Aoraki Macintosh User Group Home Page

Snippets from Previous Meetings

TROUBLESHOOTING

Much of the meeting was devoted to the Question and Answer session; fortunately Kim was able to suggest a number of solutions:

PASSWORDS IN MAIL

My Mail application doesn't seem to want to remember my password. What can I do?

This is likely to be caused by a problem in your Keychain Access. This is the application on your computer which stores your passwords, and it should contain a keychain named Login:

This may have become corrupt or may be missing, and fixing it should solve your password problem:

1. Open Keychain Access (in Applications/Utilities)
2. If Login is missing, create a new keychain: File/New Keychain, and name it Login.
3. If Login is present but you suspect it is corrupt, get rid of it: File/Delete Keychain ’login“, then create a new one.

UNWANTED MAIL CHECKS

My Mail application checks for mail when I don't want it to. How do I stop it?

• In the Account Preferences of your e-mail application, there are instructions which tell it when to automatically check for mail. If it's checking when you don't want it to, make sure that automatic schedules are unchecked.

INCOMPLETE DOWNLOADS

Some Software Updates don't completely download Ð what can I do?

• Some who are using MacOS 10.4.10 have had trouble with the update to 10.4.11. This problem may be solved by not using Software Update; instead go to the Apple website and download the new version from there.
• Also, if you're trying to update older system software (eg. over 5 years) it's best to do so from the Apple website rather than through Software Update.

NON-ARRIVING E-MAILS

When replying to some e-mails, they don't seem to arrive. Why?

• One problem can be caused by copying and pasting e-mail addresses — these can sometimes contain invisible characters which will prevent them being correctly sent when replying or forwarding. If this occurs, Apple-A on the address to select all of it (including the invisibles), delete it, then retype it.

CLEARING OLD MACS

How can I make sure that an old Mac has my files completely erased?

• Boot it from a Startup CD (remember to hold down the C key while you do this), go to the Utilities Menu, click on the HD icon and select Erase.

REPAIRING HARD DRIVES

How do I repair my Hard Drive?

• As above, you can only work on your HD if you boot your computer from a Startup Disk. Use the Disk Utility and select the Repair option.
• Be aware that you shouldn't use a Startup Disk that is older that your Operating System, although you may use one that is newer.

DVD's ON MAC MINI

My Mac Mini computer lists my DVD player, but won't play from it. Help?

• Some external DVD players donÕt always work easily through a USB connection, unfortunately — this seems to be dependent on the particular brand.
• Do make sure that your iLife application (iMovie, iDVD, iPhoto, etc) versions are compatible with your version of the DVD Player application: don't use iLife ‘08 on an old version of DVD player — update if necessary.

TRASHING PROBLEMS

I sometimes trash files (eg iPhoto) but they reappear. Why is this?

• Often you need to trash files from within the application in which they were created — delete unwanted iPhoto images from the Photo menu, and select Move to Trash (or type Apple-Delete): this places the image in iPhoto's Trash (NOT the Finder's Trash). As with any Trash, you need to remember to empty it periodically: do this from the iPhoto Menu — select Empty Trash.
• Use a similar process to delete other application-related files, eg. e-mails.

SAFARI CONFLICT

I'm using System software MacOS 10.4.10, and my Safari won't work. How can I fix it?

• There's a conflict between MacOS 10.4.10 and Safari 3.0.4. Fix it by updating your system to v.10.4.11 (or Leopard!)

Thank you Kim for your advice with these questions — as always, we value your expertise!

SESSIONS

MacBASICS

SOME SYSTEM FEATURES

SYSTEM DICTIONARY ACCESS

Tony showed how you can get a dictionary definition in Apple applications (Safari, Mail, etc) simply by pointing the cursor to the word and typing Control+Command+D. This causes a small dictionary entry to appear onscreen below the selected word:

Thank you Mary for bringing this facility to our attention recently.

In Safari, if you have a right-click mouse (or Control-click) you can point to a word and bring up a contextual menu which gives you the option of looking up the word in the dictionary:

The above dictionary facilities are not available in some older System or Application versions.

E-MAIL ETIQUETTE

Tony and Sheryl discussed several points relating to good practice in sending e-mail messages. Some of the suggestions:

• Keep messages succinct and to the point.
  
  
• Don't send messages in capitals, as this is regarded as the equivalent of shouting.
  
