Written by Mårten Björk •
It’s easy to pick up how to use a Mac. However, you might get tripped up on some of the quirks of OS X. Some of the design decisions left me scratching my head. Why they chose to design the system in this way, I don’t know. Maybe it all makes sense in the mind of Steve Jobs. Beginner’s Guide To OS X The Red “X” Doesn’t Close the Window.
This article will help you understand how to browse your files on a Mac. Don’t panic, it’s not very complicated.
Understanding it
Your hard drive contains millions of files. Both your personal files such as documents, photos or music files, but also system files that your Mac needs to operate properly.
If all these files were in the same place, it would be very hard for you to find your stuff, right? It would be one gigantic pile of files. That’s why we have folders. You can think of a folder as a box in which you can put your stuff.
You can even put folders inside other folders. Image viewer for mac. For instance, you could create a folder called “vacation photos” and put it inside a “memories” folder. Neat and tidy, just the way we like it.
Get started
Let’s get started browsing through your files. First, click the “Macintosh HD” icon on your desktop. A new window will appear.
This is called a Finder window. The Finder window allows you to explore the contents of your hard drive.
The Finder window – how it works
It’s quite easy to understand how to use a finder window. We’ll now explain the most basic things about it.
Resize it!
If you wish to resize a Finder window, just drag (keep mouse button pressed down) the handle in the lower right corner.
Change viewing options
If you wish to change the way things are viewed inside a Finder window, there are a few buttons you should know about.
Inside your hard drive
The hard drive of a brand new Mac contains four folders (click Macintosh HD to view them):
Applications
The Applications folder contains all your applications.
Library and system
The two folders called Library and System are not very interesting for beginners. They contain stuff that your Mac needs in order to work properly.
Users
The Users folder contains one folder for each user plus a Shared folder where the users can put stuff that they want all the users of the computer to have access to.
The folder associated with the user currently logged in (you) looks a bit different. Instead of looking like a folder, it looks like a house. This folder is called your Home folder.
Home folder
The Home folder is great. Every user on a Mac has one. It allows you to organize your stuff in a smart and easy way.
When you click your Home folder, you will see a lot of different folders. We’ll now explain what they do.
Desktop
Within your Home folder there is a folder called Desktop. It is an exact reflection of your real desktop. All files in that folder are visible on your real desktop.
Movies
Put your movies in this folder. What else needs to be said?
Public
If you want to share a file with another user, just put it in the Public folder and he/she can access it (your other folders can’t be accessed by other users).
Documents
Put your documents in this folder. Word documents, Excel documents, Pages documents – this is the right folder for them!
Music
This is the place where music will be put. However, when you start iTunes it will automatically create a sub-folder called “iTunes” in the Music folder. If you wish to add songs to iTunes, just drag them to the iTunes icon and they will automatically be organized into the iTunes folder.
Sites
If you like to create web pages, put them here. Also, if you save web pages using your web browser, you might want to put them in the Sites folder.
Library
The Library folder is one of those geeky ones. The Library folder inside Macintosh HD contains stuff for the whole computer, while the Library folder inside your Home folder contains stuff unique for your user account. Well, never mind, you probably won’t need to touch this folder for a long time.
Pictures
This is the folder where you should put your images. https://wyrzoue.weebly.com/blog/ie-for-mac. If you use iPhoto in order to organize your photos, iPhoto will automatically create a folder called “iPhoto” inside your Pictures folder. If you wish to add images to iPhoto, just drag them to the iPhoto icon and they will automatically be organized into the iPhoto folder so you don’t have to do it yourself.
Search
Every Finder window has a search field. Just type something and your search will be performed.
To read more about it, read our article about Spotlight.
Are you new to the Mac? MacMost has more than 1,400 free tutorials that can help you get up to speed quickly. Here is a collection of videos hand-picked to help those who are using a Mac for the first time.
Getting Started
First, get a tour of the Mac keyboard. Then, learn about the many different ways to launch apps on your Mac. Your Mac also comes with a large collection of apps pre-installed which can handle most basic computer tasks. One of the key techniques you should know about right away is how to bring up context menus, and there are also a few other key things you should master.
