spotlight does not find text in .docx files On my MacBook Pro running Sierra I have this problem:  when I look for a text string in a MS Word ".docx" file the search function does not find it although it can be found all right when I save the same file as ".doc".
What can I do to also find strings in .docx files?

There is a free Appstore app named Easyfind which enables you to set certain search parameters. When you open Easyfind you get the pane shown below.

Click on the Settings button in the top left corner and it opens the small additional pane on the left. You can set Easyfind to search files or folders or both and then using the small pane on the left you can click on one of the groups and be sure to add docx. After that just include your search phrase and hit the
return key.


There's something clogging up my Startup Disk space, I can't find it even using Disk Inventory X For some reason there's something clogging up my Startup Disk space. I can't find it even using Disk Inventory X.

Do you know how to use Terminal ?
You could install this:
https://github.com/wvangeit/duk
by executing 'pip install duk' using the Terminal.
Then execute 'sudo duk /', and it will show you the space usage on your disk.


What is 'System' on mac laptop storage? I was just running lots of labour-intensive code on my mac, and then suddenly the disk space was full. I noticed two things that I hadn't seen before:

System was taking up a huge amount of disk space,
Other Volumes in Container was also taking up a huge amount of disk space.

The Other Volumes in Container decreased by itself. I'm guessing this was temporary storage space taken up by running the code, which is why it decreases automatically.

However, I'm pretty sure the System stuff wasn't there in such force before.

What is this? Is it OK to get rid of it? If so, how?

That is what is normally referred to as macOS, or "The Operating System". If it increased in size it may be the virtual memory (or "page file"). Note that I said "may."

I would look for a utility like Omni Disk Sweeper, Daisy Disk or Disk Inventory X and run it on your HD. Those utilities allow you to see a graphic representation of your drive sorted by file size. Which should show you what is eating up your disk space.


MacBook Pro Fan Always Onish For the past few months I've been doing quite a bunch of heavy load things on my Mac. So I wouldn't worry about the Fans running at full speed. Recently I've started to do more casual things. I've noticed when I turn my computer on the fan starts running at full speed. My computer's temperature is usually about 170 (150-220). The fan stills runs at full speed even when the total CPU usage 4% and with a low GPU usage. The only way I can turn my fans down is to open Macs Fan Control and set it to "auto". I have installed some fan control apps in the past but I uninstalled those. Could it be possible some leftovers are messing with my fan?

EDIT: I have removed all leftovers and the problem still continues

You mention that you use iStat Menus for temperature and a separate app for controlling the fan speed. iStat Menus has functionality to control fan speed by itself—make sure that you do not have the fan speed set to maximum in iStat Menus as this will override OS X unless another app then overrides iStat Menus.


Disable sleep when nobody is logged in to MacBook I am running a /Library/LaunchDaemons service at boot time - nobody is logged in. I want the computer to not sleep. Here's my pmset -g on macOS Sierra 10.12.4:

System-wide power settings:
Currently in use:
 standbydelay         4200
 standby              0
 womp                 1
 halfdim              1
 hibernatefile        /var/vm/sleepimage
 powernap             0
 gpuswitch            2
 networkoversleep     0
 disksleep            10
 sleep                0
 autopoweroffdelay    28800
 hibernatemode        0
 autopoweroff         0
 ttyskeepawake        1
 displaysleep         10
 acwake               0
 lidwake              1

Whenever I log in through SSH, it takes a while, and whenever I try to connect to my running service via HTTPS there is a long delay (10 seconds or so). It seems like the system is going to sleep. I can't figure out how to disable this.

I have logged in as a user (only user on system), and set computer sleep and display sleep to never, unchecked put hard disks to sleep, left wake for network access on, and unchecked power nap. This is all for Power Adapter mode. Automatic Graphics Switching is still enabled.

This seems mostly related to not having a user logged in. When I'm logged in, it doesn't go to sleep.

Go to System Preferences → Energy Saver and disable Put hard disks to sleep when possible.


OS X Numbers. Column labels to numbers HiI am using Numbers on OS X

It show me column names with letters

But I want to show it with numbers, like Rows.

Thank You.

Generally, what is done is to create a Column Header.  You already have a perfect example of this in the table shown in your question. Row 1 contains field names for each data record.  i.e.: "Image", "whale_00", etc. (See "Work with Rows and Columns" in Numbers Help)

Select Row 1 and convert to Header Row

If you wish, you can create a header row with you own number system. This would be much faster and less tedious than renaming the column designations.  (In answer to your question: Cannot presently be done in Numbers.) NOTE: By design, Numbers will use your Header Row Data in calculations so you can easily identify the data being referenced.

Add a Row Above your first row.
Enter ordinal numbers in the first and second cells.  For example: A1 = 1, B1 = 2
Select both cells in the row and drag the "yellow dot" across the width of the row to number each column.
Convert this to a Header Row


Can I recapture space on Macbook Air by deleting iOS apps? Starting to run out of space on the Macbook Air.  Since I can download any purchased app to my iPhone anytime I want, i don't need them or want them on my Macbook Air.  I already have them not syncing onto the iphone. Can I delete them from the Macbook Air?

Yes - delete any iOS apps from iTunes and as long as you are not syncing apps to that computer, they won't transfer back.

Your data will still be backed up, but not the apps themselves.


How to appeal rejection by Apple for Developer Enterprise Account? My company develops an app that needs to be deployed internally (outside the App store). To do so, we need an Apple Developer Enterprise account.

We went through the process of getting a DUNS number for our business (a registered LLC) and making sure it met Apple's requirements.

After the account sat in pending status for weeks, Apple informed me over the phone that, after internal review, our application was denied. They could not provide any additional information, nor outline the criteria for entry into the program. The stated conclusively that we would not be able to get an account, without providing a reason.

Does anyone know the best way to appeal this rejection?

How many employees do you have as an LLC that only just created their DUNS? A dozen? Installing your app on a dozen devices without enterprise license but just the developer license is no problem at all.

There have been a few cases recently where enterprise licenses have been abused to distribute malware, so Apple will have some rather high standards for enterprise licenses.


How can I convert a .mov into a .gif (or a .apng)? I want to put a .mov file I have as the background for a website. I am guessing the best way to do this would be to convert it to a .gif file but I can't find any programs that do it.

I have tried Handbrake, Graphic Converter and Gif Builder.

For Terminal lover

ffmpeg -i in.mov -s 600x400 -pix_fmt rgb24 -r 10 -f gif - | gifsicle --optimize=3 --delay=3 > out.gif

-r 10 tells ffmpeg to reduce the frame rate from 25 fps to 10
-s 600x400 tells ffmpeg the max-width and max-height
--delay=3 tells gifsicle to delay 30ms between each gif
--optimize=3 requests that gifsicle use the slowest/most file-size optimization

You need to install

ffmpeg to process the video file
gifsicle to create and optimize the an animated gif

brew install ffmpeg

#if cask is not installed
brew install caskroom/cask/brew-cask

#dependency for gifsicle, only required for mountain-lion and above
brew cask install xquartz

brew install gifsicle

Above instructions taken from gist: dergachev/GIF-Screencast-OSX.md

The following error occurred while installing the ffmpeg

  Error: The brew link step did not complete successfully
  The formula built, but is not symlinked into /usr/local
  Could not symlink include/libyasm
  /usr/local/include is not writable.

For this follow this answer

sudo chown -R $USER /usr/local/include
sudo chown -R $USER /usr/local

Transparency

The code above don't keep transparent layers. In order to do that, use:

ffmpeg -i in.mov -f gif -lavfi split[v],palettegen,[v]paletteuse out.gif


How to make a jailbroken iPhone appear un-jailbroken to network provider? I'd like to jailbreak my iPhone but have it appear to my network provider as if it isn't jailbroken. This should be do-able, but what do I need to do to make this happen?

I have an iPhone 4 currently running iOS 4.2.

EDIT:  Canadian politics is tricky.  Part of the potential new copyright law would make defeating any sort of weak sauce encryption illegal. Essentially, the copyright holder would have it's rights fully supported, and as for the user, well they get what's left. This is going on at the same time as our bandwidth cap issues. I just want to be proactive, for when the "unforseen QoS problems" begin to arise here. So, not a neutral ISP situation.

The network provider can't see if it's jailbroken or not. They might be able to detect if you're using Skype over 3G or other non-3G apps but they won't be able to discover it by simply jailbraking it.


Can I restrict ios to only one WiFi connection/SSID? We have about 20 iPads for our business. We would like to restrict these devices to only be able to access our protected WiFi here and the devices from connecting to others. Is there an app, setting, etc that will do this?

This answer is short and simple: No, you cannot do this.

You can simply add a chain to the iPad so it cannot leave the building if that might help you, but any other way of restricting access to (free) WiFi Access isn't possible.


Installing OS X 10.7 on new HDD from DVD I have a macbook A1181 model core2 duo3.1.3gb RAM. I lost my old HDD so I bought a new harddrive. Since I lost my old HDD I do not have the option to clone the old drive to the new drive. Mac OS X 10.7 DVD is available.

I tried installing Mac OS X onto the new 320GB HDD by pressing the "option" key. It only showed Mac OS X DVD drive in the startup screen. It did not show the HDD. So I clicked Mac OS X DVD icon. After loading I got the error:

"There was a problem installing Mac OS X. Reinstall again"

Then I selected Disk Utility and formatted my new HDD as OS X Journaled. Afterwards I tried again. I inserted Mac OS X 10.7 DVD into an external DVD drive (Inbuilt DVD drive is faulty). I pressed the power button then held the option(Alt) key. It was the same as before. There was no HDD listed in startup.

How can I install Mac OSX onto my new HDD?

Hard drives or DVDs that do not have a filesystem on them will not show up on startup with the option key held down. So, the HDD won't show up on startup because you don't have Mac OS X installed on it yet.

1) Restart with the the option key held down. If there is a system disk connected to the Mac it will show up on the screen. In this case, the install DVD should show up.

2) Select the install DVD and push the return key.

3) Try to install Mac OS X from the DVD to the HDD by following the installer instructions.

4) If the install fails, your install disk may be damaged. Post your error message back here.


Run script as root at startup - macOS 10.12 Sierra I've tried everything and can't seem to get my script to run at startup. Modifying the .bashrc, .bash_profile, etc that route got me no where. Then I tried cron jobs, no luck. Then I've been pulling my hair trying to use the launchd function. I've made a launch daemon, which is allegedly the root functions, but that's no luck either. As a last try, I even tried Automator with no luck.

