Helpful Mac Tips & Tricks
As mentioned in another recent post, I've switched to a Mac as my main workstation. Thus far, it's been a lot easier than I'd imagined. However, there has been an abundance of Googling and I've picked up a variety of tips that I believe other new mac users will find helpful. Where applicable, I'll note if a feature is specific to the latest MacOS release (currently 10.13 as of this writing).
Unlike in Windows, where you have to go to Control Panel and uninstall an application, on a Mac, you simply drag the application from the Applications to the trash can.
Since OS-X is UNIX-based, hidden folders and files have a . in front of them. In Finder, you can toggle hidden files/folders showing up by using the Command+Shift+. keyboard shortcut.
It's generally good security protocol to lock your PC when you step away from your computer. While unprofessional, it's not uncommon to prank a co-worker who left their computer unlocked by changing their wallpaper or by sending an email from their account. With a Windows PC, it's a simple Win+L keyboard shortcut. For Mac, that keyboard shortcut is Control+Command+Q. Apparently, this is a feature quietly added to 10.13.
On Windows, one thing I did often was snapping an open window to one side of the screen, and snap another to the other side. It was a simple Windows+Arrow key left or right to snap a window. Alternatively, you could click and hold the top of the window as though you were moving it around your display, and move it to one side. However, if you have a multi-monitor configuration, the mouse movement wasn't always easy to do, since the edge of one screen would just go into the other screen. on a Mac, all you have to do is hold down the green button on the upper left of a window
I'm either getting older or I need new glasses (probably both) but I find myself zooming in on things more often than not. For any app on a Mac, the keyboard shortcut is Command+Shift++.
If you want to connect to a file server using a different set of credentials, use user:*@server.domain.com in the "Connect to Server" window in Finder. This is a really handy trick if you're in an IT Support role and you're at a user's computer but you need to grab something from a file server, rather than emailing or drop-boxing it to them.
If your Mac is REALLY screwed up somehow, you can access it using another Mac. By booting the messed up Mac in Target Disk Mode (or Target Mode for short), you can essentially browse the filesystem of the messed up Mac using another working Mac. The messed up Mac will show up like an external disk. You can enable this feature by holding the T key down during boot-up, or you can go into System Preferences, select Startup Disk, and enable the feature by clicking on the Target Disk Mode button. In order to use Target mode, the 2 Macs need to be directly connected via Thunderbolt or Firewire.
I recently had to archive a former employee's files from her company Macbook and I went about this manually. In finder, you'll find that even as an Admin, you can't go browsing through people's home folders. However, you can select the home folder, select Get Info, and edit the permissions, giving the Administrator's group RW access. But, there's a better way. When deleting a user account, you'll receive a prompt asking you what you'd like to do with the user's home folder. If you select the default of "Save the home folder in a disk image", you'll have a nice and tidy DMG file with all of the user data. That DMG file will show up in a "Deleted Users" folder in the Users folders.
In System Preferences, under Users & Groups, when you click on the Change Password button, there's a small lock button by the New Password field. This opens up the password assistant. With this feature, you can have it suggest passwords, it can give you an idea of how secure your password is, etc. It's pretty basic, but it's still pretty cool.
When you're troubleshooting a computer, one question you often have is something to the effect of "what changed on this computer when issue X started?" This often leads you to looking at installed programs and seeing if anything new had been installed or updated. The way to find this information is by getting to the System Information app in MacOS. You can get there by holding down the option key in the Apple menu (pressing the option key will change the System Preferences menu option to System Information), or you can do a Spotlight search (which is my favorite way of opening apps that aren't already in my dock. In System Information, this information lives in Software > Applications. You'll be able to view version numbers of installed apps, last-modified dates, etc.
I've only had my Mac for a few months and these are some of the interesting tips I've learned from a Systems Administrator's perspective. Thus far, the only issue I haven't been able to solve is having the Mac auto-map at logon to DFS shares (connecting to one is fine. It's just that it won't reconnect at logon.) I hope one or all of these tips helped you.
