fixed : Synology NAS no longer accessible because Secure SignIn app was offloaded from iPhone

Posted on 12-12-2024 by MacManus.nl

Question :
I want to access my Synology DS218 NAS because I got an eMail from Synology that there is a new system update available, but when trying to login I need the Synology Secure SignIn app on my iPhone. But I haven’t used the app for a while, and now it turns out it has been offloaded by iOS. I’ve re-installed the app, but now my entire account has been erased and syncronisation with my NAS is no longer possible.
I tried to setup my account in the Secure SignIn again, but when trying to do so, I get caught in a loop… I need an access to the app to login to the NAS’ virtual desktop interface… and I need access to my NAS’ virtual desktop interface to setup an account in the Secure SignIn app…

What can I do ?

Answer :
Even though you are caught in a loop, there is a way to get out of this… but it involves a rather rigorous reset… to do so, do this :

make sure you have the Synology Secure SignIn app on your iPhone (you can download it from the AppleStore – there are versions for iOS/iPhone and iPadOS/iPad)
make sure you have SynologyAssistiant.app on your Mac (you can download it from the Synology Download Center – search based on the model of your NAS)
find the tiny button marked RESET (on the back of your NAS)
use a paperclip, ballpoint-tip or something alike to press & hold the RESET button for 4 seconds, until you hear a beep
immediately release the button when you hear the beep
you have now reset the network settings of your NAS, removed the 2-factor authentication and reset the password to blank (but all data on your NAS will remain intact)
now plug the UTP/Ethernet-cable from your NAS straight into your Mac
temporarily switch off WiFi on your Mac (and disconnect all other network & internet connections)
then, open the SynologyAssistant.app on your Mac
when the screen opens, click on “Search”
when your NAS appears in the list of found devices, click on “Connect”
now your webbrowser (Safari) opens
on the first screen, when your account name is asked, type : admin
then click the blue NEXT button
on the second screen, leave the password field blank and click the blue NEXT button
when prompted to enable 2-factor authentication, click “No, thanks”
when prompted to set up adaptive MFA, click “I don’t want to secure my account”
when the recommendation and question if you are sure to proceed appear, klick the blue OK button
now the Reset Password page opens, set the account name you want to use (if you want, you can use your previous account name)
now, if you click at the upper new password field, you will probably be recommended to use a Safari Strong Password, if so, click OK (if no password is suggested, set a long password manually)
make sure you write down this password offline (or somewhere very secure)
then, make sure the chosen password is the same in both fields and clcik OK
when you get the “Success! Your password has been changed.” message, click the “Sign In Now” button
then, you will need to log-in again on your NAS, this time with your new password
if you get a message saying “password invalid” you can ignore it and try again (usually the second time it will just work anyway)
when the webinterface opens, click on your account info (blue person icon) top right
from the pulldown menu, choose “Personal”
when the “Personal” settings window opens, click on the “Security” tab
in the “Security” tab window that opens, select “2-Factor Authentication” and click the blue Apply button
in the pop-up window that opens, choose “Verification code (OTP)”
then put your Synology NAS (a.k.a. “DSM”) account password in the next pop-up window and click the blue OK-button
the next pop-up window advises to download the Secure SignIn app, but since you’ve already done so, just click the blue Next-button
in the next pop-up window you will see a QR-code
now, open the Secure SignIn app on your iPhone and click the OTP-button (bottom-right)
when the OTP-window opens on your iPhone, click the + button top right
then your camera will open within the Secure SignIn app
now, using your iPhone, scan the QR-code that is displayed on your Mac
then, a 6-digit code will be generated on your iPhone
key in that 6-digit code into the “Verification Code (OTP)” field on your Mac and click the blue Next-button
in the “Backup email settings” window that opens (on your Mac) check that your account eMail address is also listed as your Backup eMail address, and verify your eMail address if you haven’t done that already
if “Send verification email” is greyed out and “Verified” is indicated next to it in green, you can click the blue Next-button
in the next window, click the blue Next-button
now, your NAS has been successfully re-linked with the app, so you can close the “Personal” window by clicking the X button (top right inside the window)
when done, in the online virtual desktop (which is still open on your Mac), click the Control Panel icon
in the “Control Panel” window that opens, click “Regional Options” (in the “System” chapter)
in the next window, make sure the “Time” tab is selected (usually the “Time” tab will be already displayed automatically)
then make sure that “Synchronize with NTP Server” is selected in the “Time Setting” chapter
at “Server address:” select “time.google.com” and click the ‘Update Now’-button
even if it says “Status: Checking…” or “cannot connect” you can now click the blue ‘Apply’-button
Note : keep in mind that the codes generated by the Secure SignIn app are time-sensitive, so it is essential that the time set in your NAS is correct and keeps getting updated
you can now close the NAS’ vritual desktop in your browser
now, reconnect the UTP/Ethernet cables from your NAS and your Mac in the way they used to be before your problems occurred (so both your Mac and your NAS will have internet connection)
then, on your Mac, reopen the SynologyAssistant.app
maybe you need to click the ‘Search’-button, but ususally your NAS will already be listed
select your NAS from the list and click the ‘Connect’-button
now, your NAS’ login page will open in your browser
on the first page key in your Synology NAS account name
on the second page, key in your password and put a checkmark at “do not ask again on this device”
on the thrird page, key in the 6-digit OTP code that is shown in the Secure SignIn app on your iPhone
now your NAS’ virtual desktop will open in your browser
there, click on the Control Panel icon
open “Regional Options” again
in the “Time” tab, check that the current time is displayed, that the ’Time Setting’ is on ’Syncronize with NTP Server’ and that ‘Status:’ is at “Normal” (in green)
if not, adjust these settings and click ‘Update Now’
else, close the NAS’ virtual desktop
That’s it !

