10 Most Common macOS Sierra Problems & Troubleshooting Tips

Apple released its 2016 Mac OS named macOS Sierra on September 20 announcing smarter intelligence, greater performance and seamless work between Mac and devices. Free upgrade to macOS Sierra from OS X 10.7.5 or later is available. A part of Mac users have been experiencing this new system and encountering several problems before/after upgrade or installation. What're most common macOS Sierra problems? How to fix them? This article will help you find the answers.

1. macOS Sierra Download Problems

When upgrading to macOS Sierra, you may be given a message "An error has occurred" or "failed to download". If so, please follow the steps to retry download process.

• Delete existing macOS Sierra installer and then re-download it.
• Search the uncompleted "Install macOS Sierra" file with question mark from Launchpad and delete it.
• Reboot your Mac and redownload macOS Sierra.

If you are unable to download macOS Sierra and find it is shown "Downloaded" in the Mac App Stores, you are suggested to do like this:

Remove existing "Install macOS Sierra" files from Mac or connected hard drive because they are probably one of the beta or GM builds not full version. After that, go back to Mac App Store to get final version of macOS Sierra.

2. macOS Sierra Installation Problems

Due to interruption (for example disrupted internet connection) during download, a damaged Install macOS Sierra.app will be given stopping installation. In that case, you should delete this damaged installation app and download it again from the Mac App Store.

Another problem which frequently happens is that macOS Sierra freezes during installation. To fix it, try methods below:
• Disable or uninstall any antivirus software on Mac.
• If this problem remains after that, try to install macOS Sierra in Safe Mode.
First of all, make sure that the network situation is great. Next, press power button while holding down the Shift key to boot your Mac into Safe Mode. Now, install macOS Sierra again.

3. macOS Sierra Won't Start Problem after Installing/Upgrading

macOS Sierra is installed successfully but goes to a failing startup only with a grey screen. Well, you need to reset NVRAM and PRAM.
Restart your Mac and hold down Command, Option, P and R keys simultaneously. You will hear the startup chime twice. Release the keys when you hear the second sound to reset PRAM.

Also, some other troubleshooting tips can be used to solve this macOS Sierra problem.
• Reset SMC: Shut down Mac > unplug all cables > plug cables back a few minutes later > start up Mac.
• Boot Mac in Safe Mode. Restart Mac while holding down Shift. At least 9GB of free space is required.
• Remove all third party extensions, antivirus apps, PPTP VPN software.

4. macOS Sierra iTunes Problem

It's not unexpected that iTunes won't open or work after installing/upgrading your Mac to macOS Sierra. To solve this problem, you just need to install iTunes 12.5.1 or higher from Mac App Store. Please note that if you fail to update iTunes, download the latest version straight from Apple instead of updating from App Store.

Actually, iTunes receives a lot of complaints for its complicated operation, various bugs on syncing and more which driving some users to switch to iTunes alternatives. WinX MediaTrans Mac version, one of the best replacements of iTunes, offers a quite simple and reliable way to transfer files, including photos, videos, music, books, Voice Memos, ringtones, podcasts between Mac (OS Sierra) and iPhone, iPad, iPod. The Windows version with same functions is available for Windows 10 and lower versions.

5. macOS Sierra iCloud Problem

macOS Sierra will ask you to enable some of features depending on iCloud, for example Storage Optimization, iCloud Documents and Desktop during setup. You can confirm to use those features or skip. However, you may encounter the error message: "This Mac can't connect to iCloud because of a problem with…" which pops up constantly. How to stop this kind of iCloud error message?

• Open Apple menu and enter System Preferences.
• Select iCloud and Sign Out.
• Reboot Mac and open iCloud to access preference window.
• Sign in iCloud with your account again.

