NetNews Usenet Archive 1993 #3/NN_1993_3.iso/spool/comp/sys/mac/system/16565

Internet Message Format | 1993-01-23 | 47.0 KB

Path: sparky!uunet!dziuxsolim.rutgers.edu!pilot.njin.net!tesla.njit.edu
From: [e-mail] (Elliotte Rusty Harold)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.system
Subject: Macintosh system software frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Summary: This document answers a number of the most frequently asked
    questions about Macintosh System Software on Usenet.  To avoid
    wasting bandwidth and as a matter of politeness please familiarize
    yourself with this document BEFORE posting.
Keywords: FAQ, system, Macintosh, Mac, macintosh, mac
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Date: 23 Jan 93 15:58:41 GMT
Sender: [e-mail]
Reply-To: [e-mail] (Elliotte Harold)
Organization: Department of Mathematics, NJIT
Lines: 1001


Archive-name: macintosh/system-software-faq
Version: 1.0b1
Last modified: January 23, 1993


         What follows is the second beta version of a new FAQ for
    comp.sys.mac.system.  It's based in part on comp.sys.mac.faq 1.18.
    I'd estimate that about half of it is completely new.  For the moment
    I'd like to hear any comments about content, grammar, accuracy, spelling,
    mixed metaphors, unfunny jokes, or anything else send them to me
    at [e-mail].  Please note that although the table of
    contents covers five separate parts only the first part,
    comp.sys.mac.system, is posted here and available at this time.
    The comp.sys.mac.misc FAQ 2.0 beta should be available sometime very
    soon, the others sometime in the indefinite future.

    Changes since the first beta version:

    1.3. Which newsgroup should I post to?
        Based on recent posts I'm somewhat more specific about
    what does and doesn't belong in comp.sys.mac.apps and
    comp.sys.mac.system.

    Added question
    1.4. Someone just asked why the System was taking up sixteen
    megabytes on their IIcx.  Shouldn't I display my knowledge to
    the world by posting the seventeenth response to their question?


    Plus various spelling and grammatical mistakes were corrected
    including a few that had been present since the earliest betas
    of 1.0
<FF>




                          comp.sys.mac.faq

A. Frequently asked system questions


                         Table of Contents

I.  Introduction
    1. How do I use this document?
    2. What other information is available?
    3. Which newsgroup should I post to?
    4. Someone just asked why the System was taking up sixteen
    megabytes.  Shouldn't I display my knowledge to the world
    by posting the seventeenth response to their question?

A.    comp.sys.mac.system:

II.  Memory
    1. Why is my system using so much memory?
    2. What is Mode 32?  Do I need it?
    3. How much memory should I allot to my cache?
III.  System Software
    1. Why does Apple charge for System 7.1?
    2. What does System 7.1 give me for my $35 that System 7.0 doesn't?
    3. Where can I get System 7.1?
    4. How can I use System 6 on a System 7 only Mac?
    5. Non-US scripts and systems
    6. What is System 7 Tuneup?  Do I need it?
    7. Why do my DA's disappear when I turn on MultiFinder?
    8. Do I need System 7.0.1?
    9. How can I get System 7.0.1 on 800K disks?
IV.  Hard Disks, File sharing, and the File System
    1. Help! My folder disappeared!
    2. Why can't I throw this folder away?
    3. Why can't I share my removable drive?
    4. Why can't I eject this SyQuest cartridge?  CD-ROM?  etc.
    5. Why can't I rename my hard disk?
V.  Miscellaneous:
    1. What does System Error XXX mean?
    2. What is A/ROSE?
    3. Easy Access or One Answer, Many Questions
VI.  Preventative Maintenance
    1. Trash Unneeded Files
    2. Reevaluate Your Extensions
    3. Rebuild the desktop.
    4. Zap the PRAM and Reset the Clock
    5. Reinstall the system software.
    6. Disk Utilities
    7. Back Up.
    8. Defragment your hard disk.
    9. Reformat your hard disk.


B.    comp.sys.mac.misc:

VII.  FTP
    1. Where can I FTP Macintosh software?
    2. Can I get shareware by E-mail?
    3. Where can I find Application X?
    4. Can someone mail me Application X?
    5. What is .bin?  .hqx?  .cpt?  .image? .etc.?
    6. How can I get BinHex?  StuffIt?  etc.?
VIII. Viruses
    1. Help!  I have a virus!
    2. Reporting new viruses
IX.  Printing and PostScript
    1. How do I make a PostScript file?
    2. How do I print a PostScript file?
    3. Why won't my PostScript file print on my mainframe's printer?
    4. Why are my PostScript files so big?
    5. How can I print PostScript on a non-PostScript printer?
    6. How do I make my ImageWriter II print in color?
    7. Why doesn't PrintMonitor work with the ImageWriter?
    8. Why did my document change when I printed it?
    9. How can I preview a PostScript file?
    10. How do I edit a PostScript file?
    11. Can I use my LaserJet or other PC printer with my Mac?
X.   DOS and the Mac
    1. How can I move files between a Mac and a PC?
    2. How can I translate files to a DOS format?
    3. Should I buy SoftPC or a real PC?
XI.  Security
    1. How can I prevent users from changing the contents of a folder?
    2. How can I password protect my Mac?
XII. Miscellaneous
    1. Are there any good books about the Mac?
    2. How do I take a picture of the screen?
    3. How do I use a picture for my desktop?
    4. Can I Replace the "Welcome to Macintosh" box with a picture?
    5. What is AutoDoubler? SpaceSaver? More Disk Space? Disk Doubler?
    6. What about Times Two and Stacker?
    7. Where did my icons go?
XIII.  Troubleshooting.  What to do when things go wrong
    1. Identify the problem.
    2. Read the READ ME file.
    3. Check for viruses.
    4. Reinstall the application and all its support files.
    5. Reinstall the system software.
    6. Isolate the problem.
    7. Contact technical support.


