Post by: Sooz on February 19, 2018, 07:37:27 PM
I've renamed the Seagate Ext HD to "TM Ext HD Backup" -- it's good to not confuse me so I figured that name would work for me!
Then, I followed directions at the link that Jon included in my earlier, separate post and I *think* (hope) that this will work, and that TM will back up every 24 hours, onto this Ext HD named for TM.
My next "I need help" plea is to verify that I need to take these steps first:
1. plug in my second External HD (this one is royal blue) to the back of the hub, and name it much like I named my new one 2. I'm pretty sure I'll have to upgrade SuperDuper because now I'm running OS X El Capitan, ver. 10.11.6, so that's what I'll do.
3. The I-need-help-now-I-think: How do I make sure my Mac is backed up onto my new (royal blue) external HD using SuperDuper? Since I have not upgraded SuperDuper, this may be moot if it guides me through the process (with pictures).
Thanks!
Smiles--and maybe a bit of chocolate to reduce stress, too!
Sooz
Post by: Xairbusdriver on February 19, 2018, 08:20:48 PM
Second, click the "About Superduper..." to determine what version you now have. Write it down on a piece of paper approximately 2 inches square or larger. The latest version is 3.1.4 (v106).
Third, if your version number is smaller than 3.1.4, click the item labeled "Check for Update...". You will now, if you haven't already, see a window with download info and instructions.
If your version is 2.8 or earlier, note the request that you go directly to the Superduper site to download the latest version.
If your version number is larger than 2.8, there may be an Update button at the bottom of the window. It doesn't show in mine. Theoretically, simply pressing the return key will automagically start the download in that situation. I'm not going to try that since I no longer use SD.
Post by: Sooz on February 19, 2018, 09:48:00 PM
QUOTE(Xairbusdriver @ Feb 20 2018, 02:20 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
First, open SuperDuper. Click in the "SuperDuper!" menu (should be just to the right of the black Apple icon).
Second, click the "About Superduper..." to determine what version you now have. Write it down on a piece of paper approximately 2 inches square or larger. The latest version is 3.1.4 (v106).
Third, if your version number is smaller than 3.1.4, click the item labeled "Check for Update...". You will now, if you haven't already, see a window with download info and instructions.
If your version is 2.8 or earlier, note the request that you go directly to the Superduper site to download the latest version.
If your version number is larger than 2.8, there may be an Update button at the bottom of the window. It doesn't show in mine. Theoretically, simply pressing the return key will automagically start the download in that situation. I'm not going to try that since I no longer use SD.
Second, click the "About Superduper..." to determine what version you now have. Write it down on a piece of paper approximately 2 inches square or larger. The latest version is 3.1.4 (v106).
Third, if your version number is smaller than 3.1.4, click the item labeled "Check for Update...". You will now, if you haven't already, see a window with download info and instructions.
If your version is 2.8 or earlier, note the request that you go directly to the Superduper site to download the latest version.
If your version number is larger than 2.8, there may be an Update button at the bottom of the window. It doesn't show in mine. Theoretically, simply pressing the return key will automagically start the download in that situation. I'm not going to try that since I no longer use SD.
Wonderful step by step directions, Jim. Thanks!!!
Okaaaaay, located my tiny piece of paper, it's 2 inches x 1.25 inches, even has a sticky strip on the back!
Wrote down the info that my SD is 2.7.5.
Went to shirtpocket and downloaded newest version (but first, I named my royal blue external HD "SuperDuper iMac backup" (it's easiest for me to be a concrete thinker about naming things ha ha), version 3.1.4.
Clicked on SD and selected that my Mac will be backed up to the SD iMac backup external HD and now it's doing it's work --already done with Prepare to Copy Files, and it's now on Copy Files, and then, I'm waiting for item 3: After Successful Copy...which says to update prebinding on SD iMac backup and also says Make SD iMac backup bootable. It worked it's magic, said Done, which I clicked, then I scheduled it for backing up Mon thru Fri at 3:00 a.m.