enjoy 😉

fixed : black screen and no BIOS Boot Menu on MSI NightBlade X2B gaming-PC

Posted on 04-09-2024 by MacManus.nl

Question :
I have a MSI NightBlade X2B gaming-PC that I need to reinstall Windows on, the internal HD has been reformatted externally, but when I try to startup the PC, the HDMI-connected monitor gives only a black screen with and error message saying something like “no HDMI signal detected”… I need to get into the BIOS Boot Menu to fix this, but how do I do that If I cannot see anything on screen ?

What can I do to fix this ?

Answer :
The MSI NightBlade X2B gaming PC not only has an internal HD (usually 1TB), but also a 500GB SSD that is hard to access manually. And Windows has usually been installed on that SSD, not on the HD.
If the PC starts up porperly (lights and sound of running fans), then the fix to getting into the BIOS Boot Menu is to reset the CMOS Battery. To do that, you need to do this :
– diconnect al cables from the PC (Power, HDMI, USB, etc.)
– open the PC housing (slide open the red protectors on the back and unscrew the screws)
– take off the side panel
– if you are in an environment with high static electricity you need to unplug the internal cables from the graphics card, the HD and the power (but usually you’ll be okay if you are in a clean and smooth environment, especially if continuously connect yourself with al metal wire to a grounded large metal object or a radiator)
– unscrew the graphics card, which is the bottom mother/daughter-board (first unscrew the L-shaped black plate on the backside, then tilt out the graphics card starting at the back)
– behind the graphics card, on bottom left of the motherboard, you will find the red&black (or red&white) cable that connects the CMOS Battery to the motherboard
– gently unplug the white connector that has written “BAT 1” under it
– then leave tthe PC like this for about 8 hours (so a working day or a night), this will drain the motherboard and all internal electronics so they will automatically reset to factory settings (except for the HD and the SSD, so you will have to wipe or reformat those later)
– after this cool-down period, reconnect the small white connector and reassemble the PC (starting with the graphics card)
– then, reconnect a USB-mouse, a keyboard (seems like a PS/2 keyboard works better at this stage, but a USB keyboard should also work), a UTP/Ethernet-cable (if you have wired Ethernet available this will work easier then WiFi at this stage) and the HDMI-cable to your monitor
– then, startup the PC using the Power Button and immediately start pressing the F11 key on your keyboard repeatingly (the F11 key is the ususal key to press for MSI motherboards, but you might need to press the F1, F2 or F12 key)
– the PC should now start up in BIOS Mode, but if it does not, shut down the PC and restart it using the Power Button and immediately press the CTRL + ALT + DEL key-combo on your keyboard, which should get you into BIOS Mode

Then proceed as usual for reinstalling Windows 10 (or 11) and don’t forget to format the HD to NTFS and wipe unwanted and/or unneeded old user data to free up space on the SSD (it’s easiest to do so after installing Windows).