C. comp.sys.mac.apps:

XIV. What's the Best...  (the 1993 Elliotte awards)
    1. Text editor
    2. Word processor
    3. Genealogy software
    4. TeX/LaTeX
    5. Integrated application
    6. Spreadsheet
    7. JPEG Viewer
    8. Electronic publishing software
    9. Drawing application
    10. Painting application
XV. Microsoft Word
    1. Character based styles
    2. Cross-references
    3. Word to TeX and back
XVI.  TeachText
    1. How do I change TeachText's default font?
    2. How do I insert a picture in a TeachText file?


D.  comp.sys.mac.hardware

XVII.  Hard Disk formatters
XVIII. Floppy Disks
    1. Why can't my new Mac read my old Mac's floppy disks?
    2. Can I turn a double-density disk into a high density disk by
       punching an extra hole in it?
XIX.   Acceleration (I need warp speed now Scotty!)
    1. Oscillators on the IIsi
    2. Oscillators on the IIci
    3. SE accelerators
    4. Plus accelerators
XX.   Thanks for the memory
XXI.  Maintenance and Repair
    1. Book recommendations
    2. Mouse-cleaning
    3. Vacuuming
    4. Keyboard cleaning
    5. Floppy Disk cleaning
    6. Programmer's switch
XXII. Sound
    1. IIsi troubles
    2. Midiless computers
XXIII Monitors
    1. VGA on a Mac
XXIV. Powerbooks
    1. Duo Docks
    2. Memory
XXV.  Models
    1. What's the difference between an orange?  (The Performa Series)
    2. Current Macintosh Models


E.  comp.sys.mac.wanted:

XXVI. Purchasing a Macintosh
    1.  Where can I buy a PB100?
    2.  What's the best price for...
    3.  Which Mac provides the most bang for the buck?
    4.  I was going to buy a Performa 600 this week, but I heard
    that Apple will soon release the Macintosh Whiz-Bang 10000
    with tint control and built-in bread toaster.  Should I wait?
    5.  I heard Apple's prices are going down soon?  Should I wait to buy?
    6.  Friendly Steve's Used Computer Shop
XXVII. Software
    1.  Where can I get payware software X?
    2.  Where can I get shareware software X?

 <FF>
    This work is Copyright 1992 by Elliotte M. Harold.
  Permission is hereby granted to distribute this unmodified
  document provided that no fee in excess of normal online charges is
  required for such distribution.  Portions of this document may be
  extracted and quoted free of charge and without necessity of citation
  in normal online communication provided only that said quotes are not
  represented as the correspondent's original work.  Permission for
  quotation of this document in printed material and edited online
  communication  (such as the Info-Mac Digest and Tidbits) is given
  subject to normal citation procedures (i.e. you have to say where you
  got it).

  Disclaimer:  I do my best to ensure that information contained in this
  document is current and accurate, but I can accept no responsibility
  for actions resulting from information contained herein.  This
  document is provided as is and with no warranty of any kind.
  Corrections and suggestions should be addressed to
  [e-mail].

       Apple, Macintosh, LaserWriter, ImageWriter, Finder, HyperCard
  and MultiFinder are registered trademarks and PowerBook is a
  trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.  Linotronic is a registered
  trademark of Linotype-Hell AG, Inc.  QuarkXPress is a registered
  trademark of Quark.  PostScript is a registered trademark of Adobe
  Systems, Inc. MacWAREHOUSE is a registered trademark of Micro
  Warehouse Inc. MacConnection is a registered trademark of PC
  Connection Inc. PageMaker is a registered trademark of Aldus Corp.
  All other tradenames are trademarks of their respective manufacturers.

<FF>
 =====================
 I HAVE A QUESTION...  (1.0)
 =====================

       Congratulations! You've come to the right place.  The Usenet
  community is a wonderful resource for information ranging from basic
  questions (How do I lock a floppy disk?) to queries that would make
  Steve Jobs himself run screaming from the room in terror.  (I used
  ResEdit to remove resources Init #11, WDEF 34, and nVIR 17 from my
  system file and used the Hex Editor to add code string #A67B45 as a
  patch to the SFGetFile routine so the Standard File Dialog Box would
  be a nice shade of mauve.  Everything worked fine until I installed
  SuperCDevBlaster, and now when I use the Aldus driver to print from
  PageMaker 5.0d4 to a Linotronic 6000 my system hangs.  P.S.  I'm
  running System 6.02 on a PowerBook 170.)

       Since comp.sys.mac.system is a medium to high volume newsgroup,
  we ask that you first peruse this FAQ file, check any other relevant
  online resources listed below in question 1.2, especially the FAQ
  lists for the other Macintosh newsgroups, and RTFM (Read the Friendly
  Manual) before posting your question.  We realize that you are
  personally incensed that the System is taking up fourteen of your
  newly-installed twenty megs of RAM, but this question has already
  made its way around the world three hundred times before, and it's
  developing tired feet.  Finally, before posting to any newsgroup
  (Macintosh or otherwise), please familiarize yourself with the basic
  etiquette of Usenet as described in the newsgroup
  news.announce.newusers.


