Which size hard drive should I buy?
13/08/25 Filed in: Hardware | Buying advice
I'm debating between a 256 and a 512 gig hard drive for my next Mac. Which one should I buy?
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Always go with the larger size. But it really more depends on how much data you already have. As you saw on my website link earlier, that shows you things to consider. But overall, no way I’d buy a 256 gig hard drive these days. Apple shouldn’t even sell that spec. 512 gigs is barely enough for some people. But if this is a person’s first “college” computer then it’s usually fine.
I've written about how to consider space when buying a new computer here.
___________
Always go with the larger size. But it really more depends on how much data you already have. As you saw on my website link earlier, that shows you things to consider. But overall, no way I’d buy a 256 gig hard drive these days. Apple shouldn’t even sell that spec. 512 gigs is barely enough for some people. But if this is a person’s first “college” computer then it’s usually fine.
I've written about how to consider space when buying a new computer here.
Time Machine encryption warning
12/08/25 Filed in: time machine | encryption
Overnight install of new OS I received a notification that: “Time Machine is backing up an encrypted disk to an unencrypted disk.” I'm guessing the update included some kind of newer encryption?
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That Time Machine message is nothing to be concerned about. The reason you are seeing that is because of the two drives involved in your data ecosystem, one being the internal drive and the other being the backup drive, one of them is using encryption and the other is not. You then see a message saying what you described. A couple of things to do…
1. Turn off encryption on one or both drives.
2. Turn on encryption on one or both drives.
3. Leave it the way it is and ignore the message.
This is really only something to be concerned with if there was a theft of one or either of the drives. If I stole your backup drive for instance, and it weren’t encrypted, I could see all the data that’s on it once I brought it back to my lair.
It’s a pretty simple fix but if you’d like to just ignore it that's also totally fine. Either way.
___________
That Time Machine message is nothing to be concerned about. The reason you are seeing that is because of the two drives involved in your data ecosystem, one being the internal drive and the other being the backup drive, one of them is using encryption and the other is not. You then see a message saying what you described. A couple of things to do…
1. Turn off encryption on one or both drives.
2. Turn on encryption on one or both drives.
3. Leave it the way it is and ignore the message.
This is really only something to be concerned with if there was a theft of one or either of the drives. If I stole your backup drive for instance, and it weren’t encrypted, I could see all the data that’s on it once I brought it back to my lair.
It’s a pretty simple fix but if you’d like to just ignore it that's also totally fine. Either way.
Is this still how to wipe a computer?
13/07/25 Filed in: erasing
found this on your website... is this how I wipe iMac to recycle?
And will this work for wiping SSDs?
https://support.apple.com/guide/disk-utility/erase-and-reformat-a-storage-device-dskutl14079/mac
___________\
Yes. That process will work. However, sometimes iMacs have a hard time booting into a key triggered mode if the keyboard is bluetooth. I’ve found that the bluetooth sequence won’t always find the keystroke before the entire startup process engages which means you either have to try a few times or plug in a wire to make it happen.
Regarding the second question, disk utility is great. Think of wiping a drive in two ways. Just erasing the drive is fine for about 95% of the population. Erasing a drive just means the file map has been deleted and the computer can no longer find any information on the drive. It’s still there, you just can’t get to it. Much like If a pirate lost the map to the buried treasure. The map is gone but the gold is still out there. Just no one can ever find it.
The other way, which takes a lot longer, is to zero out the drive. That is writing 0s and 1s on top of the entire drive. You can do this in one pass or several passes. This is unnecessary unless you are trying to assure there is no sensitive data still on the drive when giving the drive to someone else who’s planning on going looking for it.
And will this work for wiping SSDs?
https://support.apple.com/guide/disk-utility/erase-and-reformat-a-storage-device-dskutl14079/mac
___________\
Yes. That process will work. However, sometimes iMacs have a hard time booting into a key triggered mode if the keyboard is bluetooth. I’ve found that the bluetooth sequence won’t always find the keystroke before the entire startup process engages which means you either have to try a few times or plug in a wire to make it happen.
Regarding the second question, disk utility is great. Think of wiping a drive in two ways. Just erasing the drive is fine for about 95% of the population. Erasing a drive just means the file map has been deleted and the computer can no longer find any information on the drive. It’s still there, you just can’t get to it. Much like If a pirate lost the map to the buried treasure. The map is gone but the gold is still out there. Just no one can ever find it.
The other way, which takes a lot longer, is to zero out the drive. That is writing 0s and 1s on top of the entire drive. You can do this in one pass or several passes. This is unnecessary unless you are trying to assure there is no sensitive data still on the drive when giving the drive to someone else who’s planning on going looking for it.
What platform to start my growing business?
27/06/25 Filed in: Business
I am wondering what is the best cloud storage for moving forward with my businessInitiative (non-profit) that will develop into an organization and have employees. I will have 2 independent contractors, a few volunteers to start with now. Eventually, emails and website and etc - so is that something you can point me to now so I can start creating workbook material and documents, etc??
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Great question. There are several ways to go about this of course. Each offers pros and cons. Big picture options:
Dropbox for simple file sharing, collaboration
Google Admin/Workspace for a more encompassing approach including file share, multiple emails, space allocation,
Exchange business plan through a third party reseller such as godaddy that would include domain name, web space, email hosting, etc…
You’ll probably end up with a combination of services. Just depends on where you want to start and how much you want to grow.
Laptop won't power on
26/06/25 Filed in: general troubleshooting
My laptop just has a black screen and won't turn on.
___________
1. (Obviously) Try charging it for a few hours.
2. Check the caps lock key to see if it is actually on but the screen is off. If you see the caps lock light, then the computer is powered up but the screen is dimmed.
3. Hold down the power button for about 10 seconds then release. Then try to power on as usual.
4. Reseting the SMC chip depends on the year and model. Most of the time you can do this by holding down shift+command+option on the left side and power button on the right. Usually only takes about 3 seconds of hold down. Sometimes that will trigger the computer to come back on.
___________
1. (Obviously) Try charging it for a few hours.
2. Check the caps lock key to see if it is actually on but the screen is off. If you see the caps lock light, then the computer is powered up but the screen is dimmed.
3. Hold down the power button for about 10 seconds then release. Then try to power on as usual.
4. Reseting the SMC chip depends on the year and model. Most of the time you can do this by holding down shift+command+option on the left side and power button on the right. Usually only takes about 3 seconds of hold down. Sometimes that will trigger the computer to come back on.
Where are my playlists after restoring my phone from my computer?
I restored my broken phone using a computer but none of my playlists came back. Where are my playlists?
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___________
The backup was a clone of whatever was physically on the phone. There are two places music can live: physically on the phone which would have required you to download each song at some point either directly from the phone or transferred from iTunes (now called Music) from a computer. OR to keep all your music in the cloud. So two things to consider. Was the music originally transferred from a computer? If so, that music would still be on the original computer OR were you paying for Apple Music in which case the music, along with playlists, would still be in the cloud. Also, any previously purchased music will always be available to be redownloaded for the rest of your life. If the music was not download but instead, imported from CDs then that would have required a computer. Therefore you could return to the original computer and re-sync the music.
How do I stop getting asked to save passwords?
How do I get Safari to stop asking me to save my passwords?
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To prevent Safari from asking if you’d like to save passwords is to disable iCloud Keychain go to System settings: click the name in the top left corner: iCloud: Passwords: turn off “Sync this Mac”
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To prevent Safari from asking if you’d like to save passwords is to disable iCloud Keychain go to System settings: click the name in the top left corner: iCloud: Passwords: turn off “Sync this Mac”
If it seems fishy, IT IS!
28/05/25 Filed in: scams
Several years ago I sent this exact email out to everyone. Unfortunately…I continue to work with people weekly who are falling victim to scams they accidentally come across on the internet. So let’s take a second to review the topic of being scammed.
