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TICKET ARCHIVE -> Myriad 10.4.2 Issues
Darla - Aug 16, 2005 - 12:53 am
*sigh*
Well, folks, I've read all the threads about printing problems, tried all solutions recommended, including downloading, paying for and using Printer Setup Repair. I've done did it all, and still gettin' nowhere, verrrrry slowly. I'm running (away screaming from) 10.4.2 on a G4. Printers formerly at my beck and call: Apple LaserWriter 8500 and Epson Stylus Photo 2200. Both worked fine up through 10.3.whatever_came_before_Tiger. Because of a typo I made when trying to reset my Printer Utility, the misspelled name of a nonexistent printer became part of the FireWire Device Tree list in System Profile. It keeps showing up. Can't get rid of it.
As if that weren't Enough Already, I've also discovered that my previously trusty Kensington TurboMouse -- though squeaky clean (no cat hairs, no gunk) -- refuses to double-click successfully on anything on my desktop and on bookmarks/hotlinks. It doesn't have that problem anywhere else, just those types of things. I installed the latest version of MouseWorks available on line. While this helped with slow tracking, it did nothing to correct the remaining problems.
Compressed files won't unstuff in Stuffit Deluxe 9.0.1, all of a sudden, whether double-clicking, using Command+O, or dragging the icon to the Stuffit Deluxe 9.0 icon on my dock, nothing. Oh well, the icon for the compressed file flashes a little, but the file remains unopened. Had to settle for the latest free version of Stuffit Expander, which works fine. There is no Tiger-compatible upgrade for Stuffit Deluxe yet. Go figure.
Last, but not least, Keychain will not allow me to double-click on anything to get my password info. Nothing works but clicking on the little "i" down at the bottom of the window. I could live with that, if that's what Apple decided we all need, but I'd rather go back to the way it was. Do you know if that's just a new style?
I know this is a bunch of stuff to load on you all at once, but I thought they might be related somehow, and that there might be a relatively simple way around them -- with a little help from our friends at Apple, maybe. Any thoughts that would prevent me from taking three days off to revert back to 10.3.whatever?
My everlasting thanks for your generous attention,
Darla
Well, folks, I've read all the threads about printing problems, tried all solutions recommended, including downloading, paying for and using Printer Setup Repair. I've done did it all, and still gettin' nowhere, verrrrry slowly. I'm running (away screaming from) 10.4.2 on a G4. Printers formerly at my beck and call: Apple LaserWriter 8500 and Epson Stylus Photo 2200. Both worked fine up through 10.3.whatever_came_before_Tiger. Because of a typo I made when trying to reset my Printer Utility, the misspelled name of a nonexistent printer became part of the FireWire Device Tree list in System Profile. It keeps showing up. Can't get rid of it.
As if that weren't Enough Already, I've also discovered that my previously trusty Kensington TurboMouse -- though squeaky clean (no cat hairs, no gunk) -- refuses to double-click successfully on anything on my desktop and on bookmarks/hotlinks. It doesn't have that problem anywhere else, just those types of things. I installed the latest version of MouseWorks available on line. While this helped with slow tracking, it did nothing to correct the remaining problems.
Compressed files won't unstuff in Stuffit Deluxe 9.0.1, all of a sudden, whether double-clicking, using Command+O, or dragging the icon to the Stuffit Deluxe 9.0 icon on my dock, nothing. Oh well, the icon for the compressed file flashes a little, but the file remains unopened. Had to settle for the latest free version of Stuffit Expander, which works fine. There is no Tiger-compatible upgrade for Stuffit Deluxe yet. Go figure.
Last, but not least, Keychain will not allow me to double-click on anything to get my password info. Nothing works but clicking on the little "i" down at the bottom of the window. I could live with that, if that's what Apple decided we all need, but I'd rather go back to the way it was. Do you know if that's just a new style?
I know this is a bunch of stuff to load on you all at once, but I thought they might be related somehow, and that there might be a relatively simple way around them -- with a little help from our friends at Apple, maybe. Any thoughts that would prevent me from taking three days off to revert back to 10.3.whatever?
My everlasting thanks for your generous attention,
Darla
skapp - Aug 16, 2005 - 1:38 am
Erase the hard drive and reinstall OS X. Replace your Kensington mouse software with the shareware utility USB Overdrive. Be sure you have the latest software drivers for your two printers.
Darla - Aug 16, 2005 - 3:27 am
Thank you, Steven. I took a look at USB Overdrive but wound up uninstalling it. The Kensington product is made specifically for my model of mouse, and is Tiger-compliant. I believe there's some bizarre software feud going on somewhere in the shadow of the Apple tree. In any event, the printer problem is the most pressing of my problems at present -- and I see I'm not alone! Sure with Apple would get on with it.
