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TICKET ARCHIVE -> Panther Crashes

HiHat - Oct 5, 2005 - 8:42 pm

Hi,

recently I have been getting an unusual but consistent crash in Panther 10.3.2.

In any application, when I try to do a "Save As.." and get presented with the directory window to save the file, if I select a different directory to save the file I get a crash. It doesn't crash if I save straight to the directory that is presented to me.

Any help much appreciated...

Thanks

LovesMacs - Oct 5, 2005 - 11:38 pm

Hello Dave,

That is so exasperating! I hear you loud and clear.
Dave, if possible I suggest doing the 10.3.5 update.
http://www.apple.com/support/downloa...e_10_3_5_.html

Every single update fixes a lot of little bugs in operating system software... that would probably help.

Now, are you familiar with running Disk Utility? It's in your Applications>Utilities folder on your hard drive. Launch Disk Utility, select your MacintoshHD in the panel on the left, then click Repair Permissions. That can solve problems you didn't know you had.

Get Onyx. It's a FREEWARE utility available on the Apple web site with maintenance and cleaning scripts. It works wonders. Here's the link:
http://www.apple.com/downloads/macos...ties/onyx.html

Hopefully, something I suggested will help. If not, please don't hesitate to post back as I try to give every OS issue my best shot :-)

Carolyn

HiHat - Oct 6, 2005 - 6:39 pm

Hi Carolyn,

thanks heaps for your response to my crash dilema. I will definately update to 10.3.5 and see if that fixes things. I run Disk Utility quite regularly and a little freeware program called Applejack that runs from terminal mode but these didn't seem to find any fault so I think the system update is the way to go.

Bye for now,

Dave

HiHat - Oct 8, 2005 - 12:54 am

Hi again,

I updated my OSX from 10.3.2 to 10.3.5 and am still getting the same crashes changing directories in a Save As situation.

I have TechTools Pro 4 and have run it on my boot partition but I have noticed when it does the Files check, it gets about a third of the way through and restarts the computer. I boot from the TechTools Pro disk when I am running the tests.

Any further help much appreciated.

Thanks....Dave

LovesMacs - Oct 8, 2005 - 1:59 am

HI Dave,

This is a bit of a mystery. Have you used Disk Utility to check the disk to see if it needs Repair by inserting your system CD, holding down the C key while hitting Power button??? So it loads from the CD system folder? Do a First Aid and Repair Permissions.

If Disk Utility reports no problems, I would back up all the data/photos/music etc., and wipe the drive and reinstall a fresh system. You obviously have a glitch there somewhere that even TechToolPro can't fix, or it's trying to and gets hung up and reboots.

I wish I had a simpler work around for you... by the way, which Mac do you have? Also, in your software updates, did you do the: Security Update 2004-05-24 apparently it caused some issues like you are experiencing.

You might also post at the www.apple.com Support discussion boards and see if one of the techs there can assist you.

In the meantime, if I come across anything that relates to this issue, I will post back!

Carolyn :-)

HiHat - Oct 9, 2005 - 7:01 pm

Hi Carolyn,

once again thanks for your assistance. Someone suggested setting up a "test" account with admin access and seeing if that throws up the same error.

My Mac is an old 850mhz quicksilver G4. I use it in my recording studio here for audio work, that's why I was so loath to do a complete re-install...so many programs to set up on it

Anyway, today I'll try and run a few more tests and see how I go and if all else fails then a system re-install it is. Is there any way of dojng one single system install as I have got to 10.3.5 by doing numerous upgrades from my original system disks? I can't upgrade to Tiger on this machine as my ProTools system and hardware are not supported so stuck in Panther.

Once again thanks for your help

Regards,

Dave

LovesMacs - Oct 10, 2005 - 12:28 am

HI Dave,

Good news and bad news: Bad news first... after re-installing Panther, you will have to do the software updates. I know that's a huge pain, but here's the good news. THIS time when you do the software updates, click the Apple logo top left of your menu, click on Software Updates. You will obviously have several available to download. Now, instead of clicking the Install button on the Update window, go to your Menu, click on Update and click "Download" ... this will download the file with the update in it as a package. Start a new folder in your Home Folder>Documents.. like "backup software update packages"... run the installation you just downloaded, then put that installer package in your new back up folder. This way, if you have to reinstall your system some time in the future, you already have those updates close at hand. I recommend saving those packages to an external disk, or an iPod if you have one.

Since you are experiencing consistent crashes with your system now, I recommend you get either DiskWarrior or Tech Tool Pro 4... for Panther. Both can fix damaged disks and fix a lot of problems that cause system crashes.

I'm trying to learn GarageBand... since you know audio, perhaps you can help me next :-)

Carolyn :-)

HiHat - Oct 10, 2005 - 1:03 am

Hi again Carolyn,

hope I am not boring you with my mac prob here

Anyway this morning I created a new User account with Admin privs and didn't seem to get those crashes. Only problem was when I run my ProTools program a couple of my plug-ins didn't load which is strange bacuse they all live in the top level Library folder, not my user Library folder. But at least I feel like I got somewhere....will be persevering today

Cool about any music help you might need. I haven't used GarageBand at all as I use ProTools here in the studio and also Reason, which is a great program. I record a lot of clients so use pretty much the industry standards for doing CDs.

What kinda work do you do there?

So thanks again for your mail

Cheers,

Dave

LovesMacs - Oct 10, 2005 - 1:49 am

HI Dave,

Bore me with Mac stuff? ha.. good luck.

Thanks for posting back. So you created a new user account and didn't have the crashes. That tells a story. There's something hiding somewhere in the user account where the crashes occur. By the time you try to narrow down the root cause you could reinsall your system and be back in business.

What do I do? I do Mac consulting. Not as much fun as creating and mixing audio .. LOL I got hooked on Macs with an Apple IIE in 1984 and now I go into withdrawal symptoms if I miss a week of visiting my nearest Apple store. They have workshops for the iLife software like GarageBand so I should get down there and do that sometime!

Sounds like your plug ins might be the cause of the crashing... is there anyway you can delete those plug ins and reinstall new ones??? Adobe PhotoShop is obviously not audio but I have had plug ins that I use in that software that have caused problems.. I just trashed the bad ones, downloaded and installed new ones... I have no idea if you can do that with audio software, but thought I'd toss that out just in case.

Carolyn :-)

HiHat - Oct 10, 2005 - 2:46 am

Thanks Carolyn,

will let you know how it all pans out. Cool you are so into Macs like that. Been with them too since the Apple IIe

Cheers,

Dave

HiHat - Oct 12, 2005 - 1:54 am

Hi Carolyn,

just thought I'd let you know that I think I have my problem sorted out. I trashed my Finder plist pref file and Sidebar plist file and all seems to be ok.....so far so good.

Thanks again for all your help and advice...much appreciated.

Bye for now,

Dave