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Mac Desktops & Notebooks Jump to new posts
Re: iMac thinks it is new machine Ira L 12/05/23 06:25 PM
Originally Posted by ryck
When I selected reinstall Ventura, I was presented with images of my Macintosh HD and my two backup disks but not Time Machine. An attempt to install on Macintosh HD got, you guessed it, "com.apple.Buildinfo.preflight.error error 21"

If I am understanding you correctly, at this point you should not be presented with your Time Machine drive. I think you are being asked where do you want to install Ventura, and your TM drive should not be an option. The fact that you selected your Macintosh HD and it was a no go (same error message as before) seems to indicate a hard drive problem. My suggestion would be along the lines of Artie's—try installing with an installer downloaded from the App Store. Failing that, and here is where it is very easy for me to suggest other people screw up their own setup wink , do an erase of your Mac HD via Command-R and reinstall the System from there too, then bring over all your stuff from your (very good) Time Machine backup. This last suggestion is also what Apple recommends as the last resort if the previous stuff (my link in the previous post) does not work.

Hmm, maybe your problem is really hardware related. Try running Apple's Diagnostic Tests and see if anything shows up.
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Lounge Jump to new posts
Re: Need Information? joemikeb 12/02/23 10:58 PM
Originally Posted by artie505
[I've got as much artificial intelligence as I care to deal with going on between my ears, thank you.
Then I have to ask the obvious questions, is what you have going on between your ears...
  1. artificial?
  2. intelligent?
  3. would your wife agree with your answers?
laugh
4 68 Read More
Mac Operating Systems Jump to new posts
Re: Ventura questions (easy) joemikeb 12/02/23 07:22 PM
Originally Posted by Bensheim
Why the heck do you destroy a (loyal) user's carefully organised folders when importing from a camera to a new iteration of the OS? Hmmmm? Eh? WHY?
How many OS versions did you skip? I don't recall the exact sequence of events and what OS versions were involved, but I recall at least a couple of times when upgrading the OS and the included iPhotos/Photos the newer version included converting the previous library to a new format. Skipping upgrades may have also skipped that step. No guarantees you understand, as I say I have slept once or twice and my memory is not that precise. Another reason to stay current.

Originally Posted by Bensheim
Moving on. Fairly interesting. Having imported all my own photos into "Photo", suddenly Screen Saver offers me more options! Now, instead of the bloody boring slabs of plain colour as a Screen Saver, it offered me the option to use my photo library. I previewed that............I don't think so. I don't want so many photos of my husband in hospital up there full screen, thanks.

Some more unbelievably patient experiments later, I found that SOME of the screensaver options DO work. Not all of them as suggested/offered/raises ones hopes. (So, again, Apple, why do that? WHY?) I've chosen the least repulsive other-option, which is "Drift". I really wanted "Classic", but that was not allowed. (rolls eyes)
I have a collection of images collected from a variety of sources including previous versions of macOS,stored in ~/Pictures/Desktop and switch them out periodically. There are several online resources such as 4kwallpapers and 512pixels. (I used to use Wallpapercave but my system currently blocks them because some of their images contained malware.) All of these images can be used either as Wallpaper for your desktop of screensaver images. In Sonoma the screensaver is essentially another instance of wallpaper.

NOTE: Screensavers were initially created to prevent images from burning in on older displays, leaving a permanent shadow of the desktop on the screen. The eye-candy was a means to the end. Display technology has changed dramatically and is effectively immune to "burn-in". Today's Screensaver is intended to protect the user's work from being seen by casual passers-by.

Originally Posted by Bensheim
The calculator app (which used to be a widget) is NOT intuitive. I had to ask Apple support forums how to make the darned thing work, but finally I get it.
I use Pcalc that appears as a widget in the menu bar, and can be configured to use RPN or regular notation, keep a running "tape" of work, and handle virtually any kind of math and can be tailored to your preference of style and work. It can even use Reverse-Polish Notation for those like me that started out with Hewlett Packard calculators.

Originally Posted by Bensheim
I really believe that developers live in their own little worlds, and over-think everything.
Yes, but because they are surrounded by others like themselves, it is almost impossible to believe anyone thinks differently. As my old Operations Research professor observed, "The intersection of those who can write good code and good English is infinitely small". My personal corollary to his statement is, "The functional half-life of a tech-writer is roughly one year. After that, they become so acculturated they begin to write like the engineers." The same is true of the developers, but it takes at least a couple of years to become a competent developer. Get the picture?
58 749 Read More
Mac Operating Systems Jump to new posts
Re: macOS 14.1.2 Update joemikeb 12/02/23 05:28 PM
Originally Posted by artie505
I never look at Apple's change logs, because they never delineate bug fixes, rather they deal only with security issues, and their explanations are, invariably, meaningless to me.
Users are not the target audience. The change logs are intended for OS and application developers, but occasionally, include items of general interest such as...
Originally Posted by macOS Sonoma 14.2 Beta 4 Release Notes
iMessage Contact Key Verification

New Features

With iMessage Contact Key Verification, users can choose to further verify that they are messaging only with the people they intend. iMessage Contact Key Verification uses Key Transparency to enable automatic verification that the iMessage key distribution service returns device keys that have been logged to a verifiable and auditable map. When a user enables the feature, they will be notified about any validation errors directly in the Messages conversation transcript and Apple ID Settings.

For even higher security, iMessage Contact Key Verification users can compare a contact verification code in person, on FaceTime, or through another secure call. They can also choose to create or edit a contact and save a public key to turn on iMessage Contact Key Verification with that person.

All devices signed into your iCloud account must be on the minimum supported version of iOS 17.2 Beta, macOS 14.2 Beta, or watchOS 10.2 Beta. If you wish to keep using other devices on older versions of the OS, you will need to sign out of iMessage on these devices in order to enable contact key verification. (111356044)

All of which is well and good, If I could only figure out how to get it working on my devices. Personally, I am not interested in esoteric changes in Swift or new properties in StoreKit (I didn't know there is a StoreKit framework), but for some application developers, that is crucial information that could save them weeks of work and, incidentally, improve system security.
4 51 Read More
Lounge Jump to new posts
Re: Ad astra: another passing. Gregg 12/02/23 02:23 PM
898 3,503,652 Read More
iTunes, iPhone, iPod, iPad, Apple TV Jump to new posts
Re: BAR CODE READER plantsower 12/01/23 04:05 PM
I have since downloaded a couple of specific store apps that contain barcode readers. I will try them when I go to the store next. I am pretty sure they will work like I want them to. Thanks, Joe.


Originally Posted by plantsower
I would like (free of course) a barcode reader app put on my iPhone. I've tried several this evening and all they do is read the bar code on the product I show it, and tell me what the product costs at several stores. That is NOT helpful.
The reason I want the bar code price reader is so I can know what the price is at the store I am at in case it's not labeled.

Any suggestions for that type of scanner? I know I don't need a QR code scanner because the iPhone does that automatically now. I am only interested in reading bar codes for specific store items. Maybe that's not possible?
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iTunes, iPhone, iPod, iPad, Apple TV Jump to new posts
Re: Can't use cell data on iPhone 7 plantsower 12/01/23 04:12 AM
Followup: I called Apple about this situation again. Come to find out I had downloaded something awhile back called unlockit. I forget why I needed it. The Apple guy saw it on my phone and asked what it was. It had something to do with APN settings. I told him there was no longer a website for it. He had me delete it and now my cell data works. He's the only one after hours on Apple and my cell carrier that discovered the culprit. Yay!
18 207 Read More
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