Mac OS X 10.7 and later include the Versions feature and Auto-Save ability, this lets users restore back to previous editions of a file by creating a constant sequence of saved file states while they are being worked on. All around, Versions and auto-save are useful, but they can also leave traces of sensitive documents and files you may not wish to keep around. Other than the privacy implications, this same technique can resolve some erroneous behavior with Versions as well. The simplest solution to these issues is to manually delete the Versions saved states cache directory.

The Versions cache directory is stored within the root of a Mac OS X installation here:

/.DocumentRevisions-V100/

The safest way to remove this folder will be multiple steps, so launch the Terminal (/Applications/Utilities/) and type the following:

cd /

To be certain you’re about to remove the proper directory, verify the directory name:

ls -l .DocumentRevisions-V100

Delete the directory and its contents with rm:

sudo rm -rf .DocumentRevisions-V100

Doing this one-time will not disable the feature, it will just remove all existing history of files that have been managed by Versions.

After a file has been processed automatically by Versions again, the directory will be rebuilt. Because this is involves editing system files and using the potentially catastrophic ‘rm -rf’ command, you shouldn’t use this tip unless you know what you’re doing and why you’re doing it.

Also, be aware that deleting the directory can cause some temporary issues with existing files that are locked or have saved states, even if file locking is turned off. Typically this will be in the form of an error message when using the file the first time, but it shouldn’t cause any serious issues.

I recently encountered a strange issue where Mac OS X Lion stopped remembering a specific wireless network, forcing me to manually select the connection and then enter the password each time I wish to connect to that wireless router. This appears to be a common enough issue with wireless connectivity in OS X Lion and it usually occurs when waking from sleep or rebooting a Mac, which is followed up the connection failure. I came across the answer in the comments on a past Lion wi-fi issue article here on OSXDaily, and it resolved the troubles for me.

Before proceeding, I would recommend updating to Mac OS X 10.7.3, which also includes a bug fix to address some Lion Wi-Fi stability issues. That alone may resolve it for you, but continuing with the following solution won’t harm anything either way.

1. Open the “Disk Utility” application, found within Applications > Utilities
2. Select “Macintosh HD” from the lefthand side menu, then click on the “First Aid” tab on the right
3. Click on “Repair Disk Permissions” and let this run, this may take 15 minutes or longer



4. Reboot the Mac
5. Join the wireless network as usual, checking the “Remember this network” box

You should now be able to sleep and reboot the Mac without connection failures or forgetting the wireless network. This is one of those rare instances where repairing Disk Permissions, an oft referenced generic Mac placebo for many troubleshooting issues, actually does something and resolves the problem. Try it yourself and let us know if it worked for you.

If you continue to have wireless difficulties, check out a lengthy list of tips for fixing wireless problems in OS X Lion.

Mac OS X has a hidden super quiet volume setting that is somewhere between completely muted and the lowest volume level, here’s how to access it:

• Use the Volume Decrease key (F10 or F11) until the volume is muted, signified by the volume graphic with a slash through it
• Now press the Mute key (F9 or F10) to see the slash disappear and the volume level set at zero bars

The audio output level is now set at the super quiet setting, with sounds just barely audible enough that you can identify them. This is a perfect setting to couple with temporarily muting the boot sound for using a Mac in meetings, libraries, classrooms, or other places where silence is necessary, allowing you to continue to hear audio without distracting others.

Update: The precise keys vary depending on the Mac and Apple keyboard in use. Newer MacBook models may be F10 and F11 rather than F9 and F10, you may want to focus on the keys icons rather than the label instead to be sure.
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Boosting the speed of Mission Control animations can make Mac OS X Lion feel a bit faster when switching between windows, spaces, and apps within the feature. It’s easy to do and reversible if you decide you don’t like it, launch the Terminal to get started.

Speed Up Mission Control Animations

This will speed up Mission Control quite noticeably but still maintain a decent looking animation:

defaults write com.apple.dock expose-animation-duration -float 0.15

Now kill the Dock to restart Mission Control:

killall Dock

Do a three-fingered swipe up or down to see the difference in speed.

