Newbie Questions

[MatthewConnelly]

This may sound really stupid, but this is my first Mac! I've had it for a couple of months and there's a couple of things that have been bugging me.

Is it possible for me to safely change the name of the Macintosh HD icon on my desktop via the Get Info pop up? Also, how could I change the icon of the HD, to say a black MacBook. Would these changes be shown when i'm installing a program and it shows the different volumes on the Mac?

How could I make it so all icons are on the left of my desktop automatically? So when I start downloading something, it defaults to putting the file icons on the left?

 

[mkrishnan]

I'm not sure how to do most of these things, but...

1) Changing the name of the Macintosh HD on the desktop should be fine. Do not on penalty of being beaten change the name of your home directory (the one that has a picture of a house). The name change should show when you have to pick a volume in an installer; I'm not sure the icon will.

2) If you have an icon file you like for it, you can copy it, do the get info, and then paste it onto the box that has the icon in it. Otherwise try CandyBar.

3) If you do show view options on the desktop, then you can "keep icons arranged" automatically by kind, etc. But it defaults to the right. No idea how to make it the left.

Hope that helps a little bit? Welcome to the family!

 

[MatthewConnelly]

It does help thanks!

The only reason I was wondering about the icons is because i'm getting a monitor delivered tomorrow (to attach to my MacBook) and I wasn't sure how the desktop extension works. I know you can just replicate what is shown on your MB screen, but does the extension give you two docks/two sets of desktop icons/extended menu bar etc?

 

[WildCowboy]

No, with extended desktop mode, you choose a primary screen where your Dock, menu bar, and your icons live.

 

[MatthewConnelly]

No, with extended desktop mode, you choose a primary screen where your Dock, menu bar, and your icons live.

That's just what I wanted to hear, more space on the external monitor then!

 

[mkrishnan]

That's just what I wanted to hear, more space on the external monitor then!

There's even a website somewhere that people here use, I think, that offers coordinated wallpapers for the two screens!