How can I automount a shared network drive for Time Machine backups? At home, my primary computer is an iMac with an external USB hard drive. The external drive is shared so that other computers can use it for Time Machine. I have a MacBook Air that I take to work every day, and it uses the shared Time Machine drive when I am at home. However, I have to manually mount the drive.

How can I set up my MacBook Air to automatically mount the shared drive when I'm on my home AirPort network?

Currently, I perform these steps to mount the shared drive and back up:

In a Finder window, select the iMac from the Shared list
Press "Connect"
Authenticate with my iMac user credentials (I just saved the password to my keychain)
Choose the USB drive from the list of available volumes to mount
Use the Time Machine menu extra to choose "Back Up Now"

Ultimately, I want to make this a zero-step process, so I can come home, turn on the MacBook Air, automatically detect and mount the shared drive, and back up with Time Machine. I assume this can be automated, with an automation script set up as a login item, but it would be preferable to avoid explicitly scripting it.

(I originally wanted to attach the hard drive to my AirPort Extreme and share it from there for Time Machine, but this failed or was not allowed on SnowLeopard; I don't remember. I haven't attempted it since upgrading to Lion.)

Thanks for reading!

Both of my computers are running Lion.

I think I can get you started, but using terminal commands, which you said you'd prefer to avoid. Apologies, but it might give you a starting point. All of the following you could put in a bash script and run as a login item.

You'll need to first share out the target drive(s) (MyBook in the examples below) using file sharing (System Preferences > Sharing > check the File Sharing box, add the drives you need and set appropriate permissions - I just use Everyone to keep it simple).

You can mount a remote machine and/or its associated drives using mount like so:

Make a directory as the mount point (obviously call test whatever you want):

mkdir /Volumes/test

Now mount the remote drive. I'm assuming this is already connected to your iMac and appears when you connect to your iMac using Finder:

mount -t afp afp://<your mac's name>/<drive name to mount> /Volumes/test

On my remote Mac Mini, to connect to my MyBook attached to it via USB, that would be:

mount -t afp afp://bobs-mac-mini/MyBook /Volumes/test

If you need to authenticate (I got error -5000 when trying to mount my home folder), you can also do this using

mount -t afp afp://<username>:<password>@<your mac's name>/<drive name to mount> /Volumes/test

However, the password would unfortunately have to be in the clear. So again, this might be:

mount -t afp afp://binarybob:password123@bobs-mac-mini/MyBook /Volumes/test

You can also connect to your home folder using the above method, just by replacing MyBook with the name of your home folder.

The drive you mounted should now appear in the finder and you should be able to use it like any other locally mounted drive. When you're finished, you can do:

umount /Volumes/test

to remove it. BTW, if you're not an administrator, you might need to add sudo in front of each command and type an administrator password.


how to not show two version app when open file in mac osx? I copy OSX system with another SSD, and when want open file, you can see following, that means I can open file with the application in deprecated osx, but I want keep osx for restore oneday. how not show them.And I was confused always.

If you don't want the older applications on your backup drive to appear in the Open With menu you could drop the Applications folder of the backup drive in the "Prevent Spotlight from searching these locations" box within the Spotlight Privacy tab within System Preferences.

When Spotlight removes them from the index they should be removed from LaunchServices services as well. If after an short while they haven't disappeared then you might need to give LaunchServices a little nudge with the command from Chris Magnussen's answer.


Message time stamps not updating properly I saw a weird thing today, friend of mine after he updated to iOS 7 showed me this and asked why was the Message time stamps not updating properly. Circled should say “Yesterday”. Note it’s only 3:35PM today, we are both in same time zone, etc

Try toggling "Set Automatically" in Settings >> General >> Date & Time. This has traditionally solved timestamp issues for me in the past.


fs_usage returns a LOT of ioctl lines I've been reading up on interesting Terminal commands (I've used it forever, but there's always more to learn) when I ran across this. I ran sudo fs_usage and got a whole lot of this:

...
13:39:09  ioctl                   0.000019   WindowServer
13:39:09  ioctl                   0.000017   WindowServer
13:39:09  ioctl                   0.000020   WindowServer
13:39:09  ioctl                   0.000018   WindowServer
...

I figure, if I ever actually need to use this, it would be nice to have a way not only to filter out filesystem activity related to the WindowServer, in particular, but other processes as well. It would also be nice to specify a service or process for which to return information.

Have I misread the usefulness of this function? Is there a way to get rid of those numerous WindowServer calls? Can I specify the processes in which I'm interested?

All that is possible by using fs_usage with several options. You may also pipe it to grep to further restrict the output.

To exclude a process or a pid (and also fs_usage itself) use the -e option:

sudo fs_usage -e WindowsServer
sudo fs_usage -e 123

Specifying the -f option turns on output filtering based on the mode provided.
The possible modes are:

network    Network-related events are displayed.
filesys    Filesystem-related events are displayed.
pathname   Pathname-related events are displayed.
exec       Exec and spawn events are displayed.
diskio     Disk I/O events are displayed.
cachehit   In addition, show cache hits.

Example:

sudo fs_usage -e WindowsServer -f filesys

To just show a special pid/command and exclude all other, use the pid (enter ps aux to get it) or the name of the command or application

Examples:

sudo fs_usage -f filesys Terminal
sudo fs_usage -f filesys 178

A different possibility is to pipe the output of fs_usage to grep:

sudo fs_usage -e -f filesys|grep Terminal
sudo fs_usage -e -f filesys|grep -v grep|grep write
sudo fs_usage -e|grep -v grep|grep -v WindowsServer|grep ioctl

The part grep -v grep or grep -v WindowsServer excludes "grep" and/or "WindowsServer" from occurring in the result.

Sources:
Apple developer
Rentzsch


My Mountain Lion won't recognize USB controller button presses... Why? All right.  I've played games on my MacBook Pro using a crappy Microsoft Sidewinder gamepad for years, plugged into my USB port.  I just upgraded to Mountain Lion a few days ago, though, and for some reason, I can't get any programs to recognize my controller's button presses.  System Information (not System Profiler anymore, I guess) will tell me it's plugged in, sure, but no programs will actually register button presses.  It's rather odd, and extremely frustrating since I would really like to, you know, use the controller.

I've tried unplugging it and plugging it back in after a few minutes.  Or hours.  I've tried restarting with the controller not plugged in.  I've tried restarting with the controller plugged in.  I've tried using a different controller to rule out controller malfunction.  I've tried using a different USB port.  (I have a USB mouse and it works in either port.)  I think signs point to a driver issue, but why would Mountain Lion suddenly be incompatible with my controller if it worked under Lion?  Something's very strange here.  Thank you very much!

EDIT: The USB Prober app from the Hardware I/O Tools download (from the dev site) sees my controller just fine.  It identifies it and everything.  Other applications, on the other hand, don't...

EDIT x2: I restarted with the controller in the port, and it was working!  Hoorah!  I used ControllerMate to see what was up, and it recognized everything I did!  I played a game with it and quit the application.  But now it no longer works; ControllerMate suggests that some other software is controlling my controller.  I've had issues with this with my built-in camera before, years ago, but they kinda just went away.  So I'm still stuck -- unless the only way is to restart every time I want to use my controller, which is kinda anti-Mac.  Suggestions?

EDIT x3: Well, that's kind of odd.  The Ink preference pane showed up for some reason.  And weirder, after a restart where my controller was connected during startup, I could use the controller as a mouse.  It was actually moving around the pointer, though only in an absolute sense: when I let go off the direction pad, the cursor jumped to the center.  I disconnected the controller and plugged it back in, and now it doesn't work again.

EDIT x4: The Ink prefpane was due to SteerMouse; I uninstalled it and the prefpane went away.  I also reset my NVRAM, but no change.  However, I figured out something very important.  I had the controller running, then I used Chrome for a while.  Controller was still running.  I used Chrome again.  Controller stopped.  Gah, not again.  I quit Chrome.  Controller came back online immediately.

SO THE PROBLEM IS CHROME.

Perhaps the reason I thought it was my Mountain Lion update is because Chrome did an auto-update at the same time, or perhaps Mountain Lion breaks Chrome's behavior, or perhaps Mountain Lion's USB drivers don't like Chrome.  Whatever the situation is, I've at least managed to pinpoint the problem better.  Still not solved, though...

I was having virtually the same problem and it turns out Chrome was the cause.

I'm using an Xbox 360 controller on Mountain Lion with the tattiebogle driver.  Recently, my controller would just cease to respond, even though it was showing as connected and no amount of disconnecting/re-connecting would fix the problem; the only thing that seemed to work was a re-boot.

I was doing some research earlier and came across this post.  I found it hard to believe that Chrome would be the cause, but sure enough, the controller has stopped working twice now and both times I closed down Chrome, re-connected, and all is fine again!  Thanks for your post, it helped me a lot!


Is there any way to partition the SSD portion of a Fusion Drive? I'm looking at my next computer and am debating on whether or not to invest in a Fusion Drive. I'll be using Windows heavily on it though, and would like to take advantage of the SSD on both operating systems rather than just from within OS X.

I'm pretty technically savvy, so I wouldn't mind using Windows, Linux or another operating system to accomplish this task.

Thanks!

Since FusionDrive is really Corestorage with some added magic (or supposed to), there is no mandatory reason to assign the whole SSD to the Fusion drive.

When creating you DIY Fusion drive, just reserve space by creating adequate partitions and refer to the partition ID (diskXsY) instead of the whole disk.


What software can add a Windows-like taskbar to the Mac OS? What's the best Windows-like taskbar for a Mac?

Philip, believe me, it is much better spending some time to learn (and settle in) with OS X style of work than looking some Windows taskbar solution.

Assuming that you have a new OS X notebook, you probably have multitouch trackpad too, so try the following:

Go to System preferences (via the Apple icon in the menubar)
In the General set the following:

Later you will set direct opposites, (automatic scroll bars, jump on the clicked spot) but for the switchers the above is good for a start.

Next, go to Dock and set like:

The minimize-windows-into-application icon will partially simulate the Windows taskbar, so you will get:

where you can clearly see than the "doc" file is minimized into the app-icon and the untitled is opened.

Third: setup full trackpad gestures - click every checkbox on Trackpad preferences. Take some time to learn 3-finger and 4-finger gestures, especially "swipe 4 finger up/down" and move drag with "3-fingers" (instead of click & drag). This is very not-windows-like, but later will thanks to settle in with this.

