11 Common Mac Problems Solved

The Mac OS is, fundamentally, as trouble-free as operating systems get. But nothing's perfect. Here's what to do when you hit a snag. 1. I want a tabbed finder. Download the incredibly versatile Path Finder ($40, www.cocoatech.com), which gives you all sorts of features that are missing from the Finder, such as tabs, stacks, bookmarks, and panes. Sounds like fun to us!

Now THIS is the Finder we've always dreamed of. Thanks, Path Finder! 2. I can't print anymore. This could be caused by a variety of different issues relating to your printer hardware or printer drivers, so you may need to contact the printer manufacturer for more help. But if your Mac is causing the problem, it’s always a good idea to reset your entire printing system by going into your Print & Fax System Preference, right-clicking in the printer list, and choosing Reset Printing System. 3. I travel all over town with my MacBook, and I’m sick of reconfiguring my settings every time I show up at a location I’ve been to before. Why can’t my Mac remember various location settings for me--my default printer, mounted servers, iChat screen name, Bluetooth settings, everything? Try NetworkLocation ($29, www.networklocationapp.com), which can perform dozens of actions on your Mac whenever you switch to a new location. Best of all, its AutoLocate feature will determine where you are, using the same SkyHook Wireless Wi-Fi Positioning System that your iPhone uses, and it will automatically change all of your settings for you.

If you frequently switch physical locations, NetworkLocation can save you both time and headaches changing your Mac's settings. 4. I forgot my OS X password. After retyping your password very carefully at least twice to make sure you just didn’t mistype it, you’ll need to haul out your OS X install disk, insert it into your Mac and restart holding down the C button. After selecting your language of choice, in the menubar, select Utilities > Reset Password. Follow the directions and there you go. Just try not to get a lobotomy after resetting it! 5. My CD or DVD is stuck in the optical drive and won’t come out when I press Eject. After holding down the eject button for several seconds to no avail, restart your Mac and hold down the primary button on your mouse--the trackpad button will work as well if you’re on a MacBook--and during startup the disk should eject. 6. My Mac is not recognizing devices plugged in to one of my USB ports. First, make sure your Mac’s firmware is up to date--check Software Update and the Apple Support Downloads page (support.apple.com/downloads/) and install any firmware updates you find for your machine. If nothing happens, turn off your Mac, unplug the power cable, disconnect all peripherals, and let it sit for five minutes. Plug it back in, reconnect the keyboard and mouse, turn it back on, and try the USB ports again.

Check the Support Downloads page for firmware updates for your Mac. If they’re still unresponsive, you will need to reset the PRAM (parameter RAM) and NVRAM (nonvolatile RAM), which stores some system and device settings that your Mac accesses on startup. Shut your Mac down. Then position your fingers above the Command, Option, P, and R keys on your keyboard. Turn the Mac on, then immediately press and hold those four keys before you see the gray screen. Keep them pressed until the Mac restarts again and you hear the startup chime for the second time. Then let ’em go. When your Mac is finished starting up, check those pesky USB ports. If they’re still not behaving, there’s one more thing you can try before making a Genius Bar appointment: resetting the SMC, or system management controller. Directions for resetting the SMC on your MacBook Pro are found at support.apple.com/kb/HT1411. Instructions for all other Macs are linked from support.apple.com/kb/HT1894. In Search Of...Search Solutions Leopard makes finding files and data on your Mac relatively trouble-free, but when it comes to search, there are improvements and tricks you can apply to make it even better. Here are two solutions to common search problems we hear about from a fair number of Mac users. 7. My Spotlight results have stopped working reliably. If it’s a single non-Apple program that isn’t showing up properly in your Spotlight results, try turning off and on the Spotlight indexing in that particular app. If you’re still getting Spotlight results for an app that you got rid of a while ago, you may not have completely deleted all of the data or databases that are associated with that program.

