Possible to use airport extreme as second hard drive? I'm running 10.10.5, on a 13 inch macbook pro. Was wondering if I could use my airport extreme as an extra hard drive?

Do you mean a USB drive attached to the AirPort Extreme?

The router does not itself have a hard drive. And the facility to add a hard drive is meant as a backup or network storage not as a second hard drive per se.

That being said, you could use this option for storage of seldom used files that may be taking up too much room on your MBP. But accessing them will be much slower than files on your computer. If that is acceptable to you then it will work out well for you.

Good luck!


Will the new iPad Mini update to iOS8 when activated the first time? My boyfriend bought me an iPad Mini last September and until now it is on the box he didn't open it because he wanted me to open it on my own, but the thing is the iPad will arrived here in the Philippines on December. My question is when i open or turn on the ipad is it updated to ios 8 right away or I will be the one to update it?

You will need to update it yourself. The iPad most likely has iOS 7 on it, and will only update itself once you have confirmed that you would like it to be updated.


How do I determine how full a remote volume is? I use a remote volume on my wife's Mac Mini as a shared music library. How do I know how full that volume is getting without logging into her machine? Get Info is unavailable.

To get those informations mount the shared volume(s), open Terminal.app, enter df and hit Enter.

You will get a result similar to that one:

Filesystem                              512-blocks       Used  Available Capacity  Mounted on
/dev/disk0s2                            1463469952  960523624  502434328    66%    /
devfs                                          743        743          0   100%    /dev
map -hosts                                       0          0          0   100%    /net
map auto_home                                    0          0          0   100%    /home
map -fstab                                       0          0          0   100%    /Network/Servers
/dev/disk1s2                            7813298080 7407284144  406013936    95%    /Volumes/TimeMachine
afp_5Z456sdchuia84afaufhjdsg-1.2d000004 7813093280 7196533600  616559680    93%    /Volumes/SharedVolume

If you enter df -h instead of df you will get "human-readable" sizes. Those numbers are in TiB/GiB/MiB instead of TB/GB/MB though. Finder shows the sizes in TB/GB/MB.

In the example /dev/disk0s2 is the internal system volume mounted to /,
/dev/disk1s2 is an external USB drive with a volume mounted to /TimeMachine
and afp_5Z456sdchuia84afaufhjdsg-1.2d000004 is an AFP-share mounted to SharedVolume. Your names may vary, especially the filesystem name (afp_....) of the shared volume on the remote Mac.

The volume in question is the last one starting with afp_ which is the shared volume mounted to your desktop containing the shared music library. Use the name of the mount point to determine the relevant share if you have several entries.

All numbers (except the "Capacity") are blocks à 512 Byte.
So in my example the shared volume ("SharedVolume") has a size of 4000,3 GB with 3684,6 GB occupied and 315,7 GB free. The used capacity is ~93%.


How can I make Apple's keyboard shortcuts work in Chrome? Mavericks has a TextExpander-like feature that lets me create text shortcuts for long phrases. (When I type "ttys," for example, it replaces it with "talk to you soon.")

The feature works beautifully -- except in Chrome, where it won't work at all.

Any advice on how to make it work?

Chrome doesn't call Apple's spell checking code and instead wrote their own keyboard handling routines. Since this is how the program was made, there's not much of a workaround except to do your typing in a program that calls Apple's text input libraries and paste the results into Chrome. (Similar to how Dictionary lookup using Control-Command-D didn't work for several years on Chrome either until the code was updated to call Apple's SDK for that function).

You can see this Chromium bug might apply and also, that Chrome is in the process of removing it's own spell checker / autocorrect mechanism and shifting to rely on Apple's implementation: https://code.google.com/p/chromium/issues/list?q=label:Cr-UI-Browser-Spellcheck


How to run apple hardware test on mavericks? I have a 2009 IMac, which came with Mountain Lion. I've upgraded to 10.9.latest (Mavericks). Now, my imac has started freezing up all the time - I've tried reinstalling from the recovery partition but even that hangs, so I think I've got a hardware fault. How can I run the hardware test though?

I've tried holding D down - that just gives me the standard recovery mode options (restore from time machine, disk utility etc). I've tried inserting the original Mountain lion dvd and booting it - no options there either. I don't have the physical media for mavericks, just the DVD for mountain lion.

Update: I also have a snow leopard DVD, which doesn't seem to offer me any more options !

Can anyone shed some light?

Since it does not show up with D at start up lets look for it on your hard drive.

The AHT is stuffed into an AHTxx.dmg file and found on the Recovery HD volume that is also hidden.

First you have to make the hidden partitions visible

To enable the see all partitions in Disk Utility (the Debug Menu)

defaults write com.apple.DiskUtility DUDebugMenuEnabled 1

In Disk utility now there will be a tab called Debug.

Use it to show hidden partition.

You will now see the Hidden partition called Recovery and EFI.

Mount the Recovery to see the files in finder and find the AHTxx.dmg

If it is not there, try using internet recovery with cmd-r.

see this for more options.

Also, you might be able to download a copy of AHT using this link and providing the correct 4 digit model number. (upekkha on Github provides a handy list of mac models with the accompanying download link and more info.)

Apple does not publish that list since it is kind off back door to they service.

Here are few of them

2579 for Mac-F4218FC8 iMac6,1

2535 for Mac-F4218EC8 iMac5,2

2534 for Mac-F4228EC8 iMac5,1

2533 for Mac-F42786A9 iMac5,1


Trash folder not a directory, files only delete immediately Trash is not storing files any more. When I drag something to the trash it only presents the option to delete the item immediately and that I can't undo the change. I had a look at the folder in terminal:

$ ls -ld ~/.Trash
----------  1 Nic  staff  0 13 Aug 08:35 /User/Nic/.Trash

When I remove the Trash with:

$ rm -rf ~/.Trash

and restart the computer, it works for a few days, then it stops working again.

Your trash has been turned into a plain file with no permissions.

rm ~/.Trash
mkdir -m 700 ~/.Trash

and normality should be restored.


Apple Trackpad Causing Long Keypress Events In the last day my Apple Magic Trackpad has started to cause long keypress events when I type on the keyboard.

For example, pressing 'a' in a browser menu bar will cause the accent popup to appear. Pressing 'cmd+t' will cause multiple tabs to open, and causes the 'File' menu to noticeably flicker as if being selected.

This even happens on the login screen. It is impossible to for to log in if trackpad is enabled, since each keypress produces multiple entries in my password.

Is anyone familiar with this situation and a potential fix?

I have the same issue - still not managed to find a fix - I only noticed by chance when the keyboard issue went away if I disconnected the magic trackpad.


Problems with color consistency on Apple Thunderbolt Display When I got my 27" thunderbolt display, set it up with my 2011 lion MBP was working as it should, my desktop backgrounds was being shared or extended across the displays, when I hit mission control I can see on both displays exactly the same 6 desktop spaces with the pictures I set for their backgrounds, when I draged google chrome or fusion 4 to the external display I was able to make either one full screen just as normal and keep on working on my laptop with other apps(note: my dock & toolbar were on my MBP screen all the time).

Then close the lid on my MBP and went to lunch, when I came back I found that my perfect set up was turned into the nightmare everyone else is living thru the forums all over the internet,the background and mission control backgrounds were the stock lion galaxy looking thing on the external which seems like my MBP desktop wasn't being shared or extended over to the external display any more, and when enable any app to full screen mode on the external display the app jump to the macbook's display and the external"s background tuns gray with a pattern and turns practically unusable compared to the way it should work, you should by able to work on both screen at the same time otherwise would be pointless to have a $999+tax external display functioning this way.

I tried plugging the display with the laptop off and turning it back off, restarting, went thru all the options on displays preferences(which are like 3) and nothing corrected it, so I took it to the Apple store the guy didn't know much more than what I do since his troubleshooting strategy was the same as mine and unsuccessful, the guy "escalated" the issue and made me an appointment, long story short, the guy couldn't figure it out and clammed that the computer was acting as it should, so I was pretty sure that if he connect another MBP to the display it was gonna act the same as mine at the beginning but I was wrong, it was as messed up as mine was.
so I decided to call Apple support and the guy was supposedly a display expert and said he knew what I was talking about but I had to purchase a $180 plan for a year or $60 for a week so I can have support over the phone and attempt to fix the problem, later he sent me an email asking for my MBP specs to make some research... provably the same goggling I've been doing the las couple of days.

I'm not really interested in a workaround kinda fix but into knowledgeable way to some how fine tune some settings to get it working as it was when I first plugged in the monitor.

I use a couple of Apple scripts to move windows to specific positions when I switch between using the Cinema display and using just the Air.

Blog: http://www.andrewcassell.com/blog/2012/remember-mac-window-positions/

Github: https://github.com/cassell/Mac-Window-Posititioner


When I changed permissions on an NTFS drive, all files are hidden in Finder. How do I make them visible again? I have a Seagate external hard drive which is formatted in NTFS. The hard drive came with this Paragon NTFS driver. It works great, but when I clicked "Apply Permissions to Enclosed Items" in the sharing preferences panel (shown below for clarity), all the files on that drive are now invisible in finder. This happens no matter what I select for the permissions.

I know the files are all there, since lsing in the terminal shows them, but they just don't appear in the finder. Also, all the directories on the drive do appear, so only single files are affected.

I'd rather not reformat to HFS+ since this drive is sometimes used by Windows computers. Is there something else I can try?

Open Terminal and type: defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles -bool true; killall Finder. As suggested in the command, it shows all hidden files.


Should I install the AX88179 USB Ethernet Driver - or any other external driver? I try to avoid external drivers that require root permissions to install, as they might break regular functionality/integrity easily, yet it seems like a must to install them sometimes.

I bought a USB 3.0 HUB with an Ethernet port, it seems to use an AX88179 chip, a common one as I see, it doesn't get recognised automatically

Should I risk it and install the drivers or keep using the Wi-Fi instead and not fix something that's not broken?

Should be safe, but make sure you have a backup to revert to - just in case.

Current drivers would appear to be v2.2, according to the Asix site

[untested]


How does MacOSX 10.5 chose between networks with the same SSID? I have a Linksys router with dual-band networking. I set the 5ghz band to WirelessN and the 2.4ghz band to wirelessG. If I set them both to the same SSID, will the Mac automatically chose the faster WirelessN band? Is there a preference I need to set for this?

