Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with macbook

Maybe-too-technical-filter: Change system prefs from command line?

range — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 09:48:26 -0800

I want a button to toggle my MacBook function keys (much technical info inside) MacBooks have a row of dual function keys at the top of the keyboard (F1-12, doing double duty as louder/softer, brighter/dimmer, etc). You can change their "normal" behavior from one to the other via the System Preferences > Keyboard & Mouse > "Use all F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys" checkbox.

What I want is an icon I can put on my dock and click to toggle this preference. At first, you'd think that this shell script like this would do it:



#!/bin/bash                                                                     

curState=`defaults read "Apple Global Domain" com.apple.keyboard.fnState`

if [ $curState = "1" ]; then

    defaults write "Apple Global Domain" com.apple.keyboard.fnState	0

fi

{etc.}

... because it toggles the actual bit that is toggled by the checkbox in System Preferences. Unfortunately, it looks like the OS doesn't notice the change (when done this way) until you reboot. All the online discussion of this I could find typically ends at exactly this point.

So: I'm not picky about methods. If there's a way to force a re-load of the preferences from the command line, that's great. If there's a good Apple-scripty way to do it that's not crazy slow (e.g., bouncing script icon on dock, script load, bouncing system prefs icon, system prefs window open for 1ms, exit -- I already wrote that script), that'd be cool too. Does Quicksilver have a hook into this pref? That'd be great.

How to transfer a lot of music to a such a small machine...

anoirmarie — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:36:27 -0800

I just purchased a new 2.4GHz Macbook. I have approximately 45 GB of music on my IPod (I think, it's an 80 GB IPod and over half full), a lot of which was never backed up on my old PC. Do I need to get an external hard drive for that much music or can I transfer it to my Macbook using Senuti and still have the Macbook run well? If I do need to purchase some sort of external storage, which should I get? What runs best with the new Macbook? I'm not interested in spending more than $150, because I just can't afford it.
Once I have this hypothetical external storage, if it is in fact needed, is there a way I can transfer the music files straight from my IPod to the external storage? Please help a music nerd become a computer nerd. Thank you!

How do I prevent laptop (macbook) theft?

MaddyRex — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:46:58 -0800

Prophylactic-laptop-theft-filter: Help me keep my macbook mine. I have an unhappy situation in which I must leave my laptop (a macbook) unattended for long periods of time in a semi-secure location (a room that 40 people have a key to). What is the best way to prevent theft -- keep it out of site, obviously, but what software/cables/other things do you recommend?

No password. No broadcast. No brains?

DLWM — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 17:42:12 -0800

I have no security enabled on my wireless network, but SSID broadcast is turned off. Is this just kind of insecure, or all types of insecure? This question made me think of my similar but slightly different situation. For some reason I can't get all the laptops in my apartment to connect to my wireless network when using WPA or WPA2 encryption -- my older PowerBook connects fine, but the newer MacBook keeps getting "There was an error joining this network..." messages.

So, being lazy, I just turned off the security entirely and then made the network invisible by turning off SSID broadcast. Now any computer can connect to it, provided, of course, that the user knows the "secret" name of the network. I did this in lieu of MAC filtering because I wanted to be able to have friends who come over be able to quickly connect without any mucking around with the MAC whitelist.

Am I totally fooling myself that this is more-or-less secure? Can Mr. Blackhat still "see" my wireless network even without and SSID broadcast?

Oh, and if anyone's had similar problems getting a MacBook to connect to a WPA/WPA2 network they've been able to fix, I'm all ears. The WAP is a Zyxel P660HW-T3, which is a combination DSL modem/router/LAN hub/WAP.

Wha's wrong with my MacBook screen?

blue mustard — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 03:23:25 -0800

Help me diagnose my MacBook Pro with a black, non-working screen. The display on my MacBook Pro no longer turns on. When I turn the computer on, I sometimes (not 100% of the time) hear the chime that indicates the computer is booting, but the screen is black, no sign of life. There's drive activity after the chime, so I think it's booting.

For a few weeks before this, it was not dead, but dying. If the screen was black, I could power cycle the computer repeatedly, and within a few minutes, the screen would come back to life. This was frustrating, but it was still usable. But it gradually got worse, and now, there's nothing, no matter how many times I power cycle it.

Any suggestions on how I might figure out (or guess) which component is broken?

The MacBook is just over a year old, and naturally, I'm asking here because I have no AppleCare.

Can I fix my Macbook's headphone output?

Dorri732 — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 20:25:21 -0800

My Early 2007 Macbook makes a continuous popping sound (through the headphone jack) whenever anything is plugged into the headphone jack. Audio plays normally through the built in speakers, but only the thumping/popping sound through headphones or external speakers. It seems similar to what's described here, only just the opposite. If I plug headphones in when no music, ect. is playing, nothing happens. However, when any sound tries to play, the thumping sound starts and continues until I unplug the headphones.