Super Fast Mission Control Animations
If you want extremely fast animations, this is your defaults write command:

defaults write com.apple.dock expose-animation-duration -float 0.1

Again, kill the Dock for changes to take effect:

killall Dock

As you may have guessed, you can adjust the animation speeds by changing the number after the -float flag, the larger the number the slower the animation, and the lower the number the faster the animation. The default setting is probably about 0.2 or 0.25, meaning anything larger than that starts to be slower than default. Whole numbers become increasingly slow, similar to holding down the shift key.

Slowing Down Mission Control Animations
This is marginally slower, but can quickly become a nuisance with usability:

defaults write com.apple.dock expose-animation-duration -float 1

Followed by:

killall Dock

Disable Mission Control Animations
This removes all animations, making Mission Control just snap in and out:

defaults write com.apple.dock expose-animation-duration -float 0

Killing the Dock is required for the animations to disappear:

killall Dock

The effect of disabling the animation is quite jarring and unless you’re trying to preserve frame rate for some reason it’s not very pleasant.

Return to Default Mission Control Animation Speeds

Want Mission Control to be back to normal? Use the following defaults command to clear any customizations, returning to the default setting:

defaults delete com.apple.dock expose-animation-duration; killall Dock

Check out more of our Misson Control tips.

Using a portable Mac with the lid closed is frequently called clamshell mode, and using clamshell has been made easier than ever since the introduction of Mac OS X Lion. There are actually two different methods, the first is for using a MacBook closed lid with or without external input devices attached, and the second is for using clamshell mode with a wireless device like a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse.

Use a Mac in Clamshell Mode with OS X Lion

To get the most out of clamshell mode, you will want to have an external keyboard and mouse as well, but they are no longer necessary. Here’s how to use a closed lid MacBook Pro/Air in OS X Lion either with or without external input devices attached:

• Attach the power adapter to the MacBook, MacBook Pro, or MacBook Air
• With an external display connected to the Mac, close the lid

The screen will flicker blue briefly, then the external monitor will refresh and automatically be set as the primary display, moving your desktop, menu bar, and all other windows over to the attached screen.

Use Clamshell Mode in OS X Lion with a Wireless Keyboard & Mouse

The requirements for using a MacBook in clamshell with a wireless keyboard and mouse are basically the same, although you must configure an additional option in System Preferences. First you need to be sure the Bluetooth device is paired with the Mac (if you’re already using a wireless input device, it is), then proceed:

• Launch System Preferences and click on “Bluetooth” pane
• Click on “Advanced” in the lower right corner
• Check the box next to “Allow Bluetooth devices to wake this computer”



• Now connect the external display
• Close the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro’s lid

If you want to get around the physical hardware connectivity requirements, use the NoSleep tool we mentioned recently which lets you run the Mac closed with no hardware attached at all.

Overall, using clamshell since OS X 10.7 is quite a bit easier than with prior versions of Mac OS X, when you had to either reboot or wake from sleep with an external display and mouse connected.

Thanks to Matt for the tip

Launchpad shows a fading transition anytime it is opened or closed, making for a nice effect over whatever is in the background. It’s pleasant looking, but if you don’t like it you can disable the fading with a few defaults write commands. You can also choose to disable only half of the transition, either for showing or hiding Launchpad.

Disable Launchpad Fading

Launch the Terminal and enter the following commands separately:

defaults write com.apple.dock springboard-show-duration -int 0
defaults write com.apple.dock springboard-hide-duration -int 0

Now you must kill the Dock so it relaunches with the changes:

killall Dock

Launchpad is a subprocess of the Dock so killing the Dock forces Launchpad to reload, and the change will be immediately noticeable when you open Launchpad again. Gone is the smooth transition, and now it’s a sudden switch, almost like changing desktops but without the side scrolling animation. If you only want to disable half of the effect, say for when Launchpad is being hidden, only use the defaults write command with “springboard-hide-duration” in the string.

Re-enable Launchpad Fading

To reenable fading and go back to the default OS X Lion setting, use the following commands:


defaults delete com.apple.dock springboard-show-duration

defaults delete com.apple.dock springboard-hide-duration

Again kill the Dock with:

killall Dock

Launchpad will now be back to it’s usual self with the fading transitions. If you’re not certain, hold down the shift key and see if the transition is in slow motion.

