System 7.5.5 Update is Apple's latest System software update. It includes all of the fixes from System 7.5.3 Revision 2, Revision 2.1 and Revision 2.2, but requires that System 7.5.3 or 7.5.4 be installed. For information on installing System 7.5.3, see the previous chapter. Note that System 7.5.5 Update is not supported on any Apple Workgroup Server and should not be installed. You also cannot install System 7.5.5 Update on the PowerBook 1400. The System 7.5.5 Update installer will prevent installation on a PowerBook 1400, but will give the error "This Installer will only update System 7.5.3" when it should actually say "This update will not install on this machine." Finally, Users of non-U.S. English systems should NOT download and install the standard System 7.5.5 Update. You should contact your local Apple support center for the availability of a localized version of the Update. THIS CHAPTER HAS THE FOLLOWING CONTENTS: • What inits, etc. were changed • What was eliminated • What was added • Who needs 7.5.5 • What benefits it provides • How to install it • Problems • Where is System 7.5.4? • Final notes WHO NEEDS 7.5.5: Apple recommends that anyone using 7.5.3 should update to 7.5.5. If you are using System software version prior to 7.5.3, you must first update/upgrade to version 7.5.3 in order to update to 7.5.5. (For the best path to 7.5.3 from older systems, please refer back to the 7.5.3 chapter of The InformInit). WHAT INITS, ETC. WERE CHANGED: The following files were updated to newer versions by 7.5.5: • Serial (Built-In) to v1.2 • Energy Saver (both the extension and the control panel) to v2.0.2; however, this only applies to version 2.0/2.0.1, and not to version 1.x, as is explained in the "how to install" section • Mouse control panel to v7.5.4 WHAT WAS ELIMINATED: The following files were eliminated by 7.5.5 (their functionality was incorporated into the System itself): • System 7.5.3 Enabler • System 7.5 Update • Startup Tuner • Power Format Patch Extension (this file was used only by Macs with a 180 MHz or faster processor to fix problems with floppy disks) WHAT WAS ADDED: • 54xx/64xx Update (This file is supposed to only get installed on 5400 and 6400 series Macs; however, apparently it gets installed on some other systems by mistake. You should remove it if it gets installed on a model other than these.) WHAT BENEFITS IT PROVIDES: After installing/updating to 7.5.5, you will supposedly benefit from: • Significant performance improvements when using virtual memory • Improved memory management on PowerMacs (supposedly, less "out of memory" errors) • Improved floppy drive performance when using a Mac with a DOS-Compatibility card • Improved floppy drive reliability on 6100, 7100, and 8100 series computers. • Better reliability on PCI Macs (5400, 6400, 7200, 7500, 7600, 8500, 9500 series) and PowerPC PowerBooks (2300 and 5300 series) • Better Ethernet performance when using virtual memory • Better reliability when using the TV Tuner card found in some Performa models, especially when using the remote control • LocalTalk performance enhancements • Better stability when running more than one "background" application (background applications are applications which do not show up in the application menu; they are usually launched at startup) • Improved stability when accessing a shared network printer • Less system freezes on computers using 180 MHz or faster 604 or 604e processors (including Mac clones) • Improved Ethernet on 5400 and 6400 series Macs • Better reliability on Quadra/Centris models with a PowerPC upgrade card when using sound-intensive applications • Elimination of ONE cause of Type 11 errors on PowerMacs • Improved reliability when using the Startup Disk control panel • Improved network performance (especially when using File Sharing) for 5400 series Macs • Revision in the Energy Saver (2.x only) control panel which no longer mentions the "EnergyStar" program • If making a "universal" System Folder, it will now support the 5400 and 6400 series • Provides the latest IRTalk drivers for applicable PowerBooks. These were formerly part of System 7.5 Update 2.0, so those PowerBooks which shipped with 7.5.3 pre-installed, and then updated using System 7.5.3 Revision 2.0 were missing the latest drivers. In addition, 7.5.5 incorporates all the "fixes" found in System 7.5.3 Revision 2 (for more information on 7.5.3 Revision 2, please see the 7.5.3 chapter of The InformInit). HOW TO INSTALL IT: From the reports I've heard and read, it's very important to follow Apple's instructions when installing this update. The safest way (always) to update is to run the updater from a separate disk or volume from the disk that has the System Folder on it (or to use the "floppy" method). You should also make sure that you have 15-20 MB of free space on your System volume. The following is a rough outline of the recommended steps (remember, you must have System 7.5.3 or 7.5.4 installed before you can update to 7.5.5): 1) Run the "Disk First Aid" application to check your hard drive for problems. The latest version of Disk First Aid is on the System 7.5.5 Update, Disk 1. You can also find a version of it on your System software CD and on the "Disk Tools" disk that came with your computer. Also, using the latest version of Drive Setup (v1.2) or HDSC setup (v?) to update your hard disk drivers can avoid a few problems (although most people shouldn't worry too much about this). 2) If your computer has "Energy Saver" control panel version 1.x (use the "Get Info" command to check the version number of it), you must REMOVE IT FROM THE SYSTEM FOLDER. The 7.5.5 Update updates Energy Saver 2.x to version 2.0.2, but cannot update version 1.x. If it (v1.x) is installed, you will get an error message stating that it must be removed. Merely "disabling" it or moving it to the "Control Panels (Disabled)" folder does not suffice; the installer will "update" it to version 2.0.2, but it will no longer work at all! You will get a message that you are trying to open the "Energy Saver Preferences." Thus, you must remove the file (Energy Saver v1.x) from the System Folder altogether. After the update is complete you may put it back in the Control Panels folder. (For more information on the differences between Energy Saver v1.x and v2.x, and what computers each is intended for, please see their entries in the Control Panels section of The InformInit. 