Category: newbie2mac

Jul
3
2012

Today I ran into an interesting issue. I booted up my Mac this AM as I had needed to shut it down last night since it was going to be quite warm in the room where I keep the computer with the air conditioner off. After letting the AC cool the room down, I turned it back on as normal. On boot, it was ok, but within about 5 minutes the fans went into ballistic overdrive mode and began to sound like a small airplane was about to take off.

I immediately checked the internal temperature sensors (I have the iStat Pro widget installed, but there are many ways to do this) and saw that everything was within normal ranges for my late 2010 iMac. The fans, however, were going at full tilt still. Quickly checking my system processes and open apps, nothing was driving the CPU or graphics card to extremes, so I was at a total loss as to what could be causing the iMac to think I was sitting in a sauna all of a sudden.

Next up, web searches to find out if this was any kind of known issue, and what do you know, it is. Apple even has a KB article that details excessive fan speed as a symptom of an unusual, but known, situation.

NOTE: You’ll be resetting some pretty critical components of your Mac, so the author takes no responsibility if you don’t read that KB article and/or don’t follow the full instructions on that page.

The System Management Controller (SMC) is a set of hardware monitoring and control operations that are in charge of very low-level components like fans, hard drive speeds, etc. They exist to handle things that OS X may not be able to deal with, such as making sure the system doesn’t overheat when the processor goes off the charts. Something inside the OS itself would be just as frozen, but the SMC can shut down the Mac to save the hardware until you can figure out what’s wrong.

In my case, the SMC got confused and though the system was overheating even when it clearly was not. Other symptoms of the SMC needing to be reset can be odd lights on the keyboard (e.g. the CapsLock light won’t ever shut off) or just general hardware flakiness that seems unrelated to system settings or operations within OS X. Luckily, resetting the SMC doesn’t cause any data or preferences loss, and is pretty painless.

First, go read the KB article. There are a few steps you should really take to rule out OS X or application issues that could just as easily be causing the problem you’re seeing. In my case, I shut down all apps and rebooted to rule out that something might be running the CPU or GPU at full tilt by accident.

After that, gracefully shut down your Mac. If you cannot gracefully shut it down (Apple menu, Shut Down…) then the problem is most likely not SMC related. If you shut down cleanly, leave the Mac alone for about 30 seconds.

Then, for Intel-based Mac desktops:

Unplug the power cable from the desktop. You must then wait at least 15 seconds before you plug it back in. This step basically forces the SMC to reset when you plug the power back in – the desktop recognizes that there was a total power loss at some point, but now it’s back, triggering the event.

After plugging the power back in, wait at least 5 seconds to allow the hardware to figure out that it’s come back from a power loss, then press the power button. The machine should now boot up just like normal.

If all went well, the hardware hiccup you were experiencing should have disappeared. In my case, the fans sped up on boot, but returned to their default behavior within about 3 minutes. Since then, they’ve been operating as expected, only revving up into “airplane mode” if I do something that taxes the video card or CPU.

The KB article also has instructions for how to perform this operation on non-desktop Macs, such as MacBook Pro and Air devices, so it appears to be a universal control for all Intel-based Mac computers. Be sure to follow the instructions exactly, as not waiting for the correct length of time, or not hitting the right keyboard triggers at the right time can cause the SMC reset to be skipped.

Of course, if this doesn’t fix the problem, you may need to call into Apple Tech Support or stop by a Genius Bar to get more help. Gremlins like this do turn up from time to time – based on the descriptions in the KB article – so knowing how to do this can be handy.

By Mike Talon •
HowDoI? •
0

Jun
27
2012

Many readers have noticed that software tools they’ve downloaded from the Mac App Store are alerting them that they will not be able to continue receiving updates via the App Store, but instead must switch to the non-App-Store version of the same software package. This has caused quite a bit of confusion, and has lead to two major questions:

1 – Why the switch?

2 – What happens if I don’t switch?

Let’s take them in turn:

1 Why the Switch?

Apple will be introducing several new technologies in the next generation of the App Store, currently scheduled to ship with Mountain Lion later this year, but the changes will also apply to Lion (the current version of OS X). Among these changes is a set of security technologies called sandboxing, which have actually been around for quite a while (See this Wikipedia article for the basics). The short story is that sandboxing will change the way apps may interact with OS X in general, and may block some critical functionality of apps you download and run. For the most part, the apps could be re-written to accept sandboxing, but that’s a process that would require a lot of development in some cases, and the vendors are unwilling or unable to make those changes. So, they will not be permitted to be purchased and downloaded via the App Store any longer.

