Mac’s support pages are really helpful. Search them for your issue and there is usually a page to help you.

Speeding up your Mac

https://www.macworld.co.uk/how-to/speed-up-slow-mac-3636548/

Installation of Mac OS

Before you install MacOS, you need to:

• check the compatibility of the hardware first
• create multiple partitions. The OS usually does this automatically, but you can manage this manually using Disk utility.
• Installing and reinstalling the OS is easy. For instructions see the Mac Support page HT204904
• If you need to create a bootable installer: HT201372

⌘+ ⌥ + R = will use internet recovery to boot to the latest OS that the machine can support.

⌘+ ⌥ + ⇧+ R = will restore the original system

Installation issues

If you are experiencing issues with your installation:

• check your internet connection
• check for disk issues
• are you using non-apple memory

​Storage

•  > About this mac = Serial number
•  > About this Mac > Storage = view your storage
•  > About this Mac > Storage > Manage = Set Trash empty settings
•  > About this mac > Service = to check service details and warranty details

Disk Warrier

Disk warrier has been recommended to me if you have disk repair requirements.

At time of writing it cost $119.95.

“DiskWarrior repairs disks no other utility program can repair. With a single click, DiskWarrior reads the damaged directory and finds all salvageable files and folders and builds a new error-free, optimized directory for you to use.“

DiskWarrior 5.2 cannot rebuild an Apple File System (APFS) Volume.

System integrity

System Integrity Protection is a security technology in OS X El Capitan and later that’s designed to help prevent potentially malicious software from modifying protected files and folders on your Mac. See support page: HT204899

• /system, /usr, /bin, /sbin = all preinstalled by MacOS apps
• /applications, /library, /usr, /local = 3rd party apps have access to write to these

System Integrity Protection includes protection for these parts of the system:

• /System
• /usr
• /bin
• /sbin
• /var
• Apps that are pre-installed with OS X

Migration assistant

Make sure you back up your data before attempting any of these migrations!!!

As always, Mac Support have articles to assist with these process.

• From Mac to Mac (HT204350)
• From PC to Mac (DL1557 = Download)
  Make sure you disable any antivirus and active firewall first in Windows
• Move data from Windows to Mac (HT204087):

Time machine

I don’t use Time machine myself. I find the use of the Cloud more efficient as I work across multiple sites at work and home.

For all things Time Machine see this collection of articles.

• Backup to timemachine (HT201250)
• If you can’t backup or restore your mac using Time machine (HT204157)
• Restore your mac from a backup (HT203981)

Applications

​Deleting apps

Most apps can be deleted by dragging them from the Applications folder to the Trash. However, some programmes leave preference files lurking in the /Applications or /usr folders. Use Terminal to remove these.

​Troubleshooting

If your machine is running slowly, there are various thing you can check:

Activity Monitor

(This is the same as Windows Task Manager)

• CPU

The Kernal is the Operating system. Like the Colonel – it tells the computer what to do and is always a present process under the CPU column.

If the kernal-task is is using most of the CPU then the issue is an OS problem

If you get a Kernal-panic black screen – this is the OS fading – like the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) in Windows.

Click the CPU column to order the most usage process first. And then see which process is taking up most of the CP activity.

Then double-click under CPU to view the 4 cores activity

• Memory
  Use the Memory tab to see if the process have maxed out the memory in your machine.
• Disk
  This will show what is being read and written
• Network
  This will show you packets going in and out and identify if there are network issues.

Installed program won’t run

If a newly intalled program won’t run:

Go to System prefs > Security and privacy check that your system is allowing other programs, other than those from the App store to run.

You may need to click allow to let that program run

​Troubleshoot applications

• Delete its cache file
• Move the preference file in library folder (.plist)
• Reinstall the application
• Force quit – **cfprefsd in Activity monitor, which is the process that will restore the .plist file otherwise
• If the process stopped, start the app, and a new one .plist will be created
  This restarts automatically 30 seconds later so restart the app quickly
  **make sure you force quit the one relating to your login (View My process to be sure)

​Networking

Like in Windows, you can use the following to check for network issues.

• Open Wireless diagnostics to check errors with wifi
• Set to Monitor mode to monitor intermittent issues
• You can use the Network utility in Recovery mode in in OS
  system/library/coreservices

The same tools as Windows can be used in Mac for network troubleshooting

• PING (send unlimited pings for testing)
• Lookup
• Traceroute
• Port scan – tests ports open
  limit the number of ports to test (22 ssh sunprc)

Network services

• Bonjour – auto discovery for printers
• SMB – Server message block

​PRINTERS

• In Printers, select windows to connect windows share (uses SMB)
• Use presets to save print settings
• You often have to setup printing in each application rather than the Printers settings
• Open Print Queue, drag document to print to queue
• Can share print on a network with other mac users and Linux.
• You need Windows Bonjour to install for a Windows share