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TICKET ARCHIVE -> Application Support
reinspruch - Jun 6, 2005 - 10:38 pm
None of my apple applications work - mail, safari, system preferences, etc. yet my non-apple applications - IE, Quicken, firefox, etc - work fine. In addition, all of these applications - apple and non-apple - work just fine on my wife's profile. I recently installed Virtual PC on my computer, and the problem happened sometime after that. Otherwise I am not sure what it could be. HELP!!!
Cheryl - Jun 7, 2005 - 8:15 am
Robert,
My name is Cheryl and I will be assisting you.
First thing to do after a major install or update is to repair permissions. Go to the Applications>Utilities folder and start up Disk Utility.
When that opens, click on the second icon at the top left, then click on Repair Permissions. Repair Disk at the bottom far right will be grayed out.
When that is done, quit Disk Utility and give those Apple apps a test run.
Let me know if you still have the problem.
--------
Let me know if you need further assistance and thank you for using MacOSX.com !
Cheryl
My name is Cheryl and I will be assisting you.
First thing to do after a major install or update is to repair permissions. Go to the Applications>Utilities folder and start up Disk Utility.
When that opens, click on the second icon at the top left, then click on Repair Permissions. Repair Disk at the bottom far right will be grayed out.
When that is done, quit Disk Utility and give those Apple apps a test run.
Let me know if you still have the problem.
--------
Let me know if you need further assistance and thank you for using MacOSX.com !
Cheryl
reinspruch - Jun 7, 2005 - 8:38 am
Thanks for your help. The problem is Disk Utility won't even work. I can open it, click on my hard drive, but then it hangs. That is what happens with most apps. Terminal does work, so is there a way I can do it using UNIX commands?
Cheryl - Jun 7, 2005 - 7:24 pm
Robert,
Using Terminal is tricky. I do believe the following will work. Usually the command line needs a specific app name, but since you can not open any app try this. Copy the line exactly as it is. Then paste in the Terminal window and hit the return key.
sudo chmod a+rwx /Applications
It may ask for Administrator's name and password. That is the main account on your computer - you.
There is another way if that does not work. You will have to locate your OS X CD. Make sure it is the one that is the same as what you are running - The 10.3 CD if you are running 10.3.x, The 10.2 CD if you are running 10.2.x.
Start up the computer using the CD (insert CD, restart computer and immediately hold down the C key).
Do not click on the installer screen. Instead go to the Installer Menu and select Disk utility.
When that opens, click on the second icon at the top left - your hard drive and then click on Repair Permissions.
The activity screen will show many changes. That is good.
Now quit Disk Utility and restart the computer.
Give those apps a try out.
--------
Let me know if you need further assistance and thank you for using MacOSX.com !
Cheryl
Using Terminal is tricky. I do believe the following will work. Usually the command line needs a specific app name, but since you can not open any app try this. Copy the line exactly as it is. Then paste in the Terminal window and hit the return key.
sudo chmod a+rwx /Applications
It may ask for Administrator's name and password. That is the main account on your computer - you.
There is another way if that does not work. You will have to locate your OS X CD. Make sure it is the one that is the same as what you are running - The 10.3 CD if you are running 10.3.x, The 10.2 CD if you are running 10.2.x.
Start up the computer using the CD (insert CD, restart computer and immediately hold down the C key).
Do not click on the installer screen. Instead go to the Installer Menu and select Disk utility.
When that opens, click on the second icon at the top left - your hard drive and then click on Repair Permissions.
The activity screen will show many changes. That is good.
Now quit Disk Utility and restart the computer.
Give those apps a try out.
--------
Let me know if you need further assistance and thank you for using MacOSX.com !
Cheryl
reinspruch - Jun 7, 2005 - 9:23 pm
I put in the first software install and restore CD, booted off of it and repaired the disk. Nothing changed. Then I tried the UNIX command. Nothing changed. This is so confusing. Why would Font Book and Chess open, but not Safari or Mail? All of the non-Apple apps work, and some of the Apple apps like iSync work, but most do not. Any other ideas?
Thanks for your help.
Robert
Thanks for your help.
Robert
Cheryl - Jun 7, 2005 - 9:45 pm
Robert,
Your problem is strange. I have been assuming that you are the owner/admin on the computer.
What OS version are you running?
What version of VPC did you install?
I seem to recall a similar problem with VPC and I am currently looking for that article.
--------
Let me know if you need further assistance and thank you for using MacOSX.com !
Cheryl
Your problem is strange. I have been assuming that you are the owner/admin on the computer.
What OS version are you running?
What version of VPC did you install?
I seem to recall a similar problem with VPC and I am currently looking for that article.
--------
Let me know if you need further assistance and thank you for using MacOSX.com !
Cheryl
reinspruch - Jun 7, 2005 - 10:01 pm
I am the admin on the computer. I have a 1GHz Powerbook running 10.3.9. I installed the latest version of VPC - I think it is VPC 7, running Office XP. Of note, it works fine. This is very strange indeed. A real head scratcher that is driving me nuts...
Cheryl - Jun 7, 2005 - 11:10 pm
Robert,
I am still doing the search for that article that I remember reading.