No - the timing of the beaconing signals and whichever is the strongest SSID in the limited window it looks gets chosen. It's a flip of the coin most times. The N does win out more than the G - but it's not a surefire thing by any stretch.


Can I Save Open Dialog Windows Size and Filesystem Location? Sometimes I have to upload, attach, open, insert, multiple files into various programs and websites.  Often I have to do many in a row.  Every time I "Browse" to add a file, OSX or Finder takes me back to its default location and the window defaults back to this little square that I have to then widen and navigate back to the directory I was just in, every time.  Can OSX be told to always use the last file location and window size for an Open dialog, no matter what program is being used?

That functionality is how the Finder works at present. Sizes made to a dialog in an app should be saved across open actions (but the window position isn't saved as this window gets drawn to be centered and a bit below the active window.) Changes to the underlying window are supposed to affect the open dialog.

Are you using safari or some other program to "browse"?

Have you looked at software like DefaultFolderX to add better tracking of the recent folders? I don't know if it will help with the sizing, but it has been doing the default folder trick for ages and ages and is very stable and well supported.

Lastly, do check how the Apple apps like Safari, TextEdit and Pages work. Many third party applications don't implement file open / file save / file choose according to the user interface guidelines. Much of this is fairly technical but documented at developer.apple.com in the Human Interface Guidelines. See the open and choose discussion here if you want to know how this happens in code.

In a nutshell - OSX does save folder and size while a program is running but not generally saved after the speficic application is quit. A programmer can make their program do anything - so even if OSX wants to go to the last folder, if the program says to always open the home folder you will need a plug in like DefaultFolder or that program to change.


Track last known location of iPad mini (2) without "Find My Phone" I recently seem to have lost my iPad mini. I had expected Apple to have some functionality for lost devices enabled by default, but I notice that I cannot use Find My Phone via the iCloud interface, as I had not enabled the service myself.

I am wondering whether I could somehow retrieve my GPS location history, though, so I can at least find out in what country I have lost it (I was travelling form Switzerland to Germany, and if my iPad made it with me to Germany, it should have reconnected to the network there). This used to be possible with Android devices over Google Latitude. Is it somehow possible for Apple devices?

Also, is there any way I can block my iPad? Or any other location/blocking functionality which I can use at this point?

If you have not set up any tracking service, then you will not be able to track the device. The device does not save its location history to the cloud without such a service being set up.

If your iPad had a SIM card, you can able to talk to the provider who may be able to tell you where the device is — not as accurate as GPS but will give you an idea of the country at the very least.

You're not going to be able to 'block' the iPad either since you haven't activated Find my iPhone, but the SIM card provider can block the SIM card.


Can I change the URL for RSS feed in NetNewsWire? Is it possible to change the URL of a RSS feed in NetNewsWire? And if so, how?

I am using NetNewsWire ver. 3.2.15

The feed URL can only be edited if Google Reader sync is off.

Select the feed in the left column and press ⌘I to bring up the feed info window.  Click on the triangle next to the URLs entry and you will get a text box that will allow you to edit the feed URL.  There are a bunch of other setting there that allow you to do things like specify how often a particular feed is updated, how long articles are kept, etc.


Getting rid of icloud on old iphone Bought an iphone 6.  Set my old phone iphone 5 back to factory settings and gave to a young friend.  She keeps saying icloud is stopping her from using it. Took it back and did another factory reset via iTunes.  She went into mobile shop with it but she now says I need to give her my apple or icloud password or, go to 'find my phone' select 'all devices' to open list of devices linked to my account on the old phone. Not mobile savvy, too old to learn new tricks.

Go to Settings on iCloud.com, then look at the My Devices section.
In the list of devices, click the one you want to remove.
Click the Delete button (x) next to the device. If you don’t see the Delete button, click Remove Device (below the device serial number or IMEI number).

For full instructions please see here:
https://help.apple.com/icloud/#mm25565a6496


How to Find/Filter for 24-bit audio files in Finder or iTunes or another software (if needed)? (audio bit depth / sample size) I have a large iTunes library of lossless music. Some of it is 24-bit, which does not work on iPhones nor with Google Play (most audio is 16-bit, and this metric only applies to lossless formats). I'd like to isolate the 24-bit files so that I can convert them to 16-bit formats. How can I find them?

iTunes is aware of this as "sample size" - it appears in each file's "get info" under "File" tab. However, it is not a sortable column. It is not in Finder "get info."

Using the appropriate filters in Finder search, does not do anything (all files appear), or, perhaps I'm not doing it right, in which case please tell me how!
I know about the auto downsampling option for iPhone sync, which is great, except that it forces you to a lossy format (max 256 kbps). There is no option for 16-bit lossless downsampling, and this does not help at all with Google Play.
My files are in Apple Lossless format (Some were converted from FLAC using XLD and some were ripped from CD directly).

I've been fiddling with this all day - so far all I can say is 'I agree, Finder search does not find files by bit rate or depth'. MediaInfo will tell you - but that would be really tedious.

I did notice too, that the 'Bits per Sample' flag in Finder's column view always just shows a double dash '--'
It's fine for AIF & WAV, but not FLAC, ALAC, MP3 etc

I did think I had a late revelation…

EasyFind (freeware) can nearly do it. It generates false positives on some flac files I tested it against, but it did find all the 24-bit files… it just 'found' some 16-bit too for no reason I can discern.
Test 2, on 16 & 24-bit ALAC files - fails, doesn't even find all the 24s… back to the drawing board.

I thought I'd just post this 'non-answer' as a 'this isn't being ignored' & see if anyone else can get any further.


Export cached webpage in Safari I have a webpage cached in Safari in iOS. The website isn't available anymore. Is there an option to export the website somehow? I don't have AirPrint ...

I searched for AirPrint and because I have a Netgear router I used Netgear genie. Work wonderful. Can't save the page but I printed it.


Cloned and changed HDD; now almost every program crashes on startup As the title suggests I cloned my mac hdd using CCC and bootcamped and restored win 7 on the bootcamp partition.

It would seem that everything worked out as planned but the first thing I noticed was that chrome wouldn't launch. It would crash instantly. So I re-installed it which did nothing. I then proceeded to remove the application support folder for Chrome and then re-installed. Nope.

I then noticed that NONE of my applications that aren't from Apple (apart from Unity3d which actually runs) will start. They all "quit unexpectedly". I have tried to repair dependencies and I have controlled the integrity of my drive. It repaired a bunch of dependencies but couldn't find anything wrong with the disk. I have a hunch it has something to do with when I restored the windows 7 installation but I can't be sure of that.

Anyone have the slightest idea what's going on? How would I fix this without having to wipe the mac installation?

Thanks for reading!

Edit
After having a look in system.log I can see something that might indicate that something is bad with the partitioning. Every crash looks like this:

Jun 28 14:47:53 MacBook-Pro ReportCrash[3461]: [CrashReport _extractBinaryImageInfoUsingSymbolicator] caught exception: Called memoryAtAddress: 0xa0a5b794, which is in an unmappable portion of [0x0 -> 0xffffffffffffffff] in PID# 3457. (0x1005cb796 0x100b750f3 0x1007b4ec6 0x10000494c 0x100004fc3 0x10085c362 0x100848b7a 0x100004ac0 0x100005956 0x1008477fd 0x10000541c 0x100007fb4 0x100008aa0 0x10000ad72 0x10000ab4f 0x10095f9dc 0x10000a256 0x1009534f6 0x1009533a9)
Jun 28 14:47:53 MacBook-Pro com.apple.launchd.peruser.501[295] ([0x0-0x9e09e].dk.Otee.Unity_Unitron[3457]): Job appears to have crashed: Bus error
Jun 28 14:47:53 MacBook-Pro ReportCrash[3461]: Saved crash report for Unitron[3457] version ??? (???) to /Users/phil/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Unitron_2011-06-28-144753_MacBook-Pro.crash

[ ... ]
Disregard my previous answer. I looked at the crash log again, and did a few searches and tracked down the following (source):

In a normal Crash Report there is an appended list of apps and utilities (the Binaries), which this crash report hasn't managed to capture...
That crash is happening very early in the launch and the Report is incomplete. The app is trying to use areas of unmapped memory and this can be caused by three factors: The Application or the Data (Your Library) and in rare circumstances, the OS.
So lets start by eliminating some possibilities:

Edited for your situation:

Create a new account (System Preferences -> Accounts), install Chrome, and see if you can launch it. If the application launches successfully, then it's likely your 3P apps are okay and the problem is something in the main account.


Has anyone had troubles with an iPhone 4's battery life failing after upgrading from iOS 6 to iOS 7? After I upgraded my iPhone 4 from iOS 6 to 7, I have experienced my phone running out of power before the end of the day on a night charge (I know it's easy to run a full charge down during the day if you use an iPhone heavily enough, but my usage has been light enough to usually have less than 1GB data transfer per month--I don't use my iPhone much by general standards, but it is extremely useful to me when I do use it).

Also, it takes longer than usual to charge enough to use while connected, and I have had at least one time when I started it charging, powered it up, and worn down the battery enough that it shut down while powered down.

Is this an iOS 7 issue? Or an iPhone 4 issue? Or an iOS 7 + iPhone 4 issue? Or an old battery issue?

I am not aware of any significant changes besides the OS migration; I treat technology, including iPhones, carefully, and I am not aware of having dropped it or otherwise caused damage.

I went on the Apple site and gave the serial number, and the site said my iPhone 4 is no longer under warranty, but I could purchase a support incident for $20. Is that $20 likely to cover my phone with earlier battery life, or does the $20 buy, "We'll look at it and give you an estimate for replacement parts or other repairs"?

I'd be interested in knowing what the diagnosis and prognosis are likely to be. I'm happy to continue with this phone, but the battery issues are a marked problem for now.

Thanks,

There are a few reasons iOS 7.1 upgrade slows down your iPhone 4/4S.

http://www.imore.com/top-5-tips-speed-iphone-4-or-iphone-4s-running-ios-7

Background app refresh
Transparency and motion/Parallax

Have you tried disabling these?


What's the equivalent of windows explorer? The documentation says that Finder replaces windows explorer.  However I have gone to my home directory in a terminal and created a directory with

mkdir temp

How can I browse this directory using Finder?  At the moment I cannot see it at all.

