How to Organize Files on a Mac

Create a new folder (Apple-Shift-N) on your desktop and name it 'Desktop Files To Be Sorted.' Drag all of the files and folders on your desktop into this folder. Create a second folder on your desktop, and name it 'Hard Drive Files To Be Sorted.' Drag all your personal files and folders that reside on your hard drive (which doesn't include the Applications, Library, System and Users folders) into this folder. Apart from the hard drive icon, the only items on your desktop should be these two folders.
Create a third folder on your desktop, and give it a name that indicates that it is your main folder, perhaps something like 'Master Folder.' Double click on Master Folder and create the following folders inside of it:
Admin '
Home '
Work '
This means that every one of your files and folders will reside in one of three of these subfolders. Each of these will have two or more subfolders inside of it that will allow you to find anything quickly. Note that this is the simplest file structure for the home user. Mac users at work or those who freelance might require a more complex file hierarchy.
Customize each of the folders by adding subfolders tailored to your specific needs. For example, 'Admin' subfolders could include insurance information, family records and children's schoolwork and activities; 'Home' subfolders could include financial information, anything to do with hobbies at home (eBay or recipe files, for example) and anything house or home-related; 'Work' subfolders could include freelance work, backup files from your job and resume and job search information.
Open the 'Desktop Files To Be Sorted' folder. Drag the window to the left-hand side of your screen, and open the 'Master Folder.' Drag that window to the right-hand side of your screen. Then start dragging the files into their appropriate folders within the 'Master Folder' (or the appropriate subfolders within the 'Master Folder'). This is also a good chance to trash any unnecessary files and folders. Repeat this process with the 'Hard Drive Files To Be Sorted' folder. When both the desktop and hard drive folders are empty, drag them into the trash.
Use a software package to make a virtual catalog of your files. While Apple's Spotlight program (built into OS X) is decent enough, most users find that a third-party application such as Tri-Catalog makes locating files and folders much faster and much more intuitive.
Back up your files. In the event of hard drive failure or theft, you'll be kicking yourself if you don't take the time to properly back up your files. Professional recovery services can cost thousands of dollars, so avoid it by backing up your files on a regular basis, which is a simple and inexpensive process. A three-tier backup is recommended: An occasional backup of the Master Folder on DVD, a Time Machine backup of the Master Folder to an external hard drive (USB or FireWire) on a regular basis and an online backup using one of the online data backup services, such as Mozy. See the References section below for more information on these backup schemes.
Review your files on an annual basis. You may want to archive files that have no current significance, but are worth keeping, and renew some items (such as an annual medical expense spreadsheet). The idea is to keep your Master Folder streamlined, and avoid the file duplication and clutter that you previously had.
VPS Hosting

How to Download Songs From a Mac Pro to an iPod

Start your computer and open your iTunes software. The main interface presents you with three main sections. There is a bar on the top that has playback controls, a display window and a search field. Directly below this is the largest window, which contains your music library. It displays the title, artist, album and other song information. On the far left is a navigation window that allows you to switch libraries (say, from music to video), view external devices and organize your playlists.
Plug in your iPod using the USB cable. In a few seconds it should show up in the window on the left under “Devices” as an icon of the iPod.
To place a song from the library on your computer to the iPod, click on the song you want and hold. Then, drag it from the library window to the icon of your iPod. A plus symbol will appear over the iPod. Let go of the mouse button. An arrow rotating in a circle will appear beside the iPod letting you know that the song is being transferred.
To transfer multiple songs, click to highlight any song you want. Then, hold the “?” key and click on the other songs you want. They will all become highlighted. Drag and drop any one of the selected songs. They will all transfer to the iPod. If all the songs are grouped together in the library, you can select the first then hold “Shift” and click on the last. This will highlight and allow you to drag and drop all of the songs at once.
To place all of your music on your iPod, first make sure it has enough space. Look at the bar on the bottom of the iTunes window. In the center it will display the amount of memory your songs take up. Then, click to select your iPod and select the “Music” tab. Your iPod’s available memory will appear on the bottom of the window. If your iPod has enough free space, click the “Sync music” box then click “Sync” in the bottom-right corner. This will erase all the music on your iPod and replace it with the library on your computer (See Reference 1).
VPS Hosting