The file I want to run as root is: "/Users/CURRENT_USER/Dev/my_script.sh"

Here is what I have in my LaunchDaemons folder:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple Computer//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
    <key>Label</key>
    <string>com.startup.script</string>
    <key>LaunchOnlyOnce</key>
    <true/>
    <key>ProgramArguments</key>
    <array>
        <string>sh</string>
        <string>-c</string>
        <string>/Users/CURRENT_USER/Dev/my_script.sh</string>
    </array>
    <key>RunAtLoad</key>
    <true/>
    <key>UserName</key>
    <string>root</string>
</dict>
</plist>

A ~/Library/LaunchDaemons doesn't exist. A launch daemon in /Library/LaunchDaemons is already executed with root privileges so you may omit the UserName part.

So put your shell script my_script.sh in /usr/local/bin/ or in /usr/bin/ (adjust the path in the ProgramArguments array if you use the latter), make it executable with sudo chmod +x ... and owned by root:wheel with sudo chown root:wheel .... /usr/bin is recommended if brew is installed.

Modify your current plist to:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
    <key>Label</key>
    <string>com.startup.script</string>
    <key>LaunchOnlyOnce</key>
    <true/>
    <key>ProgramArguments</key>
    <array>
        <string>sh</string>
        <string>-c</string>
        <string>/usr/local/bin/my_script.sh</string>
    </array>
    <key>RunAtLoad</key>
    <true/>
</dict>
</plist>

Save the launch daemon as com.startup.script.plist in /Library/LaunchDaemons/ and owned by root:wheel.

Launch it with:

sudo launchctl load /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.startup.script.plist


Does Apple Mail verify message has been moved to new folder before deleting it from old folder? I am using Apple Mail and switch email providers. I want to Move my messages from one account to another. I need to be confident that when I move (not Copy) messages from one account to another account using Apple Mail, that the messages are truly on the new account before they are deleted from the old account.
Does Apple Mail verify the new message has been stored (committed) to the new account before it deletes it from the old account?
Thank you.

Through my own testing, I have been able to confirm that Apple Mail will return mail to the original folder if there are any issues moving it to the new account/folder.
At first, Apple Mail will show the mail message(s) as deleted from the original folder, then if/when an issue occurs that prevents the message(s) from being saved to the new account/folder, the message(s) will be returned to the original account/folder.


Unable to turn on iCloud Keychain I'm using iCloud keychain with multiple devices but when trying to turn it on on my new iPad (running iOS 12.3) the setting is not saved, so if I choose Keychain and turn on iCloud Keychain, and then get back to the iCloud settings, they Keychain option remains off.

I've been trying to restart the iPad, logout and login to iCloud but it didn't help.

You'll need to approve the iCloud activation from another device. It may pay to check your Apple ID has a valid phone number associated, so you can receive an SMS verification.
From Apple Support https://support.apple.com/kb/HT204085:

If you can't access any of your other devices that are using iCloud Keychain, you can still set up iCloud Keychain on another device if you have these items:

Your iCloud Security Code

The device that is using the SMS-capable phone number you provided when you first set up iCloud Keychain. A verification code is sent via SMS to this phone number. If you can't access this number, contact Apple Support, who can verify your identity, so that you can complete setup on your new device.

After you complete the setup, your iCloud Keychain will be pushed from the cloud to the new device.
If you use two-factor authentication with your Apple ID, enter your password and the six-digit verification code that's automatically displayed on your trusted devices and authorize the new device. Then turn on iCloud Keychain.


Import other peoples calendar from Outlook I don't think this is possible but still not sure, maybe it is:

Can I import other people's calendar into iCal?  Those calendars are Microsoft Outlook Exchange Calendars.

ha! Actually it is possible
Here we go: http://www.it.cornell.edu/services/ical/howto/view-shared.cfm


iPhoto files compressed in Time Capsule. Where is the original size? My 8 year old iMac died some days ago. Fortunately, I have everything backed up on my Time Capsule. I just tried to get my photos from iPhoto off it, but realized that all my shots have been compressed down to something between 30 to 80 kB instead of the couple of MBs they should be. Is there any way I can retrieve my photos at their full quality? All my SLR shots just look horrible now.

Find your iPhoto Library, which should be in Pictures. It's a package. Control-click on it and select Show Package Contents. You will see a Masters folder. Make a copy of that folder and all its contents by dragging it to the Desktop or anywhere you like, holding down the Option key at the same time — the green plus icon appears. If it doesn't, you're not making a copy.


Windows like Restore option in OSX Windows provide a facility to restore state of OS in case of getting corrupt by loading it up from Hard drive. Is there anything like that available for OSX?

No, Windows offers different recovery features than OS X.

Particularly Windows is creating automatic (and allowing manual creation of) system restore points.

  Restore points are created to allow users a choice of previous system states. Each restore point contains the necessary information needed to restore the system to the chosen state. Restore points are created before key changes are made to the system.

These restore points are actual copies of the registry, device drivers, and other configuration and take up disk space on the system drive.

With OS X no such system-level backups are taken (or no control over them is given to the user).

Instead Apple takes a different approach in which it protects the core system files and configuration by making them immutable or by observing tough control over their modifications.

SIP (System Integrity Protection) with respect to file system protection in theory ensures that applications and unsigned drivers installed by the user won't mess (either maliciously or through negligence) with the core system configuration so that it will always boot to a good state (and the need for restoring to the last known good state would be eliminated).

Either Windows or OS X allow system reinstall without deleting user files.


Preview Not Opening File - Permissions Issue (via Python) I have a Mac VM running Mavericks (10.9.3), and for various reasons I am trying to write a script in Python to automatically transfer a PDF file to the VM and open it in Preview. For anyone who doesn't know, the command <path-to-Preview> <path-to-file> will open the file.

Whenever the script runs, Preview will open, but it will give this error message:

This is just a sample PDF file, I have tried it with a couple other PDFs as well. This error does not occur when I open the file by double-clicking it. Only when I try to script it. The error also does not occur as long as the file has been opened manually once.

There are a couple other errors as well (paths sanitized).

Error in Terminal

2014-08-22 09:33:49.074 Preview[276:2c0b] PVPDFPageContainer initWithURL:file:///path/The-Apple-Sandbox-BHDC2011-Paper.pdf failed, error = Error Domain=NSCocoaErrorDomain Code=257 "The file “The-Apple-Sandbox-BHDC2011-Paper.pdf” couldn’t be opened because you don’t have permission to view it." UserInfo=0x7fe7504ba220 {NSFilePath=/path/The-Apple-Sandbox-BHDC2011-Paper.pdf, NSUnderlyingError=0x7fe7504ba1f0 "The operation couldn’t be completed. Operation not permitted"}

Error in Console

9:33:49 AM sandboxd:
([276]) Preview(276) deny file-read-data path/The-Apple-Sandbox-BHDC2011-Paper.pdf

Things I have tried

Repairing the disk permissions using disk utility and restarting the VM
Changing the permissions of the file to 777 before opening
Removing any extra file attributes (like quarantine) with xattr before opening

The result of ls -l@ in the directory shows the file permissions are:

-rwxrwxrwx  1 me  wheel  364378 Aug  7 14:54 The-Apple-Sandbox-BHDC2011-Paper.pdf

The relevant part of my script looks something like this:

import subprocess
import os

path = <absolute path to PDF>
os.chmod(path, 0777)
result = subprocess.call(["xattr", "-c", path]) #result is always 0/success
preview = "/Applications/Preview.app/Contents/MacOS/Preview"
subprocess.call([preview, path])

Edit: As per aglasser's comment, subprocess.call(['open','-a','Preview',path]) does work where my command will not.

However, I need to be able to get the pid of the Preview process that is started (my script has been simplified down for this, so it wasn't obvious) and I don't see any way to do that with open, especially with multiple Preview process potentially running. I may need a separate question for that.

More Info for Anyone Else with This Problem
The root cause of this issue appears to be Apple's application sandbox. Apparently attempting to script it in this way doesn't work with the sandbox, but "open" goes through the proper channels to satisfy whatever requirements the sandbox has.

I have tested this a bit in my free time today, and it seems that subprocess.call(['open','-a','Preview',path]) is your best option for opening PDFs in Preview from Python.

I'm still not sure why using the absolute path to Preview doesn't work, though.

I am trying to find a way to get a process PID based on its window title in AppleScript. For example, if you were to open a document named "Test.png" in Preview with that command, it would spawn a Preview window with the window title "Test". I am hoping there is a way to get the PID of this process using the window title, but I'm not sure yet.


Since I updated to iOS 7, my OverDrive Media app crashes every time I try to use it. What to do? My OverDrive Media app crashes every time I try to open a book. This never happened before I updated my iPad mini to iOS 7. I can open the app fine and go to the NYPL page, but as soon as I try to open any title the app crashes.

I've tried turning my iPad off then on again, but it still happens. I updated the OverDrive Media app before I downloaded iOS 7 and it was fine then. I don't particularly want to uninstall it then download it again, so if there's any other solution please let me know!

This is already a known issue with the app crashing on iOS 7, they'll put out a fix soon.

  The upgrade to iOS7 has resulted in problems for many OverDrive Media Console users.

  We are working on getting a new version into the App Store. If you do
  not want to wait for the fixed version, you can complete the following
  steps -- but note in advance that they are not ideal as re-installing
  will clear your bookshelf, history, and app settings...

  Uninstall OMC.
  Re-install OMC.
  Re-authorize your device with your Adobe ID when prompted.
  Download your title(s) again.


Keep Preview from autoresizing print output Whenever I want to print a PDF file from Preview, the print dialog defaults to shrink the page to fit the bounds of the page. I have to manually select scale: and enter 100 into the text field. Is there a hidden default or other way, to tell Preview to always default to 100% print size?

Using a saved print setting as suggested below does not work in this case. I'm using Preview 5.0.2 (504) and Mac OS X 10.6.4, perhaps a bug?

When I save the setting I want to have, open another PDF file, select print, and select my saved settings, the scale: setting jumps to some arbitrary value around 100% (90%-105%) and the radio box stays at "scale to Fit:".

quit the Preview App, enter the following into your Terminal application and then start Preview again. Problem solved!

defaults write com.apple.Preview PVImagePrintingScaleMode 0

to revert this setting, you can use the following command:

defaults delete com.apple.Preview PVImagePrintingScaleMode


Automator folder action questions As I asked in this post, I could make it that a file in a directory can be renamed automatically, but I have some questions about this action.

