You may well find that somewhere in there the complex number is being flattened and you will need to use the complex() function to protect it from that.

Check this out :-

http://acko.net/blog/taming-complex-numbers-in-grapher-app/


Copy apfs system partition to another mac

I end up copying the system over using the "Restore" function of Disk Utility, by connecting the serviced mac in Target Disk Mode to the other mac and restoring the macOS APFS container over to the Windows partition. This process is slower (300 MB/s) then the theoretical speed (1 GB/s) and it took twice as much time as I expect because there is a verification stage after the copying stage.
After copying the system, I successfully booted into my copied system on the other mac with no weird or unusual symptoms. I installed macOS again to eliminate potential problems due to changed hardware.


Undoing calendar sync between iPhone and Outlook

You may be able to restore your Calendar from a previous back-up in iTunes.
Check the time and date of the previous back-ups.
Windows: Edit > Preferences > Devices tab
Mac: iTunes > Preferences > Devices tab

Restore from your back-up and see if your events come back. Restore by right-clicking (Option+click on a Mac) on the device and selecting "Restore from back-up"

The best way to sync with Outlook would be to download the iCloud Control Panel. This lowers your risk of losing Calendar data, as in your case. Of course, you need to have iCloud enabled on your device as well. This requires iOS 5 or later.
You can check this under: Settings > iCloud
You can download the iCloud Control Panel here: http://apple.com/icloud/setup

Make sure that when it is installed and you are signing in, that you use the same AppleID that is used with iCloud on your device.


Is it possible to enable underline keyboard shortcuts and access keys?

macOS does have keyboard shortcuts, but they do not display with underlined letters. Many menu items will display their shortcut to the right. Some menu items will not have a shortcut.

If the menu item doesn't have a shortcut, you can press Command + Shift + / to open a search bar that will let you type in the command. You can arrow down and hit return to activate that menubar item.

You can also arrow through the menu bar by pressing Control + F2 (or Control + Fn + F2). You may need to toggle this on with Control + F1.


Custom iPad theme not showing up correctly

Switching off SummerBoard Mode fixed the icon issue.


If a simple terminal command is working for you, then you can create a logon script as an ugly hack and use it for a few months.
The next macOS will release in the fall so it might fix things for you.


Moving finder window from one display to another

Try this:

--  Window Moving Script between multiple monitors for Apple Mac OS X 10.x
-- (something I've been doing with UltraMon for quite a while)
--  inspired by:
--     http://www.tidbits.com/webx?14@@.3c7b1ae3/5
--     http://macscripter.net/viewtopic.php?id=24511
-- and http://daringfireball.net/2006/12/display_size_applescript_the_lazy_way
-- thanx for the input ... I was looking for a solution of this quite a while
-- best to be used with a custom trigger in Quicksilver where this script is assigned to a
-- keyboard short cut (I use ALT Cursor-Right)
-- you might want to put Quicksilver into your Autostart Objects
-- 2009-09-14 Wolfgang Fahl

--
-- get the front Window
--
on getFrontWindow1()
    tell application "System Events"
        set theFrontWindow to first window of (first process whose frontmost is true)
        -- set theFrontWindow to the front window
        set windowname to name of theFrontWindow as string
        say "Moving" & windowname
        --display dialog "front most windows is " & name of  theFrontWindow buttons ("Cool") giving up after 3 default button 1
        return theFrontWindow
    end tell
end getFrontWindow1
--
-- get the front Window
--
on getFrontWindow()
    tell application "System Events"
        repeat with theapp in (every application process whose visible is true and frontmost is true)
            repeat with ew in (every window of theapp)
                return ew
            end repeat
        end repeat
    end tell
end getFrontWindow
--
-- list all windows
--
on listWindows()
    tell application "System Events"
        repeat with theapp in (every application process whose visible is true and frontmost is true)
            repeat with ew in (every window of theapp)
                set windowname to name of ew as string
                say windowname
            end repeat
        end repeat
    end tell
end listWindows

--
-- message dialog
--
on show(aMessage)
    -- display a dialog with a message
    display dialog aMessage buttons {"Ok"} default button "Ok"
end show

--
-- get the screen information
--
on getScreenInfo(theIndex)
    -- get the Screen Information from the windowserver defaults
    -- we are using awk to go to the DisplaySets sections and assume that Active = ... is
    -- at the start of each section
    -- we'll find OriginX= ...,OriginY= ..., Width = ... and Height= ... entries
    -- and return all of them a a list like
    -- 0 0     1920 1200
    -- 0 1920  1650 1050
    set screenInfo to do shell script "defaults read /Library/Preferences/com.apple.windowserver | awk '
        BEGIN { FS=\"=\" }
        /Active/  { screens++ }
        { gsub(\";\",\"\",$2) }
        /^ *OriginX/ { ox[screens] = $2 }
        /^ *OriginY/ { oy[screens] = $2 }
        /^ *Width/   { w[screens]  = $2 }
        /^ *Height/  { h[screens]  = $2 }
        END       {
                for (si=1;si<=screens;si++) {
                    print ox[si],oy[si],w[si],h[si]
                    }
            }'"
    set theInfo to paragraph theIndex of screenInfo
    return {word 1 of theInfo, word 2 of theInfo, word 3 of theInfo, word 4 of theInfo}
end getScreenInfo

--
-- move the front window to another monitor
--
tell application "System Events"
    -- get the OffsetX,OffsetY,Width and Height information for the screens
    -- here we assume that two screens are present (without checking this ...)
    -- first screen info
    set theScreen1 to getScreenInfo(1) of me

    -- second screen info
    set theScreen2 to getScreenInfo(2) of me

    -- for the functionality of this script we are happy with the resolution info for the time being
    set startX to item 1 of theScreen1
    set startY to item 2 of theScreen1
    set resolutionX to item 3 of theScreen1
    set resolutionY to item 4 of theScreen1

    set startX2 to item 1 of theScreen2
    set startY2 to item 2 of theScreen2
    set resolutionX2 to item 3 of theScreen2
    set resolutionY2 to item 4 of theScreen2

    -- make some nois to let everybody know we have receive the command
    beep

    -- 1st, determine current X & Y Positions of the current front window
    set theWindow to getFrontWindow() of me
    set thePosition to position of theWindow

    -- uncomment this if you'd like to debug
    -- display alert name of theWindow & ": " & ((first item of thePosition) as string) & ", " & ((second item of thePosition) as string) & " screen1:" & (startX as string) & "," & (startY as string) & "-" & (resolutionX as string) & "," & (resolutionY as string) & " screen2:" & (startX2 as string) & "," & (startY2 as string) & "-" & (resolutionX2 as string) & "," & (resolutionY2 as string)
    set currXPos to (first item of thePosition)
    set currYPos to (second item of thePosition)

    -- are we on the first monitor?
    if currXPos < resolutionX / 2 then
        -- move right
        set newX to currXPos + resolutionX
        set newY to currYPos - startY2
    else
        -- move left
        set newX to currXPos - resolutionX
        if newX < startX then
            set newX to startX
        end if
        set newY to currYPos + startY2
    end if
    -- Now we move the window moveX pixels to the right (or left if negative)
    set position of theWindow to {(newX), (newY)}
end tell

I tested it and it works for me on Mavericks and a dual display. Use Butler, Keyboard Maestro, etc. to create a hotkey and it works great.

(Original post found here.)


Chromium in Launchpad but not in Applications

I know I just asked, but I figured it out and want to post the answer for others when they search for this same problem. Run the following in Terminal:

cd ~/Applications
rm -rf APP_NAME.app

Note: If the app name contains a space, place a \ character before the space so it looks like this /My\ Space

I verified that I was removing the correct app first by renaming it then checking LaunchPad to confirm the change. Once I saw that I was actually changing it in LaunchPad I went ahead and deleted it with the rm command.

You can additionally write rm -rf (with a space after the -rf) and then drag n’ drop the application from the Finder window into the terminal window. This will paste the path to the application correctly (auto fix spaces, etc.). Then press enter. This will ensure you have the correct path and are deleting the correct application.

Warning: Do not press enter without a path after rm -rf


If you’ve enabled iCloud, they’re stored in Mobile Documents folder.

Here’s the full path to books you've added:

~/Library/Mobile Documents/iCloud~com~apple~iBooks/Documents/

Here's the full path to books purchased through the iBooks store:

~/Library/Containers/com.apple.BKAgentService/Data/Documents/iBooks

The path is only accessible via Terminal. Going through Finder will only redirect you to the iCloud folder. So open up Terminal:

For books you've added type in:

open ~/Library/Mobile\ Documents/iCloud\~com\~apple\~iBooks/Documents

For books you've bought on the iBooks store type in:

open ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.BKAgentService/Data/Documents/iBooks

This will open a Finder window with your iBooks in it.


Front facing camera stopped working on the iPhone 4s

This is a hardware problem. This comes up when the ribbon connector from the camera to the main circuit board comes loose or gets disconnected altogether. If you have the right tools and enough DIY skills to open up your iPhone, it's a very simple fix that should be fairly obvious to see. Otherwise, the Apple Store should be able to repair it for you (I would think free of charge, but who knows).

If you do want to take apart your iPhone and attempt the repair yourself, PowerBook Medic has some really nice instructions for taking apart all versions of iPhones from 3GS and above. They also sell replacement parts and will repair it for you as well if you want. (Disclaimer: I have no affiliation nor prior experience with this company, so use at your own risk.)

This is what the front camera of an iPhone 4 looks like:

That little white/silver part is what's probably come loose; just pushing down on it gently should allow it to snap right back in.


Safari Can't Open the Page (Persistent Certificates Problem in Safari)

I ended up solving this issue on my machine by following these instructions which seem to be different for 10.12 vs. prior versions of OS X. To summarize:

OS X 10.12

sqlite3 ~/Library/Keychains/*/ocspcache.sqlite3 'DELETE FROM ocsp;'

For OS X 10.11 and earlier

sudo rm /var/db/crls/*cache.db


Does removing an Exchange account from an iOS device remove the admin’s ability to wipe the device?

