Mac Tricks - MyTricksTime

Troubleshooting a Mac is different from troubleshooting a PC, but not all that different. Use your Mac�s built-in startup options to test your hardware, boot in safe mode, reinstall Mac OS X, and perform other system tasks.

To access one of these tools, you�ll first have to shut down or restart your Mac. You�ll then have to press and hold the appropriate key or key combination before the gray startup screen appears. Press the keys right after the startup sound plays.

Startup Manager

To boot from a specific device, press and hold the Option key while booting your Mac. You�ll see the Startup Manager appear. From here, you can choose to boot from different connected hard drives, USB flash drives, network locations, and other boot devices.

To skip the Startup Manager and boot straight from a removable device � for example, a CD, DVD, or USB drive � instead of its internal drive, press and hold C. To boot directly from the network with Netbook, press and hold N instead.

choose-boot-device-on-mac-with-startup-manager

Apple Diagnostics / Hardware Test

Apple Diagnostics tests your Mac�s hardware to ensure it�s working properly. On Macs released before June 2013, Apple Hardware Test (AHT) will appear instead of Apple Diagnostics.

To access this tool, press and hold the D key while booting your Mac. Select your language and your Mac will automatically test its hardware and inform you if anything is wrong.

mac-boot-apple-diagnostics-hardware-test

Safe Boot / Safe Mode

Macs offer a Safe Mode, also known as Safe Boot. When you boot in Safe Mode, your Mac will check its startup volume, only load necessary kernel extensions, and disable third-party fonts and startup options. It�s like Safe Mode on Windows � it won�t load third-party hardware drivers or startup programs, so you can use this mode to fix problems if your Mac isn�t working or booting properly.

To load your Mac in Safe Mode, press and hold the Shift key while it boots. You can stop holding the Shift key when you see an Apple logo and progress bar. To leave Safe Mode, just reboot your Mac without holding the Shift key.

Single-User Mode

In single-user mode, you�ll be presented with a text-mode terminal you can use to enter commands you might need to troubleshoot problems. This works like Linux�s single-user mode� rather than getting multi-user operating system, you boot directly to a root shell.

Press Command + S to boot into single-user mode. To leave this mode, type reboot at the prompt and press Enter.

Verbose Mode

In verbose mode, you�ll see normally hidden messages appear on your screen. If your Mac is freezing, especially during the boot process, the messages here can help you identify and get help with the problem.

Press Command + V to boot into verbose mode. You�ll see the terminal messages appear during the startup process. If everything goes properly, your Mac will boot to its normal desktop.

Recovery Mode

Recovery Mode provides various graphical tools for working with your Mac. From here, you can reinstall Mac OS X, restore your computer from a Time Machine backup, or use the Disk Utility to repair, wipe, and partition your Mac�s internal disks.

Press Command + R to access Recovery Mode. If necessary, you�ll be asked to connect to a network so your Mac can download the appropriate recovery software. You can then choose your language and use the graphical tools here.

One of the nice things about a Mac is that this is all built-in. You don�t even have to download a Mac OS X installer � if necessary, your Mac will download the OS X installation files for you when you choose to reinstall the operating system. Better yet, it will download the most recent version of Mac OS X so you won�t have to spend hours installing patches and service packs, as you do on Windows.

Enjoy Guys! and don’t forget to post your comments. � MyTricksTime.com

Think you know your Mac? Think again: it’s bursting with tons more awesome tricks, shortcuts and things that make you say ‘Wow!’ than you could possibly know!

Even the best of us can forget them from time to time, so check out these ten top tricks� taken from MacFormat’s ’50

awesome things you forgot your Mac could do’ issue � and discover some amazing trickshots.

For more, check out the September 2013 issue of MacFormat � and you can get it completely free in the app edition with a trial subscription:

1. Endless keyboard shortcuts

The mouse is great and all, but don’t be afraid to favour keyboard shortcuts instead of a series of clicks (don’t worry, it won’t get jealous). The developers have put in tons of keyboard shortcuts that will help you save time, and here’s the best part: you can create your own custom ones too, for any of your commonly used menu options. Just go to System Preferences > Keyboard > Application Shortcuts and then pick your own selection of keys to replace the tiresome journey the cursor would have otherwise made.

OS X 10.9 Mavericks release date, news and features

2. Everything ready at log-in

Everyone’s got their own set of ‘evergreen’ apps � those that are constantly open whenever they fire up their Mac, regardless of the activity they might have planned. Wouldn’t it be great if said selection of apps automatically opened every time you switched on your computer? You can guess where this is going, can’t you? That’s right, the options await at System Preferences: select yourself from Accounts, and then visit Login Items.

3. Connect to the internet through your iPhone

Got an iPhone to accompany your Mac? Your mobile device comes with a feature that enables it to share its 3G or 4G mobile broadband connection with other devices (though this must be allowed by your network operator), making it perfect for getting your Mac online wherever you are. You can share the signal through Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and USB. First turn on the iPhone’s Personal Hotspot option in Settings. Then you can either pair them both over Bluetooth, manually connect them using a USB or select the Wi-Fi network created by the iPhone in the Mac’s Wi-Fi options and enter the password.

4. Sign here, here and here

There’s no need to feel restricted while using a Mac. Need to add a signature to an important document? Not a problem: in OS X 10.7 and later you can do exactly that using Preview. Within Preview’s Preferences, go to the Signatures tab and then click on the +. Scrawl your name in black ink on white paper, hold it up to your Mac’s webcam, line it up and click Accept. Make sure you save it so you can use it again in the future, whether it’s for writing letters or answering fanmail�

5. Record screencasts

Question: what’s the best way to record a problem you’re experiencing on screen or to make an instructional video demonstrating the use of an app? Answer: record a video of your screen � after all, that’d be the most useful if you were on the receiving end, right? You can do so through QuickTime Player. In File > New Screen Recording you can chose the audio source and even whether or not to include the mouse clicks in the recording! To neaten any rough edges, you can tweak it in iMovie, and then upload it to YouTube or AirDrop it to say, a relative’s Mac.

6. See the hidden options

It can be infuriating when trying to locate the right menu path, but not on the Mac’s watch. Holding down the Alt key on your keyboard actually lets you get to more options in the menu bar, as well as in the menus themselves. It’s a neat little time-saver; for menu options with ellipses for example, holding down Alt and then clicking them bypasses the dialogue that would have otherwise appeared and executes the command directly.