Time Machine Is a Mac version of System Restore, but with some extra features that re very useful. Disk utility can be used for many things, Including purging your entire hard disk, and Permanent Erase does just as the name suggests and deletes files beyond recognition. Installing an operating system can be somewhat time- consuming. However, every major SO has instructions clearly laid out on its website. With the computer world moving so quickly, having access to this and many other sources of information is very useful, and makes the exciting world of computers that much more awesome.
In this day and age, with hard disk capacity being higher than it has ever been, It s important to know how to manage the space to maximize performance and also user efficiency. With Information skyrocketing into the terabyte range, a hard disk and filing system are becoming increasingly more complex. As developers come up with more complicated programs that take up more and more space, the need for more room on your personal hard drive has become a necessity.
The following is going to be an explanation of some utilities that the end-user might find beneficial to managing their hard disk, and also an explanation of how to install Mac SO X VI 0. Snow Leopard. Let me go right out and say that when dealing with Macs, I am definitely a little out of my comfort zone, but I felt that I needed a challenge. Most of my experience is with Windows and DOS, so thought this might be a good way to learn something new. As it turns out, was right. The applications I am going to talk about are almost entirely foreign to me.
Each one, for the most part, has Its own Windows counterpart; however, I couldn’t have told you what was what until this assignment. With that being said, let the explanation begin. The first application I am going to talk about is called Time Machine. Windows users know this is System Recovery. Essentially, It takes a snapshot of your hard drive to prevent loss of information to the user. This comes standard on any modern Mac SO. It backs up everything on the hard disk, from account settings to emails. OFF Recovery by actually keeping track of exactly what was going on with your computer on a daily basis (Apple, 2013). On a Windows box, standard recovery only backs up your info when something significant happens, such as the installation or removal of n application. If you didn’t manually back up your hard disk, you could lose days or even weeks worth of information. Time Machine is a true innovation in disk management. Its ease of use comes from the fact that it is completely automatic. Just let it do what it does and you are all set. Next, I am going to talk about is Disk Utility.
This one is pretty straight-forward. The name says it all. It is a utility for disks. The application is mainly used to retrieve general information about a hard disk or alter the contents off given disk. It can also be used to create disk images, which are basically a copy of an entire drive, saved to another location, or even erase an entire hard disk Noon Johnson, 2012). To use this handy little tool, you first have to open the Applications folder, and it will then be found in the Utilities folder. The program has a GUI that makes if fairly easy to use.
There is a tool bar, which includes options to get information on a particular drive, make back up disks of currently installed software and even an option to keep track of all changes that have taken place on a drive. There is also a set of tabs that low you to copy your hard drive to another location, or purge it entirely. While there are many more utilities out there, I am going to explain one more and call it good. My last program is a third-party application called Permanent Eraser. What a lot of people don’t realize about deleting files from their hard disk, is that is isn’t actually gone.
Anyone with a computer science degree can access this information if given enough time. Permanent Eraser does exactly what it says and then some. It takes your file and overwrites it not once, twice, or even ten times. It goes it THIRTY-FIVE times, makes the file and size completely untraceable and unlinks the file from the system entirely (Attendant, 2010). It uses and very simple drag and drop interface, so almost anyone can use it. Click and hold the file drop it onto the Permanent Eraser icon, follow the prompts, and that file is gone for good. At least as gone as it’s ever going to get.
Now let’s move on to installing an operating system. I am not going to try and do this personally, as I am using an HP, and the results of trying to install a Mac SO probably wouldn’t be desirable. Before doing this, one should consider if the computer meets the system requirements of the operating system in question. Since we are installing SO X VI 0. 6, we are first going to need to have access to a hard copy. This can be acquired through their website or an Apple store. We are going to be doing this from scratch, so we will be erasing the hard drive first. Once the computer is on and starting up, hold and press the “ C” key.
This gives you the option to start up using the media on the DVD. You will be prompted to choose a language. Go to utilities and choose the aforementioned application, Disk Utility. Chose the “ Erase” tab, and follow the prompts. Quit the application and now you are ready to start installing. A prompt should appear, telling you that you are about to install Snow Leopard. This is a lot like installing any other program onto your computer. Agree to the user agreement, choose the hard drive that you want to install the SO to, and then let the installer do the rest.
Once it confirms that it is done, the system will region info, personal and Apple id account info, and network password information. From here you are mostly in the clear. Your install was successful and you are ready to use the computer (Apple, 2013). This has been no means a comprehensive explanation of disk management or operating system installation. This is Just an example off few key applications for Mac SO X. There are dozens more Just for the Mac, not to mention Windows and UNIX/Linux. The world of computers is always changing. 10 years from now, most, if not all, of what I wrote today could be obsolete.
