Helpful Information and FAQs
about Macintosh Computers

Out-of-Warranty Mac Repairs, Service and Support for all areas of Los Angeles
We can repair any model of Apple Computer that's out there, no matter how old (or odd) it may be. But with the way technology advances so rapidly, older computers are sometimes not worth the cost of fixing. We understand you're probably attached to your computer, but it might be time (for all our sakes) to move on.
If your computer was built before 2003, that's a good sign

Networking Solutions help computers talk to one another
MacDoctors offers complete solutions including design, implementation, and support for networking in your home or office. If you simply need help getting your Mac communicating with your cable modem or router or need your Mac to seamlessly integrate with the PCs on your network, MacDoctors is here to help.

My whole computer network is down. Can MacDoctors help?
Yes, please call us at (310) 733-9066 to arrange an onsite visit.

Quits, Crashes, Freezes, and Kernel Panics
No, that is not the law firm MacDoctors uses, but some of the most common and frustrating issues you might encounter on your normally rock-solid Apple Mac. Here are some of the most common vexations MacDoctors encounters:

Some keys on my keyboard are typing numbers, and others don't work at all.
You are probably using a laptop, and have accidentally pushed the Num Lock function key (F6 on most laptops). Push it again to regain your normal keyboard.

My Mac froze up. Now what?
Pressing the Option (alt) key and the Command key (the one next to the space bar, with the apple icon and the clover) and the Escape key simultaneously will let you force-quit the current program(the one that froze). You'll see a window that lets you select which application to force-quit. Be aware that when you force-quit you lose all unsaved work in that particular program, but other open programs remain open and usable.
If this doesn't work, you've probably lost all your work since you last saved. Restart with the power switch or the reset button or press these three buttons together: Command-Control-Power On (on Macs without a reset button).

My screen just got all wonky and grey with a message in English, French, German and Japanese, and now nothing responds.
That's called a kernel panic and we hate when that happens!
The kernel is the innermost level of the system software, responsible for controlling hardware like PCI cards, drives, video, networking and memory. Uh, you know, like everything important. When the kernel receives instructions it doesn't expect, it may panic� and freeze the computer.
Your only recourse is to reboot your computer by pressing the reset button, holding down the power button until it shuts off, or even pulling the power cable in extreme circumstances.
Kernel panics should be very rare. If they are frequent or repeatable, first suspect kernel extensions that are installed with PCI cards and USB hardware. Although they live in /System/Library/Extensions, they are intricately connected with your system, and you shouldn't just drag them in and out. Reinstall the latest updates to any third-party hardware you have ,use the installers provided by the vendors.
If you have unused drivers to old hardware still in your system, ask the publisher or developer for a removal utility.
Kernel panics can also indicate a bad RAM (memory) chip that needs replacing.

If none of that works, you may have more serious hardware problems, such as a bad logic board or processor. Call MacDoctors at (310) 733-9066 for an evaluation.

My computer takes a really long time to boot.
This may indicate a network problem. Mac OS X doesn't need a network, but if one is present it needs to be working properly. Make sure your Ethernet cable has a good connection, or try unplugging it entirely.
Unless you are on a corporate or educational network, you can safely delete the /Library/Preferences/DirectoryService folder to see if that helps. (If you are on a large network, check with your network administrator to see if they advise against this procedure, as it will reset your connections to any master directory servers on your network.) You may also have a problem with the internal or external disks connected to your Mac. Disconnect external drives, eject CDs and try again. If the problem persists, it's a great time to backup your data. Then you can try Disk Utility- an application already in your computer (Pssst- it's in the Utilities folder that is inside the Applications folder. I know, I don't know why they put it in there either.)
It's even possible that you have a hardware problem at this point. Now would be a good time to call MacDoctors at (310) 733-9066.

My programs run really slowly.
The attractive interface of OS X comes at a price: every drop shadow, translucent menu, and spinning rainbow requires processing speed and memory (RAM) to run. Since OS X is so good at multitasking, we all now tend to run many programs at the same time. That, too, requires more memory.
You will probably never see an error in Mac OS X complaining that your Mac is out of memory. Instead, your system will begin using more and more of your hard disk as temporary RAM storage. This is called Paging out, and it slows down your Mac considerably.
(To see for yourself, open Activity Monitor from /Applications/Utilities. This shows every process running on your Mac, its usage of the CPU, memory and virtual memory. At the bottom of the main window, click on System Memory. Check that the number of Page outs isn't growing quickly over time.)