To look for installed profiles that could enable wiping your device, take a look at System Preferences > General > Profiles.
The listing is usually near the bottom, above Shut Down, Reset, Legal & Regulatory and below Languages & Region, Dictionary, and VPN.


BOOTCAMP HDD move - Missing operating system

Well.. unfortunately... I didn't got it working. So, I ended up making a new partition for windows and re-installing it. Too bad I wasted so much time.


What counts as data/storage on iphone 4s?

Yes, to view the current storage being used, you can navigate to Settings > General > Storage & iCloud Usage > Manage Storage.    From here, you can see which apps are taking up a lot of space, how much space your photos / music are taking up, etc.

Once you know what's taking up all your space, you can delete things as needed.

Also, note that in older versions of iOS (depending on which you are currently on), space taken up by Messages was not shown here.


How does battery life compare with OSX vs Windows 7 (or 8.1) on an Macbook Air?

With OS X Mavericks, the operating system was designed with some focus on power management. The benefit of Apple making the hardware AND operating system is that they are able to control an manage power way more effectively than Windows is on any machine. It also depends on if you're using BootCamp or a virtual machine like Parallels or Virtual Box. BootCamp should theoretically be more power efficient as you aren't running BOTH OS X and Windows at the same time.


How to disable camera on iOS devices in specific locations using a configuration profile or app

According to the Configuration Profile Reference, it is not possible to restrict functionality based on geolocation. As you note you can disable the camera entirely, but that is the only current option.


Generally speaking repairing permissions is a quick and easy task. head on over to /Applications/Utilities and look for Disk Utility. Launch it, select your HD and then click on repair permissions and let it do it's thing. That could take a couple of minutes or 15-20 depending on how messed up things are.

When I do this I usually quit out of ALL other apps and let disk utility do it's thing in peace. Then I run it again, and again until I get no more errors.

All of that assumes that it is a simple permissions error. It could be you are trying to modify a folder in a location that Apple does not want you changing things, the /Applications and /Applications/Utilities folder spring to mind.

If, however, these issues are on your desktop or in the folders Apple sets aside for your files (documents, music, pictures, etc.) then yes there is a problem and it MIGHT be more than permissions. Could be actual disk errors.

In Disk Utility you can "Verify Disk" but you can't "Repair Disk." That requires booting from install media, the recovery partition or the disk repair utility of your choice (my choice is Diskwarrior, YMMV).

If repairing permissions doesn't fix the issue AND you are working with folders Apple deigns to allow you to work with, use Disk Utility (or 3rd party tools) to repair the disk/file structure.


How to make Web Apps appear as First-Class Mac Desktop Citizens

Found a great way on Chrome Version 75.0.3770.100:

1) go to the website you want to convert to an app

2) click on three dots / more tools / Create Shortcut + make sure to tick 'open in new window'

That's it - you now have an app that you can pin to your dock and you can cycle through them with cmd + tab. Awesome!


How does the Apple Watch  macOS Sierra unlock feature work in detail?

It uses both Bluetooth LE 4.0 AND 802.11ac WiFi.

Bluetooth is used to discover the Apple Watch and establish a connection.

Then it uses WiFi to do "time-in-flight" calculations - i.e. to figure out how far your watch is from the Mac. The Mac needs to support 802.11ac WiFi for this to work. All watches are supported, both the old and the new - even though the old ones does not support 802.11ac.

This way it is possible to prevent attacks such as someone planting a "bluetooth repeater" near you, so that it could replay your bluetooth responses captured this way to a Mac located somewhere remotely.


Time Machine Backup to drive shared on BTHomeHub3?

For Time Machine to back up to a disk, the disk must be formatted as Mac OS Extended to allow for the hard links and other special metadata that Time Machine uses. However, the BT Home Hub doesn't let you share such a disk over the network (haven't tried the new 5, but I know the 3 doesn't let you). This means you need to set up a sparse bundle on the disk to contain the backup. This should be done automatically, but as with everything relating to the awful BTHHs, it won't happen—afaik the Home Hub uses a non-standard method for sharing network disks. Whilst you may be able to get it working by creating your own sparse bundle using Disk Utility, then mounting that and using that as your backup destination, I wouldn't trust my backups over it.


Yes - this is a valid use of Passbook now called Wallet on iOS 9.

https://developer.apple.com/wallet/

Apple has ample sample code, working server implementations, automation and testing tools as well as several guides to let you know what is possible without digging into the code.

Most developers that do any sort of work with Passbook could quote you their assistance in running your campaign if you didn't want to DIY.

One major retailer that has had stored value in Passbook for more than a year now (2013) is Apple - both their retail gift cards and iTunes store/Mac App/iOS App/iBooks store combined balances. You can watch a video explaining how Apple rolled this out:

https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2013-303/

I also believe that several companies are rolling out discounts/loyalty cards in addition to stored value - but that's a bit newer and I'm not sure that API is finished on Apple's end quite yet. You could easily accomplish that on your end with a web server and some custom coding to track your user through an iOS app or purely through the wallet and/or iBeacons to have the item check in with the server when presented at a POS terminal or other location in store.


In mail.app, get list of Previous Recipients for just one of my many email accounts

Try:

tell application "Mail" to set previousRecipients to address of every recipient of messages of mailbox "Sent Messages" of account "my account name"


Is there any way to set Gmail app as the default mail client in iPhone and iPad?

To give a very short answer: No, this is not possible.


Open Office files from Finder in the same screen

Apple's website:

  If you work in multiple spaces, you can assign apps to particular spaces.

  Press and hold an app’s icon in the Dock. You may have to first open the app from Launchpad to see its icon in the Dock.
  From the shortcut menu that appears over the icon, choose one of these:
  To have the app open only in the current space, choose Options > This Desktop. From now on, the app will open in the current space; if you are working in a different space, the app’s space scrolls into view.

  This setting doesn’t apply to full-screen windows, which always appear in their own separate spaces.

  To have the app open in every space, choose Options > All Desktops. From now on, when the app is open it will appear in every space.

  To have the app open in the space you are currently using, choose Options > None.

  In Mission Control preferences, you can specify that when you switch to an app, your desktop should scroll to a space with open windows for that app.

THis should allow you to choose Office programs to open in that desktop


In addition to the already mentioned Shortcut ⇧+⌘+A Preview in El Capitan (and Yosemite I guess) features a toolbar icon that allows to open the markup toolbar with a single click instead of clicking through the View menu:

To make the Toolbar visible, go to View > Show Toolbar in the menu. (Thanks to Rachel for this aditional hint!)


Help running what seems to be a directory in Terminal?

The project has windows and os x binaries provided on the releases page so you can skip compiling it on your machine.

The error is clear above:

"bash: ./SkypeExport: No such file or directory"

Whatever folder you are in in Terminal  must contain the "SkypeExport" binary.

Try again by downloading the latest release (see the downloads list under the release you want):
https://github.com/Temptin/SkypeExport/releases

Unzip it in your Downloads folder, make sure the resulting "SkypeExport" file is directly in the Downloads folder, then type "cd ~/Downloads" in your terminal and follow the other steps.

This should work, since your error was that Terminal (bash) couldn't find SkypeExport in your current folder.


MacBook Pro 2011 SSD/RAM compatibilities and investments

Answer to question 1-3:
1.SSD or RAM?

My suggestion is 512GB SSD and a memory upgrade.

2.5inch SSD that is used in an old MacBook cannot be used in a new MacBook. So 1TB is not necessary.

512GB SSD and RAM upgrade can ensure performance and avoid the choice between SSD or RAM.

2.RAM selection?

Since you already have a 4GB ram, adding another 8GB ram could work just fine. It is ok if you want 8GB * 2 as well.

RAM frequency could be 1333MHz or 1600MHz, no need to consider about compatibility.


This happened to me when my cursor size was above normal. Check System Preferences > Accessibility > Display.


how do I restore the Download stack in the iMac Dock?

Open Finder and go to your home folder using the go menu.
Drag the Download folder to the dock to the immediate left of the trash.
Control click the downloads to choose the stack effect if needed.


After update OS X EI Capitan, external hard disk format changed

If what you say is true (and I must say, it sounds extremely unlikely), then your only options really are:

EITHER Copy all the data from the external drives, and then reformat them as HFS+ (journaled) and copy the data back.
OR Leave them as they are.

There really is not much else you can do with them.


How long does it take for Apple's AA battery charger to recharge?

Apple has said that it may take up to five hours to charge the batteries.


What is the rsync command to restore from a TimeMachine backup

It's not that simple as the Time Machine may or may not store the files in a flat folder structure. Network backups are stored as a sparse disk image and furthermore rsync doesn't respect all the ACL and permissions that are possible or deal with special permissions on the User folder, user subfolders, Applications and other special cases.

If you can narrow down which files are being copied and confirm your machine directory is not stored in a disk image, rsync might be acceptable in limited circumstances to copy user files that lack special permissions.

In your specific instance - the files are indeed hard linked which will not make any difference to rsync. When you point rsync at a specific instance in time on your backup - it doesn't really matter how many other hard or soft links point at the files you are restoring. The storage system will read the data from the external drive just as if the files were the only copy on the USB drive. That's the magic of hard links - two directory entries point to the same file so that you can't tell when reading the file that it's a link or a file. Only if you query the link count can a program tell, and rsync cares not about the hard link count when reading.

You should be good to go for any restore of files like documents or pictures.


Permanently allow Chrome to access location

This is tracked here (I think.) Sounds like it's fixed and hopefully will be corrected in a coming chrome version.


iMac 2017 5k host, iMac 2017 21 target display mode

Neither of your Macs support target display mode. Below are the Macs that do.

iMac (27-inch, Late 2009)
iMac (27-inch, Mid 2010)
iMac (Mid 2011-Mid 2014)

For more information see Use your iMac as a display with Target Display Mode.


