How to stop Lion from automatically locking your files

This post is just a short tip that I figured out earlier today. If you're running Mac OS X Lion, you'll notice that files which haven't been modified lately are automatically locked. This can prove particularly annoying if you're modifying a large number of system files, which is necessary from time to time when you're running a Hackintosh. Read past the break for a (very) short tutorial on fixing this issue.

How to run Mac OS X Lion in a virtual machine with VMWare Fusion 4

Have you ever thought about running Mac OS X in a virtual machine? If you have a copy of VMWare Fusion 4, the Mac OS X version of the popular virtualization suite VMWare, it's actually incredibly easy to install Mac OS X in a virtual machine on your Hackintosh. For those of you who don't know, a virtual machine is basically a virtual computer that allows you to run a second operating system in a program window on your actual computer. Read past the break for an example of running Mac OS X on VMWare, as well as a tutorial on how to do it yourself in Mac OS X Lion.

Rosewill RCR-AK-IM5002: Confirmed for Mac OS X Lion

Recently, I purchased a Rosewill RCR-AK-IM5002 internal card reader for my Hackintosh. Purchasing any peripheral for a Hackintosh is a relatively risky proposition, since Hackintoshes frequently encounter issues with webcams, sound cards, wireless cards, and even mice and keyboard. These issues are often insolvable, as drivers tend to be either poorly-written, or completely nonexistent.

Luckily, the RCR-AK-IM5002 works out of the box. No drivers are necessary (which is fortunate, because no Mac OS X drivers exist for this reader). All three USB ports work, the SDHC card slot works, and even the archaic CompactFlash slot is supported. If you're looking for an internet card reader for your internal card reader, using the RCR-AK-IM5002 isn't a bad idea.

SOURCE: Newegg | Amazon

How to use Multibeast 4: a comprehensive guide for Lion

LATEST UPDATE (December 23, 2012): Updated guide to reflect changes in Multibeast 4.7.0 for Lion. Using OS X Mountain Lion? Check out our guide for Multibeast 5.

Opening Multibeast can be an intimidating experience for anybody who's unfamiliar with Hackintoshing. There's definitely a learning curve; to first-timers, Multibeast's menus are filled with nothing but long lists of kexts with unnecessarily long names and indecipherable descriptions. This guide is here to help. Read past the break to learn how to make Multibeast work for your Hackintosh.

Can I install OS X on my PC? Read this first.

LAST UPDATED: May 23, 2016

Having compatible hardware in a Hackintosh (a PC running Mac OS X) makes the difference between success and failure. If you're interested in installing Mac OS X on your PC, it's important to know what hardware is compatible and what isn't. Hackintosh compatibility varies, depending on whether your computer was self-built or prebuilt, and whether it's a desktop PC or a laptop. (If you don't know what hardware your current computer has, use a program like CPU-Z.)

How to fix stretched bootloader themes on your Hackintosh

If you have a Hackintosh with a widescreen monitor, all of the images on your bootscreen may be stretched and distorted. This is because the Chimera bootloader (and the Chameleon bootloader that Chimera is based off) can only display VESA resolutions, which are the basic resolutions programmed into your graphics card. These VESA resolutions usually aren't widescreen, so if you use a widescreen monitor, this can lead to some pretty bad distortion on your Hackintosh bootscreen. You could always edit your VESA resolutions, but if that doesn't suit you, there is now a simpler solution. Jump past the break to find out how.

How to install bootloader themes for your Hackintosh

While the default bootscreen that's installed by Multibeast doesn't look bad, it could definitely be better. Luckily, Chimera (the bootloader that's installed by Easybeast and UserDSDT) has a theming feature built-in, so that you can download custom themes to make your bootscreen just a little more interesting every time you boot up your Hackintosh. Chameleon, the bootloader that Chimera is based off, supports themes as well. Jump past the break to learn how to download and install Chimera themes.

How to hide hard disks on your Hackintosh bootscreen

When you're dual-booting Mac OS X and Windows, you'll notice that your Chimera/Chameleon bootscreen displays every Windows hard drive partition, not just the bootable ones. Not only does this look bad, but it's a source of constant confusion. Luckily, Chimera offers a simple way to hide any unbootable Windows partitions from the bootscreen. Read past the break to learn more.

Where to download kexts for your Hackintosh

Multibeast is a great source for kexts and other Hackintosh-related goodies, but every now and then, you'll need a kext that isn't included in Multibeast by default. It might be a beta version of a kext, or a might be a rather obscure kext that's too specific to be included in Multibeast. Either way, in these cases, you'll have to find that kext elsewhere. Jump past the break to find out where you can download kext files to install manually.

What are kexts?

Last Updated on February 23, 2016

Kext files are essentially drivers for Mac OS X. "Kext" stands for Kernel Extension; kext files "extend" Mac OS X's kernel, the core part of the operating system, by providing additional code to be loaded when your computer boots. "Hackintoshes" often require special kexts to enable sound, ethernet, and more. Some Hackintosh-specific kexts are modified versions of existing Mac OS X kexts, such as AppleHDA.kext. Other kexts are extra additions to the normal list of kexts that OS X runs on startup. In the end, all of these Hackintosh kexts serve the same purpose: to add support to hardware that isn't officially supported by Apple.