Subject: Info-Mac Digest V15 #268 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="Info-Mac-Digest" --Info-Mac-Digest Info-Mac Digest Tue, 09 Dec 97 Volume 15 : Issue 268 Today's Topics: [*] TidBITS#408/08-Dec-97 (A) Finding invisible files (Q) What's the Status of Java on the Mac? 540c Replacement Screen 7500 Logic Board Crisis Solved... [A] OS 8 System settings (fwd) [A] Power Computing CD-ROM Won't Mount w/ OS8! [Q] Neverending postscript file generation? [Q]: Tri-Data Ethernet driver? [SUMMARY]: Need help decoding strange 'Binhex' files after downloading [Wanted]: Good archival compression util Attaching files to email for Win95? email viruses FileMaker Pro Question Finding invisible files Finding invisible files Finding invisible files Finding invisible files Finding Invisible Files Finding invisible files Finding invisible files finding invisible files finding invisible files I'm looking for Chinese-English dictionary Info-Mac Digest V15 #265 Info-Mac Digest V15 #265 MATH CO-PROCESSSOR FOR MAC CLASSIC II Math Coprocessor / Norton Utilities Errors / SCSI ID for internal HD News Servers for the Mac - Summary No sound track for 1984 OS 8 & PC Compatible Card OS 8 finder settings and L2 cache OS 8 System Settings OS 8 System settings PCMCIA Readers question on modems Re; Finding Invisible Files Reading Jaz cartridges on a mac? Scan direct to print (Q) Setting sound levels on shutdown Simple File Opening Problem some keyboards are more equal thank others Unkwnow extensions Warning to Fastback Users - Don't Use It! The Info-Mac Network is a volunteer organization that publishes the Info-Mac Digest and operates the Info-Mac Archive, a large network of FTP sites containing gigabytes of freely distributable Macintosh software. For more information, visit the Info-Mac Web site at . Email Addresses and Instructions: * To submit articles to the digest, email . * To subscribe, send email to with subscribe in the Subject line. * To unsubscribe, send email to with unsubscribe in the Subject line. * To change your address, unsubscribe from the old address, then subscribe from the new address. If that fails, try using the list maintenance form at before contacting us. * Please send administrative queries to . * To submit files for the archive, email the binhexed file with a description to . Submissions must be made by the author or with permission of the author. It may take up to a week to process; check mirror sites for the status of new uploads. FTP and Web Addresses and Instructions: * To submit files larger than 800K, email a description to and then use an FTP client to upload the binhexed file to info-mac.org, using the userid "macgifts and the password "macgifts". Or, click . * A full list of Info-Mac mirror sites is available at the URL below: * Search the archive at . Info-Mac volunteers include Gordon Watts, Adam C. Engst, Demitri Muna, Mike O'Bryan, Michael Bean, and Liam Breck. The Info-Mac Digest is sponsored in part by StarNine Technologies, developers of Internet server software for the Macintosh, including Web and email publishing systems. We'd also like to thank AOL for the main Info-Mac machine. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- --Info-Mac-Digest Content-Type: multipart/digest; boundary="----------------------------" Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="Info-Mac Digest V15 #268" ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 8 Dec 1997 20:30:08 -0800 From: TidBITS Editors Subject: [*] TidBITS#408/08-Dec-97 TidBITS#408/08-Dec-97 This week, Arthur Bleich concludes his two-part digital camera article with tips on what to look for plus specific camera recommendations. Douglas Tallman examines ClarisWorks 5, the latest version of the venerable integrated software package. We also note new Ethernet drivers for the G3 Power Macs, an update to (and discount on) Timbuktu Pro 4.0, a Microsoft Word 97/98 converter, and a FileMaker-based solution for archiving messages from Emailer. Topics: MailBITS/08-Dec-97 Same as It Ever Was: ClarisWorks Office Choosing a Digital Camera, Part 2: Which One to Buy? [Archived as /info-mac/per/tb/tidbits-408.etx; 30K] ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Dec 1997 22:04:14 -0800 From: Daly Jessup Subject: Neil, I am delighted that your problem is solved for the moment. But I do not understand the solution. How do you "turn a file into an icon"? Can you explain exactly what you did? Or did you mean that you viewed all the files as icons? Daly > A member of Info-Mac community to whom I sent a help message >regarding a file copying problem sent me a solution which worked swimmingly >which I think should be transmitted to all Mac users running OS8 if they >are running into the same difficulty in file copies of large files such as >the backing up of the hard drive itself to a jaz. The problem is with >internal to external disks or internal to internal etc. Whatever is going >through i/o has the possibility of freezing the system due to this bug but >the solution is simply to turn all the files into icons..all of them, >including sub folders and so forth. I did this at Richard Maxon's >suggestion (rmaxon@poncacity.net ) and it solved my problem immediately and >easily. It is small change but gave me the opportunity to back up which I >have been unable to do without labouriously dumping a few folders at a time >from one drive to the other. > All I can say is I received over a dozen suggestions from Mac users >from all over all with well researched and similar experiences and with >suggestions that are adequate and worked to get around the bug but this one >solution was very good indeed. What a bright group Mac Users are...and >helpful, also. > Somebody,please let Apple know of the bug first of all and of the >temporary solution as I do not know to whom I should send this. Neil >Fiertel > Daly Jessup mailto:jessup@san.rr.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Dec 1997 11:31:05 -0700 From: Robert Zimmerman Subject: (A) Finding invisible files >I wish the FIND command had an option to find invisible files, but >unfortunately it does not. Has anyone written a utility that can find >hidden files? (I know how to make them visible with ResEdit, but I have to >locate them first.) > >Leslie Ballentine Ah, but the Find command can find invisible files - it's just invisible to the casual user. After invoking the command, option click on the pop-up menu for "Name" (as in Name Contains xxxx), and you will see near the bottom of the pop up a category for visibility. Select that, and the default option is Visibility is Invisible". ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Dec 1997 19:44:52 -0500 From: "Alan H. Stein" Subject: (Q) What's the Status of Java on the Mac? I seem to remember that quite a few months ago the 1.1 version of the Java Development Kit from Sun was supposed to be available for the Mac. I got around to looking for it again the other day and saw no mention of it on Sun's web site, which also indicated that the now long obsolete JDK 1.0.2 was for Mac OS 7.x but *not* OS 8, leaving us out in the cold. Anybody know what's going on there? Alan H. Stein stein@math.uconn.edu http://www.math.uconn.edu/~stein ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Dec 1997 16:36:41 -0800 From: garrett Subject: 540c Replacement Screen Has anyone ever seen what a sgattered 540c screen loks like? It's real "groovy" if u partake in illicit hallucinigens, but lousy for telecommuting. Is there anyone out there who has connections to get one of these screens - it seems that the replacement costs for this screen alone is about the value of the PB (although it will cost me MUCH more to replace it with a current model) Private messages encourages. TIA, garrett garrett@mXm.com http://www.mXm.com/ mXm imaging ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 8 Dec 1997 14:25:50 -0800 (PST) From: "Michael L.W. Jones" Subject: 7500 Logic Board Crisis Solved... Announcing that the aforementioned repair crisis has been solved, thanks to the compassion and flexibility of a representative of Apple Canada's Customer Relations department. The logic board will be replaced under extended warranty (which I will purchase retroactive to the expiration of the original.) I must thank the Info-Mac community for your excellent suggestions and support during this time. Your comments lent support to my complaint and provided me with knowledge of resellers, repair locations and other alternatives that I had not fully considered. Tales of similar occurences with this and other lines of machines were especially valuable in arranging an alternative solution. My faith in Apple and the supporting community has been restored. Thanks again. Michael Jones - Resonant Communications - http://www.resonant.ca ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Dec 1997 12:41:53 -0600 (CST) From: Ben Ng Subject: [A] OS 8 System settings (fwd) Rob >> I set trash warning, finder prefs etc. only to find that upon >> restarting they have been 'forgotten.' (Performa 6400-180) >Check whether the date and time also reset to something strange. If so, >you need to replace the battery on the mainboard. Finder preferences such as fonts and the trash warning are determined by the finder