6. macOS Sierra Safari Problems

After installing/upgrading to macOS Sierra, Safari possibly goes to not working, for example not finding server, failing to load webpages, plug-ins issue. To make those troubles disappear, you can try the following ways:

• Check the situation of Wi-Fi or networking. Make sure the connection is no problem.
• Clear caches of Safari. Open Safari > Preference > Show Develop menu in menu bar > Develop > Empty Caches.
• Uninstall plug-ins. Safari 10 brings a new feature to disable plug-ins like Adobe Flash Player, Java, Silverlight, QuickTime and uses HTML5 to load content for a faster browsing experience.

7. macOS Sierra Apps Won't Open Problem

It's a pretty usual that you open an app but showing "damaged and can't be opened" on new installed macOS Sierra. This error may be caused by incompatibility problem. You can visit the app official site to check if it supports macOS Sierra or if a new Sierra-compatible version has been developed.

Solutions:
• Update the app to the latest vesiom.
• Uninstall the existing app and reinstall it.
• Clear cache. Open Finder and select "Go to Folder" from "Go" menu. And then, Enter ~/Library/Caches into text box. Next, remove data from every folder. Now, repeat the steps for /Library/Caches (without the ~ symbol)
• Reset PRAM by restarting Mac and holding down Command + Option + P + R
• Hold Command and Option keys when launching the error app if it still cannot be opened after using the above methods.

8. macOS Sierra Video Playback Problem

Some users experience a wired display when playing videos on Mac running OS Sierra. Rainbow colors, drop shadows or other UI elements appear on the screen. To reset SMC is the solution.

• For iMac

Shut download your iMac and disconnect the power cord from monitor. Reconnect the power cord 60 seconds later.

• For MacBook
Shut down your MacBook and plug in power adapter. Hold down Shift, Control, Option and the power button. Release key and the power adapter light will change color. Now, boot your MacBook.

9. macOS Sierra Wi-Fi Problem

Wi-Fi slow speed is an annoying problem after upgrading to macOS Sierra when causing long time to load an online page, download online resources. First of all, you should check situation of router and ISP to ensure if they provide a good internet connection. If there are no problems, you need to delete current Wi-Fi preferences.

• Open Finder and select Library from "Go" menu.
• Access to /Preferences/SystemConfiguration/ and delete files listed below:
com.apple.airport.preferences.plist
com.apple.network.identification.plist
com.apple.wifi.message-tracer.plist
NetworkInterfaces.plist
preferences.plist
• After that, restart your Mac and modem or router.

10. macOS Sierra Bluetooth Problem

The problem that bluetooth devices fail to connect to macOS Sierra computer is reported. That may be resulted from outdated bluetooth device. Following Bluetooth SIG, macOS Sierra only supports the latest protocols adhering SIG's standards.

To fix this bluetooth error, you should get an updated firmware of bluetooth device compatible with macOS Sierra. Otherwise, downgrade to Mac OS X El Capitan.

Source: https://www.winxdvd.com/resource/macos-sierra-problems-troubleshooting.htm

How to Fix YouTube mp3 not Working Issue

YouTube-mp3.org goes into a big crisis at the beginning of 2016 October, which was sued by music labels, Universal Music Group (UMG), Warner Bros, Sony Music and others for copyright infringement. Although YouTube mp3 announced it is legal to download YouTube contents in German and there is no violation of YouTube Terms of Service for nonuse of YouTube API, this biggest YouTube ripping service faces shutdown due to the lawsuit. Till now (the third week of October), YouTube mp3 still gives a maintenance message not allowing users to download and convert YouTube videos. When will YouTube mp3 recover or is it down forever? Nobody knows. But here, we would like to tell you how to fix YouTube mp3 not working issues.

YouTube mp3 not Working Troubleshooting

Apart from present legal issue which probably causes YouTube mp3 not working problem, we find this service had experienced "won't download/convert" error several times before.

Questions from Yahoo Answers: 

"So everytime I paste my link in and click convert it re loads the page but won't let me download it as there's no option anymore."

 "Why won't youtube-mp3.org download full song. It only downloads 3:10 of a 4:27 song."

