Support Notes > What Is The Dock

The Dock is a tool found on the edge of the screen for containing links to frequently used applications and locations. It is very helpful because it takes just one click of the mouse to open something in the Dock.

Changing The Dock's Appearance

If you wish to change the Dock's appearance you can:

1. Click on the Apple icon in the top menu bar.

2. Highlight Dock and then choose Dock Preferences...

3. Use the controls to modify the Dock's appearance.

Removing Items From The Dock

It is very easy to remove items from the Dock. Simply use the mouse to drag the item you want to remove out and away from the Dock. When you release the mouse button the item disappears. This means you have removed the the shortcut link from the Dock and not the actual application.

Adding Items To The Dock

To add an item to the Dock you must first find the original application or location.

1. Click on the Finder icon in the Dock.

2. Use the mouse to locate the item you want to add a shortcut link for in the Dock.

3. Use the mouse to drag the item into the Dock. If the item is an application you must drag it into the left or top side of the Dock. If the item is a location then you must drag it into the right or bottom side of the Dock. When you release the mouse button the item should now appear in the Dock.

The Dock Shows Question Marks

On occassion you may find question marks in the Dock where once icons were for applications. We are not sure why this happens but usually if you click on the question mark the application will open and the icon will appear again.

If you want to know what application the question mark refers to without actually clicking on the question mark, simply hover the mouse over the question mark and the name of the application will appear in text.