After a while you will learn to use it automatically, and will find than you don't need a Taskbar. (Because of "Mission control", "Application windows" and "Show desktop" swipes,)

Four: Setup hot corners in the "System preferences -> Mission Control". Click "Hot corners...". My setup is:

In the "Mission control" uncheck "Show dashboard as space" - left-bottom corner will show to you the Dashboard when needed.

The hot corners will help when you don't want use "swipes". The bottom two corners (around the dock) are for the "applications" (Launch Pad & Dashboard), the upper two corners are for "windows" (Current app-windows and Mission control)

The above is my 2cents - maybe someone will suggest better setup - from my experience the above helps my "switchers friends" greatly.

EDIT after 1.5 years.

Because of commnents I want clarify some things. At time of the question, was not here really usable software what behaves exactly as windows taskbar.

Therefore I tried answer with a setup, what should help switchers as much is possible.

It is not easy to have windows-like taskbar - here are several points:

1.) The taskbar's notification area (commonly referred as systray). In the OS X the top menubar is the place where are placed the notification icons like, date, battery and so on. Moving them to some taskbar like sw is probably not easy.

2.) Taskbar's start-menu. With the above hot-corners setup, the "bottom left" corner is the "Lanuchpad", from where the user can launch any installed application. (Can group applications into categories and/or pages.) It is similar (only similar - not the same) as windows start menu.

3.) Some actions, (what are in the windowsish start menu) in the OS X are in the apple menu, like: shutdown, sleep, logout.

4.) Taskbar's quick-launch area. The whole Dock is like (again, only like - not the same) as the windows-taskbar's quick-launch area, from where you can launch frequently used applications. Similarly as in the taskbar, with the right click on the application icon you can see (and switch) to different instaces of running application or can open recently used files)

Soo, if for someone the above sounds as "opinion", sorry for this, but it is not true. I tried (again, only tried) to suggest a solution (with a setup) what should help switchers. A half year later as i wrote my original answer @Krav added the iTaskbar. Feel free to use it. :)


Time Machine over the network fails and reports incorrect available space I use Time Machine to backup my iMac to a MacBook Pro which is running OS X server.  Both are running 10.11.1; the Server version is 5.0.15.  Time Machine had been running fine using a 4TB USB drive on the server.  Yesterday I added a 6TB drive and switched the iMac to use it (again, over the network).

Now Time Machine fails after about 90 seconds and reports "The backup disk needs 743.84 GB for the backup but only 509.94 GB are available..."  The Time Machine System Preference panel then shows "510 GB of 510 GB available," which is strange because before the failure it correctly indicated "6 TB of 6 TB available."

I have doubled checked the formatting of the 6TB drive (HFS+ Journaled, GUID Partition Map) and confirmed that the server also shows 6TB available.  I have also reset Time Machine backups (http://pondini.org/TM/A4.html), rebooted both computers, shutdown and restarted the Time Machine service, and basically started everything I know of from scratch twice.

Any solutions or hints will be quite welcome!

After a bit of digging into the details, I discovered that the sparse image created by Time Machine was limited to about 500GB (475Gi to be exact).  Here is abbreviated output from 'df -h' with both the network share (TMBackups6) and sparse image (disk5s2) mounted:

$ df -h
//xxx@xxx._smb._tcp.local/TMBackups6 5.5Ti 1.7Gi 5.5Ti ...
/dev/disk5s2                         475Gi 427Mi 475Gi ...

Seeing this, I double checked the "Limit each backup..." setting on the server;  the checkbox was cleared, which should mean no limits.  Still, the evidence pointed to enforcement of the default 500GB limit.

At this point I started thinking about creating the sparse image manually with the limit set to a sensible value.  However, I don't do this often a did not relish spending time figuring it out.  Instead, I set the limit to 9999GB and now Time Machine is backing up properly.  To change the limit,

Open the Server app.
Click on the Time Machine service in the left column.
Double click the backup destination on which to set the limit.
Check the Backup Limit check box.
Change the limit in the text box to be larger than the backup drive.
Click the OK button.

Here is a screen shot (cropped) showing the results of steps 4 and 5 with the check box and text box highlighted in yellow (OK button not shown):

I do not yet know if setting the limit larger than the size of the physical drive will cause problems in the future. I believe from Maverick on, Time Machine is aware of both the physical drive size and maximum size of the sparse image.  So don't expect problems.

I am satisfied with this work around for now.  If anyone knows the root cause and a real permanent fix, I would appreciate the info.


My Chrome on Mac (with Mac OS Sierra) always starts with feed.snowbitt.com when I run it I always get redirected to site feed.snowbitt.com when I run my Chrome. I tried to:
-Delete Chrome from computer, and reinstall it. Didn' work.
-Clear all my content, browsing history from Chrome. Didn't work.
-I tried some free antivirus programs to scan my cimputer. Didn't work.

What else can I do?

Go to Chrome > Preferences... by pressing ⌘, or by typing chrome://settings/ into the Address Bar.

Under the On start-up settings, make sure you have selected Open the New Tab page and not some specific page, which in your case is: "feed.snowbitt.com"


How can I label things in the Dock? I have two XCode projects I open regularly, so I added them to the Dock. Unfortunately, they're not labeled. Hovering doesn't help, since it shows the same name. In fact, they're two different Git workspaces with the same project, so I want to label the icon with the name of folder it's in.

How do I do that?

I'm open to third-party apps.

I don't want to edit anything in the folder, since that will show up as an edit in Git.

Try this, it's a bit of a kludge but it should work:

Open /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Resources/xcode-project_Icon.icns in an editor like Preview or GIMP.
Select whichever resolution you want to modify.
Add whatever text you want, e.g. the project workspace name.

Side note: This may ask you to duplicate the file before editing it. Don't worry about this.

* Do not save this! * (You probably won't be able to anyway.)
Press File > Save As... while holding Option, or press ⇧⌥⌘S, and save it as a PNG somewhere, if you want to keep it around. (I would recommend this, but you certainly don't have to.)

If you're using a third-party image editor like GIMP, you may not have to use the Option key.

Open the PNG you just saved. (Or if you chose not to save it, ignore this step.)
Select All (⌘A), and copy it (⌘C).
Go to the project you want to change the icon of.
Press File > Get Info (⌘I).
Click on the icon in the top left of the info window, and paste (⌘V).

The second part of this also works for any icon you might have laying around! You can change  the icons of anything, including folders and even apps, this way. (But if you're changing an app icon, be aware that some apps change their own icon while they're running. It'll change back when the app quits. For example, Firefox does this when downloading a file.)


Samsun 840 SSD - errors using gdisk I have an older Samsung 840 SSD which I have connected with a USB-C to SATA III cable to my (2018) MacBook Pro. In Terminal, I've tried erasing it and always get an error that it's unmounted, so I try to unmount it and it's busy. I used to use it for a backup disk but I erased and reformatted it for Windows (ExFAT) because I was going to put it in a friend’s laptop as an upgrade.  Then the friend moved away after I had reformatted it back and forth from exFAT to Fat32 to JHFS+ so many times - can't even remember.  Now it only shows up in Terminal after a while (~1 hour), listed as single volume with no name or type. There's no data on it - I just want to be able to create a partition and load macOS on it again.

I just installed gdisk and here's what it says:

Warning! Read error 16; strange behavior now likely!

Warning! Read error 16; strange behavior now likely!

Partition table scan:

MBR: not present
BSD: not present
APM: not present
GPT: not present

Creating new GPT entries in memory.

Command (? for help): p

Disk /dev/disk2: 976773168 sectors, 465.8 GiB
Sector size (logical): 512 bytes
Disk identifier (GUID): 306AFDDD-FE4D-4DAD-8F2A-C955BCBDD664
Partition table holds up to 128 entries
Main partition table begins at sector 2 and ends at sector 33
First usable sector is 34, last usable sector is 976773134
Partitions will be aligned on 2048-sector boundaries
Total free space is 976773101 sectors (465.8 GiB)

Number  Start (sector)    End (sector)  Size       Code  Name
[blank]

Command (? for help): o

Partition GUID code: 48465300-0000-11AA-AA11-00306543ECAC (Apple HFS/HFS+)
Partition unique GUID: 047050C3-8055-4BE9-8D2C-8D9960335A55
First sector: 2048 (at 1024.0 KiB)
Last sector: 976773134 (at 465.8 GiB)
Partition size: 976771087 sectors (465.8 GiB)
Attribute flags: 0000000000000000
Partition name: 'Apple HFS/HFS+'

Command (? for help): v

No problems found. 2014 free sectors (1007.0 KiB) available in 1
segments, the largest of which is 2014 (1007.0 KiB) in size.

Command (? for help): w

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

Do you want to proceed? (Y/N): y

OK; writing new GUID partition table (GPT) to /dev/disk2.
Warning: Devices opened with shared lock will not have their
partition table automatically reloaded!
Unable to open device '/dev/disk2' for writing! Errno is 2! Aborting write!

What should I do?  I'm completely ignorant and have no idea whether the drive is salvageable or if I should put in the trash and move on.  Any help would be much appreciated!

Before you toss the disk I suggest you connect it to you Mac and try running Disk Utility app. It's usually located in the Application/Utilities folder. Start this app and see if your disk shows up, Disk Utility has an option to erase the disk. You can erase the disk and then create a partition formatted to whatever format you want. After that, I'd run First Aid on the disk to see if there are any problems. Disk Utility will fix most problems it encounters. Then disk should be ready to use on your mac.


View ASP.NET website developed on a VM in safari on Mac For school I need to make some assignments in ASP.NET on windows. I Have a MBPR with OS X 10.10 and Windows 8.1 (VMWare) running on it. When I run my project in visual studio, google chrome is opened in Windows. This is not a problem, but I want to view my result in safari (Mac). When I enter the IP address and port (192.168.70.140:1102) I should go to the homepage, but instead I see an error message "Invalid hostname".

Is it possible to view my website created on windows with safari on my Mac?
I would like to keep a dynamic IP for my mac, but it's not a problem to make a static ip when needed.

The following images are screenshots of my network settings:

Thanks in advance!

I don't have time to test all of this, I use a different and more complicated setup for the Linux servers I run. I also use the vmnet option from the "Pro" version and not the "Private to My Mac". Let me know if this works

Shutdown your Windows VM

You want to create a new network card in VMWare's settings for the Window's VM. In VMWare's settings for the VM, click "Add Device..." and add a second "Network Adaptor". This is just like adding a network card to a computer. You want this network to be a custom "Private to My Mac".

Start up your Windows VM, it should automatically detect new hardware. Otherwise, force Windows to install the drivers. You may need to have VMWare update its tools.

Get the IP address for Windows is using for the new network adaptor. This address should be accessible to your Mac.


