Danny Maiorca, Author at Make Tech Easier

How to Repair Hard Disks with fsck on macOS

Danny Maiorca — Wed, 08 Sep 2021 15:25:00 +0000

When your hard drive starts to fail, Disk Utility offers some useful disk repair tools. But if they don’t get it done for you, you may want to turn to one of the big guns: fsck. fsck, which stands for “File System Consistency Check,” is a command-line tool that reviews and repairs the underlying structure of a hard drive. The fsck tool in Mac is the same as the one found in Linux. This article focuses on Mac’s user interface and covers how to repair macOS hard disks with fsck – both mechanical and solid state drives (SSDs).

What Are the Signs of a Hard Drive Failing?

Usually, you’ll notice that a hard drive is failing on your Mac early on. Below are three of the most common signs:

1. Crashes

If nothing’s wrong with your Mac’s drives, the device will usually... Read more

How to Add and Remove Kexts from macOS

Danny Maiorca — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 21:25:00 +0000

Kexts, or kernel extensions, expand the basic functionality of macOS’s Darwin kernel. They’re analogous to drivers under Windows, and they let the kernel communicate with your computer’s hardware. Most of the time, these files require no maintenance. But if you’re having problems, you may need to fiddle with a kext or two. In this article, you’ll learn how to add and remove Kexts on macOS.

Do Macs on Big Sur and Later Use Kexts?

Apple no longer recommends using kexts with your macOS device. To make thing worse, macOS Big Sur doesn’t even support some kexts; you can find a list of those here.

Where Are Kexts Found?

You can find kexts in two places on your Mac. Most live in the “System/Library/Extensions” directory, which is the primary home for kexts. Some are also found in the “/Library/Extensions” folder as well, but that’s less common.

You can recognize the files by their .kext extension as well as their plugin-style icon.

Forgot Your Mac Password? Here’s What to Do

Danny Maiorca — Mon, 30 Aug 2021 21:25:00 +0000

A password is still the most popular way to secure a Mac. Since these devices are often crucial in our daily lives, forgetting a password can be extremely inconvenient. Fortunately, solutions exist. Forgot your Mac login password or even the admin password? Keep reading to find out how to retrieve them.

Reset Mac Login Password

When you first buy a Mac, whoever sets it up will become the computer’s administrator. The admin will set up a password, which is often different than the one you use to log in to your computer.

If you’ve forgotten your Mac’s login password, try one or both of the options below.

1. Reset Your Mac Login Password Using Your Apple ID

The easiest way to reset your Mac’s login password is to use your Apple ID.... Read more

Customize Safari on Mac with this Ultimate Guide

Danny Maiorca — Tue, 24 Aug 2021 00:25:00 +0000

For most Mac owners, Safari is the gateway to the World Wide Web. Given that it’s probably your most used application, knowing tips, tricks and new features is the best way to get the most out of it. While Safari does not have the extension libraries of Chrome, it still has a few tricks up its sleeve for Mac owners. Read on to learn how to customize Safari on your Mac.

1. Pin Tabs

You probably visit a couple of sites on a regular basis, and keeping them close can make it easy to refer back to them. When a tab is pinned in Safari, it stays docked as the farthest-left tab. Pinning a tab is incredibly easy: right-click on any open tab and select “Pin Tab.” Rearranging pinned tabs is as easy as dragging the tabs around one another until you have a setup you prefer.

2. Mute Tabs

We... Read more

How to Change Siri Voice and Language on Mac and iPhone

Danny Maiorca — Thu, 19 Aug 2021 15:25:00 +0000

If you’ve owned an iPhone or Mac for any given period of time, you’ll recognize your device’s default English Siri voice all too well. If you’d like to change it to a new language – or simply alter the voice to switch things up a little – doing so is straightforward. In this article, you’ll learn how to do both for your Mac and iOS device.

How to Change Siri’s Voice on Mac

To change Siri’s voice on your Mac, follow the instructions below.

1. Go to the Apple logo in the top-left corner of your Mac toolbar.

2. When the drop-down menu appears, tap on “System Preferences … ”

3. In the System Preferences window, click on the Siri icon.

4. To change the voice, select one from the list containing “Voice 1,” “Voice 2,” and so on.

How to Stop the Spinning Wheel on your Mac

Danny Maiorca — Wed, 18 Aug 2021 00:25:00 +0000

When you first got your Mac, chances are performance was a large consideration. While Mac computers perform very well in most cases, you’ll probably run into a couple of issues while using them. One of these is a rainbow-colored wheel which causes massive annoyance for many users. In this article, you’ll discover four ways to stop the Mac spinning wheel from ruining your productivity.

