OS X (previously Mac OS X) is marketing name for Apple's computer OS. Note the proper pronunciation is "ohh ess ten"

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How can I remove the “Eject” icon from the menubar?

How can i remove the "Eject" icon from the menubar? It's an icon that starts on login. It ejects all mounted disks (dmg/usb/etc...).
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What software can replace AppleWorks on a new Mac?

I just purchased a new Mac Mini, replacing an ancient iMac with AppleWorks. I use that software for email, web-browsing, word processing, spreadsheets and an occasional database. Is there a package ...
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How do I know if I have the Lion recovery partition set up?

I am looking to swap my HDD for SSD and OWC recommended methods 2 listed in this link Perform your drive upgrade. Place your original drive in an external enclosure. Boot to the recovery partition ...
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Why does stock Mac OS X allow me to rip CDs but not DVDs?

When I insert a music CD into my iMac, iTunes opens and gives me the option to "rip" (i.e. import the content and save as files) the tracks using any of these encoders: AAC, AIFF, Apple Lossless, MP3, ...
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Is there an iMessage client for OS X?

Apple's new iMessage sends messages between accounts associated designated e-mail addresses (as well as certain phone numbers). Apple's iChat also sends messages between accounts associated designated ...
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How can I fix the iTunes 11 mini player that won't show the track name?

When I start the mini player in iTunes 11 on Mountain Lion, I do not see the expected track information which, when moused over, is supposed to change to playback controls: Instead, the playback ...
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How can I open a Finder window in Desktop without switching to another one?

I have these five desktops with a dozen of full screen apps and feel very happy. Say I'm at right Desktop 5 now. (Sadly my picture is deleted since it wasn't uploaded to the site hosting service) ...
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Is there a way to convert audio files in Mac OS X or the command line without using iTunes?

Now, I know I can use iTunes to convert music. But it's quite a pain.. All I'm asking is: Is there anything built into OS X or UNIX for converting files? Right now I simply want to convert .mp4 to ...
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What happens when you remove (or lose) the SSD from a Fusion Drive?

After storing data on a Fusion Drive, is it possible to downgrade your Mac to use the hard drive (HDD) by just removing the solid state drive (SSD)? In particular, I was wondering what happens when ...
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How can I allow incoming SSH (SCP) connections?

How can I allow incoming SSH connections on my mac (Mac OS X 10.6.4) from other machines on the same network? Every time I'm trying to scp something on the machine I get a Connection refused error.
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Does the developer of a Mac OS X app get the crash reports when the app crashes?

If an app crashes while I'm using it in OS X I get a little (apparently) OS-driven dialog that lets me "report the crash to Apple". It sends along a stack trace and some other system information. ...
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What program can print source code well on OS X?

I am looking for an OS X application to nicely format and print source code from a variety of programming languages. Line numbers would be nice Constant width font Printing the contents of the ...
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How can I move virtual memory swap files to a different drive or partition?

note: This is a question that I asked on SuperUser a while ago. I'm re-posting it here because I think it belongs here. By default, Mac OS X stores its swap files in /private/var/vm/. I would like to ...
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275 views

Will it work well to use a .dmg as an encrypted folder?

I have a folder containing files including Wills, Trusts, personal financial statements etc. Most of these files are word docs, excel spreadsheets, PDF's and jpegs. I would like to protect this folder ...
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117 views

Where should I put my custom applications?

I have downloaded some third party software, should I just put under /Applications or should I put under my home folder, e.g. ~/MyApps/?
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Can I select only a few specific folders to back up with Time Machine?

Can I select to backup only few folders with Time Machine ? If there is not an "official one", does somebody know a trick to do it?
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How to determine which files are on SSD on Fusion Drive?

My question is: How can i determine which files are on the SSD "partition" on Fusion Drive? I have an iMac with 1TB Fusion Drive, and it would be good to know which apps or data are on which ...
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597 views

Can the iCloud sync progress be observed?

I have my Mac running OS X 10.8 set up so that I can see the contents of its iCloud repository at ~/Library/Mobile Documents (see this question and this question for more information on how that ...
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Can I use Helvetica if I have a Mac?

Since Helvetica comes with all Macs, and I have bought a Mac, does that mean that I can use that font commercially? For example in a banner or website header?
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Uncheck “Reopen windows when logging back in” by default

The shutdown/restart dialog has a check-box Reopen windows when logging back in which is checked by default. I need to change its behavior to be unchecked by default. Is this possible? If yes, how can ...
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Does Time Machine run backups even when no account is logged on?

Does an account has to be logged on to trigger the Time Machine backup, or does Time Machine run without any session active?
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How are network file system mount paths defined in Lion (apart from Directory Services)?

Checking Directory Services for network file system mounts, i.e. sudo dscl . -list /Mounts and sudo dscl . -readall /Mounts returns nothing, yet the /etc/fstab file is deprecated in Lion. Why is ...
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How can I rename desktops in Mission Control?

The default new desktop space is named 'Desktop 1'. If you create a new one, it is named 'Desktop 2'. Is there a way to change those default names to something more meaningful? Additionally, it looks ...
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What happens at the Mac OS level when the SSD finally wears out?

I have been reading up on SSD technology and don't know of any first hand reports on what happens when an SSD eventually fails due to over use. I am most interested in the SSD that apple includes as a ...
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Can Disk Utility format an SD card with FAT32?