 HOW DO I USE THIS DOCUMENT?  (1.1)

       comp.sys.mac.faq is currently divided into two pieces, one for
  each of the newsgroups comp.sys.mac.system and comp.sys.mac.misc.
  You are reading the list for comp.sys.mac.system.  FAQ lists for
  comp.sys.mac.wanted, comp.sys.mac.apps and comp.sys.mac.hardware are
  in development.  Each part should be available in its respective
  newsgroup.  All pieces are also available via anonymous ftp from
  sumex-aim.stanford.edu in the info-mac/report directory and from
  rtfm.mit.edu in the pub/usenet/groupname directory, e.g. you would
  find this document in the directory pub/usenet/comp.sys.mac.system.

       The table of contents and this introductory section are shared
  between all pieces of the FAQ so you should be able to get at least
  some idea from any piece of the FAQ whether your question is answered
  anywhere else in the FAQ even if you don't the other parts handy.
  It's not always obvious, especially to newcomers, where a particular
  question or comment should be posted.  Please familiarize yourself
  with the FAQ lists in all the major Macintosh newsgroups before
  posting in any of them.  Which questions appear in which FAQs can
  serve as a basic guide to what types of posts belong where.

       To jump to a particular question search for
  section-number.question-number enclosed in parentheses.  For example
  to find "What is A/ROSE?" search for the string (5.2).  To jump to a
  section instead of a question use a zero for the question number.


 WHAT OTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE?  (1.2)

       This FAQ list provides short answers to a number of frequently
  asked questions from the newsgroup comp.sys.mac.system.  The second
  part of this document covering miscellaneous questions about
  Macintosh software is posted in comp.sys.mac.misc.  Several other
  files are worthy of particular note.  Mike Kelly maintains a FAQ list
  about Macintosh programming for the newsgroup
  comp.sys.mac.programmer.  It's posted to that group on the first of
  the month and available for anonymous ftp from ftp.cs.uoregon
  (128.223.8.8) in /pub/mac.  Eric Rosen maintains a frequently asked
  questions list for the newsgroup comp.sys.mac.comm available in that
  newsgroup and from rascal.ics.utexas.edu in mac/faq (where the file
  you're reading now is also irregularly archived).  The
  comp.sys.mac.comm list answers many frequently asked questions about
  networking, UNIX and the Mac, telecommunications, and foreign file
  formats.  Norm Walsh has compiled an excellent FAQ for comp.fonts
  that answers a lot of questions about the various kinds of fonts and
  cross-platform conversion and printing.  It's available in comp.fonts
  or by ftp from ibis.cs.umass.edu in /pub/norm/comp.fonts/FAQ*.
  Finally Jim Jagielski maintains a FAQ for comp.unix.aux covering
  Apple's UNIX environment, A/UX.  It's posted every 2 to 3 weeks in
  comp.unix.aux and news.answers. It's available for anonymous ftp from
  jagubox.gsfc.nasa.gov.


 WHICH NEWSGROUP SHOULD I POST TO?  (1.3)

       Posting questions to the proper newsgroup will fill your mailbox
  with pearls of wisdom (and maybe a few rotten oysters too :-) ).
  Posting to the wrong newsgroup often engenders a thundering silence.
  For instance the most common and glaring mispost, one that seems as
  incongruous to dwellers in the Macintosh regions of Usenet as would a
  purple elephant to Aleuts in the Arctic, asking a question about
  networking anywhere except comp.sys.mac.comm, normally produces no
  useful responses.  Posting the same question to comp.sys.mac.comm
  ensures that your post is read and considered by dozens of
  experienced network administrators and not a few network software
  designers.

       Please post to exactly ONE newsgroup.  Do not cross-post.  If a
  question isn't important enough for you to spend the extra time to
  figure out where it properly belongs, it's not important enough for
  several thousand people to spend their time reading.  For the same
  reason comp.sys.mac.misc should not be used as a catch-all newsgroup.

         The breakdown of questions between different newsgroups in
  this document can also serve as a reasonable guide to what belongs
  where.  Specifically questions about productivity applications
  (software you bought your Macintosh to run, not software you bought
  to make your Macintosh run better) should go to comp.sys.mac.apps
  unless the application is covered in a more specific newsgroup.
  Communications programs, games, HyperCard, compilers and databases
  all have more topical comp.sys.mac.* newsgroups.  Post questions
  about non-communications hardware including questions about what
  software is necessary to make particular hardware work to
  comp.sys.mac.hardware.  Questions about Mac OS System Software belong
  in comp.sys.mac.system.  Questions about utilities and extensions
  normally belong in comp.sys.mac.misc.  Questions about A/UX go to
  comp.unix.aux.  Detailed questions about Appletalk belong in
  comp.protocols.appletalk.

       Direct questions about HyperCard to comp.sys.mac.hypercard.
  Non-HyperCard programming questions and questions about development
  environments should go to comp.sys.mac.programmer.  ResEdit questions
  may be posted either to comp.sys.mac.misc, comp.sys.mac.system, or
  comp.sys.mac.programmer; but generally the netters who inhabit the
  darker recesses of comp.sys.mac.programmer are considerably more
  practiced at the art of resource hacking.

       A general exception to the above rules is that any VERY
  technical question about an application that actually begins to delve
  into the hows of a program as well as the whats (Recent example: How
  does WriteNow which is written entirely in assembly compare to other
  word processors written in high level languages?) might be better
  addressed to the programmer newsgroup.

       For Sale and Want to Buy posts should go to comp.sys.mac.wanted
  and misc.forsale.computers.mac ONLY.  We understand that you're
  desperate to sell your upgraded 128K Mac to get the $$ for a
  PowerBook 180; but trust me, anyone who wants to buy it will be
  reading comp.sys.mac.wanted.  Political and religious questions (The
  Mac is better than Windows! Is not! Is too! Is not! Is too! Hey! How
  'bout the Amiga! What about it? Is Not! Is too!) belong in
  comp.sys.mac.advocacy.  Anything not specifically mentioned above
  probably belongs in comp.sys.mac.misc.

