Lots of problems.

[dylan]

Seems like a new problem pops up every week these days. Here we go again probably easy to fix but i'm a complete noob when it comes to os x.

1. 1/3 times when i close an app os x will notify me that the app quit unexpectedly or something like that. Gives any pc user a good chuckle.

2. iMovie crashes consistently.

3. Any fullscreen video doesn't fill the whole screen i can still see anywhere from about 64-16 pixels of dock...

4. Computer won't go to sleep by its self. Tries to the fans rev up.

5. Different users use different sound devices. Thus not allowing me to leave my fasttrack plugged in.

6. Pages pops up with an error saying it can't save some thumbs_01 file when i try to save a document.

7. Image capture won't save the embed colorsync profile selection so i have to set it each time i scan something

8. .rm files open in GoLive and i see no way to set them to open with real player.

9. safari pesters my brother for a keychain password on startup

I've tried everything i can think of. i've repaired permissions, flashed the pram deleted preferences, created a new account etc but nothing has solved it. I had alot less problems on my windows pc...

any help would be great.

 

[AlBDamned]

Umm.. where to start...

Can you first give us some idea of what you're using in terms of hardware? Platform, OS 10.what.what, installed RAM etc, how old the install is...

 

[mduser63]

This many problems isn't normal. If I were in your position, I'd call Apple or take your machine into an Apple store. I'm assuming it's a new machine and still under warranty.

 

[iEdd]

3. Any fullscreen video doesn't fill the whole screen i can still see anywhere from about 64-16 pixels of dock...

Did you select 'automatically hide and show the dock' from system preferences?

8. .rm files open in GoLive and i see no way to set them to open with real player.

Press command + i on a .rm file (or right click and select 'get info'), then click the little triangle next to 'open with' and you get a drop down box where you can choose the default application.

 

[mklos]

I'm a thinking you got a bad stick of RAM. All of those problems can result from a bad stick of RAM. If you've added any RAM of your own, take it out and see if it still does it. Just keep swapping out the RAM, getting different RAM DIMMs in there and see if the problem goes away.

And of course, the usual stuff:

Repair Permissions (which you've probably already done)

If nothing works, then I would do an archive and install of OS X and see if that works. If that doesn't work, then back up your stuff and do an erase and install. If that doesn't work, then its a hardware issue. Pop in the hardware test CD and run the hardware test. I would run the hardware test before doing the OS reinstalls just to save some time if it is a hardware problem.

 

[Laser47]

Buy A PC.... Maybe A Nice Dell













Cough Cough Cough..

Just kidding, i would just backup all my stuff and then reinstall OSX. Thats what i do whenever one of my PC's stop working right (The XP install disk is never too far away)

 

[dylan]

Thanks for the help guys.

I thought my specs were in my sig sorry about that. I have an imac g4 800MHz, 768MB RAM, 80 Gb HD, running 10.4.2.

I ran the hardware test a few weeks ago and everything checked out fine but i guess it wouldn't hurt to try it again so I'll do that and get back to you guys.

I can't do a fresh install because the guy who sold me the computer didn't provide backup disks and i cannot afford to buy Tiger iLife and Adobe CS ATM.

 

[dylan]

Ram checked out fine but now i have MORE problems!!!

1. ColorSync Profiles have mysteriously gone missing in the night.... the factory default imac setting is gone.

2. ColorSync Calibrator wont start just gives me the error:

Can not calibrate the display

The factory profile for the display could not be
found.

MY SCREEN IS PURPLE!!!

3. Mouse is sticking might be a hardware problem so it might be a good excuse to pick up a mighty mouse.

I wish i had the money to just do a fresh install...

If anyone can find another way to solve these problems i would be grateful.

 

[CanadaRAM]

Have you tried taking out any additional RAM and disconnecting all peripherals except the mouse and kbd? Do you see the same problems?

I don't see a good way out of your jam if you don't at least have Tiger install disks. You can do an Archive and Install of Tiger without damaging your application software.

You also need the Tiger DVD to do a proper Verify / Repair disk.

Some of the problems listed are not problems, like having different audio setups between different users... they are just the way the machine operates differently than you want.

If your applications still crash after doing the Repair Permissions, Repair Disk, and Archive and Install, the next step would be to reinstall the application from the original CDs.

