[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":32},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-en-system-maintenance":3},{"meta":4,"html":10,"headings":11,"raw":31},{"title":5,"description":6,"icon":7,"order":8,"updated":9},"System Maintenance","Run built-in macOS maintenance tools when you run into common problems with search, icons, previews, sound or networking.","maintenance",10,"2026-10-28","\u003Cp>When Spotlight can't find files, icons look wrong, sound stops or websites won't load, you don't necessarily need to reinstall macOS. \u003Cstrong>System Maintenance\u003C\u002Fstrong> gathers the matching checks and repairs in one place and runs them with tools built into macOS, so you don't have to type Terminal commands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"check\">\u003Ca class=\"heading-anchor\" href=\"#check\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\">#\u003C\u002Fa>Check first\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>When you open the page, WashBear checks which tasks are available on your Mac without changing anything. Each task is marked \u003Cstrong>Healthy\u003C\u002Fstrong>, \u003Cstrong>Suggested\u003C\u002Fstrong>, \u003Cstrong>Run When Needed\u003C\u002Fstrong> or \u003Cstrong>Unavailable\u003C\u002Fstrong>. \u003Cstrong>Run When Needed\u003C\u002Fstrong> means the task can run; it does not mean a problem was found.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Filter by \u003Cstrong>Suggested\u003C\u002Fstrong>, \u003Cstrong>System Repair\u003C\u002Fstrong>, \u003Cstrong>Search & Interface\u003C\u002Fstrong> or \u003Cstrong>Network\u003C\u002Fstrong>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"tasks\">\u003Ca class=\"heading-anchor\" href=\"#tasks\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\">#\u003C\u002Fa>Available tasks\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Rebuild the Spotlight search index\u003C\u002Fstrong>: when search is slow or misses files. macOS re-indexes in the background after the task starts, and search results may be incomplete in the meantime.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Repair Open With and file associations\u003C\u002Fstrong>: when the Open With menu shows duplicate or outdated apps.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Refresh Quick Look file previews\u003C\u002Fstrong> and \u003Cstrong>Rebuild Finder icon cache\u003C\u002Fstrong>: when pressing Space shows a blank preview or icons look wrong.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Restart Finder\u003C\u002Fstrong>: when Finder is slow, its windows stop responding or the desktop doesn't refresh.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Restart the audio service\u003C\u002Fstrong>: when sound stops or audio devices disappear. Sound is briefly interrupted.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Repair home folder permissions\u003C\u002Fstrong>: when Desktop, Documents or other home folders can't be opened or saved to.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Restore settings changed by older optimizers\u003C\u002Fstrong>: returns App Nap, disk image verification and related options to their macOS defaults. It is marked \u003Cstrong>Suggested\u003C\u002Fstrong> when such changes are found.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Check the startup disk file system\u003C\u002Fstrong>: checks for file system errors without changing disk contents.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Refresh DNS cache\u003C\u002Fstrong>: when websites won't load or network services can't connect.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"run\">\u003Ca class=\"heading-anchor\" href=\"#run\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\">#\u003C\u002Fa>Run a task\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>Click \u003Cstrong>Run\u003C\u002Fstrong> next to a task. Rebuilding the Spotlight index, restarting Finder, restarting the audio service and repairing home folder permissions first ask \u003Cstrong>Run this maintenance task?\u003C\u002Fstrong>, because they can take a while or briefly restart system components.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While a task runs you see its phase, step and elapsed time, and WashBear checks the result when it ends. Only one task runs at a time. If you click \u003Cstrong>Run\u003C\u002Fstrong> on another task, it waits in line, and you can click \u003Cstrong>Cancel queued\u003C\u002Fstrong>. Tasks that don't need administrator approval can be stopped with \u003Cstrong>Stop\u003C\u002Fstrong>; some changes may already have taken effect, so click \u003Cstrong>Check Again\u003C\u002Fstrong> afterward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"admin\">\u003Ca class=\"heading-anchor\" href=\"#admin\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\">#\u003C\u002Fa>Administrator approval\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>Tasks marked \u003Cstrong>Administrator approval required\u003C\u002Fstrong> are rebuilding the Spotlight search index, restarting the audio service, repairing home folder permissions and refreshing the DNS cache. macOS asks for an administrator password when they run; if you cancel, the task does not run. Once approved and started, these tasks can't be stopped midway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"notes\">\u003Ca class=\"heading-anchor\" href=\"#notes\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\">#\u003C\u002Fa>Good practice\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>Save your work first, especially before tasks that restart Finder or audio.