I'm sure it's happened to you. You've been using some application (probably Microsoft Weird or PowerPointless) and the spinning colorful beach ball appears. Usually it just goes away, so you wait, and wait, and wait. It doesn't go away.

Maybe you've seen this message several times in one day:
The application Word has unexpectedly quit.
If so, don't dispair! Very likely your Mac isn't broken, it's just got confused somewhere, and there are steps you can take to set it straight. The following is a list of common diagnostic procedures. Not all of them are for the faint-at-heart, but start with Level 5 and keep trying as long as you feel comfortable. When you get to a point where you really don't know what's going on and/or you're afraid you Screwed Up Big Time™, it might be time to hire a professional.

Disclaimer, Disclaimer, Disclaimer: Trying to fix your own computer has been known in a small percentage of cases to cause more problems than it solves. By reading this, you agree that, if you choose to follow this advice, you do so AT YOUR OWN RISK. DeArmond.Net, Up and Running, and Shawn DeArmond give the following pointers FREELY, AS IS, with NO WARRANTY and assume no responsibility for any problems or damages that may occur before, during, or after you attempt any of the following procedures.

Common Mac OS X complaints that apply to the following diagnostics:

• The application keeps quitting on its own.
• The application will not open a properly formatted document.
• I can move the mouse, but the application(s) don't respond.
• All I get is that spinning color-wheel no matter where I click.
• Moving the mouse does not move the arrow. (Unplug and then re-plug cables for both mouse and keyboard)
• The computer starts up, but only gets so far.
• You frequently get a grey screen telling you, in a variety of languages, that you need to restart your computer.

Complaints that do not apply:

• The computer does not power up. (Check the cables)
• "Server not found" errors.
• Incorrect password or authentication.
• I can't find that file I was just working on.
• The sound isn't on.
• An external device is not functioning correctly.

After completing each numbered diagnostic within the Level, test to see if your problem is resolved.

Level 5 Diagnostics

1. Quit (or Force-Quit) malfunctioning application
2. Quit (or Force-Quit) ALL running applications
3. Restart your Macintosh (you may have to use the hard-restart or power button)
4. Trash the preference file for malfunctioning application (With or without a Restart)
5. Run "Software Update", also install application update(s) (With or without a Restart)

Level 4 Diagnostics

1. Reset PRAM
• Restart holding down the keys: "option/alt" + "command/apple" + "P" + "R"
  Continue holding as the computer automatically reboots
• Allow the Macintosh to chime four times, then release the keys
• Allow the computer to boot up
2. Reset NVRAM and PRAM
• Restart holding down the keys: "option/alt" + "command/apple" + "O" + "F"
• At the white screen, release the keys
• Type in the following commands:
  reset-nvram (Hit "return" key. It should respond "ok")
  reset-all (Hit "return" key. It should respond "ok" and immediately restart)
• Immediately hold down the keys: "option/alt" + "command/apple" + "P" + "R"
  Continue holding as the computer automatically reboots
• Allow the Macintosh to chime four times, then release the keys

Level 3 Diagnostics

1. Repair Disk
   • Restart (holding down "C" key) with the OS X Installer or Restore CD
     (match the OS version 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, or 10.4)
   • Do not perform an OS X Installation!
   • From Installation (or Tools) menu, select Disk Utility
   • Select the malfunctioning volume from the list, not the drive itself
   • Select "First Aid" procedures
   • Perform a "Repair Volume"
     • Repeat if everything is not "OK".
     • If you get errors every time you repair the volume, no matter how
       many times you try, skip to Level 4 Diagnostics. Do not perform "Repair
       Permissions".
2. Repair Permissions
   • Reboot the computer to your boot drive.
     (If the computer does not get that far, repeat Diagnostic 3.1 and then immediately perform Repair Permissions without rebooting)
   • If back to your own boot drive, open Disk Utility (/Applications/Utilities)
   • Select the malfunctioning volume, not the drive itself
   • Select the "First Aid" tab
   • Perform a "Repair Permissions"
   • Quit Disk Utilities
   • Quit Installer (if using OS X Installer or Restore CD)
   • Restart to your standard boot-drive