You can access the finder via the Dock:

When in the terminal, you can open the current directory in the terminal via:
open .

Here's a finder window. I've created the directory ~/temp like you said.

You can also ⌘-click the info icon at the very top to see the path:


Remove app from Location Services? I've used App Cleaner which clears preference and associated files, but I can't clear it from Location Services permissions list in System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy.

Any idea how to remove it?

It took me a while to narrow down the file that contains the list of apps shown in that system pref pane, but I finally found.  The list of apps is stored in /var/db/locationd/clients.plist. Once I found that juicy bit of info a quick Google search revealed this related posting on superuser.com: Remove Applications from Location Services in Security & Privacy on Mac OS X 10.8. That post is more of an answer than a question. It contains detailed step-by-step instructions on how to remove the no longer installed app from the list.


Startup sound is gone - how do I get it back? I've seen many questions regarding the startup sound being BACK. I have a different experience.
I have a Mac Mini (Late 2014) and it always DID have a startup sound (right after pressing the power button). Unfortunately that sound is gone since I updated to Big Sur.
I checked System Preferences -> Sound. But the checkbox for "play sound on startup" is checked. I even tried unchecking and rechecking it. But to no avail. Sound works fine for other things so it's not the speaker being broken.
So how do I get the sound back?

Try the following command on the Terminal
sudo nvram StartupMute=%00


Unable to disconnect from iPhone Personal Hotspot I can connect to my iPhone hotspot through Wi-Fi on my MacBook Air, but when I then click "Disconnect from my iPhone" in the Wi-Fi menu, nothing happens.

The only method I could use disconnect is to disable Personal Hotspot on the iPhone itself.

Disconnecting on my MacBook used to work prior to upgrading to OS X 10.11, El Capitan. Any idea of a fix?

I solved my problem following bmike's instructions: I rebooted my computer!


How do I import a second photo library into iCloud Photos? Since my MacBook doesn't have enough disk space for all my photos, I took an external USB HDD and created a second photo library. That was back then with Aperture. Now I have moved to the new Photos app and the iCloud photo library.

How do I move the pictures from the external HDD library to iCloud Photos? The Photos app refuses to use iCloud Photos when switching to the external library:

I have two solutions now. First, there seems to be some software out there, namely Powerphotos, which can manage multiple libraries for the Photos app.

Second, one can select the external library as the system library and then sync it with iCloud. This is obviously a bit stupid if you want to keep the libraries separate. But in my case this is ok, since I merely want to get all my pictures into the iCloud Photos.

If you still need multiple libraries, you probably should use PowerPhotos and copy pictures from the dedicated libraries to the system library using that tool.


Applescript for deleting desktop files upon logout I'm completely new to Applescript and currently very busy at work. I don't have time to learn it, I will once I find some free time, so I decided to ask you, the experts, for help.

I need an Applescript that will delete all desktop files upon log out. I'm currently running a Mac Lab with 40 iMacs and our students constantly save filed to Desktop, which creates a lot of clutter.

Is there any specific reason why you wouldn't want to have your students use a Guest Account on the system instead? That would allow you to provide them restricted access to the system while deleting all their files on logout automatically.

To enable a guest user:

Go to System Preferences > Users & Groups
Click the lock icon to unlock it if necessary and type an administrator name and password
Select the Guest User in the list of accounts from the left sidebar
Check the option Allow guests to log in to this computer
You can also setup restrictions through Parental Controls by checking the option Enable parental controls and then clicking on Open Parental Controls...

See:
Using the Guest Account in OS X
OS X Mountain Lion: Set up guest users
OS X Lion: Set up a guest account


iPhone backup encryption with password cannot be disabled Hi have backups which encrypted with passwords and i know the backup password, i can restore it.
There is not any problem.

But i want to disable encrypting backup with password, here is the problem.
In iTunes Encrypt "iPhone backup with password" checkbox is checked and disabled.
So i cannot be able to change it.

My phone had a Profile, which forces backups to be encrypted.

To enable unencrypted iPhone backups again, I removed any Profiles from my phone under Settings -> General -> Profiles.

Profiles can be either Provisioning or Configuration Profiles, and are used for iPhone development and by Enterprise Deployment tools. More information about profiles can be found in the Apple Enterprise Deployment Guide.


In FireFox, how can I make new windows start blank with the focus in the URL bar? In FireFox version 50 on OS X 10.10.5, when I create a new window (using ⌘-N), the new window opens with the FireFox logo and the input focus on the search field in the middle of the page:

I would really much rather prefer to start with a blank page and the input focus in the URL bar. How can I configure FireFox to behave that way?

In my FireFox Preferences, in the General tab, for "When Firefox starts" I have the setting "Show my windows and tabs from last time" and I want to keep that setting. Hopefully whatever is needed to change the ⌘-N behavior does not need to change the value of this preference setting.

Update Note: The original answer was applicable to Firefox version 50, and somewhere along the way Mozilla added what's shown directly below. (From Firefox version 66.0.5).

Firefox (menu) > Preferences… ⌘` then click Home and set Homepage and new windows and New tabs to: Blank Page

Original Answer

To have Firefox open a new window to a blank page, you'll need to set the Home Page to about:blank under General preferences (about:preferences#general in the Address bar).

Then when pressing ⌘N, this is what a new window will look like when it opens:


Why is my launchctl program not accepting external connections? I am trying to set up the Check_MK agent with launchd on a Mac server, to return data over port 6556 when another machine connects to it.

(The agent itself is essentially just a shell script that outputs various information about the machine's status in a vaguely machine-readable format.)

I am able to connect to it from the machine itself, e.g. with curl localhost:6556, but if I try to connect externally, it just times out.

I have a .plist file set up like the one at de.mathias-kettner.check_mk.plist, stored in /Library/LaunchDaemon:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
        <key>EnvironmentVariables</key>
        <dict>
                <key>HOME</key>
                <string>/var/root</string>
                <key>PATH</key>
                <string>/sbin:/usr/sbin:/usr/local/sbin:/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/local/bin</string>
        </dict>
        <key>Label</key>
        <string>de.mathias-kettner.check_mk</string>
        <key>ProgramArguments</key>
        <array>
                <string>/usr/local/bin/check_mk_agent</string>
        </array>
        <key>Sockets</key>
        <dict>
                <key>Listeners</key>
                <dict>
                        <key>SockServiceName</key>
                        <string>6556</string>
                </dict>
        </dict>
        <key>inetdCompatibility</key>
        <dict>
                <key>Wait</key>
                <false/>
        </dict>
        <key>AbandonProcessGroup</key>
        <true/>
        <key>StandardErrorPath</key>
        <string>/var/log/check_mk.err</string>
        <key>WorkingDirectory</key>
        <string>/var/root</string>
</dict>
</plist>

(The only difference is that the check_mk_agent is /usr/local/bin instead of /usr/bin, because I couldn't create the file there.)

The check_mk_agent file itself can be found at: check_mk_agent.macosx

The strange thing is, if I point the .plist file to something like /bin/date, then it works externally as well.

The only thing I can conclude is that the task runs with different permissions depending on the IP or interface the connection comes from, but I don't know how to change the permissions it tries to run with.

why you are not using ssh to request the data from the agent at the mac?
https://mathias-kettner.de/checkmk_datasource_programs.html
You need not the launchd.

regards,
Oliver


About this Mac shows wrong graphics on Macbook pro 15" late 2011 When I check out the Graphics on 'About this Mac' it says that it is using the Intel HD Graphics 3000 384 MB even if I also have an AMD Radeon HD 6750M. Also when i click on 'Displays'-tab, i see the Intel HD Graphics 3000.

I am note sure which one is used, and how do I change so the right and better card is used?

I am using OS X Mountain Lion on a Macbook Pro 15" late 2011.

You could try using gfxCardStatus which will show you in your menu bar which chipset is currently active and let you specify one or the other.
Current MacBook Pros dynamically switch between their two different graphics chipsets depending upon system load and currently active application; for example, the tech specs page of the current MacBook Pro lists the following:

Intel HD Graphics 4000
NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M with 1GB of GDDR5
memory and automatic graphics switching


Apple Enterprise account taking too much time for verification I enrolled in an Apple Enterprise account, and after 13 days I got a call from Apple and they verified my company. They then told me that they will call me again for further verification. Its been 20 days and still no response.

I called Apple for the status of my account, but they only have one answer: your enrollment is still being processed -- don't worry.

After several months I’m not getting the feeling Apple is going to approve this. Can I take any actions to expedite this?

If you don’t get an initial status after 15 business days, it might be worth checking in with developer support to check if you can help clarify anything. With the recent news of large companies that should have known better being publicly caught using enterprise certificates to surveil non-employees and minors, I would only expect the requirements to qualify for enterprise accounts to get more legalistic and involve more paperwork. Also, there’s not much reason to go enterprise anymore so make sure you even need that capabilities before you undertake the vetting process.

On the good news, I’ve been seeing Apple just decline enterprise accounts and tell people to get a normal account. If Apple hasn’t offered that, I would reach out to the sales channel that took your money and/or developer relations (if you have a personal account) to check if you can submit any information to speed their review.

If they see you as a legitimate business and you have submitted more than a handful of apps through TestFlight then it will be far easier to make the case you are an enterprise. I would expect Apple to make a formal change to say that a requirement for an enterprise account would be to have three individual accounts submit apps to show that you’ve outgrown the normal developer path. You don’t have to release anything on the app stores publicly to show you’re an enterprise and submitting honest builds - everything can be internal testing.

I would expect that the number of enterprise companies that don’t have an account at this point is so low, the majority of applications are not truly enterprise 10 years in to this process.

I tried to enroll my company to Apple Enterprise program, but get message "Cannot enroll in Apple Developer program"
How to appeal rejection by Apple for Developer Enterprise Account?

My answer to the second question above has one public report of this shifting enterprise apps to normal accounts going forward. Time will tell if my hunch is right or if you just need your legal and business departments within the enterprise to contact Apple to show you have several developers and need of enterprise capabilities.