       Finally don't be so provincial as to consider only the
  comp.sys.mac newsgroups the appropriate forums for your questions.
  Many questions about modems in comp.sys.mac.comm are much more
  thoroughly discussed in comp.dcom.modems.  Questions about Mac MIDI
  are often better handled in comp.music even though that's not a
  Macintosh specific newsgroup.  Shop around.  Usenet's a big place and
  not everything relevant to the Macintosh happens in comp.sys.mac.*.


 SOMEONE JUST ASKED WHY THE SYSTEM WAS TAKING UP SIXTEEN OF THEIR
 TWENTY MEGABYTES OF RAM.  SHOULDN'T I PUT MY BRILLIANCE AND WIT ON
 DISPLAY FOR THE WORLD BY POSTING THE SEVENTEENTH RESPONSE?  (1.4)

       No.  Frequent answers are just as boring and uninteresting as
  frequent questions.  Unless you really have something new to add to
  the traditional answers (such as the recent discovery that fonts in
  System 7.1 could eat memory) private E-mail is a much better medium
  for answering common questions like this one.

       You might want to add a mention of this FAQ in your E-mail
  response and a polite suggestion that your correspondent read it
  before posting future questions.  I do read all the newsgroups
  covered here and have written a small script in MicroPhone II that
  lets me send PWFAQ's (people with frequently asked questions) the
  section of this document that answers their question with just the
  click of a button.


<FF>
 ======
 MEMORY  (2.0)
 ======

 WHY IS MY SYSTEM TAKING UP SO MUCH MEMORY?  (2.1)

       Under system versions earlier than 7.0 or under System 7.x
  without 32-bit addressing turned on the Mac cannot access more than
  eight megabytes of real memory.  If you have more physical RAM
  installed, the Mac knows it's present but can't do anything with it.
  When About the Finder is selected from the Apple menu, the system
  reports all the extra memory it can't use as part of the system
  memory allocation.

       To use the memory you need to get System 7 and turn on 32-bit
  addressing.  If you have a Mac with dirty ROMs (a II, IIx, SE/30, or
  IIcx) you also need MODE32, free from ftp.apple.com or your local
  dealer.  If you have an original Mac II you also need to add a PMMU
  chip.  If you're staying with System 6, Maxima from Connectix ($45
  street) allows use of up to fourteen megabytes of real memory and can
  allocate anything beyond that to a RAM disk.
       If you have an LC or an LC II with four megabytes of RAM
  soldered to the motherboard, you still need to add two four-megabyte
  SIMM's to reach the ten megabyte maximum imposed by the LC ROM.  This
  means you'll always have two unused megabytes which About this
  Macintosh and About the Finder report as part of the system memory
  allocation.  Unfortunately there is no current means of accessing
  this extra memory.

       If you've turned on 32-bit addressing or if you have eight
  megabytes or less of RAM, check your disk cache (RAM cache in System
  6) in the General Control Panel to make sure it isn't set
  exceptionally high.  All memory allotted to the cache comes out of
  the System's memory allocation.

       Finally if you recently upgraded to System 7.1 by updating your
  system software rather than doing a clean reinstall, (See question
  6.x) you should use Font/DA Mover to delete all fonts from your
  system file as these can take up an extraordinary amount of memory.


 WHAT IS MODE32?  DO I NEED IT?  (2.2)

       MODE32 is an extension that allows 32-bit dirty Macs with 68030
  processors or PM's to access more than eight megabytes of real memory
  under System 7.  If you have more than eight megabytes of real memory
  in an SE/30, IIcx, IIx, or a Mac II with an optional PMMU and you are
  running System 7.0, you need MODE32.  Otherwise you don't.  MODE32 is
  currently incompatible with the combination of System 7.1 and virtual
  memory.  It works fine with System 7.1 without virtual memory or with
  System 7.0 and virtual memory.  Apple is rumored to be working on a
  fix.  MODE32 is free from your friendly, neighborhood Apple dealer or
  can be ftp'd from ftp.apple.com in the directory /dts/mac/mode32.


 HOW MUCH MEMORY SHOULD I ALLOT TO MY CACHE?  (2.3)

       One of the General Control Panel settings is the mysterious
  cache, Disk Cache in System 7, RAM cache in System 6.  This is memory
  the system sets aside to hold frequently accessed data from the disk.
  The cache acts like a 7-11 for your hard disk.  It's quicker to get
  a quart of milk at the 7-11, but it costs more so you don't do all
  your shopping there.  And the 7-11 doesn't have everything you want
  so sometimes you need to go to the A&P (your hard disk) instead.

       Unfortunately Apple's cache isn't really all that fast.  For
  most people the RAM cache would more appropriately be called the RAM
  thief.  Its effect on performance seems to be much like the canals of
  Mars.  You have to want to see it before you can.  However there are
  a few applications and inits such as Dayna DOSMounter that actually
  make use of the cache and will run much faster when it's turned than
  when it's off.  Thus I recommend setting your cache to 64K, turning
  it on, and forgetting about it.  I hope that in 1993 most Macintoshes
  have enough RAM that they don't need to worry about losing 64K.

