What I did was I installed Windows 7 via BootCamp and then installed Ubuntu via Wubi.

This was a lot simpler than the tutorial that you linked to but it's also more expensive (i.e. you have to purchase a copy of Windows) and you didn't indicate whether that was even desirable.


A single kernel panic is not an issue. It happens sometimes.
Unless it happens repeatedly, I wouldn’t worry about it.
If you want to learn more about a specific kernel panic, search kernel-panic for keywords from your log.

In the future if you do get recurring kernel panics, Apple has an official guide on things to try.

https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/mchlp2890/mac

Restart your Mac in Safe Mode. …
Uninstall any plug-ins …
Disconnect all devices …
Use Apple Diagnostics …


WhatsApp notification on iPhone lock screen shows contact name instead of nickname

Had this same problem and got the below reply from whatsapp support

To turn on previews that display the contact name but not message:

Go to WhatsApp > Settings > Notifications > turn Show Preview on.
Go to iPhone Settings > Notifications > WhatsApp > Show Previews > Never.


How to import older Aperture photo library after setting up new Photos app and a new library

There is no way to import an Aperture/iPhoto library except start a new Photos library and have it convert from an existing Aperture/iPhoto library.

I think the best solution would be to start a new Photos library based on your existing Aperture library. Attach your iPhone to the Mac and wait for it to appear in the sidebar in Photos, then import everything it will let you from the phone. Finally, set it as the system library (Photos menu > Preferences > General tab > "Use as System Photo Library") and enable iCloud Photo Library (Photos menu > Preferences > iCloud > iCloud Photo Library).

In theory this should cause the images from your new combined Photos library (old Aperture library + what was on the phone) to upload to iCloud, while also downloading anything in iCloud that does not exist in your new Photos library. And in turn, your phone should download anything new that is uploaded to iCloud.

The step of syncing from your phone directly to the Mac should not be necessary, but is a backup just in case iCloud freaks out with the change in the System Photo Library and removes what you uploaded from your phone. It also saves Photos from having to download any of those photos, assuming it finds them to be duplicates of what's in iCloud.


For maximum FileVault2 security, why is hibernation recommended?

During normal use, the keys are stored in RAM, which makes them vulnerable to a DMA attack over Firewire or Thunderbolt (using something like Inception). This is an old set of attacks, and Apple does actually disable some of the functionality of those devices during some sleep modes (e.g., hibernatemode 25 which removes power from the RAM after dumping its contents to disk; for added security, you should also disable Fast User Switching, as it's another attack vector.)
That is the only thing that makes sense for Apple to do, since it's pretty trivial. More details might be culled from this analysis of FileVault 2, courtesy of a few security researchers from Cambridge.
RAM can also be written to (see Inception) in order to bypass the actual password; dumping to disk and reloading on wake will ensure the contents is tamper-proof.


When creating a new mailbox with Mailbox -- New Mailbox you can select where exactly you want to put it.


Is there any way to check the availability of iOS app names?

NEW INFORMATION (2018)

Please see this question on the relevant site, Stack Overflow:
https://stackoverflow.com/a/17748195/2684

tl;dr: there is no time restriction on how long you can reserve, but it’s not guaranteed.

OUTDATED ANSWER

I haven’t seen that option in the Apple Developer Program, but you can reserve a name.

After you reserve it, you have 120 days to upload a binary (You have to create an app in the iTunes Connect system). After 90 days, you receive a notification from Apple, saying that you  only have 30 days left to upload the app. Once the 120 days are past, "the app name will then be available for another developer to use.”
I also believe that if you do not upload anything, bad things happen to your account, but I can’t verify this.

Other than that, I haven’t seen a mechanism like “google” for name searching. (Apple might as well do that at some point!).


AppleScript to copy images that names are multiple of 30 to another folder

You can do this from the command line. The following will match all images which are a multiple of 30 and copy them to the destination folder.

/bin/zsh -c "cp /path/to/source/Montana_{30..4500..30}.jpg /path/to/destination/"

Replace /path/to/source with the path to the containing folder for the images.
Replace 4500 with the number of the last image in the folder.
Replace /path/to/destination with the path to the containing folder where the images which are a multiple of 30 will be copied to.

To move instead of copy, replace cp with mv.
To use this in an AppleScript, you can ‘do shell script’.


How to turn 3G off on iPhone 5 running iOS8?


Can I use a non-Apple, Bluetooth keyboard with a MacBook Pro?

Yes in general. Bluetooth has an HID profile that lets mice and keyboard work with any other Bluetooth receiver that supports that profile. macOS and Mac hardware support the standard profile, so at worst, you are likely to need to remap windows specific keys and deal with no Apple specific keys.

Can I use a non-Apple keyboard with OS X?

Unless the keyboard you buy requires some custom driver or isn't standard Bluetooth, you should have low chances of needing to return it or have it not work at all. In specific, you are looking at a USB keyboard not a Bluetooth one, so that's also going to work with the limitations that special keys and drivers and software won't work on macOS. The majority of the keys will work.


Why isn't the "Open New Page" button working in Safari for iPad (iOS 4.3.5)?

Sorry for the delay in getting back: Updating to 5.0 didn't fix the issue, and I noticed the "dead spot" on other apps so, to I finally took the iPad to an apple store, where they diagnosed a problem with the screen: there was a strip, around 1 cm wide that was not working properly. Got a new one and now I'm a happy camper!!

EDIT: Typo fixing (I should use spell checking!)


How to move around with the mouse in a Web Clip Widget?

As I recall, Web Clip Widgets are 100% non-input interactive. They will show automatic changes/animations (javascript/AJAX fired events, animated GIFs, etc.), but they do not allow you to interact with the web page. Generally speaking, that would defeat the purpose.


Running Compiled AppleScript from DMG Doesn't Work

As I mentioned in my answer to your other question:

Note that when using this in a do shell script command, use quoted form of to allow for spaces in the path filename.

Otherwise you'd need to escape spaces with a backslash \, and that can get messy.

Example: quoted form of appPath
You might want to do the concatenation separately and then pass it to the command.


Downloading, rather than playing, flv files from Safari's Activity window

Hold Option while you double click on the file to force it to download instead of play. If you have something downloading already (or are using an older version of Safari), you can also copy from the activity window and paste into the downloads window.


Is it possible to change/add the icon of an app without submitting a new binary?

No, you cannot do this without resubmitting the app.
However, you do not actually need to rebuild the app using Xcode, as you otherwise indicate. If you look at the application bundle, you find the icons are usually stored in Contents/Resources/.icns. You can edit that file to change the icon. There's no need to rebuild the actual app executable.
If you're working with a signed app, you'll need to run the codesign program to resign the app.


How do I uninstall Mountain Lion Server?

After trying numerous things, a full zap using AppZappr and deleting the /Library/Server folder allowed me to reinstall the app from the App Store and re set it up. :)


Is there any way to reduce an app's usage of storage space on iOS 5?

You could delete the Facebook app and then reinstall it. When you delete an app like Facebook, there's a little warning saying that deleting this app "will also delete all of its data", which is exactly what you want.

I just tried this on my iPhone - deleting the Facebook app and reinstalling it made its usage go from 47 MB to 16 MB. This is only a temporary solution of course, since as you use Facebook it'll cache images etc. to speed up your browsing, so it'll start using more space again.


How to add a shortcut to open a new finder window to the Launchpad or dock

Copy this script to a new ScriptEditor document.  Then export it as an application.

tell application "Finder"
    activate
    make new Finder window to path to downloads folder
end tell

Next, Open the “Get Info” window for the “Downloads” folder and also open the “Get Info” window for the new application you just exported. Select the icon of the downloads folder and “Edit/Copy” Select the icon of the new application and “”Edit/Paste”.

Drag your new application down to your dock and you are good to go.


How to change the PDF reader on Chome from Preview to Acrobat Reader on MacBook?

Step 1: Open Chrome and type "chrome://plugins" into the address bar at the top.

Step 2: Scroll down and find Chrome PDF Viewer.

Step 3: Click the "Disable" link to prevent PDFs from loading within Chrome.

Step 4: Click the "Enable" link on Adobe PDF plugin.


Why is my Macbook pro's screen better than my Desktop Monitor?

Your external display, unless it is manufactured by Apple will require calibration. This is because the default settings on monitors are for every day use and for any kind of display card. While the internal displays on Apple products are calibrated specifically for the video card that is in that machine.

In regards to display types it all depends on what you want to do? Video/audio production, graphic design, gaming.

If its for gaming you'll need something that has a good refresh rate for motion graphics. Same with video, audio production doesn't really matter.

When it comes to graphic design you will need to ensure that your display can reproduce the color spectrums you are working with.

The cheaper the display the cheaper the technology in the LCD.

For really nice color reproduction and refresh rates you will be looking for a display that uses S-IPS/H-IPS LCD panel. For middle of the road you'd be looking at PVA/MVA technology which has ok color reproduction and ok refresh rates. Then there is TN panels which are the bargin screens.

You can read more about LCD technology over at Wikipedia.

I would recommend an IPS display from either Samsung, Dell or Apple.


Shameless plug: With acefile there is now a python based solution to uncompress ACE archives, that is slow, but works on OS X.  Simply make sure you have Python 3 and then install acefile:

pip3 install acefile

Then you will have the acefile-unace utility installed, that you can use to extract ACE archives, including the newer ACE 2.0 format that is not supported by most archivers with ACE support on platforms other than Windows.  Run something like:

acefile-unace -x example.ace

You may have to explicitly give the bin path of your python installation if you don't have that in your PATH (e.g. /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.4/bin/).


The problem is some folders are intentionally left out from the global spotlight search on the menubar.

For example, /Library and /Users/*/Library, one of the ways to search in these directories is to navigate to these directory in Finder, and search in the Spotlight field in the upper-right corner.


You are assuming Thing2's iPad and iPhone are both acting as 'Thing2'. That is only partially true. Assuming the iPad is WiFi capable only, it can only receive messages on its e-mail addresses (the address of the iTunes account or other e-mail addresses). The iPhone, however, can receive messages at its phone number or linked e-mail addresses.

