Mac 911

by Breen, Christopher

• ISBN13: 9780201773392
• ISBN10: 0201773392
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-01-01
• Publisher: Pearson P T R

Summary

All new Macintoshes now ship with OS 9 and OS X pre-installed. Mac 911 provides troubleshooting tips for both operating systems, and also provides additional projects showing readers how to do more with their Macs, like setting up a wireless network, using your Mac as a backup server, and more. Divided into three main sections, Mac 911 not only offers quick and dirty fixes for your Macintosh, but also shows you how to do more with your Mac. The first section describes troubleshooting startup problems, Finder mishaps, and tools and techniques for applications gone bad in both Mac OS X and OS 9. Section two explores the untapped potential of the Mac. Readers will learn how to upgrade their Mac, set up a network and use AirPort, create a backup server, create an MP3 server, play games on a network, and make a Mac a veritable "digital hub" with today's many peripherals and technologies. Section three offers a list of cool doodads, software and Web sites, as well as additional tips and tricks.

Author Biography

Chris Breen has been writing about the Macintosh since the latter days of the Reagan Administration. Contributor to such publications as Macworld, MacUser, and MacWEEK, he currently pens Macworld's popular troubleshooting column, Mac 911

Table of Contents

MAC 911: The Emergency Pages	1	(1)
Quick Fixes for a Funky Mac	1	(1)
Your Mac Won't Start Up	2	(8)
Your Mac Will Start Up, but	10
Introduction	xi
The Way of the (MAC) World How the Mac Works	1	(16)
Dumb as a Stick and Twice as Thick	2	(2)
Information Management	4	(2)
Let's Get Organized (Mac OS 9.2 and Earlier)	6	(3)
The Desktop	6	(1)
The System Folder	7	(1)
Extensions and Control Panels	8	(1)
Preference Files	8	(1)
Startup Items/Shutdown Items Folders	9	(1)
Let's Get Organized (Mac OS X)	9	(3)
A Familiar Interface	10	(1)
File Placement	10	(1)
The End of Extensions	10	(1)
Preference Files	11	(1)
No More Big Crashes	11	(1)
The Unfinished OS	11	(1)
What it All Means	12	(5)
I Can't Get Started! Making Your Mac Get Up and Go	17	(28)
The Lifeless Mac	18	(8)
The Sad Mac	26	(5)
The Questioning Mac	31	(14)
Finder Mishaps Crashes, Freezes, and Other Finder Funk	45	(34)
Common Causes of Finder Funk	46	(1)
Extension Conflicts	47	(14)
The Story of the Extensible Mac OS	47	(2)
Preventing Extension Conflicts	49	(1)
Extension Management	50	(5)
Troubleshooting Extension Conflicts	55	(5)
Dealing with Things	60	(1)
Hardware Conflicts	61	(4)
SCSI Conflicts	61	(1)
USB Conflicts	61	(3)
Bad RAM	64	(1)
File or Application Corruption	65	(10)
The Confused Desktop	65	(2)
The Usual Suspects	67	(2)
Diagnostic and Repair Utilities	69	(4)
Buggy Software	73	(2)
Something Else	75	(2)
Fixing the Darned Mac	77	(2)
Reinstall Troublesome Applications	77	(1)
Perform a Clean Install of Your System Software	77	(1)
Reformat the Drive and Begin Again	78	(1)
And Other Stuff Common Conundrums of a Well-Meaning Mac	79	(22)
Applications Gone Bad	80	(10)
Bugs	80	(1)
Conflicts	81	(1)
Memory Allocation	82	(4)
Preferences Files	86	(2)
Corruption	88	(2)
Printing Problems	90	(3)
Check Connections	91	(1)
Check the Chooser	91	(1)
Printer Troubleshooting	92	(1)
Modem Problems	93	(3)
No Connection	93	(1)
Slow and Dropped Connections	94	(2)
Performance Issues	96	(5)
Trim Extensions and Control Panels	96	(2)
Use Real RAM Rather Than Virtual Memory	98	(1)
Disable the Mac's Startup Memory Test	98	(1)
Increase the Disk Cache	99	(1)
