MacInUse.com

No matter how long you’ve been using your Mac (or worst, PC), there will always be undiscovered dark-matter issues to solve. They never seem to end. And today is that day which reminds me that this will never be over.

It’s about new file type that may have passed your eyes before, but it’s completely out-of-this-world to me.

Their extensions look something like this: avi.001 avi.002 avi.003 and so on. Anybody would have guess that these file must be multiple zips or rars files, waiting to be joined together again. However, even Stuffit can’t handle them. In fact, it has no idea what the heck those files are. So did i.

After googled about an hour i have found that many suggested me to try the free PC software called “HJSplit” I tried it and it worked! But since the only PC in my house does belong to my wife i will have to find a way to join those avi.001, avi.002, avi.003 on my Mac.

After googled about an hour more, did not find any answers at all. A guy told me to use unrarx. But since I want to join files not to extract them, unrarx is out of the question.

So, i turned to my long time helper, versiontracker.com and search for  ”join .001″ and the search is over. I have found the best software for this job. Ajoiner.

This software doesn’t even have interface. Only thing you need to do is open the folder which contains those alien files .001 .002…. When i was ready to join my files into a movie, it told me that 2 of my files aren’t complete. Without it telling me that, i would be blaming everything else but those files.

Thanks to Ajoiner, you just saved my day. Oh, and while you’re at it, also give Split&Concat software a try. It suppose to do the same job as well.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Since Mac Intel came out, the best way to have the best of both world of Windows and Mac OS X on Apple machines is through using Boot Camp, that many find it confusing the first time use. Mostly, because the lack of drivers software that Windows needs, so it will be able to talk with the Mac hardware. However, many finds the error message: “Disk Error” Now what?

It can happen that during installation of Windows appears the message “Press any key to boot from CD. Disk Error. Press any key to restart “. We are thus forced to resume the installation from the beginning. In a note published recently by Apple describes how to prevent the error.

The Windows installation includes an initial phase in which the drivers are loaded on the essential destination volume and then the machine reboots and Windows performs a miniboot by volume and then upload all the remaining from the installation CD. And ‘here that, not infrequently, there is before the problem.

The solution isn’t too difficult to follow, there are only a few small steps that’s all.

First, you must restart from your Mac OS X. If this does not happen automatically, you must hold down the Alt key and then the icons appear in the volumes containing the different OS (if more than one), including Mac OS X.

Second, Selected the icon for OS X and launch Boot Camp Assistant (in the Utilities folder) and you proceed with the elimination of the previously created partition for Windows. You close and reopen the new Boot Camp Assistant and it recreates the partition you want Windows to proceeding with the directions to install it.

When a CD of Windows, when we are on the screen to choose the partition on which to install it (usually is called “Bootcamp”), it is imperative to select the format the same format in FAT32. Therefore be avoided formatting to NTFS ol’opzione “Leave the current file system intact”.

Popularity: 1% [?]

For people who may not be familiar with the term “VESA compliant”, VESA stands for “Video Electronics Standards Association”. The common definition when referring to LCD and Flat Panel monitors is: “VESA standard” means a hole pattern on the back of the monitor; 75 mm x 75 mm or 100 mm x 100 mm (approx. 3″ x 3″ and 4″ x 4″ respectively). The diameter of the screws used to mount displays with VESA mounting is 4 mm. The mount holes on the back of LCD monitors may be centered or located towards the bottom stand. With certain displays you may have to remove the stand or a cover plate before you can access the mount holes. If you are interested in more in-depth information about VESA standards, the VESA.org website also provides summaries of the organization’s display mounting standards.

As confirmed by Apple’s Support Site: “No VESA Mount Adapter Kit” for the iMac Intel “Core Duo” and iMac G5 “iSight”, making these iMac models VESA non-compliant. And, “while similar in form to previous iMac G5 models, these models are not compatible with Apple’s iMac G5 VESA Mount Adapter Kit.”

The 17-Inch and 20-Inch iMac models from the “White” series iMac Core 2 Duo have the same housing and stand as the original Intel powered iMac Core Duo series, and these models are VESA non-compliant as well. The new 20-Inch “Aluminum” iMac Core 2 Duo models also are not VESA compliant. 

The confusion is because Apple at one time did provide an optional VESA adapter kit with similar iMac models. The earlier iMac G5 models that could be made VESA compliant with adapter kits by Apple were: Two models with 20-inch displays — the iMac G5/1.8 20-Inch and G5/2.0 20-Inch, and three models with 17-inch displays — the iMac G5/1.6 17-Inch, G5/1.8 17-Inch, and G5/2.0 17-Inch. 

With regards to iMac models offered after these pre-iSight models, only the 24″ iMac computers have had VESA adapter kits available from Apple. The 17″ and 20″ iMacs were left having no VESA bracket kit option and more importantly, no easy method for removing the stand. Because of this, and the fact that most people who purchased the 17″ and 20″ iMac as a “portable” computer, it made sense to develop a iMac VESA Adapter Kit for the iMac that wouldn’t require the stand to be removed or any modification to be made to the iMac computer. This VESA adapter kit provides the best of both worlds to the end user as it allows them the ability to attach their iMac to a VESA mounting system and mount their iMac the way they would like to i.e., above a work surface, wall, kitchen cabinet, etc. And, when they decide to temporarily move their iMac to a different location, or take it with them when they travel, the iMac is ready to go with a few turns of the bolt assembly.

