Several Mac-ly questions.

[forrest1992]

I have some problems with my mac.

1) After the update before last, my screen ended up tinted blue. Some other people got this too. The people at the apple support line got me to do a system re-install thing. I forget what it was called... but it re-installed OS X, it kept my files, etc. It did ****-all. For another week it was tinted blue, then it stopped. The only thing is, now I've lost like 12 GB if space just because of these people who made me hold for 23 minutes and basically through 12 GB of my Hard drive out the window. I have a 2.0 GHz MacBook.

So obviously I want to undo what I did, keep my files (FOR SURE. no 'probablies ' How do I do that?

2) OS X always thinks the iSight is being used. Always. I click on Photo Booth, and it tells me 'Photo Booth cannot open because the camera is in use by another application'. The problem is, ITS NOT.

This happens when I have programs open. This happens when I have just restarted, and its the first thing I open. It happens in the other user account. It happens in my test account.

Ideas?

Thank you all so much in advance.

 

[iBookG4user]

If you've already done the archeive and install then there should be a "previous system" folder, you can delete that and it will get you many GB back. Have you checked the activity monitor to see if any programs might be using the iSight and are set to open on login?

 

[aristobrat]

2) OS X always thinks the iSight is being used. Always. I click on Photo Booth, and it tells me 'Photo Booth cannot open because the camera is in use by another application'. The problem is, ITS NOT.

I had this problem on my MacBook and fixed it by resetting the PRAM. Also had an iSight problem where it opened, but the entire video feed was nothing but green lines. Again, resetting the PRAM fixed it. Weird.

Are you running Boot Camp?

 

[forrest1992]

I've checked my activity monitor, and googled anything I thought might be bad... deleted something like Microsoft [something] daemon off the list.

THIS is a screenshot of my activity moniter. The only other thing is my airport radar scan thing pops up every few seconds.


So, if I delete the previous system files, I won't lose my current files?

 

[forrest1992]

I had this problem on my MacBook and fixed it by resetting the PRAM. Also had an iSight problem where it opened, but the entire video feed was nothing but green lines. Again, resetting the PRAM fixed it. Weird.

Are you running Boot Camp?

Not running Boot Camp. Sorry, I'm not to techy, how do I reset my PRAM and what other consequences might I have by doing it?

 

[Chundles]

I've checked my activity monitor, and googled anything I thought might be bad... deleted something like Microsoft [something] daemon off the list.

THIS is a screenshot of my activity moniter. The only other thing is my airport radar scan thing pops up every few seconds.


So, if I delete the previous system files, I won't lose my current files?

You'll be fine to delete the "Previous System" folder - it'll free up a lot of space.

As for deleting things from the Activity Monitor I wouldn't really mess with that - what you need to do is try and identify if something is using the iSight and starting up on login, then all you need to do is remove that function from the "Login Items" in the Accounts pane of the System Prefences.

 

[forrest1992]

This is whats in my Login stuff:

This

See there is that Microsoft UI Daemon again.



Is any of that not-good?

(ps-I deleted the Previous system folder - its still emptying the trash, but it looks like it fixed that for me - thanks guys! (its supposed to be deleting like 15000 files, right?))

 

[forrest1992]

MORE than fixed

Well, I'm more than all fixed. Gained my HD space back.

iSight is now working.

AND it turns out I was still tinted blue (I guess I got used to it), but now its gone. Whether from deleting that folder or installing 10.4.8 I don't know, but I'm very happy.

Thanks ya'll!

 

[Mechcozmo]

(ps-I deleted the Previous system folder - its still emptying the trash, but it looks like it fixed that for me - thanks guys! (its supposed to be deleting like 15000 files, right?))

The Previous Systems folder was all the information on your computer that was saved by an Archive and Install. That way, you could go back to your old system if you needed to.

That Microsoft daemon is for whatever Office apps you've installed. Nothing hurtful.

Linkety to PRAM zapping how-to.