fixed : iCloud syc error – Desktop files on Mac have ‘cloud exclamation mark’-icon

Posted on 19-04-2024 by MacManus.nl

Question :
I was trying to access some files I have created on my Mac from my iPad, but the files that are in folder XYZ on my Mac’s Desktop are different from the ones that I can see in that same Folder XYZ when I access it from the Files.app on my iPad. Some files in Folder XYZ are the same and some are not… closing/quitting the Files.app on my iPad and reopening it doesn’t help… And when I look on my Mac, the files that are invisible on my iPad turn out to have a ‘cloud with an exclamationmark’-icon next to them on my Mac… I’ve also checked on my iPhone, and there I get to see the exact same content of Folder XYZ as on my iPad, but not the ones that are on my Mac…

This appears to be an ICloud syncing problem, but how do I fix it ?

Answer :
Yes, this is a syncing problem that iCloud sometimes runs into…
since there is no forced sync or manual sync option, this is how to fix it :
1- make sure that your Mac, your iPad and your iPhone all run the newest version of their OS (macOS, iPadOS, iOS)
2- make sure that your Mac, your iPad and your iPhone are all connected to a stable internet connection (either over Wifi or Ethernet)
3- make sure that you are logged in on iCloud with exactly the same account on all devices (Mac, iPad, iPhone)
4- if all the above is in place, restart your Mac without remembering open windows (to increase you chances on fixing this iCloud syncing problem, restart your iPad and iPhone as well)
5- wait for your Mac to restart/reboot entirely before doing anything else on it
6- wait for iCloud to sync back and forth amoung your Mac, iPad and iPhone (depending on the amount of files you have in your iCloud folders and your internet speed this may take up to 10 minutes or even longer)

That’s it !
…in 99% of the cases, this simple solution will fix your iCloud syncing problem
enjoy 😉

fixed : get WordPress Professional Mail in Mail.app on Mac, iPhone and iPad

Posted on 07-03-2024 by MacManus.nl

Question :
I have just started a new Professional website on WordPress with a custom domain and I have also subscribed for a WordPress eMail mailbox on that same domain. Now it turns out that it is webmail… I don’t like having to go online in my browser to check my eMail…

Is there any way to setup this eMail account in Apple Mail.app on my Mac ?
…and preferably also on my iPhone and iPad ?

Answer :
Yes, even though it is not advertised very prominently, it is possible to setup this WordPress Professional eMail account (which is hosted by Titan) as a regular IMAP mailbox in Apple Mail.app.

On your Mac, do this :

open Mail.app on macOS
from the top menu bar, goto Mail > Add Account
in the “Choose a Mail account provider” window that opens, choose “Other Mail Account” and click the “Continue”-button
in the next window, at “Name” you can set your name (it will appear as the sender)
at “Email Address:” typ your eMail address (the one from your WordPress Professional webmail)
at “Password:” typ the password that goes with it (the one you use to login to your WordPress Professional webmail)
then click on the “Sign In”-button
in the next window, leave the “Email address” and “Password” as is, and usually leave the “Username:” at “Automatic also (you can change it, but there is no reason to do so for the average user)
at “Account Type:” make sure it is set to “IMAP”
at “Incoming Mail Server:” typ this : imap.titan.email
at “Outgoing Mail Server:” typ this : smtp.titan.email
then click on the “Sign In”-button and follow the instructions to finish setting up this new Mail account
That’s it… you’re ready to roll…

On your iPhone or iPad, you could use the dedicated Titan.app, but to set up your mail account in Mail.app, do this :
open Settings.app
in the “Settings” page that opens, scroll down and click on “Mail”
in the “Mail” page that opens, click on “Accounts”
in the “Accounts” page that opens, click on “Add Account”
in the “Add Account” page that opens, clcik on “Other”
in the next “Add Account” page that opens, click on “Add Mail Account”
in the “New account” page that opens, at “Name” typ your name
at “Email” typ your WordPress Professional webmail address
at “Password” typ the password (from your webmail account)
then click “Next”
in the next “New Account’ page that opens, make sure that the “IMAP” tab is selected
then, at “INCOMING MAIL SERVER > Host Name” change “imap” into : imap.titan.email
and at “INCOMING MAIL SERVER > Username” typ your WordPress Professional webmail address
and at “OUTGOING MAIL SERVER > Host Name” typ : smtp.titan.email
then click “Next”and wait for the verification
in the “IMAP” page that opens, make sure that “Mail” is switched ON
if you also want to sync your notes, make sure that “Notes” is also switched ON
then, click “Save”
That’s it… you’re ready to roll

NOTE : setting this up on iPad is nearly identical to setting this up on iPhone, so using the iPhone instructions you should be able to set this up on your iPad also

enjoy 😉

fixed : eBook bought on iPhone not visible in Books.app on Mac

Posted on 06-03-2024 by MacManus.nl

Question :
I recently bought an eBook in Apple’s Books.app on my iPhone. When I opened the Books.app on my iPad it automatically appeared there, but when I opened the Books.app on my Mac I didn’t appear…

How do I fix this ?

