nCity Legacy Settings

PRAM Battery (aka "backup" or "clock" battery): If your Mac is 4-5 years old, its internal battery may be getting weak. Signs/symptoms include a message that the clock needs to be reset; control panel settings are not retained over long periods of downtime; and intermittent startup problems. Some of the older Performa models used a 4.5 volt battery, but most Macs use a 3.6v, half-AA-size lithium battery similar to those shown here. Replacing the battery is easy on towers, not so easy on some desktops, and a pain with most iMacs.	Typical 4.5v and 3.6v PRAM batteries
Finder Settings and Apple Menu Options: Depending on your OS version, the Finder has some helpful (and often overlooked) settings that control appearance, folder views, and menus. It also has two options that can hamstring your Mac, and here they are: In the Apple Menu Options control panel, make sure "Submenus" is _ON_. Finder Preferences (Edit menu), make sure that the "Simple Finder" option (under "General" tab) is _NOT_ checked.	Looking for a practical joke? Turn off submenus. Probably the Finder's most sadistic option...
View Menu (Finder): Finder Preferences set systemwide (global) defaults for folder views (Edit menu -> Preferences). However, each individual folder can also have its own settings overriding the Finder prefs, set by opening the folder and using the Finder's Views menu. Folders containing many files with identical icons might best be set to a List view, especially if date/version/type info is important. In most cases, icon view is best - most informative and convenient - using small icons when space is a factor. Children may prefer the (least informative) one-click Button view.	Standard icons and small icons set in Finder's View menu. List view setting, best for folders filled with identical files.
Printing and the Chooser: If you have recently updated or replaced your Operating System, you may need to reinstall or update drivers for your printer and other devices. We recommend going to the device manufacturer's web site and downloading/installing the most recent driver available for your specific device, appropriate to your Operating System version. Some common printer problems involve the Chooser (under Apple menu - used by serial and USB), and the AppleTalk control panel. Make sure your printer is selected in the Chooser, then make sure AppleTalk is on or off as required by your particular brand of printer. NOTE: The Chooser indicates whether AppleTalk is on or off; don't believe it. The only way to know is to access AppleTalk directly (next).	This properly installed USB driver does not require AppleTalk, but some USB printers do (with or without a network). AppleTalk info in the Chooser: Not necessarily true.
AppleTalk (control panel): AppleTalk, used for networking, can cause printer problems if it is active and in control of the (serial) printer port. Some USB printers require AppleTalk to be on and use AppleTalk to control the printer (networked or not), while other USB printers require AppleTalk to be turned off. If your printer software doesn't expressly require AppleTalk (and you're not on a network), make sure it is inactive. Here's how to check AppleTalk status: Open the AppleTalk control panel (Apple menu -> Control Panels). If AppleTalk is off, you'll be ambushed by a dialog box (right) before the AppleTalk control panel even opens. (AppleTalk is the only control panel that behaves this way.) If you intend to turn it on, click "Yes." Once the AppleTalk panel is open, go to the Edit menu and select "User Mode" and then click "Advanced." This will produce the Options button in the bottom-right corner of AppleTalk's control panel. Click the Options button. Another dialog box appears. Click "Active" or "Inactive" as necessary and click OK to dismiss this dialog box. Close the AppleTalk control panel. To change or verify AppleTalk's status, repeat this entire process.	AppleTalk ambush on opening control panel. The convoluted process of turning AppleTalk on or off.

Extensions Manager (EM):

All control panels (CDEVs) and system extensions (INITs) load on startup - unless turned off in the Extensions Manager. Most devices have extensions and/or control panels (including printers, modems, scanners, and some drives), as do many applications. All control panels and extensions are activated in the EM (x = on); any changes made require a restart to take effect.

"Extension conflicts" are notorious and have long been among the first suspects when good Macs go bad. The primary symptom of an extension conflict is freezing, usually during startup (but not always), and most often immediately after installation of some new hardware/software.

Weeding out a problem extension involves using EM to disable all suspect extensions, then reactivating a few at a time (between restarts) until the problem reoccurs, thus identifying the culprit.

By the way: Control+Command+Power keys = forced shutdown - or - use the reset button on some models (marked with a triangle) - or - hold the power button (3+ seconds) on most towers or your monitor.

Holding the Shift key down during startup will bypass all extensions.

Extensions Manager

The Extensions Manager Control Panel

Startup Disk:

When your Mac first starts up, it hunts for an Operating System in connected disk drives. Whether you have multiple hard drives or only one, telling your machine where to look eliminates the hunt and will shorten startup time accordingly.

The Startup Disk control panel also polls connected drives looking for Operating Systems (this, too, can take some time), then displays a list of drives found to contain a System Folder (along with version and build info). Make sure you have a System Folder selected in the Startup Disk control panel - even if there's only one.

