I still have corded mouse. When it dies, I'll go wireless.

This morning, never see this before --on dektop " There is not a wireless mouse connected".

So I had to go to the closet get the wireless magic to get rid of the sign. But corded now wont work. And corded is still good. So stumped, why is the computer forcing wireless bluetooth? Thanks.

Try going to System Preferences>Bluetooth, where all potential and existing devices are listed. If you select a device you don't want you can "x" it out. See if that removes the demand for a cordless mouse.

Just as a reference, I use a wired keyboard and mouse and a wireless trackpad. In my Bluetooth preferences both a wireless keyboard and mouse are listed and shown as "not connected". I don't get the message you got.

Thanks Ira. I did see one with my full name one mouse it that was not connected. Don't even remember that one.

The one connectrd now is generic magic mouse I use for emergencies.

I don't see anything else extraneious; so I still don't get this.

Ah... just unmounted a hard drive so I could test the corded mouse in back of the computer and ala, works. Puzzled. My hub is one of the best; expensive, robust; yet now seems to inhibit the mouse.

So think culprit now Hub.. works great until it does not.

Oddly, the hub outlet works fine with my external drives. And light up the corded mouse, but mouse then does not work.

But the mouse works plugged in to the back of the computer..

Based on a similar experience with an external drive try resetting the NVRAM and if that does not work reset the SMC (System Management Controller). If neither of those procedures works the most likely culprit would be your hub.

Thanks Joe/ Ira. Unplugging/ re-seting the hub, seemed to do the trick. Hub was culprit. Don't know why it went weird overnight. but ok now.

BTW, that external seems to be fine on the hub, I put Time Machine there temporarily. Any reason not to have it in the hub permanently? That would free up one USB space on back of computer for easy testing...

You may have answered your own question: if the hub goes weird on you, and you don't realize it, your Time Machine backups will be out of date.

Ok Ira, did not think of that...direct computer safer....Thanks.

Untrapped power surge or dropout is the most likely explanation. I have my hub plugged into an uninterruptible power supply for that very treason. On the other hand, It could have just been bad karma, (I recently re-learned the SMC reset trick because a port on my Mac mini quit working and it is on an that same uninterruptible power supply.)

Thanks Joe, I think it's plugged into a normal long 6ft. power strip with probably a surge in it.

That said the Hub company said to do a reset/ reboot of the hub every once in a while like you do with a computer.

What is the SMC trick? Never heard of it.

And the Malwarebytes, I may get premium. Have it saved you yet in any way? Do mac really need it like windows does? Ransomware or other attacks? Still may get on board with that...

You get what you pay for with surge protectors. As a rule of thumb any surge protector that costs less than $35 or $40 is probably worth less than $2.


That is a new one on me, but it makes sense in that hubs are electronic devices. I do know manufacturers recommend replacing surge protectors every three or four years because as the components wear they are slower and slower to respond to a power spike and therefore more and more likely to let a damaging surge through to your expensive computer, monitor, etc.


https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201295


Does the Mac need it like Windows does? In a word no, BUT there are more and more assaults targeting the Mac. MalwareBytes did deject a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Program) once but I don't remember what it was (I didn't want it and had no idea where it came from).

Thanks Joe, this is an expensive 6ft long power strip. I never knew one should replace these. So you think surge in there is no good? I assumed always good.. Can one test this? Do you have a recommended surge power strip or are they all about the same? I have them all through the house.. same ones for years....

My hub and a reset buttom, high end hub. Or unplug / replug that's what they suggest. Some of the indicator lights were on that should not have been. That solved it.. "rebooting" the hub.. again, most hubs don't have reset right?

MalwareBytes Premium: Someone tried to install software on your mac, this happens while you are online? Malwarebyes sees this in real time and can swat it away.. but not a real antiviues correct? Which is good as real antiviurs hogs the whole system... What would have happened without malware bytes? Did you have check logs or malwarebytes lets you know... maybe it would not have been a big deal.. these types of software always want to brag and let you know what they are doing? I imageine then you have to have computer on, can't sleep it at night too?

The major manufacturers of electronics grade surge protectors such as Belkin, APC, and Tripp-Lite have recommended replacement every three to five years. Of course they have a vested interest in wanting you to buy new surge protectors as well as limiting their risk from users collecting on their data loss insurance. I too have a lot of surge protectors around my house, but only the ones with computer equipment connected are electronics grade. There are a couple of household electronics (Television sets) grade and the bulk of them are most are for lack of a better term Junk grade. The difference is how big a spike they can filter and how quickly they can respond to a spike.


