Easy Mac OS X Lion - Kate Binder [14]
Choose File, New Burn Folder.
Type a new name for the folder; this name is also given to the disc you burn from this folder.
Drag files and folders into the burn folder’s window to add them to the disc.
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Note: But What’s It For?
Burn folders are useful for keeping track of files you regularly transfer to another person or location. Because the file you see in the burnable folder is really just a marker for the real file, you can edit the file in its original location and the changed version is burned to the disc. The burn folder sticks around after you burn the disc, so you can use it to create regular backups of the same set of files. When you’re done with the burn folder, just drag it to the Trash; your original files will still be safe and sound in their original folders.
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Click Burn.
Insert a blank CD.
Click Burn.
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Tip: Better Backups
You can use a smart folder in combination with a burnable folder to make weekly backups. First, create a smart folder with the parameters Last Modified and This Week. Then create a burnable folder and drag the smart folder into it. Every Friday afternoon, open the burnable folder, click Burn, and insert a CD—and presto! Your week’s work is backed up to a disc that you can store offsite for true peace of mind.
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Accessing Your Favorite Files and Places
Mac OS X offers a way to store and access your favorites. They’re visible in a column called the Places sidebar at the left side of every window when you’re using single-window mode. The lower section of the Places list contains disks attached to your Mac, and the top section contains anything you want.
If you don’t see the Places sidebar, choose View, Show Toolbar to enter single-window mode.
Click a disk or folder to view its contents in the window.
Drag files or folders into or out of the upper section of the Places sidebar, labeled Favorites, to customize it.
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Note: Quick Copy, Quick Move
You can move or copy files to disks or folders in the Places sidebar by dragging them from the main section of the window over a disk or folder icon in the sidebar.
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Tip: Customizing the Custom List
To change the order of items in the bottom half of the Places sidebar, just drag and drop them into the order you prefer. Drag items out of the upper section of the Places sidebar to remove them from the list.
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Deleting a File
Mac OS X stores files you don’t want any more in a trash can. You can rummage through the Trash to retrieve files you didn’t mean to discard, just as you can in the real world. But—again, just like the real world—the Trash doesn’t empty itself; you have to remember to empty it to truly delete the discarded files.
Drag the file to the Trash icon on the Dock and drop it when the Trash icon is highlighted.
To delete all the objects in the Trash, choose Finder, Empty Trash.
Click Empty Trash in the confirmation dialog box or Cancel to keep the items in the Trash.
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Note: Here a File, There a File
Applications leave files all over the place, so if you want to uninstall a program, you may need to do more than just drag the program’s icon to the Trash. Consider using a clean-up utility such as AppCleaner (www.freemacsoft.net/AppCleaner/).
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Tip: Deleting Files Securely
To make sure your files are removed from your hard drive, choose File, Secure Empty Trash. Secure Empty Trash writes gibberish data over the files so they can never be found, even by “computer detectives.”
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Setting Up a Backup Drive
If you were to learn only one thing from this book, that thing should be how to back up your files. Fortunately, Mac OS X puts Time Machine at your disposal, which makes it utterly simple to back up and retrieve files on your Mac. It keeps copies of all the