Where to the workflow files are copied? When I run 'save as', it doesn't seem to show the directory where the file is copied.
How is this folder action stored and restored so that it runs automatically when system reboots? In other words, I guess I don't have to rerun automator whenever I reboot, how does this possible?

ADDED

I found that the automator workflow is stored in "~/Library/Workflows/Applications/Folder Actions/"
I also found that folder action from automator workflow is also registered by running "/System/Library/CoreServices/Folder Actions Setup.app"

Where to the workflow files are copied?

I don't understand this question.

  Is this folder action stored in a system so that it's working even after my reboot?

By default, folder actions are stored in the /Library/Scripts/Folder Action Scripts folder.


Pages 5.5 word count I just got a new Yosemite HD. I am trying to get a page count on my pages documents. The directions say to go to the box in upper left corner, select 'word count' and select 'page count' on the pull down menu but all I ever see is '425 word count' on any document. No pull down menu and beyond changing to 'show' or 'hide' nothing else happens. Thanks for any help given.

In the menu bar click on View > Show Word Count

When you click on 'Show Word Count' a display will populate in the lower left hand corner of your current page. You can click on the right side bar of that display, additional options will populate that you can set to your preferences.


How can I access a specific part of my volumes directory? My antivirus software has told me that a potentially unwanted program called 'Bundlore'has been detected, but to remove it I need to do so manually. It says it's located in /Volumes/Install/Install.app/Contents/MacOS/monetizer
I've gone into my volumes, but where exactly would I be able to find the software?

When you open the 'Finder' application - in the sidebar there is probably an install disk that you can eject (has an eject icon next to the name).

You can also open the 'Terminal' program and type in cd /Volumes/ and then ls -la. This gives you a listing of what is in that directory. If it's not in there, you have probably already ejected the install disk.

Also - I've looked at the 'Bundalore' program you describe and found a adware removal guide. This goes through every step of finding and removing it. The Safe Mac: Bundlore

Hope this helps!


What should I do with my mac's volume? I'm trying to increase the volume from the increase volume button, but this is what it's showing:

I also checked the 'Sound' menu in System Preferences, but in the outputs tab everything is perfectly fine. What should I do? No volume is playing on my Mac.

I searched for the icon you've uploaded…
If you see output devices in 'System preferences > Sound > Output', try selecting again the build-in internal speakers.

If 'System preferences > Sound > Output' shows no output devices, try a reset of the nvram.

Reference:

'volume stuck on mute, cant untick the mute box in sound settings (macbook air)' https://discussions.apple.com/thread/8593873
'Reset NVRAM or PRAM on your Mac' https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204063
'iMacの音量表示が斜線になりiMacから音が出なくなった時に試したこと' https://www.chawanmushi.net/entry/2018_0602-imac-sound-setting/


How to scale the graphics for Mac OS I recently purchased this 2k monitor on Amazon. I'm connecting my 2015 Macbook Pro 15 inch w/ retina display using a DisplayPort Mini to DisplayPort cable. I'm currently running Mac OS Mojave. These are the resolutions I can use apaprently:

1440p looks really nice, but everything is so tiny. I can zoom in on some apps, but not all of them; system fonts can't be changed at all.
1080p is a more comfortable scale but then things start to look blurry.
Is there no way to reach a happy medium? Do I just need to pick whether to sacrifice readability or aesthetic? I feel like Windows and linux have a way of setting the scale of things independent of the resolution, does such a thing exist for Mac?
UPDATE: I tried out TinkerTool and it only scales some things, not all of them. For example, the menu bar at the top of the screen remains the same size. Also graphical things like the traffic light buttons are unaffected. So overall it didn't really help
UPDATE 2: When I use my laptop by itself I see something like this:

All the options look great on the Mac screen, but the options for the monitor aren't as nice looking...

I would download SwitchResX and try the various settings to see if you can find one you like:
https://www.madrau.com/srx_download/download.html
The optimal use for that kind of monitor is the native 2560x1440, however you write that it's too tiny for you. It would probably have been better to get a larger monitor at the same resolution (i.e. a 27" or similar for example).
With the current monitor I would try setting it a resolution that is an integer fraction of the native resolution. I.e. for example try setting it to 1280x720. You can also try 1280x720 HiDPI mode, which should look alright.


Is there a way to search my Samsung SCH-R500 phone through a Terminal window? I have my Samsung SCH-R500 phone connected to my computer via bluetooth. Though when I go to browse in the 'Bluetooth File Exchange' software, nothing comes up. So, I was wondering if I can navigate through my phone using a Terminal. Or, is there a way to get to it by going through the directory?

There's probably not much you can do. I had an old Sony Ericsson phone which I could connect to with Bluetooth File Exchange; it allowed me to copy ringtone files back and forth but that's about it.

Older, "non-smart" phones aren't full computers in the same way that iPhone or Android phones are. When you use Bluetooth File Exchange the device is providing limited access to some data that it decides to export; you aren't interacting with the files directly. So even if you could access it via the Terminal, you wouldn't see a file system with files you could copy to your Mac.

If you're trying to recover specific data from your phone, like ringtones or address book info, you're better off asking a question about that ("How do I copy ringtones from my Samsung XYZ phone?"), and giving as much info about your phone (model number, version numbers on any info screens) as possible.


Apple TestFlight iOS 8 - What is the limit for external beta testers? I have an iOS developer account and I would like to test 2 apps with the new Apple TestFlight service. Is the 1000 limit for external testers per app or per developer account?

As of November 13. 2015. there are some changes occurred in iTunesConnect:

  To make your TestFlight experience even better, we’ve made some
  significant changes. You can now invite up to 2000 external testers
  and up to 25 internal testers per app. You can also test up to 100
  apps at the same time for up to 60 days, and submit up to 6 updates
  per day to your external testers.

So, right now we can invite 2000 external testers per app.


Error reading /Applications/Xcode. The file doesn’t exist I have installed Xcode 6.2 in 10.9.5, and i dont know why, when i run,

xcodebuild -license

i get this error message,

Error reading /Applications/Xcode.  The file doesn’t exist.

By typing 'agree' you are agreeing to the terms of the software license agreements. Type 'print' to print them or anything else to cancel, [agree, print, cancel] agree

You can view the license agreements in Xcode's About Box, or at /Applications/Xcode 2.app/Contents/Resources/English.lproj/License.rtf

After this i notice that xcodebuild is not well pointed, because 'xcode' folder doesnt exist, i just have 'xcode 2.app', so i dont know if i will have problems in the future, since i am getting this error, and if yes how can i fix it?

It's not a bug. It's how the command line works. If you want to copy a file, you use cp /path/file /path/copy. You use spaces to signal a new argument. If you have spaces in your path, you must tell bash to ignore them: cp /path\ with\ spaces/file /path/copy.

If you use brew, they have a notice on their website that says that Xcode must not have spaces in the name, otherwise the Xcode command line tools won't work properly. (Brew link: https://github.com/Homebrew/legacy-homebrew/issues/38049 )


Old iPhone for games only I have an iPhone 10 but saved my iPhone 6 for grandchildren to play games on. How do I stop messages from appearing on the old phone and the log for incoming calls? I’m hesitant to delete my Apple ID since I purchase games occasionally with it. Is there a way I can still use the App Store and stop the messages from appearing?

The officially supported way is to use Family Sharing. You create a child Apple ID using your account, and you will maintain parental control over the child account, including App Store, iTunes and Apple Books purchases. It will have access to all your apps and music, and you will have the opportunity to approve any purchases your grandchild makes.

Create an Apple ID for your child

  Use the steps below to create an Apple ID for your child, then add
  them to your family group. After you add your child to your family
  group, they will have their own Apple ID that they can use on any
  Apple device. Your email address is the rescue email address for your
  child’s account, and you can use it with the security questions you
  provided to reset a forgotten password.

  If the child already has a Game Center account, but not an Apple ID,
  you don't need to create a new account for them. Just search for their
  nickname instead.

Go to Settings > [your name] > Family Sharing > Add Family Member >
Create a Child Account > Next. If you're using iOS 10.2 or earlier,
go to Settings > iCloud > Family.
Enter your child's birthday and tap Next. Be sure to enter the
correct date.
Review the Parent Privacy Disclosure and tap Agree.
Enter the requested information for your payment method and tap
Next. If you don't have a payment method on file, you need to add
one.
Enter your child's name, tap Next, then create their Apple ID
(username@icloud.com) and tap Next. Tap Create.
Follow the onscreen instructions to set a password, choose security
questions, and set up your child's account. Choose passwords and
security questions that you can both remember.
Turn on Ask to Buy to approve all iTunes, Apple Books, and App Store
purchases initiated by your child. You will be responsible for all
charges to your account. Tap Next.
Review the Terms and Conditions. Tap Agree.

Source: Family Sharing and Apple ID for your child

Now you should be free to set up the iPhone 6 with the new child Apple ID. Either:

reset the device Settings > General >  Reset > Erase All Content and Settings then sign back in with the new ID; or
sign out of iCloud, iTunes and App Store, FaceTime, iMessage etc. then sign back in with the new ID.


Mac Terminal and Vim syntax coloring on CentOS server I am using a Mac Terminal window to ssh to a CentOS server.  I have installed vim-enhanced on the server, I have created an alias for vi=vim in my .bash_profile, as well as confirmed I am using /usr/bin/vim. I still can't get syntax colors when editing files.

Is there something I need to do with Mac Terminal settings? Any thoughts as to why it's not working as I expect?

Display ANSI colors needs to be enabled in the Terminal Settings.


Safely alter the plist on Calendar.app I want to add <key>LSUIElement</key> <true/> to the plist of Calendar.app like I would other apps because I don't want it in the dock or my task bar. This being a super-special Apple app, I need special permission. Could anyone tell me how to safely do this?

