I've tried to eliminate system errors by performing a clean install of ML. What's the best way to set up my iMac for a singlet user?

You shouldn't be looking in the Console unless you're trying to track down the cause of an issue you're already experiencing; most of the information there is meant for the people who write or troubleshoot software and not for regular users.

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What's this weird Win7 software that won't work with Windows 7 on VMware Fusion, but will on Parallels Desktop?

Other than that, I think you're stressing too much. Mountain Lion is stable. You may be seeing errors in the Console, but that always happens.

As for iCloud: if you don't want to use it, don't set it up. Simple. It's not compulsory.

Going single-user only isn't recommended. I'd advise you to use an Admin user for admin tasks (such as updates etc.) and have a Standard user that you use for your everyday tasks, such as working in Parallels Desktop.

Other than that, you don't actually seem to have any problems requiring assistance. The problem seems to be this weird software and its incompatibility with VMware.

Then the problems began.

Nowhere in your rather long message do you actually say what these problems are.

Please read this whole message before doing anything.

This procedure is a test, not a solution. Don’t be disappointed when you find that nothing has changed after you complete it.

Step 1

The purpose of this step is to determine whether the problem is localized to your user account.

Enable guest logins* and log in as Guest. For instructions, launch the System Preferences application, select Help from the menu bar, and enter “Set up guest users” (without the quotes) in the search box. Don't use the Safari-only “Guest User” login created by “Find My Mac.”

While logged in as Guest, you won’t have access to any of your personal files or settings. Applications will behave as if you were running them for the first time. Don’t be alarmed by this; it’s normal. If you need any passwords or other personal data in order to complete the test, memorize, print, or write them down before you begin.

Test while logged in as Guest. Same problem?

After testing, log out of the guest account and, in your own account, disable it if you wish. Any files you created in the guest account will be deleted automatically when you log out of it.

*Note: If you’ve activated “Find My Mac” or FileVault, then you can’t enable the Guest account. The “Guest User” login created by “Find My Mac” is not the same. Create a new account in which to test, and delete it, including its home folder, after testing.

Step 2

The purpose of this step is to determine whether the problem is caused by third-party system modifications that load automatically at startup or login.

Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed for the test, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Boot in safe mode* and log in to the account with the problem. The instructions provided by Apple are as follows:

• Shut down your computer, wait 30 seconds, and then hold down the shift key while pressing the power button.
• When you see the gray Apple logo, release the shift key.
• If you are prompted to log in, type your password, and then hold down the shift key again as you click Log in.

Safe mode is much slower to boot and run than normal, and some things won’t work at all, including wireless networking on certain Macs.

The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.

*Note: If FileVault is enabled, or if a firmware password is set, or if the boot volume is a software RAID, you can’t boot in safe mode.

Test while in safe mode. Same problem?

After testing, reboot as usual (i.e., not in safe mode) and verify that you still have the problem. Post the results of steps 1 and 2.

Safari is the only browser I use regularly, so I don't have an opinion about it versus others.

How to maintain a Mac

1. Make redundant backups, keeping at least one off site at all times. One backup is not enough. Don’t back up your backups; make them independent of each other. Don’t rely completely on any single backup method, such as Time Machine. If you get an indication that a backup has failed, don't ignore it.

2. Keep your software up to date. In the Software Update preference pane, you can configure automatic notifications of updates to OS X and other Mac App Store products. Some third-party applications from other sources have a similar feature, if you don’t mind letting them phone home. Otherwise you have to check yourself on a regular basis. This is especially important for complex software that modifies the operating system, such as device drivers. Before installing any Apple update, you must check that all such modifications that you use are compatible.

3. Don't install crapware, such as “themes,” "haxies," “add-ons,” “toolbars,” “enhancers," “optimizers,” “accelerators,” “extenders,” “cleaners,” "tune-ups," “defragmenters,” “firewalls,” "barriers," “guardians,” “defenders,” “protectors,” most “plugins,” commercial "virus scanners,” "disk tools," or "utilities." With very few exceptions, this sort of stuff is useless, or worse than useless.

The more actively promoted the product, the more likely it is to be garbage. The most extreme example is the “MacKeeper” scam.

As a rule, the only software you should install is that which directly enables you to do the things you use a computer for — such as creating, communicating, and playing — and does not modify the way other software works. Use your computer; don't fuss with it.

Never install any third-party software unless you know how to uninstall it. Otherwise you may create problems that are very hard to solve.

The free anti-malware application ClamXav is not crap, and although it’s not routinely needed, it may be useful in some environments, such as a mixed Mac-Windows enterprise network.

4. Beware of trojans. A trojan is malicious software (“malware”) that the user is duped into installing voluntarily. Such attacks were rare on the Mac platform until sometime in 2011, but are now increasingly common, and increasingly dangerous.

There is some built-in protection against downloading malware, but you can’t rely on it — the attackers are always at least one day ahead of the defense. You can’t rely on third-party protection either. What you can rely on is common-sense awareness — not paranoia, which only makes you more vulnerable.

