ATTENDING : Tom B, Gene N, Dottie E, Larry T, John M, Russ C, Joe Y
and Al J.
TOPIC : Q + A (2)
Some questions that came up in discussion were:
How can I tell how many
applications are currently running on my Mac?
The easiest way is to look
for the dot of light under the icons in the dock.
How can I prevent unwanted
apps from launching automatically when I log-in?
Go to System Preferences > Users
and Groups (Accounts) -
then click on 'Login Items' - you may see items such as iTunes Helper,
Skype, etc. There is really no app that needs to launch at login except
as a convenience for you. To remove an unwanted Login item, select it,
then click the minus ( - ) sign below. To add an item, click the plus
( + ) sign and then find the app to be launched at login. You can also
add an item in the Dock by right-clicking on it and then click 'Open
at Login' in Options.
What is the purpose of
an application called Caffeine?
Caffeine is a free application
which is very useful for keeping your computer from going to Sleep or
Logging out, especially when you are away from your computer while downloading
a large file or running a time-intensive process such as cloning. Simply
click the coffee cup icon = in
the Menu bar to keep your Mac awake.
Note: An additonal step to prevent auto logout is to
open a TextEdit document, click Save As - then leave it without clicking
Save.
Isn't there an option
to 'securely' empty the Trash?
Yes - this option can be
selected by going to Desktop Finder and clicking 'Secure Empty Trash'
- to make this option permanent, go to Finder Preferences > click
Advanced Tab - then select 'Empty Trash securely'
Can I create an Apple
ID without using a credit card or other payment method?
Yes - go to Apple website here to
read how - create a new (or even a 2nd) Apple I.D. here -
read more frequently asked questions (FAQ) regarding Apple I.D. here.
How can I be sure my
hard drive is completely erased when I sell my old computer?
Use Disk Utility (found in
the Utilities folder) to do a Secure Erase (see Secure
Erase Options) - you will need to boot up from your Install DVD or
an external HD to erase the internal HD - or use a 2nd computer via the Target
Mode.
When I am traveling
and need to access my e-mail or other accounts from a different computer,
I cannot always remember all my passwords - and sometimes I get blocked
for 24 hours. What should I do?
If you use 1Password or KeyChain
to store your passwords at home, you could copy and paste them to a TextEdit
document and then lock them in a secure
Disk Image. This image can be emailed to yourself or kept in a USB
flash drive for easy retrieval while traveling.
On my log-in screen,
there is a picture of a basketball by my account. How do I change it?
Go to Systems Prefs > Users
and Groups (Accounts) - click on the icon by your account name - then
select a different picture (see how)
NEXT
MEETING - We will not meet again until next year - probably first
Monday in February.
Hammondsport Mac Users Group - Hammondsport, NY 14840
- www.hportmug.com
How can I tell how many
applications are currently running on my Mac? 
The easiest way is to look
for the dot of light under the icons in the dock. 
-
then click on 'Login Items' - you may see items such as iTunes Helper,
Skype, etc. There is really no app that needs to launch at login except
as a convenience for you. To remove an unwanted Login item, select it,
then click the minus ( - ) sign below. To add an item, click the plus
( + ) sign and then find the app to be launched at login. You can also
add an item in the Dock by right-clicking on it and then click 'Open
at Login' in Options. 
= 
in
the Menu bar to keep your Mac awake. 
