nCity Solutions

This Section might have what you're looking for....: The purpose of nCity's Solutions Section is to provide answers and (hopefully) solutions for some of the more common questions we encounter. If your specific issue is not individually listed in sidebar at left, take a look at the Mac Q and A page and index.

: Adjustments in System Preferences will frequently solve display "problems," while various view options (including those in Finder's View menu) can show or hide controls. Routine maintenance using Disk Utility can fix small errors before they turn into bigger issues.

Clockwise from top: Disk Utility, Finder Prefs, System Prefs, and Get Info windows from OSX (Tiger 10.4).

Is it possible? Absolutely. Can I do it? That's another question...: Right off the top, let it be known that I (for one) am not a Microsoft Windows guy. We can help with the Mac side of your migration, and we can enlist additional assistance for the PC side if necessary, but _you_ must decide how far to go and what apps and files to bring along. (Buy a new Mac and Apple offers to transfer data for free! See links below.) There is a wide range of options to choose from, a number of decisions to make, and one major dilemma to face.

Catch-22.: If you must run Windows on a Mac, there are at least three ways to create a "virtual machine" solution: Apple's own Boot Camp (included with MacOS Leopard), Parallels Desktop (currently the popular choice), and the new offering from VMware, called Fusion. More is on the way.
: These utilities all have one thing in common, and it's a potential deal-killer: You must have a licensed copy of Windows with a viable registration key. The OEM Windows disk that came with your PC will not accept its registration key on a different machine. And Microsoft, for its part, wants to sell you Vista. Since most PC users are bringing legacy Windows apps and files to the Mac, this becomes an expensive problem. Microsoft will continue selling XP for a short time, but after that you may be forced to buy Vista and update your Windows apps before moving them to a Mac, or - somehow - make your (case sensitive) registration key work.
: The rest is easy.

More info to know.

There are a slew of PC web sites with information and suggestions, too. Google "Windows activation" or something similar to see what others have to say. Activation of Windows versions prior to XP is a possibility, but Vista will be expensive in more ways than one.

Apple, Get a Mac: Run Windows on a Mac

Apple, Move to Mac: Free PC Migration

Apple (free with 10.5 Leopard): Boot Camp

Parallels: Parallels Desktop

VMware: VMware - Fusion

CNET: Windows activation

Degrees of separation:: Programs that are completely Windows-dependent must (obviously) be run under Windows. Application programs which are cross-platform - apps that run under both Windows and Mac - may be able to read/write their own documents without need of Windows, which means importing to Mac shouldn't be a problem. Other apps that have two versions (one for PC, one for Mac) can usually import their own files (with purchase of a Mac version), but there are notable exceptions: Some popular bookkeeping and spreadsheet apps are problematic, and some of these cannot even read their own files from a previous version, let alone import between platforms. Carefully check upgrade and version specs on your PC app's web site, specifically file import/export options between versions and platforms.

Best choice: Make a clean break.: People who tell me they only use email and internet should jettison everything Microsoft. Export your address book, emails and bookmarks to a backup, import these to Mac applications, and leave everything else behind. There are plenty of programs available for Macintosh to replace whatever software you might currently use, many of which are included with the MacOS (Safari, Mail, iPhoto, iTunes, Address Book, Preview [for pdf files], to name a few). Most commercial apps are cross-platform these days.
: If you must run a particular program under Windows, consider taking everything else off your old PC and disconnecting it from the internet. Dedicate that machine exclusively to running your one Windows program (at least until you pick a modern Mac replacement), and use your new Mac for everything else. You can always network the PC behind a firewall, if you wish. If your PC must be connected to the internet, you can still isolate it from other machines and use it for a dedicated purpose, rather like sharing an office copier.
: If you must install Windows on a Mac, bear in mind that Windows will still be vulnerable to countless threats "in the wild" while connected to the internet, even though it's running from a Macintosh. You will still need to install and maintain all those anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-adware programs that are mandatory for Windows users.