Am I doing well????????
Post by: jchuzi on February 20, 2018, 06:33:24 AM
You'll want to test the SD clone when it's finished. To do this, you'll have to boot from the clone and see that everything is working.
Restart. As soon as you hear the chime, press and hold Option. Release the key when you see a choice of startup disks on the screen. You should see your normal internal drive (Macintosh HD, unless you have renamed it) and the SD clone. You may also see, for a few seconds, a network button that will try to load. When it either finds a network or none, it will stop loading. At that point, click the SD icon and press Return.
Don't be alarmed if startup takes considerably longer than usual: This is normal for a clone the first time that you boot from it. Subsequent boots will be much faster, provided that you haven't updated the clone. When you update it, startup will again be slow the first time. To get back to your normal boot, simply restart normally.
As to TM backups, TM backs up every hour.
Post by: Xairbusdriver on February 20, 2018, 04:51:00 PM
QUOTE
I scheduled it for backing up Mon thru Fri at 3:00 a.m.
I'm assuming you left your Energy Saver set to "Sleep" rather than "Shutdown". 
Post by: Sooz on February 21, 2018, 03:12:10 AM
I now have SuperDuper!3.1.4 but the icon on my desktop is this:
[attachment=3513:yeah_rea...his_icon.png]
When I double click my desktop icon for "SuperDuper iMac backup" to open it, it does look like it backed up everything.
When I click on SD! in Applications, I get this (I changed the time for it to backup)--do I need to do anything about the bottom part? I don't think so because I already did it...but since my brain just isn't wired for this stuff, y'know... I'm not confident.
[attachment=3514:When_I_c...ications.png]
Oh, and can I just drag the .dmg for SD! to the trash? I also seem to have SD! and an alias SD! What's that all about?
When I open Disk Utility, I get this...I'm not sure, but it doesn't look right to me...
[attachment=3515:What_did..._fix_it_.png]
And for the icing on the cake, when I select the Ext HD named SuperDuper iMac backup, and click on Get Info, I get this:
[attachment=3516:When_I_c...get_this.png]
Is all as it should be or do I need to consider xanax instead of chocolate??
Thank you for your endless patience and encouragement!!!!!!!!
Sooz
Post by: jchuzi on February 21, 2018, 06:32:51 AM
My guess is that everything is OK. Don't change any settings in SD; you don't have to.
Where did you install SD? You should have it in your Applications folder within Macintosh HD. I don't understand why you have a .dmg. unless you're running it from the there. Did you actually install SD? If not, double-click the .dmg file and do so. Then, you can drag the .dmg file to the trash to eject it.
After installing SD, you may have to reset your preferences. I'm not sure of this, but check it out.
Post by: Xairbusdriver on February 21, 2018, 09:22:51 AM
Image two: I don't use SD any more, so I can't recall what "Smart Backup" does, exactly. OTOH, U don't understand why it shows five backups on 2/21 yet it shows the last backup before you bought the external drive. That is simply not logical. It appears that the last time you actually used SD was 6/5 last year?
OTOH, the Get Info image shows that the drive was "Modified" on 2/15. That may be factual, if SD found nothing had changed on your internal drive since that date.
Image three: What version of Disk Utility are you running? Mine is Version 15.0 (1511.3.1)
BTW, it appears that you have not used the "Journaled" formatting. It's not absolutely required and your main (internal) drive should use that.
Image four: Again, looks normal. However, could you give us a screen shot of you internal drive in either DU or the Get Info window. It should show roughly the same amount of disk space used as shown on the SD backup (~91GB).
Lastly, click the 'eject' button next to the .dmg labeled item in the left-hand section of a Finder window under the "Devices" area. If you don't see a "left-hand section", you can use the Finder->View->Show Sidebar menu item to... show the Sidebar!
