How to refresh Messages on Mac after hibernation? I've set up iMessage on my iPhone correctly (apple id) with Messages on my Mac (OSX Mountain Lion), and it syncs.

But the syncing isn't flawless.. Everytime I wake up my Mac after hibernation, it won't update my messages. I first have to restart the app a few times, to get all my messages. Sometimes even the order of the messages isn't correct.

From my experience the syncing is still quite buggy.

Does anyone have the same issues, and maybe a workaround?

ps: I don't use wifi on my Mac, if that's relevant.

The closest solution I found is to ping one of your connections.


How do I switch to a completely new Apple ID? My parents and I all have iPhones. My mother and I used to have them both authorized to the same account which was mine. Now they want to authorize their phones to there own accounts. They have done so with there new iPhone 5's but it is still asking for my Apple ID. What can I do to fix this?

When I changed my ID on my iphone, I didn't see an "edit" option either.  So maybe my experience will help you, I hope.  After going to Settings/iCloud, I was told to scroll down to the bottom of the page where it says DELETE ACCOUNT.  After deleting my son's account from my phone, I was able to enter my own ID.  It took a few tries and some time while it tried to validate the new ID and then it told me to go to my email on my computer to respond for verification.  Good Luck!


Combining Workflows in Automator I am trying to figure out if there is a way to combine workflows in Apple's Automator application. Basically I saved out the automation as an application and it works like this: I can drag a folder of images onto it and it scales and renames them. At the end of the automation I would like to trigger another workflow. The issue is that the previous workflows images are taken as input to the new workflow. How can I run multiple workflows without using the output of the previous workflow as the input for the current. Thanks

At the bottom of every Automator action is an Options button. Click it and you'll reveal a panel that includes a checkbox for Ignore this action's input. Check that box on the first action of your second workflow and it won't use the first workflow's output.


Would it work using Time Capsule both as Time Machine AND media container? I currently have a Macbook Pro and Time Capsule 3TB (ac-wifi).

The easiest solution for me would be to use the TC for both media storage AND backups via Time Machine.

Would this be possible?

I am thinking that the system could be "confused" loading down photos from TC to Macbook, and at the same time making backups with those same files from Macbook to TC.

I also read that OS X Photos and similar don't work well with external drives.

Can someone please bring light to this subject for me?

Thanks!

You can setup your AirPort Time Capsule to be a file server.  Just create several folders or as you require.  Use port forwarding in the Airport side to forward your WAN or internet connection to the Time Capsule side.  Use DynDNS to setup an account and then connect from anywhere in the world where the internet is not censored.  You will want excellent security configured for the AP Time Capsule if you go this route.

Or you can just use the Back to Mac function that is available through iCloud and is native to OS X.


is there any way to have Facebook or Twitter update in the background on my iPod touch? I have an iPod touch.  I want to know if there is any way to have my Facebook or Twitter feeds update in the background?

I often grab my iPod from my home (with WiFi) and then go into the train (no WiFi) and want to see what was posted recently or when I was sleeping.

It seems like these apps only do a "fetch" once you start the app up.

Is there any work around for this so it's always updating if i am on a WiFi network?

You can either leave one of the apps open at night so it will refresh or get something like Boxcar, which would be a solution more fitting to your needs. Boxcar will push notifications from facebook and Twitter, and then you can launch Boxcar to see the updates.


El Capitan Resize VM Partition So I have this VM in my VMware Fusion, I add 5GB of space to the HDD but then I got this message saying resize the partition:

But when I login to my VM and launch Disk Utility, I am not seeing the option to Resize the partition

After resizing the VM disk (in my example I added 24 GiB to the default 40 GiB) you will get following listings after opening the VM's Terminal.app and executing the commands diskutil/gpt in the VM:

Initial VM-Mac:~ VMuser$ sudo gpt -r show disk0 listing:

VM-Mac:~ VMuser$ sudo gpt -r show disk0
      start       size  index  contents
          0          1         PMBR
          1          1         Pri GPT header
          2         32         Pri GPT table
         34          6
         40     409600      1  GPT part - C12A7328-F81F-11D2-BA4B-00A0C93EC93B
     409640   82206864      2  GPT part - 48465300-0000-11AA-AA11-00306543ECAC
   82616504    1269536      3  GPT part - 426F6F74-0000-11AA-AA11-00306543ECAC
   83886040          7
   83886047         32         Sec GPT table
   83886079          1         Sec GPT header

After adding 24 GiB to the VM's main disk:

VM-Mac:~ VMuser$ diskutil list
/dev/disk0 (external, physical):
    #:                       TYPE NAME                    SIZE       IDENTIFIER
    0:      GUID_partition_scheme                        *68.7 GB    disk0
    1:                        EFI EFI                     209.7 MB   disk0s1
    2:                  Apple_HFS Macintosh HD             42.1 GB   disk0s2
    3:                 Apple_Boot Recovery HD             650.0 MB   disk0s3

VM-Mac:~ VMuser$ sudo gpt -r show disk0
      start       size  index  contents
          0          1         PMBR
          1          1         Pri GPT header
          2         32         Pri GPT table
         34          6
         40     409600      1  GPT part - C12A7328-F81F-11D2-BA4B-00A0C93EC93B
     409640   82206864      2  GPT part - 48465300-0000-11AA-AA11-00306543ECAC
   82616504    1269536      3  GPT part - 426F6F74-0000-11AA-AA11-00306543ECAC
   83886040   50331655
  134217695         32         Sec GPT table
  134217727          1         Sec GPT header

This means: the additional 24 GiB (50331655-7 blocks) are added at the "end" of the virtual disk - only the second gpt header/table is moved - and the Recovery HD blocks the expansion of the main volume.

You may now merge the main partition with the recovery partition. The recovery partition in the VM will be deleted (this doesn't affect your real Recovery HD):

VM-Mac:~ VMuser$ diskutil mergePartitions JHFS+ "Macintosh HD" /dev/disk0s2 /dev/disk0s3

with the result:

/dev/disk0 (external, physical):
   #:                       TYPE NAME                    SIZE       IDENTIFIER
   0:      GUID_partition_scheme                        *68.7 GB    disk0
   1:                        EFI EFI                     209.7 MB   disk0s1
   2:                  Apple_HFS Macintosh HD            68.4 GB    disk0s2

You may recreate the Recovery HD by downloading and reinstalling El Capitan in the VM. This should not affect any personal data or installed apps in the VM.

Alternatively you may convert the main VM volume to a CoreStorage volume - this will keep the VM's Recovery HD:

VM-Mac:~ VMuser$ diskutil cs convert /dev/disk0s2

After a reboot enter in Terminal:

VM-Mac:~ VMuser$ diskutil cs list

Then enter:

VM-Mac:~ VMuser$ diskutil cs resizeStack lvUUID size

with lvUUID: the UUID of the Logical Volume found in the previous command and size: a size in t, g, m (e.g. 35200m or 36g). Start with a size of (disksize-1000m). In my example that's 67700m  If you get an error like:

  Error: -69771: The target disk is too small for this operation

choose a slightly smaller size until you are successful.


Apple password Stopped My apple password quit working.  I can't download apps or buy games.  This just happened a few hours ago.  Where do I go to get this corrected?

Follow the instructions in this Apple link.

In summary:

Go to iforgot.apple.com,
Select how you want to reset your password,
Wait for the notification,
Follow the onscreen instructions.


In MacOS Catalina 10.15 on Safari, How do you disable Command-I from composing a new Mail message? I realize a similar question to this has been asked, but it's not the same. The answers in that question are for older versions of MacOS. I'm asking this question specifically for MacOS Catalina 10.15.

macOS has a built in method for changing/adding keyboard shortcuts

Open System Preferences
Go to Keyboard > Shortcuts > App Shortcuts
Click the "+" button and select Safari from the Application drop down menu
In the Menu Title box enter the EXACT wording of that menu selection "Email This Page" (it must be exact, capitalization, spaces, etc)
Assign is a keyboard shortcut you would never use, like Shift-Command-Option-Ctrl-I
Click Add and close system preferences

Note now that the Command-I in that menu has been changed to whatever you set it to, allowing you to set Command-I to something else, or just leaving it that way so you won't accidentally use it.


Appstore not automatically checking for updates since iOS 11 Just me or has the appstore app stopped automatic checks for app updates since iOS 11? Updates aren't found and hence the badge on the app icon isn't shown.
Only if I manually open the appstore app and refresh-pull the updates tab the app updates are polled.

Apple has released the iOS 11.01 update, so I’d try downloading and installing that.

To install the update, go to Settings > General > Software Update.


Use 3rd party storage as primary OS X server storage or hire OS X server? I'm trying setting up a server for mostly Macs, using OS X Server.

My main questions are:

Is it possible to use 3rd party storage for a file sharing service?
Is it possible to hire a server package so that you only need to administrate it, while the host provides servers, storage, broadband, etc.?

You can probably hire a server from https://macminicolo.net/ or by finding a consultant at https://locate.apple.com

You certainly can have the Mac running server app use all manner of third party storage whether it's DAS, NAS or also cloud (private or public) since the file sharing capabilities are quite full featured as is the OS in utilizing various storage technologies.


Homebrew Vim with Python support depends on Python 3.7.0, and I have to use 3.6.5 I have to use Python 3.6.5 because of a library I use that keeps showing bugs on 3.7.0 (TensorFlow).

I installed Python 3.6.5 using Homebrew as follows:

brew install https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/homebrew-core/f2a764ef944b1080be64bd88dca9a1d80130c558/Formula/python.rb

If I install vim using Homebrew:

brew install vim --with-python

it updates Python to 3.7.0. So I end up having a working vim but broken TensorFlow code. What I did was switching back to 3.6.5 after installing vim:

brew switch python 3.6.5_1

And I ended up having a working TensorFlow code but a broken vim:

dyld: Library not loaded: /usr/local/opt/python/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.7/Python
  Referenced from: /usr/local/bin/vim
  Reason: image not found
[1]    83442 abort      vim

To solve this with homebrew, you can temporarily backdate homebrew-core and set the HOMEBREW_NO_AUTO_UPDATE variable to hold it in place:

cd `brew --repo homebrew/core`
git checkout f2a764ef944b1080be64bd88dca9a1d80130c558
export HOMEBREW_NO_AUTO_UPDATE=1
brew install python
brew install vim --with-python

I don't recommend permanently backdating homebrew-core, as you will miss out on security patches, but it is useful for testing purposes.

A more robust approach, would be to use pyenv as suggested in the comment by @Dustin Wheeler. You can also extract old versions of homebrew formulae into your own tap (tap_owner/tap_name) using the brew extract command:

brew extract python tap_owner/tap_name --version=3.6.5


Which MacBook Pro configuration is best suitable for Iphone/Ipad App development? Possible Duplicate:
  What are good specs for a MacBook to develop on iOS with?

I'm planning to buy a MacBook Pro and get into devlopment. But I'd like which is the best configuration I should go for?

Is it necessary to have a dedicated graphics card? Because I was looking at cheaper options like the 13' ones which only have integrated graphics memory.

Unless you're planning on working with an external monitor I'd always go at least with 15" Pro or the 13" Air. Both are fine machines for coding iPhone apps. Working in Xcode on an 13" Pro (1280x800) is doable, but rather unpleasant.

If it'll be your only machine I would recommend the 15" MBP, as you might need Photoshop (or similar) for UI design. At that point you would notice the weaker CPU and graphics in the Air or 13" MBP.


Forgot email associated with my itunes account Is there a way to find out what email address is used on an itunes account. I have my password but can't remember the email address! Help please!!

You could have a look in your keychain.

/Applications/Utilities/Keychain Access.app

Select the Login keychain in the top left panel and the All items in the bottom one.
Use the search in the top right corner.
Search for iCloud, MobileMe ,iMessage or Apple ID.

Double click any of the items that come up and see if the jog you memory.
Most of these will bring up the email for your apple id.


Applescript remote control volume Wondering how to turn up the volume on my computer from another computer.

set volume 4 of machine remMachine

doesn't work
Any suggestions?

In order to remotely control a Mac, say your desktop machine, you must first set it up for commands to be sent to it. To do this, launch System Preferences > Sharing on the Mac you want to control. Click the box next to Remote Apple Events, and set user restrictions if you need to.
Next, you will need the IP address. In System Preferences, switch to Network and locate your machine’s IP address. It should be something like, 192.168.0.3. Copy that address to proceed to the next step. You can also use the machine’s Bonjour name which can be found at the top of the Sharing pane in System Preferences. Its address will be spelled similar to this one: "smith-nancy-computer.local"
Now from another Mac, create your applescript like this:
tell application "Finder" of machine "eppc://192.163.0.3"
set volume 4
end tell

Sidenote:
Unfortunately I don't have a second Mac to test this on, so if anyone can improve this answer if it doesn't work, please feel free to make changes or add comments.


can't sync Calendar events from Mac to iPhone Mac running OS X 10.8.1, and iPhone 4 running 5.1.1. Since upgrading to OS X 10.8.1 from 10.7.4, I can't sync Calendar events from the Mac to the iPhone. The opposite direction works just fine. I am using iTunes for the sync via USB, all calendars are checked in iTunes to be synced.

Any idea what may be going wrong?

Ok, after looking at some error entries in system.log I found a link to this Apple KB article: Mac OS X: Resetting the SyncServices folder, which solved my problem. It is important not only to reset the sync services, but also to enable them after that as shown at the end of the KB article.


How can I change Finder's sidebar icons in macOS? Without using a 3rd-party application, how do I go about changing the icon in the sidebar for the Developer folder?
When I click on "Get Info" for this icon it's showing the icon does have the hammer icon but it's not showing in El Capitan in the sidebar when I add it over there?
Does anyone have a solution or can refer me to an article that will provide me with some direct information on how to add/edit this?

I'd love to be able to change the icons without an add-on. You get better visibility and much faster access.

Best thing I've managed to do for easy visibility is to add emoji to the names of the folders.

But of course you likely don't want to add emoji to the folders themselves. Instead you can put an alias to the folder in the sidebar, and have that alias contain the emoji.

I created ~/Library/Sidebar Aliases/ folder and dropped a number of aliases in there (Command-Option drag the folder). Then I renamed those to include whatever emoji icons I want to help visibility, and added those aliases to the sidebar.

Works perfectly:

Bonus: You can make the names themselves more descriptive. I've got a number of network folders in my sidebar and they all have the same name "Photos" for example.

Using an alias, I can have my smb://<server>.local/Collating/Photos/ folder appear in the sidebar as  Collating Photos, without touching the actual folder name itself.

Important Note: The only noticeable downside to this approach is that you can no longer drag and drop files into the sidebar aliases, as you can when there's an actual folder in the sidebar. Not a big issue for me, but worth noting.


Disable automatic phone number linking in iOS Safari On my iPhone, Safari sometimes thinks that some sequences of numbers are phone numbers, and automatically formats them as links to call that phone number. For example, if you read this question on an iPhone, the number sequence 7844589738 will be formatted as a phone number even though it isn't meant to be.

I find this particularly annoying since a lot of number sequences on pages I visit aren't actually phone numbers, but other number sequences like IP addresses, post IDs, etc, and I have never called a phone number that I found on a website. So I would like to disable this feature, but I can't find any setting that does so.

I searched the web for a way to disable this, but all I found were pages that explain how to disable it on my site on all iPhones (using HTML and stuff like that), but I want to disable it on my iPhone on all sites.

Is there a way to keep iOS Safari from automatically formatting number sequences as phone numbers?

This is currently not possible on Safari or any other stock application. The only way this is possible if the website developer adds some Meta Data code.

Related:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/8185290?answerId=32662540022#32662540022


Viewing the Account Name of multiple Apps in iTunes We have several people using the same computer and the same user account. However, each person has a different iTunes account.

With respect to the Apps section, is there anyway to view the ownership of multiple Apps? I can only find out the Account Name (purchaser) of one App at a time, via ⌘ + I.

How can I get this information all at once?

iMac Intel 2.8GHz Core 2 Duo, Mac OS X (10.5.4), 2GB RAM

Just click on the app

and push Command + "I", or right-click on the app and click "Get Info", or click on the app and navigate to File>Get Info (sixth command from the bottom).

All three of these will allow you to see the account name and email of the person who purchased them.


System-Preferences Applescript using osascript cannot select its window This AppleScript (based on an answer in a MacWorld form) will tell me whether or not Screen Sharing is enabled:

tell application "System Preferences"
    reveal pane "com.apple.preferences.sharing"
end tell

tell application "System Events"
    tell process "System Preferences"
        set screen_sharing_toggle to value of (checkbox 1 of row 2 of table 1 of scroll area 1 of group 1 of window 1) as boolean
    end tell
end tell

tell application "System Preferences"
        Quit
end tell

set newvar to screen_sharing_toggle

So if I run that in the AppleScript editor it returns true or false depending on the setting of Screen Sharing.  If I try running it on the command line (which is what I really want) I get something like this:

  scriptname: execution error: System Events got an error:
  Can’t get window 1 of process "System Preferences". Invalid index.
  (-1719)

Some more information

If I use run a script like this to count System Preferences' windows:

tell application "System Preferences"
    reveal pane "com.apple.preferences.sharing"
end tell

tell application "System Events"
    tell process "System Preferences"
        count windows
    end tell
end tell

it returns 1 when running under AppleScript editor, but 0 when I run it using osascript.

Even more information: On my laptop I get an even stranger error running the same command:

execution error: System Events got an error: Access for assistive devices is disabled. (-1719)

So there are two ways this script can fail:

Command line version unable to get the System Preferences window.
Running it will cause the complaint about enabling access for assistive devices.

Well the latter case as it turns out is self-explanatory: This script requires that you have enabled access for assistive devices.  The former is still not obvious, but if you quit System Preferences and restart it then it might work; it finally did for me, and I have amended the code above to get System Preferences to quit at the end.


Why does `ps -e` display information about the current user's processes? I'm currently on macOS Catalina:

nlykkei:~/projects$ sw_vers
ProductName:    Mac OS X
ProductVersion: 10.15.2
BuildVersion:   19C57

I wonder why the -e (identical to -A) option of ps displays information about my current user's processes, when only the -a option mentions:

  Display information about other users' processes as well as your own.

 -A      Display information about other users' processes, including those without controlling terminals.

 -a      Display information about other users' processes as well as your own.  This will skip any processes which do not have a controlling terminal, unless the -x option is also specified.

...

 -e      Identical to -A.

Any ideas?

The “e” or -e option was originally for every process.  It was deprecated with the -A for All processes.  It remains as a carry over for POSIX compliance with historical versions.
The difference between -a and -A is

-a only shows other users processes with a controlling terminal.
-A shows all process even if they are not attached to a terminal, like a daemon

According to the man page,

The ps utility supports the Version 3 of the Single UNIX Specification (``SUSv3'') standard.

macOS is one of the few certified POSIX compliant Unix operating systems that conform to the Single Unix Specification as such, all utilities included must also be POSIX compliant.
Additionally, in the man page, there is a section titled Legacy Description (IMO, bad wording) where it details the difference between POSIX ps and Legacy ps

In legacy mode, ps functions as described above, with the following differences:
-e      Display the environment as well. Same as -E.


Is there a way to re-purpose an iMac as a second monitor while using components? I have a late 2009 iMac 21.5". I am buying a new iMac and want the old one to be put to use. Is there a way to make it a 2nd monitor? What can become of the old components inside the 2009 iMac? The hard drive (replaced by Apple) is only 2.5 years old - can that somehow be used? Thanks for any suggestions.

Unfortunately the 21.5" late 2009 iMac model cannot be used as a display via Target Display Mode, although the 27" model could.

It's not clear what state your old iMac is in (working order or not), but if it boots then you can use it for a number of purposes (e.g. as a file and/or print server, for sharing a VPN connection, for sharing an iTunes library, etc).

If you really wanted to take advantage of its screen, you may have some limited success with a software solution. For example, people use Air Display to use existing iMacs as monitors for other devices/computers. However, this and other software solutions can be a little hit and miss.

Another option is to use your old iMac in Target Disk Mode. This is effectively a way of turning your iMac into an external hard drive. For more information on this you can read Use target disk mode to share files between two Mac computers.

Finally, if your old iMac is not in working order, you can sell some of its parts online (e.g. via eBay). If this is your scenario, you may want to consider keeping the hard drive and using it in an external case as an external hard drive for your new iMac. Whether this is worth doing will depend on its size etc.


How do I revert Mac locations? Hi!
I was hoping someone could help with my issue. Basically my Locations has changed on my Mac. I can't remember exactly what it was before, possibly my name but now it is showing bazooka. I think this was because I was playing around when I changed from bash to zsh and unfortunately do not know how to revert it. It means my terminal has become funky and I don't have permissions to open text-files/make changes.
Would really appreciate some help as I can only thing of restoring my Mac to factory settings may be a resolution.
Thanks!
Second Edit:
After changing the name in Sharing, I am still seeing 'Bazooka'

Your computer name can be changed in System Preferences > Sharing. This name may take a while to propagate to Apple ID device list.
Your hard drive name (not your computer name) looks set to Macintosh HD–this can be changed by simply right clicking and choosing rename.
Your account name can be identified in System Preferences > Users & Groups. If the information on this screen is incorrect, the easiest solution is to make a new account and transfer stuff manually. It is possible to change this without making a new account, just not trivial.


How to delete iCloud account without knowing the password I want to delete iCloud Account, but I can't remember the password to gain access to my Apple iCloud. Can someone please help me as there must be away that I can delete the account.