Answer :

There are various reasons why this problem may occur, but 99% of the time this problem can be fixed by doing one of the following (just start trying the first, then the second, etc.) :

-1- Make sure that iCloud sync is switched on for all devices

on you iPhone, go to Settings.app
in the Settings page, click on your own name (your personal avatar icon on the top)
in the Apple ID page that opens, click on “iCloud”
in the iCloud page that opens, click on “Show All”
in the Apps using iCloud page that opens, scroll down and make sure that the switch at “Books” is switched ON (a green switch)
then, swipe up the entire page to close the Settings.app
then, on your iPad (if you have one), go to Settings.app
in the Settings page, click on your own name (your personal avatar icon top left)
in the Apple ID info that appears, click on “iCloud”
in the iCloud info that appears, click on “Show All”
in the Apps using iCloud info that appears, scroll down and make sure that the switch at “Books” is switched ON (a green switch)
then, swipe up the entire page to close the Settings.app
next, on your Mac, click on the Apple icon (top left in the menu bar)
from the pulldown menu, choose “System Settings”
in the window that appears, click on your own name (your personal avatar icon top left)
in the Apple ID info that appears, click on “iCloud”
in the iCloud info that appears, click on the “Show More Apps” button
in the popup window that appears, scroll down and make sure that the switch at “Books” is turned ON (a dark grey switch)
then click the “Done” button and close the Settings window by clicking on the small red button top left
now, open the Books.app on all your devices and check if the eBooks you’ve purchased in Books.app are now available on all devices

If that did not work, try this next solution :

-2- Make sure that you are logged in to exactly the same iCloud-account on all devices
on your iPhone, go to Settings.app
in the Settings page, click on your own name (your personal avatar icon on the top)
in the Apple ID page that opens, check that the iCloud-account that has purchased the eBook is showing
if not : scroll down, click on “Sign Out”, follow the instructions and after logging out, log in now using the correct iCloud-account
then, on your iPad (if you have one) go to Settings.app
in the Settings page, click on your own name (your personal avatar icon top left)
in the Apple ID info that appears, check that the iCloud-account that has purchased the eBook is showing
if not : scroll down, click on “Sign Out”, follow the instructions and after logging out, log in now using the correct iCloud-account
next, on your Mac, click on the Apple icon (top left in the menu bar)
from the pulldown menu, choose “System Settings”
in the window that appears, click on your own name (your personal avatar icon top left)
in the Apple ID info that appears, check that the iCloud-account that has purchased the eBook is showing
if not : scroll down, click the “Sign Out” button, follow the instructions and after logging out, log in now using the correct iCloud-account

now, open the Books.app on all your devices and check if the eBooks you’ve purchased in Books.app are now available on all devices

If that did not work (or not entirely, because the eBook is showing on your iPhone and iPad, but it isn’t showing on your Mac), try this next solution :

-3- Manually download the purchased eBook to your Mac
on your Mac, open the Books.app
in the Books window that opens, click on your own name (your personal avatar icon bottom left)
in the Account window that pops up, clcik on “Books”
in the page that opens, make sure that the “All” button is clicked, then click on “Recent Purchases”
in the “Recent Purchases” page that opens, find the eBook you are looking for and click on the “Cloud download”-icon next to the eBook’s cover picture
now the icon will start spinning and the eBook will appear in Books.app’s library

That’s it !

enjoy 😉

fixed : share EPUB (with digital watermark) accross Books.app on iPhone, iPad and Mac

Posted on 06-03-2024 by MacManus.nl

Question :
I want to purchase an eBook that is not available in Apple Books. I have found it is available on the website of a bookstore in EPUB (with digital watermark) version. It seems like I should be able to download it after purchase and then read it in Books.app on my iPad or iPhone, but is it also possible to read it in the Books.app on my Mac ?

How do I do that ?

Answer :

Yes, you can buy an EPUB (with digital watermark) [ a.k.a. EPUB with social DRM ] and then read it on Apple’s Books.app on either iPhone, iPad or Mac. To do that, do this :

NOTE : if you buy an eBook on Amazon, it will only be available in the Kindle.app (that will automatically sync across your devices also), but getting a Kindle eBook into Apple’s Books.app is problematic… so if you prefer to read all your eBooks in Books.app, avoid buying eBooks on Amazon.