Startup Disk CDEV

Select a System Folder in the Startup Disk Control Panel.

Appearance Control Panel:

Customize your desktop by using the Appearance control panel to set background color, pattern or photo (aka, wallpaper). This is also where System fonts and highlight colors are set, and where sound effects are turned on or off.

Appearance CDEV

Memory and RAM (Random Access Memory):

You can never have too much RAM, and there's no substitute for the real thing. If you're counting on Virtual Memory as anything more than a stopgap measure, that should change, too. The best thing you can do for any Mac in terms of speed and performance is to increase real RAM to its maximum capacity. Then turn VM off. (Many Macs automatically disable VM with 1GB RAM or more installed, as illustrated here.) Disk Cache set to default is fine; RAM Disk is best left off.

Open the Apple System Profiler (Apple menu) and look under "Memory Overview" -> "Built-in Memory" to see how much memory you have in which slots. Many iMacs have upper and lower slots; the lower slot is easily accessed, but the upper slot is not - which is why buying a machine from Apple with maximum RAM already installed in upper slot is a good idea.

Memory CDEV

Memory Control Panel.

Energy Saver:

This control panel is essential to laptops, but can cause problems in tower models equipped with certain PCI cards. The good news is, problems involving the Energy Saver are easy to diagnose and even easier to fix: If the machine goes to sleep and refuses wake up, restart and turn off Energy Saver by setting it to "Never."

Energy Saver CDEV

Energy Saver turned off.

Mouse Control Panel:

This panel appears here for one reason only: Mouse Tracking. Set to "Fast," your mouse will zip around the screen with ease. Laptops have many more options due to their touch pads (including one that sends the cursor _flying_ across the screen), but if you use a mouse, speeding it up a bit will improve overall operation. Try it and see!

Mouse CDEV

Speed up that mouse!

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Extensions Manager (EM): All control panels (CDEVs) and system extensions (INITs) load on startup - unless turned off in the Extensions Manager. Most devices have extensions and/or control panels (including printers, modems, scanners, and some drives), as do many applications. All control panels and extensions are activated in the EM (x = on); any changes made require a restart to take effect. "Extension conflicts" are notorious and have long been among the first suspects when good Macs go bad. The primary symptom of an extension conflict is freezing, usually during startup (but not always), and most often immediately after installation of some new hardware/software. Weeding out a problem extension involves using EM to disable all suspect extensions, then reactivating a few at a time (between restarts) until the problem reoccurs, thus identifying the culprit. By the way: Control+Command+Power keys = forced shutdown - or - use the reset button on some models (marked with a triangle) - or - hold the power button (3+ seconds) on most towers or your monitor. Holding the Shift key down during startup will bypass all extensions.	The Extensions Manager Control Panel
Startup Disk: When your Mac first starts up, it hunts for an Operating System in connected disk drives. Whether you have multiple hard drives or only one, telling your machine where to look eliminates the hunt and will shorten startup time accordingly. The Startup Disk control panel also polls connected drives looking for Operating Systems (this, too, can take some time), then displays a list of drives found to contain a System Folder (along with version and build info). Make sure you have a System Folder selected in the Startup Disk control panel - even if there's only one.	Select a System Folder in the Startup Disk Control Panel.
Appearance Control Panel: Customize your desktop by using the Appearance control panel to set background color, pattern or photo (aka, wallpaper). This is also where System fonts and highlight colors are set, and where sound effects are turned on or off.
Memory and RAM (Random Access Memory): You can never have too much RAM, and there's no substitute for the real thing. If you're counting on Virtual Memory as anything more than a stopgap measure, that should change, too. The best thing you can do for any Mac in terms of speed and performance is to increase real RAM to its maximum capacity. Then turn VM off. (Many Macs automatically disable VM with 1GB RAM or more installed, as illustrated here.) Disk Cache set to default is fine; RAM Disk is best left off. Open the Apple System Profiler (Apple menu) and look under "Memory Overview" -> "Built-in Memory" to see how much memory you have in which slots. Many iMacs have upper and lower slots; the lower slot is easily accessed, but the upper slot is not - which is why buying a machine from Apple with maximum RAM already installed in upper slot is a good idea.	Memory Control Panel.
Energy Saver: This control panel is essential to laptops, but can cause problems in tower models equipped with certain PCI cards. The good news is, problems involving the Energy Saver are easy to diagnose and even easier to fix: If the machine goes to sleep and refuses wake up, restart and turn off Energy Saver by setting it to "Never."	Energy Saver turned off.
Mouse Control Panel: This panel appears here for one reason only: Mouse Tracking. Set to "Fast," your mouse will zip around the screen with ease. Laptops have many more options due to their touch pads (including one that sends the cursor _flying_ across the screen), but if you use a mouse, speeding it up a bit will improve overall operation. Try it and see!	Speed up that mouse!