You need access to an iCloud account to delete it, therefore you will need to regain access. If you have forgotten the password, try iforgot.apple.com


Why do permissions differ for the HD and the home folder? I noticed this a while ago, but I have no idea what it means, or if it even means anything.. it's pretty weird though...

When you do Cmd-I (Get Information) on the hard drive and look at the permissions at bottom, they are:

system: R&W
admin: R&W
everyone: Read only

On my home folder they are:

admin (Me): R&W
staff: Read only
everyone: Read only

Why are these different, and should they not be?

I've repaired permissions and repaired disk and whatever in DiskUtility, but it's still the same. I've also noticed that on other folders the name is "derby" instead of "staff".

I believe this is normal behavior. Read access is granted to a wider group than the admin for many files. The more important thing is where write permission are given.

See this official document for more information:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2963


Can i send an email from me.com with an email using a different domain? I have had a dummy email (with a non me.com domain name) address created for my website and this email is redirected to my me.com account. This works fine.

But how can i send email from my dummy address?
The dummy address is not gmail/hotmail or so on, it is using my website domain name. For far,i have only managed to reply using my me.com account.

Thank you,
Aurélie

On a Mac, in the reply message, notice that the From: line has the down-pointing triangle that indicates that it's a menu. Clicking on it reveals a menu of all the email addresses you have configured. Select the one you want. The response will be sent through the SMTP server you have associated with the account corresponding to that email address.

On the iPhone, the reply message has a consolidated Cc/Bcc/From: field. (You have to swipe down to see it, because it's originally scrolled off the top.) Tap on that to expand it into separate CC, BCC, and From fields. Tap on the From: field, and note that a scrolling list appears at the bottom of the screen, with all your email addresses the iPhone knows about. Select the one you want to use.


Is it possible to hide the dock on a per-application basis? There's an app or two that I'd like to run fullscreen on my Mac. However, hiding the dock manually and unhiding it when I'm done gets tedious. I know there must be a way to get an application to hide the dock when it's active as iMovie 06 used to do exactly this. I also think that I read somewhere recently how to do it, but my search for the particular article comes up empty.

How can I get an app to hide the dock when it's active?

This can be done, but you cannot hide just the dock per app. It will hide both the Dock and the Menu bar per app.

You just have to make a quick, simple edit to the plist file for the application. Check out this article from Mac OS X Hints:

  To hack an app so that when it's active, the menubar and dock are hidden, you need to find its info.plist file. Control-click on the program in question, choose Show Package Contents from the pop-up menu, and then navigate into the Contents folder.

  Once there, add the following to the file:

<key>LSUIPresentationMode</key>
<integer>4</integer>

  Be sure that it goes in alphabetical order, otherwise it won't work (i.e. LSUIPresentationMode goes after LSMinimumSystemVersion but before NSAppleScriptEnabled). Save the file and enjoy.

You can change the value (in the example, it is 4) to 0 - 4. Apple's documentation has more details:

  Value: 0

  Normal mode. In this mode, all standard system UI elements are visible. This is the default value.

  Value: 1

  Content suppressed mode. In this mode, system UI elements in the content area of the screen are hidden. UI elements may show themselves automatically in response to mouse movements or other user activity. For example, the Dock may show itself when the mouse moves into the Dock’s auto-show region.

  Value: 2

  Content hidden mode. In this mode, system UI elements in the content area of the screen are hidden and do not automatically show themselves in response to mouse movements or user activity.

  Value: 3

  All hidden mode. In this mode, all UI elements are hidden, including the menu bar. Elements do not automatically show themselves in response to mouse movements or user activity.

  Value: 4

  All suppressed mode. In this mode, all UI elements are hidden, including the menu bar. UI elements may show themselves automatically in response to mouse movements or other user activity. This option is available only in Mac OS X 10.3 and later.


iPhone disabled. Connect to iTunes. No backup Kids were playing with my iPhone X and disabled it (entering wrong password multiple times, "iPhone disabled. Connect to iTunes" on screen).
I know the password, but there's no way to enter it. I don't have a backup, and I want to keep my data on the phone. (I know there's a reset option, which I'll use as the last resort)
This answer on iFixit from 2019 claims that if I update the phone from iTunes, it will allow me to enter the password in an hour.
Can anyone confirm if this works? I don't want to try it and make things worse.
UPDATE: Got off the phone with Apple support, they told me there's no way to get the data back without the backup. So I guess iTunes update referenced in the linked post no longer works that way.

UPDATE 2: Updated via iTunes, was not prompted to backup or to enter password in 1 hour. Phone still says "Connect to iTunes" after update. So I guess Apple support tech was right.

I would connect this to any iTunes you have that has ever had a chance to save an unlock key for that device. Unless you already have a trust relationship between iTunes in a computer and this phone, it’s going to wait for you to decide to erase it or you find a way to jailbreak it or crack the protection.
If you have full trust, it will reverse the disable when it’s connected to the internet and your phone is connected and everything is working. Update should prompt to make a backup, allow it. Restore likely will not do a backup, but I don’t have a disabled device to test this for you.


Why does the icon of a PC show a blue screen? So in Finder, Mac finds a Windows PC in the Network. When I right click on it and click Get Info, I see an icon that shows a computer monitor with a blue screen. By blue screen I mean a crashed PC. Why is this? Why not a normal desktop image?

Because it was Apple's way of making fun of Windows. No reason other than that.


Can iOS apps retrieve user access logs after being deleted? Specifically, I used an iPad app while it was offline, then deleted it. I assume that it keeps logs of access into the app and whatnot. Can an app be able to gain access to these offline logs after the app is deleted by the user?

No in general and by design. When the app is deleted, the os removed the container in which the app saves data. Unless the app saves data in a group container or runs on a jailbroken device and stuffs logs outside the sandbox, even reinstalling the app won’t recover the deleted data.


Word. Page numbering and section breaks Mac Word 14.5.3. Page numbering. I inserted page numbers when first starting this document.
I then inserted several section breaks (next page) in my document so I could change page orientation. On these pages the numbering has been lost.
However, it's continued numbering several page breaks down but with a random number.
How do I get the page numbering to continue smoothly all the way through the document, Section breaks and all?

I figured it out by
1) double clicking in the footer
2) going to the design tab that pops up
3) in the header and footer section of that tab clicking on the page number style that looks like the one that was showing up everywhere else in the document.

I did this and the number was correct because it was already linked to previous page.

FYI, if you don't know what style page number you have going on throughout the rest of your doc, you can't copy/paste the format of a page number you have on another page. Tried it, failed, worked around it.


iOS holiday calendar becomes "Untitled Calendar" I just notice the iOS holiday calendar on my iPhone (running iOS 11.4) becomes "Untitled Calendar".

According to this post, the holiday calendar is a part of iOS so there is no way to remove this calendar and then re-add it. It appears that this problem has existed since iOS 10.3.1 (https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7915337).

Do anybody encounter this problem? Any suggestion on a solution or workaround?

Yes change location to US Virgin Islands then go to http://icalshare.com/ and subscribe to any calendar that you like.

I've been on support line with Apple for 2 hours and had to come up with this solution on my own. They are no help and very condescending.


Macbook Pro headphone jack cuts in and out I have a MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015), and I constantly wear a pair of headphones while using it, and have for the past several years I've had it. The machine is starting to show its age, and now my headphones cut in and out sparodically when I move slightly:

sometimes the sound disappears altogether
sometimes the left/right audio levels become unbalanced or one side gets silenced entirely.
Often when this happens, my laptop doesn't let me adjust the audio to be louder or softer (instead of the intensity bar when I press the increase/decrease volume buttons, I get a "No" symbol) until I unplug and re-plug the headphones.

To fix the problems I have to wiggle the cord back and forth until the computer is satisfied.
I'm almost completely sure that this is a physical issue with the computer's headphones port. I've had this sort of problem before where it was caused by the headphones' audio jack (which I solved by getting new headphones), but I'm sure that that isn't the case here, because I experience no such problems when using the same headphones with my iPhone or my work computer. I'm also pretty sure it's not a software issue, as I have bluetooth headphones that I use occasionally (and don't like as much), and they don't experience similar problems.
So far I'm afraid to break anything further, so all I've really done is try to clean out the headphone port with a can of compressed air. Is there more I can do to repair the jack?

The headphone jack has a connection problem - loose/broken solder joints, corroded connectors, and/or worn contacts.
This sentence confirms the diagnosis:

To fix the problems I have to wiggle the cord back and forth until the computer is satisfied.

If you have to take a physical action to solve a problem, it's a physical problem.  By wiggling it back and forth, you're making sure there's a good connection, but after a while it will lose it's connection again.
To fix this, you need to replace the headphone jack and this means electronics rework.  There are shops that specialize in this type of work and even though it's an Apple, it can be done and the shop doesn't need to be "authorized."
If you decide not to fix it, you can use a Bluetooth headset or get a USB DAC that will allow you to connect your analog sound devices to a USB interface.


How to get started with MySQL on Mac I'm all very new to mySQL. I've installed it from the Oracle website, and I think I managed to run the server with the command:

sudo ./mysqld_safe --console

But it's impossible to open the client and have the "mysql>" prompt that nobody else seems to have a hard time having. I tried:

./mysql
./mysql -u root -p
./mysql -u root -p root
./mysql -u myusername

etc...(I also tried with 'sudo' first)

I always get the same message:

ERROR 1045 (28000): Access denied for user 'xxxxx'@'localhost' (using password: XX)

As you see, I don't really know what I'm doing. Any tips?

Post Install Set-up

Have you been through the post installation set up?

In particular, Securing the Initial MySQL Accounts is important because it sets up the default users and passwords.

brew

You may want to try installing MySQL via the homebrew project. With brew installed, you can install MySQL using the command:

brew install mysql

MAMP

Alternatively, MAMP offers an application based edition of MySQL. Launching the application starts a preconfigured copy of MySQL for you – and it includes the web-based myphpadmin.

With regard to your comment wanting a free solution, MAMP is free:

  Similar to a Linux-Distribution, MAMP is a combination of free software and thus it is offered free of charge. MAMP is released under the GNU General Public License and may thereby be distributed freely within the boundaries of this license.


automator ethernet toggle high sierra I have been trying to create a service for toggling ethernet on off, but can't manage to get it right.

It is for os x high sierra.

So far I have this, it runs with no error and it does appear on my services menu, but it does not toggle the ethernet connection.

I have tried some code for airport and it works. But I really need it for Ethernet 1, en0.

on run {input, parameters}

(* do shell script "networksetup -setnetworkserviceenabled Ethernet 1 off" user name “xxxx” password “xxxx” with administrator privileges
do shell script "networksetup -setnetworkserviceenabled Ethernet 1 on" user name "xxxx" password "xxxx" with administrator privileges *)

return input end run

I have done some workflows recording actions for this but it just a bit creepy and it really is a hassle this way.

Any help would be so much appreciated.

