HT4543 is it ok to keep my computer on a soft surface such as a bed or couch if it's asleep?

is it ok to keep/ leave my computer on a soft surface such as a bed or couch if it's asleep?

Not a good idea. Such surfaces and material hamper air flow and ventilation without which the computer could burn up. Either turn it off or put it on a flat surface like a desk or table.

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How to force the display to sleep, while keeping the computer running?

I'm running some compression and transcoding programs on my iMac G5 (iSight) that keeps the CPU at 100% for hours at a time. My Energy Saver prefernces is set to sleep the display after a few minutes, but never to sleep the computer or the hard disk.
Like I'd expect with such a high CPU load, my computer's screen does not go to sleep.
Is there a program or command line utility that I can run to force my screen to go to sleep, but keep the computer running?
iMac G5 17" (iSight) Mac OS X (10.4.5)

To put your display only to sleep;
Go to System Preferences, click on 'energy saver', check the 'Put the display to sleep when the computer is inactive for' box, and then set the time. Note; this just puts the display to sleep, not the whole computer. Your hard disk will keep running. I find this much more convienent than putting the computer in 'full sheep'. It wakes up much quicker without some of the hassle some computers display coming up from full sleep.

HT201250 must I keep the computer on all the time for time machine to do back ups

Must I keep my computer on at all times to get the time machine to do updates ? If not how do I go about updateing time machine on a regular basis

It depends on how much backing up you want. Time Machine will do backups if you have it turned on (in Time Machine Preferences), and if you have your computer connected to a backup drive (either wired or wirelessly, like a Time Capsule), that is specified in TM Preferences, and is also turned on. So, for example, I keep my two macs turned on all the time, and I keep Time Machine turned off. When I am not using my macs they sleep. I have external USB drives for backup via Time Machine, but I don't keep them on and connected all the time. When I think of it, which is about once a week, I'll hook them up, power them on, and do a manual backup: I turn Time Machine on and tell it to backup. When I have more critical documents, I keep them backed up on Dropbox, or iCloud, so I know that every time I finish using them and close them they are backed up. If you want to have more complete backups, then you would keep your computer always connected to your backup drives, and the drives would always be powered on and time machine would always be turned on. You could either have all of these turned on all the time, or just when you are using them and power them all down when you are not using them, or have them powered on all the time, but set the computer to sleep when you are not using it. It just depends on what you are comfortable with in terms of backups.

How do I keep my computer from shutting off when I plug in my iphone

What do I need to do to keep my computer from shutting down each time I plug in my iphone?

Hello goldeeneyes!
I'd love to tell you how to adjust your screen settings. Keep in mind that a longer screen timeout may drain your battery significantly, so you may wish to change it back when you are not using your knitting application.
Please go to Settings>Display and change the Sleep to a longer period of time. Happy creating!
Thank you,
MichelleH_VZW
Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport

What can I get to keep my computer from overheating?!?!?!?

*could anyone please give me a couple names of products that keep the computer from getting to hot and frying its processor? please tell me their prices if you can.*

Google.... Laptop Coolers

If i keep my computer plugged in all day will that ruin the battery???

if i keep my computer plugged in all day will that ruin the battery???