Never install software from an untrustworthy or unknown source. If in doubt, do some research. Any website that prompts you to install a “codec” or “plugin” that comes from the same site, or an unknown site, is untrustworthy. Software with a corporate brand, such as Adobe Flash Player, must be acquired directly from the developer. No intermediary is acceptable, and don’t trust links unless you know how to parse them. Any file that is automatically downloaded from a web page without your having requested it should go straight into the Trash. A website that claims you have a “virus,” or that anything else is wrong with your computer, is rogue.

In OS X 10.7.5 or later, downloaded applications that have not been digitally signed by a developer registered with Apple are blocked from loading by default. The block can be overridden, but think carefully before you do so.

Because of recurring security issues in Java, it’s best to disable it in your web browsers, if it’s installed. Few websites have Java content nowadays, so you won’t be missing much. This action is mandatory if you’re running any version of OS X older than 10.6.8 with the latest Java update. Note: Java has nothing to do with JavaScript, despite the similar names. Don't install Java unless you're sure you need it. Most users don't.

5. Don't fill up your boot volume. A common mistake is adding more and more large files to your home folder until you start to get warnings that you're out of space, which may be followed in short order by a boot failure. This is more prone to happen on the newer Mac notebooks that come with an internal SSD instead of the traditional hard drive. The drive can be very nearly full before you become aware of the problem. While it's not true that you should or must keep any particular percentage of space free, you should monitor your storage consumption and make sure you're not in immediate danger of using it up. According to Apple documentation, you need at least 9 GB of free space on the startup volume for normal operation.

Use a tool such as the free application OmniDiskSweeperto explore your volume and find out what's taking up the most space. Move rarely-used large files to secondary storage.

6. Relax, don’t do it. Besides the above, no routine maintenance is necessary or beneficial for the vast majority of users; specifically not “cleaning caches,” “zapping the PRAM,” "resetting the SMC," “rebuilding the directory,” “running periodic scripts,” “dumping log files,” “scanning for viruses,” "purging memory," or “repairing permissions.” Such measures are either completely pointless or are useful only for solving problems. They're not for preventive maintenance.

The very height of futility is running an expensive third-party application called “Disk Warrior” when nothing is wrong, or even when something is wrong and you have backups, which you must have. Disk Warrior is a data-salvage tool, not a maintenance tool, and you will never need it if your backups are adequate. Don’t waste money on it or anything like it.

The very height of futility is running an expensive third-party application called “Disk Warrior” when nothing is wrong, or even when something is wrong and you have backups, which you must have. Disk Warrior is a data-salvage tool, not a maintenance tool, and you will never need it if your backups are adequate. Don’t waste money on it or anything like it.

Linc, I think you've gone distinctly overboard with this particular statement. I've read numerous comments on numerous unaffiliated sites in which Disk Warrior was hailed as a saviour for the way it was able to repair corrupted disks—though I haven't used it myself. Even if you have a backup, there's always a time differential between when an error occurs and when the last backup was made, and Disk Warrior (or other, similar, software) can be a useful tool that allows you to quickly get a system back in working order before the step of restoring from backup and potentially losing interim data, not to mention time. Additionally, there's always the possiblity that the backup itself contains the error…

Marmadukemark, I encourage you to take this last portion of Linc's advice with a pinch of salt. Read around, and you'll find his opinion on the topic is by no means universally held.

Other than that, I'm glad you managed to get things sorted out.

Merry Christmas!

I haven't used it myself.

That's why you don't know that Disk Warrior is slower and less effective than restoring from a backup. Time Machine backs up once an hour.

You also don't know that any drive that throws an error causing directory damage more than once should be replaced.

If you want to waste your own money on Disk Warrior, no argument from me. If you want to waste other people's money on it, at least take the trouble to learn something about it first.

Time Machine backs up once an hour.

I guess it depends how much you get done in an hour, and whether or not you use Time Machine. Whether one should trust Time Machine is, of course, a discussion for another thread and time entirely.

You also don't know that any drive that throws an error causing directory damage more than once should be replaced.

That's true. It's not something I've ever had the misfortune to encounter.

If you want to waste your own money on Disk Warrior, no argument from me. If you want to waste other people's money on it, at least take the trouble to learn something about it first.

I think you value your own opinion far too much for any discussion on to be worth engaging in, at least on this topic. My encouragement to the OP was that he should not be taken in by your authoritative stance in this case, nothing more.

I shan't be responding further, given that the thread is now marked as answered, and given we're going decidedly off-topic.

Merry Christmas!

Scotch_Brawth wrote:

The very height of futility is running an expensive third-party application called “Disk Warrior” when nothing is wrong, or even when something is wrong and you have backups, which you must have. Disk Warrior is a data-salvage tool, not a maintenance tool, and you will never need it if your backups are adequate. Don’t waste money on it or anything like it.

Linc, I think you've gone distinctly overboard with this particular statement. I've read numerous comments on numerous unaffiliated sites in which Disk Warrior was hailed as a saviour for the way it was able to repair corrupted disks—though I haven't used it myself.

If you have no actual experience of Disk Warrior you should refrain from critquing or praising it.

FWIW I agree 100% with Linc, spend money and time on Backups, not DW.