  
• If a message has attachments, don't reply to it by just hitting the Reply button, as the recipient will receive back all the attachments he/she has already sent you. Either start a new message, or use the Reply button and delete the attachments.
  
  
• When replying it's good form to put your reply above the sender's original message, then he/she doesn't have to scroll past the original to read your reply.
  
  
• When sending to multiple recipients use BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) so that each recipient doesn't get a lengthy header list, unless it's important that the other recipients are known — in which case use CC (Carbon Copy).
  
  

Thank you for these reminders Ð good to have them brought to notice.

WAYNE DOYLE Ð GRAPHIC ARTIST

Sheryl showed some large prints by Timaru graphic artist (and member of AMUG) Wayne Doyle. Wayne combines photographic images and computer graphics to make mixed-media designs. View more of Wayne's illustrations, and learn about his company, on his website: http://www.doyle.entertainment.8m.com/artwork.html

Thank you Sheryl for sharing these designs — and of course to Wayne also!

WHATSIZE

Hugh introduced menbers to WhatSize, a shareware application which allows the user to quickly measure the sizes of folder, subfolders or files. Results are sorted and displayed in order of size. Hidden files and caches are also displayed, making it apparent how much space is being taken up by files which may no longer be needed:

Although it's shareware, WhatSize can be downloaded and used free in its basic form, but purchasing a license ($US12.99) enables further functionality.
For further information and download, visit the developer's website: http://www.id-design.com/software/whatsize/

Thank you Hugh for introducing us to this application.

MacOS X LEOPARD

Several members who are now using MacOS v.5 (Leopard) shared their experiences regarding ease of installation, hidden changes, new applications, and differences from earlier operating systems. The consensus on the change to Leopard was very favourable, with few problems being encountered — as always with system updates there is the need to obtain new printer drivers and new versions of some applications.

Also, as with the introduction of any major software or system, the inevitable initial bugs need to be ironed out, and Apple have sorted out a number of these with the available version update V.10.5.1, which is of course a recommended download.

More on Leopard in forthcoming meetings.

Thanks to those who contributed to this session.

EXTERNAL DRIVES

For users who are wanting to have an external hard drive for backup (if you haven't, you should!), archiving or for operating Leopard's Time Machine, Kim suggested that you can obtain a very satisfactory setup by purchasing a hard drive and a case separately and assembling them (Kim will let you know how to do this!). Ascent Technology of Wellington have available a broad range of computer hardware: visit http://www.ascent.co.nz/index.aspx

Ready-to-use drives are of course available (eg. Seagate) from Dick Smith Electronics/Harvey Norman, etc.

Thanks for this suggestion, Kim.

President's Report 2007

Greetings friends.

Doesn't time fly: We are now at the end of another year, our ninth since our inception. Next year we will have to have a special 10th Anniversary. I believe that we have had a excellent year with good attendances, interesting meetings and great fellowship. The average attendance at our monthly meetings has been 17, with a maximum of 23 at our May and October meetings. We continue to draw members from a wide area including Ashburton, Geraldine, Waimate, Morven and Dunedin, as well as the Timaru district, and it has been a pleasure to welcome several new members.

We have continued our emphasis on helping each other gain more knowledge about our Mac systems and programmes, and sorting out our problems. We are again indebted to Tony and Sheryl who have been so good at taking us through many areas, and it has also been encouraging in that other members have been willing to share their experiences and favourite programmes.

Mac has provided us with more interesting developments this year with the introduction of ‘Leopard’ and various improvements in the intel powered computers and the iPod range. All we need is a large bank account. However for new buyers, the new computers give great value for money, and with software such as iWork and iLife giving the computers great versatility.

For those of us who use older Macs, they continue to provide a good working environment and are usually reliable and easy to use. Our monthly sessions in various aspects of Mac operations have catered for the older systems as well as the latest versions.

The committee has worked very hard throughout the year in thinking up and providing interesting content for our meetings. Using iChat we have been able to hold our committee meeting on the net, a great help in bringing together people from around the area. Thank you all for your input. Thank you Tony for your sterling work as secretary, to Dave for keeping the finances in good order and looking after our evening refreshment, to Lea for an excellent web site, and to Sheryl for her professional advice and help.

Thank you too, all you members for your support and involvement in our sessions, and I wish you happy festive season and many enjoyable hours of computing.

Looking forward to our 10th anniversary year in 2008

Barry Robinson
President