Mac Archives - Rick's Daily Tips

Q&A: Will a regular 2-button mouse work with a Mac?

Posted on June 25, 2025

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Question from Tammy: I’ve used nothing but Windows laptops all my life but I decided to try a MacBook Air this time around.

I think I’m going to like the laptop ok but I hate the Apple Magic Mouse that I bought to go with it. I just can’t seem to get used to it. I guess I’m weird but it just doesn’t feel right in my hand.

My question is can I use a regular 2-button mouse like the ones you use with a Windows computer with it?

[Read more…]

Archive utility Mac apps: Which one is best?

Posted on September 30, 2024

Archive utility apps are essential tools that help you compress and decompress files in various formats to store and share large files on your device.

MacOS does come with a built-in Archive Utility but it’s not always the best solution, especially if you’re dealing with multiple file formats like RAR, 7z, tar, gzip, etc.

This is where you might turn to third-party solutions like Commander One so that you can get more advanced functionality and format compatibility. These apps also usually offer a lot more than just file compression.

This article will share some of the most popular archive utility apps for Mac, examine their features along with their pros and cons, and see which one stands out as the best choice. [Read more…]

Q&A: How can I make my Mac’s mouse pointer easier to see?

Posted on May 15, 2024

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Question from Leslie: Hi, Rick. I hope you won’t mind answering a question for me.

I recently bought a new MacBook Pro and I absolutely love it except for one small problem.

I love the beautiful look of the screen but I sometimes have trouble finding the mouse cursor on it when there’s a lot of stuff being displayed all at once.

Can you tell me how to increase the size of the mouse pointer on my MacBook Pro so it’ll be easier to find? [Read more…]

Q&A: Can you recommend a good external hard drive for a Mac?

Posted on May 1, 2024

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Question from Maria: Hi, Rick. I recently purchased a MacBook Air with an M processor.

I am new to MacBooks so I am on a learning curve even though I have both an iPhone and an iPad.

I wanted to buy an external hard drive for my processor but have no idea what type I should get. I would like it mainly to back up my iTunes library and photos. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Read more…]

How (and when) to boot Windows 10 and 11 into Safe Mode

Posted on March 8, 2024

If you’ve been a Windows user for any length of time you probably know that there are times when it helps to boot Windows into Safe Mode.

In a nutshell, booting into Safe Mode forces Windows to load just the most basic Windows files and hardware drivers.

This helps a great deal when trying to remove stubborn viruses, track down faulty hardware drivers and resolve a wide range of software issues.

[Read more…]