Disable full screen system wide on OS X 10.9.5

It's true there's no way to alter the default within OS X itself. Plenty of experts have tried, there have been detailed discussions at Stack Exchange and other sites, but there's no command you can run to turn full screen mode off, or change the default behavior.
Fortunately there are 2 ways to get around this…

Hold down the Option (Alt) key on your keyboard when you click the green maximize button. The window will then zoom the OLD way - i.e., it will not go into full-screen mode.
OR

Use a free, third-party app called BetterTouchTool.
Usually I don't like recommending specific software, but as far as everyone has been able to tell, it's the only app that actually lets you change the default behaviour of the maximize button - i.e., the only one that doesn't require any keystrokes at all. Instead, you use the app to assign a new action to that button. After that's set, when you click the button, it works the way it used to.
You may need these instructions to change the app preferences. Their terminology is a little non-standard:
In the BetterTouchTool Preferences:

Select "Other" category at the top of the window.

Make sure that "Global" is selected at the left side.

Click "Configure New Trigger" button in the bottom part of the window.

Select "Leftclick Green Window Button" as trigger.

Select "Zoom Window Below Cursor" as predefined action.

Save those changes and make sure to set the app to run automatically when you start your computer, so it is always running in the background.
There may be other options in future, but last I looked the app was the overwhelming favorite fix.

Tens of thousands of people have written to Apple to complain about this over the past two years. And one of the reasons is: it tends to screw up and cause odd behavior with multiple non-Apple applications, i.e., ones that haven't updated their software to play nice with full screen mode.  But even without that hassle, for many tasks (especially ones that require having multiple apps and windows open simultaneously) it's a frustrating time-waster for a whole lot of people.


imessage won't send or receive on my mac

There’s currently a bug with iMessage in iOS 7 that is preventing iMessages from being sent/received. If your wife is on iOS 7, she can try turning iMessage off, resetting her network settings under General ⇒ Resets, then turning iMessage back on. This has worked for some users. iOS 7.0.3 is expected to address this bug next week.


Speech recognition in iOS periodically fails - beep does not sound after hitting microphone button

The same thing happens to me periodically. It's so annoying when I can speak into the microphone and see the line wiggle around as if it is hearing what I'm saying but then when I finish it doesn't actually type any text for me. However, I just read online that sometimes you can fix it if you force close background apps (to free up memory) and also temporarily toggle into and out of Airplane Mode (to reset network connectivity). I haven't tried that myself yet.


mac fails to reconnect to SMB share after coming back from suspend

Mounting an SMB share as a local folder seems more reliable than using the Finder sidebar or even COMM-K to connect. It shouldn't be, right, but it is for me. Half the time, the Finder sidebar option won't connect even though I can still access the networked folder. Here's an example of using mount_smbfs:
mount_smbfs //Guest@10.0.1.1/myshare /Users/user/Downloads/networkfolder
Also, I had to disable sleep completely because the video crashes reliably on wake. 2018 mini with BigSûr. It fixed the problem.


Does the Apple Watch really identify "you"?

As far as I can tell its just means as long as it's connected via bluetooth and in range. There isn't a Touch ID scanner on the watch or anything like that so I don't think that it forms an knid of "signature" to you.


Homebrew, list all packages which are no dependency of other installed packages

$ brew leaves

Docs:

  List installed formulae that are not dependencies of another installed formula.


Just a thorough answer for uninstalling WavTap quickly:

Open a terminal and clone the official WavTap project:

git clone https://github.com/pje/WavTap

cd into the directory (cd WavTap)
Run sudo make uninstall to remove all drivers and traces of WavTap
You can then remove the WavTap source directory.


Would you be able to see from my iphone if someone is reading my imessages on an ipad I lent them?

You will see that the "unread" status of the message changes, if they're the first to read the message.

Apart from that you cannot really tell if they read the messages or not.


Copy DVD to iTunes for watching on Apple TV


Personal hotspot hosts count incorrect on iPhone

Yes indeed if your phone is connected to the computer not necessarily in order to sync, it counts it up.  You can easily check by looking at the blue bar with the count on it, unplugging the phone and waiting for the change. Then plug it back in.  It confused me as well because I plug my phone onto a desk stand for charging so I hadnt noticed.  One day the office internet was out and I shared my hotspot to my laptop and noticed the count of 2.

You might also have a device lying around that you might have forgotten about, like an iPad in your car near your window or an old phone in your desk drawer.  That happened to me once :-)


How to remove a container disk and reclaim space with main partition (similar to another question)

The safest way would be to use macOS Recovery. Reboot and hold down ⌘+R key combination until the Mac boots to macOS Recovery. Open a Terminal application window and enter the following commands.

gpt -f remove -i 3 disk0
diskutil apfs resizecontainer disk0s2 0

An alternative quicker method would be to open a Terminal application window in macOS and enter the following commands.

sudo diskutil apfs deletecontainer disk0s3
sudo diskutil erasevolume free none disk0s3
sudo diskutil apfs resizecontainer disk0s2 0


How can I open an application when a secondary monitor is connected?

Take a look at the free/open source app ControlPlane.

You can trigger different actions based on context-sensitive rules, including launching an app in response to connecting a display.


High Sierra, how to set screensaver as desktop background?

The path and functionality have seemed to change. Heres a link and quoted tutorial to do it. Unfortunately, it appears its much more of a hassle in High Sierra+.

From here:

  If you are using High Sierra (or later), the ScreenSaverEngine.app has
  been moved to a different location. Use the code below instead of the
  one above.

/System/Library/CoreServices/ScreenSaverEngine.app/Contents/MacOS/ScreenSaverEngine -background &

  The problem with running just that line of code is that if you close
  the Terminal window — or if your Mac goes to sleep — the screen saver
  closes and your wallpaper goes back to whatever it was by default. To
  handle this, we need to go a bit deeper.

  To detect when the Mac sleeps and wakes up, we need a small piece of
  software called “Sleepwatcher.” You can download it here. Just open
  the file and your Mac will extract the downloaded file (sometimes it
  might have to be extracted twice). After extracting, you’ll get a
  “sleepwatcher_2.2” folder. Just move this folder to Desktop and run
  the following lines of code in the Terminal.

sudo mkdir -p /usr/local/sbin /usr/local/share/man/man8

  You might need to enter your password after pasting this line. Next,
  run:

sudo cp ~/Desktop/sleepwatcher_2.2/sleepwatcher /usr/local/sbin

  Then run:

sudo cp ~/Desktop/sleepwatcher_2.2/sleepwatcher.8 /usr/local/share/man/man8

  Awesome! You have successfully installed Sleepwatcher. Now let’s add
  the lines of code needed to make Sleepwatcher run the screen saver
  when your Mac wakes up, and kill the screen saver when your Mac goes
  to sleep.

  Sleepwatcher searches for and runs two files, .sleep when the Mac
  sleeps, and .wakeup when the Mac wakes up. We just need to create
  these 2 files in the user’s Home Directory.

  In the Terminal, type nano ~/.wakeup then paste the below code.

 #!/bin/bash
osascript -e 'do shell script "/System/Library/Frameworks/ScreenSaver.framework/Resources/ScreenSaverEngine.app/Contents/MacOS/ScreenSaverEngine -background & EOF"'

  Now press Control + X to exit. When it asks if you want to save the
  file, press Y and then press the enter key to confirm the file name.
  This will create the .wakeup file. Now to create the .sleep file.

  Just like above, type nano ~/.sleep and paste the below code.

#!/bin/bash
osascript -e 'do shell script "kill `ps -ax | grep [S]creenSaver | cut -c1-6` EOF"'

  Again, press Control + X to exit, Y to save, and then the enter key to
  confirm the file name. Now the .sleep file will be created.

  In Terminal, run the below line of code.

chmod 700 ~/.sleep ~/.wakeup

  It changes the permissions for the newly created files so that it can
  be run by Sleepwatcher.

  Now that you’ve created the scripts, you just need to add Sleepwatcher
  to launchd so that it can start when the system starts, then
  continue to run in the background. Paste the following code code into
  your Terminal.

cp ~/Desktop/sleepwatcher_2.2/config/de.bernhard-baehr.sleepwatcher-20compatibility-localuser.plist ~/Library/LaunchAgents

  This will copy the Sleepwatcher property list file so that it can be
  added to launchd. Now just paste the code below into Terminal to add
  Sleepwatcher to launchd.

launchctl load ~/Library/LaunchAgents/de.bernhard-baehr.sleepwatcher-20compatibility-localuser.plist

  Awesome! You can now restart your Mac and the launchd will run the
  Sleepwatcher scripts at the startup. Just put your Mac to sleep and
  wake it up. Then you’ll be welcomed with a beautiful wallpaper.


Physical keyboard layout menu not showing when keyboard connected to iPhone / iPad (iOS 13/14)

With the keyboard connected, go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Hardware Keyboard.  Then tap over at the right edge and you will get a list of layouts to select.  Do not select "Automatic", but the one you want to use.  I think you should be able to choose among at least "Polish, Polish Pro, and ABC Extended".
If a layout you want to use is not on the list, there is no way to fix that, as Apple has not yet provided a means to add custom hardware layouts in iOS.  But you can ask them of course, via their feedback.
If you do not see the Hardware Keyboard setting when the keyboard is connected, then there is some kind of compatibility problem.  I have not heard of this happening with other Bluetooth keyboards up to now.


iMac; OS X Yosemite; App switcher continues to come up without pressing -

So, it turns out that it was some sort of hardware issue.  A simple reboot or shutdown, power on did not clear it up, but powering off the Mac and unplugging it for ten minutes then powering it back up.


I did eventually fix this, but it's still a mystery to me why it happened.

I shut down the IDE app completely, and made sure I am updated to the latest patch, and restarted. Now the window resize controls work!

I'm still interested in learning how it got into the state where the resize controls were not selectable, or if possible, how I can fix that without restarting the app.


List movies as text in iPad 2 native video application, no preview graphic

Eventually I solved this problem using an application called "File Browser."  Instead of sending files to the Video section of iTunes, use the App File Sync feature of iTunes to send the files to File Browser.  Note that other file utility apps should work as well too, not just the one I use (called File Browser).

After moving the files to the file app, you can browse the files from the app.  File Browser will start video files using the iPad's native Video viewing program.  So it accomplishes the goal stated in my quesion.