Here are some things to try to speed things up again:
1. Revise your expectations. A three-year-old iMac will never be as snappy as the latest Intel Core 2 Duo running Leopard
2. Check the Dock frequently to see what is running (indicated by a small black triangle underneath or alongside the application icon), and quit the programs you aren't using. Remember that closing an application's windows does not quit the program. To quit, click on the application's dock icon, open the application menu (named Word, iTunes, Safari, etc.) and choose Quit Word (Quit iTunes, Quit Safari, etc.), or just click and hold on the application's icon in the dock, and select Quit in the small menu that pops up.
3. Always keep at least 5% of the storage space on your hard drive free.
Too little empty space on your startup hard drive will slow a system to a snail's pace. To check the disk space, click once on the icon of your startup disk and select Get Info from the Finder menu. Disk space used and available is shown under General. You may need to click the triangle next to General to reveal the information.
4. Add more RAM to your system.
With Mac OS X 10.3 and 10.4 we recommend a minimum of 512 MB, but performance will be
better with 1 GB. If you are doing any graphic design or video work, 1 GB of RAM is a minimum.

The clock on my computer keeps going back to 1-1-1904, or 8-27-1956, or 1969 or 1970.
This usually means that the backup battery on your computer's logic board needs replacement. On a portable computer, your internal PRAM battery may be dead. Leave the computer plugged in for two or three days to recharge it. After two or three years, a portable computer may need its internal PRAM battery replaced by a technician. On some portable models, serious crashes (or pressing the reset button) can sometimes cause the clock to reset. The crashing may be a sign of a problem, but the clock changing is normal.

I can't mount any disk images/I can't move programs in the Applications folder
I get errors in iPhoto.
Your hard disk drive's permissions may need to be repaired. While booted from
your normal startup drive, open Disk Utility (in the Utilities folder, in the Applications folder). Click the name of your startup disk, and click Repair Disk Permissions.

What does Repair Disk Permissions do?
Every file, folder and program on your hard drive has associated permissions that specify which users can read, write, or run that file. For example, you can set up your computer so that your cat can't delete your dog's files. These complex permissions can become confused or corrupt, and even administrators can be prevented from opening programs.
When your system was first installed, and every time you install an application or an update, the installer leaves a receipt on your system. This receipt (in /Library/Receipts) lists what files were installed, where, and what the permissions were supposed to be. (The receipt files are optimized for computer use, and aren't easy for users to read.)
The Repair Disk Permissions function reads all these receipts, and attempts to reset the files on your disk to match their state at installation. This can be quite useful.

A CD or DVD is stuck in my Mac.
Don't pull it out with pliers; that might destroy the drive. Try launching iTunes and clicking the Eject button in the lower right corner. If this doesn't work, try restarting the computer while holding down the mouse button (the left one if you use a two button mouse) or holding down the Eject key if your keyboard has one. If that doesn't work, try ejecting the disc by carefully pushing a straightened paper clip into the little hole alongside the drive (if any). If that still doesn't work, try restarting while holding down the Command-Option-O-F key combination to enter Open Firmware, type eject cd in lower case letters, then press Return. Then type: mac-boot and press Return again.
If this doesn't work, the Mac probably needs to be disassembled to get the disc out, and the drive might even be damaged. This is an excellent time to call MacDoctors at (310) 733-9066 because you won't believe all the tiny little screws of different sizes you need to take out to get at it.

Backing Up
What is a backup?
A backup is a copy of your files on another storage device (another hard drive, CD or DVD, or even to a .Mac account.)
Why should I backup?
Even the most reliable computer can fail or experience data corruption. Computers can be left in taxis, dropped, or damaged in fires. You could accidentally delete your wedding or baby pictures. A warranty may cover failure of computer hardware but there is no warranty protection for the operating system, applications, data loss or corruption. While the causes of software and hardware problems are many, the solution is simple. Back it up!

We recommend making two, or even three, backups of precious files. We also suggest keeping at least one copy at a different location in case of fire or theft. Sooner or later you are guaranteed to lose data. Fortunately there are many ways to backup your Macintosh.

What makes hard drives prone to failure?
Hard drives are incredible feats of engineering. When they were first invented fifty years ago, they were the size of a refrigerator. Now they can be the size of your thumb, and hold more data than that fridge-sized drive did. Twenty years ago you only had a few term papers on your hard drive, but now you have your email, your photos, your music and much more. It's one very concentrated point of potential failure.
Inside every hard drive are one or more platters coated with magnetic material. The platter is spinning at 4,200 to 10,000 RPM. There are tiny read/write heads floating over the platter on delicate arms. The distance from head to platter is less than the breadth of a human hair. If the head accidentally touches the platter, it acts like a snowplow, scraping the magnetic material and your data off the platter. Forever. That's just one way they can fail.

Drive technology is improving all the time. Every day they figure out how to cram more data into less space, so while they are making the drives smarter and safer, they are making the data denser and more fragile.

Backups are the safety net that can make a disaster into no big deal.

Let MacDoctors help you decide what method of backup is right for you and assist you in the purchase and set up. Call us at (310) 733-9066.