Have you seen this message on your computer?

If you haven’t seen a message like this on your Mac or PC yet, you probably will soon. This message begs a few other questions; Is it OK to uninstall it? What is Flash anyways?

This message makes it sound like Flash player is going away, and indeed, it is. It’s not that it’s vacationing in Florida for the Winter, it’s that we just don’t need Flash anymore. So what is Flash?

In brief, Flash Player is software and Flash is a file type created by software giant Adobe, the same people who brought us Photoshop. Flash was designed way back in the early years of the World Wide Web, you know, in 1996. As you may know, the World Wide Web was (and still is) built from a coding language called HTML. But in those early days, HTML did not support dynamic content like interactive games or even simple videos. You might have played one of these games on Facebooks’ website, or watched one of these videos on a site like YouTube. Adobe stepped in and created Flash to make this possible. At the time, this was good, we needed Flash.

Flash Player made it possible for your browser, the app you use to surf the Web (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, etc.) to play those games and videos. Think of Flash Player as an accessory to your browser. Just like your vacuum cleaner has accessories for special purposes like those tight spaces you can’t normally reach, Flash Player enhanced your browser with a special ability to read Flash files when a given website hosted them. Just like you need Word to open Word documents (.docx), you need Flash Player to open Flash files (.swf). Here’s an example: A news website you visit has a written new story with an embedded video included for additional coverage. The web master who created this website posted the video in Flash file format, and because your browser has the Flash Player accessory installed, the video plays just fine.  If your browser did not have Flash Player installed, then you can’t play the video and you get an error message instead.

Most people have had Flash Player installed on their computers for decades. You might also remember that Flash Player needed to be updated about every 5 minutes. OK, I like to exaggerate, but Flash Player was seriously needy software, which is one reason why it’s good that Flash is retiring. You see, just like software evolves, coding languages do too. HTML now supports interactive games and video content, and it does it better than Flash did. So we don’t need Flash anymore, and Adobe knows that, too. So that’s why you will sooner or later see a message like the one above as Adobe is officially ceasing development, and even prompting, the removal of Flash Player. So, yes, it’s OK (and encouraged) for you to click that Uninstall button and be done with it. Your computer may ask you for a password to remove Flash, after all, you are changing the software on your system, and this may require authorization of an administrator. This would be the same password you use to sign on to your computer when it first boots up.

I should briefly mention that there could be some sites out there still using Flash, but I would think and hope that they would communicate with their site members to hold off on uninstalling Flash if that were so. Adobe has given website builders a couple years to transition over to HTML, so sites that are still using Flash are waaaaay behind.

OK, there is one more reason why it’s good that Flash retire, and it’s even more important than the first reason. If you remember, the first reason was that Flash was needy, it needed to be updated quite often. Here’s the juicy detail: malware makers knew that, too. Malware makers exploited the high update frequency needs of Flash Player, and over the years, have tricked tons and tons of people into installing malware apps alongside of legitimate Flash Player updates. Here’s how it went: You visit a website wanting to watch a video or play a game, etc. and you get a message saying that your Flash Player needs to be updated. So, you follow the link and click the Update button, and in the days that follow, you get all these pop up windows asking you to scan your system for viruses. Additionally, your browser home page looks different, and you get all these strange ads as you surf the Web.

Sound familiar? So you call Gregg (that’s me, the author), and he removes the malware but leaves you with a lecture about not following pop-up ads on websites asking you to update Flash. But how could you have known? You didn’t install malware on purpose! The malware makers tricked you… they did give you the Flash update that you needed, but they bundled one or more malware apps with it. This is the other reason that it’s good for Flash Player to retire, it lowers the opportunity and probability of us getting tricked into installing malware as we try to update Flash.

Now, super important for everyone to understand… the malware makers will now have to figure out a new way to trick us into installing their malware. On the down side, we don’t know yet what that new scheme will look like. On the plus side, we know that we can’t get malware from updating Flash anymore when there is no Flash to update. However, malware makers I think will bet that many people will not have read this article, will not understand that Flash is retired, and will continue for some time presenting messages that Flash needs to be updated to unsuspecting users.

Let me put it all together now… If we know Adobe has told us that Flash is retired, and yet as we surf the Web we get a pop-up window telling us that Flash needs to be updated, guess what that means…? Well, 100% of the time, it means that a message to update Flash is a trick, that we will install malware if we continue and follow the link. Did I mention 100% of the time? Yes, a message like that from now on is always a trick, 100% of the time. Don’t follow any link to update Flash Player!! If you do see a message asking you to update Flash, there is no reason to panic, just close the window, quit and reopen your browser, and try again to resume whatever you were doing previously.

It remains to be seen how malware makers will shift their tactics to a new trick once people get savvy enough in regards to Flash. I’ll let you know once I know, so stay tuned. Stay safe out there!

I recently updated two Mac computers to MacOS 10.15 Catalina, and the transition has been good. There are some things I think you’ll want to know about the transition, and so this blog entry is a brief description of what to expect when it comes to the changes and new features in this system software update.