preferences file, not by PRAM which would outrule the possibility that the battery is dead. Agree? This happened to me a while back when the OS8 finder crashed on me after installing a conflicting control panel. What you have to do is trash the finder preferences file in the preferences folder (empty the trash), then restart and the finder will make a new preference file. Your settings will probably be saved from then on. Ben Ng ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Dec 1997 10:39:07 -0500 (EST) From: Thomas Basil Subject: [A] Power Computing CD-ROM Won't Mount w/ OS8! > I upgraded my PowerCenter 150 Mac-clone to OS8, and now my > built-in CD-ROM refuses to mount! > > Booting with all extensions and programs off; zappingPRAM; > and turning Appletalk off do nothing. The CD-ROM never > shows on the desktop. > > When I reboot under OS 7.5, CD-ROM works fine. Any clues? Basically, if you do a clean OS8 install, you won't carry forward a PCC customization that the CD-ROM drive demands: the control panel named "FWB CD-ROM Toolkit v. 1.6.3P." Pop this control panel into your new OS8 system folder, and the CD-ROM drive is back to health. Tom Basil US Naval Academy, zzzz.basil@nadn.navy.mil Excerpts from a helpful email I received: ... The problem stems from PCC's use of nonapplestandard CD ROM drives (I found this out over drinks with A PCC engineer) You have at least two options: 1) Boot up on a disk drive other than the HD where OS8 is loaded (eg. a zip drive with the system***from power computing**** loaded on ***including*** the CD rom tool kit. Then, when you start up (on the zip disk) you will see the CD rom drive. Insert your original ***Power Computing Corp*** CD rom and install CD rom toolkit ***only*** onto your system 8 disk. 2) Call power computing and have them send you one of their customized OS 8 CDs (I know they still have some, I just got one) . Good luck. If only someone would answer my question........ Regards, John Pappas Center for Electromechanics University of Texas at Austin zzz.j.pappas@mail.utexas.edu ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 8 Dec 97 21:24:49 EST From: Brian Scholl Subject: [Q] Neverending postscript file generation? Hello-- SUMMARY OF THE PROBLEM ---------------------- Last night I was surfing the web using Internet Explorer 3.0 on my Powermac 7200 (running System 7.5.5), and was routinely printing pages to postscript files (for later printing) using the LaserWriter8 driver (ver. 8.3.4). My computer hung, and since restarting I have been cursed with the following problem: when I try to print to postscript files from IE, the printing process continues indefinitely, printing out postscript files of hundreds of megabytes for the simplest pages (that moments ago resulted in postscript files of only ~ 50K). (The process never ends; I just freak out and cancel the printing when I see that the files are already 100 MB and growing.) The problem seems specific to IE, insofar as other programs (e.g. Word), seem to print out normal postscript files. WHAT I ALREADY TRIED -------------------- I made sure that I hadn't selected any font inclusion from the printing menu; I tried rebuilding the desktop; I checked the disk with Norton Disk Doctor 3.0 and latest version of DiskFirstAid; I reinstalled both IE and the LaserWriter driver; I trashed the IE and LaserWriter preference files. All to no avail. THE PLEA FOR HELP ----------------- Does anybody know what could be going on here, or at least how to fix it? I'd greatly appreciate any pointers or advice! I'd especially-greatly appreciate any responses via email, at: scholl@ruccs.rutgers.edu Thanks-a-bunch, -Brian Scholl ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 7 Dec 1997 00:50:32 +0100 From: Christian F Buser Subject: [Q]: Tri-Data Ethernet driver? Pat Kane wrote: > I bought an used ethernet card for my old Mac IIsi the card says > it is a "Tri-Data Systems Inc. Mac II Ethernet Interface" Do you know > where I might find software for that hardware? Try Apple's "Network System Installer". This s/w is built into System 7.6.1, however. Cheers, Christian. -- Christian F. Buser - phone (+41-56) 426 64 86 Obere Kirchzelg 12, CH-5430 Wettingen (Switzerland) Look at ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 8 Dec 1997 13:35:35 -0600 From: mlcook@jerez.cca.rockwell.com (Michael Cook) Subject: [SUMMARY]: Need help decoding strange 'Binhex' files after downloading I received info from: Andrew Minuhin muki pakesch Mike Rasberry Louis Bergeron Peter =?iso-8859-1?Q?Peld=E1n?