Now when an iMessage is sent to a phone number, the message will only appear on the iPhone as the iPone is only capable of receiving those iMessages. The phone number is linked to the iPhone, not to the iTunes account.


iTunes isn't installed on both user accounts on PC

When you install a software on windows it usually asks "install for this account only or for all accounts". It looks like your husband chose "for my account only". I do not know any option to change this later.

Last week I re-installed a program I had the same problem with. When it asked me, I then chose "for all accounts".

The user settings for the existing installation were not harmed.


You can use locate to see where a Perl binary is installed

locate bin\/perl  | grep perl\$

for example

$ locate bin\/perl  | grep perl\$
/Users/corti/perl5/perlbrew/perls/5.20/bin/perl
/Users/corti/perl5/perlbrew/perls/5.20t/bin/perl
/opt/local/bin/perl
/usr/bin/perl

By the way, I would strongly suggest to use Perlbrew to install an additional Perl version.


It simply takes time for Gmail to notify your Mac mail, and it can not be instant.

However if you must have Instant notification, then open your Gmail in a web browser and go to gmail settings.

In gmail settings you can enable instant notification (you get it as soon email arrives, but you will get it in the browser window, as well later in your mac Mail.

It works great with Chrome web browser, there will be a pop up on your scree when new email arrives.


What are the blue dots next to App names in iOS and macOS?

The blue dot is the replacement to the banner that iOS 6 had for a new app.

There are two conditions for a banner being shown:

an app has been downloaded from the App Store but has not been opened yet

(a restore from iTunes/iCloud will also cause an app to be classed as 'New')
an app has been updated but has not been opened since it has been updated

(this counts for manually updated apps or apps that have been automatically updated by iOS 7's new background app updater).

As soon as the app is opened, the dot is removed.


What does Facebook like button represent for App Store apps?

If you are logged in Facebook from Setting app, then it will show the "Like button" on App Store app detail.

It will like the application URL from your account.


Is it possible to remove/uninstall Quicktime Player 7?

OS X seems to allow just moving it to the trash, which is probably the recommended way to remove it.

If you use an application like AppCleaner, check that it doesn't actually try to delete files for the new QuickTime Player:

The bundle identifiers of the old and new version are com.apple.QuickTimePlayer and com.apple.QuickTimePlayerX. The only files it found for the old version were:

/Applications/Utilities/QuickTime Player 7.app/
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.quicktimeplayer.plist
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.quicktimeplayer.plist.lockfile
~/Library/Caches/com.apple.helpd/Generated/com.apple.QuickTimePlayer.help/


13" MacBook Pro (Mid-2012) failing to fully boot

You can run Apple's built it hardware test, Turn on your Mac, then immediately press and hold the D key on your keyboard. Keep holding the D key until you see the Apple Hardware Test

I feel it could be a graphics card issue because it seems to play up when you  get to the login screen where the computer actually requires the use of the graphics card.


/Library/Keychains/System.keychain in restricted mode

Check the file /System/Library/Sandbox/rootless.conf - there is a list of all "restricted" directories of files.
Also this article could help


How can I make my iChat to connect again to chat server when I wake my Mac?

What version of iChat do you have? When I close my computer (thus putting it to sleep), and then reopen it, after 15 seconds or so, it reconnects. I have v5.0.3.  Check to see if you have that version, or whatever the newest version is. If that doesn't help, try reinstalling the program.


LeoColorBar (Free)
Allows you to change the color of the menu bar.
MenuShade (Free)
Allows you to dim the menu bar.
Here's a tutorial on changing the menu bar to black.


is there a slipcase for 17" MacBook Pros which opens at the side?

I've certainly seen them around the place, I've got a portrait one myself.

How about this?


How should I go about restarting a custom Apache install?

Assuming you know where Apache is installed, you should be able to gracefully restart it like this:

kill -USR1 `cat <apache_dir>/logs/httpd.pid`

(Untested, but based on the Apache docs).


M1 Mac (in DEP) first created user has no Secure Token

After much experimentation, it looks like the way to do this is to go to Recovery mode, and "Erase this Mac". I also used "Deactivate this Mac", but I am not sure if this helped or not.
After erasing the machine, and then reformatting and reinstalling (the classic nuke and pave), when macOS finished installing the single user on the system DID have a Secure Token, and I was able to enable FileVault.
It really shouldn't be this difficult, though.


Airport Extreme not working with new modem

The Amber light could mean many things.

Steps I would take:

Install new firmware http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1481?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

Second:

Factory default reset

Does your modem have a router built into it?  If so, you need to put that either into bridge mode or router behind router mode.


Installation of Office 365 for Mac is freezing at "Running Package Scripts" (Sierra)

Turn off virus protection. As soon as I did that the installer completed the task.


Is Xcode 4.2 available for a MacBook Pro 2.2 with a Core Duo processor?

Yes.
This rather depends on the OS version than the Mac. Since this Macbook has a 32-bit processor, the latest OS you can install is Snow Leopard. The latest version of Xcode is still made available for Snow Leopard by Apple.
Xcode 4.2 for Lion (Mac App Store)
Xcode 4.2 for Snow Leopard (direct link)
Xcode 3.1.4 for Leopard (latest version that runs on Leopard)


Should the internal disk of a Mac be erased?

Yes, you can always erase a disk internal or external to set it up clean. The only reason to not erase is if you want to try and recover or back up any data.

I might try to repair a disk from recovery mode once or twice, then I erase to get a clean install.


HDMI Ethernet Channel never took off, and no commercially available devices support it. Your Apple TV, HDMI cable and TV would all have to support it, and it’s almost certain that none of them do.

See AVforums' List of HEC and ARC enabled devices? discussion.


Delete Key Repeat on macOS Sierra 10.12.0 Broken

This bug was fixed by Apple in macOS 10.12.1, released a few hours after I wrote the above ...


How to reset to default permissions on El Capitan

For system installed packages you can run the following command in Terminal.app to find permissions that differ from the default:

  sudo /usr/libexec/repair_packages --verify --standard-pkgs /

If you want to just apply those permissions to your system as a whole, run the following command:

  sudo /usr/libexec/repair_packages --repair --verify --standard-pkgs /

Or you could individually fix the permissions that you have changed yourself using chmod/chown.

For everything else, you need to have used either a package manager that can verify permissions, or have a backup you can use for comparing permissions before and after the event.

For others: Please note that the repair_packages command no longer exists in Sierra and newer macOS versions, as they now automatically handle repairing permissions. If you have manually messed up permissions so much that they cannot be fixed automatically, I would recommend restoring permissions from a Time Machine backup or similar.


My Mac has Python3 and 2.7 installed. How do I uninstall Python3 but keep 2.7?

rmtree verb is not available in the default install of Homebrew.

MacBook-Pro:~ admin$ brew rmtree python3
Error: Unknown command: rmtree

You can use uninstall verb as:

MacBook-Pro:~ admin$ brew uninstall python3
Uninstalling /usr/local/Cellar/python/3.6.5... (5,102 files, 102.9MB)
MacBook-Pro:~ admin$ python3
-bash: python3: command not found
MacBook-Pro:~ admin$ python
Python 2.7.10 (default, Oct  6 2017, 22:29:07)
[GCC 4.2.1 Compatible Apple LLVM 9.0.0 (clang-900.0.31)] on darwin
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.

However, rmtree can be installed by executing the following:

$ brew tap beeftornado/rmtree
$ brew rmtree <package>

Using rmtree, one can cleanly and completely remove a package installed from Homebrew, along with all of its dependencies.


Go to Settings > General > Phone (or Settings > Phone, depending on iOS version), and see what it says underMy number`. Chances are it still has your old number, if it does, change it to your new one.

Does your old Japanese number have a check mark next to it or is it just greyed out in Messages and FaceTime?

What does it say when you try and send a SMS? What error message are you getting?

Is this only for iMessage or ALL SMS?

Is your Data working?


How can I require a user to change their password?

Found on Apple Support Communities.

Go to

Workgroup Manager
Select the User or Users
Advanced Tab
Options


On a Mac, iDevice backups are stored in strangely (seemingly randomly) named subfolders in ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/
This is outside of the ~/Music/iTunes folder (standard Library location on Mac OSX).

You'd be wanting to take a copy of all the files and folders within this folder and put them on your network drive. I've not tested if a restore of these items works following a system reinstall and I suspect that iTunes may do some extra stuff behind the scenes to pair these backup folders and files to the devices that they came from.

Backup location on Windows (Assuming system drive is C:\)Windows XP
C:\Documents and Settings\user\Application Data\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup

Windows Vista/Windows 7
C:\Users\user\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup

(edit) Just realised that this probably doesn't fully answer your question, however, I've found this discussion which is along the lines of changing where iTunes reads/writes its backups


perhaps you'd like ScreenFlow; it offers lossless compression.


How to save the sudo password in AppleScript?

Instead of temporarily storing your password in an application/AppleScript it might be easier to enable password-less sudo access to ping:

Run sudo visudo to open the sudoers file
Add a line %admin ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: /sbin/ping to give all users in the admin group password-less access to sudo ping

Afterwards you can just use sudo ping from Terminal or Applescript.

$ sudo ping -s 65000 askdifferent.com
PING askdifferent.com (104.27.182.101): 65000 data bytes
65008 bytes from 104.27.182.101: icmp_seq=0 ttl=56 time=1250.724 ms
65008 bytes from 104.27.182.101: icmp_seq=1 ttl=56 time=4.107 ms
65008 bytes from 104.27.182.101: icmp_seq=2 ttl=56 time=3.943 ms

This works even without enabling the root account.

PS: Never edit /etc/sudoers directly, always use sudo visudo to do so. visudo applies basic sanity checks on the file when saving, you risk to lock yourself out of sudo if you get things wrong by editing the file directly.


Log/list of external/unauthorized programs that were given permission to open

I did a grep -iR for one of the names I recalled and one of the files it turned up in was: /Volumes/HDD1/Library/Receipts/InstallHistory.plist, HDD1 being the name of the drive the OS is installed on. So happy to have found it, because Apple increasingly hides all this useful info from users.

This is a file with complete records with names of all installed programs and the dates they were installed on and some other info.


How to open a new Terminal tab in current working directory?

Opening a new tab in Terminal should by default retain the current directory. If it doesn't, you may've broken the $PROMPT_COMMAND.

Also remember to not replace the previous value if you intend to add custom behaviour by adding ; $PROMPT_COMMAND at the end.