Mac Spinning Wheel Colors

You may have noticed that there are different colors of the Mac Spinning Wheel. Basically, the wheel means that your computer is busy performing a task. Usually, you’ll see it when working on something involving large file sizes – such as editing photos and videos.

Blue spinning wheel: A blue spinning wheel is usually an app indicating that it’s loading.
Rainbow spinning wheel: This shows up when macOS taking too long on a task.

Nevertheless, the wheels do get stuck from time to time, so you may need to follow these tips below.

1. Turn Your Mac On and Off Again

When you see the Mac spinning wheel, you’ll notice that you can’t do... Read more

Camera Not Working or Available on Mac? Here’s How to Fix It

Danny Maiorca — Sun, 15 Aug 2021 15:25:00 +0000

Don’t panic if your Mac’s camera suddenly stops working during a video call or if you see a “No camera connected” or “No camera available” error when you launch an app. Camera issues on the Mac are usually minor, and their solutions can be as simple as just shutting down and powering up your computer. If you’re having trouble with the Mac camera not working and using the built-in camera, try one of these quick fixes to get it working again.

Is Another App Using the Camera?

One thing that’s quite easy to forget is that the camera can usually only be used by one app or program on your Mac at any given time. Check to see whether camera-based apps like Skype, FaceTime, Photo Booth, or another app is running either in the foreground or background and close any that you’re not... Read more

How to Delete Files from Your Mac that Won’t Delete

Danny Maiorca — Fri, 13 Aug 2021 21:25:00 +0000

Have you ever tried to drag a file to your Mac’s Bin, only to receive an error message? Maybe the file is in use, locked, or you don’t have permission to edit the file in question. Here we cover all the ways you can delete files on your Mac that won’t delete and refuse to be moved to the bin.

“File in Use” Error

You cannot delete a file if an application is using it! If your Mac is displaying the “file in use” error, you need to figure out which application has a hold over the file and close that application.

If you only have a handful of applications open, this may be as simple as shuffling through the various application windows. Alternatively, you can see a list of all active applications in the “Force Quit” window, as shown... Read more

How to Forget a Wi-Fi Network on Mac

Danny Maiorca — Fri, 06 Aug 2021 17:25:00 +0000

If you often travel with your MacBook, you’ll probably end up connecting to more Wi-Fi networks than you care to remember. Once you’ve finished using these networks, though, it’s likely that they remain somewhere on your computer. What can you do if you want to forget one or more of these? This article will walks you through how to forget a Wi-Fi network on your Mac.

Why You Should Forget a Wi-Fi Network on Your Mac

Just as with your iPhone, you may want to forget a Wi-Fi network on your Mac. One reason is that you’ll no longer use it – for example, when you replace your old router. If this is the case, keeping old details on your computer has no use whatsoever.

You may also choose to forget network for security purposes. Public networks, in particular, could pose risks in this... Read more

How to Downgrade macOS to a Previous Version

Danny Maiorca — Tue, 03 Aug 2021 10:25:00 +0000

While the latest version of macOS is one of the year’s most anticipated events, a small number of users face issues with their installations. Besides the usual bugs with fresh software releases, you may also run into problems like unresponsive systems. Fortunately, it’s possible to downgrade your system to an earlier version of macOS, such as the OS version that was shipped with your device. These steps will help you downgrade from an later version of macOS, such as Big Sur, to an earlier macOS version.

Back Up Your Mac

The first step before any software upgrade/downgrade is to back up your Mac. This is especially important in this case, since you’ll be formatting your hard drive and wiping all the data.

To back up your files, you can go down the traditional route and copy them to an external disk drive. Alternatively, you can use either Time Machine or a free backup app. Do not that if you use Time Machine to create a backup and recover from that same backup later, you’ll also inadvertently recover the original macOS you used to create the backup.

How to Change Your Mac’s Computer Name

Danny Maiorca — Mon, 02 Aug 2021 10:25:00 +0000

When you buy a new Apple device, you’ll have to give it a name. Sometimes, though, what you called your Mac two or three years ago isn’t what you’ll want it referred to now. Luckily, altering this isn’t too difficult. Here we show you how to change name on your Mac.

Why Would You Want to Change Your Mac’s Name?