       If, however, your Mac is a IIsi running a color monitor from the
  internal video, then you may possibly speed up your Mac with an
  appropriate cache setting.  The IIsi and the IIci use system RAM to
  store the video image on your screen.  (Other Macs with internal
  video have video RAM separate from the main system RAM so this trick
  doesn't apply to them.)  The internal video competes with the System
  for use of this RAM, and that competition slows down your Mac like
  two children fighting in the back seat of your car adds an hour to
  the time it takes to get to the beach.  To stop the fighting a smart
  parent will put one child in the front seat and one in the back.  A
  smart Mac owner will put the internal video in the front seat and the
  system in the back seat.  To push the system out of the front seat
  set a IIsi's cache to 384K which will take up all the space in the
  front seat not occupied by the internal video and force the system to
  sit in the back.


<FF>
 ===============
 SYSTEM SOFTWARE  (3.0)
 ===============

 WHY DOES APPLE CHARGE FOR SYSTEM 7.1?  (3.1)

       Apple is charging for System 7.1 because Apple's policy makers
  suspect they'll make more money by charging for it than by not
  charging for it.  Apple is a publicly held corporation in a
  capitalist economy where the law requires corporations to make
  reasonable attempts to maximize profits.  To give away something
  Apple could make more money by charging for would be a breach of the
  fiduciary responsibility of Apple's Board of Directors and actionable
  by Apple stockholders in a court of law.


 WHAT DOES SYSTEM 7.1 GIVE ME FOR MY $35 THAT SYSTEM 7.0 DOESN'T? (3.2)

       Not much.  System 7.1 provides a base for many planned
  enhancements to the MacOS.  These include a new printing
  architecture, an advanced version of QuickDraw, and easy
  localizability into foreign languages.  All of these will be
  separate, optional add-ons which may or may not cost more money.
  (Actually most people at Apple and elsewhere say these will be free,
  but that's what they said about system software before 7.1 was
  released for $35.  After 7.1 was released a lot of them started
  backpedaling and claiming that no official promises of free upgrades
  were ever made.  Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice shame on
  me.)

       The only added feature of System 7.1 that you can use now is the
  ability to store fonts in a Fonts folder rather than the System file.
  For this Apple wants $35.  There are also about a thousand various
  bug fixes over System 7.0.  (i.e. 7.1 shipped with only about 400
  known bugs instead of the 1400 of System 7.0.)  Some of these fixes
  were included in the various System 7 tuners.  The most significant
  bug fix not present in System 7 Tuneup fixes the Quadra 950's SCSI
  manager.  If you have a Quadra 950, you need System 7.1.  Otherwise
  you probably shouldn't waste your money.


 WHERE CAN I GET SYSTEM 7.1?  (3.3)

       Apple rationalizes its decision to charge for System 7.1 by
  claiming that most people have been unable to get System Software
  updates from online sources or authorized dealers (and of course they
  rationalize their refusal to authorize low-price mail order dealers
  by claiming that Macs require dealer support) and by claiming that
  charging for system software will make software retailers more
  willing to stock Apple system software and thus make it easier to
  obtain.  This denies the reality that System 7.0 was in fact readily
  available from the primary sources of payware Mac software as well as
  being freely available online.  And I doubt that it costs Apple any
  more to pay for a full-page ad in the software catalogs for System
  7.0 than for System 7.1.  This rationalization also ignores how
  previously in large organizations only one person needed to be able
  to get the System software from a dealer, online, or bundled with a
  new CPU before others could freely and legally copy it.  So, despite
  Apple's protests to the contrary, it is now harder to get a current
  copy of the system software thus creating a FAQ where there was none
  before.

       If you want the manuals as well as the disks (high density only)
  for System 7.1, you can order the entire package including a copy of
  At Ease for about $79 from the usual mail-order houses such as
  MacConnection (1-800-800-2222) or MacWAREHOUSE (1-800-ALL-MACS).  If
  you only want the disks you can upgrade from System 7.0 by calling
  Apple at (800)769-APPL and asking for the 7.1 upgrade.  To "verify"
  that you already own System 7.1, you'll be asked what's in the right
  hand corner of your menu bar.  The answer is of course Balloon Help
  and the application menu.  The disk only upgrade costs $34.95 plus $3
  for shipping and handling plus local sales tax.

       If you bought a non-bundled copy of System 7.0 on or after
  September 1, 1992 (or if you have a scanner, an old software receipt,
  and some familiarity with a photo retouching program) you can upgrade
  for $3 by sending your dated proof of purchase, a check for $3, and
  your name and address to
        Apple Computer
        Attn: Free Upgrade
        P.O. Box 720
        Buffalo, NY 14207.
  Alternatively you can fax that information and a credit card number
  and expiration date to Apple at [phone].


 HOW CAN I USE SYSTEM 6 ON A MAC THAT REQUIRES SYSTEM 7?  (3.4)

       The PowerBook 100, Classic II, LCII, Performa 200, and Performa
  400 all work with System 6.0.8L, a special foreign version of System
  6.0.8 that was hacked together because these machines beat many of
  the internationalized versions of System 7 to market.  System 6.0.8L
  is available for anonymous ftp from wuarchive.wustl.edu in the
  pub/mirrors/rascal.ics.utexas.edu/support-of-products/Apple/sys.soft/6.0.8L
  directory


 WHERE CAN I GET NON-U.S. SYSTEM SOFTWARE AND SCRIPTS?   (3.5)

       For a company that's as hip to the international marketplace as
  Apple, it sure has a difficult time comprehending that its
  customers might need to work with more than one language.  Most
  pre-7.1 international software except Chinese-Talk, Hangul-Talk and
  Kanji-talk is available for anonymous ftp from ftp.apple.com in
  /dts/mac/sys.soft.  Your best chance to get Chinese, Korean or
  Japanese system software is to have a friend in China, Korea or Japan
  mail you the software.  Apple has not yet revealed how or even if it
  intends to distribute System 7.1 script systems outside their
  native countries.