PROMPT_COMMAND="my_custom_function; $PROMPT_COMMAND"

For reference, here's the default from /etc/bashrc (OS X 10.9):

# Tell the terminal about the working directory at each prompt.
if [ "$TERM_PROGRAM" == "Apple_Terminal" ] && [ -z "$INSIDE_EMACS" ]; then
    update_terminal_cwd() {
        # Identify the directory using a "file:" scheme URL,
        # including the host name to disambiguate local vs.
        # remote connections. Percent-escape spaces.
        local SEARCH=' '
        local REPLACE='%20'
        local PWD_URL="file://$HOSTNAME${PWD//$SEARCH/$REPLACE}"
        printf '\e]7;%s\a' "$PWD_URL"
    }
    PROMPT_COMMAND="update_terminal_cwd; $PROMPT_COMMAND"
fi


AppleScript executes itself again after a reboot it initiated. How to avoid that?

Have your AppleScript write an empty file to a predefined location and test for its existance when the script starts. If the file is already there, delete it and quit the script; otherwise proceed as normal and reboot.


Open Mail, then a Time Machine backup (click System Preferences > Time Machine > Enter Time Machine) and browse the backups of your emails, scrolling up and down to "travel through time".

If you find a message that you want to restore, you can drag just a single message or a set of emails onto your desktop for import. Additionally, you can export an entire folder by right-clicking the folder and clicking "Export".


Do Apple Geniuses check if computers are "lost" with iCloud's Find My Mac before performing firmware password resets?

I doubt it, and even if they did, you should not rely on it.

I assume you are concerned about the case where your laptop gets stolen; you want to protect your data. In that regard, the firmware password is utterly useless, the thief could just pull the drive out and access your data anyway.

I suggest you look into something like FileVault 2 instead.


Sent items listed by sender's name (my name!) not recipient in Outlook for Mac 2011

Changing the "Arrange By" value from "Date received" to "Date Sent" on the top of the mail list solved this issue for me.


Apple Time Machine, Drobo and studio computer

I have a similar environment here.

I would split the task into 2 distinct parts.

For changing content, excluding all sample libraries etc. set up a Time Machine; internal, networked, AirPort Time Capsule or NAS-type. To keep any depth of history you will need a lot more space on the Time Machine than you have on the used drives.
Copy the static content directly to new drives, keep those offsite.

I would then invest in Backblaze [or similar] to backup the entire studio machine. It will exclude 'system' & only backup 'data'. BB accounts are per seat, so you'd have to consider whether the MacBook needed that too.

This would allow you to no longer worry about the mass of unchanging content you acquire & concentrate on the system & project backups. I would also periodically clone the project drive & take offsite.

There's an article on NAS compatibility for Time Machine here

(I don't use NAS myself, I just Time Machine to one of my internal 2TB drives for on-site, short-term backup. I let Backblaze do the heavy lifting, plus physical offsite for projects & sample sets etc.)


What is that circle that replaces the WIFI icon on my iPhone 2G sometimes?

The circle indicates that you're on the cellular GPRS data network. The fact that it's visible also means that you don't have a wifi connection:


The Internet Recovery (Option-Command-R at boot) installer will let you install the earliest supported Mac OS X version for your hardware (only as far back as Lion if your device supports an earlier version).


How to import Apple Mail archive files in Outlook 2013?

Apple mail archive are in .mbox format which is not a supported Outlook format in windows. You cannot import this file, that's why.

You might want to look for a .mbox to .pst converter.

To help you out this might help you:
Trial MBOX Converter


New 2013 MacBook Air connects to routers everywhere but home, older MacBooks connect fine

Lets try to manually connect to your Network

In Terminal copy paste following:

To turn On MBA wifi

networksetup -setairportpower en0 on

Find networks (displays the list of networks

/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Apple80211.framework/Versions/A/Resources/airport scan

Connect

networksetup -setairportnetwork en0 WIFI_SSID_I_WANT_TO_JOIN WIFI_PASSWORD

You can skip 1 and 2 if you already know the information


Is it possible to upgrade original iMac (1998) memory (RAM) to above 256 MB?

The maximum amount of RAM that the iMac G3 could accept was 384MB for the Rev. A model and 512MB of RAM for the Rev. B model.

This was done with a 128MB and a 256MB module or two 256MB modules of 144pin PC66 RAM, respectively.


How do I burn a movie DVD on MacOS Catalina without additional software?

No. Sadly, since Apple discontinued iDVD, there is no built-in way to burn a movie DVD.

Burn is an excellent free utility for creating audio, video and file storage on optical media.


How to create a Siri Shortcut that prompts to select a Reminders list that can be reused as a variable

This is a very hacky solution with annoying drawbacks.  I hope someone else comes up with something better.

The only way I found to set a variable to a user-selected list from the Reminders app is to add a dummy reminder that allows the user to set the list (and alert), from which you can extract the list (and alert) and store them for re-use into variables.  Then you just immediately delete the new dummy reminder.

The steps are:

Static text with the (unique) value "Dummy reminder"
Add New Reminder (Reminder: "your selected items", List: Ask Each Time, Alert: Ask Each Time)
Set variable "Selected reminders list" to (List from #2).  To do this, you have to tap the "List" and set "Get" to "List"
Set variable "Dummy reminder" to select magic variable: \New Reminder\
Set variable "The alert" to select magic variable: \Dummy Reminder\ and change "Get" to "Has Alarms"
Remove (select magic variable) \Dummy Reminder\

Then you can use these variables however you want:

Selected reminders list
The alert

The drawbacks:

While I entered a variable name "your selected items" to try and suggest that something will happen with the text you're running this shortcut on, the prompt to set the list and the alert is not very intuitive.  It reads "Add \your selected items\ to \default reminders list\ with \No Alert\".  You have to tap your default reminders list name in the text of the prompt to change it (as you do for the alert).
The user gets a non-specific warning that a reminder will be deleted and that it can't be undone, but they have no idea what it is.  It states "Remove 1 Reminder? This is a permanent action. Are you sure you want to remove this item? \Cancel\ \Remove\".
If the user doesn't tap or taps "No Alert" but doesn't enter a time (even though a grayed out default time is displayed), they will get an error that states "The alert time provided was invalid. Please check for spelling errors and ensure you provide a time of day."

Alternatively, you can do something similar using the "Find Reminders" method, but the prompt is even less clear/intuitive.


How to pass two variables from previous actions to "run applescript" in Automator

For my normal usage, typically when using a Set Value of Variable action, the subsequent action will have the [√] Ignore this action's input checkbox checked. This is because one does not typically set a variable and then pass it directly to the next action, unless of course the value of that variable will also be needed elsewhere in the workflow and the next action also makes use of the variable. Since a Ask for Finder Items action in your use case as shown in your question isn't going to use the variable, I've checked the [√] Ignore this action's input checkbox checked, in the Ask for Finder Items action. Of course adjust to your needs.

Now to pass both what's returned by the Ask for Finder Items action and the value of the Variable_1 variable, place a Get Value of Variable action between the Ask for Finder Items action and the Run AppleScript action.

Then in this case, input in on run {input, parameters} is a list of two items, the first being what was passed from the Ask for Finder Items action and the second being the value of the Variable_1 variable from the Get Value of Variable action, and here's an example AppleScript code addressing what is shown in your Run AppleScript action to handle it:

on run {input, parameters}

    set filePath to the POSIX path of item 1 of input
    set Answer to item 2 of input   -- This is the value of the Variable_1 variable.

    return filePath & Answer
end run

That said, the return line may not be practical as it's just concatenating two strings at that point, so I suspect this is just for testing to see that it actually can return the two pieces of information.


Is there any way to tell if someone is reading my iMessages?

This is possible if somebody knows your AppleID password and uses it to log in onto another device. Changing the password and reviewing the list of alternative phone numbers/email addresses associated with your AppleID should be enough to resolve that (assuming that your new password is significantly better than the old).


How to OEM iPod / iPad as controller for our product?

Contact Redpark.  They may be able to help you apply for Apple's MFi program and get a custom cable manufactured to your (and Apple's MFi) specification after you are accepted into the MFi program.  Then you can distribute your custom app for that cable (and your industrial product) via Apple's iTunes App store.


Keyboard shortcut for locking screen in macOS Sierra?

In macOS High Sierra (10.13) there is a 'Lock Screen' option built in the Apple menu.

And finally a shortcut ctrl + cmd + Q :-)


Why does my mac not have free space even after I delete files?

On the assumption that you have APFS file system, macOS 10.14 Mojave, and local snapshots -  the system might take some time to purge the space.

The way to know this would be to open the system information and give it several minutes to catalog all the space into buckets.

Second - check for local snapshots

tmutil listlocalsnapshots /

There are command line options to force a purge of APFS snapshots:

tmutil thinlocalsnapshots / $(echo "10 * 1000000000" | bc) 2

How do I know if a time machine backup is running?
How to delete all local TimeMachine snapshots

If you don't have these, I would suggest making sure you have a good backup and restart to recovery mode and run a disk check to be sure the accounting / filesystem are in good shape.

The next thing to do would be to turn off iCloud and let all those files exist only in the cloud. This will prevent a local storage taking space.

Once you install the upgrade, you can turn on iCloud again and only download the files you need locally.


Notes.app asks to verify a certificate each time I start it

Go to Systems Preferences > Internet Accounts select the account of the website you manage and disable the Notes.


Macbook Screen Graphics Glitching From One Frame To Another

Take it to an authorized apple repair facility.  They are the only ones that can get new parts.  The labor is reasonable, $75 an hour if I remember right.  You can try and go with a used screen but you're taking your chances.  If you have apple care then they might replace the screen for free.  I can tell you that the retina screen is about $450 on a MacBook.  They will also do a free diagnostic to make sure the quote is accurate.  Looking on Amazon the price is about the same so might as well let the pros do it.

As far as the diagnostic part try plugging in an external display.  If the display glitches there too then it's probably not the screen.  Let us know what happens on an external display.


Is it safe to delete the /Developer folder on Mac OS X 10.7.5 (Lion)?

Yes, it looks like it should be safe to remove /Developer if you have already installed version 4.3 or later of Xcode. The Xcode section of the Apple Developer Support Center actually tells you to do this (emphasis mine).