 

[jeremy.king]

I can't do a fresh install because the guy who sold me the computer didn't provide backup disks and i cannot afford to buy Tiger iLife and Adobe CS ATM.

Perhaps this is just Apples way of discouraging piracy

Seriously, you are going to need install discs...

ALso, to elminate any pref issues, create another user and login using that one and see if your probs persist.

 

[Laser47]

In order to completely fix your systemyou need the restore disks. Ive seen tiger install disks on ebay for 80$. I wonder why the person who you bought the imac from didint give you the disks, maybe you can contact them and ask them if you could buy it from them. Also I dont know for sure, but couldint you just copy the Adobe CS, and iLife app folders to a cd or external harddrive and then after doing a fresh install copy it back idk, but if you get tiger disks just do archive and install. I really looks like your mac needs a fresh start.

 

[jadekitty24]

Buy A PC.... Maybe A Nice Dell













Cough Cough Cough..

Just kidding, i would just backup all my stuff and then reinstall OSX. Thats what i do whenever one of my PC's stop working right (The XP install disk is never too far away)

gasp gasp

 

[matticus008]

Thanks for the help guys.

I thought my specs were in my sig sorry about that. I have an imac g4 800MHz, 768MB RAM, 80 Gb HD, running 10.4.2.

I ran the hardware test a few weeks ago and everything checked out fine but i guess it wouldn't hurt to try it again so I'll do that and get back to you guys.

I can't do a fresh install because the guy who sold me the computer didn't provide backup disks and i cannot afford to buy Tiger iLife and Adobe CS ATM.

Well I hope you didn't pay extra for Adobe CS! Because you're running a pirated copy if he didn't give you the CDs or license insert. You're also technically running a pirated version of Tiger since that computer would have come with Panther.

The reason I say this is because it sounds to me that your hard drive catalog is out of whack, and there's no way to fix this without those CDs which you should have been given. You can try taking it to an Apple store, where they can probably get you a replacement restore disc with Panther and the other iMac bundled applications.

Alternatively, you could download a demo of DiskWarrior to evaluate your hard drive. If it finds problems, you could then buy it. This would be cheaper than replacing Tiger and CS and any other software you might have installed.

 

[Chacala_Nayarit]

Apple Store EDU Tiger 69.00 USD

I never had a problem with a Mac pre Tiger. And I know one corporation (i.e. Morris Communications) who are still on Panther for network reliability with old hardware. You have old hardware.

My personal experience with Tiger was nasty on a 1.6GHz PowerMac G5, what a piece of merda. Pinche Apple, sold me a crap computer. I go onto the support forums and, sure enough, multiple users had the same problem as I had and Apple was ignoring the issue. They did give a firmware update, that did nothing....

 

[jadekitty24]

Whoa, now I have a concern here. I recently purchased a refurbished iBook G3 and it came with CD-R discs of the OS. The OS was already on the computer, but does this mean I have pirated software? I'm not ignorant, just not well-educated on this subject.

 

[jeremy.king]

Whoa, now I have a concern here. I recently purchased a refurbished iBook G3 and it came with CD-R discs of the OS. The OS was already on the computer, but does this mean I have pirated software? I'm not ignorant, just not well-educated on this subject.

I'm guessing you didn't buy from Apple? Unless you have the original discs, I would have to say you too are using a pirated "copy" of the OS. Usually, the CD-R is a dead ringer

 

[jadekitty24]

Oh, my!! I purchased it from exper.com. What do I do? I don't want to break the law!! I have install discs from my first mac, an iBook G3 14". (See, the screen got damaged and I bought this refurbished 12" for the same price of a new lcd screen replacement. ) Would it be legal to use those? I basically plan to use my iBook 14" for parts. If I have to to be legal I will purchase a new OS, but do I have to under these circumstances?

 

[matticus008]

Oh, my!! I purchased it from exper.com. What do I do? I don't want to break the law!! I have install discs from my first mac, an iBook G3 14". (See, the screen got damaged and I bought this refurbished 12" for the same price of a new lcd screen replacement. ) Would it be legal to use those? I basically plan to use my iBook 14" for parts. If I have to to be legal I will purchase a new OS, but do I have to under these circumstances?