Level 2 Diagnostics

1. Perform 3rd-Party Utilities
• Reboot to a Software Utility CD for disk (D) and/or hardware (H) repair
  • TechTool Deluxe (H, d) (Shipped with your AppleCare plan)
  • TechTool Pro (H, D) (v4.1.1 useful for Tiger and earlier)
  • Drive Genius (D)
  • DiskWarrior (D) (Unfamiliar to Shawn)
• Perform diagnostics according to application's instructions
• Restart to your standard boot-drive
2. Uninstall, then Reinstall the malfunctioning application.
   Install updates too!

Level 1 Diagnostic

1. Archive and Install
• Recommended Step:
  • Back up important files, such as the /Users folder
• Restart (holding down "C" key) with the OS X Installer or Restore CD
  (match the OS version to at least one decimal point)
• Continue with OS Installation/Restore.
  • In the "Options" dialog, select "Archive and Install"
• Restart to your standard boot-drive.
• Perform "Software Update" from the Apple Menu or System Preferences.
  (Restart and repeat until no more updates are listed)
• Reinstall necessary applications, if they are no longer on the drive
  • You will need to reinstall AntiVirus software, and possibly some other
    applications if they give you trouble.
2. Zero your Hard Drive and Install
   (This step is pretty hardcore, don't do this unless you have exhausted ALL
   options and bugged all your techie friends.)
• REQUIRED STEP: Back up important files, such as the entire /Users folder
  • Applications can be reinstalled, so it's less important to back those
    up.
• From Installation menu, select Disk Utilities
• Select the malfunctioning drive from the list (or volume if the drive is partitioned)
• Select "Erase Disk" procedures
  (You DID back up all your data, right?)
• Recommended Step:
  • Under "Options" select "Zero All Data"
    (Are you SURE you backed up all
    your data? You didn't just grab your "Documents" folder, did you?)
• Name the drive/volume
• Erase the drive/volume (If you Zeroed all data, this step will take
  Forever®)
  (Woe is you who failed to back up your data.)
• Quit Disk Utility
• Continue with OS Installation/Restore.
• Restart to your standard boot-drive
• Proceed with initial setup screens.
• Perform "Software Update" from the Apple Menu or System Preferences
  (Restart and repeat until no more updates are listed)
• Reinstall all your applications,
• Reload files from backup.

I should add that this list is by no means the be-all and end-all of computer repair. However, I have found that a large percentage of computer problems can be solved by knowing just a handful of useful procedures. I estimate that 80% of all computer problems that I get asked to fix can be solved by one of the Level 5 Diagnostics. I hope you find this helpful, and next time you ask me to fix a problem, I'm going to ask you what steps you've taken so far.

I'm going to list some terms and I want you to raise your had if you've ever heard of them. Raise two hands if you understand their meaning. RSS, Podcast, Web Feed, XML, Syndicate. Anybody? Hopefully by the time you finish reading this, you will not only understand them, but be excited about using this one more thing that makes the Internet so cool.

How do you get your information? By information I mean news, updates, rumors, comics, columns, editorials, deals, stories, etcetera, etcetera. Do you subscribe to a newspaper? Magazine? TV? Radio? Tabloids? Web Sites? Blogs? Do you really need one more method? Well, maybe, particularly if it could take the place of one or more of the other methods by receiving exactly the same content. It would be nice if it were free. When you read/listen/watch something, do you like to read a back-up source? So, what if it could show you stories from many sources of your choosing all at once? Ads are kinda irritating, so maybe it could give you the information ad-free. It would have to be searchable, so if you forgot who published something you could find it later. (Do you see where this is going?)

Let me introduce you to RSS. An abbreviation for "Really Simple Syndication", RSS is a method of receiving information that has the potential to do all those things and more.

Imagine, if you will, your favorite newspaper, which publishes many many articles per day. Do you read all of them? How do you decide which ones you want to read? You probably scan the headlines and maybe the first paragraph or so. To do that, you have to flip through pages and pages of newsprint and dodge advertisements along the way. You may be surprised to know that your newspaper probably publishes at least the biggest stories in a list format, and (often) ad-free. This type of RSS is a web feed, a single computer file located on the newspaper's web site. It's a list of headlines and usually a short description of each story, and it is continuously, automatically, and usually immediately updated to reflect the most recent stories that source has to offer. Similarly, blogs are frequently published via RSS feed, as well as deal sites, magazines, and many other types of web sites. All using the same standard of computer file format.

This computer file format is an XML file, an open standard so it's free for anyone to publish one. If you have a program that can read RSS files (some web browsers, like Safari and Firefox, as well as other stand-alone programs) you can "subscribe" to the web feed. That program will watch the feed, download new headlines, and, if you want, let you know when new updates are available.

Well, that's kinda cool, but the real power of this comes from the fact that Firefox, Safari, and the like are more than RSS readers, they're RSS aggregators. You can subscribe to as many feeds as you choose and view all of the headlines together in a single list, sorted by date (some programs let you sort by other stuff too). The headline and description display in a consistent format, pleasing to the eye, and usually they're ad-free. If you decide you want to read the whole article, a click on the headline will take you there.

Wanna give it a shot? If you have Mac OS X 10.4 "Tiger" or newer, you're probably reading this blog using a web browser called Safari. If you're not, you should. If you're not using 10.4, or if you're unlucky enough to use Windows, don't fret, you can still subscribe to RSS feeds using Firefox. I'm going to focus on Safari first because it's the best RSS aggregator I've ever used. Look at the toolbar at the top of this window and you should see a blue icon labeled RSS on the right side of the web address box. Click on that icon. See what happened? The look of the site changed. Bookmark this new page. You have now subscribed to my blog's RSS feed. In Firefox, you'll see an orange icon that has a series of quarter-circles presumably representing a broadcasting radio signal. If you click on that icon, you will bookmark the RSS feed, and then you'll see the list of articles in your bookmarks menu. Not quite as elegant, but it works. If you want a better RSS experience in Firefox, I recommend installing Sage, a free Firefox extension.

Wherever you browse on the web and see the blue or orange icon appear, that site has an RSS feed available. You may also see other icons or links on the web page itself, perhaps labeled "RSS", "Atom", "XML", or "Syndicate". Firefox and Safari are supposed to see them and give you their own icon, but sometimes they miss.

You'll find that RSS feeds are updated with varying regularity. For instance, I only post to my site once or twice a week, while the SF Chronicle updates several times an hour. In both cases, though, the new articles are immediately available on the feed. Another thing you may notice is that my entire article, not just a short description or intro, is posted in the RSS feed. This is less common, but I like doing it that way. Because of this variety of sources, you're not stuck getting news from only one source, which is dangerous in my opinion.

One of those words is still undefined: podcasts. This word came from "broadcast" but inserted a reference to Apple's iPod, though you don't need an iPod to listen to one. A podcasts is an RSS feeds with one major difference; it also contains an audio portion. Any audio for which the publisher has copyrights can be syndicated through a podcast. Examples of this are radio talk shows, tutorials, live music events, (sometimes) studio recordings, and more recently, people's own audio blog.

So, if you like to listen to Talk of the Nation: Science Friday on NPR, but are never near a radio when it's on, you can subscribe to the podcast, and download the entire show. Your computer will even tell you when there's a new one available. You can use Safari or Firefox to subscribe to podcasts, but the best program to use is iTunes. Freely available for Mac and Windows, iTunes even lets you search for podcasts through its podcast directory. From there, you can listen to the shows on your computer, burn a CD, or even better, put them on your iPod and listen to it at your leisure. Podcasts usually refer to an audio portion, but recently video podcasts have been appearing, as well as PDF files.

You see, any type of media can be syndicated... freely... quickly... all you have to do is subscribe.

To give you a bit of a head start, here are some of my favorite RSS feeds:

MacDailyNews
Ars Technica
Macsimum News
TheForce.Net
Talk of the Nation: Science Friday (iTunes)
Shutters Inc. (iTunes)
Democracy Now (iTunes)
Make Magazine (iTunes)

Save the Internet

Okay, I really didn't mean to use this blog site as a soap-box to preach about what's going on in politics today. However, in this case, it has quite a bit to do with computers and, specifically, the Internet as we know it... and I think it's something that many people probably don't fully understand.

Right now, all network traffic is created and treated equally. By "network traffic", I mean all the activity on the internet. When you read my site, for instance, you send a request out to my server, and my server responds and sends you my blog, including all pictures, links, etc. The complex network of routers and switches across the world doesn't know or care who owns that information, and won't discriminate for or against you or me or any of the other billions of packets of information sent here or there. I believe this basis of "Network Neutrality" is what has allowed the Internet to flourish as the widespread, independent, diverse source of information that it is.

It's really incredible the amount of information that's available on the Internet. I've heard people say that we're living in the "Information Age". Well, what good is information without a useful and robust way to store it as well as a method for that information to be widely and inexpensively distributed to anybody who cares to look?

You're looking at the result of it right here. I can have a web site which doesn't cost me much to host and which anyone in the world can read. When the information is sent from my web host to you, that information is treated the same as if you had just looked up a map on Google; even though Google is a multi-billion-dollar corporation and I haven't grossed dollar one. The Internet gives a voice to anyone who wants one; and if that voice becomes popular and/or that information becomes valuable, then that person may even make a bit of money.

The future of the Internet may be significantly different if legislation is passed which does not preserve this idea of "Network Neutrality". There are certain companies (AT&T, Verizon, Comcast, and other service providers), with enormous budgets and fleets of lawyers and lobbyists, who are trying to turn the Internet into a fee-for-service network. If they are successful, they will be allowed to charge web sites for preferential treatment of their network traffic. Google will have to pay loads of money to these companies so Google can ensure that when people perform a search, they get their results in a timely fashion. Google doesn't want to have to do this. They would rather spend their money on research and development of useful tools and features they can add to their site.

I would also be given the "opportunity" to pay loads of money so that when people hit my site they will be able to view my photographs in a timely fashion. I cannot do this. Neither can millions of other sites out there with little or no budget. The voices will still be there, but they'll be muted, if you will.

So, ask yourself:

• When you read the daily news on your local newspaper's web site, do you want it to load much much slower than, say MSNBC?
• When you search for a book on the web site for your city library, or your independent book store, do you want the page to load much much slower than, say Borders?
• If you support your favorite non-profit organization, do you want that organization's web site to load much much slower than every other site on the web? Or would you rather your donations be spent paying off service providers for the "privilege" of faster traffic?

Do you see a problem here? I do. There is already enormous consolidation of popular media. Did you know that the vast majority of all TV, radio, newspaper, and magazines are owned by only seven companies? That's pretty much why the vast majority of all TV, radio, newspapers, and magazines suck. If only the well-funded web sites load quickly, small independent web sites would dwindle and you'd see a similar consolidation on the Internet. That would be a real shame.

I think it's also important to note that these network service providers are the same companies who have handed over detailed records of phone conversations to the National Security Agency. Phone conversations made by ordinary US citizens -- most of which are not suspected of any crime. These are the corporations we're supposed to trust with the availability of diverse information on the Internet? I think not.

Now, there is something you can do:

• Read about it.
• Talk about it with your friends and relatives.
• Inform your congressperson. (Believe me, if you just read this blog, you're more informed about it than they are.)
• Sign a Petition.

An important vote is going to take place in Congress this week. Act quickly.

A what? UPS? Isn't that the name of a shipping company? Well, that too, but it's also an invaluable and oft-overlooked piece of electronic hardware. The acronym similarity is simply a coincidence. A UPS is a battery-backup, it's a surge-protector, it's insurance, and it's generally a good idea.

