Filed under: Features, Troubleshooting, Ask TUAW
Ask TUAW: Return to open, messed up Mighty Mouse, PDF alternatives, Boot Camp expansion, and more
It's time once again for Ask TUAW! For this round we take questions about cleaning a malfunctioning Mighty Mouse, opening files and applications with the return key, expanding a Boot Camp partition, finding alternatives to Adobe Acrobat, caring for your notebook battery, and moreAs always, your suggestions are welcome. Questions for next week should be left in the comments. When asking a question please include which machine you're running and which version of Mac OS X (we'll assume you're running Leopard on an Intel Mac if you don't specify). And now, on to the questions!
Ivan asks
Coming mostly from a Windows world I am very used to navigating using the keyboard. But I can't see how to "launch" an application (or any other icon) without the mouse. On Windows (or on Linux) if you press while selecting an icon, you'll launch the default action for that icon (launch the application or open the selected document with the associated application). On the Mac, you get to rename the file. Which is nice, of course. But how do you tell the Mac to "execute" by using the keyboard?
I think this is yet another common switcher question that's worth re-answering periodically. The short answer is one of two keyboard shortcuts: ⌘ + o (for "Open") or ⌘ + down arrow. However, another reader (thanks, Matt!) points us to a nifty little utility called ReturnOpen which does exactly what it says. Once installed it allows you to open files and applications with the return key. The enter key (on your numpad) will still allow you to rename the file.
Dudeman asks
My mighty mouse is almost a year old. For the last 3 months, it hasn't been able to scroll down (the scroll ball itself will scroll down, but the scroll bar won't go down). It scrolls up, & I tried another mouse (only with 2 mouse buttons & a scroll wheel) goes both up & down, but my mighty mouse won't & I don't want to switch mice (i love those 2 extra buttons)... can I fix it?
I believe that the proper technical description for your problem is gunk in the scroll ball. The Mighty Mouse has a design flaw (in my view) in that the scroll ball in that it cannot be easily cleaned. However, Apple does have a Support Document with cleaning tips (and even a video). I've also had some luck with the Scotch tape flossing method.
ted asks
Does anyone know of an alternative (not necessarily free) to Adobe Acrobat for OS X? I want something that has all the capabilities as the Acrobat (creating PDF, editing, merging files, convert to doc etc). I like Acrobat for their creative suites (though I think their pricing is a bit ridiculous), I use Illustrator and Photoshop regularly on my other macs. But I just bought a new MB for work and don't want to pay $500 for the Acrobat application.
A couple of years ago we took a look at a couple of non-Adobe PDF editing applications, PDFPen ($49.95) and PDFClerk (€35 = ~$50), both of which have advanced since we looked at them. Depending on what you want, either has helpful editing features. I don't think either application converts to Word .doc files, however, there are online services that can handle that. If you want to stay on your Mac there's also File Juicer ($17.95) for "simple PDF files" or PDF2Office ($129) more complex ones. Finally, there's the extensive suite of PDF applications from Universe Software you might like to check out.
Jayman asks
how do you set up ipv6 on a mac. I got an ipv6 address from tunnel-broker.net
You might want to start with this thread at Tunnelbroker's forums. Also, you should have a look at this resource page.
whoapossum asks
I do all my work off of an external FAT32 160GB HDD since I move between Windows and Mac quite frequently. I have a 1TB networked HDD at home (2 partitions for TM backups of my 2 Macs, 1 partition as a bootable OS X DVD clone, and one 300GB partition for miscellaneous use, all HFS+), and I was wondering if there was an elegant way to back up the contents of my FAT32 HDD to a directory on my 300GB misc. network share. SuperDuper! and CCC won't play nice with FAT32. Thanks!
I'm not sure why you say SuperDuper! and CCC won't "play nice with FAT32"; if it mounts it should work. In any case, it sounds like you don't want a block-level clone of your drive anyway, but just file syncing. Our standard recommendations for file syncing are ChronoSync ($40) and Martian Slingshot ($29.99). However, you can roll your own Rsync based solution for free with arRsync.
aerohead asks
I'm concerned about the health of my macbook battery. Keeping it plugged in and fully charged all the time is bad for it, a Mac genius said, since the electromotive force effectively decomposes it. Is there a utility to stop the battery from charging when plugged in?
