These items are found loose in your System Folder. You probably shouldn't move them out of the System Folder, unless you determine from the descriptions below that you don't need an item and want to trash it.
• 32-bit System Enabler: under System 7.1, this document added the option of 32-bit addressing to the Memory control panel. This option allows Macs to use more than 8 MB of RAM. It was mainly intended for the Macintosh II, IIx, IIcx, and SE/30. Under later systems, this option was built into the Memory control panel, giving you the option of turning 32-bit addressing on or off. On some newer Macs, this option is no longer available, and the computer always runs with 32-bit addressing ON.
• Apple File Exchange: the precursor to "PC Exchange," this was actually an application, rather than a control panel.
• Apple Menu Items: items (or aliases of items) placed in this folder will appear under the "Apple Menu" in the Finder. The items in this folder are sorted alphabetically; to reorganize the order items appear in the menu, place characters such as spaces, periods, etc. at the beginning of names. If you are using a startup manager/ utility which supports Apple Menu Items, you may also have a folder called "Apple Menu Items (Disabled)."
• Backgrounder: used under System 6.0.x to support background printing.
• Clipboard: whenever you "cut" or "copy" text, a picture, a sound, etc. it is temporarily stored in the Clipboard until you replace it with another cut or copy. You can paste the contents of the Clipboard into another document or the scrapbook. When you shut down or restart, the contents of the Clipboard are lost (they are stored in RAM, which is cleared upon restart/ shutdown). You can double-click on the Clipboard to see its contents.
• Control Panels: the folder where all your "active" control panels reside.
• Control Panels (Disabled): if you are using a startup manager/ utility, this folder contains the control panels you have "deactivated."
• Control Strip Modules: the folder where all your "active" control strip modules reside.
• Control Strip Modules (Disabled): if you are using a startup manager/ utility which supports control strip modules, this folder contains the control strip modules you have "deactivated."
• Editors: this folder is part of the OpenDoc installation (see "OpenDoc" in the "Groups" chapter).
• EFIColor Processor (v2.02): installed by Quark Xpress (v3.31 automatically installs it; v3.32 and above give you the option of installing it). Contains routines for the EFIColor color management system. The main purpose of EFIColor is to efficiently translate images from RGB to CMYK for exporting to EFIColor-compatible printers/copiers.
• Extensions: the folder where all your "active" extensions reside.
• Extensions (Disabled): if you are using a startup manager/ utility, this folder contains the extensions you have "deactivated."
• Finder: the actual application which presents you with your Mac Desktop and allows you to manage files, run applications, and anything else you do on your Mac. If you get rid of this file, your Mac won't run!
• Fonts: the folder where all of your fonts reside. If you are using a font management utility, or a startup manager/ utility which supports fonts, you may have another folder for "disabled" fonts, or your "Fonts" folder may reside elsewhere.
• Hosts: this file is parsed by the MacTCP and/or TCP/IP domain name resolver and the resource records are loaded into the resolver's cache. The Hosts file follows a SUBSET of the Master File Format (see rfc1035 pg 33). Each line in the file has the form: <domain-name> <rr> [<comment>]. Under MacTCP, if you open this file you will see this format. Under Open Transport, you will get a long descriptive message which contains some of the above information. I believe that under Open Transport, the actual domain name and other information are contained in the TCP/IP cache.
• Launcher Items: this folder contains the files for all the buttons you have installed on the Launcher. Creating folders within the Launcher Items folder, and placing a "•" at the beginning of their names, will create different categories or "layers" of buttons, with "tabs" to select the layers.
• Load RAMDblr: this "invisible" file is needed for the Connectix utility RAM Doubler to load. If you disable this file (using a utility like Conflict Catcher or NOW Startup Manager), you may need to restart twice after enabling it for RAM Doubler to function. If you are using RAM Doubler and get and error that RAM Doubler has been moved or disabled, it may be because this file is missing or moved. If you "lose" this file, the only way to get it back is to re-install RAM Doubler from the installer disk. Load RAMDblr also causes the "Connectix RAMDoubler Installed" message at startup.
• MacsBug (v6.5.3): a debugger used when testing software. Also provides options for exiting from system crashes.
• MacTCP DNR: This file, which is loose in your system folder, is not really a control panel, even though that's what it says it is... DNR stands for "domain name resolver" and contains part of the information needed by TCP/IP applications. Under System 6.x, control panels were loose in the system folder. Thus any application that needed TCP and/or DNR information would look for the MacTCP control panel in the system folder. Under system 7.x, all control panels were moved to the "control panels" folder. However, some applications still looked for TCP/DNR info in a control panel in the system folder. To ensure backwards compatibility, MacTCP creates this file to provide information for those applications. Some applications still look for the info in a control panel, so the "type" code of this file (and the file type listed in the "Get Info" box) is set to "control panel." For whatever purpose, even some newer applications still use the MacTCP DNR file directly, instead of using Mac TCP. Another reason this file exists, and the reason it still exists under Open Transport, is that it provides compatibility for applications that are not yet Open Transport-aware. These applications still use the above method for obtaining DNR information, rather than using the MacTCP compatibility model of TO. In order to support these applications, Open Transport provides the MacTCP DNR file in the system folder. This file is always provided, so you'll notice that even if you throw it away, it is recreated the next time a TCP call occurs. Supposedly Apple will finally do away with MacTCP DNR under Open Transport 1.1.1.
• Mimetics: installed by the Apple Telecom software. Contains fax and dictionary support for the Apple Telecom applications.
• Modem Scripts: installed by Open Transport/PPP. Contains modem descriptions for most modems. If you are using TO/PPP, you can then select your modem in the Modem control panel.