To safely alter the file just make a copy or backup of the file and then work with the original:

To modify the file log-in as a sudoer (usually an admin account) and open Terminal.
Enter the following to backup the file:

sudo cp /Applications/Calendar/Contents/Info.plist /Applications/Calendar/Contents/Info.plist.backup

you have to enter your password then.
Open nano to modify the plist content:

sudo nano /Applications/Calendar/Contents/Info.plist

now add

<key>LSUIElement</key>
<true/>

after the line containing <dict> (usually the 5th line).
Hit ctrlo to write the changes to file. Then hit Hit ctrlx to quit nano.
Open Calendar and check if it works. (It doesn't work, Calendar crashes immediately)
to revert the changes enter:

sudo rm /Applications/Calendar/Contents/Info.plist
sudo mv /Applications/Calendar/Contents/Info.plist.backup /Applications/Calendar/Contents/Info.plist

to remove the modified file and rename the backup file.
Enter exit and quit Terminal
Change the icon of Calendar to a more pleasurable one.


iPhone doesn't automatically get inbox' child folder mail I have the following folder structure on my mail account

INBOX
    folder1
    folder2
SENT
...

My iPhone (7plus - latest os) does only retrieve messages that are put into INBOX by my mail server, the mails going to folder1, folder2 aren't synced automatically and I will receive them only after I manually entered them inside the Mail app and do a manual refresh of the folder.

I would need to automatically receive those messages too, but couldn't find an option to do so.

Is it possible to sync folders automatically that are not INBOX?

You need to pick folders to push if you want to sync certain sub-folders for notifications. To do this, go to Settings > Email > Accounts > Fetch new data > iCloud, and choose which folders should be pushed automatically.

I'm using a free app called 'myMail' that lets me choose the sub-folder to get the notification when there is new e-mail. It's working perfectly with my Gmail, Hotmail and IMAP account that has around 10 sub-folders. You can try it too.


Apple Remote Desktop - Safari Homepage - How to set to Home Page Using Apple Remote Desktop, how do I initiate Safari, to began with a preferred web site?

Example, I have 50 Mac(s) on my network, and I want each users automatically began on a specific default web site as their Safari Home Page.

Thank you so much and have a beautiful day.

Fabio

The fastest thing that comes to my mind is to send an UNIX command to the clients with the following contents:

defaults write com.apple.Safari HomePage 'http://example.com'

This sets the Safari homepage for the user that runs the command.

I hope this helps.


iTunes smart list - How to specific scenario I would like to create a smart list with the 25 most played song in the last 7 days. Not the 25 most played of all times, only in the last 7 days!

Can anyone help?

How about this [untested] ...

Caveats -

You need to hit the first  +   sign to get the second line.
you may need to play with the 'greater than' parameter.


Using Brushes (mainly dodge and burn) in Aperture 3 while in Full Screen Mode One of the reasons I went to Aperture from iPhoto was that I could easily dodge and burn my photos, which iPhoto doesn't let you do.

I have also been enjoying the full screen mode in aperture, where I will keep the HUD up for my edits.

While doing some edits yesterday, I noticed that the brushes control wasn't available full screen, unless I am missing something. I also couldn't find the red eye removal tool while in full screen either.

Doing searches online was not that helpful, since brushes and full screen were new in Aperture 3, so usually doing a search like 'aperture 3 brushes full screen' usually returns results listing the new features in Aperture.

In full screen mode move your mouse to the top of the screen, a toolbar will drop down which has the red eye tool. The is also a button for the inspector hud which is the same as the usual adjustment palette. Brushes work just the same.


Where to find the build number INSIDE an install DVD of Mac OS X It's not written on the DVD itself and I don't have the DVD sleeve anymore.

Check the SystemVersion.plist file that is on the Install Media.

Within the install media is the file containing the Build number, it is located at /System/Library/CoreServices/SystemVersion.plist

The string value for the Key ProductBuildVersion is the information you are looking for.

Note: This tip is useful for getting the Build versions on any OS X bootable disk, regardless of install ability.


Is it possible to add a note to a ToDo in Mail.app How can I add a Note to a ToDo?

Or is there another way to add a paragraph or two to a ToDo to record progress.

The ToDo is linked to an email if that makes a difference.

The only feature I was able to find is that in the list of ToDo items one can add a Notes column and enter text into there for each ToDo.

To add the Notes column to the list, view your list of ToDo's and then select the Notes item from View->Columns

I couldn't find a way to view multi-line notes for a ToDo item, but I could type option-return to insert a return character.


How can I change my Python 2.7 to 3.5? (I've already changed my bash_profile) I downloaded Python 3.7, and then I deleted and changed Python 3.7 to 2.7 (using bash_profile, I changed the content in bash profile, just like the image below), and it worked.

But I found that Python 2.7 is too old. So I want to change Python 2.7 to 3.5, so that the version can match with my book. So I am trying to use the way above, but it didn't work.

You can't change python 2.7 to 3.5 or anything like that. It sounds like you want to use a certain version and you have two versions loaded. You should set up virtual environments and define one for each version of python you have installed. Then you can activate whichever version you want to use. There are instructions all over the internet on how to define and build virtual environments. A few are here and here. Find one you like. If you're using the Anaconda distribution of python this is all made easy and is well documeted on the Anaconda web page. Other methods are pretty simple as well.


What are the green columns/lines mean in Activity Monitor - Energy - Battery? What do these green columns in activity monitor - energy - battery mean? I've included a screen shot of activity monitor - energy if that helps.

Since your battery level was rising throughout that period, the green columns would indicate that your laptop was charging/plugged in.


Is there a way to use Google Sheets filter views on IOS? I made a sheet in Google Sheets on the desktop with several filter views. Then I opened the sheet in the Google Sheets app on my iPhone. In the iPhone app menu, there is an option to create a filter, but I don't see any way to access my existing filter views.

Is this possible?

Google docs currently list this as not supported on iOS:

  Note: Filter views are only available on a computer. See the FILTER article for info about the function.

Source:
https://support.google.com/docs/answer/3540681?co=GENIE.Platform%3DiOS&hl=en&oco=2


Help to Fix My Computer How do I fix my Mac? Okay so I'm in a weird spot with my Mac. It has no startup up disk.  I have the installation disk for it but my super drive does not work.  I'm wondering can I boot it from a USB?  I do not care if it uses apples software or Linux.  I just want to get it to work so icon access the internet.

I have access to window computers and Mac computers if that helps.  I can download things and everything but terminal is not accessible.  If you need further info just ask.

JUST TO RECAP:

Doesn't have Startup disk

So I can't go on it to do things

I don't care if it runs Linux or Apple

NOT WINDOWS

I have access to windows and Mac computers

BUT they don't have full access

Can load things to my USB
I don't care if I need to get a few things for it to work
Request more info if needed

Thank you in advance if you find anything help full

What "Doesn't work" about your superdrive? Is it possible to get another USB Disk Drive?

I'm assuming that since you don't have "full" access to the other Macs that the Disk Utility app on them is inaccessible to you as well. Check on that, if you can. IF you can get into Disk Utility on one of the other Macs, you might be able to connect the two using a Firewire or Thunderbolt cable and go into Target Disk Mode to restore your Mac.

Another option would be to use the Terminal to create your own bootable USB drive. Even if its your buddy's MacBook, you should still be able to log into the App Store, download the installer for whatever version you bought, and use the built-in createinstallmedia to make a bootable drive.

If both of these options don't work, I think your next best bet is to buy an install disk off eBay or something. Hardly ideal, but then at least you'd have them if this happens again.


With what should I clean the screen of my Macbook mid-2010 White unibody? With what should I clean the screen of my Macbook mid-2010 White unibody? Which kind of liquid would you suggest?

If you need to clean your Apple hardware use a clean dry microfiber cloth. It's what I see Apple employes using on all the equipment in the Apple stores. I've been using microfiber for years on all my Apple devices and has worked great without any damage.

Note: If necessary you can slightly dampen it with distilled water and wring it out well so it is really just ever so slightly dampened and the follow up with a clean dry microfiber cloth.


How to resize a table in Pages for Mac? How do I resize a table in Pages to fit page?

I am using an iMac with 10.9.5

First select the table by clicking on the table-select circle in the upper left.

Once selected you can grab the right edge of the table at the center select point to adjust the width left and right.

See screenshot.


MacBook Pro Power Supply Options We seem to have a lot of problems with genuine Apple power supplies for our MacBooks failing at the spot where the cable enters the case. So I've got some questions:

Suggestions for best practices for keeping the power supplies alive?
Are there alternative power supplies that are either more robust or more repairable (either from Apple or from third parties – for example are the original MagSafe supplies more durable than the MagSafe 2, or vice versa)?

I'm getting tired of replacing these technological wonders…

Our failures are worse than shown in How to fix a frayed cable on a MagSafe Power Adapter? when we notice them… The current one is at the point where I can't reliably get the cable into a position where it works – which is what I think it would take for the methods suggested in the answers to this question to work.

Your solution is probably going to be two things:

Institute a regular inspection program - don't wait until things break. When you notice users bending the cables two months after you issue them is when you need to train the users to not crimp/bend the cables (to budget for users that are hard on the equipment so you have spares on hand when they break them).
There are no aftermarket MagSafe adapters made to better specifications or materials than Apple's  - only cheaper knock off and imitation or just less solid but well designed and built. You would need to armor or stiffen the cables before they fail with added material if you don't want to train users.

If your users are breaking the accessories, you'll want to train them and explain how tightly wrapping or always bending the cord in the same exact spot will break down the materials faster than if they spread the bends across a larger area or just keep the bend radius larger as opposed to a sharp right angle bend.

https://www.wired.com/2013/12/tnhyui-macbook-powercord-wrapping/

Note the loop and the straight cable on both the MagSafe end and the power brick end. Also, note that Apple has ditched this design in favor of easily replaceable USB C cords so people that are hard on cables won't need power adapters going forward - just cable replacements.


What does the badge on the Store icon in the Messages app indicate? The Store icon of my iPhone's Messages app has been displaying this red badge for as far back as I can remember.

When I open the Messages App Store, I can't find any updates or new information that the badge might relate to.

The only tip I got from people so far was that it might be related to pending updates of apps that provide stickers; I have made sure to bring all apps on my iPhone up to date, but the badge persists.

What does the badge on the Store icon indicate?

The badge indicates the count of iMessage apps that can be enabled. This appears after you have installed an iOS app(s) with iMessage counterpart available.

Image Source: Apple Discussion Forums


Why doesn't twitter or facebook have sound on iPad Air? My twitter and facebook app do not longer have the sound on the iPad Air? The other apps all have sound.

Whats up with that?