They are testable, but the testing equipment cost, would likely run into four figures. You have to balance the cost of the protected device with its sensitivity to power surges and the life-cycle cost of the connector cable. Personally I look at the junk grade surge protectors as convenient extension cords to connect multiple devices and don't worry about surge protection they offer — if any. Those I don't worry about replacing. The household electronics grade protectors get replaced every four or five years. My Electronics grade surge protectors are built into Uninteruptable Power Supplies which are too expensive to replace that often, but I do replace the batteries in them periodically.


The lights undoubtedly indicated a fault had occurred thus creating the need for a reset. Personally I have never encountered a hub with a reset.


Not someone per. se. but a web site installed the software. MalwareBytes detected it on its regularly scheduled scan and moved it to Quarantine and notified me so I could decide what to do with it. Whether you call it a real antivirus or not depends on your definition of a "real antivirus". (By-the-way the term anti-virus is antiquated and the prefer term these days in anti-malware.) Rather than constantly monitoring everything coming into the system, which inevitably hurts performance) it runs a system scan on a user chosen schedule of 1, 3, 6, 12, or 24 hours. I use 3 hours and have never detected any indication that a scan is running. On my Mac mini with a 3.2 GHz 6 core i7 processor 29,236 items are scanned in less than 13 seconds. And yes my computer does sleep at night.

Thanks Joe, great.

If computer sleeps at night, is malwarebytes is still running?

The software, how does it get on your computer? How does someone put that there, and would it eventually open ? I don't 'think I've had issue with this yet, but.... and would like to save $30 years or so and not have to buy premium but maybe.. as years go on; the world becomes more malevolent?

Wow I've never analyzed surge protectors. I just buy whatever and use them on power strips. So my computer probably does not even have an "electronic" grade, as I've never heard to term until today! But just buy a Belkin power strip or if you have an economical link to suggest on that?

I would never trust guidlines for replacement by companies who are replacing! (Sonicare used to say 1 year for brushheads, and now they change that to 6 months)

Depends on your definition of running. In my case MalwareBytes only "RUNS" (ie. conducts a scan) every 3 hours and if the computer is asleep there is no opportunity for it to be infected with malware, so why are you concerned about whether or not MalwareBytes is running?

The internet world IS MALEVOLENT. There are billions of dollars to be made with internet scams so many of the best and most highly paid software developers in the world are out to make money off of you through a rich variety of mechanisms some of which are even quasi-legal but all of which are extremely difficult or even impossible to prosecute. So your only real protection is prevention.

You pay for what you get and Belkin like APC and Tripp-Lite make a wide range of surge protectors so brand name is no guarantee. Some manufacturers have online buying guides to help you choose, for example Tripp-Lite surge protector buying guide. Additionally a search for "surge protector buying guide" will turn up a number of 10 best lists from a variety of sources. Typically you won't find much of a price spread on the better grade products so Amazon is as good a source as most, but watch model numbers carefully and be sure your get the brand and model you are looking for.

Yes and no, with high end products the manufacturers have a lot at stake, so they are careful to protect their reputation. By the way Sonicare now recommends replacing the brush heads every three months because the American Dental Association has established that as a standard for all brands.

"f the computer is asleep there is no opportunity for it to be infected with malware,"

Joe: that a great point, how could I not think of that! That's why you are here I suppose!

I'm so used to idea that when sleep computer, nothing get done, or can work; but this is one case where that is good: Malware.

Ok, researching the surge protectors; but would be nice to know if ones I have are doing fine.. oh well..

Do you trust that with Sonicare? I don't, I think the original 6 months was fine; but they will double sales in future right?

Final on Malewarebytes; Have I just been lucky for 20 years? I gave up on anti virus when I got a Mac and have no issues.. I don't think.. Sure the Imac firewall is not doing the job ok Joe? Just trying save another $30 a year bill or so; but I am open to going premium. You tend to have a bit more products than I do, but maybe I've just been lucky.. It ransomwear.and more... somehow they get into your computer while you are online even with Macs now?