1. How to Update – Apple changed the process for initiating the update in the last system software; Mojave. So, if you’re using something older than Mojave, you’ll go to the App Store > Updates section to initiate this update. If you’re using Mojave currently, you’ll open the System Preferences, and click Software Update to initiate the update. This is the new method, because it’s more consistent with the steps to run updates on the iPhone/iPad.
2. Dark Mode – Once Catalina has been downloaded and installed, a brief setup process will make you aware of a couple new features by way of a few questions before your Mac boots up the startup screen. The first one relates to a new display mode called Dark Mode, which reverses the color scheme of your Mac from black text on white background to white text on black background. Dark Mode is much easier on the eyes if you like to work late at night. Dark Mode was actually introduced in Mojave, but now you’ll be presented with an option to have Dark Mode on Auto, which means that your Mac will turn On Dark Mode in the evening automatically.
3. Screen Time – The other feature that’s new is something that first arrived on the iPhone last year; Screen Time. Screen Time is designed to report to you the amount of time that you spend on your screen so that you can at least be aware, and possible so that you can set limits for yourself, or others, or restrict certain apps or content on your device. Your Mac may also ask a few other questions during the startup process, depending on what version of the software you were using before updating to Catalina.
4. iTunes – The BIG news with Catalina is the discontinuation of iTunes. Apple’s long-standing music app is now broken up into a few smaller apps; Music, Podcasts, TV. This is a good thing… iTunes had become a behemoth application, archiving medias of all types, and housing the digital storefronts for all those same media types. It was too much, and iTunes had become super clunky. As it already is on your iPhone, the Mac now reflects the same approach for different media types to have their own app.
5. Relocated Items – Kind of a weird thing… once your Mac is updated to Catalina and you work your way through the setup screens, you’ll come to your Desktop and find a new folder there called Relocated Items. Catalina will locate some settings and preference files that are no longer compatible with the new system software. For whatever reason, Apple didn’t feel comfortable just deleting these files on your behalf, so they put them in a folder called Relocated Items. What should you do with them? You could tuck these files away for safe-keeping, but here’s my thought… The folder on your Desktop is actually a shortcut, it’s not the actual folder, that’s what the tiny arrow in the corner of the folder indicates. The real folder is located in your Shared folder, which is already tucked away out of sight. I would just delete the Relocated Items folder shortcut present on your Desktop, which won’t delete the actual Relocated Items folder that’s tucked away out of sight. If this year goes by and you never need those little preference files, we’ll delete them completely at that point.
6. 32 bit apps – Apple is now (and has been) using 64 bit technology in Mac computers that allows the various apps available to your Mac to be more dynamic and powerful. Apple has been phasing out 32 bit apps for almost 10 years. What does this mean to you? Some apps that you might be using may not work after you update to Catalina. This could happen to old apps, apps developed by individuals (as opposed to big companies), niche apps, etc. What do I do if I discover an app that won’t work in Catalina? The first thing to do if you discover an app that won’t open is to visit the website for the company that developed the software. If you don’t know that information, try doing a Google search for the name of the app and see if you can get yourself to the website of the developer, where you might be able to download a new 64 bit version of the same application. You may need to contact the app developer and ask if they have a new version coming. It’s also possible that a software developer may have sent you an email a few months ago letting you know that a 64 bit version of their app is on the way. If that rings a bell for you, that’s the developers way of saying, “I’m working on a new version of my app, but I’m a little behind, so don’t update to Catalina quite yet.” I would take their advice and wait for further instruction from them. If all you’re doing on your Mac is surfing the Web, checking email, and working with Photos, you won’t have anything to worry about. If you are using some specialized apps, I recommend checking with the developer to see if updating to Catalina will create any problems. It’s not easy to downgrade, so please be cautious and attentive to this matter!

There are more changes and features in Catalina, but the 6 issues mentioned above are the most important to discuss. The Reminders app has been redesigned, the Photos app has a new layout for displaying photos, and there is more. But I’ll let you discover the rest!

What is OS X 10.10 Yosemite? OS X is the Operating System software for your Mac. This is a major software update that everyone should do… eventually. It’s possible that some older Macs may not have the hardware needed to support this update, but I would expect many Macs out there to be capable. A few things to know before you complete this update;

1. If you have a laptop, make sure your Mac is plugged in and charging before you begin. Running out of power mid update could create some potentially large problems. You will also need to be connected to the Internet.

2. Major updates like this one will always add in some new and interesting features which can be exciting, but in these updates Apple may change the way things look and potentially move buttons around. So don’t panic, this just means being diligent and patient to scan the entire screen if by chance you can’t find the button you’re looking for in the place where it was before. Yosemite brings in a significant visual overhaul, changing a lot of the icons and buttons to a much flatter appearance. It won’t look completely different, but a bit different should be expected.