Unlocked iPhone 4S w/no SIM Card-how to start up without contract I am using Android phone on Verizon now.
Last weekend, I got a present from friend "ARCCOS Golf" system which only works together with iPhone 4S or later.
I contacted ARCCOS support center and got the confirmation of "Unlocked iPhone 4S" can be used for Wi-Fi only (without contract) mode which I bought from Amazon.com and tried to start the iPhone 4S. It was stuck on "Insert SIM" but I do not have SIM Card nor I do not know how to insert it etc.
Please help me!!!
Thanks, S H Keum

Just a get a dummy SIM card off of eBay or maybe even from Verizon. Also look on the left side of the iPhone and you should see an oval indented with a hole in it. Stick a paperclip straight in and the tray holding the SIM card should pop out. If this isn't clear enough, I'm sure there is some YouTube videos on the subject.


How can I connect to the internet by sim card? I have a ipad mini 2 and I can connect to the internet via WiFi as well. My ipad is cellular model and I've putted a sim card in it. But when I turn off the wifi, the internet will be die and I cannot open a web page. Here is my screen shots:

Ok well as you see, my sim card supports 3G technology but sadly I cannot use the internet via the sim card's internet connection. What's wrong and how can I create a internet connection based on the sim card?

The first thing you should do is make sure that your model iPad supports the cellular network you're trying to connect to.

In America, we have two major cellular networks, GSM and CDMA. I suspect that this is the heart of your issue.

Apple's support website has a webpage that helps identify your model so you can continue troubleshooting.

If push comes to shove, you'll need to either call your cell provider or go into one of their stores to have them resolve the issue by either giving you a new SIM or reactivating the device on their network.


Book and citation managers for OS X I want to resolve two issues: keep track of my (e)books and be able to insert and manager citations or references with Scrivener.

I would like to see what would you recommend for this.

I found and interesting tread on http://www.literatureandlatte.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=12367 but for the moment it does not contain enough feedback for making a decision.

Please suggest answers only if you successfully used the product(s) for some time.

If you have different alternatives it would be good idea to add them as separated answers.

So far I identified:

Calibre
Papers
Bookends
Sente
EndNote
BibDesk
Mendeley
Zotero

Main features I am looking for:

ability to manage ebooks (or alt least PDF ebooks)
ability to get books information by using one or more online services
ability to build a bibliography listing
manage cites
integration with Scrivener (to insert a reference or a cite)
(optional) possibility to copy/share books to iPad and read them from there.

You should definitely look at Papers. The new version (Papers 2) was released a few weeks ago, and while not completely rock stable, I really can't live without it !

It has pretty much all the features you asked. You can manage books (and ebooks), each entry in the "database" is linked to one or more files (.pdf most of the time).

In addition in Papers 2 the citation process has been completely updated, you should have a look at their website about that.

There also a version for iOS and synchronization between your devices is apparently very easy.


Can I use an external monitor with my late 2009 21.5 inch iMac? Basically, I'm wondering with the proper cables if can hook up an additional monitor to my late 2009 21.5" iMac. I know the 27" iMacs are able to be hooked up to external monitors, I'm just worried I won't be able to in the 21.5". Does anyone know if this will be possible?

The support page shows that you can connect it to an external monitor.

Apple Mini DisplayPort video port
Using the Mini DisplayPort video output port, mirror video or extend the size of your Mac OS X desktop (extended desktop mode) with a compatible DVI (Digital Visual Interface) display or VGA (Video Graphics Display) or projector using the appropriate Mini DisplayPort adapter:


How do i restore data from an iCloud backup to my PC after my hard drive crashed? My windows PC crashed and I need access to my photos from iCloud. I installed the iCloud control panel but it only shows my photo stream which is roughly 30 days of photos.

I need to restore ALL of my photos from an iCloud backup to my windows PC.

Is this possible?

iLoot (free) can help you for iCloud restoring! no device needed!
just tried it, worked fine and restored everything.


Why does Apple Mail not provide default color font choice? After switching from PCs I was astonished to find I could only write emails in black, unless I wanted to take extra steps to change the black to another color, wasting time.  Is it so difficult to provide default color?  It's done for email "quote levels."

Apple Mail, since at least 10.4, has never provided a way to set a default font or color that will be seen by recipients.  The preferences settings are for local viewing only. Many have asked for this to be changed, but they clearly do not care. You have to use another email client or one of the addons which have been created to compensate for this (whose names escape me at the moment).


F11 not presenting code of Macaulay 2 to the Emacs buffer in OSX I am setting up Emac Version 24.4 (9.0) for Macaulay 2. This results to the following error: pressing F11 should present the input of the buffer above, instead it prints "-- end of buffer *M2-demo-buffer*". I don't know:

How can I get the emacs to present the code in the above buffer as in the picture?

Related the last question, in other words with different buffer, how can I get the code highlighted with mouse to be presented to Macaulay 2 buffer in Emacs with F11?

The F keys are not mapped in dashboard or expose.

This point is missing in instructions to set up M2 for emacs in OSX.

I solved the problem this way, thanks to Marc for demonstrating M2 and Emacs.

The file you are modifying in the above buffer needs to have ending *.m2

where notice the heading at the top and the highlighted code for showing that the code is getting read correctly.

by this way, Emacs determines which compiler it uses for the selected code. So

Save as File.m2

F12 opens up the M2 promth

F11 interepts a single line at a time

Wuoala, M2 works out of the box with Emacs, awesome.
Enjoy.


Is there any keyboard shortcut to switch my mouse cursor from one desktop to another? I have connected my macBookPro multiples screens from left to right, 1,2,3,4,5...

Is there any keyboard shortcut to just move my cursor from monitor 1 to monitor 5 without me needing to drag my mouse all the way?

Or possibly a keyboard shortcut that would also move my cursor to the new focused(I mean if I switch apps using Cmmd + Tab) app

There's no shortcut to my knowledge but if you are willing to get your hands a little dirty you can easily achieve this with a combination of 3rd party software, here is how I'd go about it:

Download and install MouseTools.
Download and install Keyboard Maestro.
Add KM Macro based on keys combination (to switch from one screen to another, one Macro for each display).
Finally for each macro add the Shell action with MouseTools -x xValue -y yValue (which are the coordinate on the display where you want the mouse to land).


MacBook Pro Left click not working on trackpad as well as mouse Hey guys just today my macbook pro's (late 2013) left click is not working. I am on yosemite and everything was fine till yesterday night. I tried to connect a usb mouse again then i am not able to do left click, rest can be done. Any ideas ?

MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Late 2013), OS X Yosemite (10.10.3)

I had the same problem. After logging in to Yosemite 10.10.4 on my MacBook Pro (mid-2014) the left click on the trackpad did not work. Also, when hovering the pointer over links etc. they were not clickable. Right click were fine.

Rebooting did not have any effect.

It was possible to left click on the Shutdown button in the login screen so the trackpad itself works.

The solution was to close the lid for ~60 seconds after logging in. Then it worked.


Mac is stuck in some kind of automatic layout windowing mode My mac has suddenly stopped letting me freely move around my application windows around the screen, and its just allowing them to be shown in a grid view. If i try resizing windows, they just get automatically resized back. I've tried searching for some kind of setting in accessability, but i have not found out how to turn this off, its driving me mad.

Attached are screenshots of how it forces the layout of windows present

It is not possible to resize any of the windows here, and there is always a blue rectangle around the window with focus

with 2 windows showing, they are forced into this layout

Clearly your computer has a window manager installed on it.
That one in particular might be chunkwm (the blue border around your selected window reminds me of my time using chunkwm, but I assume all window managers provide some feature like that). chunkwm is also very popular, so maybe it's what's ended up installed on your computer.
Try stopping it, maybe one of these commands will work:
brew services stop chunkwm
launchctl unload -w ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.koekeishiya.chunkwm.plist
launchctl unload -w ~/Library/LaunchAgents/homebrew.mxcl.chunkwm.plist

if none are found try searching for it
launchctl dumpstate | grep chunkwm

if chunkwm still isn't found, then the window manager you have isn't chunkwm.
Just look up a list of window managers online and search for each one in turn on your computer. Edit a good starting point would be yabai, the successor to chunkwm.
It might also be possible to hunt through
launchctl dumpstate | grep '=> true'

for it.


Sent items listed by sender's name (my name!) not recipient in Outlook for Mac 2011 Outlook 2011 on a Mac (OS X 10.7 Lion), on a (mostly PC) office network using Microsoft Exchange server.

In Outlook 2011, in the network "Sent Items" folder, all emails are listed showing the sender's name (my name), not the recipients' names.

That means every single email is headed with my own name, like this:

My Name                     08/09/2012
Some subject line               [flag]

My Name                     08/09/2012
Re: Another subject line        [flag]

My Name                     07/09/2012
Re: different subject line      [flag]

My Name                     07/09/2012
different subject line          [flag]

...and so on. There's no clue at all as to who these emails were to, until I open each and every one.

I guess it's reassuring to be told that every email that I sent was sent by me and if I was ever to forget my own name while browsing my sent emails folder, it'd be super useful, but it's not very helpful for navigating sent emails.

Is this normal for Office for Mac 2011? How can I fix this, so that the list shows the recipients' names instead of endlessly reminding me of my own name?

Things I've found while researching this:

This can also happen in Outlook for Windows. On Windows, it's easily fixed by resetting the field. That method doesn't work on Mac because the fields can't be selected separately.
It seems this can also happen in Apple Mail too, and a lot of people seem stumped by this.
I can't find anything on this specific to Outlook 2011 or Outlook for Mac in general.

A simple guide on how to fix this would be the best answer, but I'd also welcome any knowledgable thoughts from people with experience of Macs on Microsoft Exchange Server networks on whether this sounds like an Outlook settings issue which I can fix on my machine, or some issue relating to how the Mac gets data from the server and network. The fact that Apple Mail users have encountered the same issue with no apparent fix makes me think the problem might be in the interaction with the network rather than the mail client - but that's way beyond my limited knowledge of these things.

I don't know whether the local ("On my computer") Sent Items folder has the same problem, as it's configured so that no emails except drafts are ever stored in these local folders. Drafts saved locally are listed by recipient as expected.

Changing the "Arrange By" value from "Date received" to "Date Sent" on the top of the mail list solved this issue for me.


How do I get the old blue sms alert box for notification of new text messages? I used to get SMS alerts in lock screen which showed a blue box with the option of "close" or "reply". Now I get a green slider box with a white bubble. How can I change this back? I have set the notification to "alert" .

It sounds like you're describing the style of text-message notifications pre- and post-iOS 5 (when Notification Center was introduced).