How do Icon? files work and how to create your own I recently noticed that in folders with special icons (eg. on the desktop) have a file in them named Icon? (its a hidden file btw).

I tried opening one up using my text editor (Atom) and it comes up as an empty text file, yet it has a file-size (for the desktop one it was 346KB).

I understand the purpose of these files, but how do they work and is there any way to make your own?

The purpose of Icon? is to display the icon when you click "Get Info" or Command + i. You can see it in the top left side of "Get Info" window.

There are many apps and help documents with which you can create icons. Check out few of them listed below.

Apple Support
Image2icon
How to Make Mac Icons
IconJar

There are tons beautiful Mac icons available online. Google is your friend.


Music on iPhone not showing up in iTunes on macOS If I connect my iPhone to my Mac via USB cable, iTunes launches and shows the iPhone icon in the toolbar. But if I click that, no content whatsoever is displayed under the "On My Device" header (except one iBook I bought).

Does anyone know how to solve this? I would like to manage the music downloaded to my iPhone via macOS iTunes, as removing downloaded music on the iPhone itself is a disaster in user friendliness.

I have iTunes Match, Apple Music and running macOS Mojave 10.14.5 with iOS 12.3.1.

Follow the steps below to fix the problem of Apple Music not showing up in iTunes on Mac

Open iTunes on your Mac by clicking on the iTunes icon in the Dock of your Mac.

iTunes Icon in the Dock of Mac

Next, click on iTunes tab in the top Menu Bar of your Mac and then click on Preferences… option in the drop-down menu (See image below)

iTunes Preferences Option on Mac

On the Preferences screen, click on the General tab (in case it is not already selected) and then check the little box next to Show Apple Music Features and click on the OK button to save your preferences for iTunes.

Show Apple Music Features on Mac

In case “Show Apple Music Features” is already selected and Apple Music is not showing in iTunes, Uncheck the box and then click OK.

Do Not Show Apple Music Features on Mac

Next, click on iTunes tab in the top Menu Bar of your Mac and then click on Preferences… option in the drop-down menu.

iTunes Preferences Option on Mac

On the Preferences screen, click on the General tab, check the box for Show Apple Music Features. and click on OK.

Show Apple Music Features on Mac

Steps 4, 5 and 6 are applicable in case a software glitch or iTunes bug was preventing Apple Music from appearing in iTunes on your Mac.


Strange watermark on a iPhone photo taken in Target My friend recently took a photo with iPhone 5 in Target's changing room and a watermark automatically applied over it saying "You look goooood. #UniversalThread #TargetStyle".
It wasn't written on the mirror, it's clearly watermarked on the photo after the capture.

How did Target even do that? It raises some serious privacy issues. Data/wifi was off during the taking of the picture and the stock camera app was used. I found zero info about it online.

I would be willing to bet that Target is using hidden watermarks that are only visible when taking a photo (similar to the watermark that is used by banks to protect checks).  What I hypothesize they are using is a fluorescent dyes that only shows up under certain lighting conditions (like the high intensity led of a smartphone camera flash)

See:  Invisible glass watermarks will ensure your new watch or smartphone is genuine

Out of sheer curiosity, I would do a simple test: take a compact mirror into the restroom with you.  With your phone in Airplane Mode, take a picture of the bathroom mirror and of the mirror you brought in.  If the image is in both places, it's "tech" related.  If not, it's in the mirror.


I can't create a second partition in Mac When I go to my disk utility, my main hard gives me results like this

It's showing capacity 499gb but only remaining 10mb. Now please see the second image

What's happening with my Mac?

Actually you have a CoreStorage Logical Volume Group on your physical disk named "Macintosh HD" containing a Logical Volume also named "Macintosh HD". The latter is the volume usually visible on your desktop (depending on your Finder settings). The Logical Volume Group already extends across your whole physical disk except an invisible EFI partition (200 MB) and an invisible Recovery HD (~650 MB).

The Logical Volume (499 GB with 456 GB free space) extends across your whole Logical Volume Group.

As a result you can't create a second partition (including the invisible partitions in fact a forth) because you have no unallocated space on your physical disk.

To create a second partition you have to resize the whole CoreStorage stack to create a non-CoreStorage volume or resize the Logical Volume to create a second CoreStorage Logical Volume first.


How to configure "DiskImageMounter" like in /etc/fstab? Today I wanted to check the /etc/fstab on macOS and found that there is no /etc/fstab anymore. Ok, maybe its a long time since I've used it on OS X but i was always sure that the OS X had not too many differences from "UNIX" (since it is supposed that macOS (High Sierra) is indeed a UNIX).

But i had to realize that there is no possibility to admin or configure the fstab anymore. Now, there is an executable called "DiskImageMounter" living in /System/Library/CoreServices/DiskImageMounter.app/Contents/MacOS/ which seems to do the disk administration.

But how we can configure it like with a "normal" Unix like with /etc/fstab? Is it possible?

You are correct. There is no /etc/fstab file, but the use of the /etc/fstab file by macOS has not be removed. You just have to create this file yourself.

An example of a possible lines in the /etc/fstab file are given below.

UUID=F21AD81B-B114-456C-B2A0-BF4452E4842D none apfs rw,noauto
LABEL=Macintosh\040HD none apfs rw,noauto

A description for the fields can be found by entering the command man fstab.

You may want to refer to this question: How to prevent auto mounting of a volume in macOS High Sierra?

When using ls -l /etc/fstab to determine ownership and permissions, you should get the same as shown below.

-rw-r--r--  1 root  wheel  123 Dec 31 08:48 /etc/fstab

UPDATE (provided by iggie)

A modification of this answer can be used for ssh keys on an external FAT or ExFAT drive (e.g. mounted via VeraCrypt or whatever). Add the following line to your /etc/fstab file, even if it doesn't exist:

LABEL=PRIVATE none msdos -u=501,-m=700

This assumes your user ID is 501 (try ls -n ~) and the label on your FAT or ExFAT volume is PRIVATE.


How to make USB optical mouse work with MacBook Air? I just bought a MacBook Air and a cheap Leadership USB optical mouse, which I can't get to work with the MacBook. It works fine with Windows and Linux, and the Macbook Air USB ports are fine. I checked it with USB drive and a Microsoft mouse without encountering any problems.

What can I do to solve the problem?

If it supports the standard USB mouse functionality (HID), it should work.  Otherwise, you can use SteerMouse or USB Overdrive.  If you have the Developer Tools installed, you might also see what USB Prober says about the device.


How can I setup my mac (OS X Yosemite) as an internet gateway It should be possible, but I searched for a day and cannot get a decent HowTo. There seemed to be a Gateway Setup Assistant, but the Wikipedia link only goes to the server app now. Maybe it is easier than I think, but I cannot get it to work.

The setup should be:

Router <-- USB ethernet --> MAC_GW <-- ethernet --> switch <-> internal network

The MAC_GW is a Mac Mini (OS X Yosemite) with an USB ethernet adapter. Internet access is possible from the Mac Mini over this adapter. WiFi is disabled for now.

I installed the server.app and got the DHCP service running, so machines in the internal network get IP addresses assigned. Unfortunately, the server app doesn't show any settings for gateway, NAT, bridging, firewall. The help function is just as helpful as the Apple features website. :(

Now for the question:
What do I have to configure, so machines from the internal network get internet access?

Additionally: How can I setup a firewall to control outside access?

UPDATE:
as @Froggard hinted, Internet Sharing worked in giving access to the internal network. However, I have no control over the DHCP addresses given by the server, firewall, user access, etc. The server.app DHCP is turned off now, because it cannot be assigned to the internal network adapter.

Maybe someone can still give details on how to enable firewall or control the components involved?

OS X Yosemite doesn’t have support for natd binary or ipfw anymore. Instead pfctl is used.

I assume the following IP-adresses/netmasks:

Router: 192.168.0.1/24
Mac mini gateway: en0: 192.168.0.2/24 gateway 192.168.0.1 en1: 192.168.1.2/24
Internal network: 192.168.1.0/24

First you have to enable forwarding on your Mac computer with following commands:

sudo sysctl -w net.inet.ip.forwarding=1

In order to do NAT you have to create a pfctl rule. Create a file called "nat-rules" with the following content:

nat on en0 from en1 to any -> (en0)

Save the file and now start pfctl using the rule from the file we have created earlier:

sudo pfctl -d #disables pfctl
sudo pfctl -F all #flushes all pfctl rules
sudo pfctl -f /Path/to/file/nat-rules -e #starts pfctl and loads the rules from the nat-rules file

Now configure a static route on your router:

192.168.1.0/24 (the internal network) -> 192.168.0.2 (Mac mini IP-address of the external interface connected to the router)
Enable the DHCP-service on your Mac mini gateway:

Name: choose a name
Network Interface: en1
Starting IP address: 192.168.1.10
Ending IP address: 192.168.1.100
Subnet Netmask: 255.255.255.0
Router: 192.168.1.2
DNS: some DNS-server (e.g. 8.8.8.8)

Now use pfctl to add rules or get a pfctl-GUI like IceFloor or Murus to configure your firewall. Both apps should also allow you to enable NAT (step 2/3)


Can I use (interact with) Siri without light the screen? When I interact with Siri, I don't want to turn on the screen, because I don't need to read the response, I only need to hear it. It is a waste of energy with a lit screen.

No.  This is not possible.  There are no configurable options to diable Siri screen dialogs.

I don't want to turn on the screen, because I don't need to read the response, I only need to hear it.

Siri (and Siri's developers) can't predict when you're going to read the screen or when you're only going to want to hear it. So, it is unlikely that this will change; Siri responds with both visual and auditory queues.


How to install Homebrew without Command Line Tools if already have Xcode I already have Xcode installed and want to install Homebrew. It wants to install Xcode Command Line Tools and I don't have space.  Is there a way to install Homebrew without it trying to install the Command Line Tools?

Apple's website for downloading developer tools says that "If you use Xcode, these tools are already embedded in the IDE."
So you shouldn't need to install them again.
But, as mentioned in the commments: it's a 460 Mb download. If you don't have space for that, you're not going to have space for HomeBrew, or any of the things it installs.


Mac can’t read iPhoto I tried to import my photos and videos from my iPhone to my Mac and it used to work, but this time it wouldn’t let me and would say “the following file could not be imported. the file is in an unrecognized format” what do I do?

switch usb port. Or just restart your Mac. It is easier than upgrade.It will work 100 procent. I have no idea why ports are not working after couple of transfer. Can be a memory related problem. or permission to write from transfer threat. God knows.