To fix those "YouTube mp3 won't work" issues, we suggest you to get an alternative. What kind of YouTube-mp3.org alternative can we take? And, what's the best one?

1. Online YouTube to MP3 Converter Sites

Like Youtube-mp3.org, online YouTube to MP3 converter sites offers a pretty convenient solution to download YouTube videos to MP3. Paste the video URL to address bar of the page and click Convert. After the video is converted, click Download button to get MP3 file. Also, some online converters will offer several output formats more than MP3, for example M4A, FLAC, MP4. Top YouTube mp3 alternative sites with well working include clipconverter.cc, youtube2mp3.cc, convert2mp3.net, listentoyoutube.com.

2. YouTube to MP3 Plug-ins for Browsers

While YouTube mp3 not working, try to install YouTube to MP3 plug-ins for browsers. Simply open your browser and turn to add-ons or extensions page. Input the keywords "YouTube to MP3" to load results. You can make a decision according to top-rated list or users' reviews. Also, the following introduced extensions are for your reference: Easy YouTube Video Downloader, YouTube Mp3 Converter, MP3 Downloader.

3. YouTube to MP3 Downloader for Desktop

Lots of YouTube to MP3 downloader desktop software swarm into the market aiming at offering users a solid and easy solution to convert YouTube videos to MP3. WinX HD Video Converter Deluxe is highly-recommended one which is not only available to change video format but download and convert online (YouTube) videos to various audios, videos including MP3, FLAC, AAC, AC3, M4A, MP4, AVI, FLV, MOV etc, while keeping original quality. Thanks to advanced technologies, Hyper-threading Tech, Multi-core and Hardware Encoder, it can deliver No.1 fast speed to convert YouTube videos to MP3.

Conclusion: All above types of YouTube to MP3 tools can help us escape from YouTube mp3 not working problem but desktop software is recognized as the best Youtube-mp3.org alternative for reasons as below: 

• Online video converters and browser add-ons are not so stable. Even the recommended sites and plug-ins had been reported not working unexpectedly once.
• Security problem of online video converters and browser add-ons exist all the time. Although some are verified as no threats but pop-ups and on-site ads always bother user.

Source: https://www.winxdvd.com/resource/youtube-mp3-not-working-fix.htm

Beyoncé Lemonade Album Songs/Music Videos Free Download Guide

Beyoncé came back in 2016 spring, showing her sixth audio album as well as the second visual album Lemonade to the public. On the release date, April 23, 2016, the accompanying one hour film of the same name was broadcasted on HBO, attracting 787,000 viewers. Focusing on R&B, this album also embraces diverse genres like pop, hip hop, blues, soul and more, plus great featuring guest vocals from The Weeknd, Kendrick Lamar, James Blake and Jack White making it widely received by listeners. Lemonade debuted at No.1 on Billboard 200 and receives high acclamation from critics, being described as an emotional statement rather than popular music revealing her feelings on marital meltdown.

Here, we would like to share a simple way to free download Beyoncé Lemonade album songs/music videos.

How to Free Download Beyoncé Lemonade Album Songs/Music Videos MP3/MP4

WinX YouTube Downloader is the tool what we need. It is an expert on free downloading MP3 songs and MP4 music videos, including Beyoncé Lemonade from SoundCloud, YouTube, Vevo and other 300+ sites while keeping original quality. This music downloader is designed with a straightforward interface leading you to learn functions of every button without guesswork. Built-in Multi-thread and Multicast Tech accelerates download speed (5-8x real-time). And it is tested as 100% clean and safe keeping your out of adware, spyware, virus or other malicious stuff. Apart from music downloader, WinX YouTube Downloader also acts as a video downloader available to free download HD (even 4K/8K)/3D movies, sports, news etc, from supported sites.

For Beyoncé Lemonade album songs/videos download, please download and install WinX YouTube Downloader on your computer (fully supporting Windows 10 and lower versions) firstly. Next, follow the steps to start download task.