Spotless gives you a nice GUI for managing, deleting, and rebuilding your Spotlight indexes. If it’s an Apple program--or your entire Mac--that isn’t working properly in Spotlight, try re-indexing your whole hard drive by going into the Spotlight System Preference, clicking on the Privacy tab, then dragging your hard drive into the list. Wait a moment, and then remove your hard drive from the list again. If you’re still having problems, you may need to bring out the big guns by using Spotless ($17, www.fixamac.net), a Spotlight index-management tool that can help fix most Spotlight problems. 8. I need more power, flexibility, and customizability with my Spotlight searches and Spotlight results. Get HoudahSpot ($25, www.houdah.com), which lets you create extremely detailed search requests and customize the results to your liking.

HoudahSpot handles Spotlight searches with much more flexability than Apple's built-in Spotlight search. 3 Essential Utilities Three more Mac problems solved--before they happen! 9. Disk Warrior ($100, www.alsoft.com) This is a great preventative maintenance tool for rebuilding your Mac's directory and keeping your mac running quickly and smoothly. It's also a great emergency tool for repairing disks that have missing files or will no longer mount. 10. Cocktail ($15, www.maintain.se/cocktail/index.php). This general all-purpose utility will clean the caches on your machine, run the UNIX maintenance scripts, unlock hidden features of your Mac, and much more. 11. SuperDuper ($28, www.shirt-pocket.com). This disk cloning utility is great for backing up or transferring all the data on your entire computer to a fully bootable state.

Dell unearths faulty capacitors on motherboards

THE MIGHTY DELL has admitted that some of its systems may be have been afflicted by the plague of capacitor faultiness sweeping the wired world.
The INQUIRER reported back in October 2002 that a number of Taiwanese component firms were fiddling with an electrolyte used in capacitors. Their fiddling was inept, causing capacitors to bulge and bubble like eggs in a frying pan.
Obviously, Dell didn't read the INQ back then. For a veritable horde of Dell customers have since been complaining on Dell's support fora that their boards have been bubbling up like slugs immersed in salt.
Some even took picture of their bulges. Here's a pair.
Most customers are moaning about OptiPlex GX270 systems. One wrote: "I've had 11 out of our 61 go... 3 this week alone. Although mine just aren't bulging, they are popping, leaking, and crusting over..."
Dell told the INQUIRER it had "recently" discovered "a potential quality issue related to a capacitor on an isolated number of the system boards installed in OptiPlex SX270 and GX270 small form factor and small desktop systems."
The problem, said Dell, "is isolated to a subset of specific capacitors from a supplier used for system boards manufactured from April 2003 to February 2004."
Dell claims a "low number" of systems were affected, but acknowledges that any of the two models could be suspect, if they were manufactured between April 2003 and February 2004.
Taiwanese manufacturer Abit was recently threatened with a class action lawsuit over the supply of components that bulged like sheets in the wind.
Back in 2002 it, too, said the problem wasn't widepread. Though it seems to have spread farther and wider than it expected.
"There's no company that doesn't have problems," it said back then. As we like to say - INQwise - all stories come true eventually.
Should you have a Dell board that's abit flaky, the company says it will take "appropriate steps" to keep you happy.
Dell said that customers who are concerned that their SX270 or GX270 small form factor and small desktop systems are affected are advised to contact Dell directly - on 0870 906 0010 or visit the website.

It claims it constantly monitors and works to resolve product problems that affect its customers and said, "there are no safety or data loss issues associated with the failures." µ

Using Wi-Fi for more than web surfing

If you surf the web, chances are you have or are thinking of getting a wireless (Wi-Fi) router. (See our just updated report on wireless routers to help you make your purchase decision.) In the home and office, Wi-Fi routers are great if you want to connect several devices to the Internet at once, and share data and printers among them. However, wireless routers have the potential to do a lot more. Wi-Fi networks can be used in numerous ways -- to control and manage household appliances, or even control brain cells in mice. Here's a look at what wireless routers can do.