That’s it !

enjoy 😉

fixed : reinstalling an app on AppleWatch

Posted on 15-08-2024 by MacManus.nl

Question :
I have an app on my AppleWatch that isn’t working properly. I want to reinstall it.

How do I do that ?

Answer :
There are 3 ways of reinstalling an app on your AppleWatch. If you have problems with an app on your AppleWatch, try these first (in any order you like).
If the app still doesn’t work properly after trying these 3 options, you should try an erase and reinstall of your entire AppleWatch (outlined in this post).

OPTION #1
The targeted app reinstall via the iPhone‘s AppleWatch.app:
– on your iPhone, open the AppleWatch.app
– click on the ‘My Watch’ button (bottom left)
– scroll down to the ‘INSTALLED ON APPLE WATCH’ chapter and find the app that isn’t working properly
– click on it
– in the next page that opens, turn the slider at “Show App on Apple Watch’ to OFF (grey-black, not green)
– then, click ‘Back’ (top-left) and exit and close the AppleWatch.app
– now check on your AppleWatch if the app has been removed from your AppleWatch
– if it hasn’t, give it a few minutes to sync and check again
– if it’s been removed, reopen the AppleWatch.app on your iPhone
– click on the ‘My Watch’ button (bottom-left)
– scroll down to the ‘AVAILABLE APPS’ chapter and find the app you want to reinstall
– click on it (on the INSTALL-button at the right of the app icon)
– see the INSTALL-botton turn into a download progress circle and wait for the downloading to finish
– scroll up to the ‘INSTALLED ON APPLE WATCH’ chapter and see that the app is now listed there
– then, click ‘Back’ (top left) and exit and close the AppleWatch.app
– now, check on your AppleWatch to see that the app has been reinstalled
– then, on your AppleWatch, open the app and check if it works properly
– if it does, your good to go
– if it does not, try one of the other reinstall options

OPTION #2
The complete app reinstall via the iPhone‘s AppStore.app :
– on your iPhone, find the corresponding iOS-app of the app that isn’t working properly on your AppleWatch
– long-press sonwhere on the screen inbetween the app icons until all icons start to jiggle
– click on the small circle with a minus-sign in it (on the top-left) of the icon of the app that is not working properly
– when the Remove-popup appears, click on ‘Delete App’
– now, the app will be deleted from your iPhone …and also from your AppleWatch !
– check your AppleWatch to verify that the app has also been deleted there
– if not, wait a little until your iPhone and AppleWatch have synced
– if so, proceed on your iPhone
– open the AppStore.app on your iPhone
– find the app that you have just deleted (and that used to give problems on your AppleWatch)
– reinstall the app by clicking on the ‘download from cloud’-icon/button next to it
– wait for the download to complete and the icon to chang into an ‘Open’-button
– click the ‘Open’-button
– go to your AppleWatch and see that the app has been reinstalled there also
– if not, wait a little longer until the syncing is done
– then proceed, by opening the app on your AppleWatch
– now check if the app works properly
– if it does, you’re good to go
– if it does not, try one of the other reinstall options

OPTION #3
The targeted app reinstall via the AppleWatch‘s AppStore.app :
– on your AppleWatch, press the Digital Crown once to see your collection of apps
– touch and hold anywhere on the display until all app icons begin to jiggle
– click on the icon of the app that is not working properly (when the icon is jiggling, it also has a tiny grey circle with an X in it top-left on it)
– you will now see a black screen with white letters “Are you shure you want to delete… ?’ and a ‘Delete APP’ and a ‘Cancel’ button
– click the ‘Delete App’ button
– then your collection of apps will be shown, check that the app is no longer there
– now, in your collection of apps, find the AppStore icon (the blue circle with the distinctive white AppStore A in it ; if your vcan’t find it at first, look again, since it will be there as it cannot be deleted)
– if you’ve never used the AppStore on your AppleWatch before, you need to activate it by clicking the blue ‘Continue’ button first
– then, in the AppStore screen, click the Search-icon (the looking glass top-left)
– in the Search screen, skip up the triangular arrow from the bottom (below the word ‘SPACE’)
– on the next screen, choose to input the search word using Scribble (writing letters on-screen one-by-one) or Dictation (speaking the search word)
– using your input manner of choice, see to it that the search word is somthing like the apps name, it doesn’t have to be exactly righ ( it’s just that the pronounciation should resemble the name of the app you’e rearching for)
– then, click the blue ‘Search’-button (top-right)
– in the list of reach results, scroll down to the app you want to reinstall and clikc on it’s name
– on the page that opens, click on the ‘download from cloud’-icon on the right side
– it will now turn into a download progress circle that will finally turn into a blue ‘Open’-button
– click on the blue ‘Open’-button
– now check if the app works properly
– if it does, you’re good
– if it does not, try one of the other reinstall options

