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MacFixIt Answers is a feature in which I answer Mac-related questions e-mailed in by our readers.

This week, readers wrote in asking about the inability to format a drive due to "partition map" errors, how to determine what is using up space rapidly on the hard drive, how to restore a missing Safari program, and the options for tackling an iMac that continually shuts off in the middle of use. I welcome contributions from readers, so if you have any suggestions or alternative approaches to these problems, please post them in the comments!

Question: Unable to format a … Read more

Unlike classic keyboards where characters were small decals stuck on generic keys, many modern keyboards, such as those in Apple's laptops, have keys built for the specific characters. The keys are made of translucent plastic with a black coating so the character can be illuminated with a backlight.

This approach to keys offers great advantage in low-light situations, but it also can be a bit of a burden if the key begins to wear out. While the keys ought to last, after extensive use you may look down to see some of the characters fading away.

When key wear … Read more

Fighting spam is a constant cat-and-mouse game and one every e-mail provider faces. I receive my fair share of spam e-mail on my iCloud e-mail account, and for the longest time have just deleted them without opening, figuring it would eventually stop.

Then last week while on Twitter, I saw the following Tweet:

Pro tip:1. Select spam message2. Message => Forward As Attachment3. Send to spam@me.com4. Do a dance

I had no idea this method even existed. Unfortunately, forwarding an e-mail as an attachment isn't possible on an iOS device. … Read more

I have unabashed love for the Lego series of video games, which have adapted a wide range of movie series -- "Star Wars," "Indiana Jones," "Lord of the Rings," and more -- into improbably excellent action-adventures.

Alas, only two of them have been ported from consoles to iOS: Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 and Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7. Great games, both, but with limited appeal unless you're a Harry Potter fan.

It was a long wait -- almost a year to the day -- but finally there's another Lego game for … Read more

If your account has been granted access to Facebook Messenger Stickers, you've likely realized they can add a bit of fun to normally mundane conversations. Instead of relying on the standard smiley-face stickers, download additional sticker packs from the Facebook Sticker Store.

You'll know if your account has access to Stickers if you open a conversation in the Facebook app on iOS, or the Messenger app on Android and you see a smiley icon in the text field. Tapping on it will reveal stickers you can then send in your conversations.

The smiley stickers are nice, but it … Read more

Direct browser support for Microsoft Office documents is coming in fits and spurts to Chrome. Google's latest effort is a portly extension for Chrome beta.

If you're running Google Chrome Beta on Windows or Mac, you can now install the Chrome Office Viewer. It will allow you to open links to Office files directly in the browser, a feature that was first announced with the Chromebook Pixel.

However, you're limited right now to merely viewing the files. To edit, you'll have to upload the file to Google Drive, or open it in Microsoft Office or another … Read more

Like most superhero fanboys, I'm pretty jazzed about "Iron Man 3," which opens one week from tomorrow.

And like most superhero movies of late, this one has an official game to accompany it. Gameloft's Iron Man 3 just landed for Android and iOS. And it's probably not what you'd expect.

Indeed, based on Gameloft's last movie tie-in, the Amazing Spider-Man game, you might envision something similar here: a running, jumping, and flying Tony Stark, with a mixture of ground- and air-based combat.

But this game takes its cues from Temple Run and throws … Read more

One of the ongoing malware sagas is a political fight that is targeting Uyghur activist groups in China, where spam e-mail laced with backdoor Trojan horse malware has been continuously delivered to members of these groups in an Advanced Persistent Threat attack.

This week, security company F-secure uncovered yet another variant of this attack being used.

Like prior ones, the new variant takes advantage of old vulnerabilities in Microsoft Word, by sending attachments that will embed the malware in the affected system if the document is opened in an unpatched version of Word.

The malware used has changed a little … Read more

When composing documents in OS X, sometimes moving the cursor around with arrow keys is more convenient, and a bit more accurate, than using the mouse.

The arrow keys therefore offer a great advantage both in offering a precise input option (one tap moves over one character, or up one line, etc.), but also in that they are right there on the keyboard. However, if you are unfamiliar with the modifiers you can use with the arrow keys to place your cursor faster, you may resort to pressing and holding them to get the cursor where you want it.

Recently … Read more