Since I started doing this I now use a Windows program called Disk Aid which emulates iTunes to the iPad and allows you to have total control over the iPad's file structure for copying files to and from the device.  I still use File Browser on the iPad to start the video files from the iPad.  I use Disk Aid to move files to the iPad instead of iTunes, and I start video files on the iPad using File Browser, which then allows me to run the videos in the native iPad video program.


How to run a nightly backup job on Snow Leopard Server via launchd

Several things come to mind:

Did you wait overnight for it to run?  launchctl load won't make it run out of sequence -- if you want to make it run at some time other than 3:15 am, use sudo launchctl start dk.revealit.NightlyRSyncBackup after it's loaded.
Does the run-rsync script fire off any background processes, or does it do everything inline?  'Cause if the script exits and there are background processes still going, launchd thinks something has gone wrong and kills the background processes.  If you don't want it to do this, add <key>AbandonProcessGroup</key><true/> to the .plist.
Does the script depend on PATH including any nonstandard directories (e.g. /opt/local/bin or something like that)?

One useful debugging technique is to add something like:

<key>StandardOutPath</key>
<string>/var/root/NightlyRSyncBackup.out</string>
<key>StandardErrorPath</key>
<string>/var/root/NightlyRSyncBackup.err</string>

to the .plist and see what shows up in those files.


No, it is not possible in iOS and I'll bet it won't be implemented in near future. To be this feature possible, you need at least very fast wifi everywhere.


macOS Big Sur Startup Error - "Backup and Restore has Encountered a Fatal Error"

OK solved it! I wish Google named the application a little differently e.g. "Google Backup" instead of "Backup and Sync from Google" - compact naming.

Identify where the application is i.e. Applications folder

Delete the application and restart Mac - SUCCESS, no more error!

Now, google for Google Drive application and download the individual version. It's smart enough to know that your OS is Mac and will push the correct installer for you.

Run it, install it, and check from Finder that Google Drive is visible.

All done and working in Big Sur now!


Signed in with my Apple ID on a friend’s device

Yes. Simply visit iCloud website using a desktop browser and login with your Apple ID. Go to Settings. Under My Devices section, you should be able to see your friends iPhone. Click on the device and click on the blue button with cross to remove it from your account.

If you don’t see the Delete button, click Remove Device (below the device’s serial or IMEI number).

Refer to this help article for more details:

https://help.apple.com/icloud/?lang=en-us#/mm25565a6496


Power Mac G4 - AirPort card too big for slot

From Power Mac G4 MDD AirPort Card Replacement
It depends which Power Mac G4 you have.

  The Power Mac G4 Uses the standard PCMCIA AirPort card found in Macs from 1999-2004.

  The Firewire 800 Model uses an AirPort Extreme Card found in iBook G4's And 1Ghz+ iMac G4's.


Parental Controls not restrict Terminal Commands?

Well, allowing all commands would probably allow your child to bypass some or all of the other Parental Controls on the system. Perhaps a simple Linux Virtual Machine without networking capabilities would suit your purposes better? Your child wouldn't be able to bypass any settings on the host machine and if they break the VM, it's trivial to fix/reinstall.


What does the blue point before app name in lauchpad mean?

The recommendation system of stackexchange really helps, I got this when I asked the question.

It turns out the little blue point shows I haven't opened the app since the app's last update.


If your amplifier in your Mac is making audible noises, you should take it in for service. These very new machines should all be under warranty and at the genius bar, they should be able to test your headphones on another Mac and your Mac to be sure yours is normal.

Many audiophile insist on external DAC when there is noise from the CPU or other components since many properly built and functioning computers have noisy amplifiers. Yours should be as good as the rest of the population but perhaps no better than the rest. Just like all LCD displays are not perfect, there are some things you just have to live with, but without hearing your specific Mac it's hard to tell if your expectations are too high or if your hardware is less performant than a typical Mac of that design.

The best way to get Apple to examine any problem is to ask them to examine your specific problem. Especially if you can show noise being generated no matter the signal being played - that would point to a faulty amplifier / grounding issue / crosstalk interference issue as opposed to a problem with a particular music file or genre of music and the Digital-to-Analog chipset that was chosen by Apple. A repair or swap can fix the former, but you can't expect them to redesign the line if you don't like how it was made in the first place.


I transfer a picture folder from desktop to an imovie project in 10.0.3

In iMovie you can import files. The option for this is located in the top of the iMovie screen.


iTunes, even when not playing, keeping my computer from sleeping automatically

I called Apple and interestingly the stuff they advised me to do was nothing I'd found anywhere online. They said the issues with coreaudiod are generally caused by iTunes extensions. They had me open up Activity Monitor and advised me to kill a process called AccuBeatMix, and that made the issue go away. I've got an e-mail out to the maker of AccuBeatMix to see if there's a workaround and will post here if there is. Until then I've just got it uninstalled (moved it out of /Library/iTunes/iTunes Plug-ins).


Yes, there was a known issues, which is fixed with latest 9.3 update.

  Updating some iOS devices (iPhone 5s and earlier and iPad Air and earlier) to iOS 9.3 can require entering the Apple ID and password used to set up the device in order to complete the software update. In some cases, if customers do not recall their password, their device will remain in an inactivated state until they can recover or reset their password. For these older devices, we have temporarily pulled back the update and will release an updated version of iOS 9.3 in the next few days that does not require this step.”


If you are attaching something in a new email:

RIGHT Click on the attachment and select View as Icon or View in Place.


TV Style remote that can be mapped to keypresses

I've just found Remote Buddy from http://www.iospirit.com/

It looks like it will do what I'm looking for and works with a wide range of hardware.

I'll try to pick up a compatible remote and see how I get on.


Macbook Air - Deleting large files but not getting back the space

Deleting file from Finder moves them to the Trash for recovery.  They're still on your disks taking up space. So you can either empty the Trash in Finder or use rm from terminal to immediately and permanently delete the files.


QuickTime Player: How to Reduce Playback Speed?

Slow Motion Forward: Hold K+L together (this gives you audio) or hold right-arrow.
Slow Motion Reverse: Hold J+K together (this gives you audio) or hold left-arrow.


Inherit Time Machine Backup Snow Leopard

I have the same problem, and I'm using Snow Leopard (hate Lion/Mt Lion).

I found a discussion and a script at

http://simon.heimlicher.com/articles/2011/02/18/time-machine-volume-uuid

But I have not tried it myself just yet.  I will though.


Is it possible to take a screenshot in vector format?

Solution 1: Using a vector GUI widget API with PDF backend:

Actually, it is possible. Consider the fact that on screen objects are created by a widget API, and if this widget API is based on vector elements and have appropriate vector output backend, then it can output to vector formats like PDF.

Please look at the similar question, which also contains some working samples:

Can I take a screenshot as vector graphics or at a higher resolution
than native?

This needs Gtk+ widget library and Cairo as its GUI display and PDF generation backend, which both are available for Mac OS X. But as few applications in Mac OS X use Gtk+, this is not a general solution. I wanted to show the possibility of creating vector screenshots. If you are a developer, this may be useful for you.

Solution 2: Creating vector mockups:

For general applications, you can create mockups. Here you can find "Free Yosemite Vector GUI for Illustrator", which can be used to create mockups of your GUI. It includes all main UI Components:

http://codemotionapps.com/yosemite-gui/


How to decrease and Increase Sound of chosen App?

OS X doesn't have a global manager for volumes of specific apps unlike Windows. Rather, you can change the volume of apps inside the app themselves.

For example, iTunes has a volume slider inside the app that lets you change the volume of iTunes, and whilst I'm not familiar with  the options menu of CS:GO, I presume it has a slider for volume. Use these controls for changing the volume and script them if necessary using AppleScript or equivalent.


How to search Google from iPhone Spotlight

Also consider the excellent Google Search app.


Backing up with rsync, how not to get into trouble with permissions and privileges?

You can always access the files by being an admin on the computer you attached the external drive to and changing them. The admin super-user can always fix permissions issues.
You can change permissions at the top level by clicking "Apply to Enclosed Items" That will change everything in the folder and below.


Decode MacBook assembly date from system report file?

Sign up to be a Self Servicing Account with Apple and you can look up machine PO date by serial number using their global service exchange API.

https://support.apple.com/self-servicing-account-program

That is far more reliable than trying to reverse engineer batches of serial numbers or internal components. You can also look into build details and get technical manuals / diagnostics - so this effort to get registered will pay dividends far more than a quick script.

If you really only need a quick script or don't meet the requirements for a GSX account, I would start here:

https://github.com/krypted/swiftwarrantylookup

The date isn't in the files you collected, but the serial number is which is likely the closest proxy to a build date you have at hand.


Samba share randomly unable to move files/folders

After a bit of research I've come up with a workable solution - at least I'm not changing it for the time being.
Check 'ignore ownership' is unticked on the external volume where the share resides.

Change the users primary group id from 'staff' to custom group id

sudo dscl . -change /Users/lmessi PrimaryGroupID 20 567

Remove all ACLs from External drive 'Disk1'

chmod -RN /Volumes/Disk1

[if you get any errors, try recursive unlock files beforehand]

sudo chflags -R nouchg /Volumes/Disk1

change group ownership recursively for the group 'design'

sudo chgrp -R design /Volumes/Disk1

You can check ownership with ls -gl

ls -gl /Volumes/Disk1

Then my smb.conf file looks something like this

[global]
    socket options = TCP_NODELAY IPTOS_LOWDELAY SO_RCVBUF=65536 SO_SNDBUF=65536
    unix extensions = no

        guest ok = No
        read only = No
        force group = design

    create mask = 664
        force create mode = 664
        security mask = 664
        force security mode = 664
        directory mask = 2775
        force directory mode = 2775
        directory security mask = 2775
        force directory security mode = 2775

[Share1]
        comment = Share1
    path = /Volumes/Disk1/Share1
        valid users = mickey, donald
        admin users = mickey, donald


Are there any "thin clients" that would allow me to run a Windows XP/7 app on an iPad with sound?

The only rdp client I know of that records through the iPad onto the host is "iRDP AV".  The only problem is it doesn't have the functionality that many other RDP apps have such as two-finger scrolling, etc.  It's only 2.99 though and definitely worth it if you just need basic desktop control and mic functionality.