The second reason many apps are now leaving the App Store is paid upgrades. For software on many platforms (Windows, Linux, OS X, etc.) the standard for upgrades is typically free upgrades within the same major version you purchase, and then a discounted but paid upgrade to get to the next major version. So going from version 4.1 to 4.3 would be free, but going from 4.3 to 5.0 would cost money. The Mac App Store has no method to permit previous version owners to buy the software at a lower price. If you build a new version, and don’t give it away as a free update, the App Store can only charge one set price to everyone. This means that vendors either have to give away major releases to current owners, or else charge everyone – including recent purchasers of the previous version – the full retail price.

Vendors would prefer to offer a discount to current owners, and even to give the new version away free to very recent purchasers, and only have new buyers pay the full retail price. That’s great for both vendors and end-users, but not possible at all in the App Store, so vendors are moving back to the more traditional methods for selling their software.

2 – What if I don’t switch?

You could, of course, follow your vendor’s instructions and use the version they make available to replace the one you have installed already. I’ve personally done that for about six apps so far, and they’ve worked quite well. But some vendors are not offering instructions, and others won’t allow you to “swap out” the App Store version for the commercial version. So what happens if you don’t switch?

First, a lot of this depends on your vendor. They will decide how much of the following applies to you. Be sure to reach out to them via their email/web contact information to find out how to proceed.

If you choose to stay on the App Store version of the app, Apple will allow vendors to continue making updates to the current version of that app only. This means that you can get critical patches, but you cannot ever upgrade via the App Store once the sandboxing comes into play. So if you choose to not switch to the commercial version, you’re stuck on the version you have now forever.

Note that this also means that – at some point – vendors may drop support for the App Store version completely. They’re under no obligation to continue supporting older versions after a period of time determined by Apple. The industry standard is about 2 versions ahead of the currently available version, but your mileage may vary.

As I’ve seen myself, vendors who are moving away from the App Store are working very hard to make the move as seamless as they can. For most of the apps I’ve upgraded to commercial versions there was no charge, and all I had to do was run the App Store version once, then launch the new version and the license transferred over. In one case, the vendor made the move with a new major release, and charged me a fraction of the cost of the full software like they would do for any customer who was buying a major upgrade from them.

So there you have it. You can choose to stay with the App Store version of a software product, but risk losing out on new features and non-critical updates. You may be able to move to the commercial version of the product, but it will require some steps on your part to make sure you do so correctly (as per the vendor in question). Either way, many apps will continue to be in the Mac App Store, so you might be lucky enough to not have to worry about it. Chances are, though, that at least one app you know and love will make the switch, so be ready.

By Mike Talon •
General Info •
0

Jun
27
2012

Many readers have noticed that software tools they’ve downloaded from the Mac App Store are alerting them that they will not be able to continue receiving updates via the App Store, but instead must switch to the non-App-Store version of the same software package. This has caused quite a bit of confusion, and has lead to two major questions:

1 – Why the switch?

2 – What happens if I don’t switch?

Let’s take them in turn:

1 Why the Switch?

Apple will be introducing several new technologies in the next generation of the App Store, currently scheduled to ship with Mountain Lion later this year, but the changes will also apply to Lion (the current version of OS X). Among these changes is a set of security technologies called sandboxing, which have actually been around for quite a while (See this Wikipedia article for the basics). The short story is that sandboxing will change the way apps may interact with OS X in general, and may block some critical functionality of apps you download and run. For the most part, the apps could be re-written to accept sandboxing, but that’s a process that would require a lot of development in some cases, and the vendors are unwilling or unable to make those changes. So, they will not be permitted to be purchased and downloaded via the App Store any longer.

The second reason many apps are now leaving the App Store is paid upgrades. For software on many platforms (Windows, Linux, OS X, etc.) the standard for upgrades is typically free upgrades within the same major version you purchase, and then a discounted but paid upgrade to get to the next major version. So going from version 4.1 to 4.3 would be free, but going from 4.3 to 5.0 would cost money. The Mac App Store has no method to permit previous version owners to buy the software at a lower price. If you build a new version, and don’t give it away as a free update, the App Store can only charge one set price to everyone. This means that vendors either have to give away major releases to current owners, or else charge everyone – including recent purchasers of the previous version – the full retail price.