first, make sure that you are logged into your iCloud account on your iPhone, your iPad and your Mac (with the same iCloud account)
on your iPhone (or iPad) go to the online bookstore that sells the eBook in EPUB (with or without personal watermark or Social DRM)
purchase the eBook
when the download link appear, click on it
now the eBook will be downloaded to the Files.app on your iPhone (or iPad), which means it will be visible on the Desktop of your Mac also (which is automatically synced in iCloud)
now, on your iPhone (or iPad), click on the eBook in the Files.app and choose “open in Books”
now, the eBook will open in Books.app and is ready for reading
it will stay in the Library of your Books.app
if you have iCloud syncing switched on (most of us have) the eBook will now be available for reading in Books.app on your iPhone, your iPad and your Mac
if the eBook is not showing up on all devices, recheck in Settings.app if iCloud-syncing is switched on for Books.app
if you want to manually add the eBook to your iPhone or iPad, do this :
- – open the Files.app and find the eBook
- – click on the eBook and choose “Open in Books”
- – then wait for the eBook to open in Books.app
- if you want to manually add the eBook to your Mac, do this :
- – on your Mac, find the eBook on your Desktop (or in the Desktop folder)
- – Option-click (right-click) on the eBook icon
- – from the pulldown menu that appears, choose Open With > Books
- – now wait for the eBook to open in Books.app

That’s it !

enjoy 😉

fixed : no internet connection while WiFi and LAN are okay (after running Jaksta)

Posted on 15-02-2024 by MacManus.nl

Question :
I was running an app (Jaksta Media Recorder) that crashed. Now I am no longer able to make any connection to the internet from macOS using my regular settings. Safari, Apple Mail.app and Whatsapp for macOS can no longer get propper connection to the internet.
I have tried resetting my internet modem, and my VPN now works, but the apps still cannot get a propper internet connection… so it appears to be a DNS problem, but changing DNS servers didn’t help…

What can I do to solve this ?

Answer :
As you might have expected, Jaksta Media Recorder has caused this problem when it crashed… to fix it, do this :
– restart your Mac
– do not startup any apps, startup the Jaksta Media Recorder app first
– when the Jaksta Media Recorder window opens (where you can see your previous downloads a.k.a. recordings) go to the bottom left corner and put the slider (that is turned ON automatically) in the OFF position
– then quit the Jaksta Media Recorder app

That’s it !

enjoy 😉

Note : Jaksta Media Recorder for Mac is no longer being supported, as of 2023 Jaksta is a Windows-only app, so if you run into any problems with Jaksta for Mac you are pretty much left hanging… so, if you’re looking fro an alternative for Jaksta, see this post :
fixed : current version (or replacement) for Jaksta downloader app on macOS

fixed : XLOOKUP function not available in latest version of MS Excel

Posted on 14-02-2024 by MacManus.nl

Question :
I am running the latest version of MS Excel, but even though it should include the XLOOKUP function, it is not appearing when I want to use it in a formula.

What can I do to fix this ?

Answer :
The problem is that even though you have the latest version of MS Excel installed, the active license you have is one for MS Excel 2019 or earlier…
So, make sure you have a license for a newer version of MS Office for Mac, then do this :
– in Excel, click on “Excel” in the top menu bar
– from the pulldown menu, select “About Microsoft Excel”
– in the “About Excel” window that opens, at “License:” you will see “Office … 2019” (or something alike)
– now, go to the Microsoft website and download the License Removal Tool for Mac
– when downloaded, run the .pkg file and follow the online instructions
– when done, move the downloaded .pkg file to the trash
– then, open any MS Office app (e.g. Excel, Word, PowerPoint or Outlook)
– when prompted, typ your MS Office for Mac license code (for Office 365 or 2021 or newer)
– when done, restart your Mac to activate the license code
– then open Excel after startup and check : XLOOKUP will now be available under “Formulas” > “Lookup & Reference”

That’s it !
enjoy 😉

Note :
Microsoft’s website has further details that you can find here : “How to remove Office license files on a Mac”

fixed : screen and Touch Bar stay black when starting up MacBook Pro

Posted on 03-02-2024 by MacManus.nl

Question :
I was trying to start up my MacBook Pro this morning but when I did, nothing appeared on screen… the screen stayed black… even the Touch Bar above the keyboard stayed black… I think I could hear a distant startup chime sound, but that was all… no indication of any response to my start-up attempts…
I thought that the battery might be empty, so I plugged in the USB-C power cable (which unfortunately does not turn on any light that indicates it’s charging), but the result of my start-up attempts stayed the same : black screen, black Touch Bar and only a dim, distant start-up chime…
Is this some kind of hardware failure (broken screen) ? Or is this a software problem that I can fix myself ?

What can I do ?

Answer :
This is a software problem.
You can fix this by doing the following :
– simultaniously press this key combo on your MacBook Pro’s keyboard :
[CTRL] + [CMD] + [ON/OFF] for at least 5 seconds, then release

[CTRL] = the ‘Control’ key
[CMD] = the ‘Command’ key, the key with the stylized 4-leaf-clover, previously known as ‘Apple’ key
[ON/OFF] = the ‘Touch ID’ key on the far right of the Touch Bar that is used for starting up, shutting down, and Touch ID

…and now, your MacBook Pro should start-up as usual, starting with a white Apple logo appearing on your black screen…
if it still doesn’t work, use this slightly longer procedure :
– press the [ON/OFF] key for at least 10 seconds to shut down your MacBook Pro
– then press the [CTRL] + [CMD] + [ON/OFF] key combo for at least 5 seconds to start-up

…That’s it !
enjoy 😉

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