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Switcher Hangout (Windows to Mac)
How are files organized on the Mac?
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<blockquote data-quote="Randy B. Singer" data-source="post: 1737292" data-attributes="member: 190607"><p>To add to all of the excellent advice you have already received, let me add something that isn't obvious to long-time Mac users, but which comes up all the time when I hear from Mac newbies. That is, many new Macs seem to arrive with no icon for your hard drive on the desktop. If there isn't an icon representing your internal hard drive on your Mac's desktop, the hierarchy of things on your Mac may be very hard to figure out at first, and a lot of advice that you receive from Mac users may not make a lot of sense. So, you may want to do the following first thing. </p><p></p><p>Click on the little Finder icon in your Mac's dock (it's usually at the far left of the dock, and it is a two-tone blue smiley face). Now go into the Finder menu (at the top of the screen) and choose Finder Preferences. Under Show These Items On The Desktop, make sure that everything is selected. </p><p></p><p>An icon representing your hard drive will now appear on the desktop, and when you double-click on it you will see everything that is on the root level of your drive. In addition, you will see a column on the left that has shortcuts to your most-used folders, such as Applications, Pictures, Movies, Documents, etc. You can add other folders to this column, even folders that you have created.</p><p></p><p>Here are some free resources that you might find really useful as a Windows switcher:</p><p></p><p>Mac Tips For Windows Switchers</p><p><a href="https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204216" target="_blank">https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204216</a></p><p></p><p>Switch to Mac: Translating Windows to OS X</p><p><a href="http://www.macworld.com/article/2039343/switch-to-mac-translating-windows-to-os-x.html" target="_blank">http://www.macworld.com/article/2039343/switch-to-mac-translating-windows-to-os-x.html</a></p><p></p><p>Switch To Mac</p><p><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2046590/switch-to-mac-how-to-find-your-favorite-windows-features-in-os-x.html" target="_blank">http://www.pcworld.com/article/2046590/switch-to-mac-how-to-find-your-favorite-windows-features-in-os-x.html</a></p><p></p><p>Most folks like having a book with really comprehensive help to get them through the transition. This is the best one that I know of:</p><p></p><p>Switching to the Mac: The Missing Manual (about $25)</p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Switching-Mac-Missing-Manual-Capitan/dp/1491917970/?tag=macforums0e4-20" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.com/Switching-Mac-Missing-Manual-Capitan/dp/1491917970/?tag=macforums0e4-20</a></p><p>(The above link is for an edition of this book dealing with El Capitan, OS X 10.11. It's the most recent edition on the market. A new edition of the book for Sierra, MacOS 10.12, will be out eventually. The differences aren't great, so you may not want to wait for a Sierra edition.)</p><p></p><p>Good luck! And don't be afraid to ask questions. The Macintosh community is extremely giving and helpful.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Randy B. Singer, post: 1737292, member: 190607"] To add to all of the excellent advice you have already received, let me add something that isn't obvious to long-time Mac users, but which comes up all the time when I hear from Mac newbies. That is, many new Macs seem to arrive with no icon for your hard drive on the desktop. If there isn't an icon representing your internal hard drive on your Mac's desktop, the hierarchy of things on your Mac may be very hard to figure out at first, and a lot of advice that you receive from Mac users may not make a lot of sense. So, you may want to do the following first thing. Click on the little Finder icon in your Mac's dock (it's usually at the far left of the dock, and it is a two-tone blue smiley face). Now go into the Finder menu (at the top of the screen) and choose Finder Preferences. Under Show These Items On The Desktop, make sure that everything is selected. An icon representing your hard drive will now appear on the desktop, and when you double-click on it you will see everything that is on the root level of your drive. In addition, you will see a column on the left that has shortcuts to your most-used folders, such as Applications, Pictures, Movies, Documents, etc. You can add other folders to this column, even folders that you have created. Here are some free resources that you might find really useful as a Windows switcher: Mac Tips For Windows Switchers [url]https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204216[/url] Switch to Mac: Translating Windows to OS X [url]http://www.macworld.com/article/2039343/switch-to-mac-translating-windows-to-os-x.html[/url] Switch To Mac [url]http://www.pcworld.com/article/2046590/switch-to-mac-how-to-find-your-favorite-windows-features-in-os-x.html[/url] Most folks like having a book with really comprehensive help to get them through the transition. This is the best one that I know of: Switching to the Mac: The Missing Manual (about $25) [URL]https://www.amazon.com/Switching-Mac-Missing-Manual-Capitan/dp/1491917970/?tag=macforums0e4-20[/URL] (The above link is for an edition of this book dealing with El Capitan, OS X 10.11. It's the most recent edition on the market. A new edition of the book for Sierra, MacOS 10.12, will be out eventually. The differences aren't great, so you may not want to wait for a Sierra edition.) Good luck! And don't be afraid to ask questions. The Macintosh community is extremely giving and helpful. [/QUOTE]
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