= Al Bloom I wrote earlier about a problem I was having downloading BinHex files via Netscape. Here is a short description of the problem and its solution. In short: I was having a problem with trying to download (on a non-Mac system) and decode (on a Mac) files claiming to be in Binhex format, but which arrived in binary form. Stuffit Expander couldn't process the files, either as .hqx, .sit, or .sea files. Several folks wrote that they had no trouble downloading the same files. I then tried downloading with Mosaic, and all went well! So I figured the problem was with Netscape. It was. Netscape was trying to "help" me download the files. The biggest hint was from Peter, who wrote: "A good guess is that your UNIX-system actually already has debinhexed the files, and the files are now in whatever the underlying format is (probably .sit)." I tried changing the file extension after moving the files to my Mac, but that didn't help any. I would have used ftp, but couldn't find an anonymous ftp directory for the sites I was interested in. Using ftp in Netscape didn't get me to the files, either. I checked the Netscape Helper information, and for BinHex files Netscape had "Unknown:Prompt User" as the action to take. I thought this meant leave things alone. It doesn't. >From "Netscape Handbook: Preferences Panels" http://search.netscape.com/eng/mozilla/3.0/handbook/docs/panels.html#C5 "'Unknown: Prompt User' causes a notification to the user." This information doesn't really mean anything. A notification to do what? Netscape was decoding the file for me even though no specific action was specified for the Helper. Does Netscape have some internal default? Anyway, I finally tried just selecting "Save To Disk" for the action to take for BinHex files, and then downloading worked just as expected! I got .hqx files in text format, without any decoding "help" from Netscape. I could then copy the files to floppy and transport to my Mac, and decode the files there. All is well. I changed this option for .sit and .sea files, too, in case I want to download them. So, to set up Netscape (3.0) to just save the files to disk: Under Netscape's "Options" menubar item select "General Preferences..." then select "Helpers" then select "application/mac-binhex40" then click the "Edit..." box. Check the "Save To Disk" box, instead of "Unknown:Prompt User". The file suffix should be "hqx". Then WinZip or other some program isn't run automatically, and when downloading, a "Save As..." window appears to allow selection of the directory and filename of the saved file. Clicking "OK" in the "Save As..." window then downloads the file and saves the BinHex file as a text file, which can be easily transported to other platforms. Thanks again for the tips I received. -- Mike Cook mlcook@collins.rockwell.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 8 Dec 1997 13:40:11 -0600 From: mlcook@jerez.cca.rockwell.com (Michael Cook) Subject: [Wanted]: Good archival compression util I'd like to be able to archive some large files on my Mac (System 7.3). At this time, I don't have a Zip or other backup system except to backup to floppies via a backup program. I'd like to save on floppies by first compressing the files more than the backup program probably does. Of course, I'd like to be able to uncompress them later. Quicktime movies are among those files I'd like to compress. What free/cheap utils will do this, and where would they be found? Thanks for suggestions, Mike Cook mlcook@collins.rockwell.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 7 Dec 97 10:59:29 -0400 From: Doug Evanitsky Subject: Attaching files to email for Win95? I UUencode E-mail to Wintel people, and I've never heard one complain. In fact, when I E-mail something to my Wintel machine at work, I do that, and it looks just like an attachment that would have been sent from another Wintel machine. I wouldn't compress the file though, because most of *them* don't have Stuffit for Windoze. I have it at work, and it works great, though. Hope this helps Doug - Isn't it a bit unnerving that doctors call what they do "practice"? ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Dec 1997 18:42:28 -0600 (CST) From: jbucy@informns.k12.mn.us (John Bucy) Subject: email viruses In TIDBits#256 it was stated - CIAC says that at this time there are no known viruses which can infect merely through the reading of an email message. My question is - is this still the case? John R Bucy Roseau High School jbucy@informns.k12.mn.us (John Bucy) http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/4434/index.html Define the universe and give three examples. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Dec 1997 12:39:46 -0500 From: "Edward W. Ver Hoef" Subject: FileMaker Pro Question I have been helping a non-profit group with their Mac-related problems. (They characterize themselves as technologically challenged - they're simply users.) Their current problem which has me stumped for a good answer is that they have a very large data base past donors that they use for their mailing list. They would like to create a new copy of the data base each year containing the data necessary for mailings but without the history of past donations. This means clearing out the values in several fields within each record but doing nothing to destroy the record structure, i.e., the fields will all continue to exist, they will simply be empty. I can't think of a neat, non-brute-force way to do this. I suspect that a script might be the answer but I confess I am not very familiar with the use of scripts. Any help from the wizard Info-Mac community would be much appreciated. Ed Ver Hoef ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Dec 1997 06:48:25 -0600 From: marke@knology.net (Mark Eastwold ) Subject: Finding invisible files >I wish the FIND command had an option to find invisible files, but >unfortunately it does not. Has anyone written a utility that can find >hidden files? (I know how to make them visible with ResEdit, but I have to >locate them first.) > >Leslie Ballentine The Find command can locate invisible files! Press/hold the option key down then click on the 'Name' button (the first set of buttons). More options magically appear. Another option is to get the utility UltraFind. Much more flexable find program. http://www.ultradesign.com me ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Dec 1997 23:54:14 -0800 From: Chris Schram Subject: Finding invisible files On Thu, 4 Dec 1997, Leslie_Ballentine@sfu.ca wrote: >I wish the FIND command had an option to find invisible files, but >unfortunately it does not. Has anyone written a utility that can find >hidden files? (I know how to make them visible with ResEdit, but I have to >locate them first.) In Apple's Find File, hold down the option key, then click on the left pop-up pane. You will "find" four more options, one of which is visibility. (There are a few other poorly documented features in Find File.) FWIW, I prefer MacUser's Find Pro III, which had the same basic functionality, but somewhat more accessible controls. Chris Schram -- schram@mail.coos.or.us -- http://www.coos.or.us/~schram ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Dec 1997 11:02:38 -0600 From: Gib Henry Subject: Finding invisible files > Date: Thu, 4 Dec 1997 16:30:42 -0800 (PST) > From: Leslie_Ballentine@sfu.ca > I wish the FIND command had an option to find invisible files, but > unfortunately it does not. [...snip...] Sure it does! Hold down the option key while clicking the search criteria button (defaults to "name"). This also adds the capability to search by CONTENT of files, not just name, and locked/unlocked and custom icons too! Cheers, -- Gib ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Dec 1997 22:20:01 -0800 From: Daly Jessup Subject: Finding invisible files Leslie Ballentine asked: >I wish the FIND command had an option to find invisible files, but >unfortunately it does not. Has anyone written a utility that can find >hidden files? (I know how to make them visible with ResEdit, but I have to >locate them first.) There are many such utilities. My favorite is File Buddy, which is shareware and worth every penny. But first try the Find utility itself. You only THINK it can't find invisible files, but open the File utility and hold option while you press the button that says "Name. Look at the bottom of the drop down list. Magically, if you are pressing the Option key, you now see "Visibility" as an option for searching. (Now, if you use File Buddy or one of the other file utilities similar to it, you can also change the file's invisible tag, which can be very handy for such tasks as deleting the desktop data base and things like that. Anyway, the Find utility is a clever beast, but you have to unearth some of its tricks. Daly Daly Jessup mailto:jessup@san.rr.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 05 Dec 1997 10:49:30 +0000 From: Pat Smith Subject: Finding Invisible Files Leslie Ballentine asked: > I wish the FIND command had an option to find invisible files, but > unfortunately it does not. Has anyone written a utility that can > find hidden files? (I know how to make them visible with ResEdit, > but I have tolocate them first.) Actually, Finder's FIND does have the option to locate invisible files. Call up FIND, then click "More Choices". Hold down the Option key and select the drop-down menu that says "size". At the bottom of the menu will be some new items, including "Visibility". Patricia Smith Epiboly Consulting pibs@concentric.net pibly@aol.