Take your old PC to your nearest Apple Store, and someone will transfer your data, install any Apple software you've purchased, and help you with any initial setup or usage questions. When you turn on a new Mac for the first time, the setup assistant offers to transfer data from another computer, which may be a Windows PC. You can connect your PC and Mac over a wireless.
The MAC (media access controller) address is a unique identification number for your computer's networking hardware. Generally, it just works, but sometimes you need to change it. Apple and Microsoft don't make it easy to change your MAC address, but it is possible.
Why Would You Want to Change it?
This setting doesn't give you any speed or performance benefit. It's like the phone number of your hardware. If you change it to an existing number, you'll confuse your network.
The most common reason for changing your MAC address is some other device is locked to an old address. Your router or another piece of hardware might only accept or give out connections to a particular MAC address. I ran into this problem once connecting to my office computer. The IT help desk was closed, but I needed to connect to the network with a different laptop. Once I changed my new laptop to my old laptop's MAC address I got into the network.
Another reason to change your MAC address is for wifi networks that limit the time or number of connections. You shouldn't use this to bypass time restrictions on a network, but you can transfer your connection time to another MAC address. For example, you might sign up for a few hours of Wi-Fi on your tablet. Then want to use your laptop on the network. Instead of paying for another connection, changing your laptop's MAC to the MAC address of your tablet might get you out of paying for an extra connection.
Be Ethical: Don't use this to circumvent security or cheat.Finally, someone can track you through your MAC address. You might want to change it each time you connect to a network or just use a random address.
How to Find a MAC Address On a PC
If you're on a PC, the easiest way is through the command prompt. Type
ipconfig /all
and you'll see all your network interfaces and the physical address. That's the MAC address.
You can also find it by going to Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network Connections. Then right-click on the network adapter and pick Status > Details. Again, the physical address is the MAC address.
PC Command Prompt Tips: Here's a list of cool command prompt tips. You can even install apps from the command prompt.How to Find a MAC Address On a Mac
If you're on a wireless network, hold down the
Select the interface you're checking, then go to
You can also type
ifconfig
in terminal, and that will tell you the MAC address of all your interfaces.
The Easy Way to Change This on a Mac
The best program I've found for this on the Mac is WifiSpoof. It's $9.99, but they offer a free 2-week trial. It not only makes it easy to change the address but runs as a menu bar icon if you want. It can randomize the MAC address each time it's run. If you're concerned about tracking, this is the app for you.
If all you want is a simple way to change the address, Mac MACSpoof does this for a $4.99 optional purchase. The interface isn't as slick and the app requires an additional 'helper' app to install.
The Easy Way to Change This on a PC
Just like on a Mac, a third-party software makes this easy for a PC. For example, Technitium MAC Address Changer is a free program that does this for you.
What I like about this app is it lets you pick a random MAC address if all you're interested in is changing the address for testing purposes. It also enables you to know which addresses are active.
NoVirusThanks's MAC Address Changer is another free program. It has fewer options, but it is easier to use than Technitium's version.
Windows 10 users: Your computer's hardware might support automatic MAC randomization.The Direct Way to Change This on a Mac
If you feel comfortable in the OS X terminal type the command
sudo ifconfig en0 xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
Replacing the XX with the number of the new MAC address.
The Direct Way to Change This on a PC
Similar to the direct way on a Mac, this way works without third-party software. Head on over to Device Manager. Then click the disclosure triangle and find the adapter you want to change. Again remember, each type of adapter uses a unique MAC address.
After you find your adapter, click Property called
Remember to Change It Back
Whichever option you choose, don't forget to change the MAC address back when you're done. If you don't, you might have problems on other networks. If your goal is to use a random address, you might have trouble if someone is already using that MAC address.
ALSO SEE:How to Prevent a Mac From Connecting to the Wrong Wireless Network
The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.Also See#network #settings
Did You Know
Microsoft holds over 59,000 US and international patents.
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© Hollis Johnson Emulators can be an incredibly useful tool on your computer. Hollis Johnson- An emulator is typically a program that lets you run software from a completely different device on your computer.
- The most common uses for emulators are to play video games and run different operating systems — for example, you can put a Mac operating system on your Windows computer.
- Emulators can allow you to run apps that normally wouldn't work on your computer.
- Most emulators tend to run slower than the device they're simulating, and can potentially take a lot of processing power.