  I've installed the latest version of Xcode from the Mac App Store, but a previous version of Xcode (4.2.1 or earlier) keeps launching. What should I do?

  To run the latest version of Xcode, make sure you are launching Xcode.app from the Applications folder. Xcode 4.3 and later is packaged on the Mac App Store as a single application and installs in your Applications folder as Xcode.app.

  Previous versions of Xcode placed the tools and frameworks in the Developer folder. You can delete the older version of Xcode by dragging the Developer folder to the trash.

Furthermore, as pointed out by bispymusic, /Developer no longer exists with Xcode 4.3. Specifically (emphasis mine):

  The simplification afforded by repackaging Xcode 4.3 as a single app bundle eliminates the need for the /Developer directory containing prior versions of Xcode. As a result, the Install Xcode application and the uninstall-devtools command line script are also no longer needed.

  Note: The first time you run Xcode 4.3, you are prompted with a dialog to delete the Install Xcode application from the Applications directory if one is resident, and to remove any older installation of Xcode (Figure 4). These actions are optional, Xcode 4.3 can co-exist with older installations of Xcode on the same Mac. Some operations may require an administrator password to enable them if you switch from one version of Xcode to another.

  Figure 4  Option to remove older versions of Xcode

  If you choose not to delete these items on the first launch of Xcode 4.3, you can remove the /Developer folder and the Install Xcode application by dragging them to the Trash at any time.


Why is Photos using my battery for Audio like this?

It could be because you have been watching some of your own videos in the photos app. It doesn't mean that the photos app has been doing this for the full five minutes, it just means that there has been audio playing in that app at some time, and the rest of the time could be other things.


How to delete burst photos stuck in Recently Deleted folder?

How to solve:

Recover everything from 'Recently Deleted'
Go into your Photos, and scroll down to 'Bursts'
Follow these instructions, noting it will be a little more difficult for you since you may be looking at completely blank images rather than actual images (but it will work even for completely blank images, I can confirm this).

The steps to delete an individual burst from Photos are

Go into Photos
Scroll down to 'Bursts'
Select a burst, and press 'Select...'
Click in the center of the screen to pick any photo as the 'Favorite' (it doesn't matter which one since they'll all be deleted in a moment)
Tap 'Done'
Tap 'Keep Only 1 Favorite'
Tap 'Select'
Tap the 1 Favorate photo you chose in Step 6
Tap the trash can to delete it - it's gone!

Repeat the above steps once for every burst you want to delete.


Is there a URL scheme for sending an SMS to multi-recipients?

If sms:// launches Messages (and it does), then you don't need an mms:// handler, because sms:// launches Messages but doesn't determine the message type. Simply tap the camera icon and choose the photo to send once Messages launches.

Protocol handlers like tel:// and sms:// are just glorified urls, like http://www.askdifferent.com/, and they were not designed with multiple resources in mind. Resources being domains, files, etc. Note that you cannot request two files from within a single URL.

Example: You cannot do something like: http://www.askdifferent.com/images/uploadedscreenshot1.png+uploadedscreenshot2.png

I've attempted various delimiters for multiple recipients, such as %20, ,, |, +, and &, and none of them working. I would not be surprised if there is no way to specify multiple recipients via the sms:// protocol URI.


How do I use iCloud to sync Pages documents from iPad to iPhone?

Make sure iCloud is turned on.
Open Settings > iCloud, and turn On "Documents and Data" if it is off.
If you are on iOS 6 on your iPhone, and not connected to wifi, open Settings > General > Cellular, and make certain "iCloud Documents" is On.
Verify that you are signed into the same iCloud account on both devices.
Install the Pages app on your iPhone, and on your iPad.
Open Pages on your iPhone. If you have created documents on your iPad, it may take a few moments for your iPhone to download them.

In addition, you may find this how-to resource helpful in setting up iCloud.


How to query a particular field of brew cask/ formula info?

https://docs.brew.sh/Manpage#cask-command-options-cask
brew cask info github

should work.
--desc is not listed as a valid option for cask.

To specifically check a field in the JSON file /api/cask/github.json (JSON API), use the info command with --json flag and use jq to get the values of a particular field.
While you may find a better way to do it by reading the manual, here's what will work, at least.
brew info --json=v1 github | jq "map(.|.desc)"

https://stedolan.github.io/jq/manual/#Basicfilters
https://docs.brew.sh/Querying-Brew#brew-info---json


Why does opening AirPort Utility restore my internet connection?

Can you try disabling the DHCP and NAT and putting the device into Bridge Mode? Since the D-Link is functioning as the router there's no reason to double NAT (this is generally considered bad) and that's the only thing that's strange about your setup that could be causing this behavior.


Accessing Exchange from OS X - what restrictions are respected?

Outlook cannot enforce computer locking, that would require your Mac to be joined to the (Active Directory) domain and only AD logins permitted. There may be Outlook specific settings that are specified but there is no way to enforce computer locking (on a Mac) just by setting up an Exchange account in Outlook. Setting it up in Mail.app, well there is very little that can be done other than forcing a password change.


First, check and see if you can log in to your account at appleid.apple.com. Support can help you a lot more if you can log in here, since you can get a support PIN (which acts as a password).
Tell them your support PIN (found at the very bottom of the page) and they will know that it's you and can fix your account with only one security question.

Your Apple ID should also be set up with a non-apple email address, and that should be where you are getting your codes. Check all of you emails, spam folders and all, to make sure you didn't miss an account reset email. Good luck!


Is it possible to rename an USB or Bluetooth audio device?

After any Bluetooth device is paired and connected, Go to Preferences->Bluetooth and right-click the device you want to rename. From the context menu, select the ‘Rename’ option.


Mac App Store and multiple OS partitions

At present the app isn't set up to restrict its spotlight search to any specific volume. That behavior falls as a natural consequence of "the Mac way"  of letting an app reside anywhere and still run.

You can use disk utility to unmount that volume when it's time to install or update as a workaround.


If by "user selected directory" you are referring to a directory (other than the desktop) that is defined prior to taking the screenshot, then you can easily use the defaults command inside Terminal to change this for all future screenshots. If however, you mean changing the directory as the screenshot is taken, this is not possible as far as I am aware of.

Defining the screenshot location:
defaults write com.apple.screencapture location /path/to/new/location
To apply changes:
killall SystemUIServer
Defining the screenshot type:
defaults write com.apple.screencapture type png - change extension as required.
To apply changes:
killall SystemUIServer
Enable/Disable image shadows:
defaults write com.apple.screencapture disable-shadow -bool true
defaults write com.apple.screencapture disable-shadow -bool false
To apply changes:
killall SystemUIServer

As Steve mentioned, you can also take a look at TinkerTool to make adjustments, however the commands I referenced above should be what you are looking for. Let me know how you get on.


OS X El Captain - Terminal shortcut is not working

This is because the shortcut you created is specific to the Application.
When you create the shortcut, you need to enter the "exact name of the menu command" within the Application specified in the dropdown above.

Typing "Terminal" won't work.

3 Options to quickly Launch Terminal
Add to your Dock
Open Your Applications Folder and simply drag the Terminal icon to your dock.  Click on it whenever you want.

Use Spotlight
One of my favorite ways to launch programs is to simply type it in Spotlight.  Press Command Space to invoke Spotlight and just start typing

Use Karabiner
If you have to have a keyboard shortcut to run Terminal, consider using  Karabiner.  It's free software that allows you create custom shortcuts for virtually any task.  Best of all, it's free.


I am a regular user of the current OneNote iPad app.  Your only option for moving the text boxes is to use the iOS method for selecting, cutting and pasting.  There is not currently a way to grab text box handle and move the entire box like you can with the desktop app.

After you select and cut your text, tap into the area of the page you wish to move the box and then tap and hold and paste.

FWIW, the rumor mill says that Microsoft will release a full-on touch compatible version of the office suite, including OneNote for the iPad very soon.  Hopefully that version will support more of the features of the desktop app like moving the text boxes.

Happy computing.


I found a solution to the problem: use the MacOSX 'arch' command to force perl to run as 32-bit.  (See also https://stackoverflow.com/questions/2088569/how-do-i-force-python-to-be-32-bit-on-snow-leopard-and-other-32-bit-64-bit-quest .)

[kw|~] arch -32 perl5.12 -ce 'use Mac::Glue'
-e syntax OK

Note that one needs the explicit "perl5.12" and not simply "perl", since (on MacOSX 10.8) /usr/bin/perl is a shell script which delegates to either /usr/bin/perl5.12 or /usr/bin/perl5.10.


What services that I can't use when I unsubscribe the mobile me?

According to the Terms of Service (number 10) you will not be able to use any of the services you are currently paying for after termination of subscription.

  Upon termination of your account you lose all access to the Service and any portions thereof, including, but not limited to, your Member Account (any Sub-accounts thereunder), Subscriber ID, email account, iDisk, domains, iChat account and MobileMe Gallery albums.


What is the best way to connect a mid 2012 macbook pro to a new ultra wide external monitor?

I'm assuming you're asking about the UltraWide LG monitor range, since this is their registered mark.
The best way would be to use the Mini Display Port (also known as Thunderbolt) on your Mac and Display Port on your monitor (with the correct cable), but you will not be able to use more than 2560 by 1600 (In case you have 15" 2012 MacBook Pro with retina display). Via HDMI, your MacBook is able to output only 1920 by 1080.
Such a compatible monitor should be LG 29WK600-W.


See upload and download speeds of each process

iStat Menus has this functionality in the Network menu bar item. Each process bandwidth is shown in the Processes section. This is calculated by keeping track of the sent/received bytes (something you can see in Activity Monitor for each process) since the last time period and calculating the bandwidth from this.


To flesh out an answer from your comment in case other people encounter this problem...

You need to provide the full e-mail address as the username. If you have two accounts with different domains and the same local part and you only specify the local part as the username, it can cause problems.

First.Last@gmail.com
First.Last@company.com

It may appear that both accounts are 'working' (as in no connection errors) but really it is just connected to the same account twice causing the double messages as you described.


Is it possible to toggle the trackball as a scroll wheel using Karabiner?