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Dec 97 18:36:04 +0100 From: Bissia Subject: Finding invisible files > >I wish the FIND command had an option to find invisible files, but >unfortunately it does not. It does, Once in the Find File app drop down the popup menus while pressing option key and choose for " which 'visibility' is 'invisible' ", press then the enter key or 'Find' button and you'll see the invisible intems ( mostly icon files ) from any selected discs. To make these visible however you'll need something like 'File Buddy'. Read you soon. --------------------------------------------------------> A man walks into a piano and says, "This isn't my ego, it's some absurd collection of colored shirts." Bissia at Eye Cont@ct ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Dec 1997 18:30:29 -0500 From: Squirrelly Subject: Finding invisible files At 16:30 -0800 12/04/97, Leslie_Ballentine@sfu.ca Might Have Wrote This Mess: >I wish the FIND command had an option to find invisible files, but >unfortunately it does not. Has anyone written a utility that can find >hidden files? (I know how to make them visible with ResEdit, but I have to >locate them first.) > Open the find file, Hold Down the Option key while you select the "name" selector, you will now have extra selections on the bottom, one of which is invisability. Semper Mac, Squirrelly ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 05 Dec 1997 08:44:49 -0800 From: mark hurty Subject: finding invisible files > I wish the FIND command had an option to find invisible files, but > unfortunately it does not. Has anyone written a utility that can find > hidden files? (I know how to make them visible with ResEdit, but I have to > locate them first.) > > Leslie Ballentine > Hold down the option key while selecting the menu that defaults to "name." You'll see four additional options: "Contents, Name/Icon Lock, Custom Icon and Visiblility." Mark Hurty hurty@idiom.com ------------------------------ Date: 05 Dec 97 10:38:24 +0000 From: "m. fletcher" Subject: finding invisible files :: I wish the FIND command had an option to find invisible files, :: but unfortunately it does not. i wish my wishes were this straightforward. when doing a find in the finder (with the find file extension installed,) hold down the option key when selecting how the search will be done. in addition to the usual name/date/kind, and so on, there will be extra options including visibility. pretty sure this works in system 7 as well as os 8. good luck. dead nancy http://home.earthlink.net/~deadnancy/ see you in hell! ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 7 Dec 1997 00:31:09 +0200 From: "Dr. Peter Stoyanov" <5040@unforgettable.com> Subject: I'm looking for Chinese-English dictionary I'm looking for shareware/freeware Simplified Chinese - English dictionary. Any help will be greatly appreciated. TIA Peter ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Dec 1997 21:06:30 -0500 (EST) From: Bigbiker69@aol.com Subject: Info-Mac Digest V15 #265 I just got thru checking your problem versus >invisable files<..I have 41 invisable files. It's functional on OS 7.6/8.0. Go to your Find File and as you click on the left popup which reads,>name<, press option key as you do the above. That adds four additional criterea, one of them will be visibility.. Try it.. George bigbiker69@aol.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Dec 97 16:51:32 +1100 From: Mr Stux Subject: Info-Mac Digest V15 #265 >I wish the FIND command had an option to find invisible files, but >unfortunately it does not. Has anyone written a utility that can find >hidden files? (I know how to make them visible with ResEdit, but I have = to >locate them first.) it DOES! and has since the release of 7.5. Simply hold option while choosing from the first popup menu (you know = "name"). Down the bottom will be 4 options Contents Name/Icon Lock Custom Icon Visibility Lovely, The contents option was a bit flaky in the first release. Seems to be = much better now... Not to sure tho. CYA STUX =3D`=DF^) *_The = Land Down Under_* ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Dec 1997 19:44:16 -0800 From: Ellsworth H Harpole (ELLSWORTH HARPOLE) (by Subject: MATH CO-PROCESSSOR FOR MAC CLASSIC II LOOKING FOR SOURCE FOR A MATH CO-PROCESSOR FOR MY MAC CLASSIC II ELLSWORTH harp0038@tc.umn.edu ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 07 Dec 