FINAL OPTION
if neither of the 3 reinstall options outlined above has worked to get the app working properly, you will need to erase and resinstall your AppleWatch entirely…
To do so, see this post :
fixed : VanMoof.app keeps giving No Data error message

That’s it !
One of the above options will help you to reinstall (and fix) an AppleWatch-app

enjoy 😉

fixed : Dyson Pure Cool warning to replace new filters again ?

Posted on 22-01-2020 by MacManus.nl

Question :

I have a Dyson Pure Cool 2018 ( TP04 ) fan-less air cooler / purifier, and it works great – I can even monitor & control it from the DysonLink.app on my iPhone. Now time has come to replace the HEPA and carbon filters, so I got a new set of those. I got the old wones out and put the new ones in, turned the Pure Cool back on, and now it keeps giving a ‘replace immediately’ warning again…

What is wrong ?

Answer :

You probably replaced both the carbonfilters and both the HEPA-filters just fine, as that is rather simple. But judging from the error message you are getting, you forgot to reset the software. To do so, do this :

unplug the Dyson Pore Cool 2018 ( TP04 ) from power
replace both carbonfilters (skip this if you just renewed them)
replace both HEPA filters (skip this if you just renewed them)
replug the power
switch ON (using the power button on the Pure Cool’s body)
press the ‘night’-button (bottom right) on the remote control until the countdown starts
wait for the countdown to finish
press the ‘left/right’-button (bottom left) on the remote control until the countdown starts
wait for the countdown to finish
you will now see green checkmarks for both filters on the display
press the ‘AUTO’-botton (middle right) on the remote control to put the Pure Cool back into automatic mode
use the DysonLink.app for further settings (like using Siri or Alexa, Google Home is currently not supported)

that’s it !

enjoy 😉

fixed : reset password on QD520 IP-camera without a Windows-PC [Mac-only]

Posted on 01-02-2018 by MacManus.nl

Question :

A friend donated a QD520 IP-securitycam to me. It looks great and from what I’m reading, I should be able to get it working with Mac-software, but I when I try to access the device in Safari, it asks for a password (that my friend couldn’t remember), so I can’t login…

There’s no reset button on the QD520, so I will need to reset the password with special software, but it turns out that that software is Windows-only, and I only have Macs…

What can I do ?

Answer :

You are completely right about the Windows-only software… but I managed to port the reset tool to Mac using WineBottler, and using that, you can reset the QD520 and it’s password back to factory settings.

After the reset, the QD520 will be back to these factory settings :

password = [ BLANK / NOTHING / EMPTY ]

IP (static) = 192.168.1.10

interface language = (simplified) Chinese [ yep, that’s a very uncomfy downside of resetting… unfortunately ]

Here’s how to reset the QD520 :

connect the QD520 to your network
use the free LANScan.app (or something similar) to find the QD520’s current IP address [ the LANScan app can be downloaded for FREE from the Mac App Store ]
download Winebottler here, and use it to run the Windows-only version of the PasswordResetTool you can get here or in this Xmeye Camera Software bundle (or use Winebottler to create a Mac-compatible version of the QD520passwordresettool)
as the original Windows-version PasswordResetTool needs a Telnet connection to communicate with the QD520 IP-cam, you now have to enable Telnet (or Netcat to be more precise) to it’s IP address on your Mac as follows :
- on your Mac, go to Applications –> Utilities –> Terminal.app
- double-click on the icon to run Terminal.app
- there you will see your username-with-a-dollar-sign-attached-to-it ; immediately after that, typ this :
- nc xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx 23
- so : N C space QD520-IP-address space 2 3 (in which 23 is the Telnet port number)
- now you will see an ‘answer’ in the Terminal.app :
  - ????????LocalHost login:
when you see that text appear, doubleclick on the QD520passwordresettool to run it
when it’s open, at “Device IP”, fill in the QD520-IP-number, and click the “Reset” button
when you get the feedback message “Reset OK, Waiting for reboot your device, please!”, click the “OK” button
that’s it !
don’t forget to quit both the QD520passwordresettool and the Terminal.app

enjoy 😉

NOTE #1 : as mentioned before, the QD520’s IP address will now be 192.168.1.10 and the interface will be in Chinese unfortunately, however, you will be able login now ! ( using login = admin / password = [empty] )