If I'm not mistaken, the first case looks something like this:

And the current case looks like this:

Unfortunately, there's no built-in way to revert this change: while the style of the iOS modal popup that appears to inform you of an alert while you're using the phone still looks the same (bluish background with acknowledgement buttons), the style of lock-screen notifications (whether the phone is locked or not) have changed to a black background with an app-specific icon that can be swiped to activate the alerting app.

Short of some sort of Jailbreak tweak, or somehow downgrading your iOS version, there's no way to undo this change.


Text Abbreviations Stop Working I was trying to send a text message consisting of an abbreviation I had set up, but I would type the two characters and the abbreviation was not appearing. Is there a cause? In the past, I have restarted my phone and it has worked afterwards, but I'd rather not have to do that if there's another way.

This is a bug.
My personal hypothesis is that the root cause is the new iOS 6 iCloud syncing for text abbreviation sometimes fails, thus breaking the whole abbreviation system.

Since it appears to be quite common, a fix is hopefully coming soon. To increase the chances, be sure to report the bug here:
http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html


Help, I can't search from the App Launcher anymore I used to be able to start typing an application name in the App Launcher (F4) to filter the list. But at some point, this stopped working for some reason. I can't click the search box, nor does typing produce any characters into the search box.

Is there a setting I can flip, or could this be an issue with a corrupt system file?

Mac OS X 10.9.4 Mavericks
MacBook Air mid-2013, Intel Haswell Core i7

Run this in your Terminal to clear the Launcher.

sqlite3 ~/Library/Application\ Support/Dock/*.db "DELETE from apps; \
DELETE from groups WHERE title<>''; DELETE from items WHERE rowid>2;" \
&& killall Dock

When this is done, you will have a marvelously blank Launchpad interface, so to add your applications again all you have to do is drag them to the Launchpad icon in the Dock (drag the Launchpad program itself from the /Applications folder to the Dock if it is not already there). Any new applications you purchase through the Mac App Store will be automatically added to Launchpad.

Be sure to back up the database file before you alter it by copying it to your Desktop or another safe location. If for some reason you have messed up Launchpad and wish to restore your previous settings then you can restore the backup (or even use Time Machine to restore a previously backed up database file) and then log out and log back in to your system.

Alternatively, if you wish to reset the Launchpad to its default settings and organization, then all you need to do is delete the database file. To do this, press the Option key and choose Library from the Go menu in the Finder, and then navigate to the /Application Support/Dock/ folder and remove the ".db" file (it will have a long string of letters and numbers as its name). Or you can run the following command in the Terminal:

rm ~/Library/Application\ Support/Dock/*.db

Source: http://www.cnet.com/news/how-to-reset-and-manage-the-os-x-10-7-launchpad-interface/


updating an old mac OS X 10.4 skype informed me that they no longer support OS X 10.4 Is it possible to update my computer or should I trash it.
the processor is Dual 800 MHz powerPC G4 , 2MB SDRAM , Start up disc macintosh HD, Built around 2001.  It has 2 extra hard drives.

I would get a mac mini if I could use The 22" plasma screen monitor but it is connected with a large plug so I'm not sure it would work.

The latest supported OS on your computer looks to be 10.4.11
(looks like you have a Quicksilver (PowerMac3,5))

And if I'm not mistaken, Microsoft dropped Skype support for everything before Lion (10.7)

You may be able to get an adapter to plug your monitor in, depending on what that large plug is. Though that is really a separate question.


Can a MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Mid 2014) have their hard drives upgraded My friend has a MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Mid 2014) -- she wants to install a magnetic 2.5" HDD. Can I install any such drive or do they have to be apple compatible hardware.

Not possible. There's not enough room for a spinning hard drive to be connected inside any retina portable MacBook.

That being said - hose drive would work well externally via thunderbolt or USB and internal non-OEM replacements are available.

To install special SSDs. other than Apple branded look for resellers and online like OWC or RamJet.


How much free storage in a 16GB iPad? No, this isn't a "who's buried in Grant' tomb" question.  Rather: How much space for apps, music, etc is available on a fresh-out-of-the-box 16GB iPad?  My 64GB iPad says that its "capacity" is 58.12 GB, which suggests that almost 8GB is taken up by disk formatting and the OS.  That wouldn't leave much for other stuff on a 16GB.  I'm providing "pre-sales tech support" for a price-sensitive relative; any data out there?  Thanks!

On iOS 5 you should expect to have about 13.75 GB for items you choose to store on any 16 GB iOS device. On iOS 4 it was slightly higher - slightly over 14 GB.


Delete (Group) Meeting From Calendar I received an ical invite through gmail, which my IPad3 added to the calendar.  But now I'm trying to delete the event, and there is no option to do so.

I found a thread of discussion which says the event can't be deleted if other attendees are included in the ical info.  The only solution I've seen, also from the same thread of discussion, is to make edits on your PC and then use ITunes to synchronize the calendar.

I'm dealing with employer equipment, where installing ITunes is not an option.  In fact, attaching my IPad to the PC is also not an option.  I need to find a way to delete the meeting request from the calendar without using a PC as a life support system.

Actually my REAL problem is that the original meeting invite started at 9:30am.  Then the organizer changed the time to 9:00am.  But because the IPad can't seem to modify or delete a meeting (with other attendees) once it is created, the ical updates to my IPad are being ignored.

How do I fix this?

Now, pardon me, it is time for a rant.

This is such a ridiculous problem.  This is the year 2012, yes?  Apple is the cutting edge of tech, yes?  And neither I nor others can delete or modify a calendar event that has other attendees in it?!?!?!  My frustration is multiplied because, on an unrelated note, I'm also dealing with the common problem of apple equipment creating duplicates of music downloaded from ITunes.  The recommended solution for this latter problem, is ALSO to rely on a PC and ITunes for life-support.  Really?!

In Settings -> Accounts -> iCloud, you can turn Calendar on, and then off. It will ask if you would like to delete all synced events. I said "yes" and they disappeared from my calendar!  In other words all of the group events with no delete option were deleted.

NOTE: this deleted all group events.


Installing Mountain Lion on multiple macs with one application install If I have downloaded Install OSX Mountain Lion application file from the Appstore, I can use it as an installer on multiple machines.

Any idea for how many machines will this be valid? How apple verifies a valid install?

Five.

I wish I could give better answer, but I can't fully resolve the problem of Apple's differentiation between iTunes Store, Mac App Store, App Store and iBook Store.

If you read the following official document, Apple only talks about the iTunes Store when it comes to licensing and iTunes-authorized computers.

My understanding is that the same rules apply to all purchases made in any of these stores because the receipt via Email is always from do_not_reply@itunes.com - no matter if the purchase is an iOS App, a Mac App, or a a song...

  http://www.apple.com/legal/itunes/us/terms.html#APPS

  USAGE RULES

  (ii) You shall be authorized to use iTunes Products on five iTunes-authorized devices at any time, except for Content Rentals (see below).

Since you purchased Mountain Lion in the Mac App Store, it's an iTunes product which you can install on up to five Macs at the same time. I've installed Mountain Lion using the same self-made USB installer on three different Macs without problems.


Apple ID not supported - Use a Managed Apple ID Error When enrolling in MDM you may get this error if you had previously used the same email address as a non managed id.
e.g. example.com was transferred to Apple Business managed ids, now your old my@example.com Apple ID needs to be removed so you can use the managed version.

To work around this issue:

open https://appleid.apple.com, login with your old Apple ID and change the email to a new address (eg. my@example2.com)
on the Mac/iPhone with the issue, add this new Apple Id as a secondary iCloud account
enroll with your Managed Apple ID
remove the my@example2.com Apple ID from the device (which can now be deleted)


OSX- Not able to open root directory in SAMBA file share I am re-writing my question to make it simpler to understand.
I am using OSX 10.10 version and I need to connect with SAMBA share server.

Now when I open the finder application and press command +K and enter the server address as smb://serveraddress/sharename
I am able to connect with SAMBA sever and shared drive.

But when I remove the shared drive name (i.e. smb://serveraddress/), I am not able to connect with SAMBA server.

Please suggest what can be the possible reasons for this problem.
Is it mandatory to provide shared drive name if I have to connect with SAMBA share.

[Older version of question]
I am using stunnel as client in my Mac machine to connect with SAMBA share.

I am using below stunnel configuration in my mac machine.
accept=127.0.0.1:119
connect=target server information

I am able to start stunnel service and its getting bound also with my destination server.

Now when I try to open the remote server directory with root folder(smb://127.0.0.1:119/) , this does not work and my connection getting closed after entering the credentials. However if I specify a shared folder name(smb://127.0.0.1:119/folderName) then this does work and my shared drive get open in my machine.
I am facing this problem in Mac OS 10.10.
However, I am able to achieve same functionality in my windows machine using stunnel connection.
Please let me know if someone has faced similar issue in Mac OS with stunnel connection or have any idea about possible cause of the problem. Kindly help

At the university I work at, I ran into the issue with Mac users where they could connect to a SMB share folder within a shared directory, but not the root of the drive until I set the user permissions on the share's root to at least RO for the credentials they used to connect. Are you sure that you have the correct user and share permissions set on the root to connect at that level?


Multiple Bluetooth speakers simultaneously I would like to pair two sticky dude Bluetooth speakers, at one time with my iPhone. With two of them at once it would be like stereo sound. Is there an app or something maybe?

You cannot use the same Bluetooth device profile with more than one deivce at the same time.  You won't be able to do what you want to do.

For a listing of all the different profiles, see this Wikipedia entry.

But I can have multiple Bluetooth devices paired to my iPhone.  I have a keyobard, a headset and speakers.

Each uses a different profile.  Your keyboard is considered an HID (Human Inteface Device) while your headset uses the HSP profile and your audio (speakers) likely uses the A2DP profile.

These profiles are 1-1.  Meaning one profile to one device at a time.

If you want stereo get a stereo receiver that supports Bluetooth.


Can we create seprate Apple ID for our each iOS device but share the same media library? My family and I (4 users) are using 4 iOS devices on a single Apple/iTunes account. We started with iPhone 4, and over the years we have added devices for my wife and 2 kids and as a result now we have a massive iTunes music library.

Now everyone wants their email, calendar, and contacts sync to iCloud and keep those separate, but they still want to use the same media library. Is this possible?

