Mouse Problems?

Does your mouse seem like it is sticking and not responding to your hand movements? Try putting a piece of plain paper under the mouse. If the mouse now responds to your hand movements, the solution is to get a new surface for your mouse to move on. The older surface just wore down to something so smooth that there is no irregularity in the surface for the mouse to interact with. The surface that mouse is on needs to have sufficient irregularity in color, and the fibers in plain paper seem to work. Even a brown shipping envelop works. An extremely effective mouse pad is a smooth metal plate with a dense pattern of small, white dots all over a steel grey background.

Or, the surface that you’re working on has a lot of sludge on it and needs to be washed down. The bottom of most mouse devices has a soft plastic or rubber footing that wears off onto the surface below the mouse, or it catches dust and grinds it into the surface that eventually looks like black smudges on the surface. Just keeping that surface and the bottom of the mouse clean may be all that is needed.

John R Carter Sr

Opening Pages file returns error: index.xml not found

You might have two different versions of Pages after upgrading to El Capitan. A document created with the new Pages 5 cannot be opened with the older Pages app, and you will get the error message, “missing index.xml file.” I did a little research on the problem with the missing index.xml file. Here’s what I found at this website (I have modified the text somewhat here):

You may have 2 versions of Pages on your Mac.

Pages 5 is in your Applications folder.

Pages '09/'08 is in your Applications/iWork folder.

You have the option to open different versions of Pages depending on what you want to accomplish.

Pages '09/'08 cannot open Pages 5 documents, and you will get the warning that you need a newer version.

Pages 5/5.01 cannot open Pages 5.1 documents, and you will get the warning that you need a newer version.

Pages 5.1 sometimes cannot open its own document, and you will get the warning that you need a newer version.

Pages 5 can open Pages '09 documents but may damage/alter them. It cannot open Pages ’08 documents at all. (I believe this has been fixed in the latest Pages version.)

Once opened and saved in Pages 5, the Pages '09 documents cannot be opened in Pages '09.

Anything that is saved to iCloud is also converted to Pages 5 documents.

All Pages documents, no matter what version and incompatibility, have the same extension pages making it impossible to tell which version of Pages to use with what document. Trial and error is the only way.

Pages 5 documents are now only compatible with themselves on a very restricted combination of hardware, software and Operating Systems and will not transfer correctly to any server other than iCloud.

Note: Apple has removed over 100 features from Pages 5 and added many bugs.

OPTION: To use the older Pages app with the newer Pages 5 document, you must export the Pages 5 document (using Pages 5) as Pages ’09 or Word .docx. If you don’t want to use Pages 5, then archive/trash Pages 5 and all the new Pages documents after converting them for use with the older Pages.

It may be advantageous to have both versions since the older version has more features. You will still need the newer version for those files that require it. You may want to create a separate folder for the documents of each Pages version to help reduce confusion. If you do keep both versions, try renaming the older version so it doesn't automatically get opened when you open a Pages 5 document. This means you will have to right click on an older version of a Pages document and select the proper Pages app to open it.

It should be noted that any Pages document that has the extension .cwk can be opened with Pages '09 but not with Pages 5. If you then simply "Save" the document while opened with Pages '09, it be saved as a new document with the .pages extension and that new document can now be opened with Pages 5.

John R Carter Sr

Apple TV Cheat Sheet

If you own an Apple TV, there are some hidden features on how to use it that aren't found in the User Guide that comes with the Apple TV, and they are not even mentioned in the online manual that Apple provides. Take Control Books has a handy one page cheat sheet that reveals all the tips. Three handy tips include 1) resetting your Apple TV (without doing a power cycle), 2) putting your Apple TV to sleep (without waiting for one hour), and 3) quickly getting back to the main menu from deep into the menu layers.

http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/resources/0157/TCoAppleTV-CheatSheet.pdf

If you want the full 197 page booklet by Take Control Books, there is a link in the cheat sheet to take you there. Don't forget to use the discount code.

John Carter

Slow Spotlight?

From John Carter If it seems that Spotlight is really slow in giving up a response to a query, it is most likely due to the Mac being clogged up with lots of cache items and other stuff. This can be remedied. There are two ways to get it done.

One way is to download the free tool Onyx for Mac (specific for your version of OS X) and run all the items in the “Cleaning” tab. This is pretty complicated and takes time, but it does one extra thing that is useful and that is to check the status of your internal hard drive before allowing you to do anything else. Well, that can be done with Disk Utilities also, and you should occasionally run the First Aid tab of Disk Utility regardless.

The easier way is to clean up all the caches, launch daemons, launch agents, startup items, and saved application states in your Mac and make Spotlight run like new. To make this really easy, I have created an application that I call CleanMacCache.app (using Automator). All you need to do is download the app from my Dropbox and double-click on it to then clean up your computer to make Spotlight run a lot more efficiently.