How to Sync Audiobooks From iTunes (7 Steps)

Initiate the iTunes software, and click 'iTunes Store.' Then, click 'Audiobooks' to navigate to the audiobooks portion of the store.
Browse through the available books and select the book you'd like. Purchase the book by clicking 'Buy Book,' found beneath the cover artwork in most cases. Pay using your Apple ID information; allow the book to download to your iTunes library.
Connect your iPod or iPhone using the supplied USB cord. Plug the long, thin end of the cord into your device and the other end into the USB port on your computer.
Allow the initial sync to occur to transfer any purchases you made on your device to transfer to your iTunes library. This also ensures that iTunes recognizes the device properly.
Click your device name from the left-hand side panel of iTunes. It will be listed under 'Devices.' Then, select 'Audiobooks' from the tabs across the top of the window.
Check the boxes beside 'Sync Audiobooks' and 'All' then click 'Apply' at the bottom of the window. This will initiate the sync, this time including your new purchase so that it is sent to your iPhone or iPod.
Find your audiobook by touching the iPod icon. Select 'More' and then 'Audiobooks.'
VPS Hosting

How to Create a Meeting Request on an iPhone

Tap the 'Calendar' application on the iPhone.
Tap the '+' button. Enter the specific information you want to be included in the meeting invitation.
Tap 'Invitees'. Select the people you want to receive the meeting invitation. Tap 'Done' twice. The invitation will be saved to your calendar, and the meeting request will be sent to all the invitees you selected.
VPS Hosting

How to Operate a MacBook

Turn on your MacBook. Press the power button with the computer plugged in. This is not a step you have to take very often. The MacBook has a low power 'sleep' mode that is much more convenient than switching the computer off. Just close the lid of the computer when you're finished using it, and open the lid when you want to use it again.
Explore the main screen---called the Desktop or Finder---of the MacBook. Notice the menu bar at the top of the screen; this bar will contain the menus for whatever program you are currently using. It also has controls and information for common tasks, such as a battery meter, a volume control and a wireless Internet control.
Explore the 'Dock' area along the bottom of your screen. The Dock contains frequently used and currently active programs. To use a program, simply click on its icon in the Dock. Try opening iCal, the Mac calendar program. Notice that the menus on the top of the screen change and the name iCal appears on the left side of the menu. To quit a program, click and hold on its icon in the Dock until the 'Quit' option appears.
Customize your computer. Click on the apple at the far left of the menu bar and select 'System Preferences.' This is where you change any system setting you like. Explore the various options inside System Preferences. Don't worry---you will have to enter your password before it allows you to make any serious changes.
Explore your home folder. Click on the blue smiley face on the left side of the Dock, and your home folder will appear in a new Finder window. From here, you can access your photos, movies, music and documents.
Explore the Applications folder. Your MacBook has many more applications than are shown on the Dock. To access them, open a new finder window (the blue smiley face), and click on the 'Applications' icon on the left side of the window. Double-click a program to start it, or if you prefer, drag the icon to the Dock to make it a permanent fixture there.
VPS Hosting

How to Change Your Mac OS X System Information in the Terminal

Click the 'Finder' icon on the Dock, then click 'Applications' in the window that appears. Click 'Utilities,' then click 'Terminal.'
Type 'uname --v' in the command line window that appears and press the 'Enter' key. Note the system information that appears in the command line output.
Enter 'hostname' at the command prompt and tap the 'Enter' key. Note the hostname assigned to the computer that is displayed in the command line output.
Type 'sudo scutil --set Hostname new_hostname' on the command line, except replace 'new_hostname' with the new hostname you wish to assign to the computer. Press the 'Enter' key.
Enter 'sudo date 1230' at the command prompt, except replace '12' with the current 24-hour clock hour and replace '30' with the current 24-hour clock minutes. Press the 'Enter' key.
Type 'sudo date 1108101230' on the command line, except replace the '11' with the current year, the '08' with the current numeric month, the '10' with the current day of the month, and the '1230' with the current hour and minutes according to the 24-hour clock. Tap the 'Enter' key.
Enter 'sudo /usr/sbin/systemsetup --listtimezones' at the command prompt and tap the 'Enter' key. Find your current time zone listed in the command line output. Type 'sudo /usr/sbin/systemsetup --settimezone US/Eastern,' except replace 'US/Eastern' with your current time zone as listed earlier in the command line output. Press the 'Enter' key.
VPS Hosting