 WHAT IS SYSTEM 7 TUNEUP?  DO I NEED IT?  (3.6)

       If you use System 7.0, 7.0.1, or the System 7.0 printer drivers,
  you need System 7 Tuneup.  The tuneup includes a number of fixes and
  enhancements to System 7, including substantially faster printer
  drivers, a StyleWriter driver that supports background printing, a
  fix that saves several hundred kilobytes of memory on non-networked
  Macs, and, most importantly, a vaccine for the disappearing folders
  bug.  These fixes and many others have been rolled into System 7.1 so
  the tuneup does nothing for Macs running 7.1.


 WHY DO MY DA'S DISAPPEAR WHEN I TURN ON MULTIFINDER?  (3.7)

       You need to put the file "DA Handler" in your System Folder.  It
  should be on one of your System 6.0.x disks.  Under Finder the Desk
  Accessories load into the memory provided by your application.  Under
  MultiFinder they load into their own memory space provided by
  DA Handler.


 DO I NEED SYSTEM 7.0.1?  (3.8)

       Officially if you don't have a Quadra or PowerBook, you don't
  need System 7.0.1.  Unofficially some changes were made that speed up
  SANE (numerics) operations on 32-bit clean Macintoshes with a
  floating-point coprocessor.  These include all IIci's and IIfx's plus
  LC's and IIsi's that have had a coprocessor specially installed.
  (Neither of the latter machines ships with a coprocessor.)

 HOW CAN I GET SYSTEM 7.0.1 ON 800K DISKS?  (3.9)

       You can't because all machines that gain any benefits from 7.0.1
  come equipped with high density floppy drives.  You can however use
  the utility MountImage to mount the images of the 1400K System 7.0.1
  disks (available from ftp.apple.com) on your hard drive and install
  from the image rather than a floppy.  Be warned, however, that
  MountImage is notoriously unreliable when doing installs.  Be sure
  you make a complete backup of your hard disk and have a set of System
  disks on genuine floppies before attempting to install from
  mounted images.


  <FF>
 ==========================================
 HARD DISK PROBLEMS  AND THE FILE SYSTEM (4.0)
 =============================================

 HELP! THE FOLDER CONTAINING ALL SOURCE CODE FOR MY COMPANY'S BIG
 PROJECT JUST DISAPPEARED FROM OUR SERVER; WE HAVEN'T BACKED UP IN A
 WEEK; AND IF I CAN'T GET IT BACK I'LL BE FIRED AND MY COMPANY WILL GO
 BANKRUPT!  (4.1)

       Try a Find on the missing filenames; and, if they turn up, move
  them to the desktop.  In the meantime grab Disk First Aid 7.1 from
  ftp.apple.com which should be able to fix this problem.


 WHY CAN'T I THROW AWAY THIS FOLDER?  (4.2)

       Possibly the folder contains items that are locked or in use and
  can't be thrown away.  Turn off file-sharing (if it's on) and quit
  all applications.  Then try to throw the folder away.  If that
  doesn't work and you're using System 6, hold down the option-key and
  drag the folder into the trash; or, if you're using System 7, hold
  down the option key while selecting "Empty Trash" from the special
  menu.  Holding the option key down lets you throw away locked items.
  If that doesn't work restart the computer, hold down the option key,
  and try again.  If you still can't throw away the folder, try
  throwing away the items in the folder (if any) one by one until you
  find the ones giving you trouble.  Remove them from the folder, and
  then throw the folder away.  If you still can't throw the folder
  away, you've discovered a "Folder from Hell."  Create an empty folder
  on ANOTHER disk with the same name as the Hell Folder.  Then copy the
  new folder onto the same disk in the same folder as the Hell Folder.
  Click "Yes" when asked if you want to replace the Hell Folder.  Now
  you should be able to throw the just copied folder away.


 WHY CAN'T I SHARE MY SYQUEST DRIVE?  CD-ROM?  BERNOULLI BOX?  ETC.? (4.3)

       Apple originally planned to treat removables like floppies
  rather than hard disks for file-sharing.  At the requests of beta
  testers file-sharing on removables was hacked into System 7.0 at the
  last minute.  However, since file-sharing was originally to be
  implemented only on fixed drives, no means were created for the host
  Mac to tell other Macs when a new volume went on or off-line.
  Therefore sharing a removable volume requires that the disc or
  cartridge be inserted and mounted when filesharing is turned
  on.  Turn filesharing off and on with the drive powered up and
  the cartridge inserted and you should then be able to share
  the removable.


 WHY CAN'T I EJECT THIS SYQUEST CARTRIDGE?  CD-ROM?  FLOPTICAL? ETC.?  (4.4)

       Once file-sharing gets its hooks into a disk it doesn't like to
  let go.  Turn off file-sharing; then drag the volume icon to the
  trash.


 WHY CAN'T I RENAME MY HARD DRIVE?  (4.5)

       Turn off file-sharing as described above.  If the disk you can't
  rename is not shared, Kazu Yanagahira's freeware utility Unlock
  Folder will also unlock your hard disk so you can rename it.