Steps:

1. Launch WinX YouTube Downloader. Hit +link-shaped button and a smaller window appears. Open one site and search any song you want to download from Beyoncé Lemonade album, for example the lead single Formation. Copy its URL and paste it to the address textbox of pop-up window of WinX YouTube Downloader.

2. Hit Analyze button to access music info, title, duration and several options. Select one option, like 1920x1080 MP4 for music video and click OK.
Tip: if you want to download all tracks/music videos from Lemonade album, repeat the above two steps to add the items to download list one-by-one. You can also free download Lemonade film/trailer if there is a source online.

3. Browse to set a destination folder if necessary. Finally, hit Download button to start Beyoncé Lemonade album free download process.

Source: http://www.airplayit.com/movie-music-guide/beyonce-lemonade-album-video-download.htm

HandBrake AAC Encoder | What AAC Encoder Does HandBrake Use

HandBrake, a famed open source video transcoder, gave the latest update for version 0.10.5 on February 11, 2016 bringing improvements on x265 and large AVI handling, but announcing bad news that FDK AAC encoder has been removed from this new version due to license issue. Meanwhile, new questions should be answered. What AAC encoder does HandBrake use now? Does this current HandBrake AAC encoder deliver superior or lower audio quality than FDK AAC encoder? Here, we will help you solve those puzzles.

What Is FDK AAC Encoder?

FDK AAC, originally developed for Android and later expanded to other platforms, is recognized as one of top AAC encoders to encode and decode AAC format audio with high quality following Apple AAC. It arrives with several cross-platform versions. fdk-aac (latest version 0.1.4) is based on FDK AAC 3.4.12/2.5.10) and includes a shared library libfdk-aac. fdkaac (latest version 0.6.2) is an advanced front-end to the FDK AAC encode using libfdk-aac, while FFmpeg/Libav support is a wrapper for libfdk-aac available for use with FFmpeg.

FDK AAC supports 8 audio object types: AAC-LC, HE-AAC, HE-AAC v2, AAC-LD, AAC-ELD, MPEG-2 AAC LC, MPEG-2 HE-AAC, MPEG-2 HE-AAC v2. The bitrate can reach up to 96 kbps per stereo channel and 112 kbps per mono channel. Sample rates for input of 8000 – 96000 Hz are supported. And, the library is now limited to 16-bit integer PCM input due to fixed-point math.

What're Current HandBrake AAC Encoders?

Although FDK AAC has disappeared from HandBrake 0.10.5, it has no influence for Mac but makes a bit change for Windows and Linux. Now, check the list of AAC encoders HandBrake uses at present.

Libav (AAC): It is a fork of FFmpeg project focusing on handling multimedia data. It includes numerous video/audio encoders and decoders for most mainstream formats, for example AAC. Libav is now the default HandBrake AAC encoder.

Core Audio (AAC/HE-AAC): It is a library offering a set of frameworks for developers to handle audios on macOS and iOS. HE-AAC delivers high compression efficiency and is optimized for low-birate applications for audio streaming. It is only used for HandBrake Mac version.

Is Current HandBrake AAC Encoder for Windows Superior than FDK AAC?

Native FFmpeg AAC encoder (Libav AAC encoder) was declared going to stable for general use in December 2015. The test results indicate that this AAC encoder is transparent at 128 kbps and delivers equal or greater quality than most of other encoders. In February 2016, FFmpeg released a major version 3.0 including greatly improved AAC encoder without experimental flag.

Because of above changes, native FFmpeg AAC encoder is considered as best FDK AAC encoder alternative for HandBrake. However, HandBrake's announcement explicitly told the default Libav AAC encoder "is lacking in comparison to FDK but is passable for most" and does not support HE-AAC. Hydrogenaudio Knowledgebase, a great place for learning audio technology, also gives similar conclusion that the current HandBrake AAC encoder (FFmpeg 3.0 AAC encoder) cannot preserve as much quality as FDK AAC and receives a mid-rank on recommended list.

