Ad: Manage updates with the Download App
ie8 fix

News

Week-end Updates

a. MacsBug 6.5.4a3 is out. It's needed for Mac OS 8.0 compatibility.

b. Yank 1.3.1 is out. This utility can be used to uninstall applications and their associated files in one step.

New Download Library policy: A few of the most often updated files in the Download Library will now be represented by links to a web or ftp site where the latest version can be found - rather than by having the actual file on my web site. The first use of this policy is with:

c. Fonts Manager 3.6.5 This … Read more

Week-end web site listings

A collection of web sites with troubleshooting relevance:

a. Check out the Mac and Mac Clone Performance Comparison Page for dozens of pages of performance data.

b. Can't recall an obscure keyboard combination? Try the Mac Boot Key Combos page. Of course, the Shortcuts Apple Guide document (accessed from the Finder) is another useful source of this type of info.

c. The Daily Mac OS Info Page is yet another general Mac news page.

Cable modem "health check" error: a follow-up

Drew Weaver writes that Road Runner confirms that a new version of the Toshiba login software is due in a few weeks and that this should fix the "health check" error problem ( as previously reported here). This has been confirmed by Jeff Keller who points out, for those unfamiliar with this stuff, that the Toshiba software is used at the cable company end of the system.

However, Drew also notes: "An enterprising Mac programmer beat them to the punch with a beta login for Mac users on Motorola cable modems. It has only been tested with RR … Read more

Epson Color Stylus problems

The Printer Watch web page has a review of the Epson Color Stylus 600 printer. On the page he details a problem whereby the printer may fail to work if a print job is requested after TCP/IP access has been attempted. When Graeme Bennett emailed me about his page, he further suggested that this problem may affect other inkjet printers and may be specific to Mac OS 7.6.1. In that regard, Luc Wets writes that he too had problems printing with the serial Epson driver when running Mac OS 7.6.1. The problems did not occur … Read more

Dayna PCI Ethernet Card problems (and solutions?)

I have gotten several reports of problems (freezes and crashes) with Dayna's PCI Ethernet card ( see also previous item). In that regard, Stephen Maliszewski noted that he switched the card to the PCI slot closest to the logic board (on his Performa 6400). He has not had a problem since. Jeff Edwards, on the other hand, decided to switch to Farallon's PCI Ethernet card. He found that it worked fine without any of the hassles he was having with the Dayna card.

Yet another view on the PowerBook 3400 memory problem

From a knowledgeable insider comes the following: "The 3400 memory problem has very little to do with the thin design. It has everything to do with the PCMCIA card cage. We seen this problem on the 190's and the 5300's also. Apple doesn't always get the card cage flush on the motherboard when they mount them. It sticks up just a hair and puts pressure on the memory. The memory acts like a lever at that point and the first shock it gets, pops it out of the socket."

Trouble accessing Apple's web site: a possible explanation

Several sources now claim that the problems that some users have had in accessing Apple's web site is due to a routing problem of Apple's own creation. In particular, one of the links to its servers was temporarily taken down. They assert that as soon as Apple corrects this, access should return to normal. Apple apparently denies that this is the case.

New information suggests that the problem may indeed more likely be due how Sprint and other NSPs handle certain routing requests - combined with Apple sending the request in a way that gets it turned down … Read more

Using utilities to work around 7.6.1 problems

a. Regarding the RAM disk related shut down freeze, several readers queried whether using a third-party RAM disk program, such as ramBunctious, or the RAM-disk-like function of ShrinkWrap would avoid the shut down freeze.

Update: Several readers report back that this solution does work!

b. Regarding the problems with the Startup Disk control panel, Greg Neutra suggested trying the shareware utility called Set Startup instead. However, this utility appears to work only with SCSI drives, not IDE drives - which unfortunately are the ones most affected by this problem. (Thanks Jim Huddleston.)

BeOS VirtualMac virtually gone; but Mac emulation still planned

fredlabs incorporated, the developers of VirtualMac for the BeOS, write: "We have come to the realization that no company is interested in VirtualMac. As a result, VirtualMac will not be completed." More details are on their FAQ web page. (Thanks,Yvon Couture.)

Update: Meanwhile, Michael Alderete (of Be, Incorporated) informs me that "We have not abandoned Mac OS compatibility, we are simply planning to provide it by other means. Actually, it is not a single direction, but a couple of technologies." They will announce more details at their Be Developer Conference on May 10-11.