[attachment=3517:TS_eject_drive.jpg]
If you don't see a list of Devices, click the "Devices" label area to display it:
[attachment=3518:TS_Devices_area.gif]
If you don't see a list of Devices, click the "Devices" label area to display it:
[attachment=3518:TS_Devices_area.gif]
You can also just drag the item to the Trash, of course. I prefer not to put things in the Trash as a general habit. Only drag things to the trash if you intend to Empty the Trash as soon as possible. Too many things have been put in the Trash as a 'temporary' storage place and then erased when the person forgot to put it somewhere more useful. At our house, we rarely take stuff out of the trash once we put it in there!
Post by: Sooz on February 22, 2018, 02:14:40 AM
QUOTE(jchuzi @ Feb 20 2018, 12:33 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Congratulations! Everything looks good.
You'll want to test the SD clone when it's finished. To do this, you'll have to boot from the clone and see that everything is working.
Restart. As soon as you hear the chime, press and hold Option. Release the key when you see a choice of startup disks on the screen. You should see your normal internal drive (Macintosh HD, unless you have renamed it) and the SD clone. You may also see, for a few seconds, a network button that will try to load. When it either finds a network or none, it will stop loading. At that point, click the SD icon and press Return.
Don't be alarmed if startup takes considerably longer than usual: This is normal for a clone the first time that you boot from it. Subsequent boots will be much faster, provided that you haven't updated the clone. When you update it, startup will again be slow the first time. To get back to your normal boot, simply restart normally.
As to TM backups, TM backs up every hour.
You'll want to test the SD clone when it's finished. To do this, you'll have to boot from the clone and see that everything is working.
Restart. As soon as you hear the chime, press and hold Option. Release the key when you see a choice of startup disks on the screen. You should see your normal internal drive (Macintosh HD, unless you have renamed it) and the SD clone. You may also see, for a few seconds, a network button that will try to load. When it either finds a network or none, it will stop loading. At that point, click the SD icon and press Return.
Don't be alarmed if startup takes considerably longer than usual: This is normal for a clone the first time that you boot from it. Subsequent boots will be much faster, provided that you haven't updated the clone. When you update it, startup will again be slow the first time. To get back to your normal boot, simply restart normally.
As to TM backups, TM backs up every hour.
Thanks, Jon. I'll have to do this in the next day or two. One of my close friends had her sister and BIL pass away tragically a few days ago--we're all still reeling.
Post by: Sooz on February 22, 2018, 02:23:00 AM
I didn't know that, about the generic yellowish icon for my other Ext HD. I was expecting some kind of pretty picture or something.
QUOTE
I don't use SD any more, so I can't recall what "Smart Backup" does, exactly. OTOH, U don't understand why it shows five backups on 2/21 yet it shows the last backup before you bought the external drive. That is simply not logical. It appears that the last time you actually used SD was 6/5 last year?
I don't understand this either, and my brain is already fried from emotional stuff re my close friend and her recent sudden losses.My Disk Utility is version 15.0 (1411.3.1)
I'll have to check the other stuff that you wrote about at another time. Thanks!
Post by: jchuzi on February 22, 2018, 06:17:50 AM
Post by: Xairbusdriver on February 22, 2018, 07:47:11 AM
Post by: jchuzi on February 22, 2018, 08:45:43 AM
QUOTE(Xairbusdriver @ Feb 22 2018, 08:47 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I'm wondering if she is running SD from the dmg. The image showing the 'activity' claims the last backups were made well before she even got the drive. I suspect that is data that may be on the dmg, since it can't be written to. She asked about what to do with the dmg, also. I think she is also never shutting down, only sleeping the Mac, so the dmg will stay there until it is manually ejected (as you suggested).
That's what I was wondering too.Post by: Sooz on February 23, 2018, 02:11:42 PM
I got the .dmg to go into the Trash and I emptied it. Success!
Yes, Disk Utility is in Utilities within the Applications folder on my hard drive, and SuperDuper! is in my Applications folder on my hard drive.
Now, however, I have a SuperDuper! icon in my dock, and also on my desktop. The one in the dock has a little dot under it that shows me it's open or working or whatever. Can I just put the one on the desktop in the Trash or should it stay on the desktop as well as in the dock?
[attachment=3519:SD__in_d..._desktop.png]
Jon, should I still test the SD! 'clone'?
Also, should I just let the computer fall asleep when I'm done with it, or should I continue choose "Sleep" under the apple?
Here's what my Energy Saver shows:
[attachment=3520:Energy_Saver.png]
"BTW, it appears that you have not used the "Journaled" formatting. It's not absolutely required and your main (internal) drive should use that."
^^^^ I have no clue what journaled formatting means.
I don't know what this is (or why it looks like something extra to me)... can I just ignore it??
[attachment=3521:Read_only_.png]
[attachment=3522:Read_only_SD.png]
Here's an up to the minute screen shot...
[attachment=3523:SuperDup...ight_now.png]
Thanks again for all your help!!!!
Sooz
Post by: jchuzi on February 23, 2018, 06:27:18 PM
It looks to me as if you installed SD in two places, namely the desktop and your Applications folder. Quit Super Duper (the dot under the dock icon should disappear, and unless you opted to keep it in the dock, the SD icon will also disappear from the dock). Now, trash the desktop icon (unless you have quit SD, you won't be allowed to do this). SD should still be in your Utilities folder within Applications. If so, you can empty the trash.
The screen shots that you posted using Disk Utility seem to show the SD disk image (that is, .dmg), which the computer reads as if it were either another hard drive or a DVD (CD). If that's the case, you can ignore it.
You should definitely test the clone that you made with SD. I had an instance (and, if I recall, it was in El Capitan) where my computer refused to boot from the SD clone. It would partially start up and then spontaneously shut down. I went through several emails with Dave Nanian, the developer of SD, but we never solved it. I then switched to Carbon Copy Cloner and everything worked. Later, I redid clones with SD in Sierra and High Sierra, and everything worked as advertised. Chalk it up to a bad day for the clone gods.
For your Energy Saver preferences, it would be a good idea to check the last box to Enable Power Nap. That way, Time Machine will briefly wake the computer in order to make its scheduled backups. When TM is finished, the computer will go back to sleep.
For the question of letting the computer fall asleep or doing it manually via the Apple menu, that's your choice. Personally, I tend to sleep my computer manually whenever I leave it, but that's just my preference. It's really up to you.
Post by: Xairbusdriver on February 23, 2018, 06:34:56 PM
QUOTE(Sooz @ Feb 23 2018, 02:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Hi again, Jim and John and Paddy and others,
I got the .dmg to go into the Trash and I emptied it. Success!
One of your images shows the Trash has stuff in it.. Click on the 'trash can' and send us a screen shot (unless there are personally identifiable file labels).I got the .dmg to go into the Trash and I emptied it. Success!
QUOTE
Yes, Disk Utility is in Utilities within the Applications folder on my hard drive, and SuperDuper! is in my Applications folder on my hard drive.
Now, however, I have a SuperDuper! icon in my dock, and also on my desktop. The one in the dock has a little dot under it that shows me it's open or working or whatever. Can I just put the one on the desktop in the Trash or should it stay on the desktop as well as in the dock?
My opinions/suggestions are below. *Now, however, I have a SuperDuper! icon in my dock, and also on my desktop. The one in the dock has a little dot under it that shows me it's open or working or whatever. Can I just put the one on the desktop in the Trash or should it stay on the desktop as well as in the dock?
QUOTE
Jon, should I still test the SD! 'clone'?
Also, should I just let the computer fall asleep when I'm done with it, or should I continue choose "Sleep" under the apple?
Although I'm not Jon, I have some help here, I hope. You have set Energy Saver to automatically "put the hard disks to sleep when possible". Plus, you have told the Mac to "Turn display off after: " 10(?) minutes. I believe you also have scheduled the computer to "Sleep" around 12:15am(?). These are all basically the same kind of "sleep", although it may be possible to have your drives running even after your display goes black.Also, should I just let the computer fall asleep when I'm done with it, or should I continue choose "Sleep" under the apple?
Therefore, manually selecting "Sleep" in the Apple menu, doesn't do more than what you've already set up the Mac to do with your Energy Saver settings.
QUOTE
"BTW, it appears that you have not used the "Journaled" formatting. It's not absolutely required and your main (internal) drive should use that."
^^^^ I have no clue what journaled formatting means.
"Journalling" is simply a way that helps the OS to keep track of things it does to the drive. You choos that when you first erase/format the drive along with creating a name for it in Disk Utility. You posted an image back on the 21st that shows the SuperDuper! drive info in Disk Utility. The label shows "SuperDuper iMac backup" as the name you created for it. Below that is some text that shows is is a "2 TB USB External Physical Volume OS X Extended". If it had been formatted as we recommend it would say "2 TB USB External Physical Volume OS X Extended (Journaled)". Unfortunately, I don't recall any of us specifically saying that. ^^^^ I have no clue what journaled formatting means.
My bad. However, it is easy to do, even now. But I'll post that info in a separate place as this post is getting long enough and it's TIME FOR DINNER (Supper, as we say down south)!QUOTE
I don't know what this is (or why it looks like something extra to me)... can I just ignore it??
* Those are both the same thing. The first image is showing you what I have been calling the "brand name" drive. The second is the actual "volume" in that drive. Look at the section just above labeled "External". There are the two Seagate "brand" drives (Seagate BUP Slim..."). Inside them are the "user-named" Volumes that you named/created using Disk Utility.Notice that the "Apple UDIF read o..." label is under the "Disk Images" section. That is the file you downloaded from the SD site and double-clicked. You then dragged the SD icon onto the "Applications" icon to actually install the SD app in your Applications folder. That is telling us that you never did eject the disk image showing in the left-hand area of any Finder window. (Finder->View->Show Sidebar). That is also why the SuperDuper! icon on your Desktop. It will disappear when/if you either (1.) Select it in the Finder window Sidebar and click its eject button OR (2.) Select the SuperDuper! icon the Finder window Sidebar and use the Finder->File->Eject "SuperDuper!" command [Command-E].
Of course, you can also just drag it to the Trash, as others have suggested. However, make sure you don't have anything in the Trash that you were simply 'storing' there. Always Empty the Trash as soon as possible after putting anything in it. Obviously, you should double check what is in there before emptying it! Once you empty the trash, you may not be able to ever get that item back, so be sure you know what you are really deleting. That's why "ejecting" a drive is much safer than dragging it to the Trash and then Emptying it; you may delete other things when you empty the Trash. This is a major erer in the user-interface of the Mac and has been discussed and cussed for decades.
Post by: Sooz on February 23, 2018, 08:33:34 PM
QUOTE
You should definitely test the clone that you made with SD ...
I'll check the clone tomorrow.
I checked the Energy Saver preferences and checked the Enable Power Nap. Thanks for the suggestion!
The SuperDuper! that was on the desktop has been "ejected"/trashed, and there is nothing in the Trash (I also emptied the trash).
SD! is on my HD under Applications, but not in my Utilities folder--is that a problem?
Thanks again for ALL your help and encouragement!!
Sooz
Post by: Sooz on February 23, 2018, 08:50:47 PM
QUOTE
.....manually selecting "Sleep" in the Apple menu, doesn't do more than what you've already set up the Mac to do with your Energy Saver settings.
Oh, okay! I didn't really know this.
Should I not have the computer scheduled to sleep at 2:00 am (I think I told it 2am for its sleepy time)?
QUOTE
If it had been formatted as we recommend it would say "2 TB USB External Physical Volume OS X Extended (Journaled)". Unfortunately, I don't recall any of us specifically saying that. My bad. However, it is easy to do, even now. But I'll post that info in a separate place as this post is getting long enough and it's TIME FOR DINNER (Supper, as we say down south)!
My bad. However, it is easy to do, even now. But I'll post that info in a separate place as this post is getting long enough and it's TIME FOR DINNER (Supper, as we say down south)!Okay! I shall await instructions later today or tomorrow.
When I double click the "SuperDuper iMac backup" external on my desktop, it shows the format has been journaled--huh?
[attachment=3524:shows_it...urnaled_.png]
Thank for the reminder about emptying the Trash. I usually do it once a day.
Jim and Jon, this dessert's for YOU!!! It's a new-to-me recipe and it's one of the most delicious things I've ever made!
[attachment=3525:Flourles...ate_cake.jpg]
Smiles,
Sooz
Post by: Xairbusdriver on February 23, 2018, 09:48:53 PM
QUOTE
this dessert's for YOU!
QUOTE
When I double click the "SuperDuper iMac backup" external on my desktop, it shows the format has been journaled--huh?
You are correct! I looked at the Disk Utility image you posted back on the 21st and it does not show the "Journaled" part. But I went back and looked at the Get Info window you posted in the same post and it does show "Journaled"! Must be an El Captan thing.Sure enough, I checked a Journaled drive on my Mac mini still running 10.11.6. A Get Info window shows "Journaled" but a DU window does not! Oh well, looks like you did the formatting just fine!
Would still like to see a screen shot of the left half of a Finder window...
Post by: Sooz on February 24, 2018, 01:59:43 AM
QUOTE
Would still like to see a screen shot of the left half of a Finder window...
You'll have to direct me as to how to do the left half of a Finder window for what ... did you want it as Get Info for my hard drive? I took this screenshot... or did you want it for SD! or am I not doing it right? I can't keep things straight - maybe because it's past my bedtime tonight...or maybe I'm just dense!
Just point me to the directions again please.[attachment=3526:Left_hal...indow_HD.png]
Also, here's my empty Trash can.
[attachment=3527:Trash_is_empty.png]
Post by: jchuzi on February 24, 2018, 06:19:28 AM
QUOTE(Sooz @ Feb 23 2018, 09:33 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
SD! is on my HD under Applications, but not in my Utilities folder--is that a problem?
Sooz
It's my problem because I misread your original post. Keeping SD in Applications is fine.Sooz
Post by: Xairbusdriver on February 24, 2018, 10:48:55 AM
QUOTE
Would still like to see a screen shot of the left half of a Finder window...
You'll have to direct me as to how to do the left half of a Finder window for what ... did you want it as Get Info for my hard drive?
I think I see that you are using the "List" view in Finder. That's OK. However, I have been referring to the "Sidebar of a Finder window" and you appear to have that hidden. That's OK, also, it's just the way I have Finder and PathFinder set up. I want to see all my drives when I have a Finder or PathFinder open in a window that may cover the entire width of my screen. The "Sidebar" provides that and much more.You'll have to direct me as to how to do the left half of a Finder window for what ... did you want it as Get Info for my hard drive?
With a Finder window open and active ("Finder" will show next to the black Apple icon in the menu bar), click the "View" menu. You should now see various ways to show the same info in a Finder window. Yours will show a checkmark beside "List". Further down that menu is the "Show Sidebar" option. Please click that and you should now see a fairly narrow column on the left-hand side of the Finder window.
As for making just a partial screen capture of any window, try using this three key combination: Shift + Command + 4. The cursor will change to a circle with a vertical and horizontal line forming a "cross hair". The pair of numbers indicate exactly which pixels the 'cross' is over, nice but not too useful.
[attachment=3529:TS_Shift_Command_4.jpg]
If you don't see a change to the above cursor, please open System Preferences. Click the "Keyboard" prefs icon. Select the "Shortcuts" tab in the four labels just below the top of the window. Now, select the "Screen Shots" label in the list on the left side of the window.
[attachment=3528:TS_Parti..._capture.jpg]
You will probably need to click the checkbox next to "Save picture of selected area as a...". Most of us have all four of those check boxes checked, I think that is the default setting with any OS.With that 'crosshair/circle' cursor, you can click and hold at any point on the screen and drag the mouse diagonally to create a rectangle surrounding any area of the screen you want. That way, you can capture a tiny piece of anything on the screen instead of a whole window or the whole screen.
Post by: jchuzi on February 24, 2018, 02:08:31 PM
QUOTE(Xairbusdriver @ Feb 24 2018, 11:48 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
With that 'crosshair/circle' cursor, you can click and hold at any point on the screen and drag the mouse diagonally to create a rectangle surrounding any area of the screen you want. That way, you can capture a tiny piece of anything on the screen instead of a whole window or the whole screen.
Wow! I didn't know that! Thanks for the tip 
Post by: Sooz on February 24, 2018, 04:53:34 PM
As for the Finder stuff, here is what I get when I click View:
[attachment=3530:Finder_to_View.png]
Then, I click on View.... and Show View Options, and I get this as a narrow sidebar:
[attachment=3531:View_to_..._Options.png]
I don't see "List" with a checkmark beside it.
What am I missing?
Post by: Xairbusdriver on February 24, 2018, 05:45:06 PM
Menu are usually “context sensitive” meaning that they change depending on what might be showing in an app or what the app is doing. Finder is just another app.
Post by: Sooz on February 24, 2018, 06:11:44 PM
Ohhhhhh, I get it now!!!
I did Command + F... and here's the screenshot (is this what you needed?)!
[attachment=3532:Showing_List.png]
Post by: Xairbusdriver on February 24, 2018, 07:39:43 PM
QUOTE
I did Command + F
OK, that's certainly one way to do it. I usually have a PathFinder (a third-party alternative to Finder) window open any time the Mac is on. Another way to open a Finder window is to click on any of the Desktop area that might be visible (that will assure that Finder is the front-most app) and then use command-N. Command-N, BTW, is the standard, universal way to open a window in 95% of any app you have.Back to "context-senstive" menus, in the first paragraph I mentioned clicking on the Desktop. That is what we call the image you see on your screen even if you have absolutely no applications running. As soon as you open most any app, you may notice that the label in the upper, left-hand end of the Menu bar and just right of the black Apple icon, will change to the name of the just opened application. Some of the other labels in the Menu bar may also change; they will now be all the menus that new app needs. The Menu bar (as a whole) is 'sensitive' to what application is "active" or front-most. In this case, while Finder is still running, it is now in the 'background' and the app just just started is now in 'front'. Therefore, its Menus are now in the Menu bar. If you need to use Finder, just click on a Finder window, if one is open, or click on part of the Desktop image that is not hidden by any window of any other app.
A very handy way to switch among apps without having to even touch the mouse/mouse pad, is the command-tab key combo. Try that command, if you haven't done so in a while. How about those huge icons?! I don't even need my glasses to see them!
And they show the name of the app as you move left/right among them! That is accomplished with the left or right arrow keys. When you get to the app you want, just release one of the keys and... Wah Lah! (sorry for the Latten) That app is now active, front-most and its menus are now ready for use!Still, all menus may not be available at all times, they are always 'context-sensitive'. If you want to use the "List", "Icon", "Columns" (my favorite!) or "Cover Flow" choices, you must have a Finder window open. Otherwise, there is no window to have displayed in any particular way, thus, those menu items will be grayed out.
I hope you don't feel I'm talking down to you, I'm betting you already knew all the above. OTOH, you never know when a complete Noobie may read this post and have no idea what we are talking about.
And I need to be more careful when providing a list of steps that may not be applicable because the reader may not have things set up as I do!
Post by: Sooz on February 25, 2018, 03:33:20 AM
Anything I may already know is certainly a surprise to me anyway!!!
Thanks for taking the time to 'splain all the ins and outs to me about this stuff! I'm learning, but may not remember unless I do these things frequently enough for them to embed in my brain! I know List, Icon, and Columns but never did hear of Cover Flow! Wow!
I'm not a complete Noobie, but seriously, I often have no idea of things which is why I recognize that I learn by baby steps with pictures!