You might not need administrator privileges (I don't need them in order to toggle Wi-Fi on/off).  But the problem you're having is likely because you didn't put "Ethernet 1" in quotes.  So, assuming your ethernet connection is, indeed, called "Ethernet 1", then the command to turn your ethernet off looks like this:

on run {input, parameters}

    do shell script "networksetup -setnetworkserviceenabled \"Ethernet 1\" off"

return input end run

If you want to toggle it on/off depending on its current state, then you can do this:

on run {input, parameters}

    do shell script ¬
        "[[ \"$(networksetup -getnetworkserviceenabled 'Ethernet 1')\" = \"Enabled\" ]] \
         && networksetup -setnetworkserviceenabled 'Ethernet 1' off \
         || networksetup -setnetworkserviceenabled 'Ethernet 1' on"

end run

But, since your entire AppleScript is, in fact, a shell command wrapped inside a do shell script command, then I'd recommend using an Execute Shell Script action in your Automator workflow instead of an AppleScript one.  Then you can simply write the command out in its naked form, which is much more sensible:

[[ "$(networksetup -getnetworkserviceenabled 'Ethernet 1')" = "Enabled" ]] \
&& networksetup -setnetworkserviceenabled 'Ethernet 1' off \
|| networksetup -setnetworkserviceenabled 'Ethernet 1' on


How to remove App Store account on iPad? I am using an iPad 4 with iOS 8.1. I have logged out from another Apple account and logged in using another email address. However, the App Store keeps asking me for the password of the old account (showing its email and there is no way to change it). I have done a full reboot but no help.

How do I completely remove this account from the iPad App Store?
My dad seems to have the same problem with his iPhone 6, and what he did was restore factory settings. That will take me lots of time so I only consider it as last option.

It sounds like there's a little confusion. Let me elaborate a little bit... I used to be a Senior Advisor for Apple and this was by far the most common call.

First, migrating to a new Apple ID can be difficult, but you can do it. To make sure all future purchases ask for your new Apple ID, go to Settings > iTunes & App Store and then select your Apple ID. Is this your new one or your old one? If it's your old one, tap "Sign Out" and try signing in with your new one. All future purchases should then prompt you for your new Apple ID and password.

However, keep in mind that any apps that you've already downloaded with your old Apple ID will prompt you for that old Apple ID and password when the apps need to be updated. (This is what everyone else is talking about). In order to never see or think about that old Apple ID again, you'll need to delete those apps over time and re-purchase them on your new Apple ID.

Second, it is imperative that you understand what email addresses are and aren't associated with each Apple ID. To check this out, go to id.apple.com and sign in to each of them. It is possible to have multiple emails associated with an Apple ID. It is also possible to have an "alternate Apple ID," which basically means you can use either to sign in.

One more thing—with the announcement of iOS 8, Apple IDs can be conjoined or paired using Family Sharing. It may just be more confusing, but check out the synopsis on Apple's website here.


Mac Yosemite Airdrop is very slow I'm transferring files over Airdrop between 2 Macs running Yosemite. Before (10.8) it was pretty fast, reaching around 30M/second. Now (Yosemite 10.10) it's around 300k/second. Is this drop in speed because of the Yosemite upgrade or is something wrong with my Mac (it's a mid-2012)?

I've noticed the same thing when I connect to a hotspot after upgrading to Yosemite, and to a lesser extent any wifi network. It seems to be an issue of new software issues and the wifi max speed.

Workaround

Option-clicking on the wifi icon and selecting Disconnect from <Network name> will disconnect you from your current wifi network, which has tripled or quadrupled speed for me when starting a new transfer. This works best when both computers are disconnected. It kind of sucks, but when you're transferring files in the hundreds of megabytes as I was, it's worth it.


Connecting a displayport monitor to my Mac Mini (late 2012) using the Thunderbolt port what is the max resolution? I have a 27" ASUS PB278Q display equipped with a display port, the monitor has a resolution of 2560x1440.
If I connect to my thunderbolt port using a mini displayport to displayport cable will it maintain the ultra hi-res of 2560x1440 which is what Apple claims Thunderbolt can produce?

I have a 27" ASUS PB278Q connected to a late 2012 mac mini using a mini displayport to displayport cable, and it is stunning!

I tried HDMI and DVI but neither of these solutions worked past 1080p.


How to ensure a stolen MacBook Pro Retina is useless to a thief? (There are similar questions to this, but they all are old, like OS X Snow Leopard old. This is for Catalina era.)

I carry my MacBook Pro on me almost always when I go places. I keep it in my backpack. While the threat of it being stolen doesn't loom too badly where I live, and I don't ever let it out of my reach, I still want to make sure that my Mac is useless to a thief if it is stolen.

Currently, I have FileVault 2 full-disk encryption enabled, as well as Find My Mac enabled to the full extent and I have a password set on the EFI to prevent booting from external volumes.

How effective would this be, and is there anything I could do additionally to ensure they can't bypass these measures to use or sell the machine?

The security you’ve enabled probably won’t deter the theft of your laptop.  Most criminals who get the opportunity to snatch a laptop will take it no matter how useless you can make it with encryption and firmware locks.

Why?

Ignorance of the criminal.  No matter how much Apple advertises it, the common thief won’t know until they get it back home only to find they got a brick.  Then it will probably become a frizbee.
Salvage value.  Although useless as a computer, the machine becomes a “donor” for the parts including the screen, trackpad, keyboard etc.  even the logic board can supply someone with a ton of components to be used in logic board repair

Your strategy should be data protection, ensuring that no matter where your computer ends up, you have quick, secure access to your work product.  Enabling remote wipe is invaluable in making sure your data stays secure.

I would also look at insurance coverage for that expensive device.  Many credit cards cover theft.  There are also 3rd party insurance coverage from companies like Safeware


Keyboard shortcut to switch focus between multiple displays on OS X 10.9+ The fact that each monitor acts on its own in OS X Mavericks is pretty cool. However, I find that I have to use my mouse and click on the unfocused monitor before I can actually slide back and forth its screens (or spaces).

What's the keyboard shortcut to switch focus to another monitor?

update: follow up question

Here's a way that works from the keyboard:

Open System Preferences -> Keyboard and click the Shortcuts tab.
Choose Mission Control from the sidebar.
Scroll down until you see Mission Control listed in the main panel; check its box if not checked, and click the disclosure triangle.
You should see Move left a space, Move right a space, and then a series of Switch to Desktop 1, Switch to Desktop 2, etc. for as many desktop spaces as you have going at the moment.
Check all of the boxes of the Switch to Desktop N type.
In my prefs, each of those Switch-tos has a shortcut already there - Ctrl-1, Ctrl-2, ... Ctrl-N, where N is the Desktop number (Control key is shown as a carat ('^'). You can assign whatever you want to these, but keeping them in a sequential scheme helps, so I suggest leaving them as is.
Now, you can switch among your functioning desktops (aka Spaces), and if one you choose is on the other display, focus will shift to that display.
If you don't remember which number a Desktop is, you could first use your shortcut for Mission Control itself (mine is ⌥ Opt-Up Arrow, which I think was the default, but again you can set that for whatever you want). You'll see your current numbered Desktops, and can then use the appropriate shortcut. Press ⎋ Esc to get out of Mission Control.
I see that if I have all of the Switch-tos checked, then if I had another Desktop and check keyboard shortcuts again, the new Desktop is added to the Switch-to list and its shortcut is checked as well. So no need to go back to Prefs after the above steps.

Thanks for stimulating me to poke into this. I was having the same frustration as you and others!

ADDED for El Capitan: In my October 31 2016 note I describe my latest finding for switching to a space in the external display. It seems you need at least two spaces defined on your external display, and then you need to hit Control-N, Control-M, and you will be live in space M, where N & M are space numbers of spaces on the external display.


macvim not respecting os/x shortcuts I have macvim working as expected on my older mac. On a newly minted Mac however, the normal key sequences to select, copy, and paste text:

  Shift arrow keys (select)
  Command C, Command X, Command V (copy, cut, paste)

are not being recognized.

Then there must be some settings/configuration required to get the Cut/Copy/Select using OS/X keystrokes to work in macvim?  What is/are those settings?

thanks!

I actually had to enable cua mode manually.  That had not been necessary on my other Mac - so it is strange.
~/.vim/plugin/cua-mode.vim

Taken from:
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/fabi1cazenave/cua-mode.vim/master/plugin/cua-mode.vim
"|
"| File    : ~/.vim/plugin/cua-mode.vim
"| Source  : https://github.com/fabi1cazenave/cua-mode
"| Licence : WTFPL
"|
"| This file brings Notepad-like CTRL-ZXCV shortcuts to Vim, while preserving
"| all other Vim shortcuts -- like the CUA-mode does on Emacs:
"|           http://www.emacswiki.org/CuaMode
"|
"| It is based on Bram Molenaar's mswin.vim, g:cua_mode sets the behavior:
"|   0. raw
"|   1. CUA mode     =   (default)  CTRL-ZXCV -- subset of mswin.vim
"|   2. mswin mode   =   CUA mode + CTRL-ASY  -- strict equivalent of mswin.vim
"|   3. Notepad mode = mswin mode + CTRL-QOF  -- superset of mswin.vim
"|

" don't load $VIMRUNTIME/mswin.vim
let g:skip_loading_mswin=1

" bail out if this isn't wanted (i.e. when g:cua_mode is defined to 0).
if !exists('g:cua_mode')
  let g:cua_mode = 1
elseif g:cua_mode == 0
  finish
endif

" recommended settings:
" set nocompatible   " required for a multi-level undo/redo stack
" set mouse=a        " enables mouse selection

" set the 'cpoptions' to its Vim default
let s:save_cpo = &cpoptions
set cpo&vim

" behave like xterm when not in GUI mode
behave xterm
if has('gui_running')
  set mousemodel=popup_setpos   " right-click displays a popup menu
  set keymodel=startsel,stopsel " shift+arrows triggers the select mode
endif

" backspace and cursor keys wrap to previous/next line
set backspace=indent,eol,start whichwrap+=<,>,[,]

" backspace in Visual mode deletes selection
vnoremap <BS> d

" don't mess with CTRL-* shortcuts on MacOSX
if has('unix') && (system('uname') =~ '^Darwin')
  finish
endif

"|    Common PC shortcuts: CTRL-ZXCV <=> Undo|Cut|Copy|Paste                <<<
"|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

" CTRL-Z is Undo
noremap  <C-Z> u
inoremap <C-Z> <C-O>u

" CTRL-X and SHIFT-Del are Cut
vnoremap <C-X>   "+x
vnoremap <S-Del> "+x

" CTRL-C and CTRL-Insert are Copy
vnoremap <C-C>      "+y
vnoremap <C-Insert> "+y

" CTRL-V and SHIFT-Insert are Paste
map <C-V>      "+gP
map <S-Insert> "+gP

cmap <C-V>      <C-R>+
cmap <S-Insert> <C-R>+

" Pasting blockwise and linewise selections is not possible in Insert and
" Visual mode without the +virtualedit feature.  They are pasted as if they
" were characterwise instead.
" Uses the paste.vim autoload script.