In the pulldown for "Format", there are only the following options (other than various Mac OS Extended variations): MS-DOS (FAT) and ExFAT.
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Is there a way to run one application in Full Screen mode on one display and still be able to view and access applications on a second display?

When I make an app go full screen on my primary display - a 24" Apple Display - everything previously visible and accessible on my second display - my MacBook Pro screen - is hidden by the default ...
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Create a remote only user in OS X?

I'd like to create a user on OS X that has remote ssh login privileges where they can access a certain folder /path/to/the/goods/ and add/modify/delete files manually or via rsync while the rest of ...
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Disable mouse acceleration

Is there any way to disable mouse acceleration on a mac? Mouse acceleration is what causes the mouse to move slowly when moving it a tiny bit, and a farther distance when moved fast. In other words, ...
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582 views

Dock Intellihide

Is there any way to get the dock to use "intellihide" (this is a carry over from various docks in the linux world). Basically that means that the dock is always visible if no windows are in its space, ...
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Can I set the stereo Bluetooth profile as the default, or remove the mono profile?

Whenever I turn on my Nokia bluetooth headphones they automatically connect to my Macbook. The problem is they always connect to the Mono (and not the Stereo) profile. So I have to disconnect and ...
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What are Mac OS replacements for Visio?

Visio is the most conspicuous example of a program that I found useful on Windows for which I have not identified a Mac-compatible replacement. What's out there?
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What format for my external drive allows use with Mac and Windows?

How can I use my external hard drive on Mac OS so I can modify/edit files on both OS's: Mac and Windows? How should I format it?
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GateKeeper allows me to install anything, no checks are done

I can download applications from custom websites, and run them, even when my gatekeeper settings are at "AppStore Only". This is my application -- it's not even signed. What could be the reason for ...
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Is there an audio player with waveform seekbar?

I'm looking for a player with seekbar that displays the waveform of the playing song, like http://foobar2000.org + http://foobar2000.org/components/view/foo_wave_seekbar Specifically, a seekBar is an ...
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How to retrieve current wattage info on OS X?

Is there a way to retrieve the current watt usage info on OS X Snow Leopard? I'm using mid-2010 iMac, so I'm not looking for just battery-related apps. Does OS X even monitor power usage? Do I need ...
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Good resources for those transitioning to Mac OS X from Windows

I'm going to be getting a new MacBook laptop as part of the PhD programme I've just started, but have never used Macs before in my life. I'm quite an advanced computer user (running an informal ...
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OSX: Is there a built-in scheduler program?

I would like to schedule a task to execute with parameters at a specific time/date in the future. Does OS X include any such tool (even if it's command-line)? If not, are there any free or relatively ...
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Are there any free and lightweight spreadsheet programs for the Mac?

I'm looking for a free spreadsheet editor that is simple and lightweight. I don't want to install OpenOffice just to use a some spreadsheets every once in a while.
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How can I remove a folder that no longer exists from my Finder sidebar in Lion?

There is a folder in my favorites in the sidebar of the finder on my Mac. That folder no longer exists, but for some reason it started showing up again as soon as I upgraded to Lion When I ...
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How do I know which version of OS X I have?

Eg Lion, Leopard etc. If I click the Apple symbol, then "About This Mac" I only get the version number…
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How to share internet with WPA/WPA2 security?

I'm using a macmini with Mac OS X Snow Leopard to share a cable internet connection. Sharing works fine except that security is limited to 40/128 bit WEP that is insecure (can be hacked in minutes). ...
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CrashPlan's top-bar icon, how to get it?

I have two Macs running CrashPlan. In one of them, one day, a CrashPlan icon appeared on the top menu bar that informs me when backups are being done, how much is backed up, etc. In the other one, I ...
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Can I reset Notification Centre badge counter for Messages?

The new Messages beta app (based on iChat) is stuck with one incoming message. Can I somehow reset the badge?
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How do I speed up new Terminal tab loading time?

How can i speed up the terminal startup in Lion? I'm not referring to the startup of the Terminal application, but to the startup terminal windows, like when i open a new tab. I don't have anything ...
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Is it possible to launch a program in a specific language?

I'm a developer, and my primary language is French, so I use Mac OS X in French. However, I need on a regular basis to open an application in English to do support. Right now I'm going to the ...
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How can I get the load average (and only the load average) on Mac OS X?

On all linux boxes /proc/loadavg contains the raw load for 1, 5, and 15 minutes. Nothing extra. On OS X machines this file does not exist. Is there a file or a terminal command which will give me the ...
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How can I automatically keep track of in-office hours when I connect to my office Wi-Fi?

I'm looking for a solution that starts a timer whenever I sign in to my office wifi and stops it when I've left. It should essentially log the hours I've spent at the office. I'm aware that there's ...
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How can I remotely send an SMS message through my Mac from my iPhone?

Is there an application for Mac OS X which would allow me to remotely send SMS messages through my iPhone? Ideally, just a simple application or maybe a full screen remote application like TeamViewer. ...
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How can I copy and paste multiple texts?

I would like to copy several different texts/things at the same time and paste them in any order. Does anyone know any good Mac OS X software or plugin that can handle multiple copy/paste?
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What is an quick way to create a new blank file in Lion?

In Windows, one can create a new file using Right Click -> Add New -> Type of File. Is there an analogous action in Lion? I just want to create a new blank file on my Desktop.

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