Yes. Log in to the Apple ID that you want to use for iTunes and the App Store in the iTunes & App Store section of settings, then log in to the individual Apple ID for the iCloud account. These will be kept separate and allow individual iCloud accounts but a shared iTunes Apple ID.

Also, with the upcoming iOS 8, you can use Family Sharing.


Can you charge an iPhone 5 from a standard, non-Apple Micro USB cable? Someone who has the new iPhone 5 said you can charge it from a regular Micro USB port but he's not tested it.

Can you?

Yes - just get a simple pass through adapter to plug the male USB into an adapter that fits in the lightning slot.

http://store.apple.com/us/product/MD820ZM/A/lightning-to-micro-usb-adapter

There are also knock off and legitimate third party adapters being sold, so you can pick your price point / fit and finish / support sweet spot.


How to permanently disable resume on El Capitan Notice: This is not a duplicate! Other questions had to do with older versions of OS X or had to do with temporarily disabling resume.

El Capitan has made my iMac very, very slow. A hard reboot should clean the slate so I can recover from OS hangs, but now windows and programs that were open when I shut the iMac down (with the power button) are restored to their previous states.

How can I disable this completely? I do NOT want to have to select a button every time I shutdown/restart, which is something I cannot do if I use the hardware reset.

There is a simple method for this, for anyone using Lion+.

Navigate to /username/Library

Cannot see Library Folder: While in Finder > Press and Hold OPT key Down > under GO Menu> Select Library

Once there, you will see a folder named Saved Application State

To disable ALL resume states,

right-click on Saved Application State > Get info
select Locked checkbox

To disable SOME resume states

right-click on Saved Application State/Sub-Folder Name > Get info
select Locked checkbox

That's it.


Fixing a failed full disk Core Storage encryption I selected the encrypt disk option from the Finder initially, but after several days without progress (I checked diskutil cs list and it didn't show that it was either encrypted or converting) I ejected the drive, plugged it back in, and tried again from the command line.

First of all, encryption status showed Pending and didn't change, so I tried encrypting it again to force it to start, but that didn't work and gave the error shown below.

I then tried decrypting and reencrypting. But I still get the following two errors (output cleaned up):

> diskutil cs decryptVolume vol
Error beginning CoreStorage Logical Volume decryption: The target Core Storage volume is not encrypted (-69755)

> diskutil cs encryptVolume vol
Error: -69696: The target Core Storage volume is already encrypted

Apparently this was Schrödinger's Hard Drive.

So then, I ejected it, unplugged it after ejecting, and plugged it back in. But now it doesn't mount. I tried unlocking from the command line, and I get this:

> diskutil cs unlockVolume AAAAAAAA-AAAA-AAAA-AAAA-AAAAAAAAAAAA
Error: -69774: Couldn't bring the new Core Storage Logical Volume online

From Disk Utility, trying to mount or unlock does nothing. For completeness, here's the complete output of diskutil cs list:

CoreStorage logical volume groups (1 found)
|
+-- Logical Volume Group XXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-81XXXX92-XXXXXXXXXXXX
    =========================================================
    Name:         vol
    Status:       Online
    Size:         3000144142336 B (3.0 TB)
    Free Space:   16777216 B (16.8 MB)
    |
    +-< Physical Volume YYYYYYYY-YYYY-YYYY-YYYY-YYYYYYYYYYYY
    |   ----------------------------------------------------
    |   Index:    0
    |   Disk:     disk3s2
    |   Status:   Online
    |   Size:     3000144142336 B (3.0 TB)
    |
    +-> Logical Volume Family ZZZZZZZZ-ZZZZ-ZZZZ-ZZZZ-ZZZZZZZZZZZZ
        ----------------------------------------------------------
        Encryption Status:       Locked
        Encryption Type:         None
        Conversion Status:       Converting
        Conversion Direction:    -none-
        Has Encrypted Extents:   Yes
        Fully Secure:            No
        Passphrase Required:     No
        |
        +-> Logical Volume AAAAAAAA-AAAA-AAAA-AAAA-AAAAAAAAAAAA
            ---------------------------------------------------
            Disk:                  -none-
            Status:                Locked
            Size (Total):          2999808593920 B (3.0 TB)
            Conversion Progress:   -none-

I also tried diskutil repairVolume disk3s2 and it completed, but didn't help. Also, diskutil cs revert ... gives the following error:

Error: -69854: A disk with a mount point is required

What should I do here? I do have an offsite backup, but if I can get it working it'll save me a substantial amount of downtime.

If this happens to you... your disk is probably hosed. Find your backups.

(I'm still interested if someone does have a solution, but given the lack of answers I don't think it's likely.)


MacBook Pro Retina (13-inch, 2015) keyboard and trackpad unresponsive As in the title. I can only work with mouse and keyboard via USB/BT. Built-in keyboard and trackpad are unresponsive during the boot, login screen nor in OS. Tried: SMC, PRAM reset, safe boot, 3rd party service.

Surprisingly that tricked worked 2 times in a row: Remove Existing Wi-Fi Preferences in macOS Sierra

I have no clue - nothing was spilled onto it, it just stopped working and becomes responsive very rarely (apart from the trick described above). I want to avoid keyboard/trackpad/board replacement.

It seems the trackpad cable is a potential cause, due to it rubbing on the back cover as demonstrated in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPFCIE0U1ew&t=26s


How to  use the built–in VPN Server on Mac OS 10.6.6 I know that Mac OS 10.6.6 has a built in VPN server that one can access through command line. Is there an easier way? Can I make an Automator or AppleScript program that starts and stops the built–in VPN server? I have Developer tools installed.

I see that there are several paid software front–ends, like "iVPN", yet I would rather learn how to do this by myself.

The man pages are a bit thick for me. But if I could find a step by step walk through then maybe I could parse the man pages.

Looks like this is what you're after, though I haven't tried it myself.

http://blog.theilluminatedengineer.com/?p=136


Modify Bluetooth plist DeviceCache and retain changes? I was following this page: Anyone able to connect gioteck VX-1 (PS3 controller) via Bluetooth? to modify the bluetooth plist settings on my Mac to allow a Chinese PS3 controller to work with my Mac.

Specifically, I was trying to change the ClassOfDevice and Services. Because from what I can tell, the Chinese PS3 controllers are fully functional, they just don’t have the ClassOfDevice and Services stored in their Bluetooth chips. Thus my Mac thinks the device isn’t functional.

Unfortunately, Mavericks seems to wipe out any changes I make to the plist as soon as I try to connect the controller over Bluetooth.

Does anyone know how to retain the changes to the Bluetooth Plist?

I found the answer!

Mavericks caches preferences so you need to load your changes into Mavericks' cache.

The key is to do: defaults read /Library/Preferences/com.apple.Bluetooth.plist in terminal after making your changes to the bluetooth.plist and before turning bluetooth back on.

See here: https://github.com/OpenEmu/OpenEmu/issues/1041#issuecomment-39808894 for a full writeup.


How to inherit sparsebundle on macOS Server Time Machine service? I am using macOS Server's Time Machine service to centralize backups for my mac workstations/laptops. One of the laptops hasn't been backed-up since upgrading to a new MacBook Pro (using Migration Assistant) 6 months ago. I'm now connecting the laptop Time Machine to the server, but instead of using the old backups with the same name, it's creating new ones with a "1" at the end of the name (e.g. MacBook Pro 1 when the name of the existing backup and mac is MacBook Pro).

How do I force Time Machine to use the existing backups so that we may keep all the backup history?

For what it's worth, I believe the macOS Server Time Machine service is no more than a SMB share from the laptop's perspective.

I have seen posts on how to do inherit a Time Machine backup on a locally attached drive, but I'm not sure how to do this on a remote sparsebundle.

As it turns out, it is super easy with a single Terminal command.

First, you need to mount the Time Machine share using Finder. Just browse to the server, then to the share so that it mounts. I mounted with Admin privileges since Admin owns the the Time Machine sparsebundle.

Then, you open Terminal and run this command:

sudo tmutil inheritbackup "/path/to/backup.sparsebundle"

For example, mine would be:

sudo tmutil inheritbackup /Volumes/Time\ Machine/MacBook\ Pro.sparesebundle

If your prefer to use quotes intead of the space escape, you should be able to do:

sudo tmutil inheritbackup "/Volumes/Time Machine/MacBook Pro.sparesebundle"

You will need to enter your Admin password, and that should do it.

I rebooted after this, then selected the backup share in Time Machine and now it's using the existing sparsebundle instead of creating a new one.


My mac boots to a grey screen - target disk mode works My macbook boots to a grey screen - BUT the hard drive is OK.

I tested it in target disk mode and the drive loads fine on  my other machine, so I can only assume it is something to do with the display.

I've reset the PRAM/NVRAM , can anyone offer any advice on how to proceed from here?

Boot to Single User Mode (Cmd S) let it do it's thing and then type:
cd /var/log
(press enter)
grep disk0 *
(press enter).

Towards the end of the outputted logs if you se IO Error your hard drive or flex cable are going.

If you can boot in safe mode (holding down shift at start up) maybe you have a dodgy 3rd party kernel extension.


Cannot update from Catalina to Big Sur on compatible Mac: "The requested version of macOS is not available" I want to update from macOS Catalina to macOS Big Sur on a supported MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Mid 2014).
Yet System Preferences > Software Update shows “Your Mac is up to Date - macOS Catalina 10.15.7”.
The App Store says macOS Big Sur “Works on this MacBook Pro”.
When I click the “GET” button, System Preferences > Software Update opens and says: “Update not found. The requested version of macOS is not available.”

I found here a similar question regarding updating to a prior version of macOS but could not apply any of the answers successfully.
What can I do to update to macOS Big Sur?
UPDATE:
macOS 11.1 was just released, and now I am offered to update!

The option to update to Big Sur came back with the release of 11.1.
In the comments an article was mentioned that reported that 11.0.1 might have been intentionally blocked for certain MacBook Pro models because it caused lasting damage (Thank you @Tetsujin & @bmike):

Big Sur 11.0.1 (20B50) was released to block 2013 & 2014 13″ MBPro’s from installing the OS. This move looks to be related to the Big Sur install problems with these models.


Sometimes Safari opens with blank/empty tabs with window titles of the previous session I don’t dare to quit Safari if I want to keep the tabs opened, because this happens quite often on my MacBook, running OSX 10.8.2 and Safari 6.0.2. Is this a known problem?

