Ask Jacob

Okay, last night I guess I loaded some shady applicationd onto my 2008 iMac. I restarted it, and when the computer loaded up again, the mouse was frozen in the corner but there was no LED light coming off from the keyboard or mouse. I connected my iPod with the USB cable and it wasn’t charging. I then put in a disk (if I can ever get it out again) to see if the computer was working other than the USB ports, and yes, the computer works otherwise. So I’m assuming that my iMac USB ports are frozen, and I’ve restarted numerous times. No luck. Do you have any advice?

I can not get the optical drive in my iMac to accept a CD or DVD. I ejected the CD I was just using and now the drive won’t accept anything. I have an iMac Intel Core i3.

- Dennis

Hi,

I accidentally disconnected a LaCie external hard drive from my iMac (os 10.7) and got a warning that it wasn’t disconnected properly. It sporadically reappeared on my desktop for the next couple days but it hasn’t shown up for work for the last few days. Any idea what’s going on and how I can get LaCie back in action.

Thanks,

kj

I’m trying to download a movie from iTunes but I keep getting a message that my startup disk is full and that I should delete files to create room.

What is a startup disk? Read More »

In the last month, for some unexplained reason, my one year old 21.5-inch iMac will get a RAM warning (three beeps, pause, three beeps). Then, sometimes it is a kernel panic. This happens about three or more times a week. I took it in to Apple and they said they could not duplicate the problem I was having and handed it back to me. The iMac is under warranty till 2014.

So what next?

Best regards,

Ardent

I just hooked up a Apple Time Capsule to my Cable Modem and I want to use it as a wireless router for my house. The amber light keeps flashing, even though everything is set-up and I am connected on my new wireless network. The airport utility is saying that my Apple Time Capsule airport device does not have a valid IP address. What can I do? I want to fix the problem so everything runs like it is supposed to and I have the green light on the Time Capsule instead of the amber flashing light.

Thanks,
Nathan

Read More »

I am attempting to migrate from PC to Mac.

Do you know of a seamless/easy way to import all your Outlook2007 Contacts/Categories without re-typing/formatting many hundreds of MBs?

CME [Convert My Email dot com] claims to be able to import Outlook2007 email folders, archives, contacts (including categories), calendar etc. into Entourage 2008.

When I tried it, just as their program attempted to import the translated data Entourage crashed.
I am continuing to work with them by running their debugging program and sending logs.

Is there an easier way?

What do you recommend for all those Mac converts out there who can’t face re-typing their Outlook data?

Dave

Well, my trusty 2.66GHz MacPro failed two months out of AppleCare warranty. Right before it failed, the screen image developed a very faint herringbone pattern of thin horizontal yellow rectangles which look to be about 1/4″ x 1/16″ rectangles. The computer gets through the chime and through the Apple screen and to the blue screen with mouse pointer in the upper left. The drive is being accessed, but nothing happens on-screen though the cursor does track mouse movements while leaving a fixed mouse pointer at the original position. The yellow pattern is consistent through multiple reboot attempts. I pulled the drive and hooked it up to my Intel Mac mini and it mounts to the desktop and I can see all files in the Finder.

In the past, the video card failed and was replaced under AppleCare. I tried the usual tricks individually with reboot attempts between checks (checked 3v lithium battery, PRAM reset, pulled extra memory, reseated video card, move drive to different bay, disconnected all external devices except keyboard/mouse/DVI. Same result on all counts. Checked for dust build-up on memory and video heatsinks. Not much there. I installed a brand new WD Caviar Black drive and tried to install the OS (Discs supplied with MacPro) on a new drive. It makes it through installation Disc 1 to the RESTART button. When it reboots, I get a grey screen in multiple languages saying to restart. Can’t make it to Disc 2. Tried re-installing with drive in 2nd bay, same thing.

Hardware Details:

• 2.66GHZ Dual Xeon Macpro 2006-7 unit bought from Power max
• 4GB memory installed (1GB x 4)
• Mac OS 10.5.8
• Monitor: Dell Ultrasharp 24″ using DVI
• Boot Drive: 7200.10 Seagate 750GB

I apologize for the long e-mail. It is frustrating when stuff breaks right out of the warranty period.
I would appreciate any advice on further diagnostics and options for repair.

Our Apple laptop (a Mac OS X, processor 1.67 GHz Power PC G4; memory 1.5 DDR SDRAM) has lost sound and we cannot figure our how to restore it.

Can you help?

I have an older G3 Mac 13″ laptop that I am having issues with the display. If I open my display up too far the lights will go out on it. I then have to close the laptop, and wait for it to go back to sleep, and then open it very slowly to have the lights come on the display. And even then it does not do it all the time. Now once the lights do come on, the display can not be fully opened for a while (What I like to call a warm up) once it is warmed up I can then open it all the way, Is this a Videocard issue or the Ribbon for the display issue?

This is the second apple mouse I have bought for my Mac. The problem with both of them is they will not scroll down, just up using the little scrolling button on top. What gives?

Thanks for any help you might offer. The old one was wireless this newer one is USB – I disconnected it and plugged it back in but nothing helped.

- Nina

Jacob,

I ordered a Mac Mini and am trying to set it up to no avail. I do not have the Apple monitor.

I did go to the Apple store to purchase a VGA adapter. However I get nothing. I made sure it is plugged into the back of the Mini correctly. I am also having a problem getting the disc out. I can feel it spinning but it won’t eject it.

- Dan

Hello again! Thanks for advice last time – it worked! I’ve downloaded iOS 4.0 onto my phone but now my touch sensitivity has gone down. For instance, I’m tying this message on my iPhone and I’ve had to press several keys multiple times because they went unregistered on the phone. It also freezes up on the unlock screen and won’t let me slide to unlock it.

This has been a problem since the software came out – and while I know it hasn’t been long it’s a nuisance! Should I take it into the “genius” bar or do you know what the problem could be. The screen is clean as well if that has any relation.

Thanks for your help in advance!

- Eric

Hello,
I have a Powerbook G4 I am trying to connect to the TV so that I can view and hear any laptop content on the screen. In case you need to know this, the TV is an older CRT TV, Toshiba model CZ36V61.

I did what the tech support person at Apple said. I got a DVI to Video adapter, then connected the yellow RCA cable from the video adapter to the TV yellow RCA port. I then used a Belkin Y adapter, with one end in the headphone jack of my laptop and the two red and white audio RCA cables into the red and white RCA ports on the TV. No picture, no sound. I tried changing through the various TV inputs.

I searched online and found many suggestions to go the the Displays part of System Preferences, and click “Detect Displays,” but when I did this, nothing happened. Apparently the Powerbook is not detecting the TV at all. I also found suggestions to lower the monitor’s resolution, to allow it to show on the older CRT TV. This also did not work.

Any thoughts? I appreciate any input you have. Thanks.

- Ani

Jacob,

My brand new Nehalem, which has been running fine since I got it, will not power on – no response to the power button. I tried the SMC reset twice but no luck … Is there anything else I can do?

- Sean