Mac OS X

Troubleshooting utility news and updates

Our utilities update report is a column on updates for Mac utilities that have been released in the past week. Though a utility can be any tool that helps you perform a routine task (including image manipulation and synchronization), our focus in this column is on bringing you those tools that help in troubleshooting Mac hardware and software problems. This week there were updates to hardware monitoring tools, tools for files and filesystem management, and some maintenance tools.

Hardware In hardware utilities, the popular Hardware Monitor, Hardware Monitor Remote, and Temperature Monitor utilities have been updated to support the latest … Read more

Tip: Set a window zooming shortcut in OS X

Window Zooming in OS X does not magnify a window's contents, but rather resizes the window to fit its contents. While this is the most common use of this button, the function is application-specific and may do anything from changing the overall window appearance such as switching to the mini player in iTunes to doing absolutely nothing at all.

Invoking the zoom function is done by clicking the green button to the right of the close and minimize buttons, but it can also be accessed from the Window menu that most OS X applications have. Unlike the Close and … Read more

Managing cache-related errors in OS X

Every now and then people write in regarding various errors they see in the system console, where you can review system messages and troubleshoot problems. Sometimes these errors may be related to problems in which the system cannot build or access a specific cache, which can be an application cache, or a system cache such as the kernel extension "kext" cache.

Usually, when caching problems happen, the system will not show any signs of malfunction. Caches are generally binary databases of commonly accessed files that make items easier to load, and if one is missing then the system … Read more

Mac App Store low on freebies, high on games

A new report released by market research group Distimo shows that Apple's now three-month old Mac App Store is off to a slower start than its iOS counterparts in terms of app volume, though is becoming a bellwether for more gaming opportunities on the Mac OS platform.

The report, which tracks data from the App Store on both iOS and on Mac OS, also evaluates Google's Android Market, Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 Marketplace, BlackBerry App World, Nokia Ovi, and Palm's App Catalog for the month of February.

According to Distimo, the Mac App Store reached 2,… Read more

Q&A: MacFixIt Answers

MacFixIt Answers is a feature in which we answer e-mailed questions from our readers. This week we have questions about a Mac not booting after months of no use, heat differences between the 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pro, upgrading a commercial external hard drive, bootable backup options, and the difference between partitioning and using two drives. We continually answer e-mail questions, and though we present a few answers here, we certainly welcome alternative approaches and views from readers and encourage you to post your suggestions in the comments.

Question: Mac not booting after months of no use MacFixIt reader "… Read more

How to change passwords in OS X

There are times when you wish or need to change the password for your account, or for another account on an OS X system. This can be because an account's password has been compromised, or because a Mac has accounts on it for which nobody knows or remembers the password, for example.

There is no way to recover lost passwords, but there are several ways to change them.

Accounts system preferences Basic account management in OS X is fairly straightforward and easy since Apple offers an Accounts system preference pane where you can add and remove accounts in addition … Read more

New MacBook Pros having issues with iTunes Home Sharing

Despite Home Sharing's more prominent role in Apple's iOS and iTunes, some users that purchased the newest line of MacBook Pros aren't thrilled with the feature. An Apple Support Discussions thread has ballooned to over 213 comments since the end of February, filled with users trying to find a solution to the Home Sharing bug.

ASD forum user themacbear writes:

"Although the Apple TV could see the name of my iTunes library, it wouldn't connect to it, or sometimes, would report that 'There are no movies in this library'."

ASD user sftobos concurs, writing:… Read more

How to solve Facebook import and export freezes in iPhoto '11

Uploading photos from iPhoto to Facebook via iPhoto's built-in exporter has taken a turn for the worse for some users, not allowing uploading or downloading and often freezing while trying to connect.

Several users have voiced their displeasure with the situation in one of the Apple Support Discussion forum threads. User ajrossnz writes:

Since I upgraded from iPhoto '09 to '11 I have been unable to upload to facebook, a feature that worked great in '09. I have done all the things that were suggested through various googling such as removing my facebook account in preferences and removing albums, … Read more

Tip: Organize PDFs with iTunes

Recently we published an article discussing options on how to convert Web articles into nicely formatted PDF documents. While having PDFs is a convenient way to maintain well-formatted and clean articles on various subjects, after a while you may end up with a number of them, that can lead to a cluttered mess of PDFs.

There are options in OS X for managing PDFs and other documents, including smart folders and other ways of searching for them to consolidate into one location, or you can use spotlight's indexing to locate them by contents. In addition, as suggested by MacFixIt … Read more