Try putting this into your private.xml file.  Select the top option (Toggle CursorMove -> ScrollWheel) in Preferences/Key Change tab and this will toggle the option below (using simultaneous press of trackball LEFT/RIGHT buttons).  You could use KeyToKey instead of SimultaneousKeyPresses if you just want to use a single trackball button press.

<vkopenurldef>
    <name>KeyCode::VK_OPEN_URL_SHELL_toggle_cursormove_scrollwheel</name>
    <url type="shell">
        <![CDATA[    /Applications/Karabiner.app/Contents/Library/bin/karabiner toggle private.pointing_relative_none_to_scroll    ]]>
    </url>
</vkopenurldef>

<item>
    <name>Toggle CursorMove -> ScrollWheel</name>
    <identifier>private.toggle_cursormove_scrollwheel</identifier>
    <autogen>
        __SimultaneousKeyPresses__
        PointingButton::RIGHT, PointingButton::LEFT,
        KeyCode::VK_OPEN_URL_SHELL_toggle_cursormove_scrollwheel,
    </autogen>
</item>

<item>
    <name>CursorMove -> ScrollWheel</name>
    <identifier>private.pointing_relative_none_to_scroll</identifier>
    <autogen>__PointingRelativeToScroll__ PointingButton::NONE</autogen>
</item>


What's a good key binding for tmux on OS X?

I've been using Ctrl+s for some time. It does not shadow any shell command I know of, and is quite convenient to hit if you also have CapsLock mapped to Ctrl (this can be done from within System Preferences->Keyboard->Modified Keys).


Why can't I copy a drive in full to another drive?

and I get "disk out of space" on a Terminal where I copy the files with cp -r.

I suggest using the ditto command.  You can use ditto to copy directory to directory. It includes all nested directory. No idea how links would work.

Would the source disk be timemachine disk?  It uses hardlinks which result in a copy of the data being made for each hardlink.

Same would go for another disk with lots of links. fyi: The Unix link command is ln.


Which folders should be copied when performing a manual backup?

The /Users folder is the most important, thats where all your personal data is kept.

The items in /Applications folder can always be re-downloaded but won't hurt to back them up too. Pay special attention to the apps that can't be easily obtained by downloading from the Mac App Store or from their web-site, like older version of app, an app no longer available from the developer/publisher or a self build app.


Numbers: is it possible to add multiple select elements?

Unfortunately it is not currently possible to make multiple selections from a dropdown list in Numbers.

One possible work around would be to use multiple columns.  Then use a formula to CONCATENATE the cells into a single string.  Not very elegant.

Apple Support Community - Make a pop-up with multiple selections


USB Win 7 boot disk shows in rEFInd but booting from it loads BootCamp partition instead

You have not provided enough information to precisely answer your question. Therefore, I will try to cover all the bases. Older Macs can not boot the Windows installer from a USB port. Generally if your Mac was shipped with an optical drive, then your Mac is one of the older models. Another way to tell, would be to try and create the USB installer using the Boot Camp Assistant application. If you can not, then the application knows you have such a model. You may read, elsewhere, that it is possible to edit a info.plist file to fool the Boot Camp Assistant into allowing you to create the USB Windows installer. Just because you can succeed, does not automatically mean your Mac will be able to boot from USB drive.

Again, just because rEFInd detects your USB Windows installer, does not mean your Mac can boot from the device. The tool rEFInd is a boot manager, not a boot loader. It can only override the default boot partition or device setting. The Mac firmware still preforms the operation of booting from a particular partition or device.

I believe the Windows USB installer created, using the  tools provided by Microsoft, produces a installer that will not work on any Mac. I believe this to be true, regardless of the year the Mac was made. Also, for the newer Macs, the "Boot Camp Support Software" is suppose to be transferred to the USB drive before installing Windows. The allows the Windows installer the choice of substituting software, such as drivers provided by Apple and other venders, during the installation process.

As for where to go next? This depends on the model/year of your Mac and the version of OS X you have installed.


Terminal - how to batch transfer files to other macs

It is so tedious to do it manually connecting with Finder, transfer
  the files and continue with the next one...

Yes it is.  There's a GUI solution - Apple Remote Desktop (ARD) was designed with this (as well as much more) in mind.

  Is there a way to do it with Terminal (scp or other tool) so that I
  can just write an script and see how it's automatically done?

Yes there is, but there needs to be some preliminary work done first to make this an automated system.

What you need:

an account with admin privileges  on each machine
Remote Login enabled
create an SSH key to authenticate you without a password
small script to copy the files (optional; so you don't have to keep typing the command over and over)

Account with admin privileges and remote login.  These are  self explanatory.  Setting up your SSH keys for a password-less login is detailed in the post "How to SSH in one line"

Using SCP to copy a file, your command could be as simple as:

scp foo.bar admin@computer1:/remote/directory/location/foo.bar

With the SSH keys setup, you won't be prompted for a password.

You could even script this for a batch of computers:

#!/bin/bash
computers=(comp1 comp2 comp3)            #Array of computer names
rdir="/remote/directory/location"        #Remmote directory
file="foo.bar"                           #filename to be xfered
user="admin"                             #login username

for comp in $computers
do
    scp ${user}@${comp}:${rdir}/${file}
done

exit

The script will iterate through the array computers copying the file foo.bar to the remote directory until there are no more items left then exit.


Retrieve Current iPhone Lock Screen Live Photo Wallpaper

I don't know of a way, but you can take a screen shot while in lock screen.

And if your unlocked screens have the same background, you can create a screen page with only one app on it, and take a screen shot of that.  In fact, when I tried it, I accidentally left the one app on its original page, so the page was empty.

Then use a graphic editor to combine the two, thereby removing much of the clock and the app icon.

I took the top half of the empty app page (no big clock) and the bottom half of the empty app page (no dock) to get the image below.

Then if you put the resulting image into reverse image search, you might get the original image.


How to make screen zoom little bit less terrible?

There is no way of fixing that.  It is magnifying the screen, not a true resolution independent zoom, so as things magnify they will appear blocky.


Deleted thousands of photos from Photos library, and the size is the same

Photos does not reclaim disk spaces immediately after you empty the Recently Deleted folder. Keep Photos opened and allow it to reclaim the disk space. It does take some time. I believe that they are the image caches, thumbnails, indices for searching and all other metadata files being cleaned up in the background. There are a lot of layers to how the photos are stored, so there is a lot of different files to clean up. I'd connect to the ac power and just don't let your disk or computer go to sleep.


External Harddrive is showing in System Information but not Disk Utility

So I know this was asked a very long time ago but for the sake of people landing on this page, here's what I know:

If it shows up in system utility and your drive is spinning (as mine is), that means your hard drive enclosure is functioning and the logic board inside is working as well. However, if it's not showing up in the disk utility then there is still an internal problem with the hard drive. Since it is at least partially functioning, it may be possible for a professional to be able to recover some or all of the data from the drive but you'll probably need to invest in a new one for future use. Sorry.


How can I show only certain movies in iTunes on the Apple TV 2nd Generation?

It's not Home Sharing, but this allows you to share over Bonjour, and you can drag just the movies you want into their own playlist.


Mac randomly wakes up. Wake reason: (User)

You have the Chrome Remote Desktop app installed and active.

That one is waking up your computer as show here:

pid 315(remoting_me2me_): [0x0000954900050599] 00:04:44   NoDisplaySleepAssertion named: "Chrome Remote Desktop connection active"

pid 315(remoting_me2me_): [0x000095490009059a] 00:04:44 UserIsActive named: "Chrome Remote Desktop connection active"

pid 27(powerd): [0x0000954300100428] 00:04:50 InternalPreventDisplaySleep named: "com.apple.powermanagement.delayDisplayOff"

What to do about it read here.

Also you have the MAGICWAKE activated. Disable the Wake on WiFi in your syst pref- Energy to stop that.


Encrypted USB disk not shown in Finder after unlocking

I just had to solve this issue this morning. I though the USB was ruined but it turns out it was something to do with btrees caused by a write error. Tech Tools Pro identified it and fixed the issue. I also have Disk Warrior 5 and probably would have worked as well.


How to reinstall Safari 8 without reinstalling OS X Yosemite

First try to boot your computer into Safe Mode and open Safari. If it does open you can see if there are any extensions causing the crash and remove them.

You can also update to the Safari 8.0.1 beta from https://developer.apple.com/downloads/index.action# and see if that helps fix it.

If all else fails. Boot to the recovery partition and reinstall the OS (This will ONLY reinstall the core system and its Apps. Including Safari. No personal data will be lost)


You are not able to switch cards with your Apple ID. The only option is to create a new account with a different card.

Only with Apple Pay can you switch cards when making physical purchases.


Open System Preferences and choose Notifications. From there you can silence the ones you don’t want.


What Is The Path Where Apache Is Located?

The default location is:

/usr/libexec/apache2/


SATA | Firewire | USB3 ports (usually for external HDDs;) Ethernet ports; Media Card readers; Thunderbolt ports; PCI bus extenders. Sonnettech has quite a few options.


When does an automatic app update happen on iOS?

When the device checks for updates, it builds a list of all apps that need updating. All of those updates will be installed assuming these criteria are met:

The iOS device must be on and/or asleep.
The iOS device must be connected to power and/or battery is almost full.
The iOS device must be connected to a cellular data network and/or Wi-Fi.
Updates larger than 100MB will only be downloaded over Wi-Fi, never cellular. You can also disallow updating over cellular.
If device is in Low Power Mode it will not update


As it turns out I had a purchased copy of Xcode for Snow Leopard. Installing that fixed it.


Suppress Time Machine Old Backups Dialogue Via Command Line

I don’t know whether you can suppress the dialog through tmutil directly.

The alternative, as you suggested, is to temporarily turn off the “Notify after old backups are deleted” option of the Time Machine options preferences through defaults:

sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.TimeMachine.plist AlwaysShowDeletedBackupsWarning 0

Use “1” instead of “0” to turn the option back on.

(I should perhaps specify that this answer applies to El Capitan, I don’t know about Sierra, though I assume this hasn’t changed.)


Have you tried rebooting? Sometimes it's a Keychain problem. Try opening the Keychain app, and see if it hangs. If it is so, repair permission with Disk Utility and then reboot. It worked for me (happened twice on my MBA).