If you have tried to repair the boot volume before in Mac OS X before, you’ll undoubtedly have found the “Repair Disk” option is grey and unavailable within the Disk Utility tool. While this is still the case while booted in OS X Lion, you can repair the Mac OS X boot disk thanks to Lion’s Recovery Partition, preventing the need from using an external boot drive to repair the disk.

Once booted into Recovery mode you’ll find the limitations on Disk Utility’s repair function has been removed, here’s how to do that.

Repairing a Mac Boot Disk with Disk Utility & OS X Lion

• Reboot the Mac and hold down Command+R to boot into Recovery
• Select “Recovery HD” at the boot menu
• At the Mac OS X Utilities screen, select “Disk Utility”
• Select the boot volume or partition from the left menu and click on the “Repair” tab
• Repair Disk is now possible, click on “Repair Disk” to repair the boot volume

While you’re in Recovery mode, you may also want to verify disk permissions and repair them, repair user permissions, and verify and repair other disks as well.

By combining the Hide All shortcut with the minimize keyboard shortcut in Mac OS X Lion, you can use a third ‘Minimize and Hide All’ shortcut by hitting the Command+Option+H+M keys.

As the title suggests, this keyboard shortcut will hide all other applications and windows, in addition to minimizing the currently active application or window, effectively clearing the entire screen and giving you a blank view of the desktop. If you have Dock icon translucency enabled as shown in the screenshot, the hidden apps will appear as translucent while the minimized windows from the foremost app will be in the Dock separately.

Heads up to @sambrowne for the tip.

The OS X 10.7.3 update brought with it a variety of subtle changes, including a minor adjustment to how the Launchpad background image style is switched. In previous Mac OS X versions, Command+B would switch between the background effect styles, but this is now achieved with Control+Option+Command+B.

Try it yourself by opening Launchpad and then hitting the Control+Option+Command+B keys to alternate between backgrounds with blur, unblurred, black and white, and blurred black and white. You can see samples of these background style effects below.

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If you have tried to delete Safari, Mail, FaceTime, Chess, Photo Booth, Stickies, QuickTime, or any of the other default Mac OS X apps before, you’ll know the Finder prevents you from doing so. Try to move one of these apps to the trash to uninstall it and you’ll get a message saying: ‘”Safari.app” can’t be modified or deleted because it’s required by Mac OS X.’

That message is more to dissuade you than anything else, because there is a way to delete any of these default apps that are required by Mac OS X, it’s just generally not recommended to do so. For apps like Safari and QuickTime Player, this is particularly true, as other apps may use Safari or it’s elements to function properly (including other web browsers), but for apps like Stickies, Chess, FaceTime, and Photo Booth, you can safely delete them without any mal effects.

How to Delete Safari, Mail, FaceTime, Photo Booth, & Other Default Apps

Warning: There is no undoing the app deletion without reinstalling the individual application or Mac OS X. This will result in permanent removal of the specified applications and could result in abnormal system behavior or improper functionality. If you don’t know exactly what you’re doing and why, this is not recommended. Perform a backup beforehand, and proceed at your own risk.

• Launch the Terminal, located in /Applications/Utilities/
• Type the following at the command line to change to the Applications directory:

cd /Applications/

Now that you are in the Applications folder, you can start deleting apps. You will not get a confirmation of the removal, the app will simply be deleted completely. The following commands will only work when used in the /Applications/ directory.

Delete Safari
sudo rm -rf Safari.app/

Delete Mail
sudo rm -rf Mail.app/

Delete FaceTime
sudo rm -rf FaceTime.app/

Delete QuickTime Player
sudo rm -rf QuickTime\ Player.app/

Delete Stickies
sudo rm -rf Stickies.app/

Delete Chess
sudo rm -rf Chess.app/

Delete Photo Booth
sudo rm -rf Photo\ Booth.app

If you’re comfortable enough with the command line, you could supply the full application path with /Applications/Appname.app but considering the potential for catastrophic error with sudo rm -rf we used the safer method.