Vendors would prefer to offer a discount to current owners, and even to give the new version away free to very recent purchasers, and only have new buyers pay the full retail price. That’s great for both vendors and end-users, but not possible at all in the App Store, so vendors are moving back to the more traditional methods for selling their software.

2 – What if I don’t switch?

You could, of course, follow your vendor’s instructions and use the version they make available to replace the one you have installed already. I’ve personally done that for about six apps so far, and they’ve worked quite well. But some vendors are not offering instructions, and others won’t allow you to “swap out” the App Store version for the commercial version. So what happens if you don’t switch?

First, a lot of this depends on your vendor. They will decide how much of the following applies to you. Be sure to reach out to them via their email/web contact information to find out how to proceed.

If you choose to stay on the App Store version of the app, Apple will allow vendors to continue making updates to the current version of that app only. This means that you can get critical patches, but you cannot ever upgrade via the App Store once the sandboxing comes into play. So if you choose to not switch to the commercial version, you’re stuck on the version you have now forever.

Note that this also means that – at some point – vendors may drop support for the App Store version completely. They’re under no obligation to continue supporting older versions after a period of time determined by Apple. The industry standard is about 2 versions ahead of the currently available version, but your mileage may vary.

As I’ve seen myself, vendors who are moving away from the App Store are working very hard to make the move as seamless as they can. For most of the apps I’ve upgraded to commercial versions there was no charge, and all I had to do was run the App Store version once, then launch the new version and the license transferred over. In one case, the vendor made the move with a new major release, and charged me a fraction of the cost of the full software like they would do for any customer who was buying a major upgrade from them.

So there you have it. You can choose to stay with the App Store version of a software product, but risk losing out on new features and non-critical updates. You may be able to move to the commercial version of the product, but it will require some steps on your part to make sure you do so correctly (as per the vendor in question). Either way, many apps will continue to be in the Mac App Store, so you might be lucky enough to not have to worry about it. Chances are, though, that at least one app you know and love will make the switch, so be ready.

By Mike Talon •
General Info •
0

Jun
19
2012

Recently – as many of you know – I was on a flight to Orlando to participate in the Microsoft TechEd North America trade show/event on behalf of my employer. I travel a good deal on business, but mostly throughout the Northeast US, and so generally I prefer the train. Plenty of room and sufficient power outlets that using my MacBook isn’t an issue.

Of course, on an airplane, you get neither of those. I was on one of those mid-sized jets with only two rows of seats per side of the isle, so this was even more cramped than usual. I found myself in a standard aisle seat,near the front of the plane. With very little room to move, much less type, even the MacBook Air I had with me just wasn’t an option. This was especially true when the flyer in front of me decided he wanted to see just how far he could make his seat recline into my face.

Luckily, this trip, I had both my iPad and a bluetooth keyboard to work with. In my case it was a Joy KT-1063, but from what I hear around the web there are many others that work equally well. As long as they’re full-sized and made out of something sturdy, I think you’ll have the same experience.

Working with the iPad and keyboard that is non-attached (non-integrated into the cover) gave me a level of flexibility that I wouldn’t get with an attached model or a laptop. When we started out, I could push the iPad back to a stable viewing angle and keep the keyboard at a comfortable distance. When Mr. I-Want-To-Sleep put his seat back, I had to shift things around a bit, but the combination approach was much more useable than trying to wrangle an attached keyboard into a useable position.

Since I tend to prefer to write in a rich text editor, with very few bells and whistles, interaction with the screen is minimized, just a quick tap here and there to correct a typo. Also, since I prefer to navigate around text with arrow keys, the tap and hold system on the iPad always drove me nuts. Mind you, the approach is not without faults. Cheaper keyboards/keypads tend to not recognize keystrokes very well when you type quickly. Even this one (about US$70) would occasionally do the opposite and double-type some letters or spaces. Overall though, it performed admirably.

So, if you’re traveling a lot, especially on planes with limited room, the combination of the iPad with a bluetooth keyboard that moves independently of the case/device might be a great option. I certainly found the experience more than functional for use in crowded spots than a laptop or case-attached iPad keyboard.