How to run commands to turn off preview in Mail

Open the Terminal app located in /Applications/Utilities and type (or paste) that command, then hit enter.


Mac not bootable, save files with other mac

The more valuable the files, the slower you should be and refrain from trying command line tools on your only copy of the drive. Test with a rented Mac first to be sure you have control of the system and tools you’re using. That being said, here is general advice for anyone needing data recovery:

You can take a Mac to Apple for repair and ask they transfer the data to a drive you supply. (Pay the pros - get data maybe and a working Mac back)
You can destroy data by mounting a drive in Target Disk mode if you don’t prevent the second system from running a filesystem check. (The filesystem assumes you have a backup and restores consistency, rolling back changes and orphaning files if needed to provide a sane filesystem that accounts for space. It doesn’t set out to destroy data, but it can in some cases make things worse - why risk it?)
You can get a file recovery specialist to get your data, and save the repair expense (Pay the pros to get the data - fix the Mac later)
Reputable vendors like OWC will help you determine how feasible a storage swap is. Figure out precisely what storage costs and what surgery entails and you could be $20 of parts to remove the storage and safely try to recover files. (Pay for software and support once you run the free trial. Spend time learning)

If care to preserve the data, try booting your old Mac in target disk mode but use a write block tool like Data Rescue to safely scan the old Mac and see what is retrievable rather than letting the OS “repair” the drive.

https://www.prosofteng.com/
https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/transfer-files-mac-computers-target-disk-mode-mchlp1443/mac

I would exhaust all options before working on an Apple portable or try a DIY recovery effort using non-paid tools if you care about getting valuable data off. If you just want to learn and the data is low value, dive right in with https://ifxit.com and disk drill or dd - both of those are amazing tools at a low price to obtain, but in skilled or unskilled hands alike are also known as the data destroyers.


How to upload photos taken from iPhone to iCloud Photo Library?

Set "Upload to My Photo Stream" on in Photos and Camera Settings


What has caused the CTRL + x + e shortcut to stop working in the shell?

The edit-and-execute-command function triggered with Ctrl-x-e uses a temporary file which gets opened in the defined editor. If you want to use/run your changed command(s) afterwards, you must answer YES if prompted to save the file. Otherwise your changes will be lost.


How to configure the colors for Terminal Profiles

Just to the right of the colour selector, there's a setting that right now says "Image: Solid Colors". This means that Terminal will grab an image from some system directory containing solid-colour images and use that as a background, overriding whatever background colour you have set. Change that setting to "No image" (or something like that; my Mac is set to Swedish...) and it should work.


AirDrop: How to access AirDrop from command line?

If both computers have Wi-Fi capability built-in (otherwise AirDrop won't work either), you can setup a WLAN between them directly (no additional hardware required). The procedure is extremely simple (more or less copied verbatim from Apple):

Choose Create Network from the AirPort status icon in the menu bar.
If the icon isn’t in the menu bar, choose Apple > System Preferences, and then click Network. Click AirPort and select the “Show AirPort status in menu bar” checkbox.

Give the network a name and select a channel from the pop-up menu (or just use the default channel).

Select the Require Password checkbox to protect your network with a password. Type the password users will need to enter in order to join your network. Unfortunately WPA/WPA2 is not supported so pick WEP128 and type a password of exactly 13 ASCII characters or 26 hex digits

From the other computer you now can access the network under the name assigned in step 2. To exchange files, either use the Public/Drop Box folders of the individual users or share a specific folder for everybody.


How to remove app which is greyed out, can't be deleted, won't open and doesn't appear in apps list?

Go to settings, general, storage & Icloud usage , manage storage, check the app list click on the app and delete


Apple's native mail app doesn't allow swipe to work that way on iPhone since swipes are for marking / archiving / moving or deleting by design.

On larger iOS devices - portrait mode works the same as the iPhone (non S size) but landscape mode has a navigation sidebar for navigating.

It's not a swipe, but it helps triage mails for me.

You might look at Inbox by Gmail on iOS - it has a snooze feature that could be used to swipe past mails like tinder allows you to swipe to filter and file a queue of people.


Messages in iCloud applies to all SMS. The service can both be used to backup messages in iCloud and sync them across all your devices.
While it may be confusing to manage a SMS service setting under iMessage settings, it still applies to all your SMS if they have been synced from your iPhone. Mac cannot send or receive regular SMS themselves because they don't have the hardware required.


Does apple sign macOS as they do it for iOS

The update process on macOS and iOS is very different.

Apple does not sign macOS installers/updates individually for each device. This means that there is no requirement that Apple "still signs" these updates for them to work and be installable.

This means that as long as you have an valid upgrade that at some point worked, it will always work in the future (you might have to set your computers clock back if the upgrade file is several years old though).

In general you should be very careful when downloading upgrades from a different source than Apple itself. Never install the upgrade without confirming that the file is identical to the original Apple file. This is commonly done by taking an MD5 checksum of the file, and comparing it to the known good checksum.

You can find the MD5 checksum of a file by running the following command in the Terminal:

md5 filename

where you replace "filename" with the actual name of the file, you want to checksum.

The md5 checksum looks something like this: ecfcaab9ad3d019ee982abdc84eff102 (just an example)


How to upgrade to latest macOS with a clean install?

To perform a clean install, try using Internet recovery.

About macOS Recovery

  Newer Mac computers and some older Mac computers automatically try to start up from macOS Recovery over the Internet when unable to start up from the built-in recovery system. When that happens, you see a spinning globe instead of an Apple logo during startup. To manually start up from macOS Recovery over the Internet, press and hold Option-Command-R or Shift-Option-Command-R at startup. Learn more about these key combinations.


Understanding Files on iOS / iPadOS: Accessing stored files

How do I access files stored in the Files app from another app?

Some apps integrate with the Files app; these are called "Document-Based Apps" (according to Xcode). Apple's iWork apps and GarageBand are document-based apps, which means that you can open those apps and see your file system just like if you where in the Files app. It’s basically an exact replica of the Files app with some slight functionality changes.

There are also third-party apps, such as File Browser, that can access the same thing the Files app does, as well as other computers on your network.

  I understand that Files is no real file manager, like Finder, but rather an interface to several cloud services that also happens to provide app-internal storage (what is visible as "on my iPad"). Is that a correct view?

Some apps aren't document-based apps, like the ones I mentioned above, but have folders in iCloud or on the device to store files. A few examples of these are iMovie, Swift Playgrounds, Reality Composer, etc. These apps will usually let you save files to the Files app via a share sheet or export button.

The Files app lets you view files on your device, in iCloud, on removable media, or a third-party server. If you have both a Mac and an iOS/iPadOS device with iCloud Drive enabled for Desktop and Documents folders, you can transfer files to and from your Mac via the cloud.

One cool thing I will mention is the Minecraft's use of the Files app. It has a folder on the device and is one of the only apps I have seen so far where you can modify parts of the game by changing some of the files inside it. For example, you can replace a world's icon by replacing the file it's using in the Files app.

  [H]ow can I access arbitrary user files somewhere on my iPad? I'm fine with restrictions on system files, but content I have created should reside somewhere on the iPad's file system... is there a proper Finder replacement for mobile devices?

If you save something to your device in the Files app, it should be there. I have a Pages document and an image on my device. I can go to Files and view the image, or open the Pages document, just like you can in Finder.

I will say this; there seems to be a bug (I think) in iPadOS that won't show some on-device folders. Hopefully, they will fix it soon. Right now, you can save files in the root of "on your device," and you shouldn't have any issues viewing them.


On Apple TV, What does signing in with my TV provider and allowing apps to access the subscription actually do?

Source:

According to Apple, not all providers or apps support single sign-on. As you've already discovered, sometimes you need to sign-in to an app separately.  This isn't just with Apple TV; I have a Roku and it does the same thing.

Normally, I would paste the names of the TV providers and apps that support SSO.  However, this list is very long and often changes so posting them here doesn't make sense.  Instead, I'll post the links to Apple's site that contain the lists.  That way, it should always be up-to-date.

List of TV providers that support SSO
List of apps that support SSO

Here's how to see a list of supported apps by provider on your Apple TV:

Open the App Store.
Choose the Featured tab.
Scroll down and look for either an icon called TV Providers or an icon of your specific TV provider. Select the icon to see apps that support single sign-on. The list of supported apps might update as apps add support for single sign-on.


How do I clean a 13” mid-2012 MacBook Pro motherboard

Test it first!!

Okay, this may seem strange (and many would disagree with me) but based on your question it sounds like the MBP was immediately shutdown after the spill and hasn’t been used at all since for about five months. If that’s the case there’s a very real chance the MBP will be fine if there wasn’t too much coffee penetration and the spill wasn’t near the worst possible areas (you don’t say where the spill was, or how much of it there was). But, being human, I assume the first thing your brother-in-law did (besides shutting it down) was to remove the MBP from the coffee spill and soaking up any obvious external signs of coffee with paper towels. This may be wishful thinking on my behalf, but I figure if he had the sound mind to shut it down, unplug it, and not restart it again (plus the knowledge required to remove the hard drive), that he had some idea of what he was doing.

I guess what I’m saying is, if it was me I would connect it up to a bootable drive (you can just do this via USB) and power it up. You’ll know soon enough if it’s going to work. If so you’ve saved yourself a bit of effort without the risk associated with cleaning a logic board (i.e. motherboard) etc. If it doesn’t work, your chances drop significantly, but not totally. So below is how I’d proceed to clean the logic board/components.

WARNING!!!

Before you begin ensure the MBP is not connected to an AC power supply.

Removing the bottom cover

The bottom cover has 10 screws. To remove these you will need a Phillips #00 screwdriver. While you may get away with another method to remove them, don’t do this as you may thread/damage the screws in the process!

Also, I strongly suggest as you remove each screw you place them on a towel or similar material so they don’t move/roll away, and that you do this in the pattern that you removed them. This is because these 10 screws are not actually all the same - three of the rear ones are about 3x longer than the others, and the four front ones are shouldered screws - so make sure you don’t get them mixed up!

Recommended:  I strongly recommend you follow the first four steps of this iFixit guide - it shows you how to remove the cover and how to also remove the battery connector from its socket on the logic board.