exe 'inoremap <script> <C-V>' paste#paste_cmd['i']
exe 'vnoremap <script> <C-V>' paste#paste_cmd['v']

imap <S-Insert> <C-V>
vmap <S-Insert> <C-V>

" XXX For CTRL-V to work autoselect must be off.
" On Unix we have two selections, autoselect can be used.
if !has("unix")
  set guioptions-=a
endif
" >>>

" Note: some shells may eat CTRL-S and CTRL-Q (= XOFF/XON) to suspend/resume
" the display.  This can be avoided by adding this to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc:
"     stty -ixon

"|    #1 Use CTRL-S and CTRL-Q to do what CTRL-Z and CTRL-V used to do      <<<
"|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
" XXX: not working in gVim

" CTRL-Q <=> rectangular selection or special character insertion
noremap <C-Q> <C-V>

" CTRL-S <=> suspend Vim (resume with fg)
noremap <C-S> <C-Z>
" >>>

"|    #2 Alternative: mswin-like behavior for CTRL-SAY                      <<<
"|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
" This should be strictly equivalent to the $VIMRUNTIME/mswin.vim behavior.

if g:cua_mode < 2
  finish
endif

" CTRL-S is Save
noremap  <C-S>      :update<CR>
vnoremap <C-S> <C-C>:update<CR>
inoremap <C-S> <C-O>:update<CR>

" CTRL-A is Select All
noremap  <C-A> gggH<C-O>G
inoremap <C-A> <C-O>gg<C-O>gH<C-O>G
cnoremap <C-A> <C-C>gggH<C-O>G
onoremap <C-A> <C-C>gggH<C-O>G
snoremap <C-A> <C-C>gggH<C-O>G
xnoremap <C-A> <C-C>ggVG

" CTRL-Y is Redo (although not repeat); not in cmdline though
noremap  <C-Y>      <C-R>
inoremap <C-Y> <C-O><C-R>

" ALT-Space is System menu
if has('gui_running')
  noremap  <M-Space>      :simalt ~<CR>
  inoremap <M-Space> <C-O>:simalt ~<CR>
  cnoremap <M-Space> <C-C>:simalt ~<CR>
endif

" CTRL-Tab is Next window
noremap  <C-Tab>      <C-W>w
inoremap <C-Tab> <C-O><C-W>w
cnoremap <C-Tab> <C-C><C-W>w
onoremap <C-Tab> <C-C><C-W>w

" CTRL-F4 is Close window
noremap  <C-F4>      <C-W>c
inoremap <C-F4> <C-O><C-W>c
cnoremap <C-F4> <C-C><C-W>c
onoremap <C-F4> <C-C><C-W>c
" >>>

"|    #3 Alternative: Notepad-like behavior for CTRL-QSOAYF                 <<<
"|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
" This should be close to the Notepad behavior, though not equivalent.
" If you're looking for a more Notepad-like experience, try `vim -e` (Cream).

if g:cua_mode < 3
  finish
endif

" CTRL-B is Block selection
noremap <C-B> <C-V>

" CTRL-Q is Quit (unlike mswin)
noremap  <C-Q>      :quit<CR>
vnoremap <C-Q> <C-O>:quit<CR>
inoremap <C-Q> <C-O>:quit<CR>

" Next/previous with F3/Shift-F3
noremap    <F3>      n
vnoremap   <F3> <C-c>n
inoremap   <F3> <C-o>n
noremap  <S-F3>      N
vnoremap <S-F3> <C-c>N
inoremap <S-F3> <C-o>N

" Easy open/find/replace
if has('gui_running')
  " CTRL-O is Open
  noremap  <C-O>      :browse open<CR>
  vnoremap <C-O> <C-C>:browse open<CR>
  " CTRL-F is Find
  noremap  <C-F>      :promptfind<CR>
  vnoremap <C-F> <C-C>:promptfind<CR>
  inoremap <C-F> <C-O>:promptfind<CR>
  " CTRL-H is Replace
  noremap  <C-H>      :promptrepl<CR>
  vnoremap <C-H> <C-C>:promptrepl<CR>
  inoremap <C-H> <C-O>:promptrepl<CR>
else
  " CTRL-O is Open
  noremap  <C-O>      :edit .<CR>
  vnoremap <C-O> <C-C>:edit .<CR>
  " CTRL-F is Find
  noremap  <C-F>      /
  vnoremap <C-F> <C-C>/
  inoremap <C-F> <C-O>/
endif

" Bonus: word-by-word caret movements

" CTRL+arrow/backspace/delete
inoremap <C-BackSpace> <C-o>db
vnoremap <C-BackSpace> <C-c>db
inoremap <C-Delete>    <C-o>dw
vnoremap <C-Delete>    <C-c>dw
inoremap <C-Left>      <C-o>b
vnoremap <C-Left>      <C-c>b
inoremap <C-Right>     <C-o>w
vnoremap <C-Right>     <C-c>w
inoremap <C-Up>        <C-o>{
vnoremap <C-Up>        <C-c>{
inoremap <C-Down>      <C-o>}
vnoremap <C-Down>      <C-c>}

" ALT+arrow/backspace/delete -- meta sets the 8th bit
inoremap <M-BackSpace> <C-o>db
inoremap <M-Delete>    <C-o>dw
inoremap <M-Left>      <C-o>b
inoremap <M-Right>     <C-o>w
inoremap <M-Up>        <C-o>{
inoremap <M-Down>      <C-o>}

map <M-Left>  B
map <M-Right> W
map <M-Up>    {
map <M-Down>  }

" ALT+arrow/backspace/delete -- meta sends escape
inoremap <Esc><BackSpace> <C-o>db
inoremap <Esc><Delete>    <C-o>dw
inoremap <Esc><Left>      <C-o>b
inoremap <Esc><Right>     <C-o>w
inoremap <Esc><Up>        <C-o>{
inoremap <Esc><Down>      <C-o>}

map <Esc><Left>  B
map <Esc><Right> W
map <Esc><Up>    {
map <Esc><Down>  }
" >>>

" restore 'cpoptions'
set cpo&
let &cpoptions = s:save_cpo
unlet s:save_cpo

" vim: set fdm=marker fmr=<<<,>>> fdl=0:


eclipse running on mac 32bit i am currently using mac 32 bit.I am unable to open eclipse an error pop up saying that i need to update my JVM from 1.6 to 1.7 and from the java website there are no ver 1.7 for mac 32bit. what am i suppose to do?

Mavericks is a 64-bit OS; it has no 32-bit option... You can run 32-bit apps in it & run 64-bit apps in 32-bit mode, but the OS itself, afaik, is only available in 64-bit.

32-bit Macs cannot run Mavericks.

Edit - 32-bit mode picture...


Is Eigen provided with XCode? I found out that I have some Eigen file in /usr/include/eigen3/...

Is Eigen provided by deafult with XCode 4.3 or were them installed by me with a package manager like macport or homebrew?

I'm asking it because I'd like to remove them and build a new installation.

Thanks!

Try to do something like

pkgutil --file-info /usr/include/eigen3/your.file

That will return where the file comes from...

For instance (I do not have eigen3 in /usr/include):

$ pkgutil --file-info /usr/include/cups/ppd.h
volume: /
path: /usr/include/cups/ppd.h
pkgid: com.apple.pkg.DevSDKLeo

Let me add, Macports would not install anything in /usr/include (unless there is a bug OR You told it do so by doing a custom install).  I do not use Homebrew so I cannot comment on where it keeps the files it installs.

In any case, I have Lion, XCode 4.3.2 with the Command Line tools installed, and do not have eigen3 in /usr/include


Resizing and moving OSX partitions in Disk Utility So, I have a Mac Mini with a 160GB drive (it's an old model but it's only for testing). It had 4 versions of OSX on it but one needed more space so I removed the oldest version (Lion) and want to keep it to "latest", "latest-1" and "latest-2".

I've got to the situation where I now have the 3 OSes I need and I've managed to resize the partition for the one which was full so it now runs. But I'm left with a load of free space that I'd like to split between the others so that they don't fill up either.

Hopefully it's clear in the screenshot, but when I want to do this resizing, I have this situation where I can only select that single "partition" and I can't resize it. I can resize the Mavericks partition itself OK, but because that grey section can't be resized, I can't move it or resize the Yosemite/Mountain Lion partitions

mac-mini:~ user$ diskutil list
/dev/disk0
   #:                       TYPE NAME                    SIZE       IDENTIFIER
   0:      GUID_partition_scheme                        *160.0 GB   disk0
   1:                        EFI EFI                     209.7 MB   disk0s1
   2:                  Apple_HFS Yosemite                42.8 GB    disk0s2
   3:                  Apple_HFS Mavericks               50.9 GB    disk0s3
   4:                 Apple_Boot Recovery HD             650.0 MB   disk0s4
   5:                  Apple_HFS Mountain Lion           37.7 GB    disk0s5
   6:                 Apple_Boot Recovery HD             650.0 MB   disk0s6

diskutil from the command line doesn't show a block of free space, but I can see it in the GUI Disk Utility, I just can't do anything to resize that grey area to match the size of Mavericks, which I think I need to do in order to change the "split" between the partitions and add more space to Yosemite/Mountain Lion.

Any other tools I can try apart from Disk Utility, preferably freeware or time limited trials since I'm only going to need to do this once?

I recommend downloading a copy of GParted from here: http://gparted.org/download.php

Then either:

Burn that iso file to a CD and then boot from the CD.
Or, create a new partition on your disk, use Disk Utility to Restore from the iso file to the new partition, set that partition as the startup disk, and finally boot into GParted.

GParted is the king of partitioning tools.


GnuPG for Apple's Leopard 10.5.x I have a Macbook that was given to me by my friend while I save up money for a replacement keyboard on another laptop that run's linux. My question is where can I find a working URL for downloading either the GPG Suite or gpgtools for Apple's Leopard 10.5.8 OS X. The processor is Intel based and if you have another recommendation other than GnuPG projects be my guest, I really just need a PGP compliant program that can encrypt and decrypt files with PKI support.

The fact that your system is on Leopard rather than Snow Leopard (10.6) will make things a bit trickier. A fair amount of software is only compatible with 10.6 and above.

That said, I'd suggest installing GnuPG using one of the UNIX package managers for Mac OS. I see MacPorts still has a legacy installer for Leopard - see this link.

Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a binary for 10.5, only 10.6, so you'll need to build it from source, which the MacPorts port command will manage for you.


How do I get an AppleScript application to automatically run at login? The script I have helps with my computers ability to edit videos. I only use my computer for editing. The script just activates a program that I have made. I want to be able open my computer after it has been shut down and get the program to open/run automatically.

I have tried to use the System Preferences' "open at log in" feature, but that doesn't work. Is there any other way?