It is strange because window titles are still there but I cannot reload the page. So I always have to search for the page title to get back to the page.

It's a bug - I've reported it but can't force it to happen. If you find a way to trigger it with great reliability you could report it here or to the source at http://bugreporter.apple.com and it might get squashed sooner when the engineers can see exactly what is failing to cause it.


How to remove '/home' directory? OS X 10.9.5.

I have a /home directory in my filesystem. I want to remove it and create a symlink named /home pointing to /Users to make symlinks from GNU/Linux usable. But I cannot remove /home directory (rmdir: home: Resource busy) nor create any file under /home (Operation not supported).

Any solution?

Edit:
As @thomasjones pointed, there's really something mounted at /home. But what is that map auto_home?

$ df
Filesystem    512-blocks      Used Available Capacity  iused   ifree %iused  Mounted on
/dev/disk0s2   624470624 579889472  44069152    93% 72550182 5508644   93%   /
devfs                371       371         0   100%      643       0  100%   /dev
map -hosts             0         0         0   100%        0       0  100%   /net
map auto_home          0         0         0   100%        0       0  100%   /home

Open the following files with read/write permissions:

/etc/auto_home
/etc/auto_master

These files are part of the autofs installation.

In the auto_home file, add a # before the + on the following line:

  +auto_home # Use directory service

In the auto_master file, add a # before the /home on the following line:

  /home          auto_home   -nobrowse,hidefromfinder

Save both files, and reboot your computer. /home should be free to work with.

To reverse the changes, undo what you've done to both auto_master and auto_home.


AMRestoreErrorDomain error 14 when "restoring" iPad with Apple Configurator 2. I've run into an issue provisioning an iPad with Apple Configurator 2. I was in the process of redeploying an iPad from a former employee to a new employee, and noticed that I couldn't find Safari on the iPad, so I decided to just reimage it with Apple Configurator 2 (and our MDM platform).  I figured I'd just restore it to factory default, provision it with our blueprint, get it on our MDM and be done with it, however, at some point in the restore process, Apple Configurator throws this unuseful error, and the device is stuck with a tiny bit of progress on the iOS installation screen.

I was able to find a second device that (presumably) ran into the same problem, and when unplugged from the Apple Configurator, I get the iTunes connect a cable a screen.  Even the power button seems to no longer work, and attempts to reimage these devices don't get any further than where they're currently stuck.

Anyone run into this before, or have any suggestions on what to do, now that we seem to be creating iBricks?

I came here looking for a solution to this very problem. Fwiw, I find that I can un-brick the iPad by closing AC2 and restoring it in iTunes. Unfortunately, that does not supervise the device.


Why do App Store applications transferred into ~/Applications on another machine not launch? I have purchased some apps from the Mac App store and installed them on my personal computer. I would like to install them on a shared work computer. Unfortunately, I do not have admin access to the work computer, so I cannot do this the usual way.

I have copied the apps from my home computer to the ~/Applications directory of the work computer, and attempted to run them, with mixed success:

Some apps, when you run them for the first time, open a dialog box that says "Sign in to use this application on this computer" and prompt you for your Apple ID and password, after which they work fine. (Example: DayOne, and most free apps)
Most apps will still show you this dialog box, but for some reason will not work, even after you type in your ID and password. (Example: BBEdit, Soulver, Twitterrific)

The question(s):

Is there something I can do to make the app run?
If not, what is it that is causing the app to refuse to launch?

Edit: When the app fails, it  gives a console message "Exited with exit code: 173". If I understand correctly, this means that the app is not valid (which is to be expected when I copy it from one computer to another). However, the process by which the App Store validates the app, appears to not work when the app is not in the proper location. Furthermore, it seems likely that apps that do work, such as DayOne or the free apps, work only because they are not checking that the app has been validly purchased and would in fact work on any computer without any kind of validation.

The question remains, is there a workaround?

Edit again: I have no problem copying an app into ~/Applications on my home computer, even for a different user. Because investigating (not to mention solving) this problem requires so much hassle (including two computers or at least a virtual machine), I am offering a bounty.

You have hit on an interesting (read: highly annoying) bug in the App Store validation process, it seems:
For starters, the location to which you copy your apps does not, in fact, come into it, and neither does your status as admin / non-admin user. Despite the fact Apple states this should be possible, on my two machines, I cannot get an app manually copied to run either as a standard user, an admin user, in /Applications or in ~/Applications. Neither does chowning and chmoding the bundle to conform with regular installs help. The App Store login sheet pop ups (once), but the app keeps quitting with exit code 173 after that.
According to Apple’s developer documentation for the validation of App Store receipts, part of the receipt validating the use of an app is a machine specific GUID. When you copy an app to another machine, the GUID does not match anymore, thus invalidating the receipt (conversely, on your own machine, it always matches, whatever the user you install the app for – hence you not having any problem with that). Apps are meant to signal an invalid receipt by exiting with exit code 173, and the App Store’s storeagent process is meant to take over after that, asking for credentials and generating a new receipt, then re-launching the app on success:

If the system successfully obtains a valid receipt, it relaunches the application. Otherwise, it displays an error message to the user, explaining the problem.
Do not display any error message to the user if validation fails. The system is responsible for trying to obtain a valid receipt or informing the user that the receipt is not valid.

What happen in your (and my test) case is that validation fails quietly – as indicated by the fact the receipt is never updated, but no error message is shown either. The logs show storeagent returns:
promptResponse: <CKSignInPromptResponse:0x1080c4fb0 returnCode:1>

This code is undocumented by Apple, and all I have found are discussions by developers about this issue in a testing context, where it seems to relate to iTunes Connect data being incomplete (Geoff Pado has a concise summary here).
However that may be, the picture as a whole clearly shows validation is failing en route, which leaves apps copied manually with an invalid receipt even after entering the correct credentials to the App Store. Only those apps that do not check their own validity will still run, as you noted.
Not very helpfully in your case, Apple only recommends deleting and re-downloading from the App Store to remedy the issue.
TL;DR: You cannot manually copy apps bought in the App Store from one computer to another until Apple fixes the receipt validation process needed for it. Install location and user privilege do not come into it.


Black screen (no boot up) after upgrading RAM to 16GB on mid 2010 macbook pro I have a mid-2010 (core2duo) macbook pro with 4GB (2x2) RAM. I bought 2x8GB RAM Crucial 8GB Single DDR3 1600 MT/s (PC3-12800) CL11 SODIMM to upgrade RAM to 16GB. Now after replacing these DIMMs my laptop would not start up and just shows black screen without anything on it.

Both the DIMMs are fine since if I try one of the new ones with one of the old ones my laptop boots up fine and shows the correct total of 10GB RAM. But using both the news ones together seems to be causing the problem.

I have read online that 16GB is supported by mid 2010 macbook pros. Also as per the Apple support site the mid 2010 mbp supports PC3-8500 DDR3 1066 MHz while I have the new ones as  DDR3 1600 MT/s (PC3-12800). But I have read online that this should work just fine. (PC3-12800 are cheaper compared to PC3-8500 so I thought I would give this a try)

According to everymac.com your MacBook Pro probably neither supports 16 GB nor PC3-12800 memory modules. There is one exception for the MacBookPro7,1 (MacBook Pro Mid 2010 13") which supports 16 GB.

If you happen to have a MacBookPro7,1 get two 8 GB PC3-8500 modules or in all other cases get two 4 GB PC3-8500 modules.


macOS keyboard shortcut to dismiss notifications? I'd like to be able to dismiss and open macOS Notification Center notifications with the keyboard.
(I'm not talking about opening/closing the Notification Center itself.)
Is this possible in some manner with a tool or setting or other software?

You can create Automator service to run this Applescript and give it a keyboard shortcut in the System Preferences Keyboard shortcuts

This will close Alert and banners Notification

In Automator choose a new service

Add a Run Applescript Action

and replace it's code with:

my closeNotif()
on closeNotif()

    tell application "System Events"
        tell process "Notification Center"
            set theWindows to every window
            repeat with i from 1 to number of items in theWindows
                set this_item to item i of theWindows
                try
                    click button 1 of this_item
                on error

                    my closeNotif()
                end try
            end repeat
        end tell
    end tell

end closeNotif

Set the 'Service receives [no input] in [any application]'

Save the service.

Open the Keyboard shortcuts in System prefs and set your for your service under 'Services'

Now any newly launched app will pick the shortcut up.

(Note: I structured the script to counter throwing an error that will occur when the notifications/windows start to close.

otifications/window are numbered 1 through to the total count. But as they close the script would still be working of the old count.
But the system will be re assigning the index of the windows.

So where we say start at 1 -6 the script will try and close window 1, window 2, window 3 and so on. But the system has re assigned the window numbers 1,2,3 to the last remaining windows. But the script will try and close window 4 and throw an error because it does not exist. The script will catch this and deal with it. )

If you want to click the 'Show' button on an Alert Notification.
you change the button you click from 1 to 2.

click button 2 of this_item

Banner notifications do not have a button 2.

But you can just click the window.

So this code should take care of Showing.

my closeNotif()
on closeNotif()

    tell application "System Events"
        tell process "Notification Center"
            set theWindows to every window
            repeat with i from 1 to number of items in theWindows
                set this_item to item i of theWindows
                set cnt to count buttons of this_item
                try
                    if cnt > 1 then

                        click button 2 of this_item
                    else
                        click this_item
                    end if
                on error

                    closeNotif()
                end try
            end repeat
        end tell
    end tell

end closeNotif


Hidden video on iPhone I recorded a video and cannot find it on my iPhone 6. I know it's there because when I go to settings / general / about, I see that I have one video on my phone, but it does not show in photos. What's going on here?

It would seem that it could only be in one of two places (and perhaps a third in a stretch) if you recorded it with the built in camera app.

Photos -> Albums -> Videos (or Slo-mo)
Photos -> Albums -> Recently Deleted

As I'm sure you are aware, you can also see videos under "Photos" (left most tab), or under Albums -> Camera Roll. I suspect that you checked there, though.

If you tap and hold on a video, you can choose "hide". That will hide it from places other than under Albums so the first option above should still work even if you have inadvertently hidden the video.