I believe charging happens at a hardware level (otherwise it wouldn't charge when the computer is turned off), so there's no way to stop it with a software utility. If you really want to stop the charging I think your only choice is to pop the battery. As we've mentioned before, Apple itself has some battery advice, the upshot of which is that if you fully discharge the battery about once per month you should be okay. If you're going to pop the battery to store it, they suggest doing so at about a 50% charge level.
obsidian9 asks
Running a MacPro 2,1 8 core w/ 9Gb of RAM & Leopard 10.5.7. I have Windows XP installed w/ Bootcamp that i also use Parallels 4 to run. I'm contemplating a purchase of a new HD for the workstation, a 1TB b/c the default 250 is just too small for my music collection plus programs & windows installation. If i am to purchase said HD, I know i can use Migration Assistant to move my Mac installation to the new HD. Is there anyway to open up the old HD to be all for windows? It would be a pain to reinstall windows, & i just would like to dedicate the entire 250GB HD to windows & give Leopard a full 1TB.
What you need is the nifty little tool Winclone (donations requested) to clone your Windows partition. Here's what I would do:
- Before you do anything else, you need a complete backup of your system.
- Install the new hard drive.
- Use SuperDuper! ($27.95) or Carbon Copy Cloner (donations requested) to clone your OS X partition to the new drive. Then check and make sure it's bootable (use the Startup Disk Preference Pane).
- If necessary, boot into Windows and convert to NTFS. It has to be NTFS; this will not work on a FAT32 partition because when it restores it won't expand to fill the new partition.
- Boot back into OS X on the new drive, then use Winclone to create an image of your Windows partition.
- Reformat and resize your original drive with Boot Camp.
- Restore your Winclone image to the original drive.
Another warning: you may have issues with Parallels, so you might have to rebuild your VM.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
.nate said 2:30PM on 6-04-2009
to clean a mighty mouse I just spray some solvent cleaner onto the ball and roll around, the gunk comes round and out making it feel brand new
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EMoShunz said 4:06PM on 6-04-2009
done this twice in 2 years, works perfect! (except i sprayed on the cloth first then rubbed it)
samsonsu said 6:47PM on 6-04-2009
I just cleaned my mighty mouse in the hard way, and it now works perfect.
Basically I disassembled it and directly cleaned the gunk on the ball holder. Works perfect. Took me about 30min first time. Now I think I can do it in 10 min or so.
stooky said 5:36AM on 6-05-2009
me too I open my MM frequently.
2 tipps at this point:
1st) be sure not to break the grey plastic oval ring when removing it, ot is glued on and ya have to break the glueing
2nd) when assembling again, use clear/colorless nail varnish and use the brush on the nail varnish to mark just 3-4 little spots when reattaching the grey plastic oval ring.
the nail varnish glues perfectly and this way the next time you clean the mouse the grey oval ring comes off easily. yet as said it ist strong enough to glue the ring.
a nice instruction to fo the job:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jet7488UoSE
Brian McClure said 10:19PM on 6-05-2009
I used the Wireless Mighty Mouse for three years and cleaned it a number of times with rubbing alcohol on a cloth.
I finally decided to have some sense and purchased a Logitech MX Revolution... which is the best accessory I have bought. The versatility and functionality of the mouse is amazing... along with the built in rechargeable batteries and ergonomics.
My big hands are not good for the Mighty Mouse!
Dan Calderon said 2:35PM on 6-04-2009
I've had Mighty Mouse problems since the first 3 months I bought mine. The only thing that has ever worked for me is the following:
- pull out and place a clean sheet of printer paper on a table.
- make sure the mouse is off or unplugged
- turn the mouse upside down and run the ball in all directions against the paper (the harder you press down the better)
- keep doing it for about a minute
If you're doing it correctly, you'll actually see the gunk get smeared all over the paper. Should work like a charm when you reconnect it.
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Allister said 3:08PM on 6-04-2009
I second the sheet of paper method. It's the only method that has consistently worked for me. Though it is best if you do this immediately you notice an issue.