How to remove an environment variable on OSX using bash

unset it

unset DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH

The bash reference manual says

  Once a variable is set, it may be unset only by using the unset builtin command.


How do I zip a folder using the command line while maintaining its file structure?

A "pro" would first read the manual. Now, the zip manual is full of cruft but long into the read you'll find- " zip will store the full path (relative to the current directory).". Further into the read you will find an option to remove all paths in your zip archive but that is not a great idea, since you can create a "bomb" archive that will pollute the directory in which it is extracted. It's best to contain your archive within its own directory.

cd /Users/admin/Downloads
zip -r downloads Backup
mv -- downloads.zip some/other/location
cd -

First we change directory to /Users/admin/Downloads
We name the archive (downloads) and .zip will be added to the archive name
We recurse through the Backup directory adding all files including the parent directory to the archive
move the zip archive to another location
Finally, we call the environment variable OLDPWD to get back to the original directory- cd -


Increase transfer speed from iPhone X to Macbook Pro

Use air drop. It's a lot faster than the cable and work perfectly fine.


As per the Lion technical specifications, there must be at least 2GB of RAM. Do u have ?
If yes, then there may be some other unnecessary applications using the resources of OS. These must be either stopped or removed from your Mac.

To keep your Mac clean and remove unnecessary data, you can use Stellar Speed Up Mac software.

Please make sure you have enough free space in your disk.


iTunes is not showing device backups - can't restore backup

One of the backup folders was causing a problem.

Here is where the backups are stored:

On Windows at %AppData%\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\

On Mac it's at ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup

Here's what to do:

Move all the folders in the Backup folder to a different location
Move a single folder back (I did it in reverse chronological order)
Click on Edit > Preferences > Device tab to see if the backups show in the list
Repeat 2 and 3 until you get an empty list - you've found the bad backup folder (or at least a backup that the newer iTunes can't understand)
Delete or move that bad backup

In my case, it was an old iPad 1 iOS5 backup that was causing the problem.

This can also be caused if you have your iTunes storage on a different drive. I just had this issue and when it backed up it stored to the C: drive instead of the F: drive where I have all my iTunes files. I just needed to move the folder from the path above on the C: drive to the same path on the F: drive.


Does OpenCL automatically use all GPUs in my system?

I've had a lot of trouble running OpenCL drivers both on Mountain Lion and Maverics.

The answer to your question is that programs need to be explicitly written to use multiple devices.

However how the cards are used depends on what you are using them for.  If you are trying bitcoin mining ... well then, that is where I ran into issues. If you are using your cards for what they are designed to do the drivers may behave differently.


Reset Your Home Folder Permissions and ACLS:

1) Boot into your Recovery Partition holding down command + R at the startup chime

2) Select 'Terminal' from your Utilities Menu Bar

3) Type: resetpassword

4) From the window that appears, select your boot volume and the appropriate user account

5) Click the Reset Tab under Reset Home Folder Permissions and ACLS

6) Close the pane and quit Utilities

7) Select your boot volume when presented with choose startup disk and reboot your machine

Edit (Courtesy of @Buscar's Point):

If you don't have a Recovery Partition present, you can perform the same reset while logged in using the Terminal Command below. Triple click the line, copy it, and paste it into your prompt. Supply your password when asked:

{ sudo chflags -R nouchg,nouappnd ~ $TMPDIR.. ; sudo chown -R $UID:staff ~ $_ ; sudo chmod -R u+rwX ~ $_ ; chmod -R -N ~ $_ ; } 2> /dev/null

Command credit goes to Linc Davis of Apple Support Communities.


Your Mac Pro (MacPro4,1) officially neither supports Windows 10  nor booting from USB thumb drives.

The only Mac Pro model supporting Windows 10 installed with Boot Camp Assistant according to Apple is the Mac Pro (Late 2013).


Can I use a MacBook as a server with the lid closed?

To use a MacBook as a server with the lid closed, all you need to do is to ensure that it's powered on and not in sleep state.
Closing the lid of a MacBook by default puts it into sleep mode irrespective of whether it is plugged into power or running on battery.
One common way to keep the MacBook powered on with the lid closed is to connect an external display (and keeping it plugged-in to power, to make sure that it doesn't run out of power) to your MacBook.
If that is not feasible, or is not an option that you are looking for, you can refer to the solution in the linked discussion:

https://apple.stackexchange.com/a/361398/279727

You can accomplish this in  terminal. No additional software needed.Display global power settings: pmset -g
System-wide power settings:
Currently in use:
 lidwake              1
 autopoweroff         1
 standbydelayhigh     86400
 autopoweroffdelay    28800
 proximitywake        1
 standby              1
 standbydelaylow      10800
 ttyskeepawake        1
 hibernatemode        3
 powernap             1
 gpuswitch            2
 hibernatefile        /var/vm/sleepimage
 highstandbythreshold 50
 womp                 0
 displaysleep         10
 networkoversleep     0
 sleep                1 (sleep prevented by sharingd)
 tcpkeepalive         1
 halfdim              1
 acwake               0
 disksleep            10

To stop sleep entirely:sudo pmset -a disablesleep 1To revert, allowing sleep again:sudo pmset -a disablesleep 0


Blurry display in Windows 10 on VMware Fusion Pro on MacBook Pro Retina

Finally I got this working. The trick was to install VMware Tools in my VM OS (Windows 10). After installing this, I was able to select 2880*1800 resolution.

Much better now :) Some apps are still not sharp (Visual Studio menu items etc.). But I can live with those.


iOS App Store: Unable to download and update apps due to Terms and Conditions loop, even after agreeing

Important Update

As noted in the below linked 9to5Mac article, an updated has been shared by TechCrunch:

  Update: TechCrunch has now reported that Apple has “deployed a fix” and the bug should be resolved “in a matter of hours” as the patch is rolled out. The fix is being applied server-side, so users won’t need to make any changes to see the problem resolved.

Originally Posted Answer

This is apparently an issue currently with the App Store which is affecting a large number of users and is also affecting Apple's own servers. It is widely reported.

Some users unable to download or update App Store apps, faced with endless iTunes terms and conditions prompts - 9to5Mac

  Some sizeable number of people are experiencing an issue with the App Store at the moment. On an affected account, when attempting to download a pending app update or a whole new app, users are presented with a dialog to accept new Apple Media Services Terms & Conditions.

and

App Store Users Report Endless T&C Loop Preventing App Updates and Downloads - MacRumors

  A number of iPhone and iPad users this morning are taking to Twitter and Reddit to report an issue with the App Store that prevents them from downloading or updating apps.

  The problem starts when a user taps the Get button on an app listing, whereupon a pop-up informs them that "Apple Media Services Terms and Conditions have changed" and that they must read and accept them to continue.

According to the article, some users were able to circumvent the issue as follows:

  Some users report that simply tapping Cancel when the T&C notification first pops up makes it go away, allowing them to download or update the app in question.

Since it's a widely reported issue, it's very likely that a fix will be made for the same. You can try the aforementioned, or wait for some time to have the fix available.

You can also consider getting in touch with Apple support via their support channels:

Apple Support (@AppleSupport)| Twitter
Contact - Official Apple Support

Do note that contacting support is crucial here. Even if the contact personnel is not able to provide you a solution instantly, with enough number of requests going to Apple Support, they become aware of the gravity of issue and will work on fixing it soon.


Running multiple git ssh logins via Terminal

There a different ways of achieving this.

you could use the same key for all your git repos.
you could use different keys and specify which one to use when logging into a remote system:

$ ssh -i ~/.ssh/bitbucket-key user@host
$ ssh -i ~/.ssh/gitlab-key user@host

  -i identity_file

  Selects a file from which the identity (private key) for public key authentication is read. The default is ~/.ssh/id_dsa,
  ~/.ssh/id_ecdsa, ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 and ~/.ssh/id_rsa. Identity files
  may also be specified on a per-host basis in the configuration file.
  It is possible to have multiple -i options (and multiple identities
  specified in configuration files). If no certificates have been
  explicitly specified by the CertificateFile directive, ssh will also
  try to load certificate information from the filename obtained by
  appending -cert.pub to identity filenames.

I would create a key pair for each git repo, then in Bitbucket you would upload the key to the Bitbucket website. Gitlab and Github work the same way.

Once you uploaded your key to your repository it is enough to git push without need to specify your key.


Apple Watch Series 2 will not pair with iPhone 11 Pro

I was able to solve the issue on my end...

Problem: new iPhone 11 pro with iOS 13 won't pair with Apple watch series 2.

So the problem was that my old iPhone 6s was on iOS v10 and watch on v3 and iPhone wouldn't upgrade my watch to the newer watch OS, probably due to OS compatibility.

Unfortunately there is no option to upgrade iPhone to version 11 or 12 - you can upgrade to the latest version only. I've took a risk and upgraded my old iPhone 6s to the latest iOS hoping that as long as it is paired with watch it would upgrade watch OS, but it didn't work out and I've got 2 phones unable to pair with my watch.

I found a friend, who was on iOS 12 and used his iPhone to pair. Before pairing it asked to upgrade watch OS (iOS 13 didn't offered this option). After upgrade watch OS I was able to pair it with any iPhone running iOS 13.

So I'm all set now.

Hopefully this info will be useful for others.


Securely wipe all user data from iBook G4 / OSX 10.4?

You can take your 10.6 knowledge and apply it down all the way to 10 as the big changes in user level data and file system changes arrived at 10.7 and later.

The easy way out, is boot the Mac in target disk mode and connect it via FireWire to any Mac and zero the drive, secure erase, etc... The recipient will likely be able to order a 10.4 replacement disk for less than $25 online and set up the OS as desired.

Also your plan to just make a shell user account and delete the old user accounts would work well for light protection. Better to copy movie files or other data over all the empty space then delete them to prevent a simple undelete from recovering files only deleted by the OS.

Maybe examine the system keychain for any wireless passwords you don't want escaping, but most things of a sensitive nature are in the user home folder.


Open your message app and click on the Window menu item. Near the top of the menu is a setting for Zoom. Click on this and leave it. Whenever you open a message it should open in full screen. To turn zoom off, click on the option again. Once you've clicked zoom it will be remembered if you quit messages and start again.