How do I add the Gmail app to my sharing options (i.e. from photos)? I've installed the Gmail app on my iPhone 5s (running iOS 8.x).  However, when I'm done taking a photograph (or directly from within the Photos app), if I choose to share I'm presented with a list of options (Mail, Messages, Facebook, etc.) and the Gmail app isn't one of them.

If I go a step further and click the More link to see the list of all apps on the phone for which sharing can be enabled, the Gmail app isn't even in that list (while things like Slack.com and other apps I use are).

I use the stock Mail app for my work (Exchange) account, and I could if I wanted share a photo just fine using this, however I prefer the Gmail app's categories of mail.

Do you know a set of steps that can get the Gmail app to appear in this list of sharing options?

Any pointers would be greatly appreciated, please advise if you need more details or clarification.

The coders at Gmail need to add it, it's not a user option, I'm afraid.

If Google add it, then it has to go past Apple's reviewers, to check it's as safe as they think it is.  Sandboxing is pretty tight under iOS.

The feature you want is not impossible, it just needs to be implemented at source, not added by the user.

The end result is no-one needs an anti-virus scanner on an iDevice ;)

Try reporting it on the Gmail feature requests page


Make Osx Text shortcut works when using Microsoft Remote Desktop On Yosemite it's possible to define text shortcuts in System Preferences > Keyboard > Text But they don't work when I'm on Microsoft Remote Desktop app, is there a way to make them work on it?

In an RDP session, everything you type is sent to the host computer, not interpreted by your local machine. You'd need to define the shortcuts you want to use on the Windows box you're accessing to use them.


View Apple Music play history (playlists) from radio stations like Beats 1? I missed "liking" a song that was playing on Beats 1. Now I'm trying to see what songs were played previously in the Beats 1 radio station (like a playlist history). Is there a way to do so?

Hej m8, check this instruction: http://www.imore.com/how-use-next-apples-new-music-app#history


Time Machine restores and network settings Not sure if this has already been asked (I didn't find the question in my search) but I am really curious to know if a Time Machine restore restores my network settings. I have a broadband Internet connection configured on my system and don't have the settings variables written down elsewhere. And I am planning to perform a clean upgrade of my OS when 10.10 is available.

Also, does Time Machine restore any custom application-level keyboard shortcuts I might have currently active on my system? If yes, does a TM backup automatically restore these things (Internet settings and custom shortcuts)?

After performing your clean install, you can launch the migration assistant and choose Time Machine as your source. This will allow you to select what to restore including Applications, Documents and Home Folder, System and Network settings, and all of your application settings. You can read more at this article on Apple's site: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5872


How to change the Text Wrap default in Pages When I add a picture to document in Pages, the Text Wrap is always Automatic. I want to set "Above and Below" to be default. How can I do this?

The version is 5.5.1(2111)

With Pages '09 (version 4.3 ¹):

Select a picture
Configure it completly as you wish
Define it as the default image style:

Format > Advanced > Define Default Image Style

With Pages 5 (version 5.5.1):

This function is missing.
The creation of an Image Style doesn't permit to save the Text Wrap tuning.

¹)  I removed my installation of Pages '11 due to its lack of functions. Its documentation isn't available on the Apple web server: Pages manuals.


My Google Contacts are not being imported into my iPhone I’ve added my Google account to my iPhone (Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars) and activated the “Contacts” switch for it, but I still don’t see my Google contacts in the “Contacts” pane of the Phone app. Why are the contacts not being fetched?

Google provides instructions (for IOS 7) and some troubleshooting.

Sync your contacts

Open the Settings app on your device.
Select Mail, Contacts, Calendars.
Select Add Account.
Select Google.
Fill out your account information in the following fields:
    Name: Enter your name
    User Name: Enter your full Google Account or Google Apps email address.
    Password: Your Google Account or Google Apps password. (If you’ve enabled 2 Step verification, you’ll need to generate and enter an application specific password.)
    Description: Enter a description of the account (e.g. Personal Contacts).
Select Next at the top of your screen.
Make sure that the "Contacts" option is turned ON. The switch should be green.
Select Save at the top of your screen.

After you've completed setup, open the Contacts app on your device, and syncing will automatically begin.

If you have set up iCloud, are syncing contacts from another account, or already have contacts stored on the device, you will need to select a Default Account.

Some basic Troubleshooting

If the Account is ON, then open Account > Advanced and make sure Use SSL is turned to ON.


My calls keep randomly go through Google Voice So, only sometimes when I call a number, it will reroute me to Google Voice. I don't have the app installed.

Does your phone reroute your calls to Google Voice, or do your calls get rerouted on the recipient end?
I think you’ll be better off seeking help on this on Google forums, as it seems to be a Google issue (with your network), not an Apple issue (with your phone).
https://support.google.com/voice/answer/165221?co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop&hl=en


Where are these ads on my lock-screen coming from and how can I get rid of it? Every time when I am close to an "dm market" (a German drugstore) I am getting this advertisement on my lock-screen. When I open this notification it looks like in the second screenshot below. There is no app for "dm" or the related service "PAYBACK" installed on my phone. I used the app in the past but it is no longer on my device.

First of all I would like to understand where is this coming from? And second how can I disable this kind of stuff?

I just experienced the same thing, although with a different coupon and app. For me, it turns out that it is coming from the 'Wallet' app. If it is, go to the 'Wallet' app, click on the coupon, then the 'i' on the bottom left. You can select 'Remove Pass' and that should get rid of it.


Using El Capitan, can I create a bootable Windows 7 USB? I have an El Capitan, can I create a bootable USB of Windows 7? I also have a Windows 7 ISO. I need to use a USB since I will be reformatting a netbook without DVD/CD-ROM drive.

As @hirnwunde has pointed in the comments, the article from Indiana University works!

From the Finder, open the Applications folder, and then Utilities.
Open the Boot Camp Assistant, and then click Continue. The next screen should give you a list of options.
UITS recommends making the USB drive installer first. You don't need to install Windows or download the support software at this time, as it will be easier to do both later. To proceed:
 a. Verify that the USB drive you will be writing to is plugged in.
 b. Uncheck the Install Windows 7 or later version and Download the latest Windows support software from Apple options.
c. Check Create a Windows 7 or later install disk and click Continue.
Your USB drive should be listed in the "Destination disk" area. Use choose to browse to your .iso file; after selecting it, click Continue.
If prompted, confirm your action and/or provide an administrator's password. The process of writing the .iso file to the USB drive can take 20 minutes or longer.


Can I use my Time Capsule with other OSes? I have two Macs at home which use Time Machine to back up to a shared Time Capsule.  Does anybody know of any tools or methods for other operating systems to perhaps make use of that back-up facility?  That is, does anybody know of a Windows or Linux client for a Time Capsule?  (Even if it's a very limited one.)

Super highly unlikely you'll find something like Time Machine, as that relies on file-system event logging that was custom made by Apple for Mac OS X.  You can, however, mount the Time Capsule's disk drive as a file share using either AFP or SMB and use any program that will back up files to a file share, which is almost any program that backs up to disk, although beware of possible issues relating to ownership and permissions and unflushed buffers.

Note that the following setup assumes you are using Airport Utility 5.6 or later but NOT Airport Utility 6.0.  If you are running Lion, 6.0 is installed by default but you can have both installed on your Mac and use both.  You can download Airport Utility 5.6 from Apple. If your are on Snow Leopard or earlier, you probably already have 5.6.  Airport Utility 6.0 is greatly simplified and missing a ton of features that were available in 5.6.

You need to explicitly enable File Sharing on the Time Capsule using the AirPort Utility.  From the AirPort Utility, select the Time Capsule, select Manual Setup, click on the Disks tab.  That should present you with the "Disks" pane, which should list the disks in and attached to the Time Capsule.  Note that like Disk Utility, the list is hierarchical, with drive partitions listed under drive devices.  My Time Capsule just has the internal drive with one partition.  (Click on the triangle next to "Time Capsule Disk" if you don't see a partition name under it.)  Click on the partition name an the right panel changes to show you information about it, including giving you the ability to change its name.  This partition name is the root directory name for the SMB share, so make it short and without spaces. You should avoid hyphens, too, as sometimes hyphens are converted to spaces and sometimes spaces are converted to hyphens and it just gets unnecessarily confusing.  Underscores are OK.

Now select the File Sharing panel to get to the rest of the configurations you need to set.

With Time Capsule firmware version 7.6 and later you have 3 choices for password protection: you can use the same password for file sharing that you use fo Time Capsule, you can use a different password, or you can go all out and set up multiple users, each with their own password (and corresponding ownership and permissions features).

You also want to assign it to a Workgroup if you're using SMB and you want your Linux and Windows machine and the Time Capsule to all be in the same workgroup.  The default workgroup name of "WORKGROUP" is the easiest way to go.

To authenticate the SMB client for access to the Time Capsule when you have not set up individual users on the Time Capsule, you can use any (non-blank) username (it is ignored) as long as the password is correct.


Unable to change Apple ID on my iPhone I changed the e-mail address linked to my Apple ID. Now when I try to update apps or purchase them on my iPhone 4, the old address pops up asking me for the password. I cannot seem to get it to change on my phone. I can log into iTunes and purchase apps there on my computer without difficulty.

I heard some people say that your iTunes ID is different than your Apple one, But I cannot see (or find) a separate iTunes ID... when I click on my account for iTunes, it shows me my Apple ID. Any ideas?  Anyone know why it will not change on my phone but will in the computer?

I downloaded and installed iOS 5. I have already tried syncing my iPhone.

Your iTunes ID is the same as your Apple ID. I've recently switched email addresses as well, so I can confirm that you can easily change the email address.
Assuming that you've already successfully changed your Apple ID, follow the steps that Hand-E-Food mentions:

Go to Settings

Select Store (near the bottom of the section starting with General)

Click on your (old) Apple ID

Click on Sign Out

Click on Sign In

Click on Use Existing Apple ID

Sign in with your new Apple ID email address and password
That's all there is to it!


How can I mount an encrypted disk image so that it is read-write? I have created an encrypted disk image containing a folder whose contents that I want to keep secure, using the disk utility app. I am able to mount this either by clicking on the image or by using the command line, however in either case, the mounted drive is read-only. I have tried various options including adding the -o read-write option to the command line mount command, however nothing seems to work. I am running under OS X 10.14.5.

