Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Where Is Front Row???!!!

V

ViToMiNs

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 16, 2007
20
0
Hello, I just purchased a C2D BlackBook form a private seller, so far everything has worked perfectly. Today I tried opening Front Row by hit command-esc and by hitting Menu on my remote. Nothing happens! Is it possible that the previous owner removed Front Row form the computer or am I doing something wrong? If he did remove it, is there anyway to get it back???
 
Perhaps they remapped the shortcut key to something else. Check it out in System Preferences. Otherwise, I think you can still download FrontRow from Apple.
 
I have been looking and all I can find are updates for it, but not the actual core program...
 
If you just purchased a used computer it might be a good idea to do a clean install of OS X. That would also probably reinstall Front Row for you.
 
Actually, I just remembered I did do a clean install of OS X with the retail discs, why the hell do I not have Front Row?
 
Retail discs do not include Front Row, as FR comes bundled with the computer rather than the OS. You'll need to use the OEM discs.
 
Was it a full install or a custom? With a custom you may have accidentally unchecked the Front Row app. Did the Blackbook not come with an Apple remote?
 
The BlackBook came with a remote and I am pretty sure that I did a full install. Is there any way to install it form the discs that came with the computer??
 
Front Row isnt just an app.It's part of the framework of OSX.At least on the Intel Macs.

I'd do a clean install using the restore disks.

It's always best to do a clean install when you buy a puter from a private seller anyway.
 
I hope I haven't stumped the MR crowd, I know someone can come up with something...
 
ViToMiNs said:
That site doesn't say anything about Frony Row, unfortunately :(
Click to expand...

Did you follow the directions on doing a "Custom Install" to see if Front Row is on the Restore Disk.

Sometimes directions get out of date, but the method still works.
 
Frontrow missing

I also thought that I've somehow managed to uninstall/erase/remove frontrow, because I couldn't access it through the keyboard -- <command>+<esc> invokes quicksilver for some reason (even when it's not running). Using the remote, however, works fine.

Slightly OT -- how can I configure frontrow to look for movies in my dvd and not in the Movies folder?
 
Front Row is an application whose .app lies in /System/Library/CoreServices/ . To use the remote, RemoteUI.plist has to lie within the /private/etc/mach_init_per_user.d directory. The BezelServices framework is built into all verisons of Tiger, and this is the framework off which Front Row works.

So technically this should be done from the Restore DVDs that came with your laptop, which the original seller should have given you. If you have those DVDs, you should use Pacifist to restore the original program. In that case, all you have to do is download and run Pacifist, pop in your first OS X install disc, and then click "Open Apple Install Packages" -- follow the instructions, and eventually you'll get to a list. In the list, it'll be under "Contents of BundledSoftware.pkg," and all you have to do is extract FrontRow.pkg and run it.

If you did not receive these, you can get around the problem by manually installing Front Row from Apple's 1.3 update. The process is generally not recommended, but it can be done with relative ease. At any rate, a reinstall of OS X is not necessary. I would be extra sure you're running 10.4.8 before doing this method, though.

To install manually:

  1. Download the Front Row 1.3 update.
  2. Second, mount the .dmg file and open the mounted virtual disk. Instead of double clicking the installer package, right click on it and click "Show Package Contents"
  3. Third, browse into the Contents folder and double click Archive.pax.gz. This should automatically decompress it and leave a folder called "Archive" on your desktop.
  4. Fourth, open the Archive folder, and you'll see two folders. One is labeled "System" and the other is labeled "private" -- open a new Finder window, so that you have two windows open. In the newly opened window click the "Go" menu and click "Go to Folder..." -- type in /System/Library/CoreServices and then click the Go button.
  5. Fifth, from the Archive folder, open the System folder, and then CoreServices and copy Front Row.app into your second window. It will/should ask you for your admin password. Type this in.
  6. Sixth, close both Finder windows and re-open them the Archive folder. Open a second Finder window again and click "Go" and then "Go to Folder..." this time type in "/private/etc/mach_init_per_user.d" and click the "Go" button.
  7. Seventh, in the Archive folder, open private and then open etc and then open mach_init_per_user.d and copy RemoteUI.plist into your second window. Type in your password.
  8. Restart, and then check to see that you can set your keyboard hotkey in System Preferences.

If you're squeamish of that, you can trick the Front Row updater to bypass its checks for Front Row -- to do this, you simply have to modify FrontRowUpdate1.3.dist and get rid of the stuff that looks for Front Row.app That file resides within FrontRowUpdate1.3.pkg/Contents
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back