If for whatever reason you don’t feel comfortable removing the battery connector, you can try to ensure the battery has no charge in it!! When you’re satisfied this is the case, press the Power Button for a while (say 15 or so seconds) and then let the MBP sit there for at least 20 minutes before doing anything else. It’s a good chance to grab a coffee - just make sure you don’t drink it anywhere near the MBP! :)

Tip: It’s also good to use a magnetic screwdriver to remove the screws (just so you don’t drop them on the floor - most are too small to find easily).

Once the cover and battery connector are removed, proceed below.

Cleaning dust and other dry substances

Anything dry, be it dust, the remains of an old insect, etc, should be removed by gently brushing it off with a totally clean brush. You can actually use a small clean paint brush (preferably an artist’s paint brush) or even a toothbrush - just remember to be gentle and not to use anything that’s wet or dirty!

In some cases the brush is just loosening these substances and if you can’t whisk them away with the brush, you can use a can of compressed air to gently blow them away.

Notes re: using a can of compressed air - Make sure you do not shake the can or spray it upside down. Before spraying anywhere near your logic board, spray the can elsewhere first to get used to controlling the air pressure.  When you do use it, try your best not to spray it at an angle.

Cleaning grime etc

In this case we know you’ll also need to clean a type of grime (after all, dried coffee is going to be somewhat sticky originally especially if it also had sugar and/or milk in it). Regardless, the process is largely the same for anything that’s a grimy sort of mixture, be it coffee, coke, juice, etc.

Because the inside of a MBP is extremely precise and everything fits in perfectly, even dust can have a hard time getting in there (quite unlike many desktops!). Obviously, cooling fans may collect dust etc, but I would give the logic board a really good looking over because the coffee spill may be limited to only a small portion of the interior, in which case you can limit the cleaning only to the affected area!

If you find that there’s coffee on any of the removable components, then remove those components (e.g. this MBP has two memory slots, so remove any RAM modules). If the RAM modules look like they’ve been affected by the coffee, then you can clean them separately later. Note: If you do remove any components, make a note of where you removed them from. Also take a photo beforehand!

Now, I’ve seen a lot of different cleaning solutions used over the years to clean the insides of a computer, ranging from household detergents that do not contain phosphates to methylated spirits (once I saw it done with a paint thinner). However, my strong recommendation and the only liquid I ever use inside a computer is a rubbing alcohol (such as Isopropyl Alcohol). You can buy different grades of purity, but I prefer 100% Isopropyl Alcohol (or close to it). You should be able to buy this from a good electronics store or hardware store. Otherwise if you get stuck, check your local supermarket for what grade of Isopropyl Alcohol they sell. Even if you can’t get close to 100%, a lower grade of Isopropyl Alcohol is preferable to most other cleaners.

My personal preferences is to pour a little of it onto a lint free cloth or terry-cloth towel or lens cleaning cloth. If you haven’t got one of these, buy yourself a lint free or terry cloth - it will come in handy many times over. If you get really stuck, you can use coffee filters. Either way, use one of these to clean anywhere on the logic board that has signs of coffee on it.

Now, if you did have to remove any RAM modules because they showed signs of coffee, then start by using compressed air (remember my tips above on using these cans) to blow them clean, especially around the contacts. Now also do the same where the slots are on the logic board. Assuming you did get your hands on some strong Isopropyl Alcohol (say 95% +), use this to dampen the RAM module contacts and then insert the RAM in and out of the slots a few times before proceeding to clean the contacts.

Once you’re done, the Isopropyl Alcohol shouldn’t take long to dry - but just to be safe you may want to let things sit a while before putting it all back together.

Testing it

Once you’re satisfied everything is dry and put back together properly, try powering it up. If you have no joy, take note of any audible cues you get (e.g. startup tones) or whether there’s any sign of it powering up at all.

If you do get audible cues and/or hear signs of it powering up, then there’s things you can try (such as resetting the SMC, resetting the NVRAM, running Apple Hardware Test, alternating memory modules, replacing certain components, etc), but I’ll leave that for another question if it gets to that point.
If you get absolutely no signs of power you could decide to remove the logic board altogether and inspect it for other areas requiring cleaning. You can view this iFixit Guide to do so, but keep in mind that this is much more involved then the process above.

Notes

If you decide to insert a replacement drive, you can follow this iFixit procedure for replacing the drive.
Remember to keep a track of which screws go where!


How to make a particular app the default viewer / editor for ALL its supported file types at once?

While RCDefaultApp is a bit old, it still works

This gives you a decent GUI interface to control default apps


Is it possible to search for text in iBooks or the Kindle app?

Yes, in both the iBooks and Kindle apps, you can search the full text (excluding text in images) of the book you are currently reading.  Here's how to do that in each app:

iBooks app

While reading a book, tap the screen.  A magnifying glass icon becomes visible in the top right, along with other controls.  Clicking the magnifying glass icon brings up a search box.  After entering your search term in the box, iBooks presents a list of results from the current book, underneath the search box.

Kindle app

Similarly, while reading a book, tap the screen. At the bottom a magnifying glass icon will become visible.  It works much like the iBooks search feature.

What about searching across all books?

If you wanted to know whether you can enter a search term at the top-level of these apps and have them search across all books stored in the app:  No, currently neither iBooks nor the Kindle app have such a feature.

However, I have seen this capability on the Kindle device itself – I own a Kindle keyboard model and there is a "search my items" option available that will search all books on the device for a given term.


How can I sleep my iMac's internal display when it's not in use, but not my attached tv (playing video)

DisableMonitor

I found an open source project called DisableMonitor and it worked for me on macOS 10.12, Sierra, as well.

  Warning

  It has been reported that the software is able to cause irretrievable damages to your computer.
  Use at your own risk!

  The project development has been stopped and won't be continued, if you want to be a maintainer consider opening an issue.


Short answer is not you can't get it all back.

However you get some of it back by choosing songs under the insert showing the current song and progress. You also need to choose View->Column Browser->Show Column Browser


How can I permanently disable the Mac keyboard backlight?

I know this isn't the answer you're looking for, but have you tried resetting the pram and smc? That might solve your problem without permanently killing the backlight


Force hibernate (deep sleep) in OSX 10.8(.2)

I don't know if it's equivalent to the deep sleep mode, but sudo pmset -a hibernatemode 25 makes computers hibernate immediately when going to sleep.

  hibernatemode = 3 (binary 0011) by default on supported portables. The system will store a copy of memory to persistent storage (the disk), and will power memory during sleep. The system will wake from memory, unless a power loss forces it to restore from disk image.

  hibernatemode = 25 (binary 0001 1001) is only settable via pmset. The system will store a copy of memory to persistent storage (the disk), and will remove power to memory. The system will restore from disk image. If you want "hibernation" - slower sleeps, slower wakes, and better battery life, you should use this setting.


iCloud numbers reference date/value from another table

If you have a sheet for each month then simply, on the next month in question Edit the balance Bought Forward cell, start with = and then flick back to the previous table and click on the cell with the total for the month. this will then bring that balance forward - repeat the process for all the months and it will show you the projected balances for the year. I use the same type of system, have for many years and it works very well.


Thanks 13ruce1337, KeyRemap4MacBook did the job and I get to use hjkl!

The description of cmd + S + D and then holding S + D sounds very awkward in words but in practice it feels reasonable if you just want to click a single item. "High Speed Mode" is a nice convenience.


Determining source app of IP traffic in NETunnelProviderManager

It says specifically on the NETunnelProvidermanager specs, "The only way to configure "per app" VPN is with MDM..." so in terms of the mainstream way of meeting all the Apple specifications, and at least in the context of Apple Stack Exchange, it seems this would not be possible.  I hope someone else, or I, can find a nice workaround for you though if it doesn't work.

One tip though:  it does discuss directly below the VPN settings, in the spec guide, how to configure on-demand VPN, and if your requirement is not that that the VPN is "always on," you may be able to meet your specific goal just by creating the necessary certificates.

You may prefer to to make the .mobilconfig files by hand once you see the options and syntax available, but you might be able to generate only exactly the certificates you need, for example the VPN, using Apple Configurator without having to completely take control of the device.


The MacBook Air and similar MacBooks do not provide HDMI inputs, only outputs. Although there is a device that will allow you input HDMI if you are willing to pay for it. (Usually fairly expensive) Something like this is what you are looking for: www.hauppauge.com/site/products/data_hdpvr.html


Simple On-the-fly keystroke macro recorder?

It's an expensive option (36$), but Keyboard Maestro can do this.

  Whether you are a power user or a grandparent (or both!), your time is
  precious. So why waste it when Keyboard Maestro can help improve
  almost every aspect of using your Mac. Even the simplest things, like
  typing your email address, or going to Gmail or Facebook, launching
  Pages, or duplicating a line, all take time and add frustration. Let
  Keyboard Maestro help make your Mac life more pleasant and efficient.


Running a script with assets inside automator application

You can get the path to Your executable from ps command. You need to know Your app name. Here's my code with EchoPath.app made in Automator:

DIR=`ps x | grep EchoPath | grep -v grep | cut -c 28- `

Sample output:

/Users/slozo/Desktop/EchoPath.app/Contents/MacOS/Application Stub

Application Stub is the default name of the executable created in Automator. Knowing this path You can get the path to Contents dir with dirname command.


Can I remove items from my App Store updates

Your old iWork versions are not removed, so you can safely upgrade and keep both versions.

As Apple rolls "upgrades" to the newer version back in you can decide when it has restored sufficient functionality for it to do what you need it to.

Sorry if this doesn't specifically answer your question but it will get rid of the updates reminder...


Major releases aren‘t distributed as updates, they need to be downloaded from the Mac App Store:

Open the App Store application on your Mac
Search for „Mojave“
Install


How to merge lecture notes from the web into a single PDF file

Easiest Way:

Put all PDFs in one folder.

Select All and Open.

Make sure View -> Thumbnails is checked, so you can make sure everything is in correct order.

Click File -> Print.

In Print Window, click PDF -> Save as PDF.


The most common use of admin with Server.app is to run server.app and administer the server itself.

If that's what you want, use Server.app to tick the administer this server box:


Is it necessary to disconnect the battery when installing new RAM in the early 2011 MacBook Pro?

I just did it without disconnecting the battery and it works fine, so disconnecting the battery is not needed.


