TeamViewer, the erstwhile remote control software that we here at IvanExpert use for remote controlling our clients’ computers, has, like every other company, been hard at work trying to figure out how to get more money from their existing users. So, they have been narrowing the lane in which personal users can use it for free. (Paid users are unaffected.) Specifically, you will have to be using the current major version of TeamViewer, or it will refuse to connect. This can be a problem if you are running an older version of macOS that doesn’t support the latest version of TeamViewer. This su ..read more

Mac users have a long and sordid history with Intuit, the original developers of Quicken. The product has always been second class compared to its Windows version. Recently I had a client who had been using the ill-fated Quicken Essentials for Mac, and I was surprised to discover that modern Quicken refuses to import its data. Its support pages are, in fact, disturbingly straightforward about it: “Quicken Essentials files cannot be converted.” Intuit spun off Quicken several years ago, but this is still inexcusable in my view. Just because Quicken Essentials wasn’t popular doesn’t mean it’s o ..read more

Most new Macs do not have expandable storage — it’s part of the computer, so it’s important to buy more than you think you might need when you purchase it. However, many recent Macs have removable storage modules that can be exchanged for higher-capacity ones. You can see what model of Mac you have under Apple Menu > About This Mac, and how much total storage you have under the Storage tab. Upgradeable Macs are: all 21.5″ iMacs, including the current model 27″ iMac through 2019 two-port MacBook Pro from 2016 and 2017 MacBook Pro through 2015 MacBook Air through 2017 Mac mini through 2014 a ..read more

Questions I hear asked often are “What is the Archive folder (or All Mail) folder and what am I supposed to do with it? And why does an Archive button appear on my iPhone instead of Trash?” The answer, well, depends, on whether you’re using Google Mail/Gmail, or every other mail system. Non-Google mail hosts: If you’re using iCloud, Exchange, Outlook.com, AOL, Yahoo, or any other non-Google mail provider, the Archive folder is just an ordinary folder that has been designated for “messages I don’t want in my Inbox any more, but I also don’t want to trash.” For those who already make their own m ..read more

There are a ton of cloud storage providers at this point: Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, Apple iCloud Drive, Google Drive, and more. Google Drive has been gradually displacing Dropbox over many years as the cloud drive of choice for those who need to share documents, and who are not embedded in Microsoft’s world. While it’s possible to use Google Drive entirely on the web, and my guess is that it’s what most people do, a much more pleasant experience, in my opinion, is to install software on your computer that makes your Google Drive appear as though it is any other folder on your computer. You ..read more

Apple made some changes to Mac Mail in Big Sur (and, presumably, forthcoming versions) that some are finding disorienting. The old behavior, as it has stood approximately forever, is that the “special folders” of accounts — Inbox, Sent, Drafts, Junk, Trash, and Archive — were collected together and shown at the top left in the column of mail folders and accounts, and could be viewed mixed together, or individually. Any additional folders, such as filed mail, were then shown per-account, each in their own section, below. The new behavior, which I personally don’t love but it is what it is, is ..read more

Apple, for the last few years, will let you “trade in” an older model of one of their products. This can be done at any time, not only when you’re purchasing something new; they’ll give you a gift card with the value of the trade-in. To see what they’ll give you for your old stuff, go to this page: Apple Trade-In Scroll down to the middle of the screen, to where it says “Trade In And Get Apple Gift Card Credit.” Immediately beneath that, click your device type, and enter its serial number, which the page will tell you how to do. You can then choose whether you want to take your old device to ..read more

Microsoft Office for Mac has been around forever. In recent history, since 2015 or so, rather than waiting for a single great big new version every few years, Office now receives an update every month, and these updates bring both new features and bug fixes. The one-time purchase also gets monthly updates until three years after its original release date, and then two years of security updates and bug fixes (but no new features) after that. There are also a few features (like ribbon customization) available only to 365 subscribers, though Microsoft doesn’t list what they are; they just call th ..read more

Microsoft Office for Mac — that is, the suite of applications that includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook (Home & Business edition and 365 subscription edition only), OneNote, Teams, and OneDrive — receives a new update monthly. The current version in July 2021 is version 16.50, next month will be 16.50, etc. As of July 2021, you can subscribe to the Office software via the following Microsoft 365 plans: 365 Personal: use on five computers by one person, $69/year 365 Family: use on six computers by up to six people (they can have their own Microsoft logins), $99/year 365 Apps: business ..read more

Microsoft Office only supports the last three versions of macOS. So if you want to install it onto an older version of macOS, you need to know what the last supported version number is. You can download that from Update History for Office for Mac, or use the direct links provided here. Big Sur (11), Catalina (10.15), and Mojave (10.14) support the current version of Office, which, as of July 2021, is 16.50. High Sierra (10.13): The last supported version is 16.43. Direct link: Office for Mac 16.43 Sierra (10.12): The last supported version is 16.29, with Word, Excel and PowerPoint updates to 1 ..read more