Don't forget in System Preferences > Energy Saver IF "Wake for network access" is checked the system can be awakened by network access! 🤬


Don't put the blame for that on Sonicare. All tooth brush manufacturers, dental hygienists, and dentists have gone to a recommended 90 days as a result of research by the American Dental Association.


Some of the most egregious Malware is installed by the user being sucked (or suckered) in by very high grade social engineering and the Mac has no protection against that. Some ransomeware doesn't have to be installed on the computer, but will fool the user into believing their system is locked up runs in any browser on any computer. And there are exploits that specifically target Macs. Macs are a hard target but they are not invulnerable.

My router has builtin malware protection and I was looking at the report this morning and it is blocking to anywhere from five to ten suspicious sites a day. As far as I can tell, most are third party advertisers on legitimate web sites and from search engine links. That doesn't count the ones that get past the router and are blocked at the browser level by Wipr, or the dozens of cookies removed by Cookie every day. Not being protected Remi ds me of the story about the window washer who fell from the top of the Empire State Building. As he fell the people on the floors below heard him as he passed by to say, "So far so good, So far so good…"

JOe thanks.

I'm not a conspiracist -- and I loathe those types, but geez, why would American Dental Association, say go to three month, when 6 month for brushes was fine for years? (who knows... good lobbying? just guess)

What are examples of why you might want "Wake for network access". I cant think of any so good to ask.

You router has protection; and Malwarebytes is on top of that..? It still a flip of the coin, but info is good. thanks.

I am not a conspiracy theorist either. My take on shortening the lifespan of toothbrushes was new research or higher standards.


I often access the Mac mini I use as a server which sits in a cabinet with no monitor and no keyboard from my Desktop Mac mini and/or iPad Pro using my Local Area Network. I have also been known to access my Desktop Mac mini in Texas using an iPad Pro from remote locations such as Walt Disney World in Florida via the internet.


The router offers one kind of protection (it blocks access to sites known to be used by malefactors) Malwarebytes offers another kind of protection (it detects and quarantines any malware that may have been installed on my computer), Wipr works within Safari to block access to sites that may have gotten past the Router, Cookie protects my privacy by deleting tracking cookies installed by legitimate web sites. None of those duplicates any of the others instead each serves a unique purpose in a comprehensive protection scheme.

If I were truly paranoid and/or trafficking in sensitive data I would also use the TOR browser. or A VPN (Virtual Private Network) that hides any traces that could serve to identify me or my computer and uses onion routing to conceal my location anywhere in the world.

Thanks again Joe, my router, is provided by ATT. Do you think it's blocking like yours is?

Cookies do you use a plug in? I've used some ad blocking things and cookie things but gave up as too many sites I want go on make an issue of it.. I'm now on Chrome for last month. Started with Safari, went to Firefox for 15 years, and now am with Chrome.

I have no idea whether it is or not.

Starting with Safari 12 there are no plugins or extensions for Safari. Instead they have gone to using "applications" available through the App Store. For a few years now I have used Safari Technology Preview as my primary browser with occasional forays into TOR when extra security is wanted or Firefox if something weird is going on with a particular site.

Any opinion on Chrome. I think most stable now for general purpose searching?

Personally I try to avoid Google products as much as possible because they turn my private data and browsing history into a marketable product. As for "general purpose searching" I think the choice of search engine is more important than the browser. I used DuckDuckGo as my default search engine and if I am doing really serious searching I will use DEVONAgent Pro, a stand alone application that runs on my Mac.

You and me both on DuckDuckGo as the search engine. The only drawback is getting a bit tongue-tied when saying: "I'll have to DuckDuckGo that and see what it finds." Thanks for the tip on DEVONAgentPro.

After reading this, I downloaded the light version of DEVONagent. I found it interesting: I use Little Snitch and I was fully expecting to have to allow DEVONagent to do searches, especially when I clicked on "Check for updates", but it seems to be invisible to Little Snitch. Any ideas? Thanks.

I like how it does the searches from the menu bar and the choices it offers. Don't know if the paid versions would be of any more use to me.

Ha! I also use DuckDuckGo (a pain even to type) but get around your issue by just saying I'll google it, just like calling any photocopy a xerox or any tissue a kleenex.

I tried DuckDuckGo once or twice and didn't like the results it returned, so I regressed to Google, but I avoid the data collection issue by NEVER logging in.