The 4 Mac Techniques You Need to Master
Working With Files, Folders and Documents
The Finder is the environment you use to view your files and folders. Learn a variety of techniques to help you manage your stuff, such as selecting multiple items and opening tabs in the Finder. But on a Mac you don’t need to return to the Finder to rename or move documents, you can do that while editing. You can also revert to earlier versions of documents.
Understanding Document Versions
Safety and Security
No matter which computer or devices you use, you should always keep security in mind. On a Mac it is easy to set strong, unique password for each website and service you use. If someone else needs to use your Mac, they should have their own account you should only give them access to the Guest Account. The Practical Guide to Mac Security (Free Book)As for malware, Apple has you covered with built-in anti-virus and a way to protect yourself against installing something that would harm your Mac. MacMost has a free course and eBook on Mac security. Another thing you should do is to set a lock screen message so that if you lose your Mac and someone finds it, they can get it back to you.
Using Safari
The Mac’s default web browser is Safari. It is fast, energy-efficient and good with security and privacy. Learn how to go to sites and perform searches. When reading articles, use the reader view. If a tab in Safari has a video or sound playing, you can mute it. Learn other key Safari web-browsing techniques.
Safari Web Surfing Techniques
MacMost Beginner’s Guides
These short videos focus on a single topic for those who are new to using a Mac.
A Beginner's Guide to Mac Display PreferencesA Beginner's Guide To Organizing With Folders On Your Mac A Beginner's Guide to Mac Scroll Bars A Beginner's Guide to Resizing Mac Windows A Beginner's Guide To Renaming Files A Beginner's Guide to the Mac Maps App A Beginner's Guide to the Mac Trackpad A Beginner's Guide to Mac Keyboard Shortcuts A Beginner's Guide to Status Menus A Beginner's Guide to Getting Started With Time Machine A Beginner's Guide To the Desktop Folder Mac For Beginners Interactive Video GuideA Beginner's Guide to Previewing Files On Your Mac A Beginner's Guide to Mac Context Menus A Beginner's Guide To the Mac App Switcher A Beginner's Guide to the Mac Cursor A Beginner's Guide to Sending Images In Email Messages A Beginner's Guide to Mac User Accounts A Beginner's Guide to the Mac Downloads Folder A Beginner's Guide to Mac Notes A Beginner's Guide to Mac Modifier Keys A Beginner's Guide to TextEdit A Beginner's Guide to the Mac App Store A Beginner's Guide to Web Searching A Beginner's Guide to Windows and Tabs A Beginner's Guide to Drag and Drop On the Mac A Beginner's Guide to Siri On the Mac A Beginner's Guide to the Red, Yellow and Green Window Buttons A Beginner's Guide to Copy and Paste Imac Books For BeginnersA Beginner's Guide to Finder ViewsA Beginner's Guide to Mac Reminders A Beginner's Guide to Desktop Backgrounds A Beginner's Guide to System Preferences A Beginner's Guide to LaunchPad A Beginner's Guide to the Mac Trash A Beginner's Guide to Mac Spotlight A Beginner's Guide to the Mac Menu Bar A Beginner’s Guide to the Mac Dock A Beginner's Guide to Mission Control Mac For Beginners Mojave
More Mac Tips
Hungry for more? Learn how you can quickly open recent files and access frequently-used files. Find out how to take screen shots. And see how you can uninstall apps.
Mac Products For BeginnersHow To Uninstall Apps
Getting Help
The Help menu in any App will give you access to keyboard shortcuts, help you locate menu commands, and view app documentation. You can also download MacMost’s keyboard shortcut PDF if you like shortcuts. Get Help At the Genius Bar
Paint.net for mac. If you have a problem with your Mac, Apple has terrific customer support. You can take your Mac to the Genius Bar in any Apple Store for free help, advice and as the first step in any repair. Mac Lessons For BeginnersMac For Beginners Pdf
Want even more help getting up to speed? Packet tracer for mac. MacMost has a general course on using macOS Mojave. It includes 60 video tutorials, with more than 7 hours of video instruction. You can get it for 25% off the regular price here: https://macmost.com/online-course-the-guide-to-macos-mojave.html.
Also, check out this MacMost book with 101 Mac Tips. It is available for about 8 bucks.
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