Kibbles & Bytes Blog

  • Not Quite as Quiet as We Thought

    Here’s an update to last weeks article on muting your system chime using a Terminal command. It turns out that these commands (as well as the one I’ll be giving you now) may not work on every computer. I’ve found that no matter what I do I can’t get any of them to work on my 2009 27″ iMac. They’ll also not work if you have speakers or headphones plugged into your Mac.

    It’s an interesting thing that from what I can tell has to do with differing firmware for each machine. The startup chime does serve a purpose beyond just making noise. This chime tells you that the computer found no hardware problems at start up.

    A fair number of people wrote in about just muting your system volume before you restart. This does work for most machines but the whole point of using the Terminal command was so you don’t have to remember to do that.

    Here’s an alternate way to mute your volume:

    Step 1: Open Terminal and type in nano. Then press enter. The nano editor will open.

    Step 2: Type the following lines into the nano editor:

    #!/bin/bash
    osascript -e ‘set volume with output muted’

    Step 3: Press control and O then type the following and press enter: ~/Documents/mute.sh

    Step 4: Change the script in the nano window to the following:

    #!/bin/bash
    osascript -e ‘set volume without output muted’

    Step 5: Press control and X, then press Y to agree and change the save name to and then press enter. Nano should quit: ~/Documents/unmute.sh

    Step 6: Run the following commands in Terminal. If it asks for your password give it.

    sudo chmod u+x ~/Documents/mute.sh
    sudo chmod u+x ~/Documents/unmute.sh
    sudo mv ~/Documents/mute.sh /Library/Scripts/
    sudo mv ~/Documents/unmute.sh /Library/Scripts/
    sudo defaults write com.apple.loginwindow LogoutHook /Library/Scripts/mute.sh
    sudo defaults write com.apple.loginwindow LoginHook /Library/Scripts/unmute.sh

    Step 7: Quit Terminal and reboot your machine.

    This may or may not do it depending on your computer. There is a free application you can get called StartNinja (http://www.allvu.com/index.php/sndownloadpage.html) that will do much the same thing, without all the Terminal fun. The app doesn’t work on all machines, so those of us with iMacs may be out of luck.

  • Quick Problematic Data Removal Workaround

    One of the services we offer is data backups and recovery on machines checked into service. Customer data is backed up to our servers in a variety of ways, depending on the state of the hard drive and if necessary, restored to customer machines before pickup time. After a few days to allow for customers to confirm the data, the backups are deleted from our server.

    We sometimes experience permission-related conflicts when attempting to remove those old backups from our server. Data retrieved from failing hard drives can have corrupted permissions and cannot be removed by simply emptying the trash as usual. Normally I would use the “sudo rm -rf” command in terminal, and drag in the corrupted files/folders into the terminal window for deletion.

    I wanted to speed this process up a bit, as I was doing a lot of data backups in this way, and it was proving to be slightly more time consuming than it needed to be. I knew Automator would be able to help me out, so I decided to create a very simple workflow that would allow me to simply double-click to execute the necessary command.

    I opened up Automator, and selected New > Application. On the sidebar, I selected Utilities, and dragged “Run Shell Script” onto the workspace on the right. The command I then inputted is “sudo rm -rf ~/.Trash/*”. This command, when executed, is simply telling your computer to empty whatever’s in the trash, whilst bypassing any permissions tied to those files. The last step is to save the workflow as an application to the desired location on your computer. I also swapped in the stock Apple Trash icon for quick visual identification.

  • Backing Up Boot Camp

    Backing up your data is a critical aspect of computing. A few years ago, Apple started taking steps to make it easier for people to do this with their Time Machine software. In conjunction with an external hard drive, Time Machine will make a complete backup of your computer and continuously update it so in the event of a crash, Time Machine has a very recent backup to help you restore your data. It works well and is simple, but it doesn’t do everything.

    One of the things it does not do is back up Boot Camp Windows partitions. This can be problematic for those of us who spend lots of time setting up and using our Boot Camp partitions — we don’t want to lose them any more than we want to lose our Mac partitions. There are some spendy Windows backup options out there, but we have always used Winclone, a free application that backs up Windows machines.

    Freeware can be great — the Mac backup software “*SuperDuper*”:http://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDuper/SuperDuperDescription.html and “*Carbon Copy Cloner*”:http://www.bombich.com are fantastic tools we use all the time. There are usually compromises, though. In the case of Winclone, the drawback has been that the backups could not be used to restore a Windows partition. All the data would be saved, but it would have to be manually restored after Windows was installed, which can be a daunting task.

    The new version of Winclone, though has resolved this issue. It’s a great way to be able to backup and restore your Windows side as well as your Mac side. You can save the backup as a disk image to your Time Machine drive so it is in the same place as your Mac backup, or if it is small enough, you could even put the image on your Mac side, where it will be preserved in Time Machine with your Mac backup.