When the Disk Image is created is the time to decide if the image will be compressed (default) read/write or other options. The option you should have now is to Disk Utility:Images:Convert and choose the image you want to be read/write and choose Convert


MacOS Catalina mouse/system hiccups when external monitor connected via Green Cell USB-C Hub I saw past posts about this issue but it's still hitting me on the current MBP 2019.
I'm using external iiama black hawk external display monitor connected via Green-Cell USB hub

Whenever I connect external display, the computer seems to stop every couple of seconds - the mouse freezes for 0.5s, terminal also - that's very irritating.
Somehow it seems, that I can get rid of this behaviour by changing the connection order of the external monitor but also not always.

I don't see any drivers/firmware to be downloaded, anyone having the same effect and has any workarounds?
Obviously plugging and unplugging in the right order until it works is quite irritating...

It turned out to be a broken Green-Cell USB hub.
When I changed it to the newer model it works perfectly fine!


How can I delete a specific line of a .txt file in AppleScript? I have a .txt file saved on my computer. This is the location of the file:

  /Users/Me/Desktop/My Documents/My Fruit Log.txt

I want my AppleScript-based Automator application to delete a specific line of the .txt file.

The contents of the .txt file looks like this:

So, if:

set lineNumberToErase to 8

The resulting .txt file should be:

Notice how not only the text on that line is removed, but the entire line is gone as well.

Bonus points if the solution includes some sort of mechanism to ensure that not more than 1 line is removed from the file. My fear when automating deletions like this is that the script somehow erases the entire file (based on me making a small mistake somewhere).

Here's a do shell script AppleScript command solution using sed to delete the target line of the target file, in-place.

set targetFile to "/Users/Me/Desktop/My Documents/My Fruit Log.txt"
set lineNumberToErase to 8

do shell script "sed -i '' -e '" & lineNumberToErase & "d' " & quoted form of targetFile

If you want a backup of the target file made, change the sed option -i '' to -i '.bak', e.g.:

do shell script "sed -i '.bak' -e '" & lineNumberToErase & "d' " & quoted form of targetFile


To control default opening software for PDF centrally? I want PDF documents open with Preview, not Adobe Reader.
I select Open With > Other > Click the Box Always Open With.
However, this does affect all pdf-files in my system.

How can you set the default program for PDF?

In the Get Info window for any PDF, there should be a section called Open With. You can choose an application from the pop-up menu (Mine says Preview, since I've already changed it, but yours will say Adobe Reader).

Once you change that to Preview, you can click on the Change All button to make it so all PDF documents open with Preview. Mine is grayed out for the same reason; all PDFs on my account open in Preview by default.


Is it possible to hide my device's UDID from iOS apps? A few days ago I read an article how iOS app developers can uniquely identify my iOS device using its UDID. The thought of various apps being able to track me (with an ID attached) is somewhat unnerving. Also, I do not feel that I am getting a service of higher quality in exchange for letting developers learn about my preferences and habits. While Apple is apparently moving towards deprecating UDIDs, it will take time. Thus, my question: can I somehow restrict access to my device's UDID?

In a word, no, it's currently available for any App to read, and then subsequently use as it sees fit.  However, Apple recently made clear that they would not approve future Apps that request it, and so it's use will be negated over time, but of course this won't necessarily apply to the millions of apps already approved.


What is the (external) keyboard shortcut to lock my screen with the screen save Which keys can I press to bring up the locked screen save while I walk away for a few minutes?
I have an external keyboard (MS Comfort Curve 2000) thru a multi pc switcher box so I have ctrl-cmd-alt keys but no option key and everything I've tried so far doesn't work.

Open System Preferences -> Keyboard -> Shortcuts -> App Shortcuts.  Then click on the plus  sign under the white box that has the different options in there.  Name it 'Sleep' and give it the ⌘⌥F12 command (cmd + opt + F12).  You can set it to whatever you like but most keyboards already map F12 to the eject key so if you get a different keyboard it may work already by default.  Remember to also change your settings to require your password after a set time after going to sleep.  Hope this helps, I searched for awhile to find out how to do this and couldn't find any good answers.


OSX : Cancel the shutdown sequence Let's suppose a case where I accidentally start the shutdown sequence of OSX (wrong shortcut, wrong menu item click in the Apple Menu, App asking for a reboot etc.)

Is there a way to cancel the shutdown sequence (during the time OSX kills opened apps) ?

You can just launch any app while the Mac is shutting down and that'll terminate the process.


Set user expiration Yosemite server.app How do you set local network user expiration using server.app?

This action would block the user to log in after a given date.

In order to change a user's expiration, in the Server.app you need to go to "Users", then make sure that "Local Network Users" are chosen (using "All Users" keeps that option greyed out).  Then highlight that user in question and from the cogwheel button below the list choose "Edit Password Policy".

There you will find all the "missing options" like password complexity as well as expiration for various reasons.


Review site specifically for Apple products? I am wondering if there is a product review site specifically for apple products?

Do you mean reviews of Apple-produced (and only Apple-produced) hardware and software? Or reviews of software and accessories by anyone for Macs, iPods, iPhones, iPads, etc.?

If the latter, there's always Macworld's review section.

If the former, you could combine the RSS feeds for Macworld's Mac reviews + iPod review + iPhone reviews + iPad reviews, I guess.


Where does Chrome store login credentials in macOS? I swear I've seen this question thoroughly answered somewhere before but I couldn't find the answer I'm looking for...

Chrome secures our saved passwords in the System.keychain, right? But when I view my Keychain, the passwords aren't there. Could someone clarify where Chrome stores saved passwords and which files in macOS (Mojave) are actually storing the (probably encrypted) credentials?

All of your Chrome passwords are encrypted by Chrome and stored in an SQLite database file under Chrome's Local App Data. It is not stored via Keychain.

If you would like to know more about the technical details, refer this answer.


Why is it that my Mac would rather swap than clear inactive memory? Why is it that my Mac (running 10.8 Mountain Lion) would rather swap than clear inactive memory? I know people say that the Mac OS manages itself and whatever, but there is a serious performance dip when my MacBook starts swapping out, even though it would have over 1.5 GB of inactive memory that isn't being cleared out. I have a launcher for the purge command in my dock - thats how severe it is!

Note the 2.21 GB of inactive and the 127.1 MB of swap, which, through the use of all the programs in my workflow, (Photoshop + Illustrator + Dreamweaver + Publisher etc.) will grow rapidly unless I use the purge command, saving my computer from a slaughter fest of beach balls.

I recently answered a question like yours, so thought I'd restate the major points for you, in case this is still a problem.

Mac OS X allocates and uses RAM differently than most versions of MS Windows and can be confusing at times. Microsoft originally built Windows to keep as much memory free as possible. Apple's memory model follows a guideline that empty RAM is a wasted resource that could be better utilized to enhance performance.

Here is a quick and somewhat simplistic breakdown of how your RAM is currently being used:

Wired: memory reserved and used by the operating system
Active: memory used by currently running programs
Inactive: memory used by programs you previously ran since your last reboot, but have since quit. Most people use a few programs repetitively all the time and may switch between them by quitting one program and then launching another. Rather than releasing the memory to be "free", the inactive programs are cached and ready to run again. Some or all of this memory will be combined with Free memory as needed by the system or programs. OS X at times seems reluctant to release inactive memory.
Free: memory as of yet unused since the last boot.
Used: total of wired, active and inactive.

The VM statistics are reset every time you reboot.

If your MacBook is capable of being upgraded beyond 4GB RAM, I'd definitely invest in a pair of 4GB SO-DIMMs for a total of 8GB installed. One other point to keep in mind concerning your MacBook is that typical notebook hard drives are slower than many of their desktop counterparts. I replaced my first generation unibody MacBook Pro's hard drive with a 256GB SSD. Performance incomparable with any "modern" MacBook Pro. The increase from hard drive to SSD was quite a bit more noticeable than my upgrade from 4GB to 8GB of RAM.


In mail.app can one set the default account that is used to send mails to a specific person In mail I use two email accounts, a gmail for private use and an email adress that was allocated to me for use when mailing to teachers and staff.

I would like to set mail.app to automatically use my private email adress when I'm mailing to my friends and my university's email adress when mailing to my teachers etc.

I want this because now I tend to forget to change this account, using the gmail when mailing to teachers and using the universities account when mailing to friends, which can cause some problems when they reply, having emails end up in the wrong mailboxes and so forth.

Can it be done?

Currently I'm on Snow Leopard, but I will be moving to Lion soon.

You actually can set a rule to move the received message to different folders according to the sender, either your friends or your university's teach.

In terms of the automatically sending message to different receipt with different account, I can't figure it out, but there is a manual way. In the mail.app Accounts setting, leave the "User only this server" un-selected.  So that, when you compose a message, there will be a SMTP server selection drop down list allow you to manually select which SMTP server you are going to use.


Using Windows on another HDD on a Mac I have a 2011 MBP and I just replaced my optical drive with a hard drive. I wanted to know the easiest and free way to boot up windows 8.1 on one of the hard drives using only the iso and a flash drive.I attempted using bootcamp, but it wouldn't work because I don't have an optical drive anymore.

You should be able to simply boot up off of the Windows USB installer, and install onto the second drive. You may need to temporarily remove the OS X drive before installing, as I have heard windows doesn't like seeing other OS's. You may want to do anyway, just to make absolutely sure you are not harming the OS X install.

Once you have it installed, you will want to install the Bootcamp drivers. You should be able to download them online.


Is there a 'non-destructive' way to make mix cds in iTunes? I am looking to collect a set of songs from my iTunes Library and build a custom playlist to eventually burn onto a CD. I want the songs to be in a specific order and have the same album title when burned onto the mix cd... but I want to preserve the original album titles and track #s from their albums of origin in my iTunes Library.

Is there a preferred approach to the above scenario?

Create the new playlist.
Select all songs in the playlist and create duplicates (here: AAC version) of them.

Rename the Album title for all tracks and set the song order via the Get Info menu entry.

Burn the playlist and remove it.
You are save to remove the newly created Album in the iTunes Library (here: Testalbum) because you created duplicates earlier.


How do i unlink my iMessages between mac and iPhone? I just recently bought a new macbook pro, and I've found that my iMessages directly send to my mac whilst I'm using it, which is very helpful. However when I shut down my mac, the replies to my messages are still sent to the mac, and not my iPhone. They do not end up showing on my iPhone at all.

Is there any way I'm able to fix this by having my iMessages send to both devices? Or even whenever I turn off my mac, have my messages retrieved back onto my iPhone?

For consistency, it is advisable to have the same settings on all your devices.
On iOS go to Settings > Messages > Send & Receive and check:

Under the "You can be reached by iMessage at", how many addresses are there and which are activated (whit a check to the left).
Under "Start new conversations from" check to see if your phone number is selected, and if it is not, what email address is.

If you have more than one iOS device, check that they are set the same way.