How to make your iPhone beep every hour?

Well – you can either set up returning alarms – but I suppose you already came up with that idea yourself. Or you can use one of those many many apps for hourly chimes. This overview claims to have a list of over 50 apps doing just that (and more) www.appcrawlr.com/ios-apps/best-apps-hourly-chimes

The first app I see in the list ("chime") seems to be doing exactly what you describe, available on the iTunes App Store at Chime


Does overcharging a MacBook degrade its life?

All Macs cease charging and let you know this by changing the "orange" LED in the charging cable to "green" when the battery is topped off and you are merely running the Mac - not charging it.

The question you ask would be more precisely worded - what harm is it in keeping the battery constantly and always topped off to full?

Your early 2011 13" MacBook Pro has a lithium ion battery. Luckily, lithium ion batteries have an internal circuit to prevent the battery from being charged over 100%. There is a very slight chance that something can go wrong with the charging mechanism in the laptop, which would cause the battery to overcharge, but I wouldn't be concerned with that.

Years back, laptop batteries were made from nickel-cadmium or nickel metal hydride. It was recommended that these batteries were regularly fully discharged then fully charged so they'd continue to hold a full charge, though even following these practices they would eventually lose capacity.

Apple still recommends that you fully discharge your battery monthly, and never store your laptop with a charge below 50% for an extended period of time. In short, it's perfectly acceptable to leave your laptop plugged in while it's in use but let it fully discharge once a month for optimal battery health.


how can I configure a mac to modify parent directory timestamps when programs touch files

You should be able to use git-hooks with a post-commit trigger to read the push logs and then execute a shell script to touch your parent directory (or directories, if you wish to work up the tree). The push logs should contain all the modified files, so you can parse that information and touch the dirs accordingly.

This article may shed further light:

https://superuser.com/questions/740026/how-to-run-a-shell-script-on-git-commit

I hope it helps you to arrive at an efficient solution.


Admin privileges requiring for installing a package build though Packages

The installer is actually doing the right thing by asking for an admin password. Users without admin rights do not have the ability to write to the /Applications directory on a Mac.

Without knowing more about your installer, I suspect the request for an admin password is coming from Apple's Installer.app, which is the application that your installer is working with to install your application.

Installer.app is detecting that the non-admin account that's running the installation doesn't have admin rights and that /Applications doesn't allow non-admin users to write to it. To resolve the issue, Installer.app is requesting that an admin account authenticate the installation and authorize the needed rights. Otherwise, the installation will just fail.


Macbook Pro 2018 (Mojave) - No WiFi hardware installed

Looks like wasn't a software problem, was a hardware one. Apple replaced my motherboard and touch-id. Now the WiFi is working. A little bit disappointed for my first Apple product.


Event sync between iPhone calendar and outlook 2016 calendar results in a time zone error

I turned away from iCloud Control Panel for Windows earlier because of some other reason that iCloud folders of contact, calendar and task cannot be used as Outlook default folder. This often gives me a headache that I have to always click into icloud folders before creating new entries. The solution I found working for me is EVO Collaborator for Outlook. Regarding to the time zone issue in the question, I have never met such problem because I think the Outlook add-in self-adjusts to the time zone you are at vs. what is on your iCloud account. You can try it out.


Lubricant for Sticky Home Button on iPhone 5S?

It would probably be best to take your iPhone in to the Apple Store (I have had luck in the past with them replacing my iPhone when there is a hardware issue, even when I did not have an AppleCare plan for the device); however, if you are willing to risk possible (although probably unlikely) damage to the internals, you could put a small drop of rubbing alcohol on the home button and press it repeatedly until it is no longer sticky.


From your description, I believe you're looking at the firmware password:

This isn't specific for Target Disk Mode, and would have been set through the Firmware Password Utility.

This script may be able to decrypt your firmware password, however it doesn't work on all Macs.

python -c "print ''.join(chr(int(c, 16) ^ 170) for c in '`sudo nvram security-password`'.split('%')[1:])"

Source: CNET


What if you wrote a script with the sudo that they could double-click? You could also modify the sudoers file to not need the password.

AppleScript could do this too, including a standard OSX popup for the password.


Solved it! I had another git folder in /usr/local/ which had symlinks in /usr/local/bin. So I had to move that git folder elsewhere and then installed and reinstalled git with homebrew.


Should I create a Bootcamp partition (even if i plan on using parallels)?

I don't thinks so. I've been using VMWare (same way of working as Parallels) for years now without a partition and I've never suffered any issues.

When using virtualisation software without a partition, the software creates a dynamic partition which will grow depending on your needs. So basically, it's the same. Only the dynamic partition is a virtual one.

So, in my opinion, there is no need to waste a predefined partition on your Macintosh HD. Just let the software do it's job and go with the dynamic partition.


Why can't I see horizontal scroll bars in Finder?

You're not missing anything, this is just how Apple chose to design this view, presumably because there could be hundreds of items of each file type, but they wanted to show as many file types as possible at once. You have to scroll through using the arrow keys, by two-finger dragging, or using Shift-scrollwheel (I assume—I don't have a mouse to hand). Or you can click "Show All" to show all the items arranged in a more conventional grid.

The "stacking" of folders at the right hand side is meant to be the visual cue that this is the case.


iPhone 5s email deleted from Inbox not synchronizing correctly to Exchange server/Outlook inbox

Well I ended up solving this problem with a slightly lateral solution. Despite the fact that the iPhone was not updating the changes I made while I was offline, it was synchronizing all new changes just fine. Given I wanted to maintain the inbox on the iphone, I just created a sub-folder under the inbox and moved all my messages there (on the phone), that change was successfully sync'd to Outlook and then I just deleted all the messages from the inbox on Outlook (Inbox represented the 450 messages I had deleted on the iphone while offline) and then moved the messages from the temporary sub-folder back into the inbox. Everything continues to sync correctly.

Obviously this is not a technical solution as I had only 75 messages on the iphone inbox that I wanted to maintain it was an easy fix. If anyone knows how you might better deal with this scenario when there are thousands of messages in play I'd be curious to know!


Wine issue: Can't quit out of application

If you've tried using Command Option esc and you're still facing that problem, you can try force shut down by pressing down the power button until the system shuts down. Make sure you have nothing important open or any unsaved work before doing that.


Did you set the margins to 0 under the document inspector?

Edit: never mind this step, you already had it set under Page Setup

Also, make sure to select borderless by going to Paper Handling > select Scale to fit paper size > US Letter Borderless


How to programatically add folder to Spotlight "do not index"?

According to an answer here, a folder can be excluded from Spotlight indexing (achieving the same effect as adding it to the Privacy tab, although the folder won't actually be listed there) by either

adding .noindex to the end of the folder's name, or
creating an empty file .metadata_never_index inside the folder (eg with touch folder/.metadata_never_index)

You will need to restart Finder after adding  .metadata_never_index, either killall Finder from Terminal or logout from the Apple menu and then log back in. This method doesn't work in Mojave and later.


Mac stuck in "El Capitan" installer loop: "no packages were eligible for install"

As explained here, OS X 10.11 "El Capitan" fails to install because it is too old (the technical reason being that the signing certificate is no longer valid).
But you can trick the OS X installer into thinking that it is 2017 and it will happily run without any errors.
How to trick the OS X installer

When the OS X installer complains that "No packages were eligible for install" and displays this window:

don't restart your Mac.

Turn Wi-Fi off or unplug the Ethernet cord, depending on your configuration, to prevent your Mac from connecting to the Internet:

Select Utilities>Terminal:

Click the window that appears:

and type date 0115124517 (this will reset the date to Jan 1st 12:45 2017). After typing the command, press Enter:

Terminal will confirm that the date has been changed with a line of output that displays the new date.

Quit Terminal:

In the OS X installer window, press Restart:

When your Mac comes back up, disable Wi-Fi and leave the Ethernet cord unplugged, as explained in step 2, and press Continue:

Read the software license agreement, press Agree to accept it and press Continue:

Select the disk on which you want to install "El Capitan" and press Continue (note that the icon and name of the disk will be different in your case) (there is usually only one option. If you have several options because the Time Machine drive is plugged in to your computer, make sure you select the correct drive and not the Time Machine drive):

The installation should now proceed without any errors:


Unstructured service data requests are touchy in my experience.

I usually verify my iOS settings are up to date, then check for a carrier settings update and then go straight to my cellular carrier for help when I can’t use one. They often find a problem with the cell tower or can tell me they flat out don’t support the request I’m making.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unstructured_Supplementary_Service_Data

You’re not hitting the common limit of 182 alphanumeric characters but I’m not familiar with 222 request. Since this brings up a bidirectional channel between your phone and the carrier equipment they should be able to diagnose precisely what’s happening on the tower side. I do my updates so they don’t say “talk to apple” or “restart your device” since it’s really on them to validate that the precise string you sent got encoded and received and look at their logs to see why your request crashed their stack to respond to the request. You know your device is sending and you know your device can send messages millions of times longer - just open Safari and listen or watch to 10 seconds of content. The problem almost certainly isn’t your radio, device, OS.


Yosemite window close button off center?

Your display is made up of pixels which are each made up of 3 subpixels, red, green, and blue. (This is the LCD part in the picture below.) Unfortunately, since red is on the left, it may look a little off center.

Here's a screenshot of the button:

and here's what it looks like on my display:

It would have been difficult for Apple to avoid this issue while still having the close button red. Graphite fixes this because the button is no longer red, and each of the subpixels is equal, so it doesn't look like it's shifted to the left.

In Mavericks, the button was a bit less saturated and a bit subtler, so that may be the reason why it seems to be a problem in Yosemite.


Any app belongs to the Apple ID that purchased it.
You cannot transfer it to another account.

You could download it to another device only by logging in with the Apple ID that made the original purchase.

You do this by going to Settings ➔ iTunes & App Store then tap on Apple ID, then tap Sign Out (of whoever is signed in) Then sign in with your Apple ID.

Everything you've bought with that Apple ID (music, movies, apps) can be downloaded to that device.