If you own a Mac, you might want to change your computer name for several reasons. One could be that a friend or family member donated the device to you, and it still bears the same name they had set for it.

It could also be that you wish to change the name of your Mac because its previous one was a little embarrassing. Or you may simply have changed your mind and no longer want it connected to your name.

How to Change the Name of Your Mac

While your Mac’s name shows up on your iCloud account, you can’t change the name from iCloud. Instead, you’ll have to go to your computer’s settings.

Click on the Apple logo in... Read more

Messages Not Working on Mac? Here’s How to Fix it

Danny Maiorca — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 21:25:00 +0000

There are many ways that Messages can break on your Mac. Regardless of the symptoms, the cause is typically the same: a miscommunication between the Messages app and the messaging servers on Apple’s end. With the correct troubleshooting steps, we can straighten this out. In this article, you’ll learn how to fix the Messages app if it’s not working on your Mac.

The Obvious Fixes for Messages Not Working on Mac

Before you try any of these more detailed fixes, make sure you’ve done the basics first. Have you restarted your Mac? Are you sure you have an Internet connection?

You should also check for a system-wide outage on Apple’s System Status page. While the Messages app rarely goes out, confirming that it’s active is important before you start troubleshooting a problem you... Read more

How to Customize Sound Settings on Your Mac

Danny Maiorca — Fri, 23 Jul 2021 17:25:00 +0000

When using a Mac, it’s quite possible that the only sound-related thing you’ll change on your computer is the volume. But in some cases, you may need to adjust a few more settings – such as whether your Mac is playing sound.

In this article, you’ll discover how to customize your Mac’s settings as well as how to access these features in the first place.

Change Your Mac’s Sound Output

If you find that the song or podcast you’re listening to doesn’t sound as good as it once did, the problem might lie beyond your headphones. This could also be the case if the sound on your Mac isn’t working. Before chucking your earpieces for something new, checking and altering your Mac’s sound output is worth exploring.

To tweak your Mac’s sound... Read more

How to Forget a Network on Your iPhone

Danny Maiorca — Thu, 15 Jul 2021 05:25:00 +0000

Connecting to a Wi-Fi network with your iPhone is easy and achievable with just a couple of taps on your screen. Once you’ve connected, you can choose to automatically join whenever you’re in range. But what happens if, for one reason or another, you need to forget a network?

Fortunately, it’s just as easy to forget a network as it is to join. This article runs through the steps to forget a Wi-Fi network on your device.

Why Would You Want to Forget an iPhone Network?

You may want to forget a network on your iPhone for numerous reasons. One of the most common is that the Internet doesn’t work. In such a case, disconnecting and reconnecting may fix this problem.

If you’ve switched your Wi-Fi provider or are about to upgrade your router, you may also want to forget your current network before these changes take effect. The same is true if you’re moving out of the area, won’t be returning, and won’t be keeping your existing Internet services.

Some users may also want to forget a Wi-Fi network for security... Read more

How To Turn Off Screen Time on Your iPhone

Danny Maiorca — Tue, 13 Jul 2021 00:25:00 +0000

Screen Time is by no means the only screen time app helping to fight digital addiction, but it’s one of the most prominent. Yet, using it is counterproductive for some users. This article will run through why you may want to turn your iPhone Screen Time off and how to do it.

Why Would You Turn Your iPhone Screen Time Off?

Many iPhone users have Screen Time added as a widget on their home screen, making access as easy as swiping left – even when their screen is locked. In some cases, some people may find themselves doing this regularly throughout the day if they don’t have any notifications to respond to.

Having Screen Time activated can also lead to some users compulsively checking to see if they’ve improved. The obsession with reducing how long we spend on our screens sometimes, ironically, leads... Read more

How to Customize Your iPhone’s Screen Time App

Danny Maiorca — Sat, 10 Jul 2021 00:25:00 +0000

When looking to reduce the amount of time you spend on your iPhone, Screen Time is a powerful tool that many people use. But beyond seeing how many hours you’re on your device, you can also customize the Screen Time app to set boundaries and limit distractions.

You can customize Screen Time in numerous ways. In this article, we cover some of the top ways to tweak the app. You’ll also discover how to check Screen Time on your iPhone.

How to Set Downtime

Downtime is a tool that allows you to schedule time away from your iPhone. During the periods you designate, your device will lock all apps that you don’t approve.

Setting up the Downtime feature is a straightforward process.

1. Open your iPhone’s Settings app and scroll down to “Screen Time”... Read more