Then go to OS X, and on the Messages app, go to Preferences > Accounts; under iMessage > Settings check that the information coincides with those of your iOS device(s).

If you are sending and receiving from different email addresses or an email on one device and a phone number on another, your recipients will actually have multiple separate conversations with you and when replying to one or another will be sending messages to the device associated with that address.
If the device is offline, you won't receive the message. If all are configured the same way you eliminate this problem.

All the conversations you have with a contact look the same, independent of the address they used to send.

It's not easy to know to which address you're talking to; on iOS you have to tap details, then on the the (i) to the right of the name, and see which of the contact addresses or numbers is highlighted in blue.


Can I use an Apple remote to control a keynote presentation? Is it possible to use the Apple remote to control Keynote presentations? How so? I have a mid-2010 white plastic unibody MacBook. (I've been told that this isn't supported, but perhaps there are third party solutions.)

Yes - although most people are using the iOS based Keynote Remote these days, the old infrared (which is very thin / physically touchable and very reliable in dark rooms and easily hidden in a hand) works just fine.

The Keynote '09 help shows what functions the various buttons will perform when you are in the various modes: Keynote window itself, presentation mode and slide switcher mode.


Magic Mouse Left-Click Intermittently Doesn't Work Sometimes in Chrome I'm running macOS Sierra. Lately, my left mouse click intermittently doesn't work in Chrome. I'll. I have to click a few times for the click to register.

It's worst on the Magic Mouse, but also happens on the Magic Mouse 1.

I tried the following:

Restarting
Cleaning surfaces of Mouse
Reset PRAM
Re-pairing the Mouse
Make sure batteries are fully charged

At first I didn't know if it was the mouse, OS, or a specific app. Now I am relatively sure that the problem exists in Chrome.

Does anyone know what might be causing this and how to fix it?

As it turns out, the problem only happens while Magnet is running:

https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/chrome/03EmKuDuw5c;context-place=topicsearchin/chrome/category$3AStable%7Csort:relevance%7Cspell:false

I have contacted Magnet and asked fi they will release a fix to solve this problem. If they do, I'll post an update here.


Get selective folders of Time Machine backup on a new iMac I have a Time Machine backup of my former computer, but it's filled with stuff I don't want (someone said steamapps ghost folders?) and so I've installed on the new one a new version of Mavericks and I want to just pick the iTunes music folder (and some others) and copy it on the new system.

Question is how can I drag (or script-get or whatever-get) the whole folder which is divided between all the backups and drop it where I want it?

I don't want to use Migration Assistant, because you have to restore the whole account.

Open finder and navigate to the folder on the Time Machine volume and drag it on to your desktop.

Time Machine places each backup in it's own folder so you can easily get to the one folder you want to restore and do it by hand. You can use the Time Machine interface to restore that folder as well, but Finder is more direct. You are correct so skip migration assistant as it's not the right tool for your job.


PDFs looking different in Yosemite Preview.app I've just installed Yosemite on my iMac and noticed that my PDF files viewed with the Preview.app don't look the same as in Mavericks. If I view the PDF files directly in Safari, all looks like it should. Against this in the Preview.app it looks kinda trashy.

Is there anyone who can confirm this? And if it's so, how can I make Preview.app show the PDFs like Safari does?

For troubleshooting isolation, what if you use Adobe Reader, Is the rendering clear using a dedicated software ?

edit : It appears that Preview is no longer using subpixel rendering in Yosemite.
There is no fix for now, Apple will probably enable this in a next OS X update as the problem is quite documented over the Web


How did this item get in 'Notification Center' and how do I remove it? I have something called 'Pens Labyrinth' in my Notification Centre (screenshot below) -- How did it get there?  And how do I remove/delete/uninstall it?

(Also I don't understanding why am I'm seeing notifications from it while it's in the "Not In Notification Center" list.)

It got in there through a popup like the following:

You can remove it from the list by going into Safari, opening its Preferences, and managing through the Notifications tab.

It seems that, at least on Mavericks, if you have the Notification Style set to Banner or Alert then it will force the notification into Notification Center.


Force DNS resolution to happen outside VPN I'm running Mojave (10.14) and I have a Cisco AnyConnect VPN over which traffic for selected routes (determined by the VPN profile, out of my control) is sent.

Traffic routing works fine, the issue is that DNS resolution is taking place over the VPN for hostnames that are not on the internal network.

The output of scutil --dns contains:

craig@TBMBP:~$ scutil --dns
DNS configuration

resolver #1
  search domain[0] : a.mycompany.com
  search domain[1] : b.mycompany.com
  search domain[2] : c.mycompany.com
  search domain[3] : d.mycompany.com
  search domain[4] : hsd1.ma.comcast.net <-- (my ISP)
  nameserver[0] : 10.70.yy.yy

Further, it contains:

DNS configuration (for scoped queries)

resolver #1
  search domain[0] : hsd1.ma.comcast.net
  nameserver[0] : 2601:184:497f:...     <-- (some ipv6 address)
  nameserver[1] : 192.168.1.1
  if_index : 10 (en0)
  flags    : Scoped, Request A records, Request AAAA records
  reach    : 0x00000002 (Reachable)

That means when I open www.apple.com, I see over the VPN:

39  2.316879    10.70.xx.xx 10.70.yy.yy DNS 63  Standard query 0xefee A www.apple.com

And I don't want this to happen. Rather, I want DNS resolution to happen between me and my ISP (or between me and 1.1.1.1 or 8.8.8.8) and then if resolution fails, to consult with the VPN.

How do I update the resolver to use Cloudflare/Google first for DNS, using the command line on Mac?

I have a similar situation where I have to use a very heavy-handed captive portal Wi-Fi connection with a very heavy-handed, very creepy virtual firewall. Not only does snoop on secure connections, it impersonates DNS server IPs, using DPI (when it detects the request).
The only thing that works for me is to go over the top of the VPN/firewall rather than try to sneak under it, using dnscrypt-proxy using only DNS-over-HTTPS, as it can detect the dnscrypt protocol. Right now, its not aware of DNS-over-HTTPS at all.
I implement it using a LaunchAgent that watches /etc/resolve.conf for changes, and when it detects a change, it restarts dnscrypt-proxy, then runs networksetup -setdnsservers Wi-Fi 127.0.0.1.
Aside: I've been using Quad9 for a while now, and much prefer it to Google and CloudFlare.
Edit: After playing a bit more with this, I'm noticing that (somehow, I haven't even figured out where the traffic is to/from), IPv6 addresses are somehow resolved with ::1 as a DNS server, even if there are no other DNS servers set. So probably better to just disable IPv6 if you can.

Edit 2:
Yeah, I think being able to split out that route might be just too much to do with the newer system-level VPN implementation; I think DNS proxying is probably your best bet. It might be possible to remove ipsec0 as the default route and then add it back for a restricted IP range... but every time I try this (with IKEv2, not AnyConnect, but I'm assuming they're using the same API) it just... stops.
As for the residual traffic, maybe its Rendezvous? sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder; sudo launchctl unload -w /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.mDNSResponder.plist?
Also, perhaps you might be able to use an app like Shimo? It's available with Setapp! I don't know exactly how AnyConnect works, but it says it supports it, and it has configuration options available that are exactly what you are looking for for other protocols, including IKE, so... maybe?


Problems connecting to WiFi Quite often my computer has trouble connecting to my home WiFi.

Sometimes once started, the computer does not find the WiFi on available networks. Sometimes it will find it, try to connect, then get "connection timeout" and WiFi disappears. Only way to fix it is shutdown and hope next time it will work.

During that time my iPhone is connected normally. This happens with both MBPs i got. Any suggestions as to what could cause this?

The router is d-link dsl-2640r

I had a similar problem.

In my case when I pulled down the airport icon it saw the connection, but would then not connect. Along the way to not connecting it would ask me to enter my password. Even after entering the proper password it would not connect.

I finally solved the problem by going in to /Application/Utilities/Keychain Access.app and deleting my home wifi's stored password.

The next time I connected - it asked for the password and from that point on it has connected just fine.


Where can I download the Darwin 12.2.0 source code? I'm wondering where I can download the source code of the kernel of Mac OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.2: Darwin 12.2.0.

I googled it, but its hard to find. And yes, I tried http://www.opensource.apple.com.

I found it. Actually, the Darwin kernel is named xnu. The complete kernel name, version included, for Mac OS X 10.8.2 is xnu-2050.18.24.

It can be downloaded here: http://www.opensource.apple.com/tarballs/xnu/xnu-2050.18.24.tar.gz.

Source code can be browsed online here: http://www.opensource.apple.com/source/xnu/xnu-2050.18.24/


Remove music from my iPhone My daughter's music appears in my iTunes on my Iphone only...not any other devices. If I remove these from my phone will she still be able to access the music on her device?

So it sounds like the music is on your iPhone and no other devices?  How does your daughter access music if it is not on her device?

If you have the music saved to your daughters device, then it should not matter if you delete it off of your phone.

For example, most of my music is on my MacBook Pro - I can add or delete music from my phone at will but that does not mean I lost my music because it is still on my MacBook.  I can listen to anything that is on my phone, or, with Internet connection, I can listen to anything I may have on the cloud as well.

This is my understanding, anyway.


How can I demo a website via an iPad? I've developed a proof-of-concept that I'll need to demo on a projector (VGA) and I'd like to use the iPad to demo it. I'd like to mirror the page with as little lag as possible, as the proof uses a lot of CSS transitions - the perception of the app may be degraded if it looks laggy.

I've looked at the VGA accessory, but it looks like that does NOT support Safari mirroring. I've also looked at the new Apple TV, but converting from HDMI to VGA may not be possible. Is there any way to do this, short of using a document camera or something similar?

It is quite difficult to convert VGA to HDMI because HDMI is digital, and VGA is analog.  It can be done, but the solution is often overpriced, and not worth it.  In my opinion, you should buy an HD projector, but if you can't then I would try something like AirServer and mirror it to your Mac and then connect your Mac to the projector.  Hope this helps!  In the meantime, I'll look for more solutions.

Update August 5, 2016:

Apple now sells a lightening to VGA adapter.


Is it possible to upload MP3s to Audible's Iphone app? I have some MP3 files that I would like to add to my Audible library. Is it possible to do so?

AFAIK it doesn't support MP3s. It only supports .m4b or .aa


What is the canonical directory in which to install parallel versions of LLVM? I am looking to build and install several versions of clang simultaneously, including a build from svn. I do not wish to interfere with the existing Apple LLVM which I would keep available as the default clang, clang++, c++ et c. invocations. So where would the logical place to put these multiple versions be?