The script I have is an application and the code is:

set appPath1 to path to resource "Opening 5.app"

tell application "Finder"
    open appPath1
end tell

When I double click the app, it opens up my program which changes the way FCPX renders, plays and saves videos.

I use this ..

  Open System Preferences.
  Go to Users & Groups.
  Choose your nickname on the right.
  Choose Login items tab.
  Press +
  Check startup programs you want to add.


Making Desktop 2 in Mountain Lion be shown in external display Is it possible to display Desktop 2 (Mountain Lion) in an external display?

The thing is I want to use Full Screen applications in an external display while using my Laptop display for non-full-screen applications.

With the Mirror Display unchecked, when I drag an application to the external display and set it to full screen, my laptop display goes black.

I have been using an external display for a little while and was confused about this to begin with.  I think it happens when you have a particular window on full screen.  That is to say that it is the extended display version of having a single window to the fore.  I started dragging windows to size manually and it stopped happening.


Can only see half of folder screen? My Finder folders today have a line beside the folders
Since the view is half blank, I have to move the line over before I can view the rest.
Can anyone help a girl out?

View → Show Preview ⇧⌘P / Hide Preview ⇧⌘P toggles the pane on the right.
You can alternatively…

drag the edge of the window right to make the window bigger so you can see more contents without hiding the preview pane.
choose View → Arrange By to choose an arrangement of items — any arrangement will automatically place the folder contents within the view with only vertical scrolling.


Changing Info.plist values via terminal I am making my own application and I would like to change some values in my Info.plist file using terminal.

I have tried doing defaults write Info.plist CFBundleExecutable -string <Executable> and defaults write Info.plist CFBundleExecutable <Executable> however it never seems to work. I don't get any output so I don't even know what it is i'm doing wrong.

Thanks for the help

You can use defaults or plutil command line tools.

For defaults it looks like this:

defaults write /absolute/path/to/Info.plist CFBundleExecutable -string <Executable>

For plutil:

plutil -insert CFBundleExecutable -string <Executable> Info.plist

Value after -insert is a key path separated by .. For example

plutil -insert CFBundleDocumentTypes.0.CFBundleTypeExtensions.1 -string "scss" /Applications/Safari.app/Contents/Info.plist

will insert "scss" string deep in the path. Numbers after . are for arrays (they are starting with 0).


lots of errors after sudo bash in terminal I want to run lots of terminal commands without having to place sudo in front of every command. I am running in macOS 10.10.5 in terminal.

I do sudo bash, but I'm getting lots of errors in my .bashrc script.

Here is my .bashrc file

mac $ cat .bashrc
#! /bin/bash
# ~/.bashrc: eyecuted by bash(1) for non-login shells.
#    see /usr/share/doc/bash/eyamples/startup-files (in the package bash-doc)
#    for eyamples
echo "in .bashrc but claims to be $0"
/usr/bin/id
which id
echo "the path is $(pwd)"
echo "\$PS1 variable is ${PS1}"
echo "\$SHELL variable is ${SHELL}"
echo -e "the path is: \n  $PATH"
echo $USER
echo "end of this script."

# how to display an existing function
# declare -f highlightExitCode
highlightExitCode()
    {
        exit_code=$?
        if [ $exit_code -ne 0 ]
        then
           echo -en " RC=${exit_code} "'\xf0\x9f\x98\xb1\x20'
        else
           echo -en ""
        fi
    }mac $

output form running "sudo bash. I have the feeling that bash isn't the running shell. When I have a case statement in .bashrc,  I got error messages about the case statement.  Why in the world cannot the /usr/bin/id command be found? :...

mac $ sudo bash
in .bashrc but claims to be bash
: No such file or directory
the path is /Users/mac
$PS1 variable is \u$(highlightExitCode) \$
$SHELL variable is /bin/bash
the path is:
  /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.7/bin:/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/opt/X11/bin:/Developer/Tools:/Users/mac/.nexustools
root
end of this script.
: command not found
: command not found
'ash: /Users/mac/.bashrc: line 18: syntax error near unexpected token `
'ash: /Users/mac/.bashrc: line 18: `highlightExitCode()
bash: highlightExitCode: command not found
root #

I get the same results with "sudo -s":

 sudo -s
Password:
in .bashrc but claims to be /bin/bash
: No such file or directory
the path is /Users/mac
$PS1 variable is \u$(highlightExitCode) \$
$SHELL variable is /bin/bash
the path is:
  /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.7/bin:/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/opt/X11/bin:/Developer/Tools:/Users/mac/.nexustools
root
end of this script.
: command not found
: command not found
'ash: /Users/mac/.bashrc: line 18: syntax error near unexpected token `
'ash: /Users/mac/.bashrc: line 18: `highlightExitCode()
bash: highlightExitCode: command not found
root #

For cases like this with a more detailed dot file, to get a root shell, I would use

sudo -s

If that works, you might add one line to your .bashrc if you like a more detailed prompt: https://superuser.com/questions/866269/use-sudo-s-but-show-current-folder-name

I don’t and want the root prompt to be very different so I know I’m root and not my normal user as that saves pain for me if I forget to get out of root as soon as possible.

If you want an excellent tutorial on root shell for macOS - see https://scriptingosx.com/2018/04/demystifying-root-on-macos-part-2-the-sudo-command/


How can I use NTFS partitions in OS X? My coworkers use NTFS partitions, and I can't share my data with them, as NTFS on Mac OS X is read-only.

How can I read and write onto NTFS partitions?

For free, you can use the NTFS-3G driver. In order to use it, you have to install MacFUSE first.

In the end, you'll have a prefpane to mount and manage your NTFS drives


Macbook Pro semi-frozen My mac is in a weird state without particular reason.
It is awake, but mouse clicks don't work, so I can't open any menus or apps.
If I shut the lid, it locks after a while, but not immediately. When it gets to the locked state, it allows me to log into my account, by typing password, but it won't let me switch user or get to the screen, where I can restart it.

Keyboard is even more weird. It react to all feature buttons (brightness, sound, keyboard brightness), except power button and "app buttons" (f3-f4). It doesn't react to holding power button for 10+ seconds, nor cmd+option+power button shortcut.

I'm able to call "force quit apps" menu via cmd+alt+esc and close all apps and restart finder, but it doesn't help.

Any ideas what should I do?

I can't detach battery, since it 2015 retina model and I don't have correct screwdriver on me.

UPDATE: External mouse and keyboard react the same way

After a while, I've noticed that all shortcuts work in Finder. Here are my steps, how I fixed the problem:

Try to launch finder, by killing rest of the apps via  "force quit apps" menu (Command+Alt+Esc)
Go to utilities folder (Shift+Command+U)
Use arrows to select Terminal
Open terminal (Command+Down Arrow)
Issue command sudo shutdhown -r now. I decided to use -r flag to reboot my mac, in case power button is dead and I won't be able to load it.

Now everything works fine. It was just a software bug.


OS X Recovery Disk Assistant Does the OS X Recovery Disk Assistant introduced by Apple for Lion works for any later macOS?
More precisely, will this tool create a bootable copy of the existing internal Recovery Partition onto an external drive, regardless of which version the Recovery Partition contains?

This software did work with versions of OS X beyond Lion. However, with El Capitan and newer versions of macOS, this software was replaced with createinstallmedia.
The original idea was to copy the recovery partition to a USB drive. This allowed older Macs, with firmware that was unable to boot to Internet Recovery, to boot from a USB drive and download and install OS X. Eventually, Apple decided to include the installation software on the USB drive. This is where the idea for createinstallmedia came from.


How to delete tags from a large number of files I have created by accident about 70 tags. by copying them into the finder tag window by accident.

I am using only 6 of them.

How can I delete all the 70 tags except those 6?

I tried to do it from finder but the process is so slow. I would choose some another method.

You can delete custom tags you created by going to "Finder-->Preferences-->Tags"  Then highlight the tags you don't want.  (To select multiple at once click one and then shift+click the last one).  Right-click and "Delete # Tags".

In your case, with 70+ tags, just use select all from the edit menu (Command A) to select all the tags. Then hold the option key to click the 6 tags you want to keep. Once the rest are selected you can mass delete them, leaving the few tags you prefer.


Disable webpages asking for location? I've got a webpage that I have to access for work each morning and it continually asks to use my location. Is there an way to block this from asking for my location? I'm not so much concerned about it knowing my location as I am tired of the Safari drop down alert asking for it over and over and over again.

Safari > Prefs > Privacy > Website use of Location services:


Disk utility can't add partitions I have two partitions - one with Mac OS, and another with Windows 7 (created by Bootcamp). Now, I want to create two more partitions for Linux - LINUX and LINUXSWAP. I open Disk Utility and specify new partitions using + button in the mas disk. Then I click apply. Application returns strange message partition failed with the error: couldn't modify partition map because file system verification failed. I googled for that problem and everywhere people advice to repair disk using boot CD with MacOS which leads to deinstalling all applications, perhaps, losing windows partition and very time consuming. I don't like this way. Do you have an idea how I can create just two partitions for my Linux?

There might be a misconception somewhere in what you say. You can run Disk Utility from the original system disc WITHOUT re-installing OS X.

I ran into a similar problem recently, on which running Disk Utility from any of the existing partitions would not work. I then tried running Disk Utility from a restore disk I had copied to an external USB-drive and to my surprise it was not successful either. Ultimately, the only way I was able to get Disk Utility to re-partition my drive was when I executed it from the original system CD that shipped with my Mac.

Again, you can launch Disk Utility from the setup start up screen by selecting it from one of the menus. You do not require to re-install OS X. Hope this helps.


Given the strength and scratch resistance of Gorilla Glass, are cases of value for iPhones? Do I need a protective case for my iPhone 5?

This is my first smart phone. I thought one of the advantages of a modern smart phone was the Gorilla Glass and the small size and weight. It seems to me that cases add bulk and weight to the phone, so I find it odd that cases are so common.

Any people out there with an iPhone without a protective case? What has your experience been. It is rare to see a raw iPhone on the streets. Sometimes I think this is just a) security theater (i.e. makes you '''feel''' like the phone is more safe) and b) a way to personalize the now ubiquitous device.

There's an article/video that talks about the efficacy of Gorilla Glass. The summary is it is quite good but that small particulate matter (sand) can scratch the glass. Typical things like coins & keys in the pockets should not scratch the screen.

Given that I feel the glass needs no protection, what value does a case offer?

I have an iPhone 4S.  Like you, I originally thought that I ought to get a protective case for my iPhone.  I tried several cases, but none of them were satisfactory (too bulky, too cumbersome to open to get to the phone, too ugly).

I now have no case for the phone, and I keep it in my trouser pocket all the time.  Instead of getting a case for the phone, though, I got a key case for my keys (which I keep in the same pocket) to prevent them scratching the glass!  That solution has worked well - the iPhone is now over a year old but looks as good as new, and I haven't added any size or weight to it.