    Please note: this only applies to people using Boot Camp. People who use Parallels and other programs that create virtual machines do not have to do anything extra to back up their Windows data, since virtual machines are treated like any other file by Time Machine.

  • Hello all,

    Financial cliff or not, I am planning to relax a bit this week. I will also reflect in my standard happy, yet morose, holiday way about how modern communication separates people as much as it unites them. We never seem to talk to each other, despite having at least a half-dozen ways of doing so basically instantaneously and so on…ad nauseam.

    It’s a good, comfortable soapbox that I enjoy standing on, and likely won’t be bored with for several years. I am also lucky enough to be spending some time with the aforementioned family celebrating the upcoming uniquely American holiday of Thanksgiving. Hopefully this week brings you some good times as well. Best wishes to you all.

    Liam
    liam@smalldog.com

  • Description Looking to protect your new iPad mini? Are you having a hard time finding cases? Well search no further. We have just…

  • I am taking Grace and two of my grandkids, Gracie and Boka, down to a Boston Celtics game on Saturday. That should be a blast!

    Thanks for reading this issue of Kibbles & Bytes!

    Your Kibbles & Bytes Team,
    _Don, Kali, Stephanie & Mike_

  • #802 SPECIAL: Turkey Challenge

    In honor of Kibbles & Bytes’ 802nd issue (nice eye, Mike!), we thought we’d include a special nod to Vermont. This week, we were proud to be a part of the Turkey Challenge, which is an effort spearheaded by our partners (and local PR firm) PMG.

    Yesterday, our very own Small Dogger Kerry Westhelle and former Hammerheader (and wife of Don) Grace Mayer went to the Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf along with six other businesses to show support for and deliver a donation to those in need this Thanksgiving. Each business pledged $500, which buys 50 turkeys.

    “*Read more here.*”:http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/videonetwork/1972112686001?odyssey=mod|tvideo2|article

    If you’d like to participate, we challenge you to make a donation here:
    “*Donate to the Turkey Challenge now!*”:https://npo.networkforgood.org/Donate/Donate.aspx?npoSubscriptionId=6873

    They are dramatically short on turkeys this year (in part due to Hurricane Sandy), so any amount is appreciated!

    Also, as a reminder, we match your donations to the charities featured on our website (up to $200), so if you’d like to make a donation to the *VT Foodbank,* “*click here.*”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/42766/donation-to-vermont-foodbank

    Thank you!

  • Black Friday & Holiday Preview

    We’ve been -mad- busy these last several weeks, planning all of the specials and promotions that we’ll be able to offer you over the holiday season. The stores-that-are-large-in-size-and-shall-not-be-named have now already previewed some of their sales, so we thought we’d do the same. This is just a partial preview, as many, many more specials will be announced and added next Friday and beyond.

    *Valid Friday, 11/23 ONLY:*

    * $20 instant rebate on “*Adobe Lightroom*”:http://www.smalldog.com/search?search=lightroom&page=1&refinecat=Software
    * $40 instant rebate on “*Photoshop Elements*”:http://www.smalldog.com/search?search=photoshop+elements

    *Valid Friday, 11/23 – Monday, 11/26 ONLY:*

    * 10% off “*Beats by Dr. Dre*”:http://www.smalldog.com/search?search=beats+by+dr.+dre __(any model!)__
    * $25 off “*Chill Pill mobile speakers*”:http://www.smalldog.com/search?search=chill+pill+mobile+speakers __(any color; excludes Bluetooth)__
    * $30 instant rebate on “*Photoshop Elements*”:http://www.smalldog.com/search?search=photoshop+elements __(valid 11/24 – 11/26)__

    We will be offering ongoing “*Mac*”:http://www.smalldog.com/Macs bundles, so be sure to check Kibbles & Bytes next Friday, where we’ll have a full list of what’s on sale with links to our holiday page.

    We hope you join us, either in-store or online, and take advantage of some of these fabulous savings!

  • MAC TREAT #193: Resetting Your Keychain

    My last article about resetting the password on your Mac generated a lot of interest from our readers. Some good, some bad, but a couple had interesting points to bring up that I felt needed to be talked about more.

    One reader’s comments informed me that if you change your password, it does not change the password to your keychain. This is both a good and a bad thing. It is good because if your machine is stolen and the thief uses the method I described for resetting the password, they do not have access to all of the passwords you might have saved on your machine. On the flip side it is bad because you can never get those passwords back, so you better hope you remember them all or else you are up the creek, so to speak.

    If you do end up resetting the password on your Mac, you have two options moving forward:

    The first option is to enter the old password every time your computer needs to access keychain. This is fine if you remember the old password, but if you reset your password because you forgot it, this avenue is somewhat moot.