For Facebook:

First make sure this is done so that you can go on to the actual solution. Facebook push notifications are controlled inside the actual Facebook app under “Account Settings>Notifications”. They are NOT controlled under the iOS “Settings>Facebook>Settings>Notifications”, if you go there you will be directed to the actual Facebook app.

Now it’s time for the solution to the problem. There is one more step that you need to do that doesn’t turn on by default for some reason.

STEPS:

This starts from your iOS device home screen
“Settings”
“Notifications”
“Facebook”
Turn on the “Notification Center” – required to have the push notifications work
Under “Alert Style” by default this is set to “None” for some reason. So, turn this to the style you want.
Turn on the “Badge App Icon” – if you want to, this will display the number of new notifications on the Facebook icon, just like it does on your Messages app when you have a new text message
Turn on “Sounds” – if you want to, this will play a sound when a new Facebook notification comes in


how can i subscribe to a podcast series from itunes on my ipod touch I see i can download individual podcasts one by one but i can't figure out how to subscribe to an entire podcast going forward on my ipod touch.

is this possible or can you only do this from itunes on your computer??

As far as I know, you can't subscribe to them from your iTunes app on your iPod.

The easiest way I know of is to subscribe to whatever podcast you want to listen to in your preferred feed reader, and then whenever that podcast is updated you'll see it in your feed. From there you can just choose to play or download it. Hopefully this helps solve your issue.


Macbook pro 2018 - microphone shown as 1 input in Audio MIDI setup Microphone quality is really poor in my Macbook pro 2018 (15 inch) when I compare it to Macbook pro 2016.

When I enter Audio MIDI Setup on Macbook pro 2018 I see (sorry for polish lamguage):

However in Macbook pro 2016 it was:

Is it OK for my Macbook pro 2018 (15 inch) to have only 1-in ?

This seems normal.

Looking at the tech specs for both the 2016 MacBook Pro and the 2018 MacBook Pro, you will see under the "Audio" section, that they have 3 microphones and 2 microphones respectively.

So, it appears that the 2018 model has one less microphone channel and this is what you're seeing.  As for audio input, I would look at getting a quality USB audio DAC instead of using the built in microphones


100GB of system data I was trying to update my iPhone with iOS 14.1
I was told that I didn't have enough storage left, I was very surprised since I'm using about 10 of my 128 gigabytes available
After investigation, it appears that the 114GB is used for "other system data", which seems absurd.
How to free up this space? (I guess most of it is irrelevant)

If possible, try deleting an app or two (optimally, one with some data stored on the iPhone) and see if this changes. If it goes up, this could be a "known" bug, in which case the only solution I'm aware of is, sadly, the nuclear option....  wipe the iPhone from Settings, and restore from backup (make sure to backup first!).


Why is my hard drive still full after deleting files? I'm new to Mac. I have deleted many files from my applications folder, downloads, music, etc. to make clean Mountain Lion installation.

After installing Mountain Lion I can still see in
 About This Mac > More info > Storage
That my hard drive has 2GB+ of music files and 12GB+ of other files.

How to open my hard drive to see all files located on it and delete them e.g. like on Windows?

You also need to empty the Trash. Right click on the Trash icon (far right of the dock) and choose Empty Trash :)

To view your hard drive, open a new Finder window. Then in the menu, click Go → Home to see your user directory. Or choose Computer to see your whole hard drive.


Adding column to multiple identically formatted tables in Numbers I have a document in Number that contains many tables with the same format/columns but different content. I'd like to modify the format for all, adding a new, empty column in the same place with the same title, without having to edit each individual table.

An example: I'm tracking reading progress in multiple different books and would like to add a new field to track some additional data.

Is this feasible in Numbers, maybe with some AppleScript, or am I better off trying Excel with VBA?

I'd also be willing to try reorganizing my data in such a way that I don't need to do this, e.g., concatenating the tables vertically would probably work; I'd just like to know if there's a cleaner alternative as the separation into tables has made it simpler to organize the tables themselves.

I'm not sure I understand your question exactly. But, if all of the tables are on one sheet, and all of the tables need to get the same new column and the same column title, this will work.

Screenshot of Numbers document with three tables on the sheet, before running the script.

Screenshot of Numbers document with three tables on the sheet, with column added and titled

Here is the AppleScript that adds the column and names it.

tell application "Numbers"
    set theTables to every table of active sheet of document 1
    repeat with aTable in theTables
        set myColumn to add column before column "B" of aTable
        set value of first cell of myColumn to "Birthplace"
    end repeat
end tell

A few notes-- you can add a column "before" or "after." Also, you can refer to a column by the letter atop the column, as I did here, but you can also refer to a column by the label in the Header row. In this case, that would be Column "Month".


Did Apple degrade the accuracy of the iPhone 4S GPS compared to the iPhone 4 I have done some extensive testing of my iPhone 4S compared to my iPhone 4 and found GPS accuracy has suffered substantially.

I've been using the 4 for about a year, riding a bicycle on a 3 mile loop park road several times a week. Typically, I'll do about 6 laps or 18 miles. Using a great app called Cyclemeter, I save the track so I have a record of how fast and how far I rode. After I upgraded to the 4S I found the measured length of each lap varied widely and that ridiculously high speeds were being recorded.

Upon examination of the recorded track I find loops drawn out to points up to 100 feet from the actual course and back tracks heading the wrong direction. The net result is the iPhone 4S is off by around 20% on the measured distance from what I know it should be. Has anyone else looked carefully at their tracks and found similar results?

What is more likely: That I have a defective unit OR that Apple's elimination of a dedicated GPS chip means less accurate information?

My experience helping others with this problem seems to suggest a few things:

Apple's been monkeying around with power conservation by trying to give "good enough" positioning results while idling the GPS for longer periods and relying on cell tower and wifi positioning more.  Try turning off wifi for your next run to see if the GPS does better (and if your battery is drained more).
Application developers are decreasing the GPS resolution of their apps in order to have less impact on the battery due to user complaints.  Check to see if the app you use can be configured for GPS update frequency and ask the app developer what they suggest regarding your problem.
Both the iPhone 4 and 4S seem to suffer from GPS degradation after awhile that can be fixed by doing a refresh of the device - in other words sometimes it's a software issue that seems to fix itself after a hard reboot and system refresh.  For some people a hard reboot is sufficient, but others have indicated that only a refresh will work for them.  I think this started affecting some of my friend's phones around the beginning of last summer.  I've seen several of my friends have this issue, visit the store, have it refreshed and reset, and the problem disappear.  Now they do the refresh themselves with iTunes when it gets annoying.  I don't have information on whether this is tied to a particular version of iOS or not, but I have seen it on both the 4 and 4S.

Of course you could also be experiencing a hardware problem, but you might consider some of the above actions before completely blaming the hardware.

Also be aware that GPS requires good line of sight to the sky.  If you've changed your iOS device position recently, consider changing it back.  If you're wearing it, make sure your body isn't between the device and the sky, and that your perspiration isn't reaching the device.


LSOpenURLsWithRole() failed with error -10810 - Downloaded app does not start I'm trying to run an application downloaded from the internet (e.g., Jabref) but it seems that it fails silently. When I try to open it by double clicking it, nothing happens. When I use the terminal I get the following message:

  LSOpenURLsWithRole() failed with error -10810 for the file .../xxxx.app

I tried several suggestions that I found here like changing permissions and modifying the Info.plist file, but nothing works.

Because it's a Java application, I tried to run it through terminal using

  java -cp "CLASSPATH" MAINCLASS

and it works fine.

Just to mention that I get this error not only with this app, but for a few other applications.

Thanks in advance.

The LSOpenURLsWithRole is a function that is used to associate a file with a program. The file you're double clicking on is not actually an application, but a data file.

This is how, for example, when double-clicking a text document, the TextEdit program or another associated app is launched.

You need to associate it with the java runtime, assuming that you have it installed.

If you right-click on the file and select Get Info, the info pane has a section called "Open With:". That should be set to the java runtime.


Compare between Apple Mac computers I am thinking about purchasing an Apple Mac computer. But I am confused between the different types of Apple Macs available. I am clueless how to make a choice.

Is there any website or a resource that I can check which lets me compare the different offerings? It would be nice if I can compare between different computers side-by-side to see how the features and specifications differ?

Apple's official website has a compare section for Macs where you can compare between three different models of Mac simultaneously. You can access it by going to the following link:

https://www.apple.com/mac/compare/

When making a purchase decision, the first distinction that you have to make is whether you are looking to buy a desktop or a laptop.

Broadly speaking, Apple currently makes three kind of laptops:

MacBook Air - A 13" ultra-portable.
13" MacBook Pro - A lightweight laptop for professionals.
16" MacBook Pro - A spec heavy laptop geared towards users needing extreme performance.

and three kinds of desktops:

Mac mini - A bare bones lunch-box size computer sans display, keyboard and mouse.
iMac - A fully integrated desktop computer.
Mac Pro - An expandable desktop tower for users requiring extreme performance.

Once you have filtered down to the determine computers that you are looking to choose from, head over to the Mac - Compare Models web-page and select the desired ones. You can compare upto three different computers at a time.

Here's a comparison between a 16" MacBook Pro, a 13" MacBook Pro and a 21.5" iMac looks like:


Help mac share files with XP machine on different subnets I have a personal Macbook running Lion (10.7.1) and a Company issued laptop running XP at work.

I want to access the files on the mac from XP on a regular basis. Right now using "sneaker net", i.e. swapping USB stick – but keeping files in sync is a challenge/worry.

The machines are on different networks (subnets) – the XP machine on the 'corporate' locked down network, and the mac on a slightly looser managed wireless 'guest' network. Changing settings on either network is not possible.

The corporate network blocks file sharing services like dropbox.

Any clever ideas on how I can share files across these two machines (which are literally 6 inches apart!)?

I tried using mac SMB file sharing, but crossing subnets seems like a no-go. I do have personal hosted web space available, but setting up syncing (maybe Goodsync) with both machines and encrypting files on the server would be a big hassle.

So, is there some relatively easy way to do this I'm missing, or have I been completely stymied by my corporate IT overlords?

Thanks for any ideas!

There is USBG-MAC-PC cable which does exactly what you want. It doesn't require installation of any drivers or any intervention of your company admins.

Here some guy shows how it works: http://www.usbgear.com/link/index.html .
Note, that he shows different cable model, the one that you need is on the bottom of the page.


Spoofing a serial number on a MacBook Pro I have a MacBook Pro that got liquid spilled on it. I cleaned it up and everything works except the fact that it no longer has a serial number. When I go to look at System Information, it says "Serial Number: Unavailable." I've tried re-flashing the serial using Apple's Blank Board Serializer tool, which didn't work. I think that the place where the serial is physically stored on the board is somehow broken.

So is there any way to "spoof" a serial number so that FaceTime and iMessage work correctly? I've been looking at trying to set boot arguments, or change kernel extensions, or something.

Where in the boot sequence does the OS look for the board's serial number, and how can I change that? It seems to be stored in the NVRAM, but I can't access it.

AFAIK, there is no way to clear a serial intentionally or by accident. The only way to get a blank system serial number is when the logic board is replaced. Replacement MLB only comes with a part serial number but it does not have a system serial number. I assume that you took your laptop to have it repaired?

When a new logic board is replaced by Apple or an Apple Certified Service Provider, the logic board needs to be serialized after the repair. Normally an ACMT doing the repair will run basic MRI test after the repair which will then be identified as a blank board thus allowing the ACMT to add a serial number to the board prior to running the test.

You can go back to the repair shop and they will most likely correct the sloppy error of forgetting to add the serial number. If that option is not available then you can try going to the closest Apple store but the only way they will help you is if Apple or an Apple store branch did the repair or an ACSP/ACMT did the repair.


Buying a Used Macbook, iCloud I'm purchasing a used 2013 Macbook Air on craigslist and the seller told me he formatted it already and created a dummy account so I can go through settings, etc.. and browse around to ensure all is working.

I want to be sure that I do not get locked out of the Macbook Air. If he formatted and logged out of iCloud, what is the best way to check that I will come out of this purchase safely? Should I log myself into iCloud and turn on 'Find My Mac'?

The reason is it is an old OSX so I need to do some updating afterwards. I don't have experience buying used macbooks so any help is appreciated, thank you.

Mac do not have hardware activation lock. Read the last paragraph of the "FAQ" for confirmation.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201365

You would want to check for a Firmware Password which might need another question if you don't know what that is, but iCloud cannot prevent you from reinstalling an OS or activating any Mac that has shipped thus far.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204455

Since a bad actor could use the lock function to remotely set a Firmware Password, your step of logging in and signing into your iCloud and successfully activating Find My Mac and locking it would ensure you have exclusive control of that device going forward.


Is there a way to make the terminal's font less blurry? I have been using a MacBook Pro for about a year or so, and I can definitely say that I am really satisfied from it. But there is one little thing that annoys me about it: the fonts in many text editors I use (including Komodo Edit 8, Brackets, MacVim, Vim, Github's Atom, etc) are very blurry. I use my laptop mainly for programming, and I spend many hours in front of the screen, so this blurring becomes very annoying for my eyes. Recently I downloaded Virtual Box, through which I run Ubuntu 10.04. Below there is a comparison of the Ubuntu's terminal and my macbook's terminal:

I hope you can also see the difference... Could someone help me fix the fonts?

You can lighten the antialiasing system-wide in System Preferences. Go to General and at the bottom is a checkbox labeled "Use LCD font smoothing when available". This is pretty cool in theory, but Apple's implementation is... not so great. LCD font smoothing  (also called subpixel rendering) treats the R, G, and B channels of each pixel as separate pixels, so you get something that looks even smoother. However, on a Mac it just doesn't work very well and you end up with the super-thick font.

Here's an animation of the two different antialiasing styles.

So all you need to do is uncheck the LCD font smoothing box and restart Terminal. (If you log out and back in or reboot, it should make the font better for the full UI.)

To off subpixel rendering for a specific application, use

defaults write com.apple.Terminal AppleFontSmoothing -int 0

changing com.apple.Terminal to the bundle ID. Change the 0 to a 1 to turn it on again.

To turn off subpixel rendering only for MacVim use:

defaults write org.vim.MacVim AppleFontSmoothing -int 0


How to always insert single and double quotes? Whenever I try to insert " or ' I have to validate it by space, otherwise strange things happen as with ' followed by an a becomes áinstead of just 'a, similar behaviour with double quotes. I find this annoying and want to disable it. How do I do that?

The problem lies in your keyboard layout which uses 'dead keys', probably your keyboard layout is US International.

Go to System Preferences -> Language and Text -> Input Sources and choose another layout, such as US Extended.


Reset your PATH variable I stuffed up (basically wiped) my PATH variable.

Is there any way to reset it to the default?

I look at How do I reset the $PATH variable on Mac OS X?, but I find it very confusing.  As far as I know I stuffed up my ~/.profile file.

I have the following in my ~/.profile:

PATH=/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/X11/bin
PATH=$PATH:~/bin

The first PATH declaration overrides any existing PATH setting (it doesn't include $PATH). The path used is the OS X default.

The second line appends ~/bin to the PATH and it is a personal preference, not a default.

After edit, restart your session — or use command source ~/.profile to activate the changes immediately.


How do I use non-"legacy" launchctl commands to load and unload plists? I have some plist files in ~/Library/LaunchAgents.

I have been happily using launchctl load -w and launchctl unload -w to turn these on and off for years.  However, I notice that now load and unload are relegated to the "legacy" section of the man page.  Let's call one of them com.example.service.plist.

However, when I try to interact with these plists via launchctl enable "gui/$(id -u)/com.example.service" and launchctl disable "gui/$(id -u)/com.example.service", other launchd commands seem to report success - for example, launchctl print "gui/$(id -u)" totally shows me disabled flags that correspond to the state that I've set - the services don't actually start and stop or listen and unlisten on their ports.

Is there some step I'm missing?  For the moment I am sticking with load and unload but I'd like to learn the non-deprecated way of interacting with this stuff before Apple eventually slams the door on the old/bad way...

I asked the Twitter user @launchderp:

  @launchderp Arelaunchctl load and unload still safe to use, at least until 10.12 or whatever comes next?

  c.f How do I use non-"legacy" launchctl commands to load and unload plists?

And @launchderp replied

  @tjluoma Yeah they're still safe. Too many years of dependencies to break them.

While this may not seem like an official Apple statement, I believe this person to be someone who is actively working on launchd for Apple, and trust what they say. YMMV.

Moral of the story: If load/unload is working for you, keep using them :-)


Is there a way to tell how long your Mac was turned on on a distinctive day? I would like to know how long my MacBook Pro was on today - total uptime for the day.
I just bought it, and I thought the battery was bad but it went on for longer than I thought. Of course, I wasn't standing next to it with a stopwatch...
It would be a great feature for me to track time spent on devices anyways, to see which ones I spend the most time on. Maybe in System Report, or using a tool in Utilities? A script?

EDIT: I am asking this to do this on different computers, some built before 2011.

I have uploaded a bash script as a Gist to my Github account at print_osx_uptimes.sh which may help answer your question, even if not exactly what was asked (which was more complicated).

The script will query the Apple System Log (ASL) facility for 'shutdown' messages. The 'Message' field’s values contain the system uptime as of the shutdown event, which I figured is probably reasonably close to the original poster’s question.

It then converts the uptime seconds to a more readable format showing days, hours, minutes and seconds.

Tested on OS X 10.10.5, but see no reason it should not work on anything from 10.7 onward (likely 10.6 as well).

Edited code to also check for (duh) 'reboot' messages, and updates the output to show what the event type (ie. Sender name) was for each.

Sample output:

$ ./print_osx_uptimes.sh
Shutdown on date/time:         Event                     Reported uptime of:
=============================  =========  ===================================
Mon Jul  6 2015 10:32:21 EDT   shutdown       1 days  11 hrs  30 min  15 secs
Thu Jul 16 2015 20:47:24 EDT   reboot         1 days  22 hrs  15 min  46 secs
Thu Jul 16 2015 22:01:50 EDT   shutdown       0 days  21 hrs   4 min  28 secs
Sun Jul 19 2015 02:10:34 EDT   shutdown       2 days  16 hrs  35 min  35 secs
Tue Jul 21 2015 19:32:35 EDT   shutdown       9 days  17 hrs  41 min  46 secs
Fri Jul 24 2015 20:35:05 EDT   shutdown       9 days   7 hrs  55 min  38 secs
Sat Jul 25 2015 00:03:13 EDT   shutdown       8 days  10 hrs  45 min   8 secs
Tue Jul 28 2015 09:16:47 EDT   shutdown       5 days  21 hrs  20 min  57 secs
Thu Jul 30 2015 22:32:36 EDT   shutdown      10 days   0 hrs   3 min  59 secs
Tue Aug  4 2015 01:37:32 EDT   shutdown       7 days   4 hrs  24 min  35 secs
Fri Aug 14 2015 19:15:04 EDT   reboot         5 days  22 hrs  42 min   1 secs

The meat of the script on Github Gist is:

#!/bin/bash

# https://gist.github.com/jps3/afc1e374b632e1ed1ebc

# function displaytime() is a modified form of that from:
# http://unix.stackexchange.com/a/27014
function displaytime {
  local T=$1
  local D=$((T/60/60/24))
  local H=$((T/60/60%24))
  local M=$((T/60%60))
  local S=$((T%60))
  printf '%5s days  %2s hrs  %2s min  %2s secs' $D $H $M $S
}

function get_syslog_entries () {
  syslog -d store \
    -F '$(Sender) $(Message)' \
    -k Sender Req '^(shutdown|reboot)$' \
    -k Message Req "SHUTDOWN_TIME"
}

while read -a line; do
  sender="${line[0]}"
  log_entry_timestamp="$(date -j -f %s "${line[2]}" +"%a %b %e %Y %T %Z")"
  uptime_timestamp="$(displaytime "${line[3]}")"
  printf "%s   %-8s   %s\n" "${log_entry_timestamp}" "${sender}" "${uptime_timestamp}"
done < <(get_syslog_entries)

Hope this helps. I tried to clean up the script and make the parts and comments useful.


How to disable alert notifications in iOS when battery drops to 20% and then to 10%? Is there a way to disable these alerts that appear when battery drops down to 20% and later on to 10%? (iPhone 4s iOS 8.4.1).

Unfortunately, there are no ways to disable those alerts unless your device is jailbroken. In that case (device is jailbroken), you can search Cydia for a tweak that disables those alerts.


Remove old Apple ID Account When trying to update apps on the Apple Store I still get the account of someone who was using the computer before me:

How do I change that, it's the only place where I can't use my Apple ID account.

