Monday's Mac Gadget by John F. Braun Installer Observer Tracks Your System Installs Monday August 2nd, 1999   Installer Observer 1.5 (Freeware) Zach Schneirov When installing new software, most installers will create some sort of log showing files that were added or removed. Unfortunately, this log is not always created, or you may have misplaced or replaced the logs. This is important for many Mac users, especially those that may have the occasional problem after installing new software. If only there were a way to take a snapshot of the current state of your system files, and compare it to the state of your system after an installer has done its work… Installer Observer performs this very task. It will make note of the contents of your System, Control Panels, Extensions, Apple Menu Items and Preferences folders, and store this in a Conditions file. In the main program window, you can click on a button to scan the current state, or use the menu to load a previous Conditions file. At this point, you can click the Examine Changes button, and if any files have been added or deleted, this info will be displayed. You can also save this change info in an Observations file. Extra goodies include the option of excluding specific files from the scan, asking the program to make a backup of your System file, and configuring the program to automatically scan when it detects an installation taking place. Installer Observer is not only useful for finding out what those crazy installers are doing to your system, but can be used for detecting any sort of messing around with the contents of important folders. This can be especially useful in a shared environment, where hoards of newbies may fiddle with the system without knowing what they are doing. Schools, libraries, and even Internet Cafés fall into this category. Useful Link Installer Observer Home Page The Main Program Window Detailed Information About Which Files Have Been Added or Removed Monday's Mac Gadget is here to help you with those cool things that we all just have to have on our Macs. Shareware, Freeware, Postcardware, Emailware, and even commercial apps, Monday's Mac Gadget is here to help you find and use the best of these programs. John is a software engineer who works in the corporate R&D group of a Fortune 500 company, focusing on all aspects of communications technology. He has several degrees that claim he knows what he's doing when it comes to computers. After watching co-workers reinstall Windows, search for device drivers, and experience other horrors during the day, he's glad that he comes home to a Mac (compatible) computer. Have any comments, suggestions, or favorite Gadgets? Drop John a line at You can also Post Your Comments below. Current Monday's Mac Gadget Want to Supercharge Your Dock? Check Out Todos! - August 21st Worried About Your Mac Getting Jacked? Get JackSMS - June 12th Want iChat with Tabs? Try Chax! - April 3rd Visit Monday's Mac Gadget Archives for more great Mac Gadgets!