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Run a task only when you have the matching problem. There is no need to run every task as routine maintenance.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>System Maintenance addresses common software problems and does not replace hardware diagnostics or data recovery. If disk errors keep coming back, back up important files and seek professional help.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"ai\">\u003Ca class=\"heading-anchor\" href=\"#ai\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\">#\u003C\u002Fa>Ask AI about a task\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>Not sure which task to run? Hover over it and click \u003Cstrong>AI explanation\u003C\u002Fstrong> to learn what problem it addresses and whether it needs extra permissions. See \u003Ca href=\"\u002Fen\u002Fdocs\u002Fai\">AI Explanations\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",[12,16,19,22,25,28],{"depth":13,"id":14,"text":15},2,"check","Check first",{"depth":13,"id":17,"text":18},"tasks","Available tasks",{"depth":13,"id":20,"text":21},"run","Run a task",{"depth":13,"id":23,"text":24},"admin","Administrator approval",{"depth":13,"id":26,"text":27},"notes","Good practice",{"depth":13,"id":29,"text":30},"ai","Ask AI about a task","\nWhen Spotlight can't find files, icons look wrong, sound stops or websites won't load, you don't necessarily need to reinstall macOS. **System Maintenance** gathers the matching checks and repairs in one place and runs them with tools built into macOS, so you don't have to type Terminal commands.\n\n## Check first {#check}\n\nWhen you open the page, WashBear checks which tasks are available on your Mac without changing anything. Each task is marked **Healthy**, **Suggested**, **Run When Needed** or **Unavailable**. **Run When Needed** means the task can run; it does not mean a problem was found.\n\nFilter by **Suggested**, **System Repair**, **Search & Interface** or **Network**.\n\n## Available tasks {#tasks}\n\n- **Rebuild the Spotlight search index**: when search is slow or misses files. macOS re-indexes in the background after the task starts, and search results may be incomplete in the meantime.\n- **Repair Open With and file associations**: when the Open With menu shows duplicate or outdated apps.\n- **Refresh Quick Look file previews** and **Rebuild Finder icon cache**: when pressing Space shows a blank preview or icons look wrong.\n- **Restart Finder**: when Finder is slow, its windows stop responding or the desktop doesn't refresh.\n- **Restart the audio service**: when sound stops or audio devices disappear. Sound is briefly interrupted.\n- **Repair home folder permissions**: when Desktop, Documents or other home folders can't be opened or saved to.\n- **Restore settings changed by older optimizers**: returns App Nap, disk image verification and related options to their macOS defaults. It is marked **Suggested** when such changes are found.\n- **Check the startup disk file system**: checks for file system errors without changing disk contents.\n- **Refresh DNS cache**: when websites won't load or network services can't connect.\n\n## Run a task {#run}\n\nClick **Run** next to a task. Rebuilding the Spotlight index, restarting Finder, restarting the audio service and repairing home folder permissions first ask **Run this maintenance task?**, because they can take a while or briefly restart system components.\n\nWhile a task runs you see its phase, step and elapsed time, and WashBear checks the result when it ends. Only one task runs at a time. If you click **Run** on another task, it waits in line, and you can click **Cancel queued**. Tasks that don't need administrator approval can be stopped with **Stop**; some changes may already have taken effect, so click **Check Again** afterward.\n\n## Administrator approval {#admin}\n\nTasks marked **Administrator approval required** are rebuilding the Spotlight search index, restarting the audio service, repairing home folder permissions and refreshing the DNS cache. macOS asks for an administrator password when they run; if you cancel, the task does not run. Once approved and started, these tasks can't be stopped midway.\n\n## Good practice {#notes}\n\n- Save your work first, especially before tasks that restart Finder or audio.\n- Run a task only when you have the matching problem. There is no need to run every task as routine maintenance.\n- System Maintenance addresses common software problems and does not replace hardware diagnostics or data recovery. If disk errors keep coming back, back up important files and seek professional help.\n\n## Ask AI about a task {#ai}\n\nNot sure which task to run? Hover over it and click **AI explanation** to learn what problem it addresses and whether it needs extra permissions. See [AI Explanations](\u002Fdocs\u002Fai).\n",1793257450014]