There are many fake ads out there that appear to be very convincing. These will often tell you something is wrong with your account or a package couldn’t be delivered and that you should call them. Or they might tell you that your credit cards have been compromised and the only way to restore your security is to interact with them. None of this is real. You may be saying to yourself, “I never fall for that stuff. Who would be such a sucker?” But more and more I work with clients I consider highly intelligent who fall victim to these strategies. There are many reasons that could result in a lapse in judgement. The main reason I’ve found is panic. It’s easy to become flustered or overwhelmed in the moment if you think something may have happened to your accounts. These scammers use that sense of panic and confusion to get you to make bad decisions. Several times I’ve seen clients pay these scammers with gift cards or check routing numbers. Victims will allow the scammer to remote in to their computer and cause more havoc. 9/10 times these scams only occur because the victim unknowingly participates in it. The whole goal for the scammer is to convince you that something terrible has happened and only they can help you to fix it. It is always a lie. For example, If you see something like this pop up…
DO NOT call them. If you do, they will try very effectively to convince you they are someone they are not. They will convince you to give them financial or other information about yourself. I see people do this every day. I can’t say it loudly enough. This is a lie.
What should I do?
All you are looking at when you see a page like the one above is an ad. Just hit the escape key. It’s only a webpage and the page has gone into full screen mode. You may hear a scary voice coming from your computer. It’s just a recording on that webpage. If you just hit the escape key you can then close the window and continue with your day. You can also move the mouse to the top of the screen to reveal the green, yellow and red window buttons in the top left and just hit the red button to close the window. It is only an ad. Do not call them.
And most importantly:
In closing, if you feel you may have installed any malicious software accidentally or would just like a security checkup with all your devices, you can schedule a session directly on my website at www.sellsconsulting.com. I am available remotely seven days a week and in person on a more limited basis. Feel free to forward this information to anyone you feel may benefit. You can also visit the answers section on my site for even more ways to improve your approach to security.
Click safely,
Scotty
There are many fake ads out there that appear to be very convincing. These will often tell you something is wrong with your account or a package couldn’t be delivered and that you should call them. Or they might tell you that your credit cards have been compromised and the only way to restore your security is to interact with them. None of this is real. You may be saying to yourself, “I never fall for that stuff. Who would be such a sucker?” But more and more I work with clients I consider highly intelligent who fall victim to these strategies. There are many reasons that could result in a lapse in judgement. The main reason I’ve found is panic. It’s easy to become flustered or overwhelmed in the moment if you think something may have happened to your accounts. These scammers use that sense of panic and confusion to get you to make bad decisions. Several times I’ve seen clients pay these scammers with gift cards or check routing numbers. Victims will allow the scammer to remote in to their computer and cause more havoc. 9/10 times these scams only occur because the victim unknowingly participates in it. The whole goal for the scammer is to convince you that something terrible has happened and only they can help you to fix it. It is always a lie. For example, If you see something like this pop up…
DO NOT call them. If you do, they will try very effectively to convince you they are someone they are not. They will convince you to give them financial or other information about yourself. I see people do this every day. I can’t say it loudly enough. This is a lie.
What should I do?
All you are looking at when you see a page like the one above is an ad. Just hit the escape key. It’s only a webpage and the page has gone into full screen mode. You may hear a scary voice coming from your computer. It’s just a recording on that webpage. If you just hit the escape key you can then close the window and continue with your day. You can also move the mouse to the top of the screen to reveal the green, yellow and red window buttons in the top left and just hit the red button to close the window. It is only an ad. Do not call them.
Here are a few general rules to follow:
- Do not enter your admin password unless you have a good reason to do so.
- Do not allow someone you don’t know to remote in to your computer.
- No legitimate company allows payment of any kind via gift cards.
- Use strong passwords, not a word that can be found in the dictionary followed by numbers and a special character. If your password is Tarheels97! or Rolltide73$, you don’t have a password.
- Do not use non password protected wifi networks.
- Monitor your bank accounts and account for every small charge you see monthly. A dumb thief will try to steal a large amount all at one time but a smart thief will steal a small amount from lots of people hoping no one will notice.
And most importantly:
- Do not call a number you see on a webpage that is warning you that something bad has happened to your computer or accounts. If you are concerned, call your bank directly.
In closing, if you feel you may have installed any malicious software accidentally or would just like a security checkup with all your devices, you can schedule a session directly on my website at www.sellsconsulting.com. I am available remotely seven days a week and in person on a more limited basis. Feel free to forward this information to anyone you feel may benefit. You can also visit the answers section on my site for even more ways to improve your approach to security.
