabilities). This setting can only be changed while System Integrity Protection is off.
• Added operating system setting to disable support of the assistant for Captive Networks (automatic configuration of access to “hotspots”).
• Added new feature to automatically repair a specific damage of the Trash caused by third-party applications. This feature has no permanent user interface, but will be activated on demand during startup of the application if necessary.
• The system setting to optimize the operational parameters for use as server computer can now be activated even if macOS Server is not installed.
• Fixed a rare issue where the autostart settings of third-party services could not be determined correctly if the affected executable had unusual permission settings.
• Corrected a problem where new system services that have recently been added to macOS Mojave have not been shown as Apple-provided autostart component.
• Added preliminary support for future versions of macOS.

Release 6.4 (Build 190508)

• Added new feature to display “reveal in Finder” buttons for objects in the preflight list shown before deleting files as part of a clean-up operation.
• Added new feature to check a file system hierarchy against a user-specified limit for the length of absolute or relative paths.
• Added new warning feature for the ACL pane that makes the user aware if a selected file system may not support ACL permissions or uses virtual permission settings only. A new info panel offers guidance for inexperienced users.
• When propagating permissions onto a large folder hierarchy, the temporary memory consumption has been greatly reduced for specific use cases.
• Corrected an issue where specific locale settings of the user account could prevent a request to automatically free storage space of APFS Time Machine snapshots by a specified size to take any noticeable effect.

Release 6.3 (Build 190327)

• Added new feature to remove all local Time Machine APFS snapshots from a selected volume immediately.
• Added new setting to control whether FileVault should remove the decryption key for the system disk from memory when the system is entering standby mode.
• Added new feature to immediately eject all volumes when saving a modified automount configuration that have been set not to be automatically mounted by macOS.
• Added new feature to let the application copy itself to the system Applications folder if desired when the program is launched from the virtual distribution disk.
• The internal diagnostics features have been completely rewritten to be still operative in cases where operating system logging is not usable.
• The application has been made robust against dubious “cleaner” software that damages the launch configuration of the operating system.
• Better error messages for cases where users fail to register the application due to accidentally installing a wrong license file through dragging.

Release 6.2 (Build 190212)

• Added new diagnostics feature to retrieve the login time statistics from the operating system. Total login time per user or usage time per day can be reviewed.
• Added a workaround for a defect in macOS Mojave which can hang the operating system for 7 minutes if an application asks the operating system for the complete list of group accounts in a configuration with a network directory service. All user and group panels show only cached accounts now. The complete list of accounts can be retrieved on demand by clicking an extra button in the panels.
• User guidance for the selection of destination volumes was enhanced when creating macOS install media.
• Fixed a rare issue where the application showed the message “Interrupted system call” instead of the true error message when trying to delete specific files shielded by System Integrity Protection.

Release 6.1 (Build 190121)

• Added new option to the propagation of permission settings that can precisely simulate inheritance of Access Control Lists instead of copying them unconditionally. This emulates the behavior of old versions of macOS Server. The option to enforce activation of the inheritance flag was removed.
• Added new option to the propagation of permission settings that can be used to ignore all locked files during the operation. This emulates the behavior of old versions of macOS Server.
• Added new feature to the storage space overview feature that lists all system services that are currently registered to reclaim purgeable space.
• Added new feature to create a text report for the results of a bulk integrity check of applications. The report can be printed or be exported as RTF file.
• Added new feature to the check of absolute path lengths for deeply nested folders that not only tests existing objects, but additionally checks potential paths that would be created when copying the tested files to currently attached volumes.
• Added new preference setting to force the application to use Apple’s “Identity Picker Window” instead of TinkerTool System’s own user and group account management panels. This is less comfortable and does not offer OS accounts, but can be used as a workaround for a bug in the macOS Mojave directory services client which could lock the system for several minutes if one or more external directory services are configured when the UI for account selection was opened.
• Both the main application and the Standalone Utility now display the new “executable policy override” feature of System Integrity Protection if active in a custom configuration.
• Keyboard control of the Standalone Utility was optimized once again.
• The swap space volume (VM) is no longer offered as possible target for specific operations to avoid confusion.
• A layout issue of the path control that presents the top search folder in the results sheet for overlong paths has been resolved. This avoids that the panel can become wider than the screen.
• Broken symbolic links will no longer stop a propagation operation on the ACL pane, if the feature to propagate an Access Control List is active.
• Support code for legacy operating systems was removed from the Issues pane.

Release 6.02 (Build 181122)

• Added new feature to the Info pane to indicate whether your Mac uses Apple iBridge technology, which includes Apple T2 processors. A detail sheet shows additional information about its configuration.
• Added small changes to the non-English user interface for cases where Apple has modified the translation of specific terms as of macOS 10.14.1.
• The pane for the Emergency Tool has been redesigned and will now show a notice if your Mac uses an extremely small font in Single User Mode.
• Links to Apple documentation in connection with the Quick Help feature have been updated, or removed respectively, if Apple is no longer publishing specific information.
• Added a workaround for a keyboard control problem of Single User Mode that could affect the Standalone Utility. Depending on keyboard type and OS version, a single key press could sometimes be misinterpreted as multiple key events.
• Clarified the misleading label of the option to disable the dark wake feature of macOS.
• Fixed a compatibility problem with the automatic restart feature when the application was renamed.
• Internal technical update for changes in network infrastructure affecting the evaluation feature.
• The application will show more targeted error messages if licensing fails due to a misconfigured network firewall.
• The distribution package now uses the latest Gatekeeper security features.

Release 6.01 (Build 181002)

This is a maintenance update which corrects minor issues.

• Adds support for future versions of macOS Mojave.
• Adds a workaround for a declaration issue in the latest versions of the macOS Mojave installation App which could cause the installer not to be accepted as valid for the creation of install media.
• Several changes and optimizations in user guidance when working with startup jobs, login screen settings, and license registration.
• Fixes an issue where a private Software Update Server could not be used when macOS enforced HTTPS with TLS and extended validation.
• Fixes an issue where the application could not detect that it was already approved for full disk access on systems that had been upgraded from OS X 10.10 Yosemite.
• Fixes an issue where the user interface might not have been enabled for specific Time Machine features when the backup was stored on a network server.

Release 6.0 (Build 180918)

• Added full support for macOS 10.14 Mojave.
• Added new log type for slow application response to the feature to review classic system logs.
• Added new log type for slow shutdowns to the feature to review classic system logs.
• Added other new log types to the respective category in the log overview menu.
• Hundreds of other small changes and adjustments for macOS Mojave.
• The following features have been removed because they are no longer part of macOS Mojave, no longer make sense, or have been superseded by new macOS features: removing language support packages, validating login items, enforced Trash removal, repairing Safari font issues, repairing App Store licenses, enabling support for external accounts on the login screen, disabling support for text mode console login, temporary removal of swap files.
• The following features have moved to new locations: removal of Recent Items (User pane), reset of privacy settings (Applications pane).

TinkerTool System 6 begins a new product line. The section above lists changes in comparison to TinkerTool System 5, version 5.96. For more information about the version history of TinkerTool System 5, please see the respective application.