MacBook Air - Setting Up Your MacBook Air

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Chapter 1

Ready, Set Up, Go

Step 1:

Plug in the 45W MagSafe Power Adapter to provide power to the

MacBook Air and charge the battery.

Make sure the AC plug is fully inserted into the power adapter and the electrical
prongs on your AC plug are in their completely extended position. Insert the AC
plug of your power adapter into a power outlet and the MagSafe connector into the
MagSafe power port. As the MagSafe connector gets close to the port, you’ll feel a
magnetic pull drawing it in.

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AC power cord

AC plug

MagSafe power port

MagSafe connector

To extend the reach of your power adapter, replace the AC plug with the included AC
power cord. First pull the AC plug up to remove it from the adapter, and then attach
the AC power cord to the adapter, making sure it’s seated firmly. Plug the other end
into a power outlet.

When disconnecting the power adapter from an outlet or from your MacBook Air,
pull the plug, not the cord.

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Chapter 1

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When you connect the power adapter to your MacBook Air, the indicator light on
the MagSafe connector starts to glow. An amber light indicates that the battery is
charging. A green light indicates that the battery is fully charged. If you don’t see a
light, make sure the connector is seated properly and the power adapter is plugged
into a working power outlet.

Step 2:

Press the power button (®) briefly to turn on your MacBook Air.

The power button is located in the upper right corner of your keyboard. When you turn
on your MacBook Air, you hear a startup tone.

®

Power button

It takes your MacBook Air a few moments to start up. After it starts up, Setup Assistant
opens automatically.

If your MacBook Air doesn’t turn on, see page 40.

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Chapter 1

Ready, Set Up, Go

Step 3:

Configure your MacBook Air with Setup Assistant.

The first time you turn on your MacBook Air, Setup Assistant starts. Setup Assistant
helps you specify your Wi-Fi network, set up a user account, and transfer information
from another Mac or PC. You can also transfer information from a Time Machine backup
or other disk.

If you’re migrating from another Mac, you might have to update software if the other
Mac doesn’t have Mac OS X version 10.5.3 or later installed. To migrate from a PC,
download the Migration Assistant from www.apple.com/migrate-to-mac, and install it
on the PC you want to migrate from.

After you start Setup Assistant on your MacBook Air, you can leave it midprocess
without quitting, move to the other computer if you need to update its software, and
then return to your MacBook Air to complete the setup.

Note:  If you don’t use Setup Assistant to transfer information when you first start
up your MacBook Air, you can do it later using Migration Assistant. Open Migration
Assistant in the Utilities folder in Launchpad. For help using Migration Assistant, open
Help Center and search for “Migration Assistant.”

To set up your MacBook Air:

1

In Setup Assistant, follow the onscreen instructions until you get to the “Transfer
Information to This Mac” screen.

2

Do a basic setup, a setup with migration, or transfer information from a Time Machine
backup or other disk:

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To do a basic setup, select “Don’t transfer now” and click Continue. Follow the
remaining prompts to select your wired or wireless network, set up an account, and
exit Setup Assistant.

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Chapter 1

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To do a setup with migration, select “From another Mac or PC” and click Continue.
Follow the onscreen instructions to select the Mac or PC you want to migrate from.
Your Mac or PC must be on the same wired or wireless network. Follow the onscreen
instructions for migrating.

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To transfer information from a Time Machine backup or another disk, select “From a
Time Machine backup or other disk” and click Continue. Select the backup or the
other disk that you want to migrate from. Follow the onscreen instructions.

If you don’t intend to keep or use your other computer, it’s best to deauthorize it from
playing music, videos, or audiobooks that you’ve purchased from the iTunes Store.
Deauthorizing a computer prevents any songs, videos, or audiobooks you’ve purchased
from being played by someone else, and frees up another authorization for use. For
information about deauthorizing, choose iTunes Help from the Help menu in iTunes.

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Chapter 1

Ready, Set Up, Go

Step 4:

Customize the Mac OS X desktop and set preferences.

You can quickly make the desktop look the way you want using System
Preferences, your command center for most settings on your MacBook Air.
Choose Apple () > System Preferences from the menu bar or click the
System Preferences icon in the Dock.

Menu bar

Help menu

Spotlight search icon

Finder icon

System Preferences icon

Dock