How to Change the Default Application For Extension Files On Mac

How to Change the Default Application For Extension Files On Mac - In some cases we need to change which application is used for a particular file extension. If you find a movie player, text editor or image viewer better, you might want to use the app for all files with the same file extension. For example, QuickTime Player is the default application to view MP4 movie files on OS X, but VLC media player can be a choice.

Follow the steps below to change your default preferences:

1. Locate the file with the extension you want to change the default.
2. Right-click on the file to see the menu, and select "Get Info". (right-click is a click with two fingers on the trackpad in the Finder).

3. A window will appear with the file information, see the section called "Open with"

Choose Spotlight > Open With

4. It will show the current application that is used to open the file, use the dropdown box to select a new application to open it. If you do not see the new application in the dropdown box, select the "Other" to find the application.

Open With VLC

5. Click on the "Change All" to apply the changes to all files that end with the same file extension. That's it.

Change All

Note further:

You can always override the default by manually opening files in different apps with right click, and select "Open With" if the default application to open inappropriately.

To make it easier to distinguish between the file extension, you might want to also make all file extensions visible. In the Finder, select Preferences on the top menu, and click on the Advanced tab. Check the box labeled "Show all filename extensions".

Read our other article How to Make Internet Connection Sharing on a Mac

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How to Share Internet Connection On Mac

How to Share Internet Connection On Mac - Mac OS X has a built-in function that Internet Sharing can be a lifesaver when you are traveling. If you are in a hotel room with an ethernet cable, you can create a wireless hotspot to share the Internet connection with other computers. On the other hand, if you only have wireless access / Wi-Fi, only possible to share internet connection using a LAN cable. Read on this article to find out how to share internet connection on Mac.

How to Share Internet Connection On Mac

It has two parts:

1. Share your Wi-Fi connection via Ethernet
2. Share a wired Ethernet connection wirelessly (Make a hotspot)

Sharing Wireless Connection via Ethernet

My MacBook Pro is connected to the Internet via Wi-Fi, and I want other computers are Windows computer to get online. You can only connect the internet via an ethernet cable/LAN. What can be done?

1. Connect the Ethernet cable connected to a Mac Wi-Fi, and a Windows PC to which you want to get Internet access. Do not need a crossover cable or other network hardware required.
2. Open the System Preferences. Can usually be found in your dock, if no, search in your Applications folder.
3. In System Preferences, under Internet & Wireless, go to the Sharing menu.
4. In the Sharing menu, select Internet Sharing from the list on the left. You will see the Internet Sharing option.

5. Select to share your connection from Wi-Fi to a computer via Ethernet.
6. Finally, click on Internet Sharing check box to activate the service.
7. Your Windows PC should now get an internet connection. If not, try restarting the computer.

That's it. Have fun!

Sharing Wireless Connection Through Ethernet Cable (create a hotspot)

For example, I am currently in a hotel that does not have Wi-Fi, but no Ethernet jack in the wall. While I have some wireless devices (iPad, iPhone, other computers, etc.) that require internet access. What can be done?

Say your Macbook is no LAN port and plug that computer into a wireless hotspot your Mac. However, if you have any of the MacBook Air or MacBook Pro Retina is no LAN port, unfortunately you need an adapter / converter from USB or Thunderbolt to Ethernet.

1. Connect your Mac to the network with Ethernet. Check and make sure your Mac is connected to the internet.
2. Open System Preferences, under Internet & Wireless, search Sharing menu.
3. From the list on the left, click on Internet Sharing, and you will see the Internet Sharing option.
4. Choose to share your connection from Ethernet to Wi-Fi.

5. Click on the Wi-Fi Options button to configure the name and password of your wireless network. The name is up to you, let the choice of such a channel. And set the password for the wireless network you created.

6. Finally, do not forget to check that Internet Sharing is checked to enable sharing.

7. Now your Mac to act as a wireless router, providing a Wi-Fi for all your gadgets.
8. Connect your wireless device to your new hotspot.

This guide was written on Mac OS X 10.9.3 Mavericks, there may be differences in previous versions. The steps are a little different.

Read our other article How to Know the Wi-Fi password on Mac.

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How to Display WiFi Password Stored In Keychain On OS X Mavericks

How to Display WiFi Password Stored In Keychain On OS X Mavericks - Here are the steps to display the password one of your Wi-Fi.

1. Open the Keychain Access application. Can pass the /Applications/Utilities/KeychainAccess.app, or press Command + spacebar to open Spotlight search, then type in "Keychain Access" and press Enter.

2. In the upper right corner, find the name of your Wi-Fi network. This search will find your network password entry stored in the Keychain.

3. Double-click on your network name from the list of results.

4. Tick the "Show password" and enter your admin username and password of your Mac, and then click the OK button.

And as a result, your network password will appear.

Good luck and hopefully useful! Check our other article on how to check internet speed on Mac.

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How to Format External Hard Drive Compatible With Mac and Windows Without Third Party Software

How to Format External Hard Drive Compatible With Mac and Windows Without Third Party Software - The external hard drive can quickly move large files between computers. If the external hard drive you want to run smoothly both on Mac and on Windows, you must use a filesystem that is supported by both platforms. The problem is by default Windows uses nfts, and Mac using HFS. Windows can not read or write HFS drives, and the Mac can not write to NTFS drives but can only read it.

