Apple Fixit News
Home » MacCentralCafe News » Apple Fixit NewsLearn how to troubleshoot certain issues that you may experience with Messages Beta in OS X Lion.
OS X Lion & Mac OS X v10.6 provide third-party software for printers and scanners via Software Update. Simply connect the printer or scanner to the Mac. If software is needed and available, it will be automatically downloaded as part of the creation of the printer/scanner queue.
Learn about the fonts included with OS X Lion.
Learn about the Login window message when FileVault 2 is enabled.
Learn how to set up a Mac for surround sound playback using DVD Player or iTunes.
If you want to switch to a different backup drive, use this article to learn how to transfer your existing Time Machine backups to the new backup drive, and then use it for regular Time Machine backups.
Learn how to create and deploy a recovery key for use with FileVault 2 in order to recover encrypted data after a lost user password, in this advanced article.
Back to basics -- use keyboard shortcuts to open and close the fonts window and the color picker window in text editing applications.
Here are two quick and easy shortcuts to keep in mind for use in most text editing applications. Don't bother with these in Word, they don't apply. Try them in TextEdit instead.
The first you probably already know. It lets you open the font selection window. It's Command+T.
The second you may not know, but it usually works in applications where the first one works. It's Command+Shift+C and it opens the Mac Color Picker window. Two quick tips about this window:
1) If you click the magnifying glass icon, you can choose any color available on your Mac's screen, and
2) you can drag a color from any point inside the rectangle near the top of the window into one of the squares at the bottom to store it there for future reference. Try dragging the bottom right corner of the window (and/or the right edge, if you' ...
Using Apple's new app Messages beta you can discover who you can send Messages to.
In Messages, press Cmd+N to open a blank message window. In the 'To:' field, which is highlighted by default, begin typing a name. A list will appear showing all the possible completions. Once you have typed one unique name, the list will show all the addresses known for that person, and will put a blue chat bubble next to any item that you can send a Message to. This works for both e-mail addresses and phone numbers.
[crarko adds: I don't have the beta handy so I haven't tested this one.]
I have seen on the Apple discussion forum that there is no solution for the mentioned redirection. Today I have found a solution which was plain simple as all things Apple.
Every time you click on the mail link in Wiki Server it will take you to SquirrelMail login screen. This screen is the login.php file.
So in order to redirect Wiki Mail to any URL of your choice you just need to edit or substitute the login.php file which is located in /usr/share/squirrelmail/ like this:
<?php
/* Redirect browser */
header("Location: http://your_preffered_url/");
exit;
?>
[crarko adds: I haven't tested this one, but it seems pretty straightforward. As always when editing system-related files, have a known good backup.]
I needed a darkened version of a sketch I made, but I didn't want to go scan it and darken it. I decided to make a copy the old fashioned way -- trace it.
However, the lamp wasn't bright enough, and I didn't have access to a backlit desk. Then it hit me; my laptop has a backlight, a very bright backlight in fact.
How to use your screen as a light box:
- Turn your laptop so that the screen is horizontal.
- Prop up the body so the screen stays flat.
- Set your desktop to solid white, or open a solid white window. If you set the desktop color, hide everything else.
- Make sure the screen brightness is turned all the way up.
[crarko adds: I've used an iPhone as a flashlight, but would not have thought of using a laptop as a light table. Clever idea.]
This is more of an FYI than a deep hint. Apparently in Lion, you can now adjust the screen brightness of your Mac even if it's the secondary display in a dual monitor setup.
I'm using an i7 15" MacBook Pro, and before Lion, if my laptop was set as the secondary display, the brightness buttons on my Apple external keyboard didn't work. The brightness buttons only worked if the display was set as the primary display. Now it works if the laptop is a secondary display.
[crarko adds: This is pretty specific. If folks would be kind enough to try a few other configurations and post the results, that could help this prove to be more generally useful.]
The 13" MacBook Pros have only 1 audio jack, for both audio input and output, and you can chose between these 2 from the audio preferences.
If you have the Sound menu extra enabled, Option+clicking on it will let you chose what to use the audio port for (audio input or audio output).
[crarko adds: Handy shortcut.]
Before Lion it was possible to run an external display off a laptop and have the internal display disabled, even if you opened the lid. This can be useful for a myriad of reason including energy saving and better wifi reception. With Lion the internal display will always turn on when the lid is opened, even if there is already an external display connected.
A solution was posted on the Apple support forums by user chenga.8.
To go back to pre-Lion behaviour enter the following command in Terminal:
sudo nvram boot-args="iog=0x0"
To undo this change type type the following command or zap the PRAM (press Cmd+Opt+p+r at power up):
sudo nvram -d boot-args
[crarko adds: I haven't tested this one.]
I ran Disk Utility on my Macbook Pro 15" because I have been having some squirly problems. Sure enough it said I needed to repair my HD. TO do this I had to start with an external startup disk. I tried this with the Snow Leopard install disk but the computer sat in grey screen state. What can I do to have a successful external startup disk so I can repair my HD?
Thanks
Stan Trollip
Thanks
Stan Trollip
I'm trying to install Windows 7 with bootcamp but it wont recognize my windows 7 disk or usb. Its a copy of the original but i have a license and everything just cant get far enough to use it. Is there something im missing or will it just not allow me to use the copy?
I returned home for Thanksgiving and my mother surprised me and presented me with my first computer from college a PowerBook 145; the only problem is that it doesn't work.
I would love to get this thing up and running again but it has some issues. I think the battery might be nuked because when the battery is in and the power cord is plugged in the computer won't turn or or do anything. But when I remove the battery with it plugged in the computer starts and makes that lovely Macintosh bong noise but after that nothing really happens. The screen lights up, the processor whirs, it might make a beep, but nothing ever appears on the screen.
