10 Of The Most Common Mac Problems Solved

Despite becoming ever more popular, Macs still retain an edge of mystery. This is especially true when you consider that very few people are ever formally taught how to use them as compared to Windows-based PCs.

This can make it tricky for recent converts to Apple to figure out how to perform important/crucial tasks that might well be second nature for them in Windows. The good news is that Apple have a very intuitive operating system that Microsoft have been trying to emulate in recent releases of Windows (with mixed results), and that once a task has been learned it really does become second nature very quickly.

Here are ten of the most common issues that newbies to Mac encounter:

I Can’t Remember My OS X Password – help!

Don’t worry – you aren’t alone. Plenty of people, even the most die-hard Mac fans are prone to forgetting their passwords and find themselves locked out from their system. In order to rectify this you need to dig out the disc that came with the Mac, insert it into the drive while pressing down on the C button. From here the Mac will guide you through the password reset options – just be sure to take your time and remember it next time!

I Don’t Like Safari, is there anything else?

Not everyone does, especially the way that it is rather Google-centric. If this is a major issue then try another browser such as Firefox, and if that doesn’t make the grade there’s plenty of add-ons that can customize Safari more akin to personal taste. Just Google it…..

My Web Access Seems Very Slow On My Mac

Ask yourself how slow is too slow? Check the quality of the connection by using another computer, phone or tablet and measure how slow the Mac seems in comparison. If it’s blatantly sluggish then there could be an issue with the software (perform an online speed test first of all).

Unplug and reset all modems to check Wi-Fi isn’t the issue, and if possible connect the Mac directly to the modem via an Ethernet cable. If it’s still an issue then it’s possible that we may need to perform a full re-install of the operating system as it may have become corrupted.

I’m having problems opening files in Office

Word documents from the 2008 edition may not always open in Word 2004. This is a common problem but easily solved. Simply use Textedit to open all forms of .doc files, or alternatively install Microsoft’s Open XML File Format Converter – free direct from their site.

iTunes Has Stopped Launching Automatically

Macs are designed to sync with portable devices and it can be a pain if they stop automatically syncing. Be sure that the portable device is charged (if under 10% it can take a few minutes to become recognized) and make certain that the ‘auto-sync option is selected. If there’s still no progress double-check that iTunes helper is still installed and enabled – if not you may need to reinstall the entire program.

My Apple Remote Is Affecting Other Devices!

So you tried to rewind a movie on Frontrow and instead turned on your TV? It happens, and all Apple remotes need to be synchronised with a specific device. It’s easy and Apple has a fully detailed set of instructions at https://support.apple.com/kb/HT1619

Why Can’t I Watch Some Videos Online?

Macs are only installed to run Flash and QuickTime videos – any other medium is going to need you to install some plug-ins. On the plus side there are plenty of free video players that are excellent – check out VLC, Perian and suchlike.

Is There A Way To Filter Content My Family Sees Online?

Easy – Macs are all built with parental control settings that are available to system administrators via the browsing settings. There’s a huge amount of specialised software that can add another layer of protection if needed, but most likely the inbuilt software will be enough.

I Don’t Have Photoshop But Need to Adjust A Picture

You can easily re-size images and enhance colours without breaking the bank. Just open the image in Preview and select Tools > Adjust Size or Adjust Colour.

The Disc Won’t Eject! – Help!

Don’t panic as what may seem a nightmare is often very easily solved. If there’s no response from pressing the eject button then just restart the Mac while pressing the primary button on a mouse or the trackpad. This should forcibly eject the errant disc.