How to Sync Mac Notes to an iPhone (8 Steps)

Tap 'Settings' > 'Mail, Contacts, Calendars' on your iPhone.
Enter your MobileMe account information if you have not already done so and then tap your MobileMe account.
Tap the switch for Notes to turn on over-the-air notes syncing.
Return to the home screen and tap 'Settings' > 'Mail, Contacts, Calendars,' and then scroll all the way to the bottom. Set the Default Account for Notes to your MobileMe account.
VPS Hosting

How to Export a PowerPoint to Keynote

Launch Keynote on your Mac. Click the 'File' menu and select 'Open' from the drop-down menu.
Select the 'On My Mac' button and browse to the PowerPoint file you want to open. Select the file and click the 'Open' button. A progress bar displays while Keynote processes the file.
Review the information in the Warnings dialog box if it appears. It will list any incompatibilities encountered or substitutions made when Keynote converted the file. Check the list of warnings and review any changes to the slides identified in the Warnings dialog. You may need to adjust bullet points, add any removed audio files or accept any substitute fonts. In some cases, no Warning dialog box appears, because no substitutions were made or incompatibilities were noted.
Run the presentation and watch closely for any variances between the Keynote presentation and the original PowerPoint presentation. If you see any, make adjustments to the individual slides affected. Edit the presentation as needed and save it.
VPS Hosting

How to Password Protect Apps On An iPad (5 Steps)

Select the 'Settings' icon from your home screen or the main menu. This is where you go for all general settings as well as settings for specific functions of the device. Settings for your mail, iPod, photo, video and Safari can all be accessed from this menu as well. For more information regarding specific settings, see the link in the Resources section.
Select 'General' followed by 'Restrictions.' You will see a list of apps pop up in your browser as well as a check box that says 'Enable Restrictions.'
Check the 'Enable Restrictions' box to activate the password prompt. You will see an icon pop up that says 'Set Passcode.' It will look familiar to the general password prompt that you see when you initially log on to your iPad.
Enter a four-digit password that will be easy for you to remember. Remember that this password will control access to specific apps and is a different password than the device code.
Select which apps you would like to apply the new password to. When you are done selecting the apps, press 'Done' to complete the process.
VPS Hosting

How to Improve the Wi

Click the 'AirPort' icon and select 'Turn Wi-Fi Off.' Wait five to 10 seconds, then select 'Turn Wi-Fi On' to reset your wireless adapter. If you leave the MacBook Air's Wi-Fi adapter on for several hours or even days, it becomes overloaded with information and may need to be restarted.
Select the name of an encrypted wireless network with a password you know from the 'AirPort' menu. Although connecting to an unencrypted network requires less effort since you don't need to input a password, using unencrypted networks places you at greater risk for a slow connection due to an excessive number of users.
Connect to a different network if the one you usually use is slow or completely inactive. If another network works on your MacBook Air, even if you don't plan to use it regularly, it shows that the problem is with the connection and not the MacBook Air.
Sit as close as possible to the router for the wireless connection you use. The less distance the signal has to travel, the higher quality it is. This optimizes the speed and consistency of the Internet on the MacBook Air.
VPS Hosting

How to Sync the Nook and the iPad

Open your iPad's Nook app.
Enter your Nook login information if the app's sign-in screen appears.
Wait as the app loads your Nook library. Your Nook home page appears.
Tap the 'Sync' icon at the top right of the page to sync the device.
VPS Hosting

How to Scan on the iPad (4 Steps)

Power on the iPad. Slide your finger across the unlock screen feature, located on the bottom of the screen. This brings up all of the icons and other information available on the device.
Place your finger on the lower-left side of the display screen, then slide it across to the right end of the screen. This brings up a scan bar at the top of the screen.
Press your finger on the scan bar to activate the keypad. Type in the desired file or application name, and all the files that match the typed in name appear on the screen.
Push down on the matching information to load the content onto the screen.
VPS Hosting

How to Add a Text Contact to Your iPad

Tap the Contacts application icon on the iPad home screen to launch it.
Tap the '+' button at the bottom right-hand corner of the left page to add a new contact.
Enter the contact's name in the relevant boxes and add any other information such as his postal address, home phone number and email address.
Enter his cellphone number in one of the phone number fields, which is used to send and receive text messages to and from the contact.
Tap the field label to the left of the cellphone number. A list of alternative labels is displayed. Tap one of the labels, such as 'Mobile,' to rename the cellphone entry to something more suitable for a text messaging entry.
Tap the 'Other' label at the bottom of the list to add a custom title for the cellphone number, such as 'Text' or 'SMS.' Tap the 'Done' button to save the contact's details when you've finished editing.
VPS Hosting

How to Sync My iPhone to a New MacBook

Connect the larger plug on the USB cable to the iPhone. It should snap into place.
Plug the other end of the cable into the MacBook's USB port. iTunes should launch automatically.
Click on the iPhone image and name in the left hand drawer in the program. The phone's information should show up on the right.
Click on the tabs in the window and choose what information you would like to sync. You can sync photos, music, contacts, applications and ringtones.
Press 'Apply' in the lower-right corner of the screen to sync the iPhone with the computer. You will be asked in your first sync whether you wish to merge data between computer and phone, replace the data on the phone, or replace data on the computer. In the case of a new Macbook you will likely want to replace data on the computer, which backs up your iPhone data on your new computer.
VPS Hosting

How to Add Audible.com Audiobooks to iTunes (6 Steps)

Start iTunes on your computer.
Click on 'Advanced' in the top menu. Then click on 'Authorize Audible Account' at the bottom of the menu.
Input your iTunes account information (username and password) and your Audible.com account information (username and password) when prompted. This will automatically open Audible.com's homepage in your Internet browser.
Download the Audible Download Manager when prompted if it is not already installed on your computer. This is an application that streamlines the downloading of audiobooks from Audible.com. Note that you cannot download audiobooks from Audible.com into iTunes without this application.
Click on 'Audible Delivery' when the Audible Download Manager opens after installing. Click the checkboxes next to 'Start Audible Manager' and 'Start iTunes' in the window that opens. Then click 'Ok.'
Go to 'My Library' in your Audible.com account, and select the audiobooks you want to download. These will now automatically be placed in your iTunes library for download onto your iPod.
VPS Hosting

How to Check the Diagnostics Services System on a Notebook

Determine whether you have a Mac or a PC notebook and identify the operating system. There are different instructions and utilities that check the diagnostics services systems that are specific to the operating system.
Scan the diagnostics systems on a PC notebook with Windows Vista. This can be performed in two ways and either method will generate a results report when the scan is complete. The first method is to simply access the 'Run' function by pressing down on the Windows key and then typing in perfmon.exe /report. The alternate method is to open the 'Start Menu' to access the Control Panel, click on 'Systems and Maintenance,' then select 'Performance Information and Tools.' Under 'Tasks' click 'Advanced Tools.' Finally, select 'Generate a system health report.' If there are any warnings listed in the diagnostics results/health report, follow the links and instructions to learn more about the symptoms and how to resolve the problems.
Generate a diagnostics system scan on a PC notebook with Windows XP by opening the 'Start Menu' to access the Control Panel. Once the Control Panel is open, click on 'Help and Support,' then under the heading Pick a Task, click on 'Use tools to view your computer information and diagnose problems.' Select 'Network Diagnostics' and finally, click on 'Scan Your System.' When the scan is complete it will produce a report and if any problems are detected, it will provide links to either repair any problems or information on further troubleshooting options.
Run a diagnostics system check on a MacBook Pro, MacBook, Mac Pro, Mac mini, iMac or MacBook Air with the Apple Hardware Test (AHT). A disc with the AHT is included with the purchase of a Mac notebook. If you are working with an Intel-based notebook with Mac OS X v10.5.4 or earlier, you need the Mac OS X Install Disc 1. If you have an Intel-based notebook with Mac OS X v10.5.5 or later, you need the Applications Install Disc 2. Turn the notebook on, install the disc with the AHT and then restart your computer. Immediately press down and hold the 'D' key before the startup screen appears. Be patient; it may take a few moments for the AHT to start running. An icon will appear on the screen while the AHT is inspecting the notebook hardware configuration. When prompted, select your language. Follow the directions to select which diagnostic test(s) to perform. When the test(s) are complete, the results will be listed on-screen. To exit AHT, eject the disc and either shut down or restart your notebook.
VPS Hosting

How to Get Rid of Pinwheel on Mac (6 Steps)

Click the desktop screen to access the Finder menu, and click the Apple menu at the top of the screen.
Click 'Force Quit' and select the application that has 'Not Responding' next to it in parentheses.
Click 'Force Quit' in the list of currently running applications, and click 'Force Quit' in the pop-up dialogue box to confirm you want to shut down the application. Any unsaved information in the application will be lost during the force quit action.
Click the Go menu at the top of the desktop, and click 'Utilities.'
Double-click 'Activity Monitor' and click the :'System Memory' tab near the bottom of the application window.
Click 'CPU' to sort the running processes according to central processing unit usage, and click the process that has a high CPU number. Click 'Quit Process' to close the process, free up memory and restore stability to your computer's memory.
VPS Hosting

How to Upload Pictures on the iPad

Connect your iPad to your computer, using the docking cable that came with it.
Open iTunes if it doesn't open automatically.
Find your iPod under 'Devices' on the left side of the iTunes screen and click it.
Click the 'Photos' tab above the information about your iPad in the center pane.
Check the box next to 'Sync Photos from.' Click the drop-down menu next to 'from' and select the program that you use to store your pictures, such as iPhoto.
Click the circle next to either 'All photos, albums, events and faces' or 'Selected albums, events and faces.' If you choose the latter, select the albums you want from the list below.
Click 'Apply' in the lower-right corner.
VPS Hosting

How to Upload Files From Your iPad on Dropbox

Tap the 'Dropbox' app icon on your iPad and enter your login information.
Tap the 'Uploads' icon in the bottom of the left column of the app window.
Tap the '+' symbol at the top-right corner of the left column on the 'Uploads' page. Dropbox will automatically connect to your iPad photo library.
Tap a photo album to select it and then tap the photo you want to upload. Tap the 'Upload' button to send your photo to Dropbox. Dropbox displays a status of your upload in the left column.
VPS Hosting

How to Connect a MacBook With Another Laptop (10 Steps)

Turn the 'second' computer off. Connect the two computers to each end of a FireWire cable. If one computer doesn't have a FireWire port, you can also use an Ethernet cable to connect the two computers.
Turn the second computer on while holding down the 'T' key. This activates the second computer in question as a terminal or target disk; it will show up on the desktop of the main computer as a second hard drive. This only works if you use a FireWire connection; if you have created an Ethernet connection between the two computers, simply turn both of them on.
Manipulate the information from either computer via the primary MacBook if you're using a FireWire connection. If you're using an Ethernet connection you can use either computer as the main terminal, and you'll need to select the 'Sharing' pane of your System Preferences panel and enable the 'Internet Sharing' feature on the MacBook with the Ethernet box checked.
Click the small 'eject' button next to the target disk in your Finder display to disconnect the two computers. Alternatively, you can locate the icon for the target computer on your desktop and drag it to the desktop trash bin to disconnect the two computers. This is only necessary for the FireWire method.
Press the power button on the second computer to power it off. The primary computer can stay powered on throughout the whole procedure.
VPS Hosting