By Mike Talon •
General Info, HowDoI?, iDevices •
0

Jun
7
2012

While OS X – and Macs in general – are great for most users, there is a segment of the digital marketplace that are not served well by the Apple platform on the desktop. That would be mid- to hardcore-gamers.

Macs excel at work and at play for most people. They have apps (either included, Apple or 3rd-Party) for email, calendars, contacts, web browsing, music and video, graphics/photo editing, business management, and just about everything else. They also have a fair number of games that run great on them, but they’re just not gaming machines. Here’s two reasons why:

1 – Game Studio Support. This is the biggest issue. While powerhouses like Blizzard (World of Warcraft, etc.) have adopted the Mac platform wholeheartedly, others like Sony and (no shock here) Microsoft Studios have not. The same goes for a variety of other development studios, making finding games for the Mac a rough ride. Even though there are lots of big-name games for the Mac, many are well behind their PC counterparts. BioShock is a great example, as the Mac version came out years after the PC version. There are some straightforward technical reasons for this (the games typically have to be rebuilt for different key combinations, OS code, etc.) but there’s also the fact that there are a lot fewer Macs in the hands of hardcore gamers to begin with. Studios write for their customer base – and I can’t blame them there.

2 – Hardware configuration. Talk to any gamer and they’ll tell you all about the mods they’ve made to their PC. They’ve added new video cards (often several of them at once). They’ve added over-clocked processors and liquid cooling systems. Basically, they re-arrange the guts of the machine on a regular basis. With Macs, that’s just not easy to do. You certainly could modify an iMac, but not without specialized tool kits and very limited modification options. You definitely can do it with a Mac Pro, but again there are limits to what additional hardware you can add. As for MacBooks, the choices are slimmer, and Airs are right out as everything is soldered to the mainboard. So modifications that are a normal part of the gaming culture just aren’t practical (either physically or financially) on the OS X platform.

There are other reasons, but those are the top two – it costs more to build independent Mac versions of games, and it costs more (and may not be feasible) to mod the hardware to the extremes that hardcore gamers want.

So, what can you do? Well, games do exist for the Mac – quite a lot actually. They’re not the latest and greatest, or they’re not the power-hungry-est games out there, but there are a lot to choose from. Alternately, you can run a Boot Camp partition with Windows and use most of the games on the market for the PC world – albeit at typically lower graphics settings for most of the latest games. Since Boot Camp runs Windows wonderfully, and since modern Mac hardware is pretty high-powered anyway, this may be your best bet.

But, alas, if you’re looking to play hardcore games; the Mac may not be the best platform for you.

Photo Credit: Rob Gallop

By Mike Talon •
Uncategorized •
0

May
16
2012

It’s that time of year again.

Every year around this time we start hearing the rumors about what the next iPhone or iPad or other Apple gizmo is going to be/look like/do. And every year the major and otherwise perfectly respectable and factual news and tech sites go berserk reporting “the next iPhone” on their front pages.

Do not listen.

Just ignore it.

Go back and read those two lines again.

So far, the media has a horrific track record when it comes to guessing what Cupertino is going to be bringing out at the next conference or special event. They’re usually generally right about the type of device that’s going to be debut, but the tech specs have never been even close.

Let’s take last time for the iPhone. If you listened to the pundits and Apple-watchers, we were going to get a 4 inch wunderphone that did 3D graphics and took pictures with a resolution rivaling $10,000 digital still cameras. It was going to be thinner, faster and lighter, and it was going to change everything about the iPhone. EVERYTHING!!!

We got the iPhone 4s. So, they were right on it being faster, and Siri was kind of a big deal, but were absolutely wrong about everything else.

Shall we bring up the “folding tablet” crap from not that long ago? No, let’s not.

Now we’re hearing it again. 4.8 inch screen, better engine, better software, better everything and it’ll be lighter and slimmer and …

My guess, there will be a new iPhone later this year and it will have a bigger screen. Otherwise, it’ll be an iPhone, plain and simple. Apple does not have a history of totally overhauling products without warning. They tweak the case this time, the interface with a software update, the resolution on the screen and camera the time after that. Slow, methodical and logical every step of the way.

