MyLife's preferences menu (which can be accessed via the MyLife menu or by pressing the Command key and Comma key together) is divided into four distinct categories : General Preferences, Security Preferences, File Extension Preferences and Security Preferences. Each of these categories is discussed in more detail below.

The General Preferences allows you to perform a number of general purpose tasks.

Initially MyLife does not require a password in order to start up. However, if you desire your application to be password protected you can set it up here. Additionally, you can change the password if one already exists. It should be noted that if you are password protecting MyLife for the first time you leave Old Password blank. Additionally, if you want to remove any password protection from MyLife simply enter your Old Password, leave the New Password and Confirm New Password blank then click on the Change Password button. See Logging in for more details about logging into MyLife after it has been password protected.

Although documents are automatically added/deleted as you modify the database there may be times when the program 'forgets' to delete unused documents (say if MyLife crashes - which hopefully doesn't happen :] ). Clicking on the Cleanup MyLife button removes these unused documents. You should rarely have to do this.

MyLife stores all of its contents in a folder named Documents. To create a backup copy of this folder simply click on the Backup MyLife button which then allows you to determine where this backup will be saved. If you ever want to revert back to an older version of your database simply quit MyLife (if it's open), place the old Documents folder into MyLife's folder (replacing the current Documents folder which already exists) then reload MyLife.
* It is important to note that the folder must be named Documents or else MyLife will not be able to access your data.

MyLife allows you to encrypt your information using the well known Blowfish cryptographic routine. Encrypting your information is useful if you are transferring your data over an insecure channel - such as the internet. By default, MyLife does not encrypt your information. However, if you would like to encrypt your information simply enter a code and hit the Encrypt MyLife button (see Logging in for more details about logging into MyLife after encryption has been enabled). In order to remove encryption click on the Remove Encryption button.

*It is very important to remember your encryption code since it will be required to reload MyLife.

*Please note that when encryption is enabled everything except for documents are encrypted.

When you double click on a document in MyLife it opens it up in a default program (set by the operating system). However, you can modify MyLife's behaviour by associating a file extension with an application. For example, by default jpeg files may open with Preview, however, you can change it so that a jpeg file opens with Photoshop (or any other graphics program you may have).

In order to associate a file extension with an application begin by entering the file extension into the Associate (file extension) text box. Note that you do not have to put the dot before the file extension, simply type jpeg, gif, mov ... etc. You can then proceed to hit the Browse button and search for the program you would like to associate the file extension with. Finally, click the add button (the button with a plus sign) and the association will be made in the table above. To remove an association simply click on it in the table and then click the remove button (the button with a minus sign).

*Please note that MyLife only allows you to associate a file extension with one program at a time.

MyLife is a program which is built around Mac OS X's Address Book (which can typically be found at
Macintosh HD/Applications/Address Book). When MyLife first loads up it looks through Address Book's records in order to populate its Person table *. People who already exist in MyLife are loaded up while new people in Address Book are added to MyLife. There may be points in time when a person you added to MyLife is no longer in the Address Book (perhaps because you deleted the person accidently or moved MyLife to a different computer). In these cases certain people will appear to disappear from MyLife altogether since they don't appear in the Person table within the Content View. It is within this portion of the preference panel that you can decide what to do. If you would like to add the person back into the Address Book so you can see their data once more in MyLife simply select the person and click the Add back into MyLife button. If you would like to permanently delete the person from MyLife, along with all his/her data select the person and click the Remove from MyLife buttons.

*MyLife only loads people from the Address Book which have a : first name, last name or corporation name. If a particular person is not showing up in MyLife make sure that the individual has a name in Address Book.

**It is best if you close MyLife before you make modifications (add or remove people) to the Address Book. This is because MyLife only picks up changes to the Address Book when it is loaded.