Meanwhile...any bright ideas that you or others might wish to add to the growing repertoire of lost causes would at least make me feel as if I were taking positive action instead of lying down and taking IT, as it were.
Darla
Meanwhile...any bright ideas that you or others might wish to add to the growing repertoire of lost causes would at least make me feel as if I were taking positive action instead of lying down and taking IT, as it were.
Darla
skapp - Aug 16, 2005 - 4:13 am
As I suggested, reformat your hard drive and reinstall OS X. If reformatting is not a viable option, then do the following:
Boot from your OS X Installer. Be sure to use the installer for the version of OS X you have installed. After the installer loads select Disk Utility from the Installer menu (or Utilities menu if using Tiger.) After DU loads select your OS X volume from the list on the left, click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the installer. Now shutdown the computer for a couple of minutes and then restart normally.
If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior (3.0.3 for Tiger) and/or TechTool Pro (4.0.4 for Tiger) to repair the drive. If you don't have either of them or if neither of them can fix the drive, then you will need to reformat the drive and reinstall OS X.
If your hard drive is verified as OK per the above, then reinstall OS X by doing an Archive and Install, which does not require reformatting the drive.
Boot from your OS X Installer. Be sure to use the installer for the version of OS X you have installed. After the installer loads select Disk Utility from the Installer menu (or Utilities menu if using Tiger.) After DU loads select your OS X volume from the list on the left, click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the installer. Now shutdown the computer for a couple of minutes and then restart normally.
If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior (3.0.3 for Tiger) and/or TechTool Pro (4.0.4 for Tiger) to repair the drive. If you don't have either of them or if neither of them can fix the drive, then you will need to reformat the drive and reinstall OS X.
If your hard drive is verified as OK per the above, then reinstall OS X by doing an Archive and Install, which does not require reformatting the drive.
Darla - Aug 16, 2005 - 5:10 am
Ooh, ouch, Steven...I did all that way earlier today. DU gave me a clean bill of health. But thank you for reminding me about what a useful utility Tech Tools is. I ordered the upgrade.
Meanwhile, for anyone listening in who might benefit from this, everything but the printing problem got solved by simply trashing the backup of the previous system that was created when I did the "Archive and Install" routine earlier. (I also tweaked the Mouse/Keyboard settings in Sys Prefs to match the same prefs in MouseWorks, so they wouldn't fight each other. Works like a charm now.
Maybe the trouble people are having with their printers has something to do with networking protocols, AirPort, et al., do you think so? I'm scared to touch that, because I just went through reconfiguring my local network to get my G5 talking to my G4 PowerBook again. Two steps forward, three back...
I suspect I will devote much of the coming day to taking your advice about reformatting the whole &#%$@ disk, after backing up everything, of course. Sure do wish I could avoid that. :-(
Darla
Meanwhile, for anyone listening in who might benefit from this, everything but the printing problem got solved by simply trashing the backup of the previous system that was created when I did the "Archive and Install" routine earlier. (I also tweaked the Mouse/Keyboard settings in Sys Prefs to match the same prefs in MouseWorks, so they wouldn't fight each other. Works like a charm now.
Maybe the trouble people are having with their printers has something to do with networking protocols, AirPort, et al., do you think so? I'm scared to touch that, because I just went through reconfiguring my local network to get my G5 talking to my G4 PowerBook again. Two steps forward, three back...
I suspect I will devote much of the coming day to taking your advice about reformatting the whole &#%$@ disk, after backing up everything, of course. Sure do wish I could avoid that. :-(
Darla
skapp - Aug 16, 2005 - 12:24 pm
Darla,
Sometimes when things get too mucked up starting over from scratch is the best solution because it fixes all the problems and you start from a fresh slate. If you then take the time to add stuff a little at a time and test the system, then you can track down potential problems and prevent them from recurring. Unfortunately, it's also time consuming. I've been down this road several times over the years, but the end result is that I have four computers running OS X and none of them has had any problems for so long I can't remember when.
Another thing for you to keep in mind is that if you use your computer for your business, then it's wise not to upgrade the operating system until you are able to verify that your mission-critical hardware and software will be compatible. Remember the adage, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
Most printer problems (not all) are driver related. You upgrade to the newest version of OS X, but guess what: the printer drive isn't compatible with this version and the manufacturer has no idea when an update will be available. Some printers that are networked may have problems because they haven't been properly configured, and in some cases it's a problem with Printer Sharing not working properly.
Tiger has introduced some networking problems which do seem to be getting ironed out somewhat. However, there are still some persistent reports of low signal levels with Airport.