There is also an extremely remote chance that it is in the Videos app. But, you'd have to have to specifically put it there using iTunes as a go-between, so again, it is highly unlikely.

By the way, my phone says that I have 119 videos and the camera app's videos album shows 119.


Continuous volume shows too much available space I have a continuous volume of two identical SSD drives. 2 terabytes, 1.92 terabytes in practice.

I plugged it in via USB today and finder and disk utility show that all the space is available. 1.92TB.

All the files are accessible, nothing seems corrupt, they are large images and photoshop documents and lightroom archives. Moving more files to this volume decreases the available space from what is reported, 1.75TB.

Getting info about existing folders on the drive show me exactly how much space those folders take, and I can determine via subtraction how much space has been used on this volume or how much is free.

But this concerns me

GrandPerspective shows me exactly how much space has been used 841 GB

How do I get finder and the rest of the OS to report to me proper available space

Using Repair Disk in Disk Utility on this volume did the trick.


MacBook Pro starts with "Installing onto SSD" MacBook Pro Retina mid 2014 13" macOS catalina 10.15.2 I believe. Suddenly during startup it goes into some grey mode and says "Installing onto SSD".

I've not seen this mode before. Will it erase my files? I have shut it down using the power button because I didn't want to overwrite personal stuff... Any idea why this mode comes up?

I have used Windows 10 Bootcamp on an external drive, which I have disconnected, and also another external drive, now disconnected. Maybe it's related. Also when I do Cmd+R it goes into internet OS installation. Would that erase my files or is it safe to continue?

It was just the update to Catalina 10.15.3!


Lost the plug for my MagSafe 2 adapter, can I get it at Apple authorized repair sites? I lost the plug (duckhead) of my MagSafe 2 adapter, I know some people sell them on eBay, though I do not know if they are genuine/safe to use. Is it possible to buy them at Apple authorized repair sites?

Philips power plug
I use this for traveling as they are often cheaper than the original. You can plug any philips power plug in the adapter.

correct me if I am wrong, but I thought these were called philips power plugs


How to back up iPhoto and iTunes using Dropbox Could someone explain in simple terms exactly how to back up iPhoto and iTunes (and if possible keep it synced) using Dropbox, please? I have purchased some additional space with Dropbox to do this, but I am not very technically minded and I don't know how to do it.

I am using an iMac with Lion.

I've done something similar to this, only mine is on a network drive, but the same steps apply.

First, we need to copy your libraries to your Dropbox folder. So open a new Finder window and make sure you're in your Home folder.

For iTunes:

Navigate to Home > Music. You should see a folder named iTunes here. Copy this folder to your Dropbox, wherever you want it stored at there.

Now, if iTunes is in your Dock, hold ALT/OPTION and click the icon. If not, go back to Finder and navigate to Applications. Find iTunes in the Applications folder and do the same, hold ALT/OPTION and click the icon.

iTunes will open and ask you to choose a library. (If it bugs you about not being able to find the folder first, ignore it. We're about to fix that.) Click "Choose Library" and navigate to the iTunes folder you copied to Dropbox earlier. Select this folder and click open. iTunes will take a few moments to respond, but if all worked correctly, it will open up and you will see all of your music and such there.

For iPhoto:
Now, navigate back to Home, only this time, open the Pictures folder. You should see a file named iPhoto Library. Copy this folder to your Dropbox, wherever you want it stored at there.

Now, if iPhoto is in your Dock, hold ALT/OPTION and click the icon. If not, go back to Finder and navigate to Applications. Find iPhoto in the Applications folder and do the same, hold ALT/OPTION and click the icon.

iPhoto will open and ask you to choose a library. (If it bugs you about not being able to find the folder first, ignore it. We're about to fix that.) Click "Choose Library" and navigate to the iPhoto folder you copied to Dropbox earlier. Select this folder and click open. iPhoto will take a few moments to respond, but if all worked correctly, it will open up and you will see all of your photos there.

NOTE: Keep in mind, one caveat to using this method is that you should only have iTunes or iPhoto open on a single machine at a time. Running it on more than one machine may result in some problems. Dropbox keeps the latest copy of a file, and quite often, while iTunes and iPhoto are running, they write to their main library file (think of it as a journal of what they're doing, including settings and changes like that). If computer A writes to the file and Dropbox syncs it, then computer B goes to write to the file, computer B might overwrite something it wasn't expecting to be there, corrupting the file.

Long-story short, this method will keep your libraries in sync and available on any of your Dropbox devices. Just use caution if you choose to run iTunes or iPhoto on more than one machine at a time using this method.

Also, as far as being backed up, the music will be stored on Dropbox, so you can always get it back if your Mac dies or crashes. However, just remember, if you move or remove any files from the libraries in Dropbox, you won't have a spare copy. I highly recommend using Time Machine or another backup solution, and having it include your Dropbox folder to protect against this potential scenario.

I know this was a lot of info, moreso on the warning side than the actual "how-to", but I'd rather give you a heads up now so you don't run into the same problems I've had in the past.

Good luck, and enjoy your music and pictures!


iOS App Development choice in Certificates greyed out I am new to iOS App Development and my account type is individual. I already created 2 apps with valid dev certificates(unexpired as they are still new created this April) but when I create a 3rd app and added a 3rd development certificate under Certificates tab in memberscenter, the iOS App Development choice is greyed out.

I tried revoking the previous 2 certificates because I can create new ones later anyway, and fortunately, I was able to create a certificte for my 3rd app. Now, I wanted to add again the certificates of the previous 2 apps, but then, the iOS App Development choice is greyed out again.

Any help? I'm new to this.

FYI, when I requested a certificate from a certificate authority in keychain, I am using my developer email and saved it to disk.

Sorry my mistake. I got it working now. I only use 1 certificate for all my apps - the one I requested on the Certificate Assistance on Keychain menu, and generated unique provisioning profiles for each app.


The recovery server could not be contacted I factory reset my Mac and followed the steps until I saw this:

I tried running the command:

npdate -u time.apple.com

and

date mmddhhmmyy

It still does not work. How do I resolve the issue?

I think that the problem is not about the date. I tried to check the logs.

This is what showed up.

What do you think is the problem? Thank you for the time I just really need this.

Simple fix, connect the ethernet cable directly to your laptop(use usb-ethernet adapter) or pc and reinstall mac OS from the internet recovery mode= restart and hold command-option-R.


What happened to my Macbook Air's battery? A year and half ago (in Nov. 2019) I bought a second hand Macbook Air (early 2015 model), with a new battery. At first it worked really well... but a few days ago, after only 200 battery cycles, I suddenly noticed a "Repair battery" warning in the status bar. After that, one day the computer shut down when it still had a 49% charge, and then I started noticing that the battery discharged itself much faster than before.
I installed CoconutBattery, and noticed that it said that its current full capacity is only 4600 mAh, while its original design capacity was 7150 mAh. The battery is a Dynapack one and was manufactured in March 2017, but as I said above, it only has 200 cycles.
My questions are:

What happened? The only explanation I can think of is that during the last year (during the lockdown) I've seldom discharged more than 10-20% of the battery in each use. Since I was at home all the time, my usage pattern was pretty much: unplug computer, use it for a couple of hours at most (until the battery was around 80-90%), and then plug it again. (Most times I just used the Macbook plugged in). Could this have affected the battery somehow?

Is there any way to "Repair the battery", as the warning says? If I take it to Apple's official store, will they "repair" it somehow, or will the solution be just a full replacement?

Third-party batteries are a bit of a lottery. There's no telling how closely the specification and quality matches Apple's own parts (which they do not sell on).
The cycle count is a guide to the life of the battery, but that's all. A four-year-old battery is still a four-year-old battery.
You can take it to Apple and get a proper Apple part fitted. It will cost 'some money', but of course part of that is getting a quality product, which will be under guarantee to work properly.
The alternative would be for you to replace it yourself. You can get 'genuine' Apple batteries on eBay and other websites: though as said, Apple don't sell spare parts on the open market, so these are either 'run-ons' from the factory that Apple uses, (or units that didn't meet Quality checks); or they are counterfeit. So again, a bit of a lottery. Or choose a third-party supplier that you feel to be trustworthy, with a reputation for Apple peripherals and parts, rather than someone just trying to cash in on demand.


Apps take forever to start on OS X Mavericks Ever since I upgraded my main machine to Mavericks, every time I open a new app, two things happen:

the app takes a long time to open;
the whole system slows to a crawl until the app opens completely.

The interesting part is that this happens on an early 2011 MacBook Pro (with 4GB of RAM), while on an older machine (mid/late 2007 MBP with 2GB of RAM), also updated to Mavericks, everything is a breeze—it’s surreal! (Both machines were upgraded from Snow Leopard.)

And on top of that, Safari is completely broken—see my previous question.

What I’ve done so far:

repaired permissions;
cleared system and user cache;
reseted the SMC;
ran AppleJack;

What can I possibly do to make it work as it should?

When I see things like this I often suspect disk problems. (This is a HDD, correct?) The first symptoms of soft disk errors are often bad performance.

Open the Console and see if you see any disk errors. Also try booting into a Super Duper clone. Since a clone will have the same files, any problem would continue if it were a configuration problem. But if the problem goes away, it was likely a problem with the physical drive. As a bonus, a clone is exactly what you will need if you have a physical drive problem.


2017 27" iMac Keyboard Issue I'm having an odd problem, I have a 2017 27" iMac, it comes with a bluetooth keyboard in the box.  However, I swapped it out for a wired keyboard as I prefer Apple's older wired keyboards over the new bluetooth ones.

The issue is when the Mac boots the USB (wired) keyboard fails to work until it's booted into macOS.  Anything like entering account passwords at the initial login screen or putting the Mac into recovery mode only works with the bluetooth keyboard, it acts as though the wired keyboard isn't even there.

The caps lock key doesn't even light up, it's like the USB bus isn't getting power until after macOS boots.

Is there a solution to this?  Is there someway to set the USB keyboard to trusted or something?

I don't know why this is the case, but the USB keyboard does work on boot but only if it's in the second USB port on the back of the iMac.  It's the second from the center of the mac, so the third from the outside.  Every other USB port doesn't work before the Mac has booted up.

Confirmed with other USB devices as well, that port is the only functioning USB port before I boot into macOS.

It might be a hardware issue with this iMac, I don't have any other 2017 iMacs around me to test.

Thanks for the help guys!