It happens exactly the same whether on battery power or AC. It is also not location dependant (probably not interference).

I am pretty sure it's a hardware problem, as it happens exactly the same when running Windows XP as when running OSX 10.4.

I'm not afraid to tear into it if it's something I can fix, (decent soldering skills) but I don't really know my way around the inside of the Macbook (yet).

Google searches turned up a lot of problems with popping through the headphone jack, but they all seemed to be sporadic, with the normal sounds playing fine. They suggested resetting the PMU by removing power cord and battery, and pressing power button for 5 seconds, then starting it back up. Didn't work.

my macbook is driving me insane

god particle — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:38:38 -0800

My macbook, running OSX 10.5.4, has been working really poorly lately It has trouble booting up (if I try to restart, I can end up with a blank screen), applications constantly crash or get glitchy, and my two external hard drives keep getting "improperly disconnected" even though they remain plugged in. Safari runs slow, always freezing things up, and there seems to be a general decrease in performance. This onset of problems is driving me insane. Could my hard drive be dying? Do I have some kind of virus? Should I start looking for a new computer?

Replacing Macbook hard drive. Please help me make sure I understand all the steps.

kdern — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:21:23 -0800

Replacing Macbook hard drive. Please help me make sure I understand all the steps. I am running Leopard on a Macbook. I'm installing a 250GB internal hard drive. Am I missing any steps? Using this as a manual.

Here's what I've done so far:

- Create bootable copy of hard drive with SuperDuper.
- Test backup by using it as startup drive to reboot macbook

My next steps:

- Install new hard drive.
- Reboot macbook using backup drive, format new hard drive per instructions from tutorial link above

Will that work?

I'm most concerned about having to re-register Leopard or any of the other software I'm using (Microsoft Office, Photoshop, etc.). Any reason to think that might be necessary?

My MacBook won't stop ejecting discs that aren't there

cosmic osmo — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 12:57:47 -0800

My MacBook's optical drive makes constant eject noises. So this has been happening since I got the computer (April), and it's finally pushed me over the edge. It's intermittent, happens when the drive is empty (so it's not something stuck in there), and happens when the computer is on/lid open (not when it's asleep with the lid closed, like other reports I found online). Sometimes it'll be silent for a few hours and then start ejecting 10, 15 times in a row.

I made an appointment with the Genius Bar, but the earliest I could get in is Friday, and I'm worried that the MacBook will be well-behaved for the appointment. Here's what I've tried so far:

- Inserting/ejecting media (also the drive works fine otherwise)
- Resetting the PRAM
- Repairing permissions
- Repairing the startup disk

Any other basic troubleshooting measures I should go through?

How can I copy one project into another in iMovie 08?

photomusic86 — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 12:23:25 -0800

How can I copy one project into another in iMovie 08? I have two separate projects in iMovie 08, and I want to add one to the end of the other. Copy and paste doesn't include audio tracks or titles, which is the primary problem, and I can't just drag one into the other, like you can with events.

Can I try to rescue data off my dead macbook?

kickingtheground — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 16:57:47 -0800

Looks like my macbook's harddrive just failed. Sucks. Some of my data is not backed up. What should I do before taking it to the apple store? Running 'first aid' disk repair off the installation disk failed. Should I still try target mode? Is it possible to back up, or even inspect, a mac drive over target mode with a firewire-equipped PC? Or will I need to borrow a mac from someone?

Macbook for school- buy now or wait for a revision?

baphomet — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 08:18:16 -0800

Getting ready to go back to school and make The Switch at the same time- when to buy my Mac? I'm going back to college next week and am getting ready to purchase a new laptop for said purpose. After being a lifelong PC user I've decided to make the switch, mainly because I refuse to run Vista. I could just buy a new PC laptop, wipe the OS, and acquire a copy of XP to drop on it, but I don't really like the idea of having to wipe a brand-new system to put an older operating system on it. It just seems like a step in the wrong direction for me.

So I'm getting ready to buy an Apple, most likely a MacBook. I've done lots of research and there's quite a bit of rumbling in the blogosphere about a possible update to the MacBook/MacBook Pro line soon, possibly as early as September. I'd like to get the new system up and running as soon as possible, so I can get used to the new OS while I have time to mess around with it (rather than when I'm trying to work on it while in the midst of a 17-credit workload).

I've examined the specs of the current MacBooks and I think the specs are great for what I need. That said, the talk of the town is that the next revision could introduce some future-critical features that I'd miss out on if I bought the current model. I've also heard, but can't confirm, that if Apple releases a new version of your product model within 30 days of purchase, you can return/exchange it for a new one- can anyone confirm or disconfirm this? I'd gladly pay the restock fee if necessary.

My budget is around $1500. As I said I've done some research but I'm interested in what MeFi's vibrant Mac community thinks about this. I already have an 80GB iPod classic so the free iPod deal doesn't really appeal to me- I could just turn it on eBay but there's a lot of talk of a September iPod revision and as such I'd anticipate the second-hand market for 1st-gen Touches to take a hit in the near future.

Bonus question- does anybody have any experience with using iWork '08 for student work (or in general)? How's that working out for you?

Best keyboard skin for Mac Air? Best shell?

jeffmacintyre — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 07:11:59 -0800

Best keyboard skin for Macbook Air? Best shell case (not for carrying)? I've used keyboard skins in the past but gone away from them because I'm lazy and hate whipping them off before closing the unit. When I don't, the covering can smear the monitor of my old Powerbook. (Duh.)

With my new Air, is there a next-gen keyboard skin that avoids this problem? I plan to resell this Air if Apple introduces a Penryn model next month, so I'm invested in keeping this unit in mint condition.

Also, is there a shell case people recommend that doesn't present overheating complications?

Why does my Mac power adapter spark?

plasticbugs — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 18:55:15 -0800

When I plug my MacBook Pro Power Adapter into most/all outlets, I see a blue spark as the prongs enter the outlet. Is this normal? I see and hear a spark every time I plug my MacBook Pro power adapter into an outlet. I'm using the standard two prong charger seen here. I think the sparking is a new thing. I don't remember this happening regularly before; I bought my MacBook pro two years ago. What causes the spark? Should I be worried about my charger (and ultimately, my laptop)? Does anyone else have this happening with their power adapters?

As a precaution, I make sure to plug the adapter into the wall before I connect it to my laptop.

For reference, the spark seems bigger than a standard static electricity spark.

Is my power supply dead?

Andy Harwood — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 15:05:07 -0800

I just noticed that my Macbook's battery is running down even though the power supply is plugged in. Do I need a new power supply or could it be something I can fix?

Macbook Gives Airport Express Silent Treatment, Enrages Owner

kosem — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 07:23:54 -0800

My Black Macbook (five months old, running the latest OS) suddenly, inexplicably, cannot recognize my Airport Express (the new one) or find my Wireless Network. Three days ago, and seemingly out of the blue, my normal, unfancy password-protected wireless network disappeared from the list of available wireless networks in my apartment. I run the Airport Utility, which does not find a base station. Fifty times at least. I soft- and hard- reset the thing. Multiple times. I disconnect my cable modem, reset it. Multiple times. No help.

I should mention that prior to three days ago, everything had been working just fine for five months.

The Airport Express is sitting in its power strip, with a solid green light. My computer recognizes all of the other area networks, one of which is not secure and which is temporarily (I sincerely hope) supplying me with a wireless connection, but recognizes neither my network (which is probably defunct now that I've hard-reset the AE), nor the base station which is plugged in and running about ten feet away.

I've done a bit of searching around on the Apple (official and unofficial) forums and this seems to be a problem for some people, but I was unable to find a resolution. I wonder if any of you have encountered it and maybe can offer some help. Preferably in layman's terms, but I'll take what I can get.

Best Mac resale solution online?

jeffmacintyre — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 09:58:43 -0800

What's the best Mac resale solution online? Describe your experiences. I'm looking to unload a Santa Rosa-era Macbook and wondering how people rate their experience using the sundry Apple resale sites out there (see below). I have just posted to Craigslist in the past but just want a simple, straightforward process that will give me best value for the machine--and hopefully be a service I can use again in the future, too.

Eg.,
http://www.macofalltrades.com/
http://cash4macs.com/
http://www.sellamac.com/

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

vernondalhart — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 09:43:43 -0800

I seem to be getting a regular ground hum-type noise when I record onto my Macbook. I have two older analog synths, both plugged into a mixer, which is then hooked up to the macbook.

Clearly, the noise is coming from the one synth: If it isn't plugged into the mixer, I get no noise; if it is, I get noise. However, if I plug headphones into either the synth or into the mixer, I don't get any noise; I can only hear it when I'm listening to the final result through the macbook.

Why is this? This doesn't seem to make much sense to me.

As an aside, it wouldn't be quite so bothersome if Audacity would be able to remove this noise; it's clearly a very regular ground-hum type noise; but if I get a noise profile from before recording, and use that to eliminate the noise, it doesn't do anything noticeable to the resulting audio.

Any ideas? I've tried using different cables, I've tried pluggin the synth directly into the macbook to no avail. It'd be nice to be able to record from the keyboard, but as it stands, I seem to be out of luck.

I will have my revenge on you William Henry Gates III!

AsRuinsAreToRome — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 10:50:31 -0800

I own a 17" Macbook Pro and up until now, I have seen absolutely no need to take advantage of Boot Camp and install Windows on my Mac, but I recently ran into a program that I now use quite often and now I need to install Windows on my Mac. Its basically just to use this one program, but I'd like to keep the option open for PC gaming on the Windows side in the future. But it gets kinda complicated after that... I'm a CG animator, so I use Maya on my Mac, but I also own a Boxx system (www.boxxtech.com), which I bought during college and has served me well. It came with a copy of Windows XP Professional SP1 which I promptly lost in the ensuing 5 years after I've graduated from college but for which Boxx promptly sent me a burned replacement disk. I still have the Windows XP Pro registration sticker for SP1 stuck to the side of my CPU so I figure the license is still good.

But in the instructions for Boot Camp its says that I need to install XP Pro SP2 onto a partitioned drive. I know my Boxx system has since been updated (via Automatic Updates in Windows) to SP2 - is there any way to get a SP2 disk from Microsoft to use with my SP1 activation code? Is this even possible? Am I going about this all wrong? Should I be using some sort of virtualization software like Parallels or VMWare Fusion? If I do need to pony up for XP Pro AGAIN, where's the cheapest place to get it?

These are my questions. What say you AskMefI?

Macbook drive in a PC?

raddevon — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 13:14:17 -0800

Is there anything that would prevent a working Macbook hard drive from working in a PC notebook? Is there something different about them that makes them not work in a PC?

Tips For MacBook Buyers?

partner — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 12:47:34 -0800

What is the current word on buying a new Macbook? We're getting one for our daughter, who teaches 12th grade history. Shopping the online Apple Store, it all looks pretty straightforward. But there may be some tricks that we don't know. Questions: I'd buy the AppleCare protection plan. Except for the price, is there any reason not to do so? Shall we spring for the larger hard drive? She will use it for the standard things including music and photos; no video. How about the Time Capsule for backups? What are we overlooking? What should we skip?

Buying a Macbook that MAY be stolen. Bad idea? (yeah, I know, it is)

Thrillhouse — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 11:02:52 -0800

How do I know if the MacBook I'm buying is stolen and what happens if it is? I'm considering buying a Macbook Pro from an acquaintance. Its brand new and relatively cheap. My first inkling is that its stolen but I'm not sure where from and I can't really be sure. He's not that kind of guy... or so I thought. What if it is? It is trackable back to me if it is? Am I on the hook for receiving stolen goods or anything if caught? Is it even possible to get caught once its in my possession? I already checked with Apple and they told me that there's not a lot of info they can give me if I give them the serial number before I buy it, even if it was taken from them.

This concerns me...

please don't tell me "If you're not sure if its stolen or not don't buy it." I already know that. I want to know what happens if I do.

Year old Macbook running extra hot/battery draining fast. Help

rbf1138 — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 15:47:25 -0800

Year old Macbook running extra hot/battery draining fast. Help In the past 2-3 weeks, my Macbook, purchased June '07, started losing its charge in about half the usual time. In addition, the upper left corner of the bottom of the computer seems much hotter than usual. I figure I can chalk the battery problem up to frequent use and normal battery-replacement life cycles. However, the Dashboard iStat application tells me the health of the battery is still 100%. Any help is appreciated.

Macbook hinge is completely loose!

jne1813 — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:13:54 -0800

The hinge that allows the lid of my macbook to stand upright has dislocated from the base of the laptop. Is there anything I can do? The lid won't stand without something (in this case a heavy book) to hold it up due to a lack of pressure being applied to the hinge from the sides of the base. It isn't "tight" enough. I can see the wiring (only slightly) that delivers the visual feed to the screen in the crevice that has opened up by the hinge dipping rather than staying in place.

In short, left to its own devices the lid will fall back all the way, or slam shut.

Is there an at home fix for this that will allow the lid/hinge to be functional again? If not, any idea how much an apple store will charge for a structural repair? Or if they even deal with this sort of problem to begin with?

Thanks for your help.

Why won't my MBP wake up?

jon_kill — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:39:55 -0800

Whenever my Macbook Pro goes to sleep, it won't wake up. Here are the relevant details:

-Whether it goes to sleep by being closed, or by being idle too long, the result is the same: black screen, hard boot being the only recourse.
-Runing OS X 10.4.11.
-I've verified the disk, and it is fine.
-I've verified the disk permissions, and they are fine.
-I've wiped the PRAM (by holding command-option-p-r on reboot) and the problem persists.
-The battery appears to be charging and draining at the same rates as always.
-I've recently installed: demo version of ableton 6, protools 7.1.1 (upgrade from website), the latest Software Update recommendations.

Any other suggestions? Thanks.