3) Using the "Extensions Manager" control panel, choose the "System 7.5.3" set from the "Sets" popup menu. If you are using Now Startup Manager, Conflict Catcher, or some other 3rd-party extension manager, make a set of extensions which includes only the Apple extensions (those written/provided by Apple). If you have any 3rd-party inits which are absolutely necessary (video drivers, network drivers, hard drive drivers, removable media, etc.) you should also turn them "on." On a related note, make sure you haven't renamed any of the Apple control panels, extensions, or System files to something other than their original names. 4) Restart your computer. 5) Run the "Installer" application (make sure that the "destination disk" is the correct disk). 6) Restart your computer. 7) Use Extensions Manager (or your 3rd-party extension manager) to enable/disable your preferred extensions and control panels. 8) Restart your computer. If you get a system freeze at startup immediately following the update, startup by holding the "shift" key down, delete the Finder Preferences file (in the "Preferences" folder in the System Folder) and then restart. If this procedure doesn't work, Apple says that the alternative strategy is to start with extensions off (unless you are installing from a CD, in which case you should use Extensions Manager to turn everything off but the "Apple CD-ROM" extension. PROBLEMS: Below are some problems with System 7.5.5: • System 7.5.5 blocks access to System 7.5 Update 2.0. After you install System 7.5.5 Update, you will be unable to install any components of System 7.5 Update 2.0. Many users have found the need to install parts of Update 2.0, such as Open Transport 1.1 or Video Startup 1.4. Apple recommends that you perform a "clean" install of 7.5/7.5.2/7.5.3, then update using 7.5 Update 2.0 (remembering to install what you really wanted in the first place), then install System 7.5.5 Update again (!). Because users haven't been very enthusiastic about this procedure, Apple has released a special, unsupported, installer script to allow the custom installation of System 7.5 Update 2.0 components. You can download this patch from the "Unsupported" directory on Apple's support servers. Another workaround is to first install a System 7.5 or System 7.5.2 System Folder (preferably on a different drive than the drive that has System 7.5.5). The 7.5 Update 2.0 installer will then allow you to custom install items on any drive. • According to Apple, you cannot install the U.S. version of 7.5.5 on a Mac with a non-U.S. version of the System Software. • There is a newer math library (used by the System and applications for certain mathematical routines) in System 7.5.5 which uses a bit more memory than the math library in previous systems. Some applications which call upon the math library may claim that you do not have enough memory to launch them. The solution is to use the "Get Info" command to allocate 23K more memory to those applications which give you such an error message. You do not need to do this for every application; only those which give an "insufficient memory" message when you try to launch them. This can also be a problem with the Finder itself, with the solution being to increase the Finder's "heap," which is the amount of memory the Finder uses. A few utilities which will allow you to do this are available from Ted Landau's "MacFixIt" site (see the address at the end of this chapter). • If you are using Apple Telecom 3.0, you must install it BEFORE installing 7.5.5. If you install Apple Telecom AFTER installing 7.5.5, you should run the 7.5.5 installer again. System 7.5.5 updates the Express Modem control panel from 3.0 to 3.0.1. • 7.5.5 does not completely fix the "volume button bug" on 5000, 6000 and 630 series Macs. • If you use the "Assistant Toolbox" extension on a desktop Mac and you use a RAM Disk, you will not be warned that the contents of your RAM disk will be lost when you shut down. • There is an incompatibility between 7.5.5, Connectix Speed Copy 1.3.1, and the Motorola Math Library. The bug prevents Speed Copy from working. In order to use Speed Copy, you must remove the Motorola Math Library. • The control strip module "Control Strip Menu" (a non-Apple module) gives "out of memory" errors under 7.5.5. This is a result of the math library problem discussed above. The solution, again, is to increase the Finder's memory allocation. Version 3.0.2 of Control Strip Menu includes a utility to do this. • If you have a PCI Mac, the Energy Saver control panel will sometimes interrupt the playback of audio CDs if the "Shutdown instead of sleep" option is selected. • Users of the "AutoDoubler" utility may find that whenever they attempt to open an "AutoDoubled" document, the computer will freeze. The workaround is to use the "FinderFixer" utility (available from Info-Mac and AOL) to reset the Finder heap to 256K. You must first restart with AutoDoubler turned off, then use FinderFixer, then restart with AutoDoubler turned on. • When using Aladdin's Desktop Tools, the "click on Finder windows" feature when in open/save dialogs no longer works. • 7.5.5 is incompatible with versions of the Sagem GeoPort ISDN adapter control panel earlier than 1.1. If you use a the Sagem adapter, you must get version 1.1 or later of the control panel. WHERE IS SYSTEM 7.5.4? It was released to a limited number of customers; however, a bug was found which required a fairly major revision. Rather than releasing 7.5.4 and immediately releasing another update, Apple decided to "recall" 7.5.4 (or never "release" it, depending upon your point of view). They decided to rename the update 7.5.5 so that those users who already had 7.5.4 would be able to identify whether they had the bug fixes or not by looking at their System software version. FINAL NOTES Most people have installed 7.5.5 with great success. I've included the summary above based on some of the most common problems people have had. For a better discussion of 7.5.5-related issues, you may want to check out Ted Landau's "Troubleshooting System 7.5.5" page at:   I'd also like to thank Ted, Apple's Tech Info Library, and numerous InformInit users for providing the information for this chapter.