If working properly it should boot up to the desktop without the battery plugged in I am assuming?
Are there any keyboard shortcuts during boot up to get the OS to boot into any certain modes (like holding down the option key for modern OS Macs)
Or keyboard shortcuts when it is running (perhaps to restart it) so I could see if the monitor is some how not displaying things properly?
I guess the hard drive could have died? Would that produce the same result? powering up but never booting up to anything?
Can it boot off of a floppy?
Or could the OS have just gotten corrupted or something and it needs to be re-installed?
Any suggestions or advice to get this antique up and running would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Heali
I would love to get this thing up and running again but it has some issues. I think the battery might be nuked because when the battery is in and the power cord is plugged in the computer won't turn or or do anything. But when I remove the battery with it plugged in the computer starts and makes that lovely Macintosh bong noise but after that nothing really happens. The screen lights up, the processor whirs, it might make a beep, but nothing ever appears on the screen.
If working properly it should boot up to the desktop without the battery plugged in I am assuming?
Are there any keyboard shortcuts during boot up to get the OS to boot into any certain modes (like holding down the option key for modern OS Macs)
Or keyboard shortcuts when it is running (perhaps to restart it) so I could see if the monitor is some how not displaying things properly?
I guess the hard drive could have died? Would that produce the same result? powering up but never booting up to anything?
Can it boot off of a floppy?
Or could the OS have just gotten corrupted or something and it needs to be re-installed?
Any suggestions or advice to get this antique up and running would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Heali
Hello, I need to change my Mac Adress, i tried following this guide:
http://osxdaily.com/2008/01/17/how-t...s-in-mac-os-x/
I changed it, but after doing that, the connection doesn't work anymore and I've to set up the old mac adress to let it work again... I think there's a different process in Lion to do that, someone can help me?
http://osxdaily.com/2008/01/17/how-t...s-in-mac-os-x/
I changed it, but after doing that, the connection doesn't work anymore and I've to set up the old mac adress to let it work again... I think there's a different process in Lion to do that, someone can help me?
Can you transfer a Lion file that has multiple saved versions to another Mac and expect to browse those versions? No, and Chris Breen explains why.
Want to use a single external drive with both a Mac and a Windows PC? Follow our guide to learn how to do it.
By default, you can't search for stations in the Radio section of iTunes; the search field is dimmed. But there's a workaround that'll let you find the station you want.
A reader would like to know how to easily archive an uncluttered version of our stories. Chris Breen (and Automator) have an answer.
Using a saved Internet location on your desktop, you can quickly check a web page without opening a browser window.
This is a handy way to keep an eye on websites without having to manage browser windows or tabs. Simply drag the URL address from the the top of your browser window (I use Safari) onto your desktop. A 'web internet location' file is created. Now just use Quick Look (hit spacebar) to see a live view of the web page. You can even click a link, which then opens in your default browser.
Take it to the next level: Create a folder with all your favorite internet location files. Put the folder in your dock. Now when you hover over the file in grid or fan view, you can tap space bar to see the web page, and use the arrow keys to navigate around (list view doesn't Quick Look, for some reason, and only opens into a browser). I don't have Flash installed on my system, but I'm curious to know if YouTube and other Flash sites will run within Quick Look. Hope some ...
This is a useful hint if you have a Mac and an iPad (or iPod touch), and you want to share a hotel wireless Internet connection with both devices.
In the System Preferences Bluetooth pane, pair your Mac with your iPad (they don't need to be connected yet, just paired). Then, select the iPad in the list of Bluetooth devices, and click the Advanced button. Check the 'Share my Internet connection with other Bluetooth devices' option. This should switch you to the Network preferences pane and prompt you to create a new Bluetooth PAN device.
Now go to the Sharing preferences pane and select Internet Sharing from the services list. Under 'Share your connection from,' select Airport, and under 'to computers using,' select Bluetooth PAN. Then check the checkbox next to Internet Sharing in the services list to enable Internet sharing.
From the iPad's Settings app in the General pane, tap Bluetooth, and connect to your Mac. In the top left corner, in place of the W ...
I regularly listen to the Internet broadcast of a local radio station. To get it, I have to go their website, and then click on a button to open the online broadcast. It is in a Windows Media Player format. QuickTime Player opens and starts streaming.
Here is how I got to access it by just double-clicking an icon on the Desktop.
The 'obvious' way would be to drag the URL to the Desktop and create a .webloc file. But there were two problems with that.
The URL starts with mms:// and if one tries to open it directly from inside QuickTime Player, it does not recognize it. It does, however, open and play the stream if I use http:// instead.
However, the corresponding .webloc opens in Safari (or whatever other default browser is set), and doing Get Info and setting it to open with QuickTime Player has no effect.
Enter AppleScript. I created a very small script (you need to put in your correct URL): ...
If your iPad is slow or stutters when viewing video over the internet (e.g. from YouTube), and changing your network's DNS settings, or rebooting the iPad, or changes to the Airport Extreme (or other access point) frequency/band/channel/power/multicast etc. does not fix the issue, here is a possible fix.
Check to see if your Airport Extreme Base Station has DHCP/NAT turned on. If so, instead set your AEBS to Bridge Mode (this will probably work on Airport Express too). This assumes you have a cable modem or other router/switch that you can use instead for DHCP/NAT. No more slow/stuttering video.
[crarko adds: I restart my Airport Extreme every few weeks just to flush the memory and have not experienced any trouble paying video. I do use it for DHCP/NAT on my network.
What I have noticed is that after prolonged use, my Apple TV (2nd generation) does have stuttering and will sometimes just lose it's connection to, say, Netflix. I have to reboot the A ...