When they’re going to do something gigantic, they tell everyone about it. The iPhone with its revolutionary methods was not a shock. The way it looked and worked was a shock, but the fact that Apple was going to do it was not. When the MacBooks went unibody and then shaved 2/3rds of their weight it was always because that was the next logical step. Lion was a logical step beyond Snow Leopard (well, some disagree, but at least from Apple’s perspective it is). Mountain Lion is yet another logical step.

Ignore the rumors, and just wait to see what Apple delivers. You’ll be just as thrilled with the end result, and not disappointed because there’s no projector built into the thing.

Photo Credit: Nite_Owl

By Mike Talon •
General Info •
0

May
9
2012

Many Mac users find they need to use Windows too. There’s nothing wrong with that, as a large number of business applications don’t work the same or don’t exist at all for OS X.

When using Windows software on OS X, there are a couple of ways to go. You could use something like WINE (a Windows emulator) or use a virtualization tool like VMware Fusion or Parallels Desktop and a Boot Camp partition or other VM. Most of the folks I’ve met use virtualization, and that leads to a couple of issues and risks that OS X wouldn’t have natively.

First, there’s security. Running Windows in a VM and/or Boot Camp and allowing OS X applications to share data with it means that Windows virus and malware attacks can infect other software and files. While it won’t be able (in the vast majority of cases) to infect the Mac, it can still destroy data and cause havoc. It also means that accidentally opening the wrong email attachment in OS X could open the infected attachment in Windows – where it can execute and run riot. You could disable data sharing between the VM and OS X, though that means that a lot of functionality you want to use will be disabled as well.

Also, since the VM may bypass the local firewall – this depends on your VM network settings – personal information and data stored in the VM could fall victim to attacks. If the VM can see your data in OS X directories, then that data is vulnerable as well.

So, first things first, get an anti-malware tool and personal firewall for your Windows VM/Boot Camp. Microsoft makes Security Essentials available free through Windows Update, so that is a great place to start for anti-malware. Ensuring the Windows Firewall is on and active helps keep others out. Details on both of these tools can be found on the Microsoft website.

Next, make sure you update your Windows Boot Camp partition and any VM’s regularly. Too many of us use Windows very infrequently, and that means that the installations of Windows remain offline, and don’t get updated automatically like a desktop running Windows as the primary OS can be configured to do.

There are two ways to do this. You can manually run Windows Update from the Start menu at least once per month. Microsoft releases patches the first Tuesday of each month, so running Windows Update on the second full week of each month will keep you covered. Second, you can set Windows Update to automatically apply updates whenever it sees them. This isn’t the best method though, because it will mean you get hounded for reboots unexpectedly, and you do not get anything but the more critical updates installed.

No matter what, remember that if you run Windows at all, you need to keep it patched and protected. With Parallels and VMware automatically sharing documents folders, Windows malware can cause quite a bit of damage, even to OS X.

Photo Credit: Steve-h

By Mike Talon •
General Info •
0

Apr
26
2012

While Macs are much less cumbersome when it comes to updating, fixing and fiddling, they are not without those needs entirely. On a regular basis, you do need to go through some tasks to keep your OS X computer running smoothly and safely.

Once a week, I go through a maintenance procedure on my iMac and MacBook just to keep everything going the way I want it to go. The process is simple, and gets the job done without wasting a lot of time. The whole shebang should take less than 30 minutes a week unless there are a large number of updates, so find some time and get it done.

Here’s my weekly procedures, your mileage may vary, but feel free to copy my methods =)

1 – Software Update. Apple generally posts updates for OS X about once per month, but if there’s an emergency (like the recent Flashback malware) they can release updates much more often. Once a week is a good trade-off between being a time-consuming drudge and keeping everything updated and safe.

To run Software Update, click the Apple menu and choose “Software Update…” and follow the instructions that come up on screen. If there are no updates, the process takes about a minute. With updates the time varies, but even massive updates seem to finish within 30 minutes or so.

2 – App Store. If you have any software from the Mac App Store, then go to Apple Menu, “App Store…” and click on the Updates tab at the top. Download any updates to installed applications.

With no updates, the process is also less than a minute. If you have updates, the time varies, but is generally less than 15 minutes start to finish even if a lot of programs need updates.

3 – Check for other app updates. I use MacUpdate Desktop and rave about it quite a lot. One of the reasons is that it can find updates for just about every app I use on my Macs, and deliver the updates to me with a few clicks.