• Note Pad File: if you use the "Note Pad" in the Apple Menu, all your data ("notes") are stored in this file. If you install a new system folder on your Mac be sure to make a copy of this file first if you keep data in the Note Pad.
• Preferences: this folder contains the preference and settings files for nearly every application, control panel, etc. on your Mac. It can become severely bloated over time. You can periodically browse this folder and get rid of preference files for applications you no longer use.
• Print Monitor Documents: this folder temporarily holds documents which are waiting to be printed.
• Scrapbook File: the data file for the Scrapbook.
• Shutdown Items: applications/ documents/ sounds/ etc. in this folder will be opened just before your Mac shuts down/ restarts. If you are using a startup manager/ utility which supports Shutdown Items, you may also have a Shutdown Items (Disabled) folder. Supposedly, if the "Finder Scripting Extension" is not installed, items in the Shutdown Items folder won't launch at startup.
• Startup Items: applications/ documents/ sounds/ etc. in this folder will be opened at startup just after the Finder appears. If you are using a startup manager/ utility which supports Startup Items, you may also have a Startup Items (Disabled) folder. Supposedly, if the "Finder Scripting Extension" is not installed, items in the Startup Items folder won't launch at startup.
• StartupScreen: if you place a picture or graphics of the type "pict resource" in your System Folder and name it "startupscreen," it will replace the standard Mac startup graphic.
• System: the actual system software that runs your Mac. If you double-click on this file, you will be presented with a Finder window which contains keyboard layouts and sounds. You can trash the keyboard layouts which do not apply to you. You can also place standard-format System sounds in the System, and they will then be available to be used as System beeps. Removing or moving the System will render your Mac inoperable!
• System 7.5 Update: installed by System 7.5.3. On computers capable of running System software 7.5 and/or 7.5.1 and requiring a System Enabler, this file replaced the System Enabler when the System software was updated to 7.5.3. However, computers that did not previously need an Enabler under 7.5 and 7.5.1 still need "System 7.5 Update" under 7.5.3, since it contains most of the fixes contained in the update. So basically, this file is needed by anyone running System 7.5.3. Under System 7.5.5 Update, this file was incorporated into the System itself, and is no longer needed.
• System 7.5.2 Update: replaces the Enabler file on all computers capable of running system software 7.5.2. Also contains some of the fixes specific to computers which ran 7.5.2. No longer necessary under System 7.5.5, as its functionality was rolled into the System itself.
• System 7.5.3 Enabler: analogous to the System 7.5.2 Update file (above) on machines which originally shipped with System 7.5.3 pre-installed. No longer necessary under System 7.5.5.
• System Enablers: after the release of System 7.1, all new Macs required a "System Enabler." This file contained the information needed to start up that particular computer. It also provided compatibility between each computer's hardware and the System software. With System 7.5, a supposedly "universal" System Enabler was designed. However, all new computers produced after the release of System 7.5 required a new enabler, because the "universal" enabler was out of date ;-). With the advent of System 7.5.3, this process started anew. On all Mac models introduced before June, 1996, the System 7.5 Update or System 7.5.2 Update acted as a universal "System 7.5.3 Enabler." However, again, since the release of System 7.5.5 Update, even those files are no longer necessary.
Below is a list of which System Enablers correspond to each Mac model:
Color Classic System Enabler 401 *
IIvi, IIvx System Enabler 001 *
LC III System Enabler 003 *
LC 520, LC 550 System Enabler 403 *
LC 630, Quadra 630, System Enabler 405 *
Performa 630, 635CD
LC 475, 575, Quadra 605 System Enabler 065 *
Centris 610, 650, System Enabler 040 *
Quadra 610, 650, 800
Centris 660AV, System Enabler 088 *
Quadra 660AV, 840AV
Mac TV System Enabler 404 *
Performa 600 System Enabler 304 *
Performa 450, 460, System Enabler 308 *
466, 467
Performa 475, 476, 575, System Enabler 364 *
577, 578
Performa 550, 560 System Enabler 332 *
Performa 5200CD, System Enabler 406 **
LC 5200/75
PM 6100/60, 7100/66, PowerPC Enabler *
8100/80
PM 6100/66, 7100/80, PowerPC Enabler **
8100/100, 8100/110 (requires System 7.5)
Performa 611x Requires System 7.5 *
PM Upgrade Card PowerPC Upgrade Cd Enabler *
PM 7200/75, 7200/90, System Enabler 701 **
7500/100, 8500/120, (requires System 7.5.2)
9500/120, 9500/132
PowerBook 150 PowerBook 150 Enabler *
PowerBook 160, 165, System Enabler 131
165c, 180, 180c (replaced System Enabler 111/121)
PowerBook 520, 520c, *
540, 540c
PowerBook Duo 210, 230, PowerBook Duo Enabler ***
250, 270c, 280, 280c
PowerBook 190 PowerBook 5300/190 Enabler **
or
PowerBook 5300/2300/190 Enabler
(requires System 7.5.2)
PowerBook Duo 2300/c PowerBook 2300 Enabler **
or
PowerBook 5300/2300/190 Enabler
(requires System 7.5.2) ***
PowerBook 5300 PowerBook 5300 Enabler **
or
PowerBook 5200/190 Enabler ***
or
PowerBook 5300/2300/190 Enabler
(requires System 7.5.2) ***
* Under System 7.5, this item is no longer required.
** Under System 7.5.3, this item/items is/are no longer required.
*** Under System 7.5.5, this item is no longer required.
The following computers do not require a System Enabler:
