Changing Account Settings


Your .Mac account has a wide range of settings that you can only change online. If you want to make changes to your personal information, credit card information, password, or e-mail settingsor if you want to purchase additional iDisk spaceyou need to first log in to your .Mac account using a Web browser.

To Log in to your .Mac Account Settings

1.

Type www.mac.com in your Web browser.

The .Mac Web page opens (Figure 1.5).

Figure 1.5. Welcome to .Mac! When you first load the .Mac homepage in a Web browser, you'll be greeted by a page that looks like this (although it may be different, since Web pages can change on a dime).


2.

In the upper left corner of the .Mac page, click Account to select it (Figure 1.6).

Figure 1.6. In the upper left corner of the .Mac homepage you'll see the Account link. Click it to load the login page of your .Mac account.


Your .Mac login page opens.

About the Other Settings

The Account Settings page also covers settings that relate to your .Mac e-mail account and your iDisk. These settings let you do the following:

  • Change e-mail account settings. (For more information, see Chapter 2, "Sending Mail.")

  • Manage and buy more e-mail accounts. (For more information, see Chapter 2, "Sending Mail.")

  • Check iDisk usage via a Web browser. (For more information, see Chapter 3, "Using iDisk.")

  • Buy more online storage. (For more information, see Chapter 3, "Using iDisk.")


3.

In the Member name field, type your .Mac e-mail address. You can also use your member nameit's the portion of your .Mac e-mail address that precedes the @ symbol. (Figure 1.7).

Figure 1.7. To log in to .Mac, enter your .Mac member name and password, and then click the Login button.


4.

In the Password field, type your password.

5.

Click the Login button.

Your .Mac Account Settings page opens, and you can now make changes to your account (Figure 1.8).

Figure 1.8. This is your main .Mac Account Settings page. Here you can manage your e-mail accounts, buy more storage, and change your personal information, credit card information, and a plethora of other settings.


Tip

  • If you've forgotten your .Mac password, you can click the "Forgot your password?" link on the login page to retrieve it.


To Change Your Personal Information

1.

Log in to your .Mac account settings as described in "To log in to your .Mac account settings".

The Account Settings page opens.

2.

On the Account Settings page, click the Personal Info button as shown in Figure 1.8.

Your Personal Info page opens (Figure 1.9).

Figure 1.9. Your .Mac Personal Info page lets you change your member name, assign an alternate e-mail address, set your preferred language, and request a subscription to the .Mac Newsletter. The newsletter is well worth subscribing to, and it's free to .Mac members.


3.

On the Personal Info page, do any of the following:

  • In the First Name field, change your first name.

  • In the Last Name field, change your last name.

  • In the Alternate Email Address field, change or edit your alternate e-mail address (where you can be contacted regarding .Mac, in case your .Mac address isn't available for some reason).

  • In the Preferred Language pop-up menu, select your preferred language in which to view .Mac (currently the options are English, French, German, and Japanese).

  • In the News and Info section, check the box to change your opt-in e-mail setting (when checked, this tells Apple that you don't mind being sent the .Mac Newsletter and other .Mac communications).

4.

Click the Submit button.

Apple applies the changes you made to your .Mac account's personal information settings.

Changing Credit Card Information

.Mac is built around an annual subscription, and therefore it keeps your credit card information on file (just in case you want to sign up for the optional automatic renewal). Of course, as soon as you get that new card with 0 percent interest on all balance transfers and new purchases, you'll probably want to change the credit card information stored in your .Mac account.

To Change Your Credit Card Information

1.

Log in to your .Mac account settings as described in "To log in to your .Mac account settings".

The Account Settings page opens.

2.

On the Account Settings page, click the Credit Card Info button, as shown in Figure 1.8.

The Credit Card Info page opens (Figure 1.10).

Figure 1.10. Your .Mac Credit Card Info page lets you adjust settings that include your credit card type and number, your name and billing address, and autorenewal of your account.


3.

On the Credit Card Info page, do any of the following:

  • Change your credit card number and billing information.

  • Check the Auto-Renew box to set your .Mac membership to automatically renew.

  • If the Auto-Renew check box is already selected and you don't want your .Mac membership to automatically renew, click the check box to deselect it.

4.

Click Submit.

Apple applies the changes you made to your .Mac account's credit card settings.

Tip

  • If you do select the Auto-Renew check box on the Credit Card Info settings page, you'll get an e-mail about 30 days before your account is set to automatically renew, notifying you of the impending action.


Changing Password Settings

When logged in to your .Mac account settings, you can also change your .Mac password and your .Mac password verification, including your birthday, password question, and password answer.

To Change Your Password Settings

1.

Log in to your .Mac account settings as described in "To log in to your .Mac account settings".

The Account Settings page opens.

2.

On the Account Settings page, click the Password Settings button, as shown in Figure 1.8.

Your Password Settings page opens (Figure 1.11).

Figure 1.11. Your .Mac Password Settings page lets you change your password (although you can't view itall you see is bullets). You can also use it to set password-verification informationnamely, your birthday and a password question and answer.


3.

On the Password Settings page, do any of the following:

  • In the Password fields, type a new password and confirm it.

  • From the Date of Birth pop-up menus, change your birth date.

  • In the Password Question field, type a new password question.

  • In the Password Answer field, type a new answer to your password question.

4.

Click Submit.

Apple applies the changes you made to your .Mac account's password settings.

In Case You Don't Have a .Mac Account

If you've bought this book, we're assuming that you've taken the plunge and signed up for a .Mac account. Congratulations! It'll change your life.

If you're browsing this book, however, and you're contemplating a purchase, you might not yet have a .Mac account. Getting one is easy; all you need is a credit card, an Internet connection, and a Web browser.

To sign up as a .Mac member, visit www.mac.com and click the Join Now button on the front page. You'll be asked to provide a credit card number, preferred member name, billing address, password, and the like. Signing up is painless and takes only a few minutes. So what are you waiting for? And if you're a box-and-disc kind of person, you can purchase .Mac at the Apple Store or from some authorized resellers.





.Mac with iWeb Visual QuickStart Guide Series
.Mac with iWeb, Second Edition
ISBN: 0321442288
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2006
Pages: 113

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