If you don’t want to use MacUpdate, you can always open each of your apps and look under the name of the app in the menu bar, or sometimes the help menu, and check for updates. This is much more time consuming, but will still get you updated.

4 – Run maintenance tasks. There is a great freeware tool called Onyx that will help you perform routine maintenance tasks on your Mac in a very user-friendly way. The tool can perform all the tasks I do each week, including:

– Cleaning up caches, trashes and miscellaneous data that hangs around after it’s no longer welcome

– Running the OS X monthly, weekly, and daily maintenance tasks

– Performing a Repair Permissions run on the OS X system volume

These steps improve performance, correct minor issues and head off problems that may be brewing in the background. The whole process takes about 15 minutes, and the Onyx user interface makes it very easy to perform.

Take half an hour, once a week, and keep everything in running order. You’ll be safer (by getting and installing updates that plug security holes), faster (by removing old cache files and patching permissions errors), and better (by getting the latest versions of your apps with their bug fixes).

Photo Credit: JanneM

By Mike Talon •
HowDoI? •
0

Apr
18
2012

Recently, I had a conversation on Twitter with a friend who was considering what tools his end-users should be using to access Exchange-based email on their OS X clients. Apparently many of the employees of his firm are on – or are switching to – Macs at home, and wanted to know what to use to access the corporate mail systems.

After going back and forth with him, I decided to do a blog post here about what the two bigger tools, Mail.app and Outlook 2011, could offer in terms of strengths and weaknesses.

Mail.app

Only recently, with the advent of Exchange 2007 in the mainstream, the native email app for OS X started being able to connect to Exchange using native protocols (ActiveSync/Outlook Anywhere). That doesn’t mean it doesn’t work with earlier versions, but it did so over IMAP and POP protocols, which many organizations do not allow outside the corporate network. Now, however, it’s a real competitor to Outlook on the OS X platform, and so a lot of users are looking at it for corporate mail.

Pros:

– Native to OS X, so no need to install additional software or acquire additional end-user licensing (you still need CAL’s for Exchange, though)

– Familiar interface to users who mainly use Macs

– Single email client for home and office mail (both a pro and a con)

Cons:

– Requires three apps (Mail, Calendar, Address Book/Contacts) to accomplish the common business tasks that Exchange is used for

– Mixes all email accounts, signatures, etc. in one mail client (both a pro and a con)

– Less corporate control over end-user data. Organizations can still disconnect accounts, but many Outlook-only data control measures and archiving systems won’t work (It should be noted that many archiving tools don’t work in Outlook 2011 either, but some do)

Outlook 2011

The de-facto standard for Exchange Email, Outlook has always been the preferred client for corporate users on Windows. Until Office 2011, the only option on Mac was Entourage, which has not be a well-loved piece of software. In 2011, Microsoft released the latest version of Office for Mac, which included a full-feature version of Outlook specifically designed for the OS X world.

Pros:

– Comes as part of Office 2011, which is probably already installed due to wanting to work with native MSFT apps for Word Documents, Excel Spreadsheets, etc. (Yes, I know that Apple has apps for those too, but for Windows-based companies, using the Office Suite is likely)

– Allows for segregation of user personal email from work email

– Has mail, calendar and contact functions in one application

Cons:

– Requires licensing for Office 2011 for each end-user

– Requires Exchange 2007 and up (for native Exchange protocols)

– Looks/feels/acts differently than most Mac apps (uses the MSFT Ribbon and doesn’t sync to the Address Book/Contacts app by default, for example)

What both do:

– IMAP, POP and ActiveSync/Outlook Anywhere protocols with or without a VPN

– Can sync contacts, calendar events and email

So who wins?

This is a tough call. For those who refuse to have Office 2011 on their machines, then Mail.app is the preferred choice. For those who don’t mind a few MSFT apps on their OS X boxes, there are a lot of benefits to going with Outlook – especially if you keep both personal and corporate mail on your Mac.

For me, I went with Outlook for my corporate mail. I use Mail.app for my personal accounts, and didn’t want to have to worry about accidentally sending personal mail to corporate contacts or vice versa. I also have Office 2011 installed for some interop reasons in the work I do, and therefore already had Outlook installed on my Macs.

Take a look at the pros and cons, but for an off-the-cuff opinion, I recommend Outlook 2011 for Exchange Server, Mail.app for everything else.