Click safely,
Scotty
How can I get the data off of this dead phone?
27/05/25 Filed in: iphone | data transfer
My daughter's iPhone “died”. Thinking it was the battery, somehow they got it back but it went out again-screen stays black. On April 7 backed up the phone on my computer. For some reason it has not backed up on iCloud.
Went to the Genius Bar in SouthPark. They said no ICloud back up since 2018. Some kind of error message on phone but no other reason it could not be restored. Could not retrieve any data after April 7. Recommended a data retrieval company Drive Savers as she has lots of baby pictures and other info which she uses constantly. They could then wipe out the phone and reinstall everything and the phone should function.
Whether she keeps the same phone or gets a new one she’d like to have the data since April 7.
___________
This is an interesting problem as it’s extremely odd for the phone to have not been set to backup to the cloud. An iPhone can back up two ways, through the cloud or directly to a computer. But it cannot do both at the same time. There is a possibility that she has been connecting it to a computer in which case the computer would have the backup.
The other possibility is that it was set to back up to the cloud but that backup had failed. Although I’ve never seen this.
I personally do not do data retrieval from iPhones that don’t power on. However, based on your description there’s seems to be something we’re missing here. Or I don’t have all the information. That said, I’m happy to look at the issue to see if there is anything we could do to cover the data before moving to a much more expensive process like data recovery. That process is not cheap as they know people who are in need of their services are usually willing to pay high rates out of desperation.
This is something we could explore remotely and my earliest availability is today if you’d like. You can schedule a remote session online using the link below if you’d like. If the phone does power up but no screen then we may be able to make a backup of it using a computer then the rest would be much easier.
We have several options of how to proceed through the issue.
Went to the Genius Bar in SouthPark. They said no ICloud back up since 2018. Some kind of error message on phone but no other reason it could not be restored. Could not retrieve any data after April 7. Recommended a data retrieval company Drive Savers as she has lots of baby pictures and other info which she uses constantly. They could then wipe out the phone and reinstall everything and the phone should function.
Whether she keeps the same phone or gets a new one she’d like to have the data since April 7.
___________
This is an interesting problem as it’s extremely odd for the phone to have not been set to backup to the cloud. An iPhone can back up two ways, through the cloud or directly to a computer. But it cannot do both at the same time. There is a possibility that she has been connecting it to a computer in which case the computer would have the backup.
The other possibility is that it was set to back up to the cloud but that backup had failed. Although I’ve never seen this.
I personally do not do data retrieval from iPhones that don’t power on. However, based on your description there’s seems to be something we’re missing here. Or I don’t have all the information. That said, I’m happy to look at the issue to see if there is anything we could do to cover the data before moving to a much more expensive process like data recovery. That process is not cheap as they know people who are in need of their services are usually willing to pay high rates out of desperation.
This is something we could explore remotely and my earliest availability is today if you’d like. You can schedule a remote session online using the link below if you’d like. If the phone does power up but no screen then we may be able to make a backup of it using a computer then the rest would be much easier.
We have several options of how to proceed through the issue.
Where can I get rid of old hard drives?
27/05/25 Filed in: security
Do you have any suggestions about where/how to destroy old hard drives, iPads and more?
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There are two responsible recycle centers in Charlotte. Foxhole down below Ballantyne and Hickory Grove on Pence road in east Charlotte. Hard drives are very easily destroyed just by hammering them a few times. iPad, I would not recommend doing that as they contain batteries that have chemicals. Instead, the safe way to dispose of the data is to either boot the device up and sign out of your iCloud account from the device itself, or if it doesn’t boot, you can go into the FindMy app on another device logged into the same account and remove or remote wipe the device if it is still listed.
Side note: This is also why it’s a good idea to name each device you get a different name. So many people have iPhone, iPhone (4), iPhone (52) and they have no idea which is which. To give current devices a unique name, you can go to Settings: General: About and rename it. This will help differentiate devices in the future.
___________
There are two responsible recycle centers in Charlotte. Foxhole down below Ballantyne and Hickory Grove on Pence road in east Charlotte. Hard drives are very easily destroyed just by hammering them a few times. iPad, I would not recommend doing that as they contain batteries that have chemicals. Instead, the safe way to dispose of the data is to either boot the device up and sign out of your iCloud account from the device itself, or if it doesn’t boot, you can go into the FindMy app on another device logged into the same account and remove or remote wipe the device if it is still listed.
Side note: This is also why it’s a good idea to name each device you get a different name. So many people have iPhone, iPhone (4), iPhone (52) and they have no idea which is which. To give current devices a unique name, you can go to Settings: General: About and rename it. This will help differentiate devices in the future.
You get what you pay for.
15/05/25 Filed in: gmail
I have an entire mailbox that has gone missing from my Gmail - it’s just not there anymore. It is a wedding file, and I had a lot of emails in there.
Any ideas?
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First place I go is to the actual website www.gmail.com. If it is not there either then next question is do you have a Google Workspace account. It’a a paid tier of gmail. If so, that type of account allows you to recover deleted email for a period of time. You won’t have any luck with actual assistance from Google. Only tech articles.
If neither of those works, then the hail marry is a Time Machine backup. But even Time Machine doesn’t backup what only resides in the cloud such as email. Happy to try to assist if needed but I’ve run into this issue several times and it generally doesn’t end well. Gmail is known to just lose email.
Any ideas?
___________
First place I go is to the actual website www.gmail.com. If it is not there either then next question is do you have a Google Workspace account. It’a a paid tier of gmail. If so, that type of account allows you to recover deleted email for a period of time. You won’t have any luck with actual assistance from Google. Only tech articles.
If neither of those works, then the hail marry is a Time Machine backup. But even Time Machine doesn’t backup what only resides in the cloud such as email. Happy to try to assist if needed but I’ve run into this issue several times and it generally doesn’t end well. Gmail is known to just lose email.
Do I need godaddy email security?
24/04/25 Filed in: godaddy
Do I need GoDaddy email security?
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No. You do not need godaddy email security. It is an upsell they are pushing and they’re getting more and more annoying with it these days. Which is unfortunate because I’ve always been very big on Godaddy. But lately they try to sell you magic beans on the way out the door.
___________
No. You do not need godaddy email security. It is an upsell they are pushing and they’re getting more and more annoying with it these days. Which is unfortunate because I’ve always been very big on Godaddy. But lately they try to sell you magic beans on the way out the door.
Creedence disk is mounting on my desktop
24/04/25 Filed in: MacOS | general troubleshooting
This is a weird plug in thing that shows up on my iMac.
They are part of the operating system and being triggered to appear because you most likely have an older piece of software that is conflicting with the OS. For instance, if you had an intel version of some Garmin navigation software that had been discontinued but you were on an M Apple silicon processor. Just as example. Pulling up Activity monitor when this happens could possibly reveal the software that is to blame. It's not harmful at all. Just an annoyance. Hopefully Apple will resolve it in an upcoming Sequoia update. You should be able to right click and eject it.
If you'd like to dig further, the legacy software may be listed in login items within system settings or a launch folder. Often there are plist files that reside in one of a few folders that trigger software to run in the background and it is likely the culprit is listed there, launching and then causing the issue.
They are part of the operating system and being triggered to appear because you most likely have an older piece of software that is conflicting with the OS. For instance, if you had an intel version of some Garmin navigation software that had been discontinued but you were on an M Apple silicon processor. Just as example. Pulling up Activity monitor when this happens could possibly reveal the software that is to blame. It's not harmful at all. Just an annoyance. Hopefully Apple will resolve it in an upcoming Sequoia update. You should be able to right click and eject it.
If you'd like to dig further, the legacy software may be listed in login items within system settings or a launch folder. Often there are plist files that reside in one of a few folders that trigger software to run in the background and it is likely the culprit is listed there, launching and then causing the issue.
Why do I have two of the same printer listed?
08/04/25 Filed in: printers
This issue started yesterday when my printers weren’t working. The home WiFi was down. When I disconnected the ethernet cable, the WiFi and the printers came back. I deleted the VPN and uninstalled it, cleaned up the residual stuff, and now I am going to plug the Ethernet back in. Do you have any other suggestions before I do this?
___________
When you are printing via WiFi then connect a cable directly to the printer, you are often left with two of the same printer added within the Print Controls in System Settings. So once you have your system the way you like it again, it’s a good idea to go into Print settings and delete the one you don’t want. In other words, if printing wifi, then delete the USB or ethernet instance of the printer. You can always re add it again at any time.
___________
When you are printing via WiFi then connect a cable directly to the printer, you are often left with two of the same printer added within the Print Controls in System Settings. So once you have your system the way you like it again, it’s a good idea to go into Print settings and delete the one you don’t want. In other words, if printing wifi, then delete the USB or ethernet instance of the printer. You can always re add it again at any time.
Can you save this printer?
08/04/25 Filed in: printers
Can you save my HP Envy 6400 that thinks it has a paper jam but I don't think it does?
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By this screenshot, it’s got two issues. 1. It obviously thinks there’s a paper jam. True or not. 2. it’s only using the generic driver. Th most up to date driver, when not automatically downloaded via the operating system, can usually be found online, given that HP hasn’t stopped updating the driver for the latest OS. This would normally be able to be done remotely. However, the jam issue may be causing the printer to think it’s stuck and therefore not responding. The net thing to try is to use the on screen display (if there is one) to reset the printer to its default settings. Honestly…these HP Envy’s aren’t worth much of an effort and I would not recommend paying me to visit just for the attempt to revive it. If the printer has an onscreen display, you can try to navigate to the setting where you can restore it to factory defaults. That would make it forget it has a paper jam. Then you could start over re-adding the printer to the computer.
___________
By this screenshot, it’s got two issues. 1. It obviously thinks there’s a paper jam. True or not. 2. it’s only using the generic driver. Th most up to date driver, when not automatically downloaded via the operating system, can usually be found online, given that HP hasn’t stopped updating the driver for the latest OS. This would normally be able to be done remotely. However, the jam issue may be causing the printer to think it’s stuck and therefore not responding. The net thing to try is to use the on screen display (if there is one) to reset the printer to its default settings. Honestly…these HP Envy’s aren’t worth much of an effort and I would not recommend paying me to visit just for the attempt to revive it. If the printer has an onscreen display, you can try to navigate to the setting where you can restore it to factory defaults. That would make it forget it has a paper jam. Then you could start over re-adding the printer to the computer.
Do I update my printer to work?
08/04/25 Filed in: printers
How do I update the printer for it to work on my computer?
___________
Usually not up to the printer to be updated. It’s usually reliant on the computer to be up to date then the printer company to update their driver to fit the computer’s Operating system which is then USUALLY automatically fed down to the computer through an automatic update. However some printer companies will abandon updating drivers for their older printers as Apple and Microsoft continue to update their computers. There is a generic driver that some printers can use called “airprint”. All this said, I don’t recall exactly what printer was not working and what OS your computer was on.
___________
Usually not up to the printer to be updated. It’s usually reliant on the computer to be up to date then the printer company to update their driver to fit the computer’s Operating system which is then USUALLY automatically fed down to the computer through an automatic update. However some printer companies will abandon updating drivers for their older printers as Apple and Microsoft continue to update their computers. There is a generic driver that some printers can use called “airprint”. All this said, I don’t recall exactly what printer was not working and what OS your computer was on.
Rid me of google photos!
07/04/25 Filed in: iCloud Photo Library | google
The last time you and family member had a meeting he was getting google notices he was out of storage space. (You helped me with this a couple of years ago … I downloaded some photos from someone and the next thing I know all my photo were imported to google photos. The same thing happened to him.) I know you cleaned up has emails some but the notices returned a week or two later. Their solution was to buy more space. one I do not like google having all has photos and two it’s $20 a month! Apple is much cheaper. SO I do not know how you did it because I could only delete 100 photos at a time, but you manage to figure out away to delete the whole portfolio of photos. WE would very much love for you to do so again on he account.
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Google photos can be a disease. You have to remove the app from any and all devices otherwise it will continue to harvest them from Photos as you take them. It can be a pain. Yes, we should be able to resolve that as well.
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Google photos can be a disease. You have to remove the app from any and all devices otherwise it will continue to harvest them from Photos as you take them. It can be a pain. Yes, we should be able to resolve that as well.
What's the best VPN?
07/04/25 Filed in: vpn
Along this line of thought…I’m also thinking adding a VPN because he also does not listen to me regarding logging into internet at hotels. I always use a hot spot from my phone and it can be slow at times but it is safe. However I know he does not most of the time. Do you have a recommendation for VPN services that are most compatible with Apple computers? Once set up is it just ON all the time? Does it affect speed much? Are you limited from certain websites?
___________
VPN. I like Nord as a first time user’s choice. ExpressVPN is also decent. They have multiple users so you could both use the same account. I don’t leave it on all the time but if I’m leaving the house it’s always a good idea. The VPN landscape will most likely be changing in the next 3 years due to some political reasons in the US but for now, it’s still the absolute best way to protect yourself when traveling. It does block or make less convenient some websites or services. If a certain website detects you are using a vpn it will choose not to load the site. Because they can’t collect data from you during your visit. It’s all about money.
___________
VPN. I like Nord as a first time user’s choice. ExpressVPN is also decent. They have multiple users so you could both use the same account. I don’t leave it on all the time but if I’m leaving the house it’s always a good idea. The VPN landscape will most likely be changing in the next 3 years due to some political reasons in the US but for now, it’s still the absolute best way to protect yourself when traveling. It does block or make less convenient some websites or services. If a certain website detects you are using a vpn it will choose not to load the site. Because they can’t collect data from you during your visit. It’s all about money.
Where should I be storing my documents?
When I recently was helping him attach a recommendation document to a website for a student it appeared that family member does not save his documents to his hard drive?? but only in iCloud? That was bizarre to me, but didn't have the time to delve into that at the time. I want to make sure with his new computer he follows a regime with proper privacy and storage considerations in mind.😬 PLease help.
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Younger people than us only use the cloud to store their documents. Google docs, etc…. But us old schoolers still feel like we want copies locally. It’s matter of understanding the wording in the finder when you go to save a document. Not too hard to explain. It’s a common issue. Google docs, Office using OneDrive, Pages using iCloud, Dropbox or local. I can help clear that all up.
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Younger people than us only use the cloud to store their documents. Google docs, etc…. But us old schoolers still feel like we want copies locally. It’s matter of understanding the wording in the finder when you go to save a document. Not too hard to explain. It’s a common issue. Google docs, Office using OneDrive, Pages using iCloud, Dropbox or local. I can help clear that all up.
Which backup should I be using?
07/04/25 Filed in: Backup | time machine
I asked family member, “You have been backing up your computer up, correct?. He said “Yeah, iCloud." I said, “No the little black drive you are supposed to plug into each night…oh that…not recently…” Good news for any recent writing, it should be in the cloud. Passwords/keychain/configuration etc he’ll just have to go with whatever is saved on the last back up I guess. There is likely something else I am not thinking about, but if important maybe a rescue effort could be done on old hard drive? The battery was shot and wouldn’t hold a charge for long. He used only plugged in so maybe the just the battery was damaged? probably wishful but a thought. SO I do not know exactly his storage usage but likely mine is larger than his. Mine is 418 GB. I just don’t want to force him to back up photos to an external drive down the road and optimize to the cloud…any effort will likely not be met properly if you catch my rift.🙄 I’ll check capacity on Air and hopefully they have raised their capacity from last time I looked. Please share your thoughts.
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While having a good healthy time machine copy is my preference when transferring data, the cloud does work as a secondary backup. We’d just have to reinstall whatever third party applications he may have been using like MS Office etc… We can also pull original pictures back down from the cloud as well. We could also see when the last backup was and make a choice then as well.
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While having a good healthy time machine copy is my preference when transferring data, the cloud does work as a secondary backup. We’d just have to reinstall whatever third party applications he may have been using like MS Office etc… We can also pull original pictures back down from the cloud as well. We could also see when the last backup was and make a choice then as well.
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