  <FF>
 =============
 MISCELLANEOUS  (5.0)
 =============

 WHAT DOES SYSTEM ERROR XXX MEAN?  (5.1)

       Typically it means nothing at all of any use to the end user.
  Your time is much more productively spent trying to figure out what
  actions in which application caused the crash so that you can avoid
  them in the future rather than deciphering system error numbers.
  After all, knowing that Error 16 means a math coprocessor is not
  installed doesn't help you much in fixing the problem.  Knowing that
  this happens in QuarkXPress 3.0 every time you try to link two text
  boxes on a master page when copies of those text boxes already
  contain text does.  (And in this case the error message isn't even
  accurate.) If you really want to know what that number means, get
  Dr. Pete Corless's System Error 7.0.1 utility available in the
  usual places.


 WHAT IS A/ROSE?  (5.2)

       Apple's Realtime Operating System Environment is not needed by
  99.9% of the people who stumble across it.  It's only needed if you
  have an MCP NuBus card installed of which there were about three at
  last count. The only even moderately common one is Apple's TokenTalk
  NuBus card.  If you don't have such a card, feel free to trash it.


 EASY ACCESS: ONE ANSWER, MANY QUESTIONS  (5.3)

       Easy Access is a WONDERFUL system extension from Apple, useful
  for far more than its intended purpose.  Unfortunately it's also the
  source of a lot of confusion and strange behavior on many Macs.  It's
  even been suggested that anti-virals should detect and report the
  presence of Easy Access since it produces more false virus alarms
  than any other software in Macintosh history.

       Easy Access has two pieces, Sticky Keys, which is turned on by
  hitting the Shift key five times in a row without moving the mouse,
  and Mouse Keys which is turned on by hitting Command-Shift-Clear.
  Sticky Keys lets you type things like Command-Shift-Clear without
  doing the Rose Mary Wood shuffle.  When Sticky Keys is turned on an
  icon appears in the menu bar to the right of the application
  icon/menu.  Mouse Keys lets a numeric keypad  substitute for the
  mouse.  This is especially useful for making precision, single-pixel
  adjustments in drawing and painting programs.


  <FF>
  ========================
  PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE  (6.0)
  ========================

       You wouldn't drive your car 100,000 miles without giving it a
  tune-up.  A computer is no different.  Regular tune-ups avoid a lot
  of problems.  Although there are Mac mechanics who'll be happy to
  charge you $75 or more for the equivalent of an oil change, there's
  no reason you can't change it yourself.  The following nine-step
  program should be performed about every three months.


 TRASH UNNEEDED FILES  (6.1)

       Many of the operations that follow will run faster and more
  smoothly the more free disk space there is to work with.  So spend a
  little time cleaning up your hard disk.  If you're at all like me,
  you'll find several megabytes worth of preferences files for
  applications you no longer have, archives of software you've
  dearchived, shareware you tried out and didn't like, announcements
  for events that have come and gone and many other files you no longer
  need.  If you're running System 7 you may also have several more
  megabytes in your trash can alone.  Throw them away and empty the
  trash.


 RETHINK YOUR EXTENSIONS  (6.2)

       Some Macintoshes attract inits like a new suit attracts rain.
  Seriously consider whether you actually need every extension in your
  collection.  If you don't use the functionality of an extension at
  least every fifth time you boot up, you're probably better off not
  storing it in your System Folder where it only takes up memory,
  destabilizes your system, and slows down every startup.  For instance
  if you only read PC disks once a month, there's no need to keep
  AccessPC loaded all the time.  Cutting back on your extension habit
  can really help avoid crashes.


 REBUILD THE DESKTOP  (6.3)

       The Desktop file/database holds all the information necessary to
  associate each file with the application that created it.  It lets
  the system know what application should be launched when you open a
  given file and what icons it should display where.  Depending on its
  size each application has one or more representatives in the desktop
  file.  As applications and files move on and off your hard disk, the
  Desktop file can be become bloated and corrupt.  Think of it as a
  Congress for your Mac.  Every so often it's necessary to throw the
  bums out and start with a clean slate.  Fortunately it's easier to
  rebuild the desktop than to defeat an incumbent.

       One warning: rebuilding the desktop will erase all comments
  you've stored in the Get Info boxes.  Under System 7 Maurice
  Volaski's freeware init CommentKeeper will retain those comments
  across a rebuild.  CommentKeeper also works with System 6 but only if
  Apple's Desktop Manager extension is also installed.

       To rebuild the desktop restart your Mac and, as your extensions
  finish loading, depress the Command and Option keys.  You'll be
  presented with a dialog box asking if you really want to rebuild the
  desktop and warning you that "This could take a few minutes."  Click
  OK. It will take more than a few minutes.  The more files you have
  the longer it will take.  If you're running System 6 you may want to
  turn off MultiFinder before trying to rebuild the desktop.


 ZAP THE PRAM  AND RESET THE CLOCK  (6.4)

       All Macs from the original 128K Thin Mac to the Quadra 950
  contain a small amount of battery powered RAM to hold certain
  settings that properly move with the CPU rather than with the disk
  such which disk to boot from.  Unfortunately this "parameter RAM" can
  become corrupted and cause unexplained crashes.  To reset it under
  System 7 hold down the Command, Option, P, and R keys while
  restarting your Mac.  Under System 6 hold down the Command, Option,
  and Shift keys while selecting the Control panel from the Apple menu.
   Click Yes when asked if you want to zap the parameter RAM.  Since
  you've erased almost all the settings in the general Control Panel,
  you should now reset them to whatever you want.

       The one setting that zapping the PRAM does not erase is the date
  and time; but since the internal clock in the Macintosh is
  notoriously inaccurate you'll probably want to take this opportunity
  to reset it anyway.