1997 08:38:46 -0800 From: bg4gls@loop.com Subject: Math Coprocessor / Norton Utilities Errors / SCSI ID for internal HD I have a Mac IIci with 20 megs of RAM which I bought used two years ago. I am currently using System 7.5.1 and have not had a system crash since I started using it about a year ago. Lately I have been getting application crashes which are preceded by a "bomb" placard regarding my computer's apparent lack of a "math coprocessor". Curious to me, this happens in word-processing programs (Word 5.1) and graphics programs (Canvas 3.5.4) as well as database and spreadsheets. Also, I have Norton Utilities installed and it is constantly bugging me about my Volume Bit Map being incorrect or errors in my Catalog B-Tree. If I run Norton Disk Doctor and "fix" these things, the error messages come back within a few days. It has been suggested to me that the fact that the computer came to me with the internal hard drive is set to SCSI ID #2, instead of the standard ID #0, could be the "problem". My questions are: 1. What's the deal with this "math-coprocessor" thing? Am I supposed to have one? Is it a problem if I don't? [I use the computer mostly for word processing and 2D, 16-color graphics.] 2. Are these "warnings" from Norton Utilities really something to be taken seriously? 3. Is my "improperly set" hard drive ID really a problem? If so, can I reset it myself? 4. Can / should I run System 8 on my IIci? Thanks very much for providing this forum for asking my questions, Bob Galbreath ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Dec 1997 14:51:38 +0100 From: "Tony D'Emanuele" Subject: News Servers for the Mac - Summary Thanks to everyone who sent me information on New Servers for the Mac. I have not yet had a look at the software, but this is the info. I received: DNews : ftp://ftp.netwinsite.com/pub/netwinsite/dnews/ Newstand: http://www.imagina.com/ RumourMill: http://www.stairways.com/rumormill/ Tony D'Emanuele tony1@ibm.net Manchester, UK ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 06 Dec 1997 15:07:25 -0500 From: Michael Mayer Subject: No sound track for 1984 I have lost the sound track to the great "1984" Mac commercial. All other quicktime movies running on MoviePlayer work fine. Do I need to download another copy of 1984? Thanks-Michael Mayer ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Dec 1997 11:04:28 -0400 From: Richard Duncan Subject: OS 8 & PC Compatible Card I got a PC Compatible Card (no flames please) and am having trouble with it seeing the CD Drive. I'm running OS 8 on mt 8500 PPC. I think I've seen something about using a different CD-ROM driver but have tried putting CD-ROM 5.0.4, (I think), in but it alone doesn't even recognizes the drive in the Mac environment. Any help will be greatly appreciated. You can email me direct if you wish. Richard Duncan ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 06 Dec 1997 07:34:37 -0800 From: Rob Subject: OS 8 finder settings and L2 cache To the many people who responded to my request, thanks. Trashing the finder prefs and downloading the Newer Technologies diagnostic suite "Guages" did the trick. Again, thanks ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Dec 1997 17:21:55 -0500 (EST) From: Peter Macdonald Subject: OS 8 System Settings I had the same experience when I first installed OS 8 on an external HD on my 6100/60; the Finder Preferences would always be lost on reboot. Then I did a clean full installation on the internal HD and the problem hasn't happened since. So I don't think it can be the battery. I think the system can be corrupted and only a clean install can fix it. I think the difference between internal and external HD is less likely to be the cause. ~~~~~ Rob > I set trash warning, finder prefs etc. only to find that upon restarting > they have been 'forgotten.' (Performa 6400-180) Check whether the date and time also reset to something strange. If so, you need to replace the battery on the mainboard. Best wishes, Christian. Peter D.M. Macdonald, D.Phil. McMaster University Professor of Math & Statistics Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4K1 ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Dec 1997 00:02:18 +0100 From: "Stephan (STef) Bondier" Subject: OS 8 System settings Rob asked and has been replied: > >Date: Thu, 4 Dec 1997 23:48:35 +0100 >From: cbuser@access.ch (Christian F Buser) >Subject: OS 8 System settings > >Rob > >> I set trash warning, finder prefs etc. only to find that upon restarting >> they have been 'forgotten.' (Performa 6400-180) > >Check whether the date and time also reset to something strange. If so, >you