Absolutely yes, it will ruin it.
*However if you don’t plan on using it for a few hours, turn it OFF (plugged in or otherwise) ..*You don’t want your Macbook both always plugged in AND in sleep mode       (When portable devices are charging and in the on or sleep position, the current that is drawn through the device is called the parasitic load and will alter the dynamics of charge cycle. Battery manufacturers advise against parasitic loading because it induces mini-cycles.)
http://www.apple.com/batteries/notebooks.html
"Apple does not recommend leaving your portable plugged in all the time."
Keeping batteries connected to a charger ensures that periodic "top-ups" do very minor but continuous damage to individual cells, hence Apples recommendation above:   “Apple does not recommend leaving your portable plugged in all the time”, …this is because “Li-ion degrades fastest at high state-of-charge”.
                    This is also the same reason new Apple notebooks are packaged with 50% charges and not 100%.
Keep it plugged in when near a socket so you keep the charging cycles down on your LiPo (lithium polymer) cells / battery, but not plugged in all the time. When not being used for several hours, turn it off.
General rule to remember of Lithium batteries is:
Never drain them LOW & dont always/often store them HIGH
While cycle count is commonly seen to be the “miles” on your Lithium Ion pack cell in your Macbook, which they are, this distinction is not a fine line at all, and it is a big misconception to “count charge cycles”
*A person who has, for example, 300 charge cycles on their battery and is recharging at say 50-60% remaining of a 100% charge has better battery usage and care than another person who has 300 charge cycles at say 15% remaining on a 100% charge.
DoD (depth of discharge) is far more important on the wear and tear on your Macbook battery than any mere charge cycle count. *There is no set “mile” or wear from a charge cycle in general OR in specific.    As such, contrary to popular conception, counting cycles is not conclusive whatsoever, rather the amount of deep DoD on an averaged scale of its use and charging conditions.
                          (as a very rough analogy would be 20,000 hard miles put on a car vs. 80,000 good miles being something similar)
*Contrary to some myths out there, there is protection circuitry in your Macbook and therefore you cannot overcharge it when plugged in and already fully charged
LiPo (lithium polymer, same as in your Macbook) batteries do not need conditioning. However...
A lot of battery experts call the use of Lithium cells the "80% Rule" ...meaning use 80% of the charge or so, then recharge them for longer overall life.
Never let your Macbook go into shutdown and safe mode from loss of power, you can corrupt files that way, and the batteries do not like it.
The only quantified abuse seen to Lithium cells are instances when often the cells are repeatedly drained very low…. key word being "often"
Contrary to what some might say, Lithium batteries have an "ideal" break in period. First ten cycles or so, don't discharge down past 40% of the battery's capacity. Same way you don’t take a new car out and speed and rev the engine hard first 100 or so miles.
Proper treatment is still important. Just because LiPo batteries don’t need conditioning in general, does NOT mean they dont have an ideal use / recharge environment. Anything can be abused even if it doesn’t need conditioning.
From Apple on batteries:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1446
http://www.apple.com/batteries/
Storing your MacBook
If you are going to store your MacBook away for an extended period of time, keep it in a cool location (room temperature roughly 22° C or about 72° F). Make certain you have at least a 50% charge on the internal battery of your Macbook if you plan on storing it away for a few months; recharge your battery to 50% or so every six months roughly if being stored away. If you live in a humid environment, keep your Macbook stored in its zippered case to prevent infiltration of humidity on the internals of your Macbook which could lead to corrosion.
Considerations:
Your battery is subject to chemical aging even if not in use. A Lithium battery is aging as soon as its made, regardless.
In a perfect (although impractical) situation, your lithium battery is best idealized swinging back and forth between 20 and 85% SOC (state of charge) roughly.
Further still how you discharge the battery is far more important than how it is either charged or stored short term, and more important long term that cycle counts.
Ultimately counting charge cycles is of little importance. Abuse in discharging (foremost), charging, and storing the battery and how it affects battery chemistry is important and not the ‘odometer’ reading, or cycle counts on the battery.
Everything boils down to battery chemistry long term, and not an arbitrary number, or cycle count.
Keep your macbook plugged in when near a socket since in the near end of long-term life, this is beneficial to the battery.
Peace

I'm a new Mac user, could someone advise me a good programme to keep my computer clean.

As a new user Mac user I'am looking for a recommended programme to keep my computer clean.

THE wrote:
... I'am looking for a recommended programme to keep my computer clean.
Thios is Not necessary as OS X tends to look after itself...
Mac OS X: About background maintenance tasks
Also... See here for keeping your Mac Happy...
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1147
http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/maintainingmacosx.html

I have a MacPro without the updated IOS 7, just purchased an iPod Touch with IOS7, will I be able to download my iTunes library without upgrading my MacPro? I have to keep my computer on old system due to investigation of white collar hacker/frenemy.

I have a MacPro without the updated IOS 7, just purchased an iPod Touch with IOS7, will I be able to download my old iTunes library without upgrading my MacPro? I have to keep my computer on old system due to investigation of white collar hacker/frenemy.

Allan Eckert, my guess is that my reply did not show up until the OPs posted her reply. That problem seems to have restarted this morning. See the post in the Lounge>Community Operations forum for more info.
Allan Eckert wrote:
What is wrong with the one from lllaass?