I could place it in something like ~/llvm/svn/ but placing them under ~/ seems mildly unaesthetic.

There is no real standard.

Your choice of your home directory is easiest for compiling them. The only comment here is why the svn part of the directory I would just use ~/llvm.

If you are the only user that the home directory makes sense however if your system is multi-user then they could be placed in /usr/local/llvm. As Unix is multi user and I suspect before OSX very few machines had one user the Unix standard is /usr/local and even now systems administrators and distributions have to assume multi user uise.

I would also consider using package managers like Macports or Homebrew. From reading Macports mailing lists compiling and using llvm is not just a simple compile and the porters wioll have worked out the issues or can work with you to fix problems.


How do I print webpages to PDF on Big Sur? I can't find any way to do this for free.
Is there any free virtual printer for Big Sur so that I can print webpages (from chrome/firefox) to pdf?
I learned about cups-pdf and pdfwriter but homebrew doesn't seem to support cups-pdf and pdfwriter is old, doesn't work.
Any pointer will be helpful.

Use ⌘P on the webpage and select save to PDF. This should work for chrome and safari as well.


Is there a way to show each CPU's load separately? I'm seeking an equivalent of a common Linux based process monitor, which shows a history graph for each CPU core.  This can help identify programs that are effectively using all the cores (here, Google Chrome).  Is there a way to get Apple system monitor to do this?

I don't know of anything with that kind of detail, but Apple's own Activity Monitor [Applications/Utilities] can show a basic history graph per core.  Cmd ⌘    3  to initiate.

System shows in red, user in green, btw.


I keep getting alerts stating startup disk is full when it's not I keep getting alerts saying that "your start-up disk is almost full".

I have an early 2015 13 inch MacBook Pro running macOS 10.11.6 with a 128MB SSD that has 63GB free according to About this Mac > Storage.  I have created two other standard user accounts for my wife and son.  I typically see this issue after coming home from work after they have been using it.  If the alert appears, About this Mac > Storage will indeed indicate that all storage has been used, the bulk being of type: Other.  When this happens, any open apps are sluggish, frequently showing the spinning wheel cursor and preventing saving.

Restarting the system solves the issue.  If I had to guess, it seems like some program is hogging all disk space for swap space.  The only app with which I am unfamiliar and didn't install myself is Discord which my wife installed for my son.

Any thoughts on what could be causing this phantom disk usage?

Do they ever get the error? Find out who's account is actually the one causing it. Then log in as them and have them use the computer until it happens again. Once the drive is full, double click on the "Macintosh HD", switch it to "List" view, and go to View > Show View Options > Calculate all sizes. That will let you track down the mystery 63 GB and see exactly what is using it.


Regular crashes on iPhone 4S/iOS 6.1.1: due to old battery, or because of updated-for-iOS-7 apps? For the past 6 weeks, 2-3 times a week my two-year-old iPhone 4S (with no replacement parts) has crashed in the middle of use. I get a black screen with a spinner, and then it powers down. After switching back on manually it seems to be fine until the next crash.

I've deliberately not upgraded to iOS 7 (running 6.1.1 since Feb 2013) as I want to try to get another 6 months or so out of this device, and don't want to worry about possible slowness / battery problems with an older device (although I'm not after advice about whether those problems are likely), as I'm already getting pretty poor battery life.

A full restore via iTunes, home/lock button resets and all the usual voodoo haven't stopped the crashes.

As I've not changed anything major (the OS or my usage habits) I'm wondering:

is battery age or the general age of the hardware (although I don't s'pose many other parts degrade over time) likely to be causing this?
could it be all the apps that've been upgraded for iOS 7 have introduced some instability on older versions of the OS?
or am I barking up the wrong tree altogether?

In case it helps, these are some examples of recent times when I've had crashes:

36% battery, device locked and playing audio via Instacast
22% battery, copy/pasting in Safari
40% battery, switching apps after copying from Instapaper (log below)

Update

Thanks Andrew Larsson for the helpful comment suggesting I post a crash log (duh!). The only one that's clearly from a time I know there to have been a crash is as follows (I don't know exactly what it means, but I think the filename is a pretty big clue!):

LowBatteryLog2013-12-10-213852.plist
Incident Identifier: D5FFF38F-7B82-4545-AA06-5A25F2411801
CrashReporter Key:   3c892d901eba49956f927e0ee3cbf520ebfad207
Date:                2013-12-10 21:38:52 +0000
OS Version:          iPhone OS 6.1.1 (10B145)

apsd: com.apple.apsd-connectionestablish-push.apple.com NoIdleSleepAssertion == 255, held for 00:00:09
backboardd: Instapaper[2989]-UIKitBackgroundCompletionTask [0x1ed4da60]/UIKitBackgroundCompletionTask [0x1ed52ae0]/UIKitBackgroundCompletionTask [0x1ed5a3c0]   NoIdleSleepAssertion == 255, held for 00:00:41
SpringBoard: com.apple.springboard.idle NoIdleSleepAssertion == 255, held for 00:13:59

Hardware Model: N94AP
Awake Time: 05:17:06 (19026)
Standby Time: 10:26:06 (37566)
Partial Charge: 1
Capacity: 0
Voltage: 3550 mV

Any other suggested crash logs to look for?

I've had additional crashes since posting my original question, and having looked at the logs I've concluded that my battery is simply on its last legs :-)

I found a number of other people online having similar problems who also concluded it was the battery, which led me to ask "What causes iPhone low battery crashes?" (aforementioned other people linked there). A helpful answer there explained that as a battery nears the end of its life, it can exhibit voltage drops (even before being empty) which result in this sort of behaviour. The logs indicate that this is what's happening.

Looking at low battery logs from previous crashes, I've noticed they've sometimes happened while I've been using stock iOS 6.1.1 apps, which rules out my idea that some updated-for-iOS-7 apps aren't fully backwards compatible and are causing this.


What is the best MongoDB client for iPad Tell me please if there are any good applications to connect to the MongoDB for iOS (iPad pro). I tried to use online solutions, but they do not seem to be safe for me. Thank you!

Any client for MongoDB from AppStore should work equally well for derived products, mLab, MongoDB Altas, some custom servers, etc.

Commercial Clients with a Free Option

MongoLime - Free version with one MongoDB connection

Commercial Clients

MongoMonitor - not free
MongoFly - not free

I suggest you take a look at MongoLime since I believe it the best (it has a built-in SSH tunnel), and I can get my job done with it.


Cut files in ForkLift 2 I decided to give ForkLift 2 a try, since it is currently on sale in MAS. I've been using XtraFinder to enable normal (Cmd+X) file cut operation in Finder.

Now that I'm trying to move to ForkLift I can't find a way to make this command work.
No shortcut in the preferences can be set for the operation. Is there a workaround?

Finder doesn't have a cut  Cmd ⌘   X   behaviour for files, only for file names.

It uses Edit menu > Copy
or  Cmd ⌘   C

then Edit menu holding  Alt ⌥  > Move Item Here
or  Cmd ⌘   Alt ⌥   V  instead.

... or Drag holding  Cmd ⌘  between volumes


My erase junk mail is grayed out The option to erase junk mail does not show up when I right click and in the menus it is grayed out. Any idea how to get it back.

I am running Yosemite, 10.10 on an iMac.

I couldn't find anything using google except someone else with the same problem and no answer.

Thanks.

Try to set your settings to the what you see below, this may fix your issue.


How do I get this Mac G5 up and running ? (boot to OS) A local Goodwill sells Apple hardware at ridiculously low prices, great for a tinkerer like me. I'd missed the Mac mini on sale so I grabbed this Mac Pro looking device thinking it would be an intel running unit. The $25 price tag and wire tie kept me from opening. the cover to confirm and they don''t offer refunds.
When I opened it at home the plastic cover inside had the great big G5 on it and my heart sank. No hard drive or memory. The little sticker started off showing it as a single 1.6. DDR3 or DDR2 or DDr4 memory didn't seem to fit, but I did shoehorn two sticks of 2gb into two slots. There is a 500gb drive attached inside without rails. Both are to test. There is what seems to be t he optical drive still in the front bay.
I haven't figured how to open the  'apparent' optical drive else I'd searched for an old Apple Mac OS dvd to try. Also I'd have. thought I'd get other than a black screen when turning it on.
What do I need to do to just get it booting into an OS ?

Software - You need to get an old OS X install CD, boot from it, and install. Depends a little on the specific Mac you have, but you can check sites like eBay. You can find more info on sites like: https://lowendmac.com/
To open the CD tray - hold the left mouse button on boot - it should pop open for you.
Shoehorning RAM into a slot doesn't sound healthy. If it came with a stick of RAM, take out your new RAM and leave what was there in it, and try booting. Putting in an unknown stick, at least till the box is up and running is going to be another potential headache.


iPhone iCloud question So when I got a new phone my apps that were downloaded previously still show that they have been downloaded on my previous phone? It's like the little cloud istead of the open.  Is that normal?

Yes, it is perfectly normal. It signifies that the apple account that you are currently using has previously "purchased" the app. Note that you may not have actually purchased the app, in the case of so called "free" apps.

The link what does the cloud icon mean in the app store provides some links to Download your past purchases and iCloud.


Can’t start applications from Spotlight I recently noticed that some of the applications cannot be started from Spotlight anymore. They show up correctly in the search results but then hitting return doesn't do anything (other than closing the Spotlight dialog that is). Indexing is turned on and I already tried re-indexing.

This is on High Sierra 10.13.6.

Update

It happened only with a handful of 3rd party apps so far. A pattern emerged:

Update an app which replaces an existing .app (i.e. same name) → Spotlight shows the OLD version as per "Version: xyz", I guess that's the reason it won't start
Update an app where the new version's .app has a different name e.g. rebranding and delete the old .app → Spotlight shows the old AND the new version, the new one can be started

I ran the following commands (again) yesterday and they didn't seem to fix the issue

sudo mdutil -i off /
sudo rm -rf /.Spotlight-V100
sudo mdutil -i on /
sudo mdutil -E /

Then this morning macOS wanted to install some updates* and everything is back to normal now.

* a Safari update asked me to terminate "Spotlight.app" first, I found that odd because the only way to do this (to my knowledge) is through CLI or Activity Monitor


Can the "new book" tag be restored in iBooks (iOS) I'm wondering if is possible to restore the "new book" tag that you can see on the top right corner of the new books uploaded or bought within iBooks (iOS) (visible on the following image)

My use case, is that often I upload a book in whatever format I have it and checks if it has been uploaded fine, however as soon as it was opened for the first time the "new tag" vanishes and since this is still a book I will read I would like to restore the tag.