Start with an overall examination. Take nothing for granted.: It might be a good idea to take notes as you go through the inspection process. Some steps may seem unnecessary, but try 'em anyway, just in case.
: When you've completed the steps below and you're sure everything is properly connected and receiving power, check the list of possible solutions in sidebar (left) for tips dealing with more specific problems. Info posted here in nCity's Solutions section cover the more common (and often easily solved) complaints we hear from clients, and assumes the machine will at least show some signs of receiving power.



Testing,
1, 2, 3.....

Power down. Disconnect power to CPU and all components.: Two reasons for this: First, it eliminates any possibility of damage that might be caused by disconnecting/reconnecting powered devices. Second, removing power from computer and all components for a few minutes (including printer, modem, router, and all peripherals) will cause some devices to reload a fresh instruction set (aka firmware) when powered on again, thus eliminating some problems right off the bat. Test wall outlet for 120v AC. Test and confirm power from each outlet on any surge suppressors or power supplies (UPS) in use.

One-by-one: Disconnect, examine, reconnect each cable.: While things are shut off, take a good look at all cables, cable ends and ports. Are contacts clean and shiny, or are they dirty and oxidized? Are connectors in good shape and intact? Damaged cables should be replaced; damaged ports may be another matter (see Services section). If necessary, carefully clean connectors, blow out ports and plugs, then reconnect each device cable. Make sure plugs have a snug fit and cables aren't being strained, twisted or bent.
: If a new device has been added recently - including any internal cards - remove it and leave that device aside for now. (Hardware problems often manifest themselves during startup, causing freezes, hangs and/or blank screens.)

Reconnect power to peripheral devices.: Turn on each peripheral and allow time for printers, modems, routers (etc.) to go thru their startup routines. When all external devices are up and running (typically a minute or so), reconnect power to the computer and turn it on. If problem remains, go to next step. If not, shutdown your computer, disconnect power, and replace any new cards or devices excluded in previous step. If problem reoccurs next time you startup, the new device might be at fault.

Check System Preference settings and device controls.: If you startup to a date/time error message, your computer's PRAM battery is probably dead. Some machines may refuse to startup at all with a dead PRAM battery. Replacement 3.6v, 1/2-AA size Lithium batteries can be found at your local Radio Shack, camera or electronics store. (Notebooks have something more like a capacitor than a battery, and an overnight charge will refresh most notebooks.)
: Open System Preferences and check settings in relevant control panels and panes. Be sure to check the Accounts pane -> Login Items (or Startup Items) and make sure there isn't something launching on startup that might be the culprit. NOTE: Now is not the time to change anything other than those settings that may be related to the specific problem you are experiencing; you're likely to see login items installed by your OS (iTunes, for example) that should remain. Third-party (non-Apple) items may be suspect.

Try to isolate and identify the problem.: Record any error messages that appear. Is the problem repeatable? What action or event preceded the problem? Does it seem to be related to a specific application? If so, check the program's preferences (usually under the Application or Edit menu).
: If problem appears to be related to a peripheral device - printer, scanner, modem, router, etc. - make sure any suspect device driver is current by checking its version numbers and system requirements. (Drivers on CDs included with most devices are usually unnecessary for use with Macintosh, or they may be already be outdated at time of purchase.)

Collect System Info:

The first item under the Finder's Apple menu is "About This Mac." This menu command will identify your System version and show how much real RAM is installed, along with System Build info (click on System version text). There is also a "More Info..." button in the "About This Mac..." window which opens the System Profiler.

Apple Menu from the Finder.

The System Profiler contains all specs regarding the computer, its processor(s), and all connected hardware devices. Here you'll find out exactly how much RAM is installed in which slots, identify optical and hard drive types and models, and identify all connected USB, ATA, FireWire, and other devices.

Just about anything you might want to know is available from within the System Profiler, including operation and error logs. Selecting "ATA" from the left column produces info about ATA hard drives in the right column; "USB" shows all connected USB devices, just as "FireWire" shows all FireWire devices. Copy down processor speed (MHz or GHz, under "Hardware") and any other identifiers that might be helpful.
Application Info:: The second item in your Menu Bar (from left) is the Application Menu. This menu indicates, and applies to, the currently open and active (upfront) application. To collect information specific to a given application, launch the app - its name appears in the Application Menu - then open the app's "About" window, the first item found under this menu. Registration name and number is usually located here along with program credits and possibly a link to app's web site.