If you are searching for a iMac VESA Adapter Kit to mount your iMac 17″ or iMac 20″, including the new Aluminum iMac 20″, to a wall mount system, articulating arm or any mounting system, your search is over. For more information about the iMac VESA Adapter Kit for 17″ and 20″ iMac we provide, please visit our website.

Article written by: Scott has been securing and mounting computer and audio/visual equipment for over 14 years. More information about the iMac VESA Adapter Kit for 17″ and 20″ iMac he developed can be found at his website: http://www.imacmount.com

Popularity: 3% [?]

It does not take much to raise the level of “robustness” of our Mac and be (reasonably) assured that our information will remain safe from prying eyes

A Mac is inherently a fairly safe, more than the average. The fact remains that we should spend some ‘time to further strengthen the defenses of the system. It takes only a few ‘best efforts to define what you want to protect and how, in return we can live much more peacefully.

Popularity: 1% [?]

I have read so many articles and forums about how to convert a dmg file to iso file on Mac so that it can be burn on Windows platform. Eventually, i have found the solution on a few forums but sadly, nobody dare to sum it up or report back the result. So i went away and tried all the methods i’ve read and here are two methods that make most sense to me.

Method 1: using Terminal

To change a file with dmg extension to iso, just open up the terminal window and type the following command:

hdiutil convert /path/to/yourfilename.dmg -format UDTO -o /path/to/savefile.iso

Above command will simply replace /path/to/yourfilename.dmg with the path and name of the existing .dmg file, and then replace /path/to/newfile.iso with the chosen path and chosen name for the converted iso image.

Method 2: using disk utility, this will work with leopard DVD also

1. create a new image using format DVD/CD Master from your existing .dmg image

2. simply change the .cdr.dmg extension of the file to .iso (command key + i)

That’s it. However there are methods for converting dmg file to iso on Windows as well which one of my popular post:  burning dmg on Windows PC can be applied to. But that isn’t throughly enough so i will explain more on that in my coming post.

Popularity: 1% [?]

1. Clean Cache, Cookies and the contents of the fields Autofill: simply menu “Safari -> Reset Safari”

2. Disable the auto-filling of forms (Safari -> Preferences, select the tab “Autofill” and disable the “User name and password”)

3. Remove all third-party plugins for Safari: Depending on the type of plugin can be installed an automatic uninstall or manual removal. In my case I installed Cooliris, Inquisitor, 1Password, and Speed Download. Of these I have only considered essential 1Password while all others (especially Speed Download since for many, in various forums that I shot, was the cause of the slowdown of the browser), I promptly removed them.

If you have not idea what kind of plugins you can give a look under the folder / Library / Internet Plug-Ins (here are also other plugins system, such as Flash Player, Flip4Mac, Java, Quicktime that council not to remove) and ~ / Library / Internet Plug-Ins (where you can find third-party plugins as Cooliris and Inquisitor). Once you found the files, you can move them to the trash (sometimes you need to set the password first of directors)

4. Close the Safari and remove the file that contains the properties of Safari:
“~ / Library / Preferences / com.apple.Safari.plist”
and also, if you will, “com.apple.Safari.RSS.plist”

Above methods can speed up my Safari 3 at least 20% when browse. I hope this help you too.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Many of us believe that this is the last update of the Mac operating system OS X 10.5 before the big hit – Snow Leopard. The update with the number 10.5.7 is now available for long enough so that the first solutions for any emerging problems were found. Macfixit summarizes the possible difficulties and presents ways to overcome them.

Before one of the supposedly noticeable speed increase can benefit, must begin the installation process, without prejudice to be overcome. Who is on the safe side, choose a somewhat cumbersome, but is less error-prone way:

1. Do not use the automatic software update, but they invite the Combo-Update.
2. Restart in Safe Mode (at startup, the Shift key pressed).
3. Start the Disk Utility and run a repair permissions and the disk through.
4. Run the downloaded update.
5. Repair permissions again.

If you follow these steps, everything should be easily walk across the stage. If you already have the update the software upgrade and is now facing a “Blue Screen” again takes place, should first wait a few minutes. Some users have reported that the Mac from the “hiccups” entirely recovered. If this does not happen, you can try:

1. Listen carefully, if the computer is still on the hard disk being accessed.
2. Hold the Start button until the computer turns off.
3. Restart the computer in Safe Mode new (startup while the Shift key pressed).

This has helped some users, though not all in safe mode reboot needed. Another issue that many 10.5.7 users have found: The disappearance of certain screen resolutions. Instead of setting 1920×1200, which for many wide-screen standard, it is only about the HDMI select maximum of 1920×1080. There are two known possible solutions:

1. Try set your PRAM while booting press and hold keys: option + command + R + P  for so long(i mean a unusually long) until the computer boots up normally.

2. If method one didn’t work, download a software: SwitchResX. Even the demo version is good enough to correct the screen resolution. After use you can then remove the application.

I hope these tips help many people..

Popularity: 2% [?]