CMD + W doesn't work anymore on macOS Mojave

Resolved by installing the dotfiles again. Still don't know what caused the problem…


This is not a real answer, but I would pick apart your question into 4 smaller tasks.

Set up permissions / ACL so you don't need sudo if at all possible
Just set up a script to tar the files locally - and date stamp the backup
Set up a script to rsync the backup directory from the local server to the NAS. You can use the --delete option or --delete-after if you want to expire old backups over time.
Set up a script to purge dated backups in the local backup folder

Also - if you can't avoid using root /sudo - add this line tmutil snapshot before any delete and check one time to allow for local backups tmutil enablelocal in general so you have a backup if a script deletes too much. Time Machine will allow you recover rapidly from any errors in the logic of the scripts.

Lastly - for debugging bash - run bash -x script or set debugging set -x to see the values of the variables and see if you have a path error / encoding error or something else amiss.


Why can't I see my Numbers spreadsheets on my new iPhone?

There isn't much to troubleshoot with iCloud syncing and the iOS version of Numbers. (In the sense that even using Xcode to look at the console logs on the device, the error messages are thin to nonexistent.)

When you enable iCloud on one device it should push all the local documents to iCloud so you don't have to connect to iTunes and manage the files manually.

There are three avenues to make the best progress to resolving this issue:

Try your account on another device to rule out your account needing attention before you call on Apple for help.
Try another account on your device to rule out your device's software or settings (or a very long shot that somehow your hardware could be causing it)
Wait it out or call on Apple to investigate.


Macbook Pro 17" Thunderbolt won't output to LCD

Based on your hard labor so far :) and that the problem is not the cable.....it is time to try the:

1) Restart the computer in Safe Mode with display attached (shut down and restart while holding down shift key).

The display will show up without distortion.

2) Change the display to desired preferences (dimensions and refresh rate).

3) Restart computer.

================================

Since you mentioned the messages during the download, lets consider following.

From Apple:

This could occur when a self-powered Thunderbolt device (other than a directly-connected Thunderbolt display) is connected to a Thunderbolt port while installing the update.

To resolve this issue:

Shutdown your computer.
Disconnect all Thunderbolt devices.
Wait 10 seconds.
If you are using a Mac mini with a Thunderbolt display, reconnect the Thunderbolt display directly to your computer via the Thunderbolt port. Do not connect other Thunderbolt devices at this time.
Restart your computer.
If the Thunderbolt Firmware Update 1.2 is offered, download and install it and restart your computer when asked. If the Thunderbolt Update is not offered, the update has installed correctly.
Reconnect all Thunderbolt devices.


If you are an Apple Developer for iOS or Mac OS X, which is $99 a year, go to the Xcode page and scroll down to Xcode 6.

If you are already signed into the Apple developer portal, you can download the Xcode disk image.


What is the keyboard shortcut to insert a comment during track changes in Word?

Insert a comment
⌘+OPTION+A

Turn track changes on or off
⌘+SHIFT+E

From here


OS X supports the option to read NTFS-formatted drives, but has not supported writing to these drives. Therefore, the use of a third-party driver such as Paragon NTFS or Tuxera NTFS has been required for those seeking full NTFS support; however, OS X does support writing to NTFS, but this feature is just not enabled by default.

Enable NTFS option via Terminal (I am not going to document this, as I highly do not recommend using this option at all, unless you are aware of the problems this will lead to)
Download and install SL-NTFS which is an NFTS writing preference for your Mac. Works on Mac OS X 10.6+ (FREE)
Install NTFS-3G, though this is not my favourite option. It's a little slow and can cause compatibility issues with anything after Mac OS X 10.6. Some users report it working flawlessly. I personally think it's write capability is a little slow. Touch and go. (FREE)
Paragon NTFS which is approx $20, is the entry-level of paid software version. I have used this for quite a while and never had a problem. Works on anything from Mac OS X 10.6.x → 10.8.x
Tuxera NTFS costs approx $32 and does everything that Paragon NTFS does. I use this one now, because it built upon the NTFS-3G option I mentioned earlier. I personally believe it works the best as I have never had an issue with it to date, but then I have used all options (aside #2) and found no issues with any of them.

To solve your enquiry, either NTFS-3G, Paragon or Tuxera will all enable you to use Disk Utility to check the drive, format the drive, etc etc. The picture below is from my system.

NOTE: I am not saying SL-NTFS will not do what you want, I just have not tested it.


Can I use iTunes credit to help subsidise buy hardware in Apple online store?

Unfortunately, no. One can only use iTunes credit to buy iTunes Store content and apps, not hardware. I think that it says that on the card itself in fine print, but I could be wrong.

I couldn't find an official statement from Apple, but here's something from the Apple support community: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2592711?start=0&tstart=0


Why do Apple's 2012 MacBook Pros cap the RAM limit at 8GB?

The limitation imposed is based on the chipsets used on the computer's motherboard. For example, the noted Apple maximums you mentioned for the MacBook Pro and the Mac Pro, are smaller than the maximums that those machines can address in practice. The MacBook Pro tested maximum is 16 GB according to EveryMac's MacBook Pro max RAM listing. And as for the Mac Pro, its maximum is 128 GB according to EveryMac's Mac Pro max RAM listing.

As noted on Intel's Specs, the CPU supports a different maximum than the chipset on the motherboard does. The Xeon X5670 used in the Mac Pro supports up to 288 GB.

And as for the i7s e.g. a i7-2860QM used in the MacBook Pros, it supports up to 32 GB.

So these limitations come from engineering decisions made by Apple based on what kinds of chipsets are selected to be installed on the motherboard and what those chips support is what enforces the maximum amount of RAM that a particular Mac can address at or below what the CPU can actually address.

As for why Apple underrates their maximum numbers for RAM on some Macs, that's for Apple to know and for us to wonder. However, admittedly it is a nice practice to under promise and over deliver for whatever reason Apple has. Although, the Mac Pro supports more RAM than Mac OS X can address, according to OWC's testing on Mac Pros, where they discovered Mac OS X unofficially will not address more than 96GB of RAM, but other 64-bit operating system can get to the full 128GB.


Depending on how depleted it is, it may not charge at all since the battery protection circuit could be completely offline and block power in that mode, effectively disabling all power. I came across this a few times and I fixed it by opening the device and applying regulated power directly to bypass this issue and get the controllers working so it could charge itself and get back into normal working condition.

In your case, if it was completely empty and then stored for 8 months, it is possible that this is the situation you're in.  Normally, a small leakage current still flows which allows the charging controller to turn on and make the device start working, but that does not always work. Using a proper charger helps if the device is built to recover only when applied the correct voltage with enough amps.


Internet recovery broken on Macbook Pro. Error message given is " apple.com/support -3403F ".

That indicates your machine can’t reach the internet.

Troubleshooting this will be challenging unless you have network / wire shark capabilities and can make sure the packets from this machine are going unhindered to Apple’s servers.

In practice, this is far easier to diagnose by using a second Mac on this network to see if it can boot to recovery. If not - you know it’s the network. If the second can boot - you have a hardware failure or network card failure on the problem Mac.

Taking the suspect Mac to another network that is known to be good (or just taking it to 4 or 5 networks and assuming one of them has to be OK) can also help you isolate if the problem is the network or the hardware.

Lastly, setting up a caching server on your local network would let you see those logs and be sure the Mac in question was requesting the correct recovery image from the internet.

https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/manage-content-caching-on-mac-mchl3b6c3720/mac

Content caching is a super power move, since you only download one copy of each asset, then your local network accelerates all further installs and boots.


For the second part of the question:

You must have a backup of your songs on iTunes..?

Now, if you replaced the charger and you confirmed that it works, the battery in you iPod might have a problem.
I would recommend going to a Service Center and getting it checked out.

By the way, even if you don't have a backup of songs on your Computer, they can probably extract data from the Drive in your iPod.


Stock widget doesn't save list of stocks

If you haven't removed the widget from the widget screen, do try that. Press the circle with a plus on the lower left and then the x on the top left corner of all the stock widgets on your dashboard (you can add more than one). If it's still broken when you add it fresh to the dashboard, you'll have to poke it a bit harder.

The widget isn't going to like this - so you'll have to manually clear out the file where the stocks are recorded.

Get ready to log out so save all your work and quit all apps.
Go to the folder below in Finder using this command (or the Go menu) shift+command+G

~/Library/Preferences

Move these two files only to your desktop.

widget-com.apple.widget.stocks.plist
widget-com.apple.widget.stocks.plist.lockfile

Then log out shift+command+Q

When you log back in (or reboot), the widget will make a new container to store your stocks and things should be better. This little dance is called setting aside your preferences (plist files) and starting again with the defaults.

If it works, you can trash the two files on your desktop. If not - you can move them back or not however you prefer. For an app with lots of settings, it's nice to be able to move back the ones you prefer once you've ruled out that file as causing you some pain or other.


iOS screen mirroring via USB to a Windows PC?

The HDMI or VGA adapter that can be purchased from Apple allows mirroring to an external monitor, projector or other display that allows video IN.  Does your PC allow video in via HDMI?  (I'm not aware of any that do, most are video OUT)  There is a 3rd party application called Duet that allows your iOS device to be used as an external or second monitor via USB but I think that is the opposite of what you are trying to accomplish based on your question.  The screenshot shows Duet for Mac but there is a PC version as well.

From the Apple documentation regarding cable:

  Use the Lightning to VGA Adapter with your iPad with Retina display, iPad mini, iPhone 5, and iPod touch (5th generation) with Lightning connector. The Lightning to VGA Adapter supports mirroring of what is displayed on your device screen including apps, presentations, websites, slideshows, and more — to your VGA-equipped TV, display, projector or other compatible display in up to 1080p HD.
  It also outputs video content - movies, TV shows, captured video- to your big screen in up to 1080p HD. Simply attach your Lightning to VGA Adapter to the Lightning connector on your device and then to your TV or projector via a VGA cable (sold separately).

Apple Store Link

Duet:

UPDATE:  This may or may not be useful, but this article mentions a method that may suit your needs.  From the article:

  Apowersoft Phone Manager
  It is completely compatible with iOS and Android operation system. To learn how to display iPad on computer, get started with the following steps.
  Download this tool and connect iPad to computer through USB cable.