Before you call for help:: Regardless of where you might turn for assistance, you'll save yourself time and frustration by having the following information readily available:

Machine model name and/or number, OS version, installed RAM and hard drive size.
Changes or events related to the issue, and specs for any peripherals involved.
A record of error messages, symptoms (when and where), and steps taken.

The amount of relevant information you have on hand when you call tech support will determine a lot of your success in receiving help. From a tech's point of view, it's much easier to have a coherent conversation when both parties know what equipment is in use, under which Operating System, and exactly what error messages or symptoms are being generated, when, where, and under what circumstances.

PRAM Battery (aka "backup" or "clock" battery):

If your Mac is 4-5 years old, its internal battery may be getting weak. Symptoms include a date and time error on startup, preference settings revert to defaults, and possible startup issues. Most Macs use a 3.6v, half-AA-size lithium battery (right), with some newer machines using a 3v CR2032 button battery. Replacing a battery is very easy on all towers (PowerMacs and Mac Pros), fairly easy on early G5 iMacs, but other models can be all but impossible. Consult your owners' manual for details. Also see "design flaw" in sidebar of Service Section for a worst-case example.

Typical Lithium PRAM batteries and button batteries.

These are available from most camera

and electronics stores, incl. Radio Shack.

Review System Preferences:

Your System Preferences control the appearance and operation of your machine's Operating System. System Prefs are available from the Apple menu and from its icon in the Dock at the edge of your screen (both illustrated at right).

Accounts, date/time, desktop color/image and screen saver options, Dock settings, network settings (email and internet), printer, keyboard and mouse, startup disk and most other controls are located in System Prefs. Each of these controls can be changed and customized to suite each user; settings are specific to each user account.

System Prefs in the Apple menu.

System Prefs icon in the Doc.

System Prefs window:

Each and every icon in the System Prefs window controls a specific aspect of the Operating System. For example: The Appearance pane controls window colors, font smoothing, and scrollbars. Dock controls size, location and other aspects of the Dock. Startup Disk tells your Mac where to look for a boot System (if not specified, startup can take some time).

The two biggies (from a troubleshooting point of view) are Network and Accounts. Network settings must be correct for email and internet functions. The Accounts pane controls login with (or without) a password, and loads the user's Home folder with all user-specified settings. Additional login accounts may be created with limited access to OS and application software, handy for guest use and for controlling internet access.

A portion of the System Preferences window.
By the Way, while we're on the subject...: Many people think clicking a close button in a window's top-left corner () is the same as quitting the application. It isn't. It merely closes the window (in most cases), leaving the application open, active and running. Why is this important? Because applications load into memory (RAM) when launched, and quitting unused applications frees up precious RAM. Instead of clicking the close box when finished with an application, choose Quit from the File menu, or type Command+Q.
: Having said that, I should point out an inconsistency with the close button: Sometimes (rarely) it _does_ cause an app to quit in addition to closing a window, as is the case with System Preferences and a few other System-related windows.

Printer Setup:: Many (if not most) printer drivers are installed with the Operating System. Opening the Printer pane in System Preferences will usually identify your (connected and powered) printer; if only one printer is connected, it should be selected as the default printer.
: Additional printer drivers are best downloaded from manufacturer's web site, where you will find the very most current driver specific to your Operating System version. (Drivers that ship with printers on a CD are often out-of-date.) Some manufacturers provide additional drivers with special color match or other features you may or may not want; these may complicate matters more than necessary, so choose carefully.
: When connecting a new printer, try this first: Connect and power-on the new printer _before_ you startup your computer. Let the printer go thru its startup routine, then turn on your Mac. Open the Printer pane in System Preferences and see if your new printer appears there; if so, set it to default, close System Prefs and try printing something - you're done. If printer does not appear, you may need to download a driver for it.