Controlling household appliances If you're considering installing a Wi-Fi network in your home to accommodate the needs of your PC, tablets, smartphones and eBook readers, then the trend towards integrating Wi-Fi into household appliances may speed up your decision. At the 2011 Consumer Electronic show, Samsung introduced a WiFi connected refrigerator with a touch-screen panel that "provides access to a series of kitchen-relevant applications," such as recipes, music and news headlines. On their website, Samsung claims that "[n]o other refrigerators keep families better organized and connected to one another." At the 2012 CES, LG took this one step further by announcing its SmartThinq technology. This enables owners to monitor and control their "smart" washing machine or oven from outside the home using their smartphone or tablet. LG is positioning its new Thinq technology as a way to make the consumer's life more convenient, "saving time, money and energy." Controlling brain cells in mice In the scientific realm, biomedical researchers studying the brain can use Wi-Fi to figure out which brain cells control which behaviors in mice. Kendall Research, a start-up company in Massachusetts, has developed a "wireless router for the brain," that allows scientists to turn genetically altered cells in the brains of mice on and off by applying light to them. Observing how the animals respond allows the scientists to find out which brain cells are linked to specific behaviors. This is referred to as optogenetics, a science that is several years old, but until now, has been limited by the need for expensive and bulky physical equipment, including lasers for the light source and a cable attached to the animal. Kendall Research's new device contains LEDs and laser diodes that deliver light wirelessly to the brain of the animal through a very small implant. The device is in beta-testing, with one of the research projects looking at how brain cells affect eating behavior in mice.

How to Unlock Huawei USB Modem For Free

It’s not difficult to look for unlocking service for Huawei USB 3G modem online. Most of the time however, these unlocking service comes with a small fee. Some forums do offer such service for free—but you would have to wait for the kind soul to respond to your request, and God knows how long they will take. Huawei E1762 If you rather go for something that can unlock your Huawei modem within seconds for free instead, check out the following three unlock code generators. Online Unlock Key Generator On this site, getting your modem’s unlock code is as simple as entering your modem’s IMEI, enter the CAPTCHA code and click on the “Calculator” button. Within seconds, it will return you with your modem’s unlock code and flash code. Huawei modem unlock service Supported Huawei modem models: E1550, E155, E156, E156G, E160, E160G, E161, E166, E169, E169G, E170, E172, E176, E180, E182E, E196, E226, E270, E271, E272, E510, E612, E618, E620, E630, E630+, E660, E660A, E800, E870, E880, EG162, EG162G, EG602, EG602G Universal MasterCode As its name suggest, Universal MasterCode is capable of generating unlock codes for a wide range of device, which of course includes most of Huawei’s modem. E156 E155, E1550 E1552, E156G E160, E160G E161 E166, E169 E169G, E170, E172, E176 E1762 E180 E182E E196 E226 E270, E800,E870 E880 EG162 E880 EG162 EG162G EG602 EG602G, E271, E272, E510 E612 E618 E630 ,E620 E630+ E660 E660a Universal MasterCode As you can see, the unlock code generated is the same as the one generated by the online unlock key generator above. There is no limit how many unlock codes you can generate, meaning as long as you have this generator on your computer, you can unlock as many modems as you wish. No installation is required. Just download and start the application. Download Universal MasterCode: MediaFire | RapidShare (243 KB) Huawei Unlocker Huawei Unlocker is another simple and straight forward free unlock code generator. Enter your modem’s IMEI, hit the “Unlock” button and consider yourself done. Again, no installation required. Huawei Unlocker Download Huawei Unlocker: MediaFire | RapidShare (196 KB) Unlocking The Modem with The Unlock Code To make use of the unlock code, insert an unauthorized sim card to your Huawei modem. Unauthorized sim card meaning sim card from any operators other than the one the modem is currently locked to. When you do so, you would be prompt for the modem’s unlock code. Just enter the unlock code you have received earlier and voila, you can now use your Huawei USB modem with sim cards from any other operator. I have tested it on my E1762 and it worked perfectly. Huawei Modem Code Writer Tool If your modem doesn’t prompt for the unlock code even after you have inserted an unauthorized sim, you can use any of these two code writer tools: Download Huawei Modem Code Writer: MediaFire | RapidShare OR Download Huawei Code Tool: MediaFire | RapidShare