3.  The software update process has two steps; The Download and then the Install, both of which can take some time. Your Mac screen will display various things  (all black, all white, Apple logo, etc.) on it’s own during this process and that’s OK, it will power back on when the Install has completed. Please do NOT turn off your Mac while it’s conducting the update, which could prove seriously problematic. It may take a while to do the update, hard to say how long, depends on the speed of your internet connection, maybe 30 min, maybe several hours. My Mac completed the Download and Install in about one hour each, totaling a 2 hr process. The Mac is usable during the Download, but during the Install  the Mac will be unusable. I suggest initiating this long process before you go to bed at night so it has plenty of time. If the Mac screen has been black for a while, tap the space bar once to see if it wakes up for you so you can see where the Mac is in this process. During this process, you’ll be asked for 2 passwords. Initiating the Download will require your Apple ID password, and initiating the Install will require your Mac administrator user account password, which is the same password you use to sign into the Mac whenever it starts up. Be sure you have both of these passwords handy before you begin the process.

4. A general rule I usually follow when running major software updates; Wait for the ‘.1.’ The version of OS X that was just released is numbered at version 10.10. I always wait a few weeks after the initial release date (which was Oct 16, 2014) to update my Mac until the first software patch releases. Waiting for that first software patch would allow the Mac to update to version 10.10.1 all at the same time, skipping over any bugs that came in with version 10.10. I wait for the ‘.1’ patch in order to hear what the public reaction is to the new software and to see what bugs people are experiencing. A good place to read about these issues is; macrumors.com. After a major update like this one to version 10.10, the ‘.1’ software patch is usually released fairly quickly in order to address any initial bugs in the software.

UPDATE 4/2/15 – Apple has updated Yosemite now to 10.10.2 with 10.10.3 due out any time. Unfortunately, there was a big bug in 10.10, and the patch that arrived in 10.10.1 did not resolve the issue. But with the release now of 10.10.2, all is well. One big change to be aware of is that iPhoto is being discontinued this Spring. Apple has a new app to take its place, and that is an app called Photos, and it has the same look and feel of the Photos app on your iPhone and iPad. This is expected to be a part of the 10.10.3 update coming very soon, so don’t be shocked when iPhoto disappears. If you’re not ready to let go of iPhoto, hold off on doing this update.

So how do I do this update?

1. Click the Apple logo in the top left of your screen. Click ‘Software Update…’ in the menu that appears.

2. The previous two clicks will open the ‘Updates’ section of the App Store application. Here you’ll see a large graphic of Yosemite park, and on the right side of this image is a button that says ‘Free Upgrade.’ Click ‘Free Upgrade’ and then Sign in with your Apple ID and password. Click ‘Sign In.’ Some people may not see a ‘Free Upgrade’ button, but rather ‘Download’ or ‘Get.’ These will all get the process going.

3. Those few steps there should initiate the Download! If you want to track the progress of your download, click ‘Purchases’ at the top of the App Store window where you’ll be able to see a blue progress bar indicating your progress of the software update download.

4. When your Mac has completed the Download, it should ask you for permission to begin the next phase of the update; the Install. Click ‘Continue’ at the bottom to initiate the Install. At this point, you’ll need to agree to the Software License Agreement. Click ‘Agree’ at the bottom and then click ‘Agree’ once again at the top.

5. After you agree to the License Agreement, click ‘Install.’ You’ll now be asked for your Mac Administrator password, which may be a different password than your Apple ID password. If your Mac asks you for a password when you turn it on or wake it up from sleep, this is the same password being asked for now. Enter the password and click ‘OK.’

6. The screen will now cycle through a few phases while the Install completes. The screen may go completely white or black, and at times you’ll see an Apple logo with a thin progress bar or a large circle with an X in the middle of it. You may see each of these screens more than once during the Install. When the Install completes, your Mac will ask you a few questions;

1. Sign in with your Apple ID… again. Do so and then click ‘Continue.’ Doing this ensures that you will already be logged into iTunes, iCloud and the App Store.

2. You may be asked; ‘Allow this Mac to be used with Find My Mac?’ If it does, click ‘Allow’ to enable this function, which will allow your Mac to be tracked if it’s lost or stolen.

3. You’ll need to agree to the ‘Terms and Conditions’ of the new software. Click ‘Agree’ at the bottom and then click ‘Agree’ once again at the top.

4. You’ll also be asked to upgrade to iCloud Drive. You may not need this right away, and you can skip it if you like, but storing important documents in the cloud is growing ever so more popular. I recommend doing the upgrade. Select the button in front of ‘Upgrade to iCloud Drive’ and click ‘Continue.’ You’ll see a reminder to also update your iPhone and/or iPad to iOS 8 and then you’ll be asked for confirmation on the upgrade to iCloud drive. Click ‘Continue.’

4. Last question is about sending Diagnostics information to Apple. Click ‘Continue.’

At this point, the Mac should say ‘Setting Up Your Mac’ and then start up and automatically open the App Store. Click ‘Updates’ at the top right of this window to see if there are any additional smaller updates to complete. Click ‘Update All’ at the top right if you have the option, which will enable any other smaller apps requiring an update to initiate their own Download and Install.

You may also be asked to ‘Turn on Auto Updates?’ in the top right of your screen. Click ‘Turn On.’

That’s it, you’re all done. Close the App Store application if you haven’t done so already by clicking the red dot at the top left of the App Store window.