Clear web browser cache: Safari has a simple and convenient menu item that empties Safari's cache (right), but - WARNING! - just above it is an equally simple menu command that will delete all bookmarks, history and every other modification to Safari, setting it back to its original, unused state: "Reset Safari..." Firefox and other browsers also allow you to clear the cache, but the command may be buried in the browser's preferences.	Empty Safari's cache.
Clean out old emails: I've seen hard drives so stuffed with old email messages - including unemptied trash - that the drive is full and cannot even be defragged (see startup in Support section). Empty the trash! Delete all that spam! Your inbox should be empty, with incoming emails either deleted or filed away in a mail folder every time you retrieve your mail.	Delete old mail, trash and spam.
If you like, you can collect and export old emails from Mail to a TextEdit file. Here's how: First, select the messages you wish to save. the idea is to get them all into a single group, so you might want to create a Mail folder to contain them, then drag each into the new folder. Select all messages by clicking the first one, scroll down to the last message, hold down Shift key and click last message. With messages selected (highlighted), choose "Save As..." from Mail's File menu. From the resulting dialog box (right) give the file a name, select a destination, and be sure to save in Rich Text Format (to preserve any links) and check the "Include Attachments" box.	Get those old emails out of the Mail app.
UNIX maintenance routines: If you leave your computer running day and night, automated maintenance routines will run periodically - daily, weekly and monthly - as they are designed to do (usually in the wee hours of the morning). If not, and you are familiar with the Terminal application, you probably know the commands to execute these routines. If you are like most Mac users, you'll want a graphical interface to these commands. Two that come highly recommended are listed here (right). These have the additional benefit of including a few other System tweaks, including the ability to import bookmarks into early versions of Safari.	Marcel Bresink's TinkerTool utility Titanium Software OnyX utility NOTE: These System utilities should be used with care. Be sure to match utility version to your OS version.

The dreaded Kernel Panic (KP).

With instructions to restart in four languages, a Kernel Panic doesn't give you any other choice. Sometimes, a restart is, in fact, all that is needed and things will return to normal. If it appears again after a restart, something more serious has gone wrong.

Before putting yourself (and your Mac) thru the trials listed below, you might save yourself the trouble of trying to deal with a KP yourself and bring the machine to our shop for service. Having said that, presented below - for information purposes only - are a few basic steps toward diagnosing possible causes of a Kernel Panic, steps which you can do at home. What follows is a brief software test using disks that came with your computer, and the only type of hardware test available without use of proper tools and test equipment.

First (as always) startup from OS Install disk and run Disk Utility.

It's worth saying again: At the first hint of any trouble, startup from your OS CD (disk 1) or the OS Install DVD that came with your Mac (using Option key during startup), and run Disk Utility to repair permissions, if possible. If you can also verify and/or repair your hard drive using Disk Utility, the following steps may not be necessary.

Next, disconnect all attached devices and restart.

Normal troubleshooting routines start by checking simple things first in search of a quick fix, but troubleshooting Kernel Panics is a little different. We are eliminating possible causes by removing as many hardware components as possible, then reconnecting one at a time, with startup and test for KP. Disconnect all external devices and turn off everything you can, starting with Airport (if so equipped), network equipment and peripherals.

KPs in general:

These can be indicative of both hardware and software problems, making them rather difficult to troubleshoot. The most common cause is defective or failed memory (RAM). Other causes include damaged ports, connectors, and peripheral devices; failed or corrupt hard drives; and failed or damaged logic boards.

If hardware is not the cause, other suspects include corrupt or missing Operating System, firmware issues, damaged device drivers, corrupt fonts, and incompatible application programs.

Kernel Panic: A one-way monolog box.

KP while running, versus KP on startup:

The timing of a KP's appearance can be a significant clue as to its cause. If KPs appear during the course of operation, it might be connected to use of a particular application or a specific OS component. If so, uninstall or trash the suspect software and consider yourself lucky if machine returns to normal. (If you're not sure about deleting things - don't. You can temporarily move a file to the trash and deactivate it without emptying the trash and actually deleting it. Just make a note of file's original location so that it can be returned to its proper location later.)