For more: https://www.winxdvd.com/resource/handbrake-aac-encoder.htm

iOS 10 Download and Update Guide

Apple newest operating system for iPhone iPad iPod, iOS 10, is officially released. This time the all new iOS 10 makes everything we love even better, including integrating Siri into more apps, expressing yourself in many more new ways in Messages, redesigned Lock Screen, Music, Maps and Photos apps. This post mainly focuses on how to download and update to iOS 10 successfully and provides everything you need to know before the upgrade, as well as solutions if you meet problems in the process of upgrading to iOS 10.

iOS 10 Compatible Devices

Before we start to update to iOS 10, let's first figure out if your iPhone iPad devices are qualified for upgrading to iOS 10. Only these Apple devices are compatible with iOS 10:

▪iPhone 7/7 Plus, iPhone 6S/6S Plus, iPhone 6/6 Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 5S/5C/5.
▪iPad Pro 12.9-inch, iPad Pro 9.7-inch, iPad Air 2, iPad Air, iPad 4th generation, iPad mini 4/3/2.
▪iPod touch 6th generation.

Tips Before Updating to iOS 10

In order to achieve a smooth and successful iOS 10 update, here we roundup some tips you need to pay attention.

1. Make sure your iPhone iPad have enough storage space for the iOS 10 upgrade and have sufficient battery left. iOS 10 update needs 1.1GB free storage of your devices.

2. In case the iOS 10 download and update process occur interruptions or problems, we strongly advise you to backup all your useful and important iPhone iPad data before downloading and upgrading to iOS 10. To backup iPhone iPad data, you can use the best data backup software, WinX MediaTrans.

3. For jailbroken iPhone, it will become non-jailbroken after upgrade to iOS 10, and please be aware that updating your jailbroken iPhone iPad to new iOS 10 may lose some original apps or data, so it's also necessary to backup all important data before the update.

How to Download and Update to iOS 10 from iOS 9/9.3.2 - Step-by-step Guide

The new iOS 10 has been officially launched, Apple pushes out the update to your compatible iPhone or iPad automatically. Whether you upgrade your iPhone iPad to iOS 10 or not, it all depends on yourself. If you finally decide to update to iOS 10, you just need to go to the software update section of Settings on your Apple device and accept the update of newest version of iOS. If your devices support updating to iOS 10, here is how to download and install iOS 10 on your iPhone iPad.

Step 1: Go to Settings > General > Software Update
This will force your iPhone or iPad to check for the latest updates. You may see a notice telling you that iOS 10 is available for your device.

Step 2: Tap Download
Click "Download" and your iPhone or iPad will start to download the iOS 10 update file. Once the downloading process finished, you will receive a notification saying an update is available for your device. You can learn more details about the new iOS 10 before click install.

Step 3: Click Install Now
The iPhone or iPad will start to install the iOS 10. You can also choose to install later. In Settings > General, there will always have a notification mark until you have installed the iOS 10 update.

Review iOS 10 New Features Before Updating to iOS 10

Before updating to iOS 10, you may wonder what new features iOS 10 exactly has. The new iOS 10 adds many new amazing features improvements, including Messages, Siri, Photos, Maps, Apple Music, News, Apple Pay, Control Center, redesigned Lock Screen, 3D Touch enabled notifications, and many more.

1. Messages in iOS 10 have added many new features like background animations, bubble effects, rich links, and Digital Touch, handwritten notes, hidden "invisible ink" messages, emoji, etc.

2. Siri is applied into many third-party apps, enabling you to conveniently hail an Uber car or send a WhatsApp message through Siri.

3. A dedicated "Home" app is available for HomeKit devices to help you smartly turn on home devices by remote controlling.

