Category Archives: Troubleshooting

How to generally manage app problems after upgrading OS X

ApplicationIconXWhenever you upgrade OS X, you always chance an application or two not working with the new software changes. Hopefully problems are kept at a minimum, or are insignificant enough to not require any attention; however, there may be times when apps crash, hang, or show other odd behavior that directly impedes your ability to use them. In these cases, there are several general approaches you can do to fix the problem, before having to dive into specifics troubleshooting steps. Continue reading

Manage lost Mail messages after upgrading to El Capitan

MailIconYosemiteXOne substantial issue that has affected users after upgrading to OS X El Capitan is that Mail messages might be missing. In some cases it may be a few messages, while in other cases entire accounts have been emptied with no messages available. Sometimes this type of problem can be fixed by adjusting account settings to re-establish contact with your account servers, after which re-syncing will download your messages again; however, this does not always happen. Continue reading

Fix problems with internet accounts after upgrading OS X

InternetAccountsIconXWhen you upgrade OS X, the accounts you have configured in the Internet Accounts system preferences should migrate and be just as usable as they were before upgrading. However, there may be times when calendars won’t load, e-mail messages may be missing, or you otherwise cannot access your accounts. While specific problems can be individually investigated, if they are nondescript and affect multiple accounts, you can try re-migrating your user account from a backup. Continue reading

Troubleshoot and manage high battery usage in iOS 9

BatteryIconXHaving long battery life is important for your iPhone, so it may be frustrating if you are seeing your battery levels dropping rapidly instead of giving you the 10+ hours usage you expect. In these cases, there are several things you can do to help and troubleshoot the problem, especially true if you have upgraded your iPhone or iPad to iOS 9, where new services can help you track possible battery drains. Continue reading

How to overcome your Mac not booting after upgrading OS X

FinderIconYosemiteXWhen you upgrade your installation of OS X, the OS X installer will attempt to detect and remove any incompatible software that may destabilize your system. However, there are times when such software may slip past Apple’s detection routines and affect your system. While often you can use troubleshooting routines after installation to manage such problems, on rare occasion these issues may prevent your Mac from booting altogether, leaving you with no ability to use your machine. Continue reading

Fix iBooks missing after upgrading to OS X El Capitan

iBooksIconXAfter installing OS X El Capitan, you may find that iBooks will not access your book library. When you open the program, it will either show a blank window with no content, or display an error that states iBooks cannot access your library, and claim that the disk on which the library is stored cannot be located. If these happen to you, there is a relatively easy fix for the situation. Continue reading

How to see software disabled by OS X 10.11 ‘El Capitan’

InstallElCapitanAs with previous versions of OS X, when you install OS X 10.11 ‘El Capitan’ the installer will detect any incompatible software you have on your system, and then disable it. However, by doing so OS X will not fully uninstall incompatible products, but instead only remove components that do not meet new requirements and which may cause instability if you run those programs. Continue reading

Split View not working in El Capitan? Its an easy fix.

ElCapitanExposeIconXOne of El Capitan’s new features is Split View, which similar to features introduced in Windows 7 allows you to quickly set an app to full screen in half your display’s viewing area. With this approach, you can utilize maximal screen real estate to quickly work on two separate windows from different apps. This mode should be easy to access, but after installing El Capitan you may find Split View will not work. Continue reading

Fix package managers not working after installing El Capitan

NewTerminalIconXIf you’re a power user or have special software needs, then there are several package managers like Fink, MacPorts, and HomeBrew that can be used for accessing open-source software programs and services. If you have installed these a while ago on Yosemite, then you might find after upgrading to El Capitan that they no longer work, and give error outputs instead of updating or installing new programs you specify. Continue reading

How to overcome OS X 10.11 El Capitan not installing

InstallElCapitanAs with prior versions of OS X, the new version 10.11 “El Capitan” is available as a free purchase from the App Store, and should then download and run to allow you to upgrade your system. If all goes well, you should see the OS X installation window that instructs you to begin the upgrade process, but there may be instances where this does not appear, or does not work when you attempt the install. Continue reading