Edd Morgan said 3:19PM on 6-04-2009
I actually just had this happen to my mouse today. Using the paper works very well, but what I've found to be useful is to lick your finger and rub it over the scroll-nipple a little before rolling it over the paper (this fixed it instantly after about 10 minutes of unsuccessful paper rolling).
Michael said 2:35PM on 6-04-2009
In response to Ivan wanting to open applications or files without the mouse...
It you use the keyboard shortcut Command + Space bar, you can them type the application or file into spotlight. I use this all the time for applications that I don't have in the dock.
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Attila said 4:16PM on 6-04-2009
Second that, it's really handy!!!
Vic said 2:39PM on 6-04-2009
What I found worked great was what the support document said. Just turn the mouse over on a clean piece of paper and roll it around. It really works! If it's really dirty you'll probably have to do it a few times. I did.
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Jeff said 2:41PM on 6-04-2009
Best way to fix your mighty mouse is to find the nearest trash can and throw the mouse in it. Replace with a Logitech.
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John.B said 3:01PM on 6-04-2009
Do any of the Logitech mice support the left/right side click to fire up Exposé? Or any other mice, for that matter?
Allister said 3:10PM on 6-04-2009
I've yet to find any other mouse that can scroll sideways without some cock-eyed twist on a scroll *wheel*. I'm no fan of Mighty Mouse, but I do love the four-directional scrolling and use it all the time. It's in muscle memory now.
colouroflight said 4:45PM on 6-04-2009
Amen. The Mighty Mouse is the worst computer peripheral I've ever had the displeasure of spending my money on. The aluminum Bluetooth keyboard isn't anything special, either - it drove me nuts until I had to give in and buy a wired one.
John said 8:37AM on 6-05-2009
I've got one of these:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kensington-72121-Optical-Elite/dp/B000063EJW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1244204698&sr=1-1
Dirt cheap, and you can set up the side buttons to trigger Exposé/Dashboard, or anything that can be launched with a keyboard shortcut. You do need to install their driver though. You can also set clicking both side buttons at once to trigger another action - I've got this set up to show the desktop.
You need to click the scroll wheel to switch between vertical and horizontal scrolling, but otherwise I find it far nicer than the MM. No problems at all after ~2 years of use.
Chris Tucker said 2:53PM on 6-04-2009
I've seen the 4 button & scrollwheel Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer at Micro Center for US$17.00 or so.
I've been using multibutton/scrollwheel mice on my Macs since OS 8.6. I've been using USB Overdrive as the driver for the mice almost as long.
I understand that Steermouse is an equally good driver.
I've used the Mighty Mouse. It is, at best, OK.
Seriously, get a mouse with multiple buttons and scrollwheel and USB Overdrive or Steermouse. If one MUST have a trackball as well, you can occasionally find the Kensington ORBIT at Goodwill for US$2.00 or so.
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Takeru said 3:45PM on 6-04-2009
The MightyMouse is a multi-button mouse. It is set up by default to have both left and right buttons as one button.
Just go into System Preferences and the Mouse prefpane and tell it to use the right side as "secondary click".
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I personally can't stand the mighty mouse. I would suggest getting something from Logitech from $17 - $30 that has both horiz and vert scrolling. I use the Wireless Optical Mini Mouse and love it.
Desaparecido said 3:11PM on 6-04-2009
Dudeman,
There are two tips I can give you for your issue.
1. Use a baby wipe to clean the scrolling ball and a paper towel to dry it afterwards. Baby wipe it rigidly for about 1 minute. It works every time on all the mighty mouse of all the people I've helped.
2. Wash your hands every time before touching your mouse. The reason it gets stuck is because of the oil build-up from your hands that make the inside sensor not notice certain movements that are TOO smooth due to the oil.
Ok, that's my 2¢. Bonne Chance!
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Martin said 3:16PM on 6-04-2009
Does anyone here feel that their Mighty Mouse is not as accurate as other mice? It's almost as if I've never been able to fully anticipate how much tabletop movement is required to get the pointer from A to B with it, is what I'm saying.
Then again, it's the only mouse I've used on a Mac in the last decade, so it might not be the mouse at all.
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