Here are some simple instructions on how to enlarge the size of text on a web page when you’re using Safari, Firefox or Chrome on a Macintosh computer. I use this feature on a daily basis since web sites use a variety of font sizes. This is especially handy in low-light settings or if typically needs glasses but the glasses aren’t handy.

All three of these web browsers support the same keyboard shortcut. While viewing a web page, press Command + (plus sign) to enlarge the text size and Command – (minus sign) to reduce the text size. If you prefer to use menu commands then go to the View menu and select Zoom In, which makes the text size larger or Zoom Out which reduces the text size.

Update Jan 2011: In December 2010, CrashPlan released CrashPlan version 3 which added new features like the ability to backup different files to different destinations. More importantly, it rolled the CrashPlan + features of backups running every 15 minutes and storing multiple versions of files into the standard CrashPlan application. Thus these two features are now standard for all users of CrashPlan.

In my Tech Tip on how to setup a comprehensive backup system I mention that CrashPlan can be a nice supplement to backing up your Mac to an external hard drive using Time Machine and Carbon Copy Cloner since CrashPlan’s backup data can be stored off-site on CrashPlan’s servers. Thus, it can provide automated, off-site backups of your personal data. In this article I provide instructions on how to setup CrashPlan to perform automated, off-site, versioned backups.

I need to start by introducing and defining a few terms.

CrashPlan is the name of a backup application. It’s free for personal use. It’s made by Code42 Software.  It can be used to backup data to a locally connected hard drive, to another computer in your home, to another computer at your friend’s home or to CrashPlan’s servers. These servers are called CrashPlan Central. The capabilities of the CrashPlan application can be extended by buying a license for CrashPlan + (plus). The license is simply a long string of letters and numbers which you enter into the CrashPlan application. The most important capabilities which one gets from CrashPlan + are more frequent backups and versioned backups. Let me elaborate. The free version of CrashPlan performs daily backups to other computers or hourly to CrashPlan Central. With CrashPlan+ backups occur every 15 minutes. The free version of CrashPlan stores only one copy of each file. If you edit a file each day then then new version of the file replaces yesterday’s version. With CrashPlan+ you can configure CrashPlan to hold onto previous versions of files for a while or forever.

It’s important to know that CrashPlan is free for personal use by residential customers. That is, you’re allowed to use it to backup only personal data, not business data. If you’re a business customer then you should buy CrashPlan + ($60). This then allows you to backup your business data but only to local hard drives or other computers owned by you or your friends. CrashPlan+ is not adequate for backing up business data to CrashPlan Central.

If you’re a business and you want to backup your business data to CrashPlan Central then you need to sign up for either the Hosted Pro Client Subscription or CrashPlan Pro. The Hosted Pro Client Subscription service is for a maximum of 5 computers. CrashPlan Pro is for 5-10,000 computers or more. I’ll talk about the Hosted Pro Client Subscription service in a future Tech Tip article.

Setup Instructions

Start by going to CrashPlan’s web store and purchasing a license for CrashPlan+ ($60) and either an Individual Unlimited Plan ($54) or a Family Unlimited Plan ($100). The individual plan provides unlimited storage for one computer at CrashPlan Central. The family plan provides unlimited storage for all computers in one household at CrashPlan Central. When you finish the checkout procedure you’ll receive an email which contains your license code for CrashPlan+

Download the free CrashPlan application. It works on PowerPC Macs as well as Intel Macs running Mac OS X 10.4.11 or higher.

Open CrashPlan. You’ll be prompted to enter your user account information. You don’t have an account yet so follow the instructions to setup an account.

Once you’ve setup your account then the CrashPlan application will open. On the left-hand side click on Settings and then on the right-hand side click on Account. Type in your CrashPlan+ license key in the boxes provided. Click the Save button.

On the left-hand side click on the Backup button. Look at the section labeled “File to  Back Up”. By default it’s set to backup your Home folder. This folder is the default location for all of your music, pictures, documents, local email messages and files on your Desktop. This is typically what I recommend you back up. However, if you want to make changes to add or remove folders click the button which should be labeled Change or Change File Section.