Will Mackeeper keep my computer running good or does apple have something better

Will Mackeeper keep my computer running good or does apple have something better

How to maintain a Mac
1. Make redundant backups, keeping at least one off site at all times. One backup is not enough. Don’t back up your backups; make them independent of each other. Don’t rely completely on any single backup method, such as Time Machine. If you get an indication that a backup has failed, don't ignore it.
2. Keep your software up to date. In the Software Update preference pane, you can configure automatic notifications of updates to OS X and other Mac App Store products. Some third-party applications from other sources have a similar feature, if you don’t mind letting them phone home. Otherwise you have to check yourself on a regular basis. This is especially important for complex software that modifies the operating system, such as device drivers. Before installing any Apple update, you must check that all such modifications that you use are compatible.
3. Don't install crapware, such as “themes,” "haxies," “add-ons,” “toolbars,” “enhancers," “optimizers,” “accelerators,” "boosters," “extenders,” “cleaners,” "doctors," "tune-ups," “defragmenters,” “firewalls,” "barriers," “guardians,” “defenders,” “protectors,” most “plugins,” commercial "virus scanners,” "disk tools," or "utilities." With very few exceptions, this stuff is useless, or worse than useless. Above all, avoid any software that purports to change the look and feel of the user interface.
The more actively promoted the product, the more likely it is to be garbage. The most extreme example is the “MacKeeper” scam.
As a rule, the only software you should install is that which directly enables you to do the things you use a computer for — such as creating, communicating, and playing — and does not modify the way other software works. Use your computer; don't fuss with it.
Safari extensions, and perhaps the equivalent for other web browsers, are a partial exception to the above rule. Most are safe, and they're easy to get rid of if they don't work. Some may cause the browser to crash or otherwise malfunction. Use with caution.
Never install any third-party software unless you know how to uninstall it. Otherwise you may create problems that are very hard to solve.
4. Beware of trojans. A trojan is malicious software (“malware”) that the user is duped into installing voluntarily. Such attacks were rare on the Mac platform until sometime in 2011, but are now increasingly common, and increasingly dangerous.
There is some built-in protection against downloading malware, but you can’t rely on it — the attackers are always at least one day ahead of the defense. You can’t rely on third-party protection either. What you can rely on is common-sense awareness — not paranoia, which only makes you more vulnerable.
Never install software from an untrustworthy or unknown source. If in doubt, do some research. Any website that prompts you to install a “codec” or “plugin” that comes from the same site, or an unknown site, is untrustworthy. Software with a corporate brand, such as Adobe Flash Player, must be acquired directly from the developer. No intermediary is acceptable, and don’t trust links unless you know how to parse them. Any file that is automatically downloaded from a web page without your having requested it should go straight into the Trash. A website that claims you have a “virus,” or that anything else is wrong with your computer, is rogue.
In OS X 10.7.5 or later, downloaded applications and Installer packages that have not been digitally signed by a developer registered with Apple are blocked from loading by default. The block can be overridden, but think carefully before you do so.
Because of recurring security issues in Java, it’s best to disable it in your web browsers, if it’s installed. Few websites have Java content nowadays, so you won’t be missing much. This action is mandatory if you’re running any version of OS X older than 10.6.8 with the latest Java update. Note: Java has nothing to do with JavaScript, despite the similar names. Don't install Java unless you're sure you need it. Most people don't.
5. Don't fill up your boot volume. A common mistake is adding more and more large files to your home folder until you start to get warnings that you're out of space, which may be followed in short order by a boot failure. This is more prone to happen on the newer Macs that come with an internal SSD instead of the traditional hard drive. The drive can be very nearly full before you become aware of the problem. While it's not true that you should or must keep any particular percentage of space free, you should monitor your storage consumption and make sure you're not in immediate danger of using it up. According to Apple documentation, you need at least 9 GB of free space on the startup volume for normal operation.
If storage space is running low, use a tool such as the free application OmniDiskSweeper to explore your volume and find out what's taking up the most space. Move rarely-used large files to secondary storage.
6. Relax, don’t do it. Besides the above, no routine maintenance is necessary or beneficial for the vast majority of users; specifically not “cleaning caches,” “zapping the PRAM,” "resetting the SMC," “rebuilding the directory,” "defragmenting the drive," “running periodic scripts,” “dumping logs,” "deleting temp files," “scanning for viruses,” "purging memory," "checking for bad blocks," "testing the hardware," or “repairing permissions.” Such measures are either completely pointless or are useful only for solving problems, not for prevention.
The very height of futility is running an expensive third-party application called “Disk Warrior” when nothing is wrong, or even when something is wrong and you have backups, which you must have. Disk Warrior is a data-salvage tool, not a maintenance tool, and you will never need it if your backups are adequate. Don’t waste money on it or anything like it.

Something software related prevented me from being able to boot up my iMAC. The remedy was to wipe the computer of all soft wear and re-inatall everything via my time capsule. All good there.. but now I cannot open Ai and a box stating"Licensing for this

Something software related prevented me from being able to boot up my iMAC. The remedy was to wipe the computer of all soft wear and re-inatall everything via my time capsule. All good there.. but now I cannot open Ai and a box stating"Licensing for this product has stopped working" and to reference error code 150:30. How do I get my Ai to open?

Run the cleaner tool and reinstall it properly.
Use the CC Cleaner Tool to solve installation problems | CC, CS3-CS6
Download CS6 products
Mylenium

How to delete messages from IMAP server but keep on computer???

Hi
I am using Mail to receive my email messages from the University's IMAP server. My problem is that I need to keep copies of my sent and received emails for archives on my computer but not on the server because space is limited. However, when I check the 'remove messages from server' box in the preferences, it also removes them all from my Mail inbox and sent mail folders. Consequently, I'm constantly needing to go to the server (once a week) and manually delete the messages when my folder is too full and then I lose all of my messages.
Can someone please tell me how I can keep all of my sent, received and trashed emails on my computer without them being stored on the server?
thanks
adam

Eric is right. An IMAP account is designed specifically to keep email on line, on a server somewhere on the planet. That way you can use any machine anywhere and see your email. A POP account is designed to actually download your email to the specific machine that you are using and remove it from the server. Although there are ways around that...
So if you want to keep an email on your computer and you want to delete it from the server, you have to make an "On my Mac" mailbox.

My charger will keep my computer charge constant, but won't increase it. What's wrong? My roommate's charger will actually charge my computer.

My macbook pro charger will only keep my charge constant, and the info. says that my battery is not charging. However, the charge will not decrease as long as it's plugged in and my roommate's charger will actually charge the computer. What's wrong?

It seems that your charger may not be putting out enough 'juice'. Does it perform in the same way on your roommates MBP? You may need a new one.
Ciao.

Need some info on how to keep the computer arm in place.

The flat panel will not stay in an upright postion, it keeps drooping down towards the keyboard. The guys at the apple store in our town said that since this product is no longer available I would have to purchase a new arm for the computer. Any help?

sammy,Welcome to Apple Discussions.
I believe that the arm is not user serviceable and requires a special tool (your local Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP) should have one) - I'm surprised the Apple Store didn't offer to adjust it for a fee.
As the new arms come in at around £200 - £300 dependant on model; I would suggest looking in your local Yellow Pages and find an(other) AASP who can may the adjustment.
mrtotes

I have to keep restarting computer because a box says firefox is already runnuing but I cannot access it

I keep getting a box saying that firefox is already running and I have to restart my computer to access it

Duplicate Thread LOCK please
* Continue here - https://support.mozilla.com/en-US/questions/879834

Why do the upgrades from OS X 10.3.6 to OS X 10.6.8 keep my computer freezing?

Hi,
I understand that I should get some Apple Hardware Tests to solve freezing applications problems I already had before upgrading to Lion to Leopard to mountain lion.
I do not succeed to follow the directions I've been provided i.e. turn off the computer, and press the D key before the screen turns grey.
From there, I keep on coming back to my starting screen as if I had pressed nothing, or too late.
Any suggestion? I start to lose it.
Thanks.

You posted in the OS 10.3 and earlier forum instead of the Leopard OS 10.5 forum. To get answers to your question, next time post in the proper forum. See https://discussions.apple.com/index.jspa I'll request that Apple relocate your post.
 Cheers, Tom

HT4543 is it ok to keep my computer on a soft surface such as a bed or couch if it's asleep?

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