PS: It sounds like I stole a computer but no, my work gave it to me and the employee before me was using it with his Apple ID account and thought he removed everything.

Technically that person owns those apps.  You can remove the app, which removes the MAS receipt, and re download it while your signed into the app store.  Then it will be associated to your apple ID and owned by you.


Remote inspection for iOS Books I can inspect an ePub book in Books on Mac using Safari’s web inspector. I can also inspect a web page in iOS Safari when the phone is plugged in to my mac using desktop Safari’s web inspector.
What I don’t seem to be able to do though is debug iOS Books remotely using desktop Safari’s web inspector.
Given that I’ve got an issue that’s only occurring in iOS Books and not in Mac Books, this is rather annoying. Does anyone know if this is possible?

You can only connect the Web Inspector to an iOS app with the get-task-allow entitlement, so you can't connect the inspector to an app you're not able to debug.
If your iOS device is jailbroken, you can install inspectorplus which allows you to connect the Web Inspector to any web view in any app.


Saving information in Dictionary.app Is there a way I can save the history for what I have searched for in Dictionary.app or save them for reference within the application itself ?

I would love it if you could view your history or bookmark words, but I'm fairly sure that you can't. See, for example, the TUAW article "Apple updates Dictionary app in Lion, still has a long way to go":

  I would also love to be able to bookmark favorite words and create word lists where I can group similar words together for quick access.

I'm also unaware of any hacks or add-ons that would make this possible.


How do I take a screenshot on Apple TV? I need to capture a screenshot of Apple TV to send a bug to a developer. How do I take a screenshot in tvOS on the new Apple TV?

I would just snap a picture of the TV screen with a smartphone (or any other) camera and use this for the bug report.


How to group images in iWork Pages? How to group multiple images in iWork Pages so I don't have to move images one by one? That can be done in Microsoft Words, but I can't find this option in iWork Pages.

Cmd-Click to select the images you want to group and then opt-cmd-G to group them (find the group function under the ARRANGE menu), then the images will move as one unit. To ungroup the images shift-opt-cmd-G.


iPhone as 'headphones' for computer I have been using headphones with an external USB sound card, but the sound card broke today, and my other audio ports are messed up.

I have an iPhone, and I know that a computer with a wireless card can stream it's audio to an iPhone, but can a computer without a wireless card (on an ethernet connection) use this or a similar service to send audio to an iPhone? Maybe even a tethered iPhone, because I can do that.

maybe look into airfoil and its iOS companion app?


Sending email with images on iPad? I've just realized I can't send images from Mail on Ipad.

When a create a new draft there is not add image functionality, so I guess the only way is to email images from Photos.

However, what if I want to send an email with more than one image ?

thanks

From the Photo app you can select up to 5 images and hit Share -> E-Mail.
Maybe it's possible to mail more then 5 images when you select 5+ and the Copy them and Paste them in your E-Mail.

See this guide for reference: Send multiple photos at once on the iPad and iPhone


Insert references from Endnote into a Keynote presentation In PowerPoint for Windows it is possible to insert references directly from Endnote into PowerPoint. As far as I can tell, this feature is not supported on the macOS version of PowerPoint. Anyhow, I prefer Keynote, but it would make my life much easier if I could directly insert formatted references from Endnote (according to the different templates that exists in Endnote) into my Keynote presentations. Is this possible? If not, is anyone aware of any good work-arounds for this?

I can do it manually with first saving the reference to MS Word and then copy/paste the reference into Keynote, but obviously I would prefer a direct method.

From EndNote's documentation it seems they only support PowerPoint for Windows, not PowerPoint for macOS or Keynote. You could reach out to the developer of Endnote with a feature request.

From the website:

  Presentation support
  * Microsoft PowerPoint® for Windows 2007, 2010*, 2013*, 2016*

  *32-bit and 64-bit

As for Macintosh software supported, they do not list any presentation software.

Macintosh compatibility and system requirements from EndNote's support site.


Stolen MacBook running Windows via Boot Camp My friend's MacBook was stolen. He was mostly using Windows with Boot Camp. macOS was not used at all.

How likely is it, that the thief may be able to reset Windows password?

Is it possible to transfer the hard disk to another computer and access it through Windows files.

And of-course, I don't want specific information about resetting password for accessing files etc. Only a confirmation what might be the worst situation.

You didn’t provide enough detail to adequately address the actual problem (I.e MacBook model, version of Win10, was it unlocked/unencrypted, etc ),  so we must look at this from the worst case scenario:

Once a device is physically in the possession of nefarious parties, you must assume the entire system is compromised.
Guessing what the risk is at this point is an exercise in wishful thinking.

This is where you advise your friend to start securing accounts (change passwords, add two factor authentication, etc.)


Danger of damaging 13" macbook pro by charging it with 85w charger? We've got a range of laptops in our office all macbook pros some of which are 13" and some of which are 15".

The 15" laptops came with 85w chargers, and the 13" came with 60w chargers.

I want to buy some additiaonl chargers to leave plugged in around the office for anyone to use, but im unsure as to which type i should get.

Would charging a 13" laptop on a 85w power supply damage it ?
Would charging a 13" laptop on a 60w power supply damage it, or just make it slow at charging ?

No.  You cannot damage a laptop by charging it with a charger rated more than what it originally came with.

When a device has a power requirement of 10W it means it will only draw up to 10W.  A power supply with a rating of 45W will supply up to 45W.1

A general rule of thumb is that you can always get a bigger power supply, never smaller.  Think of it like your electrical circuits in your house.  In the US, it's common to have 15A or 20A circuits.  Can you plug in vacuum cleaner that uses 12A?  Yup.  Can you run 2 at a time (24A) on the same circuit?  Nope, it will pop.  Can you run 1 vacuum and a 1A lightbulb (13A)?  Sure.

So, you can plug a device with a 60W draw into an 80W power supply, but it's not recommended to plug the same device with a 60W draw into a 45W power supply.

What can happen?

With the new USB-C ports on the Mac, most likely a slow charge.  With devices in general - you could damage/destroy the device and/or the power supply.

1 This assumes the same voltage.  USB-C will auto negotiate the power delivery.  Older devices that don't do this; too many volts can fry your device.  More amps than necessary won't harm anything.   Also see:  Choosing power supply, how to get the voltage and current ratings?


Hidden processes causing huge increase in ios data usage? On my first iphone the data usage was both reasonable and logical at the beginning, but a couple months in and I was seeing a ridiculous increase of >5x usage.  I started off average 5-8 gb/month and by the time I stopped using the phone usage had gotten up to 20 gb HALF-WAY thru the month.  I know modern sites average 1-2 mb insize and I was conscious of my streaming.  My browsing habits didn't change that much and certainly not that much. I tried a few things like turning off vpn (although theoretically this shouldn't matter) but still had the crazy consumption.  I figured I must have picked up a virus.

On 2nd iphone now and like the first usage was reasonable when new, then things started to ramp up.  This time it's to a lower extent and in fact I could be imagining it (or maybe not).  What I'm not imagining are the numbers in the cellular settings.  Usage for anything that uses data is listed individually and they're always supposed to add up to total usage at the top.  Just recently total usage has begun to doubled any app I've used, which is almost exclusively safari.  So I would have 2 gb usage in safari for one day (this still seems high) but total usage is 4gb.  There's no other listed app/process that makes up that remaining 2 gb and like I said I've been on safari exclusively.

The unaccounted for gigs clearly show there are processes going on out of the normal scope of the cellular settings (also my own knowledge that I've only used safari).  Is this a virus or something else?  Can I use an ios task manager equivalent (if there is one) to view all processes and help figure this out?

As an aside, another behavior I feel was not present originally on both phones but now is: the browser has to constantly refresh tabs as I switch between them, without ever closing safari.  Could be related.

I have this too. 100s on MB per Day. AT&T carrier.  Started a few months ago. In 20-50mb chunks and lady week ramped up into the 100s.

In cellular usage Stats none of the apps were displayed. Cellular data was listed as zero.  Not GBs!

Restored the phone from an image backup. Nothing changed. Bit the bullet and  Restored as "new".  Fixed.  Had to reinstall everything

Something infiltrated my phone and wax using it.  Apple won't talk about this at all


Syncing photos to iCloud and managing them with Lightroom I am a brand new Mac user, having recently purchased an iMac updated to OSX 10.10.3. I also have installed Adobe Lightroom 5, and I have a bunch of photos synced to iCloud and available through the Photos app.

I would like to be able to manage my photos through Lightroom, but have the photos synced through iCloud with my other devices. However, it appears that Lightroom cannot read the "Photos Library.photolibrary" file that is created with the Photos app.

I have seen this other question regarding the iPhoto app and Lightroom. Does this still apply for the Photos app?

What options are available to be able to sync my with my other devices and still be able to manage them on the iMac with Lightroom?

I have a solution:

create a symbolic link to your iCloud folder from the terminal window
ln -s ~/Library/Mobile\ Documents/com~apple~CloudDocs iCloudDrive
This creates a link from your home folder to your iCloud documents
Now open up Lightroom and you should be able to navigate to the linked folder and import directly from there.


Unable to find an app in the App Store I am trying to locate an app in the App Store, but I couldn't find it. I want to download it to my iPad. All the software on iPad is updated to the latest available version.

The App name has been entered correctly. Is it possible that the app is blocked for certain areas/regions?

How can I locate and download it?

You can try visiting the developer's website and click the App Store link for the app. Searching for the app on the Web can also fetch you the App Store link.

If you have previously downloaded the app and are not able to find it anymore on the App Store, there's a possibility that either the developer of Apple has taken the app off the App Store or the same is no longer available in your region.

The best way to resolve is to get in touch with the developer via their website.


Add apps to "Files and Folders" permissions? In macOS Catalina, is it possible to add apps directly to Security & Privacy -> Files and Folders? The plus icon is greyed out, even when the preference pane is unlocked.

I know that the option becomes available when an app tries to access one of the protected folders, but I would like to add an app pre-emptively.

This is possible for MDM managed Macs by  pushing signed profiles to preemptively white-list signed applications.

The process is quite detailed, but it uses a well documented profile setup (175 pages to cover the basics). We currently push about 20 items this way, so if you need to manage a lot of apps and a lot of Macs, this is possible and once you have your tools in place, easy to add new profiles. This isn’t feasible for a few machines if you’re not running a MDM.