Here's what's happening in your house right now: The electricity you get from your local utility company comes through the plugs on your wall at approximately 115 volts. I say "approximately" because the voltage on which your electronics feed varies a bit based on the activity of other devices in your house. For instance, if you're using your computer and the washing machine goes on, the voltage may dip down a few volts. You might notice that the lights dim slightly, and then return to normal. Basically, you're experiencing a small brownout and, for the most part, robust electronic devices such as lights and appliances don't really care. The more complex the electronics within the device, the more sensitive it is to fluctuations in its supply of electricity. Your computer is the most complex electronic device in your house. And it should be, it cost you enough. Many hardware and software issues can be attributed to just a bad power feed, and could have been avoided by spending $50 to $100 on a UPS. Other consumer electronics devices, such as stereo equipment, can also benefit.

How is a UPS going to help? A UPS looks like (and weighs as much as) a really big brick. It has one power cord coming out of it which plugs into the power socket on your wall, and it has several sockets on its back for plugging in your various devices. Inside the brick is a big battery. The power comes in, is stored in the battery, and then delivered to your devices in a perfect sine-wave of 115 volt power. This makes your computer very happy.

In addition a UPS has a few added benefits: If the power goes out while you're typing your masterpiece novel (and you haven't hit Save all day), your computer will continue to run for a few minutes. Generally, it's just enough time to hit save and shut down your computer properly before the battery runs out. More common that a complete power failure, however, is a short brownout. When this happens, the power goes down for less than a second and then comes right back on. Computers hate that more than anything. Your UPS will completely protect your equipment during such an event.
Also, the UPS will protect your equipment against even the most powerful power surges.

Convinced yet? Good. Here's what to look for:

The amount of power that a UPS can supply is measured in "VA" aka volt-amps. The higher the VA rating, the more equipment you can stick on a single UPS and/or the longer that equipment can run once the power goes out. If you have desktop computer, LCD monitor, and maybe a few small incidental peripherals, you should look for at least 500VA. If you have a CRT monitor (a tube), then you probably need more like 800VA. With that configuration, you may not get more than a couple minutes in the event of a power failure, though it will work great against brownouts and slight power fluctuations. If you want more battery-time, you may want 1000VA. If you have two large computers, or perhaps some serious stereo equipment in the same room as your computer, maybe 1500VA is more up your alley.

Also, look for a UPS that will connect to your computer via USB. That way, if you're not in front of your computer when the power goes out, the UPS will actually tell your computer that it's about to run out of power and automatically shut down your computer for you. Pretty slick.

Now that you're going to get one, there are some things you should know:

First of all, NEVER plug any device into the UPS if it draws a lot of power, such as:
Power tools, vacuum cleaners, kitchen appliances, laser printers (ink jets are fine), heaters, fans, sewing machines, clothes irons, or other small appliances. For the most part, those devices are not on very long, they're robust enough to withstand power fluctuations, and if the power goes out, you don't lose anything.

You should also know that, eventually, you'll have to replace the battery inside your UPS. Generally it will last about 5 years, after which you can purchase a replacement battery, and please, please, PLEASE RECYCLE THE OLD BATTERY. Very often the company from which you purchased the replacement will recycle the old one for you.

Take care of your equipment, and it'll last to serve you another day.

There was an interesting announcement today which came directly from Apple: The new Intel-powered Macs (MacBook Pro, and the 2006 iMac) are able to boot natively to Windows XP using an Apple utility called Boot Camp. This means that if you're a Mac fan, but there's this one piece of software that you HAVE to use, you can still buy a Mac and run your software natively on Mac hardware. This also means, however, that you get to deal with all the insecurities which are part and partial to the whole Windows package. You also have to actually purchase Windows XP ($194.99).

Still, this is a big step. For many people on the fence, this is likely to be the feature that will convince them to purchase a Mac. Shawn's crystal ball says: lots of users with this "dual-boot" setup with Windows and Mac OS X on their Mac. The Windows side will be totally screwed up with your choice of malware, while the Mac side will be running just fine. People will choose to use Mac OS X instead of fix Windows.

Boot Camp is currently in public beta, which means it's free to download, but use it with a grain of salt because it's not officially a finished piece of software. It will be officially released as part of Mac OS X 10.5 "Leopard" whenever that comes out (probably early 2007).

In any case, I've heard reports of it working as promised. The next step is to have both operating systems running simultaneously, so you don't have to restart your computer to get to Windows. Also, look for Linux to be available in a similar configuration.