Once you’ve selected the files you want to backup then again click on Backup on the left-hand side. Then, in the Backup Destinations section locate “CrashPlan Central” and click the Start Backup button. The backup will start. That’s it. You’re up and running!

Remember this initial back up could take days or weeks to complete depending upon how much data you’ve selected and the speed of your Internet connection. Until this initial backup is complete you don’t have much protection. So, I’ll reiterate that I think CrashPlan is a nice supplemental backup to local backups performed by Time Machine and Carbon Copy Cloner. CrashPlan offers some redundant protection and off-site protection which is very important to have if you only backup to one hard drive using Time Machine and Carbon Copy Cloner. CrashPlan is also very useful if you travel and take your laptop with you since CrashPlan will run anytime your Mac has an Internet connection.

You can quit the CrashPlan application and the backups will continue since CrashPlan is made up of two parts. There is the CrashPlan application which you use to configure the backups. The other part is the CrashPlan Engine, which runs quietly, unseen, in the back-ground. CrashPlan’s Engine automatically adjusts how much of your computer’s processing power and your network’s capacity it uses based on whether or not you’re using your computer. You can view and adjust these values in the Settings section of CrashPlan. Also in Settings you can adjust how long versions of files are retained and your can setup files or folders to exclude from your backup data using file names or regular expressions. You can also adjust the frequency and types of email notifications which you receive.

By default, CrashPlan will send you email notices when it hasn’t been able to backup your Mac in XX days and it’ll also send you a weekly summary of when the last backup occurred. You can change these email notification schedules in the Settings section.

As with any backup application. I recommend that you perform test file restorations regularly to ensure that the backup system is working properly and so that you’re comfortable performing restores so you can do it with confidence with disaster strikes.

Here are instructions on how to reindex your Quicken Data File.

• Open your Quicken data file.
• Open the Accounts window and then simultaneously press the Command, Option and B keys on the keyboard.
• The reindexing will begin. Once it has been done then go to the File menu and select Save A Copy. Give your file a new name and save it to your desired folder.

You can read these reindexing instructions in more detail in this troubleshooting article on Intuit’s web site. The article does also suggestion exporting the data in QIF format and then re-importing the data into a new file if the reindexing fails or does not solve your problem.

I’ve supported many people who use Quicken and this is the first time that I’ve had to reindex a Quicken data file. I was not even aware that Quicken included this feature. I’m pleased that Quicken has this feature since it’s common to have do do maintenance on large database files from time to time. I wonder why Intuit has hidden this feature, but now I’m glad I know how to do it. I discovered this procedure while recently working with a client.

This client had a damaged Quicken data file that was fixed after we reindexed the file. My client was a long-time Quicken user and this Quicken data file had been in use for many years. He used it to track his checking, savings and investment accounts. I provide all of this detail to indicate that this file had seen a lot of activity over a many year period. Apparently, out of the blue this Quicken file started to give him problems. Specifically, the symptom was that he would add a transaction to one of his accounts, close and then re-open the data file and the balance for that account would have changed radically.

Intuit’s web site indicates that there are a host of symptoms which can be signs that you need to reindex your Quicken file including these:
Categories and numbers are not associated with the correct transactions or accounts in reports.
Categories/classes are missing from your Categories & Transfers list.
You are unable to assign a Category to an item in a split transaction.
You are unable to open a backup of your data file.
Your reconciliation is off in a previously reconciled statement and you have not made changes to previously reconciled transactions.
Duplication or “Unknown” items are listed in the Payee column of the QuickFill Transactions list.
You receive errors when performing a Save a Copy.

• Categories/classes are missing from your Categories & Transfers list.
• You are unable to assign a Category to an item in a split transaction.
• You are unable to open a backup of your data file.
• Your reconciliation is off in a previously reconciled statement and you have not made changes to previously reconciled transactions.
• Duplication or “Unknown” items are listed in the Payee column of the QuickFill Transactions list.
• You receive errors when performing a Save a Copy.