And speaking of it, do you remember when the pull-off backing on a Band-Aid was entirely printed over with "BAND-AID IS A TRADEMARK?" It wasn't in your face, so I imagine that many people missed it.

Thanks guys/ Joe.

Is Duck using Google as engine? Duck is the browser right?

I have to check with the software guru I use for bookmarks. I use a software that sorts all bookmarks, chrome, safari, ff, so not sure duck is in that mix. Further, I'm logged into Google while doing all this, so they know every nefarious search and site I go to, probably forever? Orwellian right. That said right now, I'm choosing not to care or worry. but......

Artie, "but I avoid the data collection issue by NEVER logging in. grin"

I'm logged in because they it sync my bookmarks between desktop/ laptop. Critical-and iphone and ipad as well, all 4.

Can Duck do that? And Duck uses it's own engine? Which I'm sure not a good.. gotta give google credit, has best results. Though I agree, "don't be evil" even they decided to discard that motto.

I don't worry about bookmark syncing, because the only device I use for browsing/searching is my computer, but for your purposes, I wonder if one of the bookmark syncing apps I see listed on MacUpdate would do the same job Google is doing and enable you to get by without logging in (but I've got no idea if those apps can deal with DuckDuckGo).

And what about iCloud? Can it sync your bookmarks?

I think I read that DuckDuckGo uses Google as its search engine and modifies its results. The times I tried identical Google and DuckDuckGo searches my results were similar, but not identical, and in all instances I preferred Google's results.


In favor of Ellen's "Be nice," no doubt!

I admit that when I was pulling the backing off a Band-Aidâ„¢, I was usually in too much distress to read the bit I was discarding!

The paid version offers more options for refining the search and controlling the search depth. Its about like graduating from kids bike with training wheels to a full-blown mountain bike.

DuckDuckGo uses its own search engine and does not rank links based on what they are paid by the site or vendor, sell the search data to advertisers, or clutter the found links with paid advertising. And Google can identify your computer without your having to log on. The only way to prevent that is to use a secure browser such as TOR with security set to maximum (which makes many web sites unusable 😠).

I never log into Google or DuckDuckGo and all of my bookmarks, passwords, clipboard, etc are synched on my Macs, iPhone, & iPad through iCloud.

Joe, thanks, how can one sync or even have bookmarks that are not in the browser?

I think Google results will be more accurate? I remember competitors like Alta Vists, and even now Bing, and the results just suck, not accurate like Google for things...

A bookmark is nothing more than a URL. I have well over 100 bookmarks stored in a DEVONThink 3 database and I have recently discovered that I can drag and drop a URL anywhere in the system. The resulting file type is a "WEBLOC". Double click on a webloc and the url will open in the default browser. As weblocs are just a file they can be manipulated or stored just like any other file, but they are not hard linked to any particular browser. The bookmarks you see in Safari, Firefox, Chrome, etc. are simply a collection of weblocs stored in the browser for convenient access and can be synched via iCloud, or any other online service just like any other file.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I get the bests search results from DEVONAgent Pro that runs on my computer not in a browser and uses a variety of search engines some of which you probably have never heard of.

Thanks Joe, well that convenience right in there is pretty nice!

JOe, your opinion, this just came up. Don't know if you own a website, but I know you are very big on security.

I have a website for years, and it was hosted by private art companies, but I"ve been hosting it for 5-6 years now with Godaddy for convenience (I have a few domains registered for years with them), and also their decent US phone support. The previous companies I was with went out of business or got mediocre.

WithGodaddy everything is ala carte. I have not bought their add on security, but they sent an email couple days ago, they got hacked, so are giving me a free 1 year of their deluxe security which is normally $240 year and has firewall.

I didn't' even add on their basic security which is just $60 year and included scan and clean up if you get nailed. You can join that anytime if you get hacked.

One of their reps yesterday said he really recommends I renew this after the year is up, for that firewall alone, ,so you don't get nailed in the first place. Isn't that a bit crazy $240 a year for a firewall for the website? I mean the hosting alone is about that price $240 year. (not to mention now I'm paying for SSL which is another new security expense ($190 year) and backups $36 year)

I don't have a web site any more at least in part because the increasing cost for security services priced me out of the market. I checked several of the leading hosting companies in the past and found that while there might be significant differences in charges for specific services in the final analysis there was very little difference in total cost. But there were significant differences in customer ratings. GoDaddy's reputation places them among the best.

There are two kinds of companies with an on-line presence, those that have been hacked, and those who will be hacked. GoDaddy's offer of one year of deluxe security seems generous, but it is in line with offerings from other companies that have been hacked. The scan and cleanup for $60 is nice, but after the fact and after damage has already occurred potentially placing you at significant risk of financial loss and loss of reputation. In other words it is locking the barn door after the horses got out. What you want is PREVENTION, so the $260 security package may be worth the money. You just have to make an honest appraisal of what your risk exposure would be if one morning you woke up to find some or all of the images on your site have turned into explicit kiddy porn. ($260 might be 1% of what a decent defense attorney would cost.)

Joe, thanks, great post.. I know you are a better safe than sorry guy, so I appreciate the analysis.

For me it's just getting used to paying $250 for hosting PLUS these security add ons.. which doubles or triples the cost.

So this is all about progressive march towards mayhem in our sick world, ie, every 5 years hacking and security become more and more of issue/ Crazy.. So I've skated by for 20 years, lucky in that I'm fairly low profile, that said.. I'll probably be taking your advice on renewal!.

SSL you know much about? Their standard service is $60 year, but I paid triple that for the deluxe: I have a lot of mixed content..(normal html and wordpress)..Not sure I need to stay with deluxe once that sort that out.. but maybe I do..?

As I said I no longer have a web site because I could not justify the cost. It is also why more and more companies are hosting their sites on Facebook rather than having their own web site.


Watch any police procedural show and in almost every episode you will hear the phrase "follow the money". That is exactly what is happening on the internet and the bad guys are following the money. They aren't particularly interested in targeting the big guys. They go for volume. If they hit enough little guys they can easily make $billions and the little guys don't have the international clout necessary to get the multi-national cooperation necessary for successful prosecution of the criminals. So the bad guys send out bots to find vulnerable computers and sites with no regard for who they hit or how much money the targets or doesn't have. It is essentially a form of sales boiler room and like a boiler room they rely on a very small percentage of successful hits. It is extremely lucrative, the chances of being caught are minuscule, and the chances of actual criminal prosecution even more minuscule it is too attractive for any talented programmer with a larcenous streak to pass up.


SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is actually a deprecated term, the current name is TLS (Transport Layer Security) but the end result is the same. It encrypts communications between the website and the user/customer of that website (Ie. HTTPS]. If your site has a shopping cart or is receiving personal information, or possibly "chatting" via your site you owe it to the user to have TLS in place. If you do business in the EU via the site HTTPS is legally mandatory. If your site is strictly "read only" the only thing TLS buys you or your viewer is a warm fuzzy feeling that your site is secure.

Thanks Joe. Yes, I have the SSL, just saying, the Godaddy charges more for "managed care"; cost triple $180 year instead of $60 where they tweak all your pages, is mixed content... wordpress, or traditional html... I just wonder if ones needs to continue year after year with managed, once all set up? I would guess yes..?

ON Deluxe security, it's $180 more per year, mostly because of that firewall. Why so much more because of a firewall. Is a firewall that expensive to have every year? Would seem it's just a software and should be an extra $20 year not $180?

Also Malwarebytes for both desktop and laptop? I only use laptop for TV viewing and occasional business.... no externals hardrive or very important internal hardrive data on it... though it is tied to my icloud...

Does you page layout and content change or is it stable year after year (effective web sites do change and evolve regularly)? Your answer to my question should answer your question.


Without doing a thorough analysis of the services offered I can't explain the cost differential, but web hosting is a VERY competitive business and it is unlikely that any vendor is going to get too far out of line in pricing their services. They may package them differently and use different titles but the bottom line price for equivalent levels of service will almost always be in the same small ballpark.


MalwareBytes for iOS/iPadOS and Android is a very different animal from MalwareBytes for Mac or MalwareBytes for windows. On iOS/iPadOS. It provides Ad blocking. Text Message filtering, Call blocking, and Web protection.

Thanks Joe, ok even at $240.. I'll go ahead.. just don't get why firewall costs so much, but who knows.

And Malewarbytes, I'll put on my desktop.. My laptop not as important, no externals or valuable data anywhere, but would you still fork out $40 years for the laptop on Malewarbytes. ( my iphone and ipad, I wont worry about)

SSL, I'll make note, yes pages changes and get added. not sure dynamic and need managed for those have to ask Godaddy.