NOTE #2 : unfortunately, there is no Mac-friendly solution to change the QD520’s settings like IP-address and Password just yet… for that, you will still need to use Internet Explorer for Windows with ActiveX and JAVA Runtime installed… [ we are working on a solution for that, but as ActiveX is not supported on Intel-Macs, that’s an extremely hard nut to crack and might even be too complicated… ]

fixed : how to reset RT3 car navigation system

Posted on 05-02-2017 by MacManus.nl

Question :

I have an old Peugeot with what-once-was a state-of-the-art navigation system : an RT3 car computer by Magneti Marelli. When trying new navigation CDroms, I encountered an error. The dealer says can it should be fixed by a restart of the RT3 car computer by doing a “Dark button”-reset.

However… no-one seems to be able to tell we where that mysterious “Dark button” is located…

Can you please help me ?

Answer :

There are two ‘official’ reset options for your RT3 car navigation system :

option #1 :

press the DARK-button until the screen goes black and the RT3 then restarts

Note : the DARK-button is not some mysterious unmarked button, it’s simply the button marked “DARK” that is normally used to darken the screen to not shine too bright at night

option #2 :

turn off your car and take the car key out
unscrew the Torx10-screws that are hidden inside the two tiny holes next to the “MP3” and “GSM” printed text (note : the screws don’t come out, the just come loose and stay inside the panel)
pull the menu-wheelbutton to slide out the ‘car radio’
flip open the metal lid that is just above the big barcode sticker
take out the yellow battery pack
unplug the white connector that is halfway the battery pack’s cable
wait one minute
plug the white connector back in, but the battery pack back, close the metal lid, slide the ‘car radio’ back in and tighten the Torx10-screws

According to the Peugeot mechanics, option #2 should work if option #1 doesn’t…

Good Luck !

fixed : deleting photos to free up memory on your iPhone

Posted on 08-12-2016 by MacManus.nl

Question :

I have a 16GB iPhone running iOS10, and it freezes whenever I want to take a photo… I get an error message that there’s no memory left on my iPhone so I can’t continue…

I checked and it turns out that I have literally 1KB (yes, only 1KB, not even 1MB…) left as free memory… and most of my 16GB is occupied by Photos.app (about 12GB)…

How do I free up space without deleting valuable photos and videos ?

Answer :

The best way (if not the only) to free up space on your iPhone will be to delete a lot of photos and videos, in your case. The way to do that without running the risk of throwing away photos and videos that you would have liked to backup it this :

connect your iPhone to your Mac using a USB-cable
open the Photos.app on your Mac
click on your iPhone, which is listed on the left side
now, in the main window, go to the photos that are displayed as ready to import (photos that aren’t on your Mac already are automatically filtered out by Photos.app
from that selection of (un-imported) photos and videos, select ONLY those photos you want to keep
import that selection onto your Mac
first check if all photos and especially all videos (as those are not being transferred automatically through iCloud syncing) you selected have been imported
then unplug your iPhone’s USB-cable
then delete all video’s you can, and if that isn’t enough, delete all photos older than about one year from your iPhone
Please, note that iCould will only contain the most recent photos (usually not the videos)
now, restart your iPhone by simultaneously pressing the two main physical buttons : both the menu-button (just below the screen on the front side) and the ON/OFF-button (top side or right side)
then check if you have enough free space on your iPhone now
if not, delete more photos from your iPhone (in the way explained above)
…then restart your iPhone

MacManus.nl

helping hundreds of happy Applers each day

Tag Archives: reset

fixed : black screen and no BIOS Boot Menu on MSI NightBlade X2B gaming-PC

fixed : reinstalling an app on AppleWatch

fixed : Dyson Pure Cool warning to replace new filters again ?

fixed : reset password on QD520 IP-camera without a Windows-PC [Mac-only]

fixed : how to reset RT3 car navigation system

fixed : deleting photos to free up memory on your iPhone

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: