On Feb 15, 2010, at 5:28 PM, Mike Styer wrote:
Well, I'm not that new. I am a computer expert in parts, but I don't
know all of the specifics of mac computers. I know ALOT about Windoz
computers though.
Well, then to quote Firesign Theatre "Everything you know, is
wrong!" :-)
There are almost no instances when Windows troubleshooting, tweaks and
fixes are appropriate for a Mac.
Here are some random bits of advice:
In this case, for instance, you don't need to sleep it before it's
done booting you can boot with none, one or even two keyboards plugged
in (I like the newest Mac keyboards, but on older systems they're not
fully recognized until after finder starts, so if I have to hold down
a key during boot-up as in tio start in safe mode, or boot form a CD,
I just plug an old keyboard into one USB port on the new keyboard and
go. When it's done, I just unplug the old keyboard.)
The best troubleshooting tool is a test account you create (via the
accounts preference pane in System Prefs) and only use for
troubleshooting. If something breaks or a program stops working, don't
go the Windows route (reinstall Windows), just log off, and back in as
the new user. If the problem is repeatable, it's a system-wide issue.
If it isn't it's a user issue and a re-install that keeps your user
settings will not fix it.
Fortunately, OS X uses preference and config files instead of the
dread Registry to store settings and these are VASTLY easier to deal
with...99% of the time they're named after the function or program
they' used for and simoly deleting them will fix the issue, forcing
the program to create a new prefs file next time it starts.
The OX X equivalent of Event Viewer is the Console app, in
Applications/Utilities. the system.log is a combination of Application
and System events logs in Windows, and if you expand the list of logs
on the left hand side there are many more, and more useful logs than
in Windows by default.
The essential layout of OS X is as follows
/System <-- equivalent to C:\Windows\System32...sort of. As a rule,
leav this the hell alone unless you really know what you're doing.
/Library <-- rough equivalent to c:\Windows and parts of C:\Program
Files because System-wide application support items and preferences go
in here, as well as printing prefs, and support, etc.
/Applications <-- C:\Program Files with one enormous difference: Want
to delete a Mac program? Drag it from /Applications to the Trash.
Empty Trash. Done. The ONLY major exception is, of COURSE, Microsoft
Office which scatters files all over the damn place.
/Users <-- C:\Documents and Settings, where all your user files
normally reside.
/Users/<username>/Library <-- C:\documents and settings\<username>
\<all the hidden files in Windows.> Where user specific prefs,
application settings etc live. If you have a problem with a program,
and it's specific to your user, this is where the problem lives.
--
Bruce Johnson
University of Arizona
College of Pharmacy
Information Technology Group
Institutions do not have opinions, merely customs
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