Here’s the link to CleanMacCache.app in my Dropbox:

http://tinyurl.com/zmasdtd

After downloading the app, move it from your Downloads folder to your Applications folder.

When you run that app, Here are the prompts that you will see:

Start

While the application is running, nothing is displayed on the screen. When the operation is complete, you will see this:

Finish

If you do nothing, the app will close automatically after one minute.

Just so you know what it does, here are the Terminal command lines that it runs:

rm -rf /library/caches/* rm -rf /library/launchagents/* rm -rf /library/launchdaemons/* rm -rf /library/startupitems/* rm -rf /system/caches/* rm -rf ~/library/caches/* rm -rf ~/library/launchagents/* rm -rf ~/library/saved\ application\ state/*

So if you are curious, you can first look into any one of those folders before and after to convince yourself that it actually did something.

And to put your mind at ease that it is safe to run that app, I got all those instructions from Apple Support when I reported that Spotlight was running extra slow on my computer.

NOTE: This app will ONLY run if your OS X is up to date with El Capitan. Please report any problems to john@jrcarter.com. Thanks.

Looking to sell 5k iMac from Dec 2014 4.0GHz 27" unboxed, w AppleCare for 2 years remaining

For your possible interest, here is an offer from a member of a Forum I belong to at the Arizona Macintosh Users Group (AMUG). I don't know Jak Kevser, so any questions should be directed to him. Jim Hamm

I want to sell an unopened boxed late 2014/mid 2015 iMac 5K 27” 4.0 GHz __ 1TB SSD __ 32GB (4x8GB) OWC RAM separately and included (iMac bought w 8GB) __ fastest graphics card at the time-- AMD Radeon M295X with 4GB video RAM __ extended warrantee included (has two years left) __ new extended USB keyboard (w numeric keypad)

It is all still unboxed due to being out of town a lot this past year and other extenuating circumstances. I never got the box even opened let alone set up. (I am wanting to sell it so I can get the new 2015 version for it’s 64GB RAM capability and slightly larger color gamut)

I’d rather first entertain an offer from an AMUG person than sell on Amazon or eBay. I realize I’m taking a hit on this seemingly minor upgrade attempt, but it’s what I’d like to try to do.

This is one screaming machine, often beating the most recent Mac Pro plus a gorgeous 5K display and really fast 1TB SSD root drive.

Cheers, Jak Keyser

Info on original payments below —

Apple at list was around $4516 (w 32GB RAM) plus $383.86 sales tax for 32GBGB RAM at the time = $4,899.86 plus shipping (unknown).

I got a good discount from Adorama which saved on extended warrantee (saved $118), no taxes ($383.86) and free shipping. OWC memory saved $206 ($600 Apple - $394 OWC = $206 saved), plus you can sell the 8GB that shipped in the iMac.

DETAILS I paid $4,192.00 ( Adorama with discounts at $3,798 plus OWC 32GB RAM at $394 = $4,192) as follows — copied and pasted from invoice:

Apple 27" iMac with Retina 5K Display, 5120x2880, Intel Core i7 Quad-Core 4.0GHz, 8GB RAM, 1TB Flash Storage, AMD Radeon M295X, Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite (Late 2014) 1 $3,749.00 $3,749.00Apple AppleCare 3 Year Extended Protection Plan for iMac 1 $118.00 $0.00 Apple USB Extended Keyboard with Numeric Keypad, USA 1 $49.00 $49.00 Subtotal: $3,798.00 Shipping & Handling: Free Taxes: $0.00 GRAND TOTAL: $3,798.00

I also have 32 GB of RAM from Other World Computing for: OWC1600DDR3S32S 32GB DDR3L PC12800 1600MHz Kit (8GBx4) 1 1 $394.00 EA $394.00

iMac 5K w keyboard, warrantee, plus 32GB RAM Grand grand total: $4192.00 Info on cost if purchased through Apple earlier this year Without discounts, ordered from Apple would have been approximately $3798 + $118 warrantee + $600 (for 32GB RAM) = $4516.00 + $ 383.86 sales tax (Phx @ 8.5%) if purchased through Apple $4,899.86 plus shipping

(I don’t think custom configuration had in-store pickup at the time)

Acronis True Image 2016

For your possible interest, here is a special offer to purchase the subject computer backup program at a special price: one for $25 or four for $60. The Acronis program is available for a PC or a Mac. This would make a nice Christmas gift for someone. I've used Acronis for years on my PC (and it works fine) but haven't tried it yet on my Mac. I've used Super Duper for an image backup on my Mac, but may give Acronis a try. The pricing is certainly great.

I've known Gene Barlow for years, and he and his wife are very reputable and nice people, so have no concern in ordering from them. I'm not on any commission or remuneration basis with Gene (he doesn't know I'm sending this out). I'm just referring this offer to you since I think it is a good deal, and a good way to backup your computer -- which, I think, is a very good idea.