    The second option is to reset Keychain. This will clear all of the data from keychain so that you can begin rebuilding your keychain library. This is a definitive ending to your old keychain and once it is cleared, there will be no going back. Since I am not a fan of that type of solution, I recommend copying your Keychain folder to a backup drive in case the day ever comes that your remember your old password before deleting Keychain.

    To elaborate on the second option of deleting your old keychain, I have outlined the process for that in just a few easy steps.

    Caution – Deleting a keychain also deletes all the password data saved in that keychain.

    1. In Keychain Access, choose Preferences from the Keychain Access menu.
    2. If available, click the Reset My Default Keychain button. This will remove the login keychain and create a new one with the password provided.
    3. If Reset My Default Keychain is not available, choose Keychain List from the Edit menu.
    4. Delete the “login” keychain.

    The next time you log in to the account, you can save your current password in a keychain. That should just about do it for deleting and recreating your Keychain. I hope this helps anyone out there who finds themselves stuck in a pickle like this. I would love to hear any and all feedback about this tip, so please don’t hesitate to send your questions or comments my way.

  • Protecting Your Mac – A Follow Up To Mac Treat #192

    Last week, I wrote an article detailing how you can reset the password on your Mac running “*OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion.*”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=https%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Fos-x-mountain-lion%2Fid537386512%3Fmt%3D12%26uo%3D4%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30

    Now, I have to say that I wrote this article with all good intentions to help those readers out there that may have encountered the issue of forgetting their password. However, it was brought to my attention from one of our subscribers that the information I gave could be used with malicious intent to gain access to a stolen machine. I am glad I had someone play devil’s advocate because it has given me the opportunity to research how Apple has given its users tools to keep their Macs safe.

    The thing about resetting a password on a Mac is that there have been methods of doing it for some time now, but not until recently has there been a means to keep intruders out. I will say that the measures I will talk about are mild to extreme and are best suited if you are no longer in possession of your machine. If your plan is to keep others out of your computer while it is at home, I would suggest a better home security system or armed guards. I haven’t exactly found a good way to keep people out if say, Sarah Connor is breaking into your home to find detailed files about Skynet on your personal computer, but that’s just fiction…right?

    So what has Apple done to help their customers? Well, Apple introduced this new program called iCould. You may have heard about it being referred to as a means to back up your mobile device or use it as an email provider but Apple has added more features than just that. Apple has implemented a system that allows you to find, lock and even erase data on your registered devices. They key word here is “registered.” If you haven’t logged into iCloud with the same Apple ID account on each device, then you will not have access to these features.

    *Find your device:* As I mentioned before, these tools are best suited for lost devices. The first feature is rather obvious regarding why it would be beneficial for a lost device. If you can’t find it, just log into “*iCloud.com*”:https://www.icloud.com and sign in using your Apple ID. After that select the icon labeled “Find My iPhone.” I know that could be misleading if you are looking for your computer or iPad, but that’s what it is for now. This will bring up a new screen that may require you to log in again. If it does, then enter your password again and a map should appear.

    In the top left corner there is a button labeled “Devices.” Click that button and a menu will drop down allowing you to select from a list of your registered devices. Select the lost device and the map will show you the location of that device. Unfortunately, if the device is powered down you will not be able to locate the device and the locking or erasing features will not be immediate. However, if you attempt to lock or erase a device that is shut down, the device will have the security features activated immediately once the device is powered up. From here, you have access to the next two features I mentioned before.

    *Lock your device:* This is done simply by clicking the lock button in the window located in the top right of the page with the map and locations of your device. After that, you simply follow the instructions and keep in mind the passcode you create is a firmware passcode that is only removable by Apple — so don’t forget this one. If it asks for a phone number, you can give one if you think that you lost the machine and a good samaritan will return it to you (otherwise it is probably not necessary). You might also be given the option to enter a message to your machine’s kidnapper to let them know who they’re dealing with.

    *Erase your device:* This is an extreme measure, but if you know that your device is not coming back and you have sensitive information on it, this will erase the data from your hard drive. Similar to the steps taken to lock the device would simply click on the “Erase” button and follow the onscreen instructions. This should erase the OS partition of your computers hard drive and leave the recovery partition intact if you are erasing a computer otherwise it will simply format the device if it is an iPod touch, iPhone or iPad.

    Now I know that these are not perfect solutions, but I feel like they are a step in the right direction for protecting your device’s data from the villains of the world. With these tools given to you by Apple, I hope that you can rest a little bit easier knowing you CAN do something if you ever lose your device.

    If you have any further questions or concerns, I would love to hear them, but you can also visit Apple’s support page to read further about iCloud’s security features.

    “*iCloud: Lock and track your device*”:http://support.apple.com/kb/PH2700
    “*iCloud: Erase your device remotely*”:http://support.apple.com/kb/PH2701