- Visit Business Insider's Tech Reference library for more stories.
An emulator is a computer program (or occasionally custom computer hardware) that's designed to simulate another kind of device.
For example, WINE is a program that allows you to run Windows software on certain Linux and Mac computers. Dolphin is an app that lets you play Nintendo GameCube and Wii games on your computer. Even Logic Pro X, the popular music recording app for Mac, lets you simulate the sound of a guitar amplifier within your computer.
These are all different types of emulators. Here's what you should know about emulators, including why people use them, how they commonly work, and what kinds there are.
Why people use emulators
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© Hollis Johnson Emulators can be an incredibly useful tool on your computer. Hollis Johnson- An emulator is typically a program that lets you run software from a completely different device on your computer.
- The most common uses for emulators are to play video games and run different operating systems — for example, you can put a Mac operating system on your Windows computer.
- Emulators can allow you to run apps that normally wouldn't work on your computer.
- Most emulators tend to run slower than the device they're simulating, and can potentially take a lot of processing power.
- Visit Business Insider's Tech Reference library for more stories.
An emulator is a computer program (or occasionally custom computer hardware) that's designed to simulate another kind of device.
For example, WINE is a program that allows you to run Windows software on certain Linux and Mac computers. Dolphin is an app that lets you play Nintendo GameCube and Wii games on your computer. Even Logic Pro X, the popular music recording app for Mac, lets you simulate the sound of a guitar amplifier within your computer.
These are all different types of emulators. Here's what you should know about emulators, including why people use them, how they commonly work, and what kinds there are.
Why people use emulators
Every kind of computer and operating system is unique. This often means that a program or app that works on one system won't work on another.
This is especially true when comparing operating systems like Windows and MacOS, or completely different devices like a laptop and a PlayStation.
This is where emulators come in. Emulators can bridge the gap between these devices, allowing programs to work on all sorts of hardware.
For example, if you have a Windows app that you need to run on your MacBook, you can download the Parallels emulator. Parallels will, in a sense, create a Windows computer inside of your MacBook — this will let you run any Windows app you need.
© Parallels Newsroom Here, Windows 10 and an older version of MacOS are running on a new MacBook using emulators. Parallels NewsroomSome emulators can even enhance the hardware that they're simulating. For instance, old video games made for 4:3 televisions can be upgraded to run in widescreen resolution, as well as at a higher framerate.
If you're someone who likes to be able to run all their programs anywhere, at any time, then an emulator is what you need.
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However, there are some risks that you should be aware of.
The downsides to emulators
Because emulators need to reproduce the behavior of an entirely different device, without having their own dedicated hardware or power source, emulators are often slower than the system they're simulating.
This is especially true if you're emulating a new system. For example, nearly any computer can emulate an '80s-era Nintendo Entertainment System without much delay. But you'll need a powerful graphics card and CPU to emulate the Nintendo Switch, which only came out in 2017. And even then, it might be hard to make that Switch emulator run smoothly.
© BSoD Gaming/YouTube You'll need a powerful computer to run most new AAA games. BSoD Gaming/YouTubeUsers also have to be careful not to download a virus masquerading as an emulator. Be sure to only download emulators and programs from sources that you trust, and always do your research before installing anything.
Get Into Pc Site
Lastly, there's also a legal risk. Although emulators are legal almost everywhere, downloading programs to use on those emulators without paying for them may not be. Look up the regulations surrounding emulated programs in your country before downloading them.
The most popular types of emulators in use today
The two most common uses for emulators are ones for playing video games, and ones for running other operating systems. Here's a few examples of the most popular emulators around.
Video game emulators
- Dolphin lets you play Nintendo GameCube and Wii games on a computer, as well as modify them in various ways. Some originally single-player games even have online multiplayer modes added to them.
- MAME is an open-source emulator originally released in 1997 that's designed to run older arcade games.
- VisualBoyAdvance, or VBA, can run nearly every Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance game ever released.
There are also various game emulators that run on Android phones.
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Operating system emulators
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- Parallels and WINE both allow you to run Windows on a Mac computer. It'll open a Windows desktop in a new window, just like any other app.
- BlueStacks lets you download and open Android apps on a desktop computer.
- Xcode is a program designed and released by Apple that can run iPhone apps on a Mac. Soon, Apple claims that there will be an even easier way to emulate both iPhone and iPad apps on your Mac.
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