Photo Credit: Tim Morgan

By Mike Talon •
HowDoI? •
1

Apr
12
2012

A lot of noise has flooded into the net over the last few days surrounding a piece of malware called “Flashback.” Here’s what you need to know:

1 – What is it?

– First things first, it is NOT a virus. Computer viruses are malicious programs capable of copying themselves across networks. The user doesn’t have to do anything to get infected.

– It is, however, a trojan. Trojans (named after the famous horse in Homer’s writings) get on your computer by pretending to be, or hiding themselves in, some software you want to install. You get tricked into running some software, such as an update to Flash Player as in this case, and the malware gets installed instead.

– This particular trojan installs a back-door into your Mac, that allows malware writers to check in with websites and download other software you don’t want onto your machine over time. It does this by forcing your web browsers to load pages any time they are opened up (and silently); and it forces the browsers to open up just in case you weren’t planning on doing that yourself.

– More insidiously, the malware disables the native, limited, virus protection system in OS X, and therefore this program can render your machine vulnerable to older, known threats.

– Both Snow Leopard and Lion are vulnerable if you installed Java. Since many applications use Java, the Java runtimes are most likely already installed on your Mac.

2 – How do I get it?

Flashback is downloaded from websites where you see alerts that you need to update Adobe Flash Player (which is where it gets its name). Since the malware has been carefully built to look like an Adobe Flash installer, many users think they’re just getting updated software and authorize the installer with their Administrator Password.

That’s all it takes, as once the trojan has your admin password, it has free rein to do whatever it wants.

3 – How do I know if I have it?

Finding Flashback is a little tricky. There are some apps that seem to be able to detect it, but that means downloading and installing another app, which may not be the best method. Instead, look in the Utilities folder in your Applications folder and look for the Terminal app.

Then, in Terminal, copy and paste the following three commands, hitting the Enter key after each one:

defaults read ~/.MacOSX/environment DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES

defaults read /Applications/Safari.app/Contents/Info LSEnvironment

defaults read /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/Info LSEnvironment

After you run each command, you should see a message that ends in “… does not exist” If you have any other response except one that ends with that phrase (does not exist) then you have most likely got a Flashback infection. Thanks to Wired.com for the instructions

4 – How do I get rid of it?

Removal of Flashback is not easy or automated. There will be a removal app from Apple in the near future, but you should not wait. F-Secure has a set of instructions for manual removal that you can perform today, but they’re not a set of simple point-and-click things. You’ll have to use Terminal, and keep a notepad handy to keep track of information.

Reach out to an expert if you need assistance, as you definitely don’t want this hanging out on your Mac until Apple finally releases the automated Flashback Remover app.

5 – OK, my Mac is clean (or I cleaned it up), now what?

First, make sure you update your Mac with the latest OS X software. Click the Apple menu and choose “Software Updates…” to check for new software and tools from Apple. The latest updates for Snow Leopard and Lion have security updates to Java that block Flashback from being able to install. I do this once a week, though it’s very rare that Apple releases more than one set of updates per month.

Next, install anti-malware software. We all know that Macs are not immune from malware, and you need to protect yourself. Sophos, Intego and others make great anti-malware software for Macs. Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac (which I’m currently using) is even free for home use.

Also, get a two-way firewall package if you can afford it. For example, Little-Snitch is a great tool that is very user-friendly and lets you know when things on your Mac are trying to talk to the outside world. You can choose to allow the connection once, forever, or block it if you think it shouldn’t be phoning home.

Little-Snitch is so good at its job that the makers of Flashback wrote a special routine into the software to look for it, and give up trying to install if L-S is installed. It’s not free (it’s about US$30) but definitely worth it if you have the funds available.

Finally, always remember to only accept application updates from one of three sources:

1 – You used the “Check for Updates” system inside the application itself.

2 – The update is delivered via the “Software Updates…” system in OS X

3 – You went to the vendor’s site manually (not via a link or in an email) and download the update directly from them

Any other time software wants to update, or install for that matter, cancel out and seek that software from one of the three sources above.

Stay clam, stay safe, and remember that every OS can be hit with malware. This isn’t the first time it’s happened on a Mac, and it certainly won’t be the last.

Photo Credit: Tama Leaver

By Mike Talon •
Security •
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