MacFixIt

How to unlink a file type in OS X

For every application installed on your Mac, OS X will scan its document-handling capabilities and store them in its Launch Services database, which it then uses to pair up document types with the applications that are built to handle them. Therefore, if you install a new image-handling tool on your system, when you right-click image files or get information on them you should see this program be available in the "Open With" section as an optional handling program.

This service is convenient for ensuring that documents can be opened directly from the Finder; however, it assumes you always … Read more

Q&A: MacFixIt Answers

MacFixIt Answers is a feature in which I answer Mac-related questions e-mailed in by our readers.

This week, readers wrote in with questions about Spotlight not being able to find files that are known to exist in a user's account, options for adding 16GB of RAM to older MacBook Pro systems, and options for troubleshooting and fixing a broken trackpad in a MacBook. I welcome views from readers, so if you have any suggestions or alternative approaches to these problems, please post them in the comments!

Question: Spotlight not finding files MacFixIt reader Mike asks:

I can't figure … Read more

Apple fights Yontoo Trojan with XProtect update

Following news of the new adware Web plug-in Trojan found to be affecting OS X systems, Apple has released an XProtect malware definitions update to protect anyone who stumbles across it.

The Trojan, called Yontoo, is initially disguised as a media player or download manager plug-in and distributed on underground file-sharing and movie trailer Web sites. When installed it pretends to be a player called Twit Tube but installs the Yontoo plug-in. This plug-in will work in all Web browsers to track your browsing behaviors and then present ads on legitimate Web sites.

Unlike other malware that can hide itself … Read more

Tackle IMAP e-mail not being stored on server

Apple's Mail e-mail client supports a number of different messaging protocols including POP and IMAP, but if you convert an existing account from POP to IMAP then you may run into a problem in which e-mails are longer saved on the server.

MacFixIt reader Bruce recently wrote in with such a situation:

I have recently tried to convert my wife's AOL email from POP to IMAP. I did this by adding a new account in Mail. When she sends messages with the new account, the sent messages do not show up on the server, even though I have … Read more

How to remove 'Yontoo' adware Trojan from your OS X system

Security company Dr. Web is reporting on a new adware Trojan attack that is targeting Mac users, where malicious Web sites will trick users into installing a plugin that will track your browsing and display ads to you.

The malware, called "Yontoo," will be first encountered as a media player, download manager, or other plug-in requirement for viewing contents on some maliciously crafted Web sites disguised as sources for file sharing and movie trailers. When the plug-in prompt is clicked, you're redirected to a site that downloads the Trojan installer and requires you to run it. The … Read more

New adware Trojan circulating that targets Mac OS X systems

A new Mac OS X Trojan is making the rounds, installing an adware plug-in that renders ads on Web pages to generate revenue for its author.

Dubbed Trojan.Yontoo.1, it is the most prominent of an increasing number of adware Trojans making the rounds, according to Russian antivirus company Dr. Web, the same company that discovered the Flashback virus last year.

"Criminals profit from affiliate ad network programs, and their interest in users of Apple-compatible computers grows day by day," Dr. Web said yesterday in a statement. "Recently discovered, Trojan.Yontoo.1 can serve as a … Read more

How to manually verify copied files in OS X

When you copy files from one location to another in OS X, the system should run a number of checks to validate the data and ensure that it was copied correctly; however, if you are using third-party utilities to copy a file, you might be concerned about potential corruption.

MacFixIt reader Douglas recently wrote in with such a concern.

I was wondering if there is any way to verify a copy of files from one hard drive to another? I used SuperDuper to copy one of my RAIDs to another RAID; it was 7TB of stuff and took two days … Read more

How to find system wake causes in OS X

Whenever your system wakes from sleep, the OS X Kernel will output a small code to the system console that indicates the reason for the wake event. Since you can access the system console using Apple's Console utility, if your system is regularly waking up when you have put it to sleep, then you can help track down the reason using these codes.

To locate these codes, first open the Console program. Next, select "All Messages" in the sidebar, which will bring up the output from active and ongoing system events. Now enter the term "wake&… Read more

Intel X25 SSD incompatible with OS X 10.8.3

One common upgrade to install for older Mac systems is to replace the conventional hard drive with a high-speed SSD to reduce data access bottlenecks and greatly speed up the system. However, those who have used some of Intel's SSDs may find that they cannot successfully install OS X 10.8.3.

After applying the updates from Apple, instead of booting normally the system will simply hang at startup or show a no-entry symbol that indicates the operating system cannot boot on the available hardware configuration. Reverting to the previous 10.8.2 installation via a Time Machine backup … Read more