If you used someone else's device to purchase an app using your own credentials, it would still be available for later download to your phone - though it would, of course, still be on the other person's device unless you deleted it afterwards. You can't remotely delete content from a device.

You can install apps on up to five iOS devices concurrently.

It goes without saying that letting someone else know your Apple ID login details could be potentially very unsafe.


Is there a way to forward Growl notifications to Notification Centre?

Since version 2.0, Growl supports "bubbling" notifications to the Notification Center out of the box. You can find the setting for this in the General tab of Growl's preferences.

It does come with the same limitations as Hiss though, all notifications appear to be coming from Growl and not the originating app, and clicking them does not appear to launch the expected actions.


On my Mac (running 10.7 Lion), there's already a default shortcut for this, ⌥⌘1 (optioncommand1). You can access the Clean Up By menu under the Finder's View menu, which will show the shortcuts assigned:

Note that this option is only available on the Desktop or a Finder window in Icons mode (not List, Column or Cover Flow modes).
If you don't have shortcuts assigned by default, you can add them in the Application Shortcuts section of Keyboard Preferences.


Can I find out which iOS apps are no longer available in the App Store?

No, there's no way of knowing that Apple offers.

I'm not aware of any jailbreak apps that can do this, either.


authd/taskgated error -67050/-67062 on MacOS High Sierra

This error occurs when unsigned code is run.  The taskgated process is the one checking if the executable is signed.  In order to check, it must open the file.  So to track down what is being opened by the process you can use dtruss (you may have install the Xcode command line tools to get it).  Just create the following file named unsigned.pl:
#!/usr/bin/perl

use strict;
use warnings;

open my $fh, "-|", "dtruss -p `ps -ef | grep taskgated | grep -v grep | awk '{print \$2}'` -t open 2>&1";

while (my $line = <$fh>) {
        my ($file) = $line =~ /open\("(.*)\\0"/;

        next unless defined $file and -f $file;

        my $signed = qx/codesign -dvvv "$file"/;

        print $signed;
}

Which can be run like this:
sudo perl unsigned.pl
and it will spit out lines like
/path/to/executable: code object is not signed at all

You can then create a self signed cert with Keychain Access:

launch the Keychain Access app
go to Keychain Access > Certificate Assistance > Create a Certificate...
set the name to something like codesigner
set the certificate type to Code Signing
create the cert

Once you have a self-signed cert you can sign the executables in the terminal with
codesign -s codesigner /path/to/executable

Note: you will see a lot of examples using -f, but that forces it to be resigned with the new cert.  If you have lost access to the cert, or if the cert has expired, that might be necessary, but I try to avoid it.


Login and password in Safari private mode

Saving passwords is disabled in Private Browsing.

AutoFill is not automatic, but you can AutoFill manually:

iOS: focus on the username or password field and tap ‘AutoFill Password’ above the keyboard.
macOS: Edit → AutoFill Form (⇧⌘A)


Are there any disadvantages to pre-ordering the latest iPhone through Apple?

If you're specifically asking if you can maintain your current data plan when ordering via Apple, you can do that.  Alternatively, you'll also be able to change your data plan to other plans that are currently offered by your carrier.

Part of the ordering process (when ordering through anyone: Apple, a carrier, Best Buy, etc.) is selecting your plan, and that part of the process contacts your carrier's systems.  On the first day people can preorder, this results in the carriers' systems being crushed due to all the demand.

Once your carrier's system has been contacted, the store you're buying from then knows if you're eligible for subsidized contract pricing or if you'll have to pay unsubsidized pricing.  The store also knows your current plan, and so is able to offer that as an option if you have a grandfathered plan that isn't available to new subscribers.

Ergo, the process for buying an iPhone will be pretty similar no matter where you buy it from.  Pick a store based on whatever criteria you wish: availability of the specific model you want, convenience of store location, store loyalty plan, etc.


Yea that has always been a difficult task but I would recommend gfortran. Its part of the GCC package from gnu. It's a nice Fortran compiler and the best part is it is free. If you've searched the web you know most Fortran compilers are pricey. The link above will let you access precompiled binaries for gfortran. The binaries are packaged as simple to install Mac .dmg files.

The version for Sierra is 6.3 while the latest version for Mojave is 8.2.


Managed, Mobile account on Mac not giving me the option to change password when Admin is unlocked?

A managed / mobile account is controlled from the directory so you can't change that password unless there's some sort of integration with a tool like Apple Enterprise Connect or Nomad (https://nomad.menu) where the tool calls to the Active Directory to make the password change.

All Mac accounts have their password encrypted and obfuscated, so you'd have a hard time cracking them.

How can I recover a standard user's password using the admin password?

Best bet is to get your admin staff to assist you in resetting the passwords or letting you be the administator of this Mac and set up local accounts.


Help understanding Keychain passwords vs Safari passwords

Like Tik27 said, when Safari saves a password it is saving it to the Mac Keychain. There is no way for Safari to actually save a password, it hands it off to the keychain.

So any time Safari (or Mail.app, Finder, etc.) offers to save a password it is being saved in the keychain.

you can verify this by signing on to a new website with a username and password, letting Safari prompt you to save the password and then opening Keychain.app and seeing the new username/password saved there with a date/time stamp of only minutes ago.


A way to disable the SMB signing mechanism at the Apple Time Capsule?

Okay, here follows a litte addition to my original question. This is not a final answer. It can be seen more as the first part of a "real" solution. ;-)
As mentioned in the comment section by user Gumminando, Apple is using at the Time Capsule a (modified?) Samba Server. According to the official doc the SMB1 "server signing" feature can be defined in the smb.conf file as follow:
(Source: https://www.samba.org/samba/docs/current/man-html/smb.conf.5.html)

server signing = default
server signing = auto
server signing = mandatory
server signing = disabled

Apple is using at their TC models most likely the mandatory parameter which enforces the SMB1 signing in any case.
It should be noted that all these options are only SMB1 related. The SMB2 signing (of newer Samba versions) cannot be disabled because it seems to be "in design" mandatory. Well, a SMB2 functionality is not present at any Apple Time Capsule model so that aspect can be ignored anyway.
So what would be now the final solution? In theory, you just have to log / hack into the TC and modify the smb.conf file with parameter server signing = disabled or server signing = auto. Unfortunately, it's not that easy in practice.
However, I can confirm that the slow SMB1 signing affects primary larger files. I have now tested this for a while and the overall behavior with smaller files like office documents is okay. Well, this may be true in our case because the original TC hard-disk drive was replaced with a Crucial MX500 2TB SSD. Yes, this works GREAT.
And finally, the idea to use also under Linux the AFP protocol to access the Time Capsule seems interesting. Unfortunately the current AFP Linux implementation is somewhat broken (and incomplete). The SMB1 implementation may be slow but it is definitely very stable and reliable. I would describe it as rock solid.


Why can I no longer get an internet connection when using my old Macbook and AirPort Express?

Setting the AirPort Express b/g to g-only mode solved this problem for me, though I don't understand why.


How to disable and reenable Thunderbolt 3 port in Mac OS Catalina?

So long story short, I want to disable my port.

Technically, you can't.
The Thunderbolt ports really cannot be disabled because they are used for functions outside the operating system like charging.  So, even if you completely uninstall macOS the ports will continue to function, accepting and negotiating a charge.
The most you can hope to do is disable them from the OS, however, that's an all or nothing proposition.  The kexts are for all of the ports; not for each port.

I am pretty much certain that my upper left port is not functioning well, sometimes it works and sometimes I have rotate the charging pin and insert it again to make it work,

Have you tested the cable?  The port is reversible so you shouldn't need to "rotate the charging pin;" there's actually two of them - one on each "side" of the cable (Vbus).  If it is the port, why disable it?  Why not just not use it or better yet, take it in to have the port replaced?  There are board level repair outfits that specialize in this type of repair.

Now, if you are getting CPU spikes then it is possible there's a short between one of the power pins and a data bin (i.e. Vbus and TX1/RX1).  If these spikes occur while a cable is plugged in, again, try changing the cable.  If they occur regardless, then the problem is your port and it must be fixed.  If it's a physical problem, you either have to physically disable it (cut the connectors so it's no longer usable) or if you're going to go that far, just fix the port.


You should back up your Windows partition while booted into Windows, using Windows-compatible backup software, and you must backup to an external drive that is NTFS-formatted, whether it is over Ethernet, USB, FireWire or whatever else you can work out. Do not try to use a physical hard drive that has one partition formatted for Mac or Time Machine, and another partition formatted for NTFS. Use a completely separate hard drive.

Don't try to back your BootCamp Windows system up using Mac OS X outside Windows. You might figure out how to back up some files, but you will not be able to create a bootable "bare-metal restore" image, like those people in Windows-land call it.

Windows Vista and Windows 7 have a good built-in Backup utility that can make a full disk image for a full restore, but only to a hard drive that is NTFS-only. They can also do incremental/differential file backups in a separate procedure. And there are many third-party backup software solutions for Windows, such as Acronis.

  Trust me, you will not want to try to do this using an Apple Time Capsule or a drive that has a partition that is formatted for Apple Time Machine. A couple of years ago I actually worked out a procedure for doing this using unsupported features on the Time Capsule, and I regretted it, because it interfered tremendously with my Mac Time Machine files when I needed to do a full restore on my Mac partition on my MacBook Pro.


Add item to Security & Privacy > Privacy > Accessibility

Try dropping /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/MacOS/plugin-container.app to the preference pane instead.

When I tried opening a page that uses Flash in Firefox, ps -ef|grep -i flash contained a line like 501 28715 28710   0  4:44AM ??         0:01.01 /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/MacOS/plugin-container.app/Contents/MacOS/plugin-container /Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Flash Player.plugin -greomni /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/MacOS/omni.ja -appomni /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/MacOS/browser/omni.ja -appdir /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/MacOS/browser 28710 gecko-crash-server-pipe.28710 org.mozilla.machname.157869410 plugin.

If others search for how to add applications to the list with a script, see http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/111903.


Cannot load rsync daemon in Sierra. Log shows: "assertion failed: 16G1408: libxpc.dylib"

Apparently, Sierra and possibly earlier versions as well, need the rsync daemon to be started with the --no-detach option, which wasn't needed before.