 REINSTALL THE SYSTEM SOFTWARE  (6.5)

       System files can become corrupt and fragmented, especially if
  you've stored lots of fonts and desk accessories inside them.  Merely
  updating the System software will often not fix system file
  corruption.  I recommend doing a clean reinstall.  Here's how:

    1.  Boot from the installer floppy of your System disks.
    2.  Use Font/DA Mover to copy any non-standard fonts and desk
    accessories out of your System file into a temporary suitcase.
    3. Trash the System file on your hard disk.  Also trash the Finder,
    MultiFinder, DA Handler, and all other standard Apple extensions like
    Control Panel and Chooser.  These will all be replaced in the new
    installation.  If you're running or installing System 7, move everything
    in the Extensions, Control Panels, and Preferences folder into the
    top level of the System Folder.
    4.  Rename the System Folder.  Any name other than System Folder is fine.
    5.  Double-click the installer script on your System disk.  Then choose
    Customize...  Select the appropriate software for your model Mac and
    printer.  You could do an Easy Install instead but that will only add
    a lot of extensions and code you don't need that waste your memory and
    disk space.
    6.  Once installation is finished, move everything from the temporary
    folder you created in step 4 into the new System folder.  If you're
    asked if you want to replace anything, you forgot to take something out
    in step 3.  You'll need to replace things individually until you find
    the duplicate piece.
    7.  Reinstall any fonts or DA's you removed in step 2.
    8.  Reboot.  You should now have a clean, defragmented System
    file that takes up less memory and disk space and a much more stable
    system overall.


 DISK UTILITIES  (6.6)

       Much like system files hard disks have data structures that
  occasionally become corrupted affecting performance and even causing
  data loss.  Apple includes Disk First Aid, a simple utility for
  detecting and repairing hard disk problems with its System Disks.
  Run it on all your hard disks.

       Several companies have released payware disk utilities that
  detect and repair considerably more problems than Disk First Aid
  though, interestingly, none of them detect and repair everything that
  Disk First Aid does.  The two most effective for general work are
  Central Point's MacTools Deluxe 2.0 and Symantec's Norton Utilities
  for the Macintosh 2.0.  A department or work group should have both
  of these as well as Disk First Aid since none of them fix everything
  the others do.  For individuals MacTools ($48 street) is almost half
  the price of Norton ($94 street) so, features and ease of use being
  roughly equal, I recommend MacTools.

       All of these products occasionally encounter problems they can't
  fix.  When that happens it's time to backup (6.7) and reformat (6.9).


 BACKING UP  (6.7)

       This is one part of preventative maintenance that should be done
  a LOT more often than every three months.  The simplest backup is to
  merely copy all the files on your hard disk onto floppies or
  removable media.  If you keep your data files separate from your
  application and support files then it's easy to only back up those
  folders which change frequently.  Still every three months you should
  do a complete backup of your hard disk.

       A number of programs are available to make backing up easier.
  Apple included a very basic full backup application with System 6.
  With the Performas Apple ships a new Apple Backup utility that can
  backup the entire disk or just the System folder onto floppies.  The
  previously mentioned Norton Utilities for the Mac and MacTools Deluxe
  2.0 include more powerful floppy backup utilities that incorporate
  compression and incremental backups.

       Finally if you're lucky enough to have a Tape Drive, network
  server, or removable media device to use for backups, you should
  check out the more powerful payware utilities Redux ($49 street,
  doesn't support tape drives) and Diskfit Pro ($74 street).  There are
  NO freely available backup utilities other than the old HD Backup
  from System 6.


 DISK DEFRAGMENTATION  (6.8)

       As disks fill up it gets harder and harder to find enough free
  space in the same place to write large files.  Therefore the
  operating system will often split larger files into pieces to be
  stored in different places on your hard disk.  As files become more
  and more fragmented performance can degrade.  There are several ways
  to defragment a hard disk.

       The most tedious but cheapest method is to backup all your
  files, erase the hard disk (and you might as well reformat while
  you're at it.  See question 6.9.), and restore all the files.

       A number of payware utilities including Norton Utilities for the
  Mac and Mac Tools Deluxe can defragment a disk in place, i.e. without
  erasing it.  Although the ads for all these products brag about their
  safety, once you've bought the software and opened the shrinkwrap
  they all warn you to back up your disk before defragmenting it in
  case something does go wrong.  There are NO freeware or shareware
  disk defragmenters so please don't annoy the net by asking for one.


 REFORMAT YOUR HARD DISK  (6.9)

       Just as a floppy disk needs to be initialized before use, so a
  hard disk must be formatted before it can hold data.  You don't need
  to reformat every three months; but when your system is crashing no
  matter what you try, reformatting is the ultimate means of wiping the
  slate clean.  Unlike floppies hard disks need a special program to
  initialize them.  Most hard disks come with formatting software.
  Apple's disks and System software ship with HDSC setup, a minimal
  disk formatter which will format Apple brand hard drives ONLY.  Most
  other manufacturers ship appropriate formatting software with their
  hard drives.  Normally this will be all you need to reformat your
  hard drive.

       A number of general-purpose formatters are also available which
  go beyond the bundled software to include features like encryption,
  password protection, multiple partitioning, faster disk access,
  System 7 compatibility, and even compression.  Two of the best are
  the payware Drive7 and Hard Disk Toolkit Personal Edition ($49 street
  for either).  While there are one or two freeware formatters
  available, none are likely to be superior to the ones bundled with
  your hard disk.

       PowerBook users should be sure to turn off Sleep and processor
  cycling before reformatting their hard drives no matter what software
  they use.  Otherwise disk corruption, crashes, and data losses are a
  very good possibility.


  Elliotte Rusty Harold         Department of Mathematics
  [e-mail]         New Jersey Institute of Technology
  [e-mail]        Newark, NJ 07102