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What does "MacOS FAQ" mean?MacOS is shorthand for Macintosh Operating System, the software that makes a Macintosh a Macintosh. FAQ stands for "Frequently Asked Questions," and is a document which attempts to address questions that frequently arise.
How do I Shut Down the computer?Do one of these three steps:
Should I Shut Down the computer?Generally, no: turning a computer on and off a lot puts extra wear and tear on the system, and the computers themselves don't use that much electricity.
How can I tell if the computer is on, off, or merely sleeping, and what's the difference? Normally, during lab hours, the computers are on. Small green lights on the computer and monitor indicate if the respective hardware is powered up. If both lights are on, but the computer screen is black, then the computer is asleep -- press any key on the keyboard, and in a few moments the computer will awake from its slumber.
How do I quit an application?Do one of the following steps:
Note that closing on the close box in a window just closes that window -- it does not quit the application per se, as it does on some other operating systems.
The Launcher is a window that makes starting applications a two-click operation. Just click on the category (e.g., Internet, Math/Stats, Office, Misc), and then on the particular application.
Where did the Launcher go?Although the Launcher is configured to appear when the computer starts, it can be closed. If the Launcher is not visible, then, under the Apple Menu, select Control Panels, and from that menu, select Launcher.
What is the "Finder"?The Finder is the application (or program) that shows the contents of your hard drive, floppy disks, or mounted servers, and from which you can launch other applications by double clicking on them. By default, if no other programs are running, then you are in the Finder.
How do I launch an application?From the Finder, double click on either the application, or any document
created by that application . If you choose the former, then a new, untitled
document will appear; if the latter, then the pre-existing document will
appear. From the Launcher, single click on the appropriate category (e.g., Internet, Math/Stats) to locate your application, then single click on the application.
The Application Menu, located at the far right of the menubar, has several functions. Firstly, the icon atop the application menu indicates the frontmost application--the application that you are currently working in, and secondly, it lists all of the other applications that are currently open (and selecting one of those other applications brings it to the fore). Finally, it allows you to hide background applications.
How do I switch from one application to another?For sake of argument, suppose that you have two applications running,
say Excel and Netscape, with Excel the frontmost application (i.e., with
Excel's windows in front of any Netscape windows, Excel's menus in the
menubar, and Excel's icon in the Application Menu). To switch to Netscape, either:
Tip: If an application has no visible windows (either all of its windows are closed, or the application is hidden, or the frontmost application is hogging the entire screen), then you must use the Application Menu.
Why is the mouse not responding?If you move the mouse and the cursor (arrow) stays frozen on the screen,
then chances are that some wayward application has caused your computer
to crash. You will need to restart your computer. Tip: You should always save your work often: that way, if your computer does crash, you will not lose a great deal of effort. A good policy is to save your work every ten minutes, and whenever you leave the computer.
How do I restart my computer?If you have ascertained that your computer is completely unresponsive
-- and not just busy doing some time-consuming task -- then hold down
the ctrl,
How do I retrieve a disk?Either
Tip # 1: Never use the Eject command (E), under the Special menu - always
retrieve the diskette by the methods just outlined. While the Eject command
kicks a diskette out of the drive, the computer continues to remember
its presence, which can cause problems for other users. Ejecting is only
useful if you have to shuffle between two diskettes. Tip # 2: Dragging a file or folder to the Trash deletes the file or folder; dragging a floppy to the trash ejects it.
Why is the computer asking for a disk that I don't have? And what can I do about it?
The problem arises when a user does the following steps:
At some later point, the application that created the document needs
the disk back, and complains if it can't find it. The solution is to type
To single-click or double-click that is the question!Icons in the Finder need to be double clicked in order to open them.
This includes icons for applications, documents, printers, hard drives,
remotely mounted servers, etc. Single clicking on any of these objects
selects it, for some further operation. Buttons in dialog boxes, toolbars, etc., need to be single clicked.
How do I rename my diskette?
Can I store documents on the hard drive?This isn't recommended, for several reasons. First, you ought to keep your own work private, for obvious reasons. Secondly, the hard drives are wiped every morning, so saved documents will not last long. Your best bet is to either use diskettes, or to e-mail yourself a copy. Mathematics Majors who need more storage capacity should talk to the Mike Rogers, Math Departmement "computer guru" mprogers@math.ilstu.edu for more information.
How do I get help?Try asking the following people
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