In the meantime, try this:
Go to Applications and click on Safari once to highlight it.
Now go to the File Menu and select Get Info.
Under Owner & Permissions it should read You Can and it is suppose to be Read & Write.
Click on the arrow next to Details.
the window will expand.
Next to Owner is probably system. To the right of that is a pad lock.
Click on the pad lock if it is in the locked position.
Now you can change the Owner to your user name.
You will be asked for your password.
Now see if you can change the You can to Read & write.
Now you can do that to all your apps - or go to your hard drive and click once on the Applications folder - (not the one that has (MacOS 9), go to the File Menu and select get info.
Do the same under Owners & Permission... but after you change the You can to read & write, click on the button at the very bottom of the window that says Apply to enclosed items.. You will get a warning that this can not be undone. (they lie) Click on the Okay button.
This may take a while. But this should correct the problem.
--------
Let me know if you need further assistance and thank you for using MacOSX.com !
Cheryl
I am still doing the search for that article that I remember reading.
In the meantime, try this:
Go to Applications and click on Safari once to highlight it.
Now go to the File Menu and select Get Info.
Under Owner & Permissions it should read You Can and it is suppose to be Read & Write.
Click on the arrow next to Details.
the window will expand.
Next to Owner is probably system. To the right of that is a pad lock.
Click on the pad lock if it is in the locked position.
Now you can change the Owner to your user name.
You will be asked for your password.
Now see if you can change the You can to Read & write.
Now you can do that to all your apps - or go to your hard drive and click once on the Applications folder - (not the one that has (MacOS 9), go to the File Menu and select get info.
Do the same under Owners & Permission... but after you change the You can to read & write, click on the button at the very bottom of the window that says Apply to enclosed items.. You will get a warning that this can not be undone. (they lie) Click on the Okay button.
This may take a while. But this should correct the problem.
--------
Let me know if you need further assistance and thank you for using MacOSX.com !
Cheryl
reinspruch - Jun 8, 2005 - 11:36 pm
How is this for strange. None of your recommendations worked, so in defeat I created a new user. I went back to my old profile to start copy files over, and suddenly the apps start working. So I delete the new user. After about ten minutes the apps stop working. So I create a new user again, and the apps start working again! Coincidence?
Cheryl - Jun 9, 2005 - 8:25 am
Robert,
Strange happenings indeed. Do you have an anti virus installed in the VPC>Windows side?
It is time to do an Archive and preserve installation of the OS. There is something that is corrupting your files. Doing this will keep your home folder and your applications.
Start up from your Mac OS X 10.3 Panther Install Disc 1.
Select your language. The Welcome to the Mac OS X Installer window appears.
Click Continue. The Important Information window appears.
After reading or printing the information, click Continue. The Software License Agreement window appears.
After reading or printing the information, click Continue.
An agreement sheet appears. If you agree with the license agreement, click Agree. The Select a Destination window appears.
Click the volume that you wish to install to.
Click Options. The installation options sheet appears.
Select Archive and Install.
Select the volume which already has Mac OS X installed.
You should also select Preserve Users and Network Settings, to preserve network and Home directory settings.
Click OK.
Click Continue to begin the installation.
Once done, use Disk Utility to repair permissions.
Now go here to download and install the 10.3.8 combo update. (it may be the 10.3.9 update that is causing the problem). The download link is at the top right.
http://www.apple.com/support/downloa...1038combo.html
When done, repair permissions.
Now use Software Update to get the latest security update and repair permissions again.
You will need to reinstall Stuffit Expander and your anti virus if you have one.
Give the machine a test run and let me know if this corrects things.
--------
Let me know if you need further assistance and thank you for using MacOSX.com !
Cheryl
Strange happenings indeed. Do you have an anti virus installed in the VPC>Windows side?
It is time to do an Archive and preserve installation of the OS. There is something that is corrupting your files. Doing this will keep your home folder and your applications.
Start up from your Mac OS X 10.3 Panther Install Disc 1.
Select your language. The Welcome to the Mac OS X Installer window appears.
Click Continue. The Important Information window appears.
After reading or printing the information, click Continue. The Software License Agreement window appears.
After reading or printing the information, click Continue.
An agreement sheet appears. If you agree with the license agreement, click Agree. The Select a Destination window appears.
Click the volume that you wish to install to.
Click Options. The installation options sheet appears.
Select Archive and Install.
Select the volume which already has Mac OS X installed.
You should also select Preserve Users and Network Settings, to preserve network and Home directory settings.
Click OK.
Click Continue to begin the installation.
Once done, use Disk Utility to repair permissions.
Now go here to download and install the 10.3.8 combo update. (it may be the 10.3.9 update that is causing the problem). The download link is at the top right.
http://www.apple.com/support/downloa...1038combo.html
When done, repair permissions.
Now use Software Update to get the latest security update and repair permissions again.
You will need to reinstall Stuffit Expander and your anti virus if you have one.
Give the machine a test run and let me know if this corrects things.
--------
Let me know if you need further assistance and thank you for using MacOSX.com !
Cheryl
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