Jim Hamm

Why do you need a second login account on your computer?

So you get a computer, and the first thing you do is to create a login account for yourself on it. This account does not have to be given administrator's privileges, and it probably shouldn't have for security reasons. The second thing you should do is to create a second login account on the computer. This account should have administrator privileges. You can give it any name you like as long as it isn't "Administrator" or "Admin," for security reasons.

The third thing you should do is add an external hard drive to the computer and set it up as the Time Machine backup drive. You will never regret doing this.

So why do you really need two accounts?

Sometimes, like what happened to me today, you will log in to your account and discover that not all is right with your login. Files seem to be missing. Stuff in the Dock is gone. Nothing works.

You log into the other account and find that everything is working. That's good. This means that your personal login account is corrupt.

To fix your personal login account, you have to be logged in to the admin account. The steps to follow are simple:

1. Open System Preferences and go to Users and Groups. 2. Delete your personal login account and select the option to move everything to the trash. 3. Close System Preferences. 4. In Finder, go to the Time Machine drive and see what the date is of the most recent backup. Delete the most recent backup if, and only if, it coincides with today's date. You don't want today's backup because it probably has the problem in it. And now you should understand why it is so important to have a Time Machine backup. 5. Open Migration Assistant. 6. Choose to migrate from the Time Machine backup. It will let you know that it will be restoring from the latest backup. 7. Unselect everything except your personal user account. 8. Let Time Machine restore your account. 9. Log back into your account. It should be okay now.

I know that I overlooked a few minor details in the above instructions, but hopefully you'll be able to see what needs to be done at the time you need to do it.

John Carter

Why You Should NOT Just Walk into the Apple Store to Buy Your Mac

Are you looking for a deal on a new Mac? This article at BradsDeals.com will help you look around. http://www.bradsdeals.com/blog/best-place-to-buy-a-mac-online

A few places that aren't listed are Amazon.com, Costco, and Sam's Club. Used iPhones can be purchased online at Glyde.com.

Don't forget to search for refurbished or used Macs.

John Carter

OLLI: Beginners Workshop--Working with Photos on an iPhone

As seen in the OLLI catalog under Workshops 39) Beginners - Working with Photos on an iPhone Fri, 1/29-2/12, 9-11am Bldg: NAU/PV, Rm: 148

Facilitator: John Carter Limit: 15

Learn how to breeze through taking and editing photos and videos on an iPhone using a variety of apps. Discover the nuances of how the iPhone organizes media and how to create albums to organize media your way. Learn how to transfer media between the iPhone and a Mac or PC laptop using iTunes and other file transfer apps. Share your media using Mail, Dropbox, and other methods. Bring your iPhone (any model) and, optionally, your laptop and iPhone cable. All the above also applies to an iPad. Note: This learning group is meeting at the NAU building in Prescott Valley, 7351 E. Civic Circle.

John R Carter Sr

Please note:  In order to sign up for this learning group, you must be a member of Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI).  The contact information is as follows:  http://yc.edu/v5content/lifelong-learning/olli-prescott/default.htm

Elaborate ATM skimmer

The hackers are getting more sophisticated. Take a look at this short video of what a hacker did at this ATM machine. Amazing. I also read where hackers are opening the box at gas pumps and inserting a device that will capture your credit card number when you insert it into the pump. Impossible for you and I to even know this is happening. Fortunately, our liability is limited to $50 for fraudulent transactions on our credit card, so pay attention to the charges on your credit card.

http://videos.komando.com/watch/4749/kims-picks-you-wont-believe-this-elaborate-atm-skimmer

Jim Hamm

E-waste problem and solution

The headline grabbed Elaine Hardt's attention because her granddaughter, Joy Hardt started an orphanage in Ghana, Africa, in 2007--HardtHaven--so she was interested in  news about Ghana.http://www.cultofmac.com/390495/ghana-global-problem-e-waste-consequences/

At the Cult of Mac website a serious problem and a helpful solution are described, “In the West African nation’s capital of Accra, particularly the slum known as Agbogbloshie, large landfills are strewn with decades’ worth of discarded electronics. It’s one of the most concentrated e-waste sites in the world.

"Enterprising locals have created a booming second-hand market around the (questionably legal) influx of old printers, TVs, computers and whatnot. Upon landing on Ghana’s shores, these devices enter into a vibrant network of repairmen, resellers and middlemen who pass them on to locals, who otherwise wouldn’t have been able to afford such products."

The article goes on to say, “That’s one of the aims of Cult of Mac’s buyback program: By partnering with electronics recycling company MyPhones Unlimited, we’re making it easy (and lucrative) for you to send your old electronics to a service that will refurbish and return the gadgets to the market or properly dispose of them if that’s not possible.” P.S. Joy is an R.N. and has now completed her contract in the Ebola treatment unit in Sierra Leone. At the first of the year she plans on going back home to Spokane where Elaine's son and daughter-in-law live.