Skip to content

The Eclectic Light Company

Macs & painting – 🦉 No AI content
Main navigation
  • Downloads
  • Freeware
  • M-series Macs
  • Mac Problems
  • Mac articles
  • Macs
  • Art

defaults

Hidden controls for system settings in macOS

Some system-wide settings are hidden away in the preferences of bundled apps. Here’s a list of where to look for those and others which aren’t easy to find.

March 15, 2022 Macs, Technology

Last Week on My Mac: Obsolescent preferences

UserDefaults and cfprefsd manage the preference system, an amorphous database spread across hundreds of files which can only be controlled in Terminal. It’s time for a change.

January 24, 2021 Macs, Technology

Preference settings and Finder misbehaviour

Something wrong with the Finder or an app, and you want to trash its preferences? Don’t: macOS will defeat you. Here’s how to do that so it works.

January 19, 2021 Macs, Technology

Unsticking stuck preference settings

When nothing seems able to get that preference setting right, don’t abandon hope – follow this instead.

August 4, 2020 Macs, Technology

How to get Photos to show the library selection dialog each time it runs

Do you want Photos to show its library selection dialog when it opens? Here’s one solution without the Option key.

October 3, 2019 Macs, Technology

Working safely and effectively with preferences in Mojave

Preference files are involved in many Mac problems, and are often their solution. Using them now isn’t simple: here is some guidance.

August 22, 2019 Macs, Technology

Global defaults in macOS Mojave

Inside all those hidden settings which control App Nap to Trackpad scaling factors: what they are and how to set them.

August 15, 2019 Macs, Technology

Checking and downloading updates automatically in Swift

Source code workthrough of one method of checking for and automatically downloading updates to an app, in Swift 5 for macOS 10.11-10.14.

June 4, 2019 Macs, Technology

Beyond Scripting in Swift: Sharing and syncing data throughout an app

Maintaining a menu gathered across all the open documents could be tricky. Here’s a simple solution using UserDefaults and NotificationCenter.

November 13, 2017 Macs, Technology

Customising it all: global defaults in macOS Sierra and High Sierra

Where to find hidden global default settings, and how to change them without paying for a utility like MacPilot.

November 9, 2017 Macs, Technology

Posts navigation

Previous 1 2 3 Next
Blog at WordPress.com.
Footer navigation
  • Free Software Menu
  • About & Contact
  • Macs
  • Painting
  • Downloads
  • Mac problem-solving
  • Extended attributes (xattrs)
  • Painting topics
  • SilentKnight, Skint, SystHist, silnite, LockRattler & Scrub
  • DelightEd & Podofyllin
  • xattred, SpotTest, Spotcord, Metamer & xattr tools
  • 32-bitCheck & ArchiChect
  • XProCheck, T2M2, LogUI, Ulbow, blowhole and log utilities
  • Cirrus & Bailiff
  • Precize, Alifix, UTIutility, Sparsity, alisma, Taccy, Signet
  • Versatility & Revisionist
  • Text Utilities: Textovert, Nalaprop, Dystextia and others
  • PDF
  • Keychains & Permissions
  • Updates
  • Spundle, Cormorant, Stibium, DropSum, Dintch, Fintch and cintch
  • Long Reads
  • Mac Troubleshooting Summary
  • M-series Macs
  • Mints: a multifunction utility
  • VisualLookUpTest
  • Virtualisation on Apple silicon
  • System Updates
  • Saturday Mac Riddles
  • Last Week on My Mac
  • sysctl information
Secondary navigation
  • Search

Begin typing your search above and press return to search. Press Esc to cancel.

  • Subscribe Subscribed
    • The Eclectic Light Company
    • Join 8,876 other subscribers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • The Eclectic Light Company
    • Subscribe Subscribed
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...