Macbook Pro 2010 with Maverick restarting I have read tones of advice on this and I still have no solution and just wanted some personal advice.

My macbook pro mid 2010 keeps restarting randomly, not always on the same program.

It works fine in safe mode.

I just wondered if anyone had any advice on how to stop this happening, I've tried uni stalling certain programs, deleting files, everything I can think of.

Please can some help me :(

Thanks in advance.

My one experience years ago with this was 15" Powerbook ... but Apple Support told me that was a sign the motherboard was going, and they replaced it (on Applecare)


Minecraft/Xbox Live not working when Content Restrictions are enabled We recently had to enable Content Restrictions on my son's iPad, but now he cannot sign in to his Xbox Live account in Minecraft.

The iPad is currently running iOS version 12.3.1

In the Settings app on the iPad I go into 'Screen Time -> Content & Privacy Restrictions -> Content Restrictions -> Web Content'

We set the Web Content to 'Allowed Websites Only'

But now when we go into Minecraft on the iPad and try to sign in to the Xbox Live account we get the message "Sorry, something went wrong. Give it another try, or try on Xbox.com"

If we change the Web Content setting to 'Unrestricted Access', or 'Limit Adult Websites', Minecraft allows us to sign into Xbox Live.

We have tried adding https://xbox.com to the list of allowed websites, but that isn't working. What address/domain do we need to list that will allow Minecraft/Xbox Live to work within iOS content restrictions?

FYI - I've tried posting this question on Microsoft community forum (https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/xbox/forum/xba_modi/sorry-something-went-wrong-give-it-another-try-or/f36aaa4f-e30d-466f-a49e-0d80a8f7a867?tm=1561911439816), but no help so far.

I know this is old but I am still fighting this issue. Navigating to settings > Screen time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Content Restrictions > Web content > and then adding in "live.com" to the list of approved websites solved this issue for me.


No signal at 2560x1440 resolution from early 2013 Retina MacBook Pro I have an early 2013 Retina MacBook Pro running macOS Sierra 10.12.5 connected to an ViewSonic VX2478 monitor using a MiniDisplayPort cable connected to a ThunderBolt port.  The monitor is detected correctly as having a default resolution of 2560x1440.  However, when I set it to the default resolution the monitor claims to have no signal while macOS seems to think everything is fine.  If I set the resolution to 1080p the display works fine.

When I started trying to make this work I had El Capitan instead of Sierra.  The problem was slightly different.  The monitor didn't display a "No Signal" error, but it didn't display anything, either.

I connected the display to my Windows laptop using its ThunderBolt port and the full native resolution worked fine.

I have tried the following:

Both a mini-DP to DP (included with the display) and a mini-DP to mini-DP cable (purchased new)
Reseting NVRAM
Reseting the SMC
Both Thunderbolt ports
Experimenting with various resolutions using SwitchResX
Disabling Automatic Graphics Switching

I haven't tried using an HDMI cable because I can't seem to find one lying around, and many of the solutions I've found to similar problems involve using a DisplayPort cable instead of an HDMI or DVI cable.

I solved this problem by using an HDMI cable.  Full resolution works fine.  I still don't know why DisplayPort doesn't work at full resolution.


Add images to existing PDF with Preview Preview allows to add text and shapes to PDFs. But is it possible to add existing images (PNG / JPEG) to a PDF file as well?

I do know that Preview already has some of image embedding by allowing the user to add signatures drawn on the screen of an i-Device. But I couldn't figure out if this would also work with arbitrary files.

Do as follows:

Open the image you want to paste in Preview.app
Select All (Command-A)
Copy (Command-C)
Paste (Command-V)

Now you have a copy of your image pasted above your old image. This is apparently meaningless, but the new copy is not just an image, but an object.

Click on the new image (round blue corners appear, no marching ants)
Copy (Command-C)
Paste on your PDF document. The image is an object, moveable and resizable. The original PDF is still a PDF, editable and all.


How can I alert Apple about spyware targetting Apple users? I got a pop-up on my father's iPhone stating that there was spyware on it, along with a number to call for AppleCare support. I realized I only called the number because it was listed in a pop-up and wasn't really sure if it was really AppleCare. I looked up the number on my other phone and discovered it was a scam.

How can I report this to Apple?

For what it's worth you can reach Apple's legal department through the contact form on https://www.apple.com/legal/contact/. Picking "Phishing and Spam" from the drop-down leads you to https://support.apple.com/HT204759 which, among a lot of useful info on how to protect your devices, lists a number of options on how to reach out to Apple in these cases.


Cleaning the outside of an iMac with an electrostatic cloth Is it safe to clean the outside of an iMac (and in general, any computer, be it the tower or the display) with a Swiffer cloth? Also, is it necessary to unplug it for doing so?

I've read that you're not supposed to clean the inside of a computer with them because they are electrostatic.

Personally I would never use anything that can build up an electrostatic discharge around computers.

While the power supply may be 240~120V AC nonetheless the internal component are running a 12V DC or less and at the point an electrostatic discharge occurs that causes a spark and you feel the discharge it's at ~1000V DC and more then enough to permanently damage the electronic components of a computer if discharged through. This is why we that work in the industry use electrostatic mats and wrist straps when working on computers.

Through my career I've witnessed many times a component getting zapped because proper electrostatic discharge precautions were not taken by some colleagues and many users. I too have zapped a thumb drive via electrostatic discharge accidentally touching the USB connector having just walked down a carpeted hallway in the winter time while in northern climates because I forgot to ground myself first before plugging in the drive. I felt and saw the discharge as I plugged in the drive. It was working two minutes earlier in the computer I properly removed it from.

So, even just wiping the outside can have potential if it can discharge while brushing over any of the ports.

I recommend using microfiber cloths that have been dampened and wrung near dry so as not to have enough moisture to damage the computer too. I've been using microfiber cloths for more years then I can remember and have never damaged anything I've used them on.

Additionally, especially if in climates conducive to electrostatic discharge, take proper precautions and at a minimum, wear an electrostatic discharge strap making sure you've grounded out any built up charge before touching the computer and maintain that ground while touching the computer.

BTW Sorry about the original answer, it was meant for a different question. :)


Mirroring an iPad to a Samsung HDTV I have an iPad 2 which I would like to mirror NBC Sports Live Extra to my Samsung TV. My cable provider, Verizon Fios Quantum (New York City), does not carry the channel but allows subscribers to access it online using their Fios account. I, like many others, are hoping that Apple will announce a brand-new 2015 Apple TV at tomorrow's (3/9/2015) press conference or in the very near future. Until then, other than using a variety of cables and adapters or devices such as Roku 3, is there any way to mirror my iPad? Would Chromecast do the job? Thank you

Sorry to give you such a short answer, but: no.


Can my retina MacBook Pro SSD drive go to sleep? In energy settings there are several options concerning the power consumption of you mac, like dim display, app nap, but also "Put harddisk to sleep when possible".

To my knowledge, an HD hard disk can go to sleep, it will stop spinning and park its heads.

But I have an original SSD build in my retina MacBook Pro. Can this SSD disk go to sleep as well?

As to what I'm aware, an SSD does not classify as a hard disk, therefore it will not go to sleep as part of this option. (I'm not even sure you can make them go to sleep to begin with.)

Using a laptop with an internal SSD as its only form or storage will make this setting of no use. However if there is say an external HDD plugged in, it will abide to this setting.

But back on topic, an SSD will not obey this setting.


If I didn't activate my find my iPhone is it possible for the thief to reset factory settings? I just got my iPhone stolen. I quickly turn on find my iPhone. I wonder if before I did that the thief have reset factory setting first. Is it possible?

It seems that the mere act of setting my iPhone on password should make the iPhone unusable even without find my iPhone feature. Am I correct here?

If you haven't enabled Find My iPhone, then you haven't enabled Activation Lock, which means the device can be reset simply by placing it in Recovery Mode and clicking Restore in iTunes. Setting a passcode protects the information on the device but won't prevent against restoring the OS.


El Capitan: every app crashes when browsing or saving file Yesterday I updated my Mac to El Capitan. I have a serious issue, as every app is crashing, when I am trying to browse files.

Examples:

Photoshop crashed when I try to save a file, or place a file (crashes when I try to browse)
(tried on chrome and safari) - when trying to upload files on Facebook conversation, the app crashes as I try to browse/pick a file.

What do I do now?

I know this is old, but here are my two cents:

I experienced the exact same issue you describe.
What resolved it for me was to delete the Finder's preferences plist file

~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist

Then log out/in, or reboot, and problem solved.


Where to find a list of purchased books in the Amazon Kindle app for iPad? In the current version of the Kindle app for iPad OS 13, I cannot find any list of books I have previously purchased.

I found a hamburger menu item for “Lists”, but that shows a blank page.

Where should I be looking?

The current latest version of the Kindle app running on iPadOS 13 is Version 6.28. Follow these steps to see the list of all your purchased books:

First of all, make sure you are logged into the Kindle app with the correct account. To ensure, tap on the More button shown at the bottom toolbar, and then tap on the Settings item.

Check for the logged in account under Registration.

Once confirmed, Tap on the (X) button shown at top right to dismiss the Settings screen. Now in the bottom toolbar, tap on the Library button to navigate to the Library screen.
Once on the Library screen, in the toolbar shown under the search bar at the top of the screen, tap on All to show all the books, samples and documents associated with your account. Selecting Downloaded would only show the books, samples and documents downloaded locally, and it would show a blank page if you have not downloaded or synced any content to your iPad.

Tap on the Filter button shown towards the top left of the screen (under the bell icon), to filter the listing to show just the purchased books by tapping on the Books item.

The same steps can be followed to access the list of purchased books in the iPhone app.


How do I force a partition and format on a USB key in OS X Mountain Lion Disk Utility or from CLI diskutil? I have a brand new Memorex TravelDrive 64GB USB disk which is being troublesome.

It's formatted FAT16 on MBR, which is not so nice, and I'd like to put it on HFS+.

I've tried to do this through the Erase and Partition tabs in Disk Utility, as well as from the CLI in Terminal.app via a couple different methods:

$ diskutil partitionDisk disk4 1 GPT HFS+ newdisk R
$ diskutil eraseDisk HFS+ newdisk disk4

In those, disk4 represents the special device or disk identifier (i.e., /dev/disk4) and newdisk is the arbitrary name I'm giving the new volume on the disk.