Decrease Color Depth	99	(1)
Choose a Startup Disk	100	(1)
Rebuild the Desktop	100	(1)
Optimize Your Hard Drive	100	(1)
Upgrade Your Mac	100	(1)
Buy a New Mac	100	(1)
Tools and Techniques: Classic Mac OS The Ways and Means to Keep Your Mac OS 9 (and Earlier) Mac on the Straight and Narrow	101	(42)
Diagnostic Tools	102	(22)
Disk First Aid	102	(4)
Disk Warrior	106	(3)
TechTool Pro	109	(8)
Norton Utilities for Macintosh	117	(7)
Extension Management	124	(7)
Extensions Manager	124	(4)
Conflict Catcher	128	(3)
Backup Utilities	131	(2)
CopyAgent	131	(1)
Retrospect Desktop and Retrospect Express	132	(1)
Antivirus Utilities	133	(6)
What to Look For	135	(2)
The Players	137	(2)
Firewall Utilities	139	(4)
Hardware Firewalls	140	(2)
Software Firewalls	142	(1)
Mac OS X Troubleshooting with ``Trouble-Free'' Mac OS	143	(24)
The X Advantage	144	(2)
Where X Has No Influence	146	(1)
Not Quite Bulletproof	146	(1)
Be Prepared	147	(2)
Get Religion; Back up Your Data!	147	(1)
Quarantine Mac OS X	148	(1)
Create an Mac OS 9.2 Volume	148	(1)
Mac OS X Problems	149	(18)
Your Mac Won't Boot	149	(5)
The Login Window Appears, But Your Username is Nowhere to be Seen	154	(4)
Your Mac ``Freezes''	158	(4)
Your Mac Panics	162	(1)
You've Lost Your Password	163	(1)
Device X Doesn't Seem to Work with Your Mac	164	(1)
The Mail App Won't	165	(1)
Application X Got Weird!	165	(2)
More !!! For Less $$$ Upgrading Your Mac	167	(38)
Upgrade Options	168	(3)
Upgrading Your RAM	171	(7)
Purchasing RAM	172	(2)
Installing RAM	174	(4)
Upgrading Your Hard Drive	178	(16)
Types of Hard Drives	178	(3)
What to Look for in a Drive	181	(1)
Installing the Hard Drive	182	(2)
iMac	184	(1)
The Tray-Loading iMac	184	(6)
The Slot-Loading iMac	190	(3)
PowerBook and iBook	193	(1)
Upgrading Your Processor	194	(4)
Types of Processor Upgrades	194	(2)
Installing a New Processor	196	(2)
Upgrading Your Graphics Card	198	(2)
Adding Other Cards and Adapters	200	(5)
Add a Sound Input Device	200	(1)
Add an ADB Device	201	(1)
Add a Serial Port	201	(1)
Add a Network Printer	202	(1)
Add a SCSI Device	203	(2)
Share and Share Alike the Networked Mac	205	(38)
A Little History	206	(1)
Making Connections	207	(4)
Coming to Terms	207	(2)
Typical Physical Connections	209	(2)
Software Setup: Mac OS 9.2 and Earlier	211	(13)
Configure AppleTalk	211	(1)
Selecting Volumes and Files	211	(3)
Turn on Sharing	214	(1)
Accessing the Network	215	(2)
Adding AirPort	217	(1)
Configuration	218	(4)
Adding a Router	222	(2)
Software Setup: Mac OS X	224	(8)
Turn on Sharing	224	(1)
Switch on AppleTalk	225	(1)
Add Users	226	(3)
Assign Privileges	229	(1)
Logging On	230	(2)
Practical Networking Projects	232	(11)
The Backup Server	233	(7)
The Wireless MP3 Jukebox	240	(3)
Digital Hubbub Music, Movies, and Moreon Your Mac	243	(34)
Recording LPs and Cassettes on Your Mac	244	(9)
Hardware Connections	244	(2)
Software and Recording	246	(5)
Burning	251	(2)
Make a Video CD	253	(2)
Make a Slide Show	255	(7)
The (Probably) Free Solutions	256	(4)
The Not Free (But Very Cool) Solution	260	(2)
Make a Custom Mac OS X Screen Saver	262	(2)
Make Better iMovies	264	(8)
As You Shoot	264	(1)
As You Edit	265	(2)
Exporting iMovies	267	(5)
QuickTime Player Pro Tips	272	(5)
MIDI to Audio	272	(1)
Multiple Audio Tracks	272	(1)
Play it Backward	273	(1)
Add Effects	274	(1)
Add Annotations	275	(2)
APPENDIX A: HELPFUL RESOURCES	277	(10)
Apple Computer	278	(4)
Other Resources	282	(5)
APPENDIX B: TIPS AND TRICKS	287	(14)
Mac OS 9.2 and Earlier	288	(9)
Mac OS X	297	(4)
APPENDIX C: 10 SUREFIRE WAYS TO BECOME WILDLY UNPOPULAR ON THE WEB	301	(6)
Index	307