This Mac tip is provided by Mark Greentree and was originally posted on Mark’s blog – Everyday Mac Support. For more of Mark’s tips visit his site, follow him on Twitter, or browse his archive of posts here.
How To: Access The Debug Menu In The Address Book Application
If you’re having problems with Address Book then you should consider activating the Debug Menu. Generally a command such as Force Refresh (Command + R) can solve a general problems. By default the Debug Menu is turned off.
In order to do this we will need to use Terminal. To locate Terminal simply navigate to Applications > Utilities and within the Utilities folder you will locate Terminal.
Simply launch and then enter the following, followed by return:
defaults write com.apple.addressbook ABShowDebugMenu -bool YES
Upon successful entry your address book will have the debug menu item.
Should you wish to de-activate this option simply enter the following, followed by return:
defaults write com.apple.addressbook ABShowDebugMenu -bool NO
Warning: Terminal commands have the ability to change the running operation of your Mac. Please copy and paste the Terminal command as shown directly from the article. Mistakes in keystokes can cause your Mac to perform differently and may in-fact result in a loss of data. It is advised that you only use the Terminal if you feel comfortable with the command line interface. If you are ever unsure please consult your local tech support person.
