Techtool Pro 20.1.7 — macOS

TechTool Protection is the part that keeps an eye on things after you've run a diagnosis. It watches the system in the background and can put a message on screen or send an email if something abnormal shows up. That's a feature worth understanding before you install, so here are the common questions.

What does TechTool Pro actually do?

It's a Mac utility for diagnosing and fixing problems. You get system testing, maintenance tools, and hard drive SMART tests in one interface, plus the ability to clone volumes.

How does TechTool Protection work?

It runs automatically in the background. When it detects a problem, it shows an on-screen message and can send an email notification. You configure this through the Techtool Protection settings.

Can it make a bootable drive?

Yes. Protogo is integrated for creating bootable diagnostic media, so you can test a Mac that won't start normally.

Start with the system overview to check drive health and memory

I usually start with a look at the system overview. That screen shows the basics: drive health, memory, and how the system feels. From there I can pick a specific area. If a client says their machine has been sluggish or has thrown up disk errors, I run the full SMART test on the hard drive first. That catches any state changes or approaching failures before they become real trouble.

Next is volume repair. Techtool Pro can fix damaged volumes, including SSDs, so that's where I go if the SMART report showed anything concerning. The repair runs and I let it finish without interrupting. After that, a file permissions restore is a good habit — it clears up odd permission problems that sometimes build up over time.

Cloning a volume is something I only reach for when a drive replacement is due. The recent build fixed a File Sync clone issue during verification, so I trust that step now. When the clone finishes, I run a quick volume repair on the new drive just for peace of mind.

For data recovery situations, Techtool Pro can detect bad blocks on a hard drive and try to recover files stored in those blocks. That's not a daily task, but when you need it, it matters. I let it scan overnight if the drive has physical damage — no rush.

Turn on automatic background monitoring and backup critical folders

Before running any tests, go into the Techtool Protection settings. Turn on automatic background monitoring so it watches the system without you having to remember. Set it to save backups of critical directories — pick your important folders, not everything. Enable the hard-drive SMART procedure monitoring and configure an email address for notifications. That way you get an alert when something changes rather than discovering it when the machine acts up.

I also set the protection to track removed files and monitor free disk space. Both are low-overhead checks that can save a lot of head-scratching later.

Always back up before repairs and never interrupt a SMART test

• Running repairs without a backup first. Even if Techtool Pro can recover data, you want a safety net. Clone or back up before you run a repair on a drive you care about.
• Interrupting a SMART test. Let it finish completely. Interrupting can leave the drive in an uncertain state and you won't know if the test results are trustworthy.
• Not checking the SMTP settings for email notifications. If you configure an email alert but the SMTP server details are wrong, you won't get the message. Test it after setup.
• Forgetting to set up Protogo before a problem happens. Creating a bootable diagnostic drive takes a few minutes when the system is healthy. Doing it while a Mac won't boot is frustrating. Make it ahead of time.

What you need to know before installing Techtool Pro

Background monitoring won't slow your machine on modern Macs

TechTool Protection runs monitoring tasks like checking free disk space and tracking removed files, but it's designed to work without noticeably affecting performance on any system running macOS 10.13 or later. On modern hardware with enough memory, you won't feel it. On an older machine, the SMART test might take a few minutes when you run it, but that's not a background task.

Works on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs

Yes. Version 20.1.7 (9559) works on both ARM and x86 (64-bit) architectures. I've used it on machines with both types of processors without any issues.

Keep the SN.txt file safe for easy reinstallation

The standard installation process uses the downloaded disk image and the included SN.txt for activation. If you keep that file stored somewhere safe, reinstalling is straightforward. There's no online activation server to worry about.

You need a separate copy for each Mac

That depends on how you set it up. The software itself installs per machine, and the activation file handles that. For multiple machines, you'd need a copy for each one. The included instructions cover how activation works for your situation.

This build (9559) fixed a crash that could occur when TechTool Monitor launched. That was the main change in this release.

• Fixed a crash that could occur when TechTool Monitor launched.

• macOS 10.13 High Sierra or later
• Intel or Apple Silicon
• Interface language: English