Sometimes when things get too mucked up starting over from scratch is the best solution because it fixes all the problems and you start from a fresh slate. If you then take the time to add stuff a little at a time and test the system, then you can track down potential problems and prevent them from recurring. Unfortunately, it's also time consuming. I've been down this road several times over the years, but the end result is that I have four computers running OS X and none of them has had any problems for so long I can't remember when.
Another thing for you to keep in mind is that if you use your computer for your business, then it's wise not to upgrade the operating system until you are able to verify that your mission-critical hardware and software will be compatible. Remember the adage, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
Most printer problems (not all) are driver related. You upgrade to the newest version of OS X, but guess what: the printer drive isn't compatible with this version and the manufacturer has no idea when an update will be available. Some printers that are networked may have problems because they haven't been properly configured, and in some cases it's a problem with Printer Sharing not working properly.
Tiger has introduced some networking problems which do seem to be getting ironed out somewhat. However, there are still some persistent reports of low signal levels with Airport.
skapp - Aug 22, 2005 - 12:06 pm
I'm sorry if I closed the ticket too fast. You can still reply if you wish. I apologize because I didn't realize you wanted to add to the discussion. Please feel free to continue. :-)
Darla - Aug 22, 2005 - 12:55 pm
Thank you, Steven! In fact, I took your advice about wiping the slate clean and starting fresh. It was a lengthy process that had me unable to go on line for a couple of days. First, I needed to back everything up to an external hard drive using Retrospect, which I discovered has an important Tiger-compliant upgrade I didn't know about. (Everyone has to run right out and get this.) Afterwards, there was the painstaking process of re-installing my must-have applications and utilities. After each stage, I attempted to connect to my printers to see if I could narrow down the source of the trouble. (Incidentally, I was able to replicate all the smaller problems I originally reported, and corrected them using the same methods I mentioned in follow-up posts.) While I never did successfully connect to my Apple LaserWriter 8500, I did just fine with the Epson Stylus Photo 2200 right up until I reloaded the PalmZire 72 software I had added to my system a couple of weeks ago. The problem I originally reported came back. I removed it, and the Epson once more responded fine. Obviously, the Palm software was the culprit. Bluetooth overbite?
Since Epson is FireWire and the LaserWriter is just USB, maybe that means something. The deal with the LaserWriter might be physical -- something plugged in wrong. A Mac-authorized guy is coming Friday to look into that for me.
Remind me why I love my Mac!
Thanks again, Steven, for your help. While I didn't ultimately solve my problem entirely, I certainly came much closer than I would have without your suggestions.
Since Epson is FireWire and the LaserWriter is just USB, maybe that means something. The deal with the LaserWriter might be physical -- something plugged in wrong. A Mac-authorized guy is coming Friday to look into that for me.
Remind me why I love my Mac!
Thanks again, Steven, for your help. While I didn't ultimately solve my problem entirely, I certainly came much closer than I would have without your suggestions.
skapp - Aug 22, 2005 - 1:13 pm
Palm's software is the pits. Spend a little extra money and buy the excellent The Missing Sync (www.markspace.com) which works wonderfully, does not require the Palm software, is fully Tiger compatible, and works. Furthermore, it also works with Entourage (using the Entourage conduit.)
Darla - Aug 22, 2005 - 1:47 pm
Ah! Interesting. I'll look into it.
On the subject of recommendations for 3rd party software, I've heard conflicting reports about the latest TechTool's behavior with Tiger. I did order it, but now I hesitate to use it.
But that's another subject.
Thanks again, Steven!
On the subject of recommendations for 3rd party software, I've heard conflicting reports about the latest TechTool's behavior with Tiger. I did order it, but now I hesitate to use it.
But that's another subject.
Thanks again, Steven!
skapp - Aug 22, 2005 - 2:16 pm
Micromat just released an update for TT Pro to version 4.0.5 for improved compatibility with Tiger. Check you TT Pro CD to see if you have this latest version or an earlier one.
I've had great success with Disk Utility for most problems. Anything worse is usually fixable by Disk Warrior. I've only used TT Pro a couple of times, but I haven't had any problems with it. I have not used it since upgrading to Tiger.
I've had great success with Disk Utility for most problems. Anything worse is usually fixable by Disk Warrior. I've only used TT Pro a couple of times, but I haven't had any problems with it. I have not used it since upgrading to Tiger.
Darla - Aug 22, 2005 - 3:00 pm
Hmm. Maybe you'll want to keep it that way -- not using TT on Tiger, I mean. From what I hear, it does fine with diagnostics, but its fixes leave something to be desired -- or rather, NOT desired -- at the root level. But what do I know? ;-)
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