Tech Tip: My Mac Won’t Start! A Tiny Guide.
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Few situations are more frustrating than struggling with a computer that won’t start. Especially with client deadlines looming. That’s the idea behind this tiny troubleshooting guide:
My Mac Won’t Start! (PocketMod Edition)
Print out this guide, fold it together, and keep it handy. Designed with the clever PocketMod template (read Discover PocketMod. The low-tech PDA.), you can tape this tiny booklet to the side of your Mac in case you ever need it. It lists several of the most common fixes for a Mac that will not start up properly.
What’s a PocketMod?
A PocketMod is a special paper template that folds together to make a tiny 8-page booklet from a single sheet of paper. You print it out on your printer, fold it together, and carry it around, well, in your pocket.
Follow the folding diagram shown below, or watch a short video tutorial on the PocketMod website (look for the “Video Instructions” button).
Printing tip: For best results when printing from Acrobat, set page scaling to “none” in Acrobat’s print options.
No time to fold! Just help me fix my Mac!
Don’t want to mess around with printing and folding together a guide? Download a normal (non-PocketMod) PDF of the troubleshooting guide here:
Want more tiny guides? Leave some feedback.
Got an idea for a tiny guide you’d like to see? Leave us a comment.
We’ve got ideas for a couple more guides. But only if people enjoy these and help spread the word. Drop us a note. And don’t forget to tell a friend!
This troubleshooting guide was co-created by two designer-friendly computer support firms: CreativeTechs in Seattle and Forget Computers in Chicago. Both companies have spent years helping creative teams stay productive with today’s changing technology.
June 18th, 2006 at 10:20 pm
You guys are way too cool! Thanks for this little guide. I hope I never need it… but it is really nice to have and was fun to put together! Gives me some great ideas for my work too!
June 19th, 2006 at 5:29 pm
I think this is a great idea, I wish I would have thought of it. My readers @ http://www.thinkmac.net could really benefit from this, and I will be sure to mention it to them.
June 19th, 2006 at 5:39 pm
My Mac Won’t Start - Pocketguide
These guys have created a cool little book to carry in your pocket that outlines steps to take if your Mac won’t start. If you are new to the Mac, Get it here Want some Shortcuts? They have a guide…
June 19th, 2006 at 6:27 pm
How about a little guide with the key combinations for Mac’s shortcuts, for us, newbies…
June 19th, 2006 at 6:43 pm
Wow, I’m clumsy… Newbie after all. I found my suggestion smack in the middle of the same page.
Thanks.
June 20th, 2006 at 4:26 am
My Mac Won’t Start!
My Mac Won’t Start! - a printable guide to how to solve Mac startup problems. You may never know when you need this. [Via]…
June 20th, 2006 at 4:36 am
Help, My Mac Won’t Start!
Now this is a smart little idea and it’s presented well too. If your Mac does unexpectidly throw its tiny rubber feet into the air and refuse to start what are you going to do? In the typical one computer house you can’t exactly go online a…
June 20th, 2006 at 5:12 am
This is great, keep ‘em coming, thanks!
Chris
http://amateureconblog.blogspot.com/
June 20th, 2006 at 10:22 am
Wow, that is just MOST super excellent! Thanks!
I would also appreciate a shortcuts guide. Then again, the format lends itself best to if-then problems like the one you tackled.
Super stuff - I hope it helps with your advertising too!
Greets
Martin
P.S. There is an “easier” way to fold:
- fold the sheet in half, white side to white side, when possible
- cut on the only long line possible
- fold in half length wise, again white to white with the cut showing in the middle of the bottom
- hold the outside edges in each hand
- press together like an accordion
- fold the cover into shape
June 20th, 2006 at 10:28 am
Would it be possible for someone to create a “print t PocketMod” app/script/automator-thingy for the mac? Scaling pages and printing them on one page in a certain order is already possible, eh. Now if someone just knew how to: set the spcefic order, rotate the output and say not to scale the PDF output - hey a great tool would be born!
June 20th, 2006 at 11:13 am
I already thought the PocketMod was a great idea. Turning it in to a Mac troubleshooting guide makes it an even better. Great work. I will definitely be telling my listeners about it. themacattack.us
June 20th, 2006 at 4:14 pm
My Mac Memory Book.
Here is another tiny booklet in our collection of Mac-focused PocketMod guides. This one is loosely based on a form Apple provides on their Mac 101 website. One of the big problems we at CreativeTechs run into while supporting creative…
June 21st, 2006 at 2:54 pm
May not be EXACTLY what you’re looking for but you can create your own pocketmod at the following URL:
http://www.pocketmod.com/
June 23rd, 2006 at 8:17 pm
The Mac Attack - episode #44
Direct Download On this weeks The Mac Attack… Troubleshooting your iPod, some fun and games, exercise your battery, the winner of the Mindjet MindMapper 6 give away, shareware, Apple’s Pro Application update and a whole lot more… show note: I…
June 26th, 2006 at 3:04 pm
TIP?
Can’t print it.
Using Acrobat 5.0 full version on system OS9
Thanks,
Steve Collier
Collier Studio
June 26th, 2006 at 4:13 pm
Thanks for the most useful origami
I’ve seen yet! Looking forward to future publications.
July 4th, 2006 at 11:22 am
Doesn’t work very well for A4. Websites forum is down. Where can I get more pocket mods? How can I make pockets mods? Great idea, no one is supporting it though! Need more. I tried to make one with all the all the Mac shortcuts on it. Didn’t get very far. Is there one out there?
January 8th, 2007 at 2:01 pm
Nice site actually. Gone to my favourites. Thanks for creation.
January 29th, 2009 at 7:49 am
What a lifesaver!!! Tip 4 saved my mac… AND my work. Cheers!
February 22nd, 2009 at 4:37 pm
Thank you so much. As a typical windows person trying to customize my mac with catastrophic results, it was helpful being able to boot from my OS install disk and take of things from there. No mac site was ever so helpful.
February 24th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Thank you for putting this remarkable little booklet together. It was exactly the CPR my mac needed while it was under cardiac arrest.