Mac and Windows having different file systems. To be able to use an external hard disk (read write delete) for Mac and Windows, will need to select the "MS DOS File System" for the format of your hard disk.

There are third party solutions that free and paid so that the Mac can work with NTFS, and Windows understand HFS. But it costs money, slow / bug, or you may not have permission to install software on the computer. Below article will explain how you can use FAT or exFAT filesystem to make your external hard drive is compatible with both Mac and Windows for free.

Warning: The following guide includes re-formatting the external hard drive, it will erase all the data on your external hard drive. Do not forget to make a backup copy of your files in order not to lose.

How to Format External Hard Drive Compatible With Mac and Windows Without Third Party Software

Option 1: FAT
Pros: Works natively with all Macs and all Windows.
Disadvantages: Can not handle files larger than 4GB if 1x transfer.

How to Format using FAT

1. Open Disk Utility on your Mac. (faster using Spotlight, click on the magnifying glass and type in Disk Utility).

2. Select the drive you want to format.

3. Select the "Erase" tab in Disk Utility.

4. Select MS-DOS (FAT) from the drop down box.

5. Click Erase and follow the prompts.
6. Allow the process is complete.

Option 2: exFAT
Pros: Can work with large files.
Disadvantages: Not compatible with older operating systems / old. You have to use the Mac OS X 10.6.5 or later, and Windows must be Windows Vista SP1, Windows 7, or later.

How to use exFAT format (on Windows)

1. Connect the hard drive to a Windows Vista SP1 or Windows 7.
2. Open the Computer window.

3. Right-click on your external hard drive, and select Format.

4. Select the exFAT from the drop down box, and click Start.

5. Done! Now the external hard drive you can work on Mac and Windows.

Although FAT is more compatible with the old system, can not transfer files over 4GB that's shortcomings. You will not be able to use this hard drive if using FAT for file transfer HD video long duration and image files / ISO large, for example. For this reason I would recommend exFAT.

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How to Take a Screenshot on a Mac

How to Take a Screenshot on a Mac - Apple minimalist design means that the keyboard has keys that you need, everything else is done by means of a keyboard shortcut. No special printscreen button as you get on the PC, so you need to use the keyboard shprtcut way.

To take a screenshot of the full screen resolution of the entire screen, hold down the Command and Shift keys simultaneously and do not release then press the number 3. To take a screenshot of a specific part of the screen, the same way, press the Command and Shift keys simultaneously and press 4.

The result is a PNG image file on your desktop, and file names based on the date and time of capture screenshots.

Bonus: The PNG format is pretty good for screenshots, since it provides a good balance between file size and sharpness of the image, but if you choose JPEG instead, you need to enter the following two commands into the terminal (one by one).

default write com.apple.screencapture type jpg

killall SystemUIServer

The first line change the screenshot file format, and the second line to restart the process that used to take pictures. The default is PNG, but you can choose GIF, JPG, TIFF, and even PDF. Read our other article How to Record Screen on Mac With Free.

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How to Record Screen on Mac With Free

How to Record Screen on Mac With Free - Do you want to show what you do on your Mac to someone? Or a lot of people? Sometimes video is the best medium to describe what you do. You can record and share it on YouTube or social networking. Here are tips on how to record the screen Mac using Quicktime Player 10 software built from the Mac OS X version 10.6 (Snow Leopard).

1. Open Quicktime Player, located in the Applications folder. You may not see the Quicktime window, but you will see a menu bar at the top of the Quicktime Player.

2. Click on File -> New Screen Recording Now you will see a screen recording window.

3. Click on the down arrow is white to match the desired settings. You can select the audio source, either your default microphone or audio input in-line. Here you can also select the video recording quality, a higher quality will produce larger files. The slider below the red record button to adjust the sensitivity of the microphone/input.

4. Click the red record button. Now you have the option to record your full screen (the default), or you can click to drag a selected area of ​​your screen to in-crop. Areas that are not recorded will be darker. Recording a larger area will result in larger files.

5. Once you have chosen the area, click to continue. Now record your screen starts.

6. When finished, click the stop button, and videos that you record will now appear, and you can see it.

7. Use the Share button (File menu -> Share) to quickly upload videos to YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo and others. Or click on the menu File -> Export to create a video file, to send / share your video manually.

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How to Check Ethernet Connection Speed ​​in Mac

How to Check Ethernet Connection Speed ​​in Mac - Leisure fantastic wireless network is a sure thing you desire, but not comparable to the solidity and reliability of a wired network connection.

From where you can find out if your ethernet connection running at 10, 100 or 1000 Mbit/s? This article will tell you where I check the connection speed on Mac.

How to Check Ethernet Connection Speed ​​in Mac

1. Make sure your ethernet cable is plugged in and to make sure that you are connected to the network, open System Preferences> Network.

2. Next, open the Network Utility on your Mac. It is located in the Applications> Utilities> Network Utility. Or, find Network Utility in Spotlight Search.

3. On the Info tab, under Network Interface, use the drop-down menu to select Ethernet.

4. Then you will see the details of network connections including network address and connection speed.

Done! Now that you know how to determine the speed of your ethernet connection. You are currently still in the Network Utility? You can check out the other useful features of the Network Utility in other tabs, as shown below.

• Ping: Allows you to test how long it takes to send messages to the remote server and receive a response. Size in milliseconds.
• Whois: Find out who the owner of the registered domain name.
• Traceroute: Navigate your request physical path along the Internet when you connect to the remote server.

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