Resetting parameter RAM (PRAM)

The Parameter RAM is a small amount of "nonvolatile" RAM (NVRAM) that holds various settings that the system can use before the operating system loads, and maintains these settings even when the computer is turned off. There is a small battery on the computer's mainboard that helps maintain the PRAM settings when power is off.

Many times when people's computers get bogged down and they are experiencing problems, advice will be given to "Reset the PRAM." In certain situations this can fix things, but many times people just blindly throw that advice out there. Resetting the PRAM may sound like an exotic fix that somehow may magically cure something; however, many times doing this is just a shot in the dark. As such, it's not necessarily bad for the computer, but may lead to customized settings such as alternate boot devices and speaker volumes being put back at default values. If you have problems with any of the following then a PRAM reset might help you out:

• Volume changes or won't stick.
• Video resolutions not sticking or not all available
• Time zone information and clock settings
• Boot volume isn't set (question mark shows briefly before booting)
• Keyboard repeat rates
• Mouse input rates (click and tracking speeds)
• Default system fonts

Prior to OS X, the PRAM held information for networking, but that has been removed so any network troubles should not be affected by PRAM settings. Sometimes there have been odd problems that have been cured by PRAM resets, including one reported on recently by MacFixIt regarding spell-checking not working. It is possible that settings in the PRAM may indirectly affect various system functions like the spell checker, but knowing this is anyone's guess.

If these settings constantly get reset even when you have not manually reset the PRAM, the computer's logic board battery may need replacing.

To reset the PRAM:

1. Reboot the computer.
2. Hold the option-command-P-R keys at the same time.
3. The computer will chime, and then continually reset and chime while these keys are held.
4. Allow it to cycle a couple of times and release the keys and allow the computer to boot normally.

NOTE: Resetting the PRAM may require you to set some settings such as mouse speed and keyboard rates again.

Eject any disc even if system cannot boot

In the newest versions of the boot manager (Intel only, I believe), it is possible to simply Option-Boot the computer and press the Eject key on the keyboard to eject a disc. This works even if your computer has a completely blank, newly-formatted hard drive.

This may also work on the older PowerPC versions of the boot manager, but I haven't tested it.

You could also press and hold the left Mouse or Trackpad button when starting your computer. Any CD/DVD will then eject.

Magnifying dock using ctrl+shift

This trick will help you to avoid unnecessarily magnifying the dock when you accidentally hover the mouse pointer in the dock.

NOTE: This trick will only work if magnification is turned off. Let's turn off first the magnification of the dock and try the shortcut key.

1. Choose System Preferences... in Apple menu.
2. Click Dock
3. Unchecked the Magnification.
4. Close the System Preferences and try first to hover your mouse pointer in the dock and it should not magnify.
5. Then try pressing ctrl + shift key and hover the mouse in the dock.

Or Simply Right Click (ctrl + click) the separator of the dock and click Turn Magnification Off and try hover your mouse pointer in the dock and it should not magnify. Then try pressing ctrl + shift key and hover the mouse in the dock.

How to place widget in desktop?

This tutorial will walk you through the steps on how to place widget in dashboard to your desktop. But this trick will only work on dashboard in development mode. So we need to set the dashboard into devmode.

1. Open Terminal.app (in Finder press Command + Shift + U, will bring you to Utilities Folder, then find the Terminal.app)
2. Copy and Paste the following to Terminal, line by line and press return key.

   defaults write com.apple.dashboard devmode YES
   killall Dock
   

   the first line will make the Dashboard into devMode.
   killall Dock will relaunch the Dock to make changes become effective.
3. Launch the Dashboard by hitting the F12 key.
   

4. Click and hold on the widget you want place in your desktop, while holding down the mouse button, press F12 again to close the dashboard.
5. You can now move the widget around your desktop and place where you want to place. But take note that the widget will always remain on top of all other window, so be wise to pick location where to place your widget.

6. In case you want to move back the widget to dashboard, simply click and hold the widget and press F12 to open the dashboard and release to place it back the widget.
   

Finder Navigation using Arrow keys

Have you notice that in finder, if you want to go inside the folder you need to double click the folder or highlight the folder and press arrow right key. We cannot use enter to directly open the folder, just like in a PC. We just need some help of the Command Key.
To navigate in finder using just keyboard.

• You can use left or right arrow keys to view the content of the highlighted folder.
  
• We can combine Command Key and arrow keys to open the folder in the same window. But instead of right and left, we use arrow down and up keys.

To Summarize the equation:

1. To open a folder in finder or Disk Drive, Press Command Key + Arrow Down key.
2. To open back in previews window, Press Command Key + Arrow Up key.

Try it and you'll see..

How to Place Application in Finder Menubar

A simple trick to place an application in finder menubar. I use this trick for iTunes, Transmission and Yahoo Messenger. I find it convenient for switching applications by using more mouse action and less keyboard, in applications that I always check.

Adding Apllication Icon in Menubar:

• Open Applications in Finder. By double clicking Macintosh HD > Applications. Or Cmd + Shift + A (A), something which looks like this will appear.

• Im my case, i already have 2 applications in my Finder Menubar. I like to add iTunes in the Menubar. Find the any application that you would like to put in menubar, in my case iTunes. Then, drag the application in the menubar where you want to put them. Wait until the dotted box appear in the menubar, then release.

• Its already set and ready to roll. But if you want to Move your application in the menubar, just press and hold Command Key() and then drag the application in the menubar you want to move it into. I moved the iTunes icon beside Yahoo Messenger icon.

Removing Application Icon in Menubar:

Press and hold Command Key ()
Drag the application you want to remove outside the menubar until something like a crumpled paper or cloud like figure appears beneath your cursor.
And its gone..
You can play around and arrange your Icons in the Finder Menubar to suit your preferences.

List of mac application that i often use.

Here are some of the of application that I often use. These are arranged in alphabetical order.

Adobe Creative Suite 3 (Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, and Dreamweaver)

• Photoshop - This is a great application to explore and I'm enjoying learning little by little through some tutorials in web and some video tutorials. I use this application to practice, familiarize some keys and to enhance my digital world.

• Illustrator - I started using illustrator late last year. I really like to this application for making some logo for my own t-shirt, wallpapers, etc.. I'm still in a process of learning the fundamentals of illustrator. Wish me luck to make more t-shirt design. Maybe some time i'll post here some of my design work for t-shirt printing..

• Flash - i really like to learn to make flash animation, but I don't have the time to read books and explore the Flash application. But I think my time will come, and who knows maybe next time i will post here some good news.. ^_^

• Dreamweaver - i used this application to build my project in school, Introduction to Internet. I did advance reading in the class so that i can build a presentable and neat website by the end of semester. I love Programming, it always challenge my self to do something new that has not been taught in school.
  

Aimersoft Total Media Converter

• I often use this application because of my mom. She's working outside the country, and would always text and ask to copy her some tv shows that she want and mail it to her. She only have time to watch tv after her work. So, this app helps me a lot to convert .WMV to .AVI format so my mom can watch it in her dvd player. Thanks to Aimersoft.
  

AllSecure

• I got this application for free in MacHeist.com. I registered there and get my loot. All my accounts, passwords and notes, that I don't want others to see it i store them in AllSecure.
  

BluePhoneElite 2

• When my mac start this application also start. In tiger, i liked the feature in address book that if you have a bluetooth phone and its compatible, you can send text messages directly in your mac. In leopard, apple remove that very useful feature. Here come the BluePhoneElite you will need to pair your bluetooth phone and install BPEnable in your phone. configure your own setting then your good to go. You can now send and receive text messages, even outgoing and incoming calls.
  

Calibre

• Calibre is a free application, that helps you store and organize your e-books. Calibre helps me a lot because I have a many e-books cluttered all over my hard drives. Thanks to Calibre.

CandyBar

• I use this application to change my system icons. Its a great application, they give 15 days trial.
  

Colloquy

• Colloquy is an advanced IRC, SILC & ICB client which aims to fill some void. By adhering to Mac OS X interface conventions, Colloquy has the look and feel of a quality Mac application. I can directly download Anime in IRC. And its Free!.
  

Cooliris

• Its a cool browser to search Picture and watch streaming videos. They have a cool interface, in which I liked.

Xmarks for Firefox and Safari (formerly Foxmarks) - Browser Plugins

• You can now Synchronize your bookmarks using Xmarks, for all your browser. If Xmarks is available in your browser. Xmarks helped me a lot because I am using a Desktop PC at home and Macbook in my apartment.

iFreeMem

• I use this to free some memory that's been inactive, because sometimes my mac is open for 3 days straight.
  

InsomniaX

• Sometimes my Mac doesn't sleep, InsomniaX helps me a lot. Even if the lid is closed, my applications can still continue running like some downloads and stuff.
  

iTunes

• iTunes is my primary music player, I like the interface and the shortcut keys helped me a lot. I'm a musician by heart so I need sounds when im doing my programming.
  

iWork '09 (Pages, Keynote and Numbers)

• I choose iWork over MS office for Mac because MS office in my Mac always hangs up. I don't know why. Im still happy, I can still save my files in .doc, .xls and .ppt so there are no hassles.
  

Jisho

• Jisho is a English/Japanese Dictionary. It helped when I took my Nihonggo class.
  

Mail

• I use mail for my Gmail account because its hassle to always check my mailbox in the web.
  

OnyX

• Leopard have the script to for maintaining the system, but it always activates every 3am in the morning. If you want to run the script without waiting the system to run them, then OnyX will help you..
  

Overflow

• I love the interface of overflow. You can categorize the application the way you want you.

Pixelmator

• Pixelmator is the best alternative for Adobe Photoshop. Its a small application, and it can do what can Photoshop 7.0 can. I use this for editing simple pictures.
  

Toast 10 Titanium

• I use this application for burning applications, Data Movies, Data files and etc.
  

Transmission

• Transmissions is a torrent downloader. Its a very good downloader.