First time mac user so excuse the stupid question

I have dl an application and it says to drop it into applications folder and open from there, which I have but it still won't open...help!

It can be a little confusing... especially as a new Mac user. As a Windows user, you used to running an installer that puts all the files everywhere for you. The Mac OS works a little differently. The icon that you drag to your Applications folder is actually a package (sort of like a folder only it is displayed as a single item) and all of the files needed for that application are contained in that package. This is a much more efficient way of handling applications vs. the way Windows does. When you install something on Windows, bits and pieces get installed all over. That's the reason you need to have Add/Remove Programs on a Windows machine... it needs to keep track of where all the files were installed so it can get rid of them. Even then, there are almost always some files folders left over. For most application on a Mac, the same file you moved to Applications can just be dragged to the trash to "uninstall" it. There are some Mac applications that do come with installers. Usually rerunning the installer package will give you the option to uninstall as well.

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New Mac User, Please Pardon the Stupid Questions...

Hi. As the title says, please pardon the stupid questions. I'm a Mac noobie. I got my iMac G5 from my aunt who has always been a mac user. The logic board went out on this one and I had it repaired so now I'm entering the world of mac.
I'd like to know how to upgrade the software on my machine. I'm currently running 10.3.9 which is Panther but I'd like to upgrade. My question is, what software is the newest I can upgrade to and where can I get the software? Is it available for download or do I need to go to a store to purchase it? Also, I currently have itunes 4. I downloaded itunes 10 but it wouldn't install. I get the error message "the installer package "install itunes" cannot be opened the bill of materials for this package can not be found"... Is this due to my OS version? Please help... Thanks

You have to buy it, you can't download it. See if the Apple Store sell it,but I think you will have to get it from eBay or Craig's List. Just make absolutelt sure it's the black retail disc, not grey! Also, you cannot run Snow Leopard on your iMac, it only works on intel machines.
Amazon have some for sale.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nbsb_ss_c_115?url=search-alias%3Dsoftware&field-keywords=leopardos+10.5&sprefix=leopard+os10.5

First Time Mac User with Boot Camp Partioning Question

Hello Mac Community. I am a long time windows user. I just purchased my first Mac product: A 15" MacBook Pro and and excited to get started. I plan to install Bootcamp and run OS X and Win XP. I will need to be able to share files with Programs in Both OS X and XP. After researching I am confused as to whether the best option is to:
1) create 3 partitions for example 1)50GB OSX, 2)50GB Win XP & 3) 155GB shared Project and Documents Drive
or
2) Split Drive in half and have 2 Partitions 1 With each operating system and 90-100gb of free space on it.
*Important Info About My Usage*
I plan to use my MBPro primarily for media applications (video / audio production) so it is very important to me to be able to in windows for example render a quick time movie in After Effects then save it to HDD Boot Up in OS X and use that file in Final Cut. Also with windows to prevent disk fragmentation I have XP on a smaller OS drive and all my video work is done on a large project Drive.
For this reason I would assume option 1 would be my best best? Is this correct?

Steve, you don't have to run Migration Assistant right away. You can set it up as if you weren't going to migrate anything. You can start using your Mac right away.
Later, you can run Migration Assistant any time you want.
Depending on when you cancel MA, it is probable that whatever it did up to that point will be lost. 36 hours is unreasonable.
After you start using your Mac and are comfortable that it works to your satisfaction, connect the two with an Ethernet cable. Make sure it's a Category 5e or Category 6 patch cable (most are today). Then run MA. That ought to work and nothing will be faster.
For what it's worth I never got MA to function properly upon initial setup. It ought to work in theory but mine would get stuck at about the 99% point. Running it after initial setup has always been more reliable. I don't know why.

I have just opened my brand new Macbook Pro and I'm a first time mac user. I have tried to download flash to enable me to watch you tube clips, but on trying to download it, it says I need to close Safari but after doing so, it still won't respond.

I have just opened my brand new Macbook Pro and I'm a first time mac user. I have tried to download flash to enable me to watch youtube clips, but on trying to download it, it says I need to close Safari but after doing so, it still won't respond. Any tips? Help?

Actually you need to quit Safari which is different from closing. With Safari open go the menu bar for Safari/Quit Safari.
Mac 101: Get Started Using A Mac

I am a first time Mac user. how do i get windows.

I am a first time Mac user. how do i get windows.I am student; can I avail of a discount should I need to buy any packages

Yes
see
http://store.apple.com/uk/browse/home/education_routing
dont forget to select the correct countrywhen page opens

I'am a first time mac user, can any explain to me how to transfer file i.e. iTunes ,pictures, other files.

I'am a first time mac user, can any explain to me how to transfer file i.e. iTunes ,pictures, other files.

Select a file you want to transfer and drag it to the desired destination.
If you need help with the basics of OS X you can:
Select Mac Help (or Help Center) from the Finder's Help menu and enter a search keyword. For your question you might search for "copy," "file copy," or "drag and drop" for example.
See Apple - Support - Mac 101
Visit the Apple website where you will find additional information and tutorials on how to use OS X.

There is a problem in updating iphoto and iMovie, read a response here from a certain Dahveed if I'm not wrong to try this, however I'm a first time mac user, how do you delete this ... /Mac HD/Library/Caches/com.apple.appstore/adoption.plist

There is a problem in updating iphoto and iMovie, read a response here from a certain Dahveed if I'm not wrong to try this, however I'm a first time mac user, how do you delete this ... /Mac HD/Library/Caches/com.apple.appstore/adoption.plist

It says 'To update this application, sign in to the account you used to purchase it.'
However I only have one account. I've tried to sign out and in several times. But it doesn't work. I do remember changing my password recently. Secondly I'd like to add that I got this macbook air 3 days ago. I'm a first time mac user. It had three updates initially. Mountain lion 10.8.2, iphoto and the imovie. I updated the mountain lion, thinking I'd get the iphoto and imovie done later. However now this problem has come up. Thanks for responding. Hoping to hear from you soon again regarding this.

First time Mac User with a video problem

Hi. First of all I am a brand new Mac user. I am having problems watching videos. It constantly plays for a second or two, possibly a minute and then stalls....I wait....it picks back up, plays for a second or two longer and repeats the process, so basically it is a very bad viewing experience all around doing this. I have all the software updates. I am a former pc user so trying to adjust to the Mac. I don't know where to begin on fixing this so if someone has any insight or could help it would be great.
I have also noticed it is doing the same start-stop activity when trying to listen to a 30 second music clip in itunes....start, stop, start, stop. So you never get a continuos listen to those clips or watching any video. Very annoying and there has to be a way to fix this, just don't know how to do it on a mac. Need a little help.

If you are using wireless, you might want to try plugging your computer directly into the cable or DSL modem and running the speedtest again. This will determine if it's a connection problem, or a problem with your wireless (possibly your router). I recently had a router go bad, and the only symptom was it was cutting the connection speeds in half, both wired and wirelessly. When I plugged straight into my cable modem I had full speed.
What is really strange is the disparity between your upload and download numbers. Usually, the upload is 1/10 of the download, not 2x larger. I've only seen this at work where they throttle our download speeds to 6,000 kbps to keep us from downloading large files for free on the wireless, while the upload speed runs 20,000 kbps. At my home, for example, I have 4,000 kbps download, and 400 kbps upload.

First-time Mac user with Migration Assistant woes

I'm a new Mac user with a MacBook Air. Still trying to get the migration process completed after three days so I can start using my computer. Looks nice, at least. Three questions:
1. After a 36-hour migration attempt from a PC over Wi-Fi, and with 2 hours to go, I'm getting a "Reconnecting to Mac" window on the PC. If it reconnects, how long could it take? It's still sitting there after 15 minutes.
2. If I cancel the migration process, do I have to start over and cross my fingers for another 36 hours, or does it pick up where it left off?
3. Is there any way to get a faster file transfer, say by Ethernet cable (I have the adapter), USB, anything. This is becoming painful.
I have verified the Wi-Fi connection is up and running. I can connect and reach the internet from my PC.
I don't want to schlep to the Apple Store. I bought this on Apple's assurance that the migration process would would work. If it doesn't, I'm returning it.
Thanks.

Steve, you don't have to run Migration Assistant right away. You can set it up as if you weren't going to migrate anything. You can start using your Mac right away.
Later, you can run Migration Assistant any time you want.
Depending on when you cancel MA, it is probable that whatever it did up to that point will be lost. 36 hours is unreasonable.
After you start using your Mac and are comfortable that it works to your satisfaction, connect the two with an Ethernet cable. Make sure it's a Category 5e or Category 6 patch cable (most are today). Then run MA. That ought to work and nothing will be faster.
For what it's worth I never got MA to function properly upon initial setup. It ought to work in theory but mine would get stuck at about the 99% point. Running it after initial setup has always been more reliable. I don't know why.

I am a first time mac user, need some pointers?

Hello, I'm Cheryl A
I study Graphic Design at home. I have only been on the Mac Book Pro for two weeks.
I was using two computers but was told by ATT that their towers were not strong enough
for me to use both. So I turn off the Dell and use the Mac for 4 hours at school. Now I have
on the Dell Lightroom 4 and all of the Adobe products from another school, how do I access
all of lightroom when I already have it on the Mac ( I have Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator and Indesign.
Help.
Oh I forgot one more thing, today I rapped up the Dell and only using the mac book. But I did use the WD Passport
and saw that all of the work I had on the dell was on the passport, so should I load these on, or wait until
my appointment next week with apple.
I understand, that whatever happens to this computer I have to pay for myself.
Can someone with lots of experience and Help get back at me, if not then I will wait until I go back to the school
to see what they tell me.
<Email Edited by Host>

Welcome to Apple Support Communities
The process to transfer your files from an external drive to your MacBook Pro is pretty easy with Migration Assistant, so you can do it yourself.
Connect the external drive (your Western Digital external drive), open Migration Assistant (in /Applications/Utilities) and follow its steps. It will allow you to choose what files you want to transfer, and it will create a new user account with the transferred data. For detailed steps > http://pondini.org/OSX/MigrateLion.html
Also, as you are a new user and if you feel you do not know how to use OS X, have a look at Mac Basics articles and videos > http://www.apple.com/support/mac-basics

First Time MAC user - OS questions.....

Im awaiting the arrival of my first ever Mac system - a Macbook Pro 13.
As far as Im aware it comes with Snow Leopard OSX.
Since I come from a PC/Windows background, whenever I purchased a system in the past my first job was to always reinstall the OS, so I could create my own partitions, and to clean out any of the manufacturer installed rubbish I dont need! The latter was the main reason for re-installation.
Will my MacBook come with bloatware installed - or is it a clean OS install to begin with??
Would it be worth reinstalling the OS?
Also, if I reinstall the OS, will I need to install all drivers etc - just like on a Windows machine? If so, does the MAC have anything similar to the 'Device Manager' in Windows, so I can see my hardware and which drivers need installing, etc?
Thanks in advance for any response.

Hi and congratulations on your new 'best friend'
The OSX that is on your new MBP is OSX Snow Leopard version 10.6.3
And it does not contain any bloatware as with most of the Windows PCs you can buy.
Apart from the OSX itself you get the 2009 full version of Apple iLife suite plus a 30-day trial version of Apple iWork suite (which can easily be deleted if ou don't like it).
Nothing else on it.
While others round here might do a complete reinstall of OSX on a new Mac, I myself have never done that and have no problems with my Mac.
Device Drivers are part of OSX and updates to them are released as system updates from Apple with their own installer program.
In OSX there is a 'System Profiler' application, which lists all devices of your Mac plus the full software environment.
May I suggest to have a look here for beginners
http://www.apple.com/support/switch101/
http://www.apple.com/support/mac101/
http://www.apple.com/findouthow/mac/
Have Fun
Stefan

First time mac user and...

Hey guys
Hope you can help me on this.
I recently got a new MBA 13" as my first ever mac and was quite happy with it until I updated to 10.7.1 and installed the thunderbolt/EFI updates.
And now I've got quite a lot of problems with the UI.
1)Icon magnification in the dock is sluggish
2)The animations in mission control is also sluggish
3)The app store is even worse than the other 2
I google'd and found few suggestions such as reseting SMC/setting the scrollbars to "Show always"/Reseting RAM but none helped
After using iPhone and iPad,I was expecting the same experience with MBA but...
So any suggestion guys ? Do you think is a software problem ? If it its,then I really hope 10.7.2 fixes it
Thanks

@ Jonge17
That's a thread I created to see if I can get any help or not.
@brodeyo
I live outside the US and since 10.7.2 isn't out yet,I'm not sure whether I can return my mac or not
@lupunus
Tried that but it didn't help

First time Mac user.The Keychain? All day long?

I just got my first Mac. I must have to type a keychain password 50 times a day and all for variuos reasons. Sometime it's the mail server, other times the computer was asleep, or surfing in
I hate it. I like the Mac, but this is enough to want to go back to a PC. Help!

billcox1962 wrote:
@Baltwo. thank you. I can follow your direction all the way to "select login.keychain." I assume you mean select login under the Keychain section. Then I go to Keychain at the top menu and select from the pull down menu "repair keychain". When I do, it list me as "bill2" even though my user name is "bill", also it has a place for a password, but it doesn't matter if I put one in or not, the results of repair, are "no problems found" for both bill and bill2 with or without a password.
Then, you have severe issues, since there shouldn't be a bill2 account and your account should have a password. Under KA->Edit->select Change password for…
I do not follow your "Alternatively" portion. Are you saying to move the Keychain Access out of Finder/Applications to the desktop? If not, where do I find the "hidden user library"? Im sorry, years of PC have left me a little lost in Mac world.
Apple has hidden your user's Library in Lion. See http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20111015142820487 for steps to unhide it.
Then, open it up, open up Keychains, and move the login.keychain to the Desktop. Restart and that should create a new one.

HELP first time mac user, having trouble starting the computer

it worked yesterday, but i couldnt find iphoto so i put in a disc i think it was the leopard disc and now the computer is taking ages to do anything and says cannot install because i am missing version 4? or something like that and asks me to restart my startup disc, but when i do that it just repeats the process over again what do i dooooooo?????????????

Backup cowboy (or cowgirl). Let's start at the beginning, first what iMac do you have and what version of OS X are you using. You can easily tell by clicking the Apple icon in upper left of this screen, then click About this Mac.
Chances are iPhoto is still on your computer, it may have gotten removed from your Dock but that can easily be put back. In Finder navigate to Applications - iPhoto and drag iPhoto back onto your dock.
After you have done that remove the disc you put in, there is probably an eject button on your keyboard that looks like a triangle with a line under it. Good chance it's above the delete key.
Let us know how you're doing now.
Roger

I am a first-time mac user. I recently purchased the MacBook Air. My previous computer was an HP laptop, but I would like to move my iTunes library from the hp to the MacBook Air. How do I do this?

I don't know how to transfer my itunes library from one computer to another. Please help!

iTunes: How to move [or copy] your music to a new computer [or another drive] - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4527
Quick answer if you let iTunes manage your music: Copy the entire iTunes folder (and in doing so all its subfolders and files) intact to the other drive. Start iTunes with the option (shift on Windows) key held down and guide it to the new location of the library.

First time mac user so excuse the stupid question

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