The error message assertion failed: 16G1408: libxpc.dylib that appeared in the logs when it didn't work remains a mystery. But this .plist file now works to solve the original problem:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
    <key>Disabled</key>
    <false/>
    <key>Label</key>
    <string>org.samba.rsync</string>
    <key>ProgramArguments</key>
    <array>
        <string>/usr/bin/rsync</string>
        <string>--daemon</string>
        <string>--no-detach</string> <!-- This is needed now -->
    </array>
    <key>RunAtLoad</key>
    <true/>
    <key>KeepAlive</key>
    <dict>
        <key>SuccessfulExit</key>
        <false/>
    </dict>
</dict>
</plist>


MacbookPro Unlock screen with High Sierra

this is not the login screen - this is a lock screen. This requires user input to authenticate, and assuming one has the correct info to do so, once past this screen, the option for screensaver to require password can be deselected. If this lock screen was driven by properly authorized remote management, there may not be a toggle to disable it.


How to close the Accessibility recorded gesture feature once finished?

Just press the AssistiveTouch button to show the panel, then close it again by tapping outside.


How to Recover Old Version of File in El Capitan without Backups?

No success in restoring the file, like patrix points out.
So regular daily backups is the way to go to prevent loss of data.
However, this cannot only be the measure in the long-run.
We need to understand why such an occasion occurs.

Suggestion for improvements in Text Editor, Python and LaTeX

I think the reason for the corruption of the file was the shebang --shell-escape inside TextMate but also because of LaTeX community. There are many other tickets in TextMate which should be fixed so this one is not in the high list. So I just do not use "always" the shebang for Python because of the danger of losing data.
We should

understand how to limit the rights of --shell-escape
understand how to have Python in inside LaTeX without full shell rights
much more error tests are needed for tracking down this error
active text editor development with open/community development

I think this is not only the editor' fault. I think this is also LaTeX community task because they allow in the first place python in the .tex document with too wide permissions.
I think the current method should be better implemented because of such damages.
I think we need pythonLatex or something else because importing whole python in LaTeX is dangerous currently without Unit tests.

I propose Unit tests for LaTeX documents. This could help me to understand between the integration with Python and LaTeX, and with text editor


OSX suddenly hangs/beachballs all the time - possibly caused by windowserver or aperture?

According to the EtreCheck post, your harddrive is about to die. Do the following a.s.a.p.:

Backup all the data you don't want to lose on a different storage medium
Create a Recovery USB drive using https://support.apple.com/kb/dl1433?locale=en_US
Replace the harddisk
Either reinstall using that USB drive you made, or use internet recovery if supported

There is a slight chance that it's not the harddisk, but possibly the SATA cable between the harddisk and the mainboard. This cable is cheap and I would recommend to replace it while you're at it.

For harddisk replacement, I would recommend a SSD instead of a traditional harddisk, it will make your Mac feel like new. While you're at it, upgrading the RAM to 8GB or 16GB will definitely help a lot performance-wise and make your Mac last a few more years.


How to turn off the "Look up" function on the touchpad completely?

macOS 10.12 Sierra

Open System Preferences
Click on Trackpad > Point & Click
Uncheck Look up & data detectors

Does this work for you?


Simplest and safest way to do a clean install of a newer MacOS? I currently have El Capitan, but no DVDs

In a nutshell, it seems you need an overview of how to do this. All macos versions from the App Store have a built in utility section where you can open terminal and run createosinstaller script to make a bootable USB installer from the downloaded installer app. Most do not require an AppleID in the App Store, but you might have to set that up as well. You’ll want one, so be sure you write down your security questions and be prepared to enter payment info if requested. It won’t be charged, but you will have to enter it if your machine doesn’t let you make a payment-free account as part of your first free app download.

You do need a USB drive that will be wiped totally - 8 GB is probably large enough, 16 for sure is enough. It doesn’t need to be fast, just needs to work well enough to store 5+ GB of new data and be erased one time.

Here goes:

I recommend the newest OS you can - so open the App Store and try to download Catalina.
If that fails, you’ll need to check the requirements for your mac: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210222 _(hint both models of 2012 Air are eligible for Catalina, so you don’t need to use the next step unless you need an older OS)
Then get the installer that’s older than Catalina but meets your requirements - How can I download an older version of OS X/macOS?

Once the installer is downloaded, follow Apple instructions to make the bootable USB: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201372

When you boot from recovery (try booting from internet recovery just in case your 2012 model can internet boot - you can skip everything above)

Either way, choose the erase install path in this document whether you internet boot or recovery boot or make USB installer:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204904


in mac os x, how NOT to bring all the opened window of an application to front

That's how Mac works.

All windows belong to the same instance of the same app, unlike windows where it's possible to have each window inside a different process.

The simplest workaround is to duplicate the app you need 2 instances of & drag the file you wish to launch to one specific copy of that app.

Alternatively, you might be able to do it in terminal or Applescript/shellscript, but you would need to pass the correct arguments to it on the fly...
do shell script "\"/Applications/myApp.app/Contents/MacOS/myApp\" + arguments [at least file path]

I'm not sure all apps will work with this method, I've only ever tried it with very specific structures with published command line switches.


/Applications/Utilities/Migration Assistant.app That is the recommended way from Apple. It grabs the necessary information and allows the user to work just as before. Easy peasy


How can I disable kext signing in Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite?

To disable the kext signing security setting:

sudo nvram boot-args=kext-dev-mode=1

After changing this setting you need to restart the computer to have OS X recognize it.

It is important to note that the kext-signing setting is global, if you disable it you should be careful to only install system drivers from sources that you trust.

To reenable again use:

sudo nvram -d boot-args


Installing the "OS X El Capitan 10.11.6" Update fixed the issue. This is perhaps not a proper answer, since I still don't know the underlying cause, but I post it anyway since it points to the cause being configuration of OSX and not a problem with Lync. Since it was fixed by the upgrade, I most probably could have configured my previous version of OSX (10.11.5) to fix it but I don't know how.


When opening my MacBook Pro, the Superdrive makes noise

There's an option to disable Super-drive in parental controls. Check in system preferences -> Parental control.

Edit
Ok if you want to do completely disable the superdrive without playing with parental control you can do it by unloading the kext file. Just go to /System/Library/Extensions folder and find IODVDStorageFamily.kext file. Move this file to any alternate location or create a new folder there itself and put it there and reboot. You won't see the superdrive in your connected devices again.

To use the superdrive again, you need to put that file again on the same location and insert a USB drive, so that OSX starts searching for connected devices and it'll find your superdrive. Do take the backup of you kext file properly and do not delete it.


Why is Firefox randomly reopening itself after quitting?

I had the same problem ! I downloaded version 3.5 for mac & it works fine for me now.

Please Take Note of following.
Even in FireFox version 3.5, I faced a strange behavior.
When I try to open a new tab sometimes it goes adding new tabs in bulk, I mean infinite loop of adding new tab. In that case, I used to quit fireFox by force. ( force-Quit ).
It happens quite frequently, even though I couldn't determine the exact steps to produce that bug. So, If you face same kind of behavior, please let me know by comments.


What happens if you are being tracked using an AirTag but you don't own an apple device?

It makes a sound.

An AirTag that isn’t with the person who registered it for an extended period of time will also play a sound when moved so you can find it, even if you don’t use an iOS device.

What to do if you find an AirTag or get an alert that an AirTag is with you - Apple Support, emphasis mine

after an AirTag has been away from its paired device for a certain amount of time, the item will automatically emit a sound notifying those around it of its presence.

An Apple executive, quoted by 9to5Mac in Apple execs explain how AirTag is ‘stalker-proof’ and whether you should use it to track pets


Two older Macs (G3 / Intel) need their drives erased. No install discs

Do you have a current Mac with a Firewire port? You can attach the old Macs1 to the new one via Firewire, and boot them using Target Disk Mode, and use Disk Utility on the new Mac to wipe the drives (they'll appear as external drives).

1 Note that the earliest G3 iMacs didn't have Firewire, and thus can't use this feature. The G3 with slot loading drive (released in Octoboer 1999) and later will work.


Why does resetting to factory settings not restore 2019 Macbook to Catalina?

"Factory reset" is a slight misnomer. It doesn't really mean to restore everything back to the same state that it had when it came from the factory, because the original contents of the hard disk are not save anywhere when you upgrade the OS or applications. When you installed Big Sur, Catalina was overwritten; whenever you upgrade an application, the previous version is deleted.
What it really means is that all personalizations are removed. Accounts other than the built-in ones (e.g. Administrator) are removed, and system and application preferences in the built-in accounts are set back to their default values. Applications that weren't included with the system will be removed, but applications that were included will be kept in their upgraded versions. I also assume that local Time Machine snapshots are deleted.
The purpose is to get a "clean" system, usually because you intend to give/sell the computer and don't want them to get your personal data, passwords, applications whose licenses don't permit transfer, etc. It's not intended to go back in time and revert everything you've ever done to the system.
In the old days a computer came with external disks containing the operating system and applications, and you could reinstall the system from them to get back to its original state. Now they no longer do this (and recent Mac models don't even have DVD readers, although one could imagine doing it with flash drives), but you can still reinstall from the network to get an earlier OS.


Can i create my own back up iCloud account other than the one my ex boyfriend set my iphone up with?

You can do this by signing out of that iCloud account. Open the Settings.app and go to iCloud. Then select "Delete Account". Not to worry, this doesn't delete any information from your device, as long as you choose "Keep on iPhone" after signing out of that iCloud account. It will display a prompt after you select "Delete Account", and give you the option of keeping iCloud contacts, calendars, and such on your phone. Like I just mentioned, you will want to select "Keep on iPhone" when facing this prompt. After signing out of iCloud, create an Apple ID (there should be a way on the iPhone itself), and sign into it.

As a side note, unfortunately, you will likely have to purchase any music, or apps, again, that were purchased on his Apple ID. The apps that were purchased with his Apple ID will continue to function, but you will no longer be able to update them, and consequently, the need will likely arise that you will need to purchase them again.