The following is a list of simple maintenance tips, configuration options and troubleshooting procedures for the Mac.   Please remember that MCS (Math Computing Support) is also available to solve problems, and can be reached at mathhelp@math.ucsd.edu, and ext. 44591.

The following conventions are used below:
The "Command" key can be found immediately to the left of the space bar.
The "Reset" key can be found in the upper right corner of the keyboard.

General maintenance tips:
1)  Restart your computer at least once every two or three weeks.  This quick procedure will eliminate fragmented memory and allow your system to keep track of all of your files, both of which will help prevent crashes.

2)  Close any open files and applications before you leave for the day.  An open file can become corrupted if it is not closed properly (if, for instance, the computerÌs power supply is interrupted by cleaning or maintenance work.)

Compacting Mailboxes:
One way of preserving disk space on your computer is to compact your mailboxes.  Eudora mailboxes accumulate wasted space as messages are deleted from them.  You can eliminate this wasted space by "compacting" your mailboxes as follows:

To compact a single mailbox, hold down the "Command" key and click on the mailboxÌs size display in the lower left corner of the mailbox.  (It should look something like 267/1030K/304K.)

To compact all of your mailboxes, hold down the "Command" and option keys and click on any mailbox size display.

Adjusting volume and monitor settings:

You may find that you want to adjust your computer's screen resolution.  A lower resolution setting will make items appear larger, and hence make small items easier to see.  A higher resolution will allow you to fit more things on your monitor at once.

To increase your monitor's resolution:  Select "Monitors and sound" from "control panels" in the Apple Menu.  Click the "Monitor" button on the top of the control panel.  Select a number that is higher than your current setting.  For instance, if your monitor is currently set to 832 x 624, you might select 1024 x 768.
 (Note:  Increasing the resolution may cause a decrease in the number of colors  that your monitor can display.)

To decrease your monitor's resolution, select a number that is lower than your current setting.

You can also adjust your computer's sound volume with this control panel.  Select the "Sound" button from the "Monitors and Sound" control panel.  To decrease the volume, drag the "Computer Speaker Volume" control to the left.  To increase the volume, drag it to the right.

Printing the Current Screen:
You may find that you want to print a snapshot of your current screen if, for instance, you are working in a program that does not have a "print" command, or you do not know how to print from within a given program.

To print your desktop:  Just click on your desktop or select "Finder" from the Application menu, clear any windows that are in the way of the window you want to print, then select "Print Desktop" from the "File" menu.

To print a single window:  Press the "Command," shift, 4, and "caps lock" keys simultaneously.  The pointer should change to a strange icon that looks something like a donut with a dot in the middle.  Click on the window you would like to print.  (Your computer should make a sound like a camera taking a picture.)  A picture file of that window will appear on the root level of your hard drive.  You can print this file by double clicking on it and selecting "Print" from the "File" menu.

Troubleshooting

To regain control of a frozen computer:

1) Try force-quitting the current application.  This is done by pressing the "option," "Command," and "esc" keys simultaneously.
2)  If that fails, reset the computer by pressing the "control," "Command," and "reset" simultaneously.
3)  If that fails, turn your computer off by using the power switch.  Wait a few seconds, then turn the computer back on.

If your Mac frequently crashes:

4)  Try rebuilding the desktop.  This reminds the systemÌs file catalog of where your files are.  Restart your computer and hold down option-Command until a message appears asking whether you are sure you want to rebuild the desktop.  Select "OK."

If your Mac crashes at startup:

5) Call MCS.  If you absolutely must work during the brief period it takes MCS to respond, you might try restarting your computer with extensions turned off.  Do this by resetting the computer, then holding down the shift key during startup until a message appears indicating that extensions have been turned off.  Please note that many applications and system resources will not work with extensions off.

If your Mac frequently displays the message that it is low on memory:

6)  Try restarting your computer.  During the process of opening and quitting applications, Macs (and PCs) accumulate small memory fragments that are too small for the system to use.  When enough of these fragments accumulate, you may not be able to load large applications.  Restarting the computer allows the system to re-allocate memory in an efficient manner.  You should restart your computer at least once every two or three weeks.
7)  Try using virtual memory.  Go to the memory control panel.  Set virtual memory to "on," and set its size to 1 megabyte larger than the size of your available built-in memory.  Virtual memory allows your computer to allocate memory more efficiently.  It may, however, slow down some applications slightly.
8)  If the "not enough memory" message appears only when you try to run a specific application, try increasing the amount of memory that the system will allocate to that application.  Do this by a) selecting the application's icon (not one of its aliases), b) selecting "Get Info" from the "File" menu, c) placing the cursor in the field labeled "Preferred Size," and 4) increasing the preferred size of the application by 1000 - 2000 kilobytes.

If you aren't getting access to the network:

9)  Make sure your ethernet cable is plugged securely into the back of your computer.
10)  Go to the "AppleTalk" control panel.  Make sure that the "Connect via:" field is set to "ethernet."
11)  Go to the "TCP/IP" control panel.  Make sure that the "Connect via:" field is set to "ethernet."  Also, make sure, at the very least, that the IP Address and gateway fields contain some numbers.
12)  If you open FileMaker but canÌt see the databases being served from other computers, do the following:  Select "Preferences" from the Edit menu in FileMaker.  Make sure that the network protocol is set to "TCP/IP."  If it isn't, select it from the drop down menu.

Note:  These tips are not meant to act as a substitute for MCS help.  They are merely intended to give users greater power in using their Macs at work and at home.