Look at the section on page 64

https://developer.apple.com/business/documentation/Configuration-Profile-Reference.pdf#page64

> Privacy Preferences Policy Control Payload

  The Privacy Preferences payload is designated by specifying com.apple.TCC.configuration-profile-policy value as the PayloadType value.
  It controls the settings that are displayed in the ”Privacy” tab of the ”Security & Privacy” pane in System Preferences. This profile must be delivered via a user approved MDM server in a device profile.

Here is a very not short (but as short as can be reasonably made) guide for an engineer or team thinking about adding this to your MDM.

https://derflounder.wordpress.com/2018/08/31/creating-privacy-preferences-policy-control-profiles-for-macos/

Here is an awesome tool for automating creation of your profiles:

https://github.com/carlashley/tccprofile


Sharing a TUN VPN connection with Android & iOS for traffic interception I have two interfaces:
 - A physical WLAN interface with 802.1x auth (en0)
 - A virtual TUN interface with VPN (invisible in Network Settings) (utun1)

I have mobiles (both rooted Android and jailbroken iOS) that I want to intercept their HTTP/S traffic, over Bluetooth.

My first thought was to do Internet Sharing from WiFi to Bluetooth, OS X did not like this, as the WiFi has 802.1x auth.

Then I turned on Bluetooth Tethering without any connection on the Android, connected to it from the Mac (en3) and added the Mac as default route with ip route add default via <mac ip>. Then on the Mac I did:

sysctl -w net.inet.ip.forwarding=1
echo "nat on utun1 from en3:network to any -> (utun1)" >> /etc/pf.conf
pfctl -F all
pfctl -ef /etc/pf.conf

I got no errors but the mobile device is not able to connect to the internet. It pings the mac, the route is fine, but the NAT does not work.

How can I share the VPN connection over Bluetooth PAN to the mobile devices? Should I try a different approach? Am I doing something wrong?

First on the Mac do a network configuration (a location in Apple wording) appropriate for your need. Never use the too infamous and too magic "Automatic" location.
A configuration with a "Wi-Fi" and "Bluetooth PAN" interfaces and nothing else. Configure them (I guess you are familiar with this aspect to start playing with a VPN and the problems of security around this).

Once this is set, with nothing connected yet on the "Bluetooth PAN" interface, just configure an "Internet Sharing" (which in fact should be correctly named a "network gateway") as follows:

The correct sysctl, nat and pf settings will be done by many subprocesses hidden (and undocumented) behind Internet Sharing.


Editing an outlook message on the iPhone It appears that when I edit a message on the iPhone send it out to someone to read in the Outlook client, they don't see my edits?  How do I fix this? We tested this a few times and seems to be occurring with all of us.

To track edits to a document, save it in OneDrive and then edit it it in Word or OneNote or Excel or Powerpoint. Outlook doesn't do revision tracking on iOS or macOS in any current 2016 or 2019 version of the suite. I don't even thing outlook web app even tracks versions, and that's where they roll out most features first now.

Then send a link to the document or just share it. We also use box and iCloud for collaborative editing to track changes and you might also consider Google if that's open for your group.


How can I remove Windows 7 from my Mac mini I recently bought a Mac mini with the latest version Yosemite op system. I installed Parallels and then installed Windows 7 pro using the Windows install disc. I now want to remove Windows 7 all together and just have the Mac op sys but every time I go on Google or Youtube all I see is them talking about Bootcamp. Unless I am mistaken, I do not have bootcamp on my computer.

It should be noted that I am new to Macs so I am treading lightly.

You have Windows in a virtual machine. This only runs if you run Parallels so Windows is not normally running.

To remove Windows just delete the virtual machine which is just a directory on the disk which by default is ~/Documents/Parallels

If you don't know where the files are then I think in in parallels you will have an option to delete the VM


Why aren't my pictures really deleted from my iPhone? When I don't like a photo I took with my iPhone 11, I delete it (with the 'Photos' app), and empty the trash ('Recently Deleted' album).
Once in awhile I mount the phone under Linux and backup my photos by copying the DCIM subdirectory.  When I do this I notice that there are many duplicates (just an annoyance) and many photos that I assumed had been deleted.  However, the deleted photos don't show up in Photos nor in iCloud.
What is going on here?

One reason for finding some of the deleted photos could be because of the nature of iPhone's flash memory on which the data is saved - deletion or overwriting data is a slow process on such memory. So data in a flash memory are constantly moved to optimize it, and when you delete any file on it, it may not be deleted immediately but moved and marked for deletion later. (More here - Permamnently deleting on SSD).
So, while ios and Photos app may not show you the file on your iPhone or iPad  after you "delete" it on Photos, it may still be in the memory till it is actually deleted. That could be one reason why you are able to see them when you mount the iPhone drive on Linux. (I am speculating here because I don't know how you are mounting your iPhone on Linux and accessing its data).
The duplicates could be because of edits you made to the photos or photos you took in burst mode or HDR mode.


Manually restoring macOS System folder I have been trying to restore using migration assistant from an Airport Time Capsule with no success despite following multiple support avenues.

I’m now trying to manually restore all my files but the issue I have encountered is that even using the root account there are certain files that I cannot remove and replace with the files from the backup.

In particular I’m trying to ‘swap out’ the /Macintosh HD/System/ folder. Any ideas appreciated.

I am not sure how you are restoring from backup but you can't replace active system files, nor would you want to.

The preferred way to restore a Mac would be to install/reinstall the operating system from whatever source you have. Once that is done use your Time Machine backup to then restore your files, applications and system settings.

The latter would be those files that the system would change to reflect preferences, settings and other changes you have made to macOS. Some of which may be located inside the System folder(s).


Will this memory fit into my MacBook Pro? I'm planning to upgrade my MacBook Pro with another 4GB memory.
How do I know which memory is compatible with my MacBook?

I got MacBook Pro model A1278, processor 2.3 GHZ Intel Core i5, current memory 4GB 1333 MHz DDR3. Would this memory fit into my hardware?

I have here two helpful Links for you:

Apple Support Serial Number &
Apple Support Memory Upgrade

I don't have experience with this memory, but i think it should work ;) But please use the provided Links and double check everything. I don't know how it is in Jp but in Europe you can send the RAM back to Amazon if it does not work. "Normally" a wrong RAM is not warming you Macbook.

I hope this will help you and sorry if we can't provide for every RAM Module Experience ;)


Xcode stuck on installing I just reset my 2018 MacBook Air and upgraded it to macOS Big Sur.
One of the first things I did was install Xcode through the App Store.
It downloaded just fine, but got stuck on installing. I've tried restarting my computer, but it didn't work. What should I do?

Ditch App Store and use the Apple Developer site to download the xip file and extract it to install Xcode.

Can't update Xcode

Alternative is to find the file App Store downloaded, and if it's an archive, expand it manually.
Since it's a huge file, it would be easy to find using any of the apps listed at

How can I figure out what's slowly eating my HD space?


App Store opens unDock Lite product page seemingly randomly I recently installed unDock Lite from the Mac App Store but was not satisfied with its functionality and uninstalled it the same day.

But from time to time the App Store opens the unDock Lite product page.

Is this some very rude advertising from the unDock Lite creators, or could there be a shortcut registered for example, and OS X takes me to the product page associated with it, if it's not currently installed?

Is there any mention of the app or the page in ~/Library/Cookies/com.apple.appstore.plist? At least one other AskDifferent user had trouble with this file and solved the problem by deleting it - maybe that should be the last resort though.

You can also enable "debug mode" in the Mac App Store by doing defaults write com.apple.appstore ShowDebugMenu -boolean YES - when you have done that you will see a new menu:

I would try Clear Cookies first, and if that doesn't help, Reset Application.


How can I name a voice memo in iTunes How can I add a name or title to the voice memos that sync from my iPhone to iTunes on my Mac? All I get in the playlist is the date and duration of the memo - right click, left click, nothing works.

You can rename your voice recording using the "Get Info" window, which you can invoke by:

Choosing File > Get Info
Or, right-clicking and choosing "Get Info"
Or, pressing ⌘ I

From there, click on the "Info" tab, and you can enter something else in the "Name" field:

The same procedure works on all other files in iTunes as well, like music and movies.


What tools are there for measuring Macbook wireless strength? I often have trouble connecting to wifi with my MacBook Pro. To help identify the problem, I was wondering if there were any tools for measuring wireless signal strength.

If you're just looking for a quick signal strength number, option-click on the AirPort icon in the menu bar. Under the connected network you will see several pieces of information:

RSSI is your signal strengh in dB. Higher (closer to 0) is better.

If you're looking for noise or the signal strength for multiple access points, I suggest checking out iStumbler:


Run a script based on sunset and sunrise info? What is the best way to run an Applescript when my current location's status changes from night to day and day to night?

Thanks!

Never used this, but it looks like Power Manager should be able to do it. You can make sun based actions similar to automator.

It doesn't seem like it has a feature built in to figure out your location automatically though. So if you're like flying from country to another and want it to automatically figure it out, you probably can't do that.

They have a tutorial: How to Power On Your Mac at Sunrise
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MacBook Air: What taking up all my hard drive space I have a 128gb MacBook Air running Lion. I am constantly having issues with disc space, but have no idea what is consuming it all. When I look at the disc utility break down, it says about 80% of the used space is taken up by 'Other' while the remaining 20% is photos, music and applications.

I've searched everywhere but have no idea what is using all this space. The biggest program I have on is Photoshop and perhaps XCode. I dont have any video files and I dont even tend to save .PSDs.

Would anyone know what could be taking up this space?

Thanks!

Grand Perspective is a bit of open source software that visualises the space taken up in a folder. Run it and look for the biggest squares. Hover your mouse over a square and the bottom left of the window shows you the full path to the file you are hovering over.

I prefer it to letting the finder calculate folder sizes, because this is much faster and the results are very easy to understand.


/opt directory doesn't exist on OS X 10.9 Just received my macbook air and discover that i can't run port command because of /opt directory not exists. Is it normal? (OS X 10.9)

Yes, OS X does not come with anything in /opt or even the directory itself. I presume you're looking for MacPorts, which is a 3rd-party package manager that installs port. MacPorts has to be installed separately.

Various other apps can place files in /opt though. For example, even though I've never had MacPorts, I have the /opt directory and it contains the X11 directory.