4. Apple Music and Maps have been redesigned to have a simpler interface and smarter route search function.

5. Apple's QuickType keyboard is much smarter in iOS 10 with contextual predictions, and Apple Pay is available on the web.

Source: https://www.winxdvd.com/ios-android-mobile/update-to-ios-10.htm

"DVD Won't Play on Windows 10" Troubleshooting Tips

The removal of Windows Media Center makes DVD playback become troublesome on Windows 10, while a new Windows DVD Player priced at $14.99 is pushed out by Microsoft to fix DVD not playing on Windows 10 error. However, this app receives a quite low rating (average 2.0) and lots of negative reviews for various bugs.go fullscreen. For example:

- I restarted my computer twice and it still would not play my DVD. It keeps giving me an error message. 

- It reads some DVD but others it says it cannot decode them. Windows NEEDS to debug this app. 

- Can't rewind or fast forward otherwise the speed gets out of sync and it won't go back to normal play mode. 

If you have a bad experience with Windows DVD Player, why not try the following solutions to escape from "DVD won't play on Windows 10" problem.

DVD Won't Play on Windows 10 Troubleshooting Tips

1. Rip DVD to Video and Play with Windows Media Player

Windows Media Player 12 still works well on Windows 10, capable of playing traditional Windows supported formats (WMV, AVI) and new added codecs, MP4, MOV, M2TS. If your DVD won't play on Windows 10, you can opt for ripping DVD to file types acceptable by Windows Media Player.

WinX DVD Ripper Platinum is a good helper to convert DVD to MP4, AVI, WMV etc, for later playing on Windows 10 successfully. It is powerful on encoding both home-made DVDs and commercial encrypted DVD movies/TV shows. Thanks to continuous upgrade, it can handle latest DVD movies protected by new schemes. Integrating with High Quality Engine, Super Encode Engine and Hyper-threading Tech, this Windows 10 DVD ripper can deliver possible highest quality and a super fast conversion speed. In addition, it offers copy modes helping you 1:1 clone DVD to ISO image, VIDEO_TS folder or save main/full title to a single MPEG2 file for a long-time storage on hard drive. >> Guide of how to rip DVD to MP4 with WinX DVD Ripper Platinum on Windows 10

2. Download and Install Third-Party DVD Player for Windows 10

A plenty of Windows 10 DVD players gather in the market. Some of them are recognized as the best Windows DVD Player alternatives not only because they can easily solve "Windows 10 won't play DVD" problem but empower you to watch DVD on Windows 10 for FREE.

5KPlayer is a favored DVD player worthy our recommendation. It is designed as a multi-platform media player available to play DVDs, videos, audios on Windows (10) and Mac. It can bypass region codes to play a European DVD in United States and support all copy-protected DVDs with removal of CSS, RCE, Sony ArccOS, Disney DRM etc. In addition, it can keep DVD video quality originally without compression. Furthermore, it works as a video downloader allowing you free download movies, TV shows, music videos, sports etc, from 300+ sites and an AirPlay receiver/sender to stream videos, music from iPhone, iPad, iPod to Windows, Mac computer with larger screen. 5KPlayer is verified as 100% clean and safe bundled no adware, malware or virus.

Additionally, How to Do if DVD Won't Play on Windows 10 Caused by DVD Drive Not Working

• If DVD drive shows up in Device Manager but with a yellow exclamation mark or red x symbol, you need to reinstall the driver. Open Device Manager by directly searching it with search box on the taskbar. Expand DVD/CD-ROM drivers and right-click DVD device to select Uninstall. Click OK on pop-up box. Restart computer and the DVD drive will be reinstalled automatically.

• If you don't find DVD drive in Device Manager, you may have gotten a cable connection error or broken DVD drive. 

Please check if the DVD drive cables are probably connected. If no, re-connect securely and properly. If yes, you may need to replace the probably bad drive with a new one.

Source: https://www.winxdvd.com/windows-10/dvd-wont-play-on-win-10.htm