Uninstalling Applications
Unlike in Windows, where you have to go to Control Panel and uninstall an application, on a Mac, you simply drag the application from the Applications to the trash can.
Showing Hidden Files in Finder
Since OS-X is UNIX-based, hidden folders and files have a . in front of them. In Finder, you can toggle hidden files/folders showing up by using the Command+Shift+. keyboard shortcut.
Locking your Mac
It's generally good security protocol to lock your PC when you step away from your computer. While unprofessional, it's not uncommon to prank a co-worker who left their computer unlocked by changing their wallpaper or by sending an email from their account. With a Windows PC, it's a simple Win+L keyboard shortcut. For Mac, that keyboard shortcut is Control+Command+Q. Apparently, this is a feature quietly added to 10.13.
Split-screening Applications
On Windows, one thing I did often was snapping an open window to one side of the screen, and snap another to the other side. It was a simple Windows+Arrow key left or right to snap a window. Alternatively, you could click and hold the top of the window as though you were moving it around your display, and move it to one side. However, if you have a multi-monitor configuration, the mouse movement wasn't always easy to do, since the edge of one screen would just go into the other screen. on a Mac, all you have to do is hold down the green button on the upper left of a window
Magnifying an Application
I'm either getting older or I need new glasses (probably both) but I find myself zooming in on things more often than not. For any app on a Mac, the keyboard shortcut is Command+Shift++.
Signing into a Network Share as Another User
If you want to connect to a file server using a different set of credentials, use user:*@server.domain.com in the "Connect to Server" window in Finder. This is a really handy trick if you're in an IT Support role and you're at a user's computer but you need to grab something from a file server, rather than emailing or drop-boxing it to them.
Boot-up your Mac in Target Disk Mode
If your Mac is REALLY screwed up somehow, you can access it using another Mac. By booting the messed up Mac in Target Disk Mode (or Target Mode for short), you can essentially browse the filesystem of the messed up Mac using another working Mac. The messed up Mac will show up like an external disk. You can enable this feature by holding the T key down during boot-up, or you can go into System Preferences, select Startup Disk, and enable the feature by clicking on the Target Disk Mode button. In order to use Target mode, the 2 Macs need to be directly connected via Thunderbolt or Firewire.
Archiving User Folders
I recently had to archive a former employee's files from her company Macbook and I went about this manually. In finder, you'll find that even as an Admin, you can't go browsing through people's home folders. However, you can select the home folder, select Get Info, and edit the permissions, giving the Administrator's group RW access. But, there's a better way. When deleting a user account, you'll receive a prompt asking you what you'd like to do with the user's home folder. If you select the default of "Save the home folder in a disk image", you'll have a nice and tidy DMG file with all of the user data. That DMG file will show up in a "Deleted Users" folder in the Users folders.
Password Assistant Can Tell If Your Password Sucks
In System Preferences, under Users & Groups, when you click on the Change Password button, there's a small lock button by the New Password field. This opens up the password assistant. With this feature, you can have it suggest passwords, it can give you an idea of how secure your password is, etc. It's pretty basic, but it's still pretty cool.
View Install Date for Apps & Patches
When you're troubleshooting a computer, one question you often have is something to the effect of "what changed on this computer when issue X started?" This often leads you to looking at installed programs and seeing if anything new had been installed or updated. The way to find this information is by getting to the System Information app in MacOS. You can get there by holding down the option key in the Apple menu (pressing the option key will change the System Preferences menu option to System Information), or you can do a Spotlight search (which is my favorite way of opening apps that aren't already in my dock. In System Information, this information lives in Software > Applications. You'll be able to view version numbers of installed apps, last-modified dates, etc.
I've only had my Mac for a few months and these are some of the interesting tips I've learned from a Systems Administrator's perspective. Thus far, the only issue I haven't been able to solve is having the Mac auto-map at logon to DFS shares (connecting to one is fine. It's just that it won't reconnect at logon.) I hope one or all of these tips helped you.
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