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Troubleshooting OS X

Resource page for School Tech Reps and troubeshooting OS X

trouble shoot os x: Arm waving surrender flag from under a desk.

How to Troubleshoot a Software Issue:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=25398

Troubleshooting - How to Isolate an Issue:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=25392

Mac OS X: Troubleshooting Installation and Software Updates:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106692

Mac OS X: How to startup in Safe Mode:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107393
A Safe Boot is a special way to start Mac OS X when troubleshooting. Safe Mode is the state Mac OS X is in after a Safe Boot. Starting up into Safe Mode does three things to simplify the startup and operation of your computer:

Changing Your Password in OSX
  1. Insert Mac OS X CD- Installer Disk 1 of your Software Restore Disks and Restart your computer.
  2. Hold down the “C” key as your computer reboots.
  3. Once your computer as rebooted from CD,
    1. Go to MENU
    2. INSTALLER
    3. RESET PASSWORD
  4. Choose the Login Name you want to reset the assigned password.
  5. Save and Quit the Installer. (from Menu)
  6. Restart your computer while holding down the mouse button to eject the CD. (Do not continue with the install!)

Top 10 OS X Keyboard Shortcuts
Even if you love to use your mouse, knowing a few simple key sequence shortcuts will make your life easier. The following are must-knows for anyone using OS X.
  1. Command+Shift+H - This takes you to your Home Directory.
  2. Command+Shift+A - The quick way to get to your Applications Directory.
  3. Command+Shift+F - For when you have a hankering for your Favorites.
  4. Command+Shift+C - This gets you to your hard drive.
  5. Command+W - Closes the open program's window (without quitting out of the program).
  6. Command+M - This minimizes the program window, making it snuggly fit into the Dock.
  7. Command+F - This command brings Find to attention.
  8. Command+Shift+Delete - This threesome empties your Trash.
  9. Control+Click - Brings up a contextual menu. For example, pressing Control+Click when the cursor is on the Dock's white dividing line displays a pop-up menu with the Dock's preferences.
  10. Command+Option+Escape - Like in OS 9, Command+Option+Escape causes a misbehaving program to Force Quit.

Startup Keyboard Shortcuts For Mac OS X

Finder Window keyboard Shortcuts For Mac OS X

Wrong Application starts up
Problem: Files don’t open in the correct application.
Solution: For example, PDF files open in Preview instead of Acrobat Reader. To open a document in the application you want, select the document and choose File > Show Info. In the Info window, select Open with Application from the popup list and choose a new application from the pulldown menu. If you would like all documents with the same file type to open with the new application, click the Change All button. You can also change the program but Control/Clicking on the document. The pull down menu will allow you to open the file in a different program. It also allows access to “Get Info”.

Mac OS X: About using Disk Utility and FSCK for File System Maintenance:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106214
Article talks about problems at startup and steps to take to fix, including starting in safe mode, running the Disk Utility and running fsck from the command line.
From MacFixIt comes this additional information:
Using the -n option to prevent disk corruption in Mac OS X
After using the "fsck" Terminal command in single-user mode to repair system damage, restarting the computer causes Mac OS X's memory buffers to refresh by default, modifying the changes made by "fsck" and potentially causing disk corruption.

Although Apple makes no mention of it in their documentation, you can avoid the memory buffer flush by invoking the "n option," which bypasses the normal synchronization process that occurs along with normal system shutdown or resets. Type the following the Terminal after running "fsck." :
shutdown -n now
in the terminal after running fsck. Alternatively, you can type:
reboot -n
to restart the system.

One MacFixIt reader points to an UNIX SysAdmin book, referring to BSD filesystems:
"The -n option is very important. It prevents the sync command from being run, which flushes the output buffers and might very well re-corrupt the filesystem. This is the only time rebooting should occur without syncing the disks."

Running fsck - Article by Bob Levitus
http://www.osxfaq.com/dailytips/07-2002/07-31.ws
Any time you think your Mac isn't acting quite right, give it a try. Disk Utility and fsck are supposed to do the same exact thing, but there are times when fsck may be preferred. Apple says you should run the Disk Utility application on the Mac OS X CD before fsck, but I am going to go against the grain by stating that I believe your chance of success is greater if you run fsck first.

Using and Managing Fonts in OS X
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=75494
Link to a downloadable pdf file called Using and Managing Fonts in OS X.

How to Protect System Files Used by the Classic Environment
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=25422
This document explains how to prevent system files and local applications used by the Classic environment from being disabled, moved, renamed, or deleted by users that do not have administrative privileges. You do this by restricting file system permissions on the Classic System Folder and the Applications (Mac OS 9) folder. This is an advanced document.

Software/Utilities
Cocktail
http://www2.dicom.se/cocktail/index.html - This utility allows you to fix and modify settings on your system.
Available features: