{"id":47035,"date":"2019-01-08T10:28:58","date_gmt":"2019-01-08T16:28:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/?p=47035"},"modified":"2019-01-09T14:12:23","modified_gmt":"2019-01-09T20:12:23","slug":"macos-101-six-forgotten-tips-for-new-and-old-mac-users","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/47035-macos-101-six-forgotten-tips-for-new-and-old-mac-users\/","title":{"rendered":"macOS 101: Six ‘Forgotten’ Tips for New (and Old) Mac Users"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"There are many features of the Mac<\/a> that are often overlooked by new users, or simply forgotten about by those who have been using Macs for a while. In some cases, the feature is used once when setting up a Mac, and then vanishes from memory; other times, the feature is never stumbled upon. No matter the reason, this collection of six \u201cforgettable\u201d Mac tips deserves to be remembered.<\/p>\n

Customize Icons<\/strong>
\nIcons, those little images that represent apps, documents, folders, drives, and a few other items, are used extensively throughout the Mac’s interface. They\u2019re most prominent in the Dock, in the Finder, and on the Desktop.<\/p>\n

Personalizing your Mac by using custom icons can add a bit of flair as well as allow you to better organize your Mac’s file system. Apple already provides custom folder icons for the Applications folder, Documents folder, Downloads, Movies, Music, Pictures, and a few others, but most of the folders on your Mac will use generic folder icons. The same is true for storage devices mounted on your desktop, and files on your Mac.<\/p>\n

You can replace a file, folder, or drive icon with one of your own making, or one acquired from the many websites that specialize in Mac and Window icons, many of which are free.<\/p>\n

\"\"
(The thumbnail icon displayed in the Get Info window can be used to copy a favorite icon, or to replace it with a new one.)<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One of the simplest ways to change an icon is to copy\/paste an icon using this tip:<\/p>\n

Right-click or control-click on the icon you wish to copy, and then select Get Info from the popup menu that appears.<\/p>\n

In the Get Info window that opens (the window will be in the upper left corner of your display and may be hidden by other windows), you\u2019ll see a thumbnail icon in the top left corner.<\/p>\n

Click or tap once to select the thumbnail, then select Copy from the File menu or hit the command + C keys on your keyboard.<\/p>\n

The icon will be copied to the Mac’s built-in clipboard.<\/p>\n

Find the file, folder, or drive icon you wish change.<\/p>\n

Right-click or control-click on the icon.<\/p>\n

In the Get Info window that opens, click or tap the thumbnail icon to select it, then use Paste from the File menu, or command + V on the keyboard, to paste the icon from the clipboard onto the selected item.<\/p>\n

That’s the easy way to copy\/paste icons from one source to a new destination. But what if you want to create a custom icon from scratch?<\/p>\n

We’ve got you covered with Create Your Own Custom Icons<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Other World Computing also has a webpage full of drive icons you\u2019re welcome to use. You\u2019ll find them at: Custom Drive Icons<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Change the App That Opens a File<\/strong>
\nDocument files on a Mac are associated with a default application that knows how to open and use the type of data contained in the file. For example, if you create a Word document, your Mac knows that if you double-click the document file, Word should be launched to allow you to view the content of the file.<\/p>\n

Sometimes, however, the file type is wrong, or you would rather use a different app to open that file type from now on. Perhaps you\u2019ve replaced Word with Pages, and want all your old documents to automatically open in the new app.<\/p>\n

\"\"
(The Get Info window allows you to change which app will be used to open a document. The change can affect the selected document, or all documents with the same file type.)<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This tip will change the default app associated with a specific file type:<\/p>\n

Right-click or control-click on the document whose default app for opening you wish to change.<\/p>\n

Select Get Info from the popup menu.<\/p>\n

In the Get Info window, locate the Open with: section. It may need to be expanded by clicking the chevron next to the word Open.<\/p>\n

The current default app associated with the file type will be displayed in the dropdown menu. Select the dropdown menu to see a list of apps that can be used in place of the current default app.<\/p>\n

If the app you wish to use isn\u2019t listed, try selecting Other, and then locate the app you wish to use manually.<\/p>\n

Once you\u2019ve selected a new app, it will become the default for opening the single document you originally selected.<\/p>\n

If you wish to have all documents with the same file type (file extension) open with the new app you chose, click the button labeled Change All.<\/p>\n

Dock Tricks, Including Adding Spacers<\/strong>
\nThe Dock is my favorite method for launching and switching between apps. But it can get crowded and sometimes disorganized. One way to get around the clutter is to group similar app icons together and, if needed, add a spacer to help separate the group from your other Dock icons.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll find all things Dock in the two-part Rocket Yard guide:<\/p>\n