Does any of you know if there is a way to do that?

I think the only purpose of the "New" tag is to show books that have never been opened. Once a book has been viewed, it is no longer New.

Maybe with enough feedback Apple will add a "Reading" tag to the icon...


Search all hidden .htaccess files inside a folder and run a terminal command? Searching for the issue, I found this Q&A:
How can I show only an .htaccess file in the Finder?

  [...] you could create a symlink to the file in its directory, omitting the dot in the name:

  open Terminal, cd into your folder
  ln -s $PWD/.htaccess $PWD/htaccess

Is there some kind of terminal batch to search for all .htaccess files inside a folder (i.e.: /public_html) and apply the symlink?

Or would it be a combination of Automator and Terminal?

Change to the initial directory (public_html in the question) and run

find . -name '.htaccess' -print | while read f; do
    ln -s "$PWD/$f" "$PWD/${f//.htaccess}htaccess"
done

PS: I did some rudimentary testing but please make a backup before you run it anyway.


What are the RAM requirements for OS X 10.10 Yosemite The minimum requirements for RAM for Yosemite is 2 GB as stated in apple literature.

What are the optimum real world requirements for Yosemite to achieve a noticeable improvement.

In particular for an early 2011 MBP 2.3 GHz which currently has 4 GB.

Absolute minimum is 2GB... though 4GB would be a more tenable minimum, 8GB more comfortable, 16GB would be able to breathe properly.

8GB really is the 'minimum sensible' for a modern OS, whatever the official spec says.


How to clean up partitions after OS X is moved from HD to SSD Yesterday an Apple Certified Macintosh Technician installed an SSD into my iMac medio 2011. The iMac was born with an 1TB HDD but now a Crucial M4 SSD is also installed inside the mac. I've moved my OS X to the SSD using the OS X Recovery, where the OS was installed using an Time Capsule Backup. Afterwards I did an Erase of the old HDD in Disk Utility to remove my old OS and my data has now been transferred to new, clean partition. Afterwards I inserted my Lion DVD and did an reinstall of the OS X to get the OS X Recovery partition created on my SSD. The name of the partition on the SSD is Crucial M4 SSD and the name of partition on my old 1TB HDD is Storage.

Please see this output from diskutil list:

iMac:~ dennis$ diskutil list/dev/disk0
   #:                       TYPE NAME                    SIZE       IDENTIFIER
   0:      GUID_partition_scheme                        *256.1 GB   disk0
   1:                        EFI                         209.7 MB   disk0s1
   2:                  Apple_HFS Crucial M4 SSD          255.2 GB   disk0s2
   3:                 Apple_Boot Recovery HD             650.0 MB   disk0s3
/dev/disk1
   #:                       TYPE NAME                    SIZE       IDENTIFIER
   0:      GUID_partition_scheme                        *1.0 TB     disk1
   1:                        EFI                         209.7 MB   disk1s1
   2:          Apple_CoreStorage                         999.9 GB   disk1s2
   3:                 Apple_Boot Boot OS X               134.2 MB   disk1s3
/dev/disk3
   #:                       TYPE NAME                    SIZE       IDENTIFIER
   0:                  Apple_HFS Storage                *999.7 GB   disk3

Why do I have an Apple_Boot on disk1 after the entire disk was erased?
What is the EFI and Apple_Boot?
Is it normal that the type of the Recovery HD is Apple_Boot?

Why do I have an Apple_Boot on disk1 after the entire disk was erased?

I am not sure on this one. Seeing the size (134 MB) I don' this this is the actual boot partition itself.

-

  What is the EFI and Apple_Boot?

EFI is the Extensible Firmware Interface system partition. This is a special partition that holds boot loaders for all the OSes installed, in other partitions:

  The EFI System partition is a partition on a data storage device that
  is used by machines that adhere to the Extensible Firmware Interface.
  It contains the boot loader programs for all operating systems
  installed (in other partitions) on the device, device driver files
  (used by the firmware at boot time) for other devices, and system
  utility programs that are intended to be run before an operating
  system is booted.1

-

  Is it normal that the type of the Recovery HD is Apple_Boot?*

Yes. Otherwise you cannot use the recovery partition to recover when the OS on the other partition(s) has crashed, right?

The recovery partition is actually replacement of the OS install disk.
From OS X Lion: About Lion Recovery

  OS X Lion includes a new feature called Lion Recovery that includes
  all of the tools you need to reinstall Lion, repair your disk, and
  even restore from a Time Machine backup without the need for optical
  discs.


Permanently deleting iMessages in a Mac I painstakingly delete all my iMessages from my Mac (Mountain Lion) but every time someone sends me a new iMessage all earlier messages of that person AND others get downloaded. Is not there a setting that allows me to delete the iMessages permanently from my mac?

Interestingly, the same thing does not happen with my iPhone. Once I delete the conversation from my phone, its gone and at least does not show me the history again.

Go to "Messages -> Preferences..." (or hit Cmd + ,)
From there, select the "Messages" tab from the row of icons at the top
At the bottom of that pane are four checkboxes, the topmost of which says "Save history when conversations are closed". Make sure that checkbox is deselected, and you should be good to go.


OS X Leopard Safari shows questionmark? The Safari icon indicates a question mark. And, it wont let me go to internet etc. How do I find the Safari app and activate it?

Pratika Rana is correct: your icon for Safari in the dock is no longer working. Remove it from the dock by dragging it out or by control-clocking and selecting 'remove from dock'

find Safari by opening finder and choosing Go -> Applications f of the menu. Double-click to open.
Safari, once it starts, will now have a new icon in your dock. Control-click its icon and select 'keep in dock' to make sure it doesn't disappear as you as you quit Safari.


Trying to restore Macbook Pro to factory setting, but it freezes when inserted the DVD I'm trying to restore my Macbook Pro (17") to factory settings, and here were the steps that I took:

I inserted the Snow Leopard DVD.
I turned off my Mac.
I turned it back on while pressing the "option" key.
It prompted me to choose either my hard drive or the DVD; I choose DVD.
I saw a gray Apple logo in the middle of the screen, but it just freezes there.
By freeze, I mean pressing the keys doesn't do anything.

Other points:

My Mac works perfectly. I just want to reformat it.
2 Hardware changes: I upgraded the memory to 8GB, and I changed my hard drive to Momentus XT SSD hybrid

Update:
I blogged about the solution in details here. In a nutshell, the DVD I was using to reinstall OS X was too old for my system. So here’s the takeaway from this post which I had to spend many hours figuring out: when you want to reinstall your Mac, please make sure you use the disc that came with your system!

I think that the problem is your new ram. You have upgraded with 1333MHz DDR3, and you should use 1066MHz DDR3 RAM. The problem is that the chipset does not downclock your ram to 1066MHz and when MacOS enters graphic mode, the machine freezes.

The problem lies somewhere within the low performance (shared memory) graphic chip MacOS drivers. Under text mode, MacOS works perfectly. Running Apple Hardware Test and testing ram (1333MHz) also works. I have been told that Windows runs also.

If you cannot replace your new ram (it's was hard for me to find 1066MHz 4GB SO-DIMMs), you can temporary fix this problem by inserting one slow (1066MHz) DIMM (if you still have it) and one of the new 1333MHz. This will make chipset run your MBP with the least common speed, and your notebook will boot.

I have found and published a way to downclock your ram and fix this issue in this Apple Support Discusions thread. I'm quoting myself:

  It's possible with a software Thaiphoon Burner (http://www.softnology.biz/) to modify the SPD EPROM (a small non volatile flash, located on the memory, containing information about it) IF the EPROM is not protected (http://www.softnology.biz/tips_pswprotection.html).

If you decide to take this path of flashing the SPD EPROM of your RAM, I could expand this or make a new one question, to cover in details the flash process.


Quitting Mail is very slow Since a few years I can't quit Mail.app instantly. The more folders I have entered during the usage, the more folder Mail.app tries to close before it quits. Each close operation takes 3-8 sec to complete, so quitting the whole program takes half a minute or so. How can I skip or make this closing procedure faster?

I use an own IMAP server for my emails.

Reindexig mails, recreating accounts, etc. does not work.

Check Preferences - Accounts - Mailbox behaviors that you don't have options 'Delete [Sent, Junk, Deleted] messages - when quitting mail'

Also, how many messages do you have? If there are many (like around 10k and above), then I think this is inevitable that you have such app closing time. Probably in this case it is better to reorganize your mails. Probably create some local archive.


Disabling warnings in iWork Is there any way of disabling the warning popups in the current versions of Numbers, Pages and Keynote that popup when files are opened? For example:

They are pretty useless warnings, in the sense that they have never changed how I worked with a document in a given session, so was hoping I could simply shut them off. Maybe a hidden preference?

If you save out the files in a Pages format you will not get the errors. You generally only get those errors when trying to open documents from Microsoft Word or something similar. I am pretty sure there is no way to disable the warning though from the preferences or anything.


Mac Terminal "find" command : What does a double slash in the result output mean? I use the find-command for searching in large and nested directory-structures.

In the result-output is sometimes a double-slash ( // ) included.

Example (after "Downloads"):

#> find ~/Downloads/ -iregex ".*some.*"
/Users/michael/Downloads//subDirectory/some_file.pdf

I first thought it would mark the current working-directory. But that isn't the case.

What's the meaning of this double-slash?

Usually I copy the result into the clipboard, change to the finder. Then
"shift" + "command" + "g" and pasting the path (until the file) into the box. So that the containing directory is opened.

Works fine. But the double-slash I have to remove manually.

Therefore: How can I avoid it?

find is rather literal. When you tell it to search within "~/Downloads/", it uses that (including the trailing slash) as the prefix for whatever it finds. Since there's an unnecessary and irrelevant slash at the end of the path you gave it, you wind up with an unnecessary and irrelevant extra slash in the output.

Solution: remove the trailing "/" from the search directory:

#> find ~/Downloads/ -iregex ".*some.*"
/Users/michael/Downloads//subDirectory/some_file.pdf
#> find ~/Downloads -iregex ".*some.*"
/Users/michael/Downloads/subDirectory/some_file.pdf


How to transfer app documents from Mac to iOS on iTunes 12.7 iTunes 12.7 removed the apps section. I've been pushing multi-gigabyte videos from my Mac to my iPad's VLC's application documents folder using iTunes.

How do I transfer app documents from Mac to iOS? (before you ask: AirDrop would be too slow and unreliable for that)

Oh, to answer my own question:

It has been renamed to "File Sharing" on the connected device's tab.

I didn't see it on the first try.