If a KP appears on startup - on each and every startup - the problem is probably more serious. It might still be a software issue of some nature, but more often than not it will turn out to be hardware related.

Recent changes might suggest cause.

With so many potential causes, it might be helpful to recall events immediately preceding the appearance of a Kernel Panic. Any recent changes, additions or hardware/software installations may have been the cause; KPs might not appear until your next startup, so go back to the last change that was made before shutdown.

Test the optical drive.

If your optical drive exhibits any sign of malfunction, including any intermittent symptoms, it becomes the first suspect. These include any functional deficit, such as: CD-RW or DVD-RW drive that has lost write (burn) ability, but still reads; a CD/DVD combo drive that no longer reads DVDs but still reads CDs. If there is any loss of function, intermittent or otherwise, replace the optical drive before continuing any further. A reliable optical drive is critical to troubleshooting.

Run Apple Hardware Test.

Try booting from Apple Hardware Test (AHT) located on disk 1 of the DVDs that came with your Mac: Insert disk 1, and startup while holding down the Option key (using Startup Manager); if AHT appears as a virtual volume, select it and continue startup. With older OS versions, AHT is on a separate (usually silver) CD. Examine contents of the System Profile tab to make sure all devices are properly identified. Next, run the Quick Test. If the Quick Test turns up nothing, try the Extended Test; if no error is produced, you might try letting it loop a few times.

If all tests pass without error, and all hardware is properly identified, that - sadly - does not mean everything is A-OK. We've had machines refuse to boot from anything _except_ AHT (including the OS Installer) but all AHT tests passed with flying colors anyway. (Logic board was DOA.)

Do NOT attempt to open or dismantle any notebook Mac.

Do NOT attempt to open or dismantle G4 flat panel iMacs.

Do NOT attempt to open or dismantle any eMac.

Do NOT attempt to open or dismantle Intel iMacs.

Shutdown and remove all power.

Before attempting any of the suggested remedies below, make certain your computer is turned off (shutdown) and all power has been removed prior to each of the steps below. (This includes both battery and AC adapter if you are dealing with a notebook Mac.) Have your machine's manual handy, and you might need a phillips screw driver, a flat plastic or wooden stylus (nonconductive), and a clean work area.

Ground yourself.

Before going any further, ground yourself by touching some part of machine's exposed metal chassis, metal frame or metal shield to dissipate static electricity. If you leave the machine for any reason, be sure to ground yourself again before resuming. Static electricity can build up rapidly and is easily capable of destroying sensitive component parts.

(Step 1.) With machine shutdown and unpowered, remove RAM DIMMs (refer to your owners' manual for RAM removal and installation). NOTE: If machine has any built-in memory onboard, it should have enough to startup; if all memory is installed in RAM slots, you will have to leave one DIMM in place, preferably the OEM stick if it can be identified as such. Reconnect power to machine, and try startup. If KP returns, it probably is not being caused by RAM.

(Step 2.) This step only applies to towers and certain other models which can be accessed without voiding warranty, according to Apple's instructions regarding user serviceable parts and installation.

Make certain machine is shutdown, all power has been removed, and you have grounded yourself to machine's metal frame. Disconnect and remove all peripheral devices. Locate, disconnect and remove the Airport card. If you have added any aftermarket PCI cards, remove them, too. If you can unplug your hard drive, do so. That leaves the optical drive as machine's only startup option, and assumes optical drive is in working order.

Reconnect power, insert your AHT disk, or OS boot disk, and try to startup holding Option key until Startup Manager (blue screen) appears. Select startup disk and click arrow button to continue. (Older Macs with silver AHT disks may startup using "C" key if boot disk is a CD). If machine boots normally, one of the devices you've removed might be causing the problem. Repeat these steps for each disconnected component:

Shutdown, remove all power, ground yourself.
Reinstall one of the disconnected components.
Reconnect power and try startup again.
Note presence or absence of KP on startup.

Based on results of these tests, you might be able to identify which component is causing KPs and which ones are not. If KPs continues to appear on startup regardless of removing/replacing component parts, the machine should undergo further testing by a Mac technician.

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