Well, what should have happened was that the original owner should have wiped the hard drive and left the computer in "factory" condition. What version of OS X is on the install/restore CD you do have?

EDIT: Oops, confused you with the OP. If you got CD-R discs, but they're just copies of the original bundled CDs, that's fine. If you got CD-R copies of software that did NOT come with that computer (i.e. OS X 10.4 Tiger or MS Office, Adobe applications, etc.), then those are pirated unless you have a paper copy of the license.

If you'd prefer to have actual restore CDs, just go to the Apple store and they'd be happy to have a replacement set mailed to you (for about $20, I think).

 

[matticus008]

Also I dont know for sure, but couldint you just copy the Adobe CS, and iLife app folders to a cd or external harddrive and then after doing a fresh install copy it back idk, but if you get tiger disks just do archive and install. I really looks like your mac needs a fresh start.

Aside from the fact that that will not work for iLife or Adobe applications, that would be an active act of piracy. It's one thing to be sold a computer with unlicensed software, but it's quite another to attempt to put unlicensed software into a new install (even if the computer came with that unlicensed software in the last install).

If you bought a computer secondhand and you bought it because it came with Adobe CS, then you need to get the paper license from wherever you bought it. It's illegal to advertise a feature if you don't intend to provide that feature in the delivered product (that means a licensed copy). It should have been given to you in a "factory" state, with only the original software installed...and although it's a nice bonus to have gotten CS for free, especially if you weren't expecting it, you can't keep it across installs or put it on additional computers.

 

[jadekitty24]

After updates I end up at 10.2.8. And the discs say "Mac OS 9 Install Backup CD, Mac OS X 10.1 Install, and Mac OS X 10.2 Install 2". They are CD-R discs. But like I said, I have discs from apple from when I bought my old 14". Could I use those discs on my current 12 " model? I wouldn't be using the 14" anymore.

 

[matticus008]

After updates I end up at 10.2.8. And the discs say "Mac OS 9 Install Backup CD, Mac OS X 10.1 Install, and Mac OS X 10.2 Install 2". They are CD-R discs. But like I said, I have discs from apple from when I bought my old 14". Could I use those discs on my current 12 " model? I wouldn't be using the 14" anymore.

Those seem like the proper packages for that computer. You can continue using the CD-R versions just fine. It might just be that the originals for that particular computer were lost or damaged. There's no effect on the legality in your case. If the 14" is from the same generation of iBook, those restore CDs should be the same, so you can use those, too, if you prefer.

 

[dylan]

I am aware that it is not entirely legal to be running the software but i do not have the money to buy it as i spent a lot on this computer which was supposed to come with it. See this thread. I am looking for people with suggestions other than just "re-install."

 

[matticus008]

I am aware that it is not entirely legal to be running the software but i do not have the money to buy it as i spent a lot on this computer which was supposed to come with it. See this thread. I am looking for people with suggestions other than just "re-install."

DiskWarrior. But based on all the problems in that other thread and this one, you are almost definitely going to have to reinstall (at the very minimum) to solve most of those problems. I'm sorry to see that you got ripped off on eBay. I'd definitely take it up with them, and with your parents' credit card company. Did you get the AppleCare information? If so, take it to Apple and let them sort it out. If not, this is a definite problem to resolve between the seller and yourself.

 

[CanadaRAM]

I am looking for people with suggestions other than just "re-install."

Well, if the software (OS or application) on the hard drive is damaged or corrupted, the answer might have to be "reinstall"

You can ask for the sun to come out at midnight too, but it doesn't mean you're going to get the answer you like.

First off you're gonna have to diagnose the drive for catalog errors and hard errors. That means booting from the OS DVD, or a commercial repair CD like TechTool Pro or DiskWarrior.

Then THEORETICALLY if you can identify the damaged components of your software, you may be able to replace those components only, without reinstalling. But it all comes back to the pirated software thing. Any move you make is going to be illegal.

You can appeal to Apple and see if they will sell you a replacement CD for the OS that came with the machine. Won't help you much other than to erase and reinstall the OS, as Macs vigorously resist being "downgraded".

 

[dylan]

Well i guess i need to go buy Tiger and iLife once iLife 06 comes out... Hope it will hold out until then...