In all cases, the process hangs trying to unmount the disk.  I've done a bit of investigation, to no avail:

Tailing the Disk Utility log while it's running (tail -f ~/Library/Logs/DiskUtility.log) doesn't provide any useful information.  All I see is:

Starting next Erase job: 6 with no options
2013-03-03 00:51:57 -0500: Preparing to erase : “newdisk”
2013-03-03 00:51:57 -0500:  Partition Scheme: GUID Partition Table
2013-03-03 00:51:57 -0500:  1 volume will be created
2013-03-03 00:51:57 -0500:      Name        : “newdisk”
2013-03-03 00:51:57 -0500:      Size        : 63.92 GB
2013-03-03 00:51:57 -0500:      File system : Mac OS Extended (Journaled)

dmAsyncStartedForDisk for disk4
2013-03-03 00:35:30 -0500: Unmounting disk

and it hangs there, thus having me need to "Stop Progress" from the Debug menu after 20 or 30 minutes.
Trying to figure out if something has hold of the disk for some other purpose doesn't reveal anything either -- ps aux | grep fsck returns only one process:

ryan        4967   1.0  0.0  2432768    588 s003  R+   12:57AM   0:00.00 grep fsck

Anyone have thoughts on how to figure out what's going on here?

You need to use /dev/disk4 in place of just disk 4 in your command. It should read like this

diskutil partitionDisk /dev/disk4 1 GPT HFS+ newdisk R


Prevent iPhone from adding contacts by default to the exchange server I have my work exchange account added to my iphone.  The problem is when I add a contact in my iPhone, the contact is automatically stored in the exchange account group.  This I do not want.  Is there a way that I can turn this bug/feature off?

Ideally, there should be an option to confirm which phone book I would like the contact added to.  Or at minimum have an option to save all contacts to the icloud.

Investigating a bit, it appears that if at any time in past I would have selected the exchange group contacts, then when I add any new contact it goes to the exchange account.  Subsequently, the only time I see that contact is when I show the exchange group in the contacts app again.

Many times I forget to unselect the exchange group contacts and then weeks or month later add someone to my contacts which then gets stored only in the exchange group contacts.  It doesn't get copied to the icloud even!

Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > (contacts section) Default Account.

(Note default account also exists in the "Calendars" section.)

I personally wish Apple would let you set which group, on the fly, as you save the contact, but sadly we can only change the "default".


music app to monitor a USB drive I have a USB stick of thousands of songs which I want to be able to play on my work laptop (macos).
Ideally I want to set up the "Music app" (renamed iTunes) so that it will monitor the USB stick and automatically detect if new music has been added to it (on my personal windows PC foorbar2000 does this for me). Is there a way to do it in mac music?
What I have tried so far. In the "Music App" I have:

Disabled option to "copy when adding to library"
Disabled option to "keep music organised"

Then I use "Add folder to library" and it kind of works. But it seems to stop, after a while and does not add all the music. It seems to run in alphabetical folder (Artist) order. First time stopped during "A". If I do "Add folder to library" again it adds more music, I have repeated a few times and got to "D".

Is there some reason the "Add folder to library" is not working properly? Does it have limits? Or does it give up if in background for too long or if laptop goes to sleep?

But even if add does work, its will not automatically monitor for changes like foobar does right?
I also tried changing the setting of where the music app keeps media to the USB stick, but that didn't work either, nothing shows up.

As far as I know there is no option to "watch" a folder. You manually add all music in a folder regularly, Music will not duplicate what it already had imported.
The function should work properly, it will just take very long for large libraries as the music app is fairly slow when importing.


"Missing Operating System" on Windows 10 Bootcamp after partition After trying to install a third operating system Windows 10 won't boot, displaying the message "Missing Operating System". My problem seems to be very similar to this one: Triple Boot: "Missing operating system" on Windows 7 partition after Ubuntu installation

However, I followed the steps provided in the solution and it still shows the same error. I have tried many other solutions and none have worked; I can't figure out what I'm missing.

diskutil list disk0:

sudo gpt -r show /dev/disk0:

sudo fdisk /dev/disk0:

Thanks in advance!

You have a couple of problems.

Your EFI System Partition (ESP) is missing in your GPT partition table (so it has 2 partitions not 3).  This will prevent Windows booting if installed in EFI mode.
Your hybrid MBR partition table is corrupt.  Your APFS partition is marked active and has partition id type 07 (Microsoft) when it should have AF (Apple). Your BOOTCAMP partition is also missing.  This will prevent Windows booting if installed in BIOS mode.

MacOS will boot directly from firmware, doesn't require ESP to boot (most of the time) and ignores hybrid MBR.

First recreate ESP

It is likely that the contents are still there - you just need to add it's definition to your GPT partition table.  You have unallocated space from positions 34 to 409606.  You need to add the partition back to the table in this space which you can do using gdisk which you can download from here https://sourceforge.net/projects/gptfdisk/

Install it, then open using sudo gdisk /dev/disk0 and you should see something like this :

$ sudo gdisk /dev/disk0
Password:
GPT fdisk (gdisk) version 1.0.4

Warning: Devices opened with shared lock will not have their
partition table automatically reloaded!
Partition table scan:
  MBR: hybrid
  BSD: not present
  APM: not present
  GPT: present

Found valid GPT with hybrid MBR; using GPT.

Command (? for help):

Take option p to show GPT partition table and you should see your first partition starting at position 409640 (same as mine below).  Note I deleted my EFI partition table entry here so as to look the same as yours but my second partition started at the same number as you as it is the standard position after a 200MiB ESP.

Recovery/transformation command (? for help): p
Disk /dev/disk0: 250069680 sectors, 119.2 GiB
Sector size (logical): 512 bytes
Disk identifier (GUID): 569B72DC-B014-4DD3-B28A-A95CA047CBEE
Partition table holds up to 128 entries
Main partition table begins at sector 2 and ends at sector 33
First usable sector is 34, last usable sector is 250069646
Partitions will be aligned on 8-sector boundaries
Total free space is 525694 sectors (256.7 MiB)

Number  Start (sector)    End (sector)  Size       Code  Name
   2          409640       172376718   82.0 GiB    0700  MacWindows
   3       172378112       180766719   4.0 GiB     2700  Recovery
   4       180766720       201738239   10.0 GiB    8300  Arch
   5       201738240       222447615   9.9 GiB     AF00  Lion
   6       222709760       249807495   12.9 GiB    AF00  El Capitan

Now you want to backup your partition table using option b.  This will save it to your home folder and can be used to restore if you make a mistake.

Command (? for help): b
Enter backup filename to save: GPTBackup.bin
The operation has completed successfully.

Now add the missing partition table entry with option n.  You can take defaults but make sure you set partition type to EF00 which is EFI.  The start position is important - try 40 as it is the default and also what your fdisk screen print shows.  The end position doesn't matter so just take one less than the next partition.

Command (? for help): n
Partition number (1-128, default 1): 1
First sector (34-250069646, default = 40) or {+-}size{KMGTP}: 40
Last sector (40-409639, default = 409639) or {+-}size{KMGTP}: 409639
Current type is 'Apple HFS/HFS+'
Hex code or GUID (L to show codes, Enter = AF00): EF00
Changed type of partition to 'EFI System'

You can then take option p to show GPT partiton table.  Note nothing is saved yet.

Create Hybrid MBR

Take options followed by r, h to create new hybrid MBR partition table.  All you want to put there is the Windows partition which will be your 3rd GPT partition now you've added the ESP.  Take the option to add 0xEE protective MBR, set the type code for BOOTCAMP partition to 0700 and make it bootable.

Command (? for help): r
Recovery/transformation command (? for help): h

WARNING! Hybrid MBRs are flaky and dangerous! If you decide not to use one,
just hit the Enter key at the below prompt and your MBR partition table will
be untouched.

Type from one to three GPT partition numbers, separated by spaces, to be
added to the hybrid MBR, in sequence: 3
Place EFI GPT (0xEE) partition first in MBR (good for GRUB)? (Y/N): y

Creating entry for GPT partition #3 (MBR partition #2)
Enter an MBR hex code (default 07): 07
Set the bootable flag? (Y/N): y

You can then use option o to check it.

Recovery/transformation command (? for help): o

Disk size is 250069680 sectors (119.2 GiB)
MBR disk identifier: 0xEBD711AE
MBR partitions:

Number  Boot  Start Sector   End Sector   Status      Code
   1                     1       409639   primary     0xEE
   2      *         409640    172376718   primary     0x07
   3             172378112    180766719   primary     0x27
   4             180766720    201738239   primary     0x83

It doesn't much matter what is in your hybrid MBR partition table as long as Windows (and Linux if you are booting it in BIOS mode) start and end at the same sectors as in the GPT table.  As you can see I don't have any macOS listed at all as it EFI boots even on my 2007 MBP so what is here is irrelevant for it.  Note that if you were booting Windows in EFI mode it also would not care what is in hybrid member or even be able to see it.

If you are happy you can take option w and write the new partition table to disk.

Recovery/transformation command (? for help): w

Final checks complete. About to write GPT data. THIS WILL OVERWRITE EXISTING
PARTITIONS!!

Do you want to proceed? (Y/N): y
OK; writing new GUID partition table (GPT) to /dev/disk0.

It should now boot whether you installed Windows in BIOS or EFI mode.  If it doesn't then you will need to fix bootloader with Windows standard bcdboot command but repairing partition tables is required first.


Mac OS Creating PDF's weirdly large in size since I changed my iPhone I have recently bought an iPhone SE and switched to HEIC format for the pictures. I am sending the files to my Mac (Early 2015 Pro, Mojave) with AirDrop. Even though the sizes of images are just shy of 3 megabytes, the "Create PDF" function under "Quick Actions" is creating ~15MB per page PDFs which is kinda painful in quick upload situations. How can I resolve this enlargement issue of Preview creating PDFs?
Thank you beforehand!
Cheers,
~bio

The Create PDF Quick Action (or similar Automator actions) don't have any 'controls' for the way the PDF is created, (of the kind you find in Acrobat or the PDF Export dialog of some apps). It just 'wraps' the image data in a PDF format. (I think it may also stick the image on your default printer page size.)
It's possible that the HEIC format, being newer, contains compression that the PDF format can't use, so it has to use a less efficient method. How large (pixels) are the images?
It's certainly possible to resample the image data, or increase the compression used, of a PDF: you could create a new Quick Action to create the PDF and then downsample or compress it.
What's the purpose of converting them to PDF? Are you collating images together into one file?
There are other (dare I say better) Quick Actions for PDF manipulation, including one to Create a PDF from images, which is faster than Apple's own and preserves the images' dimensions.
https://github.com/benwiggy/PDFsuite


CLI softwareupdate does not find updates I can see in the App Store that I have one application (Xcode 5.0.2) that needs to be updated. But if I run the sudo softwareupdate --list in terminal I get the message that there is "No new software available". Why don't the CLI tool and the App Store have the same information?

The CLI tool softwareupdate is only for OS X updates provided through Apple's software update catalog, or whichever .sucatalog is set in preferences for catalogs provided by OS X Server's Software Update service.

This update catalog does not contain details for Mac App Store apps, such as Xcode.

You can restrict the Mac App Store to only show softwareupdate updates by running the following Terminal command:

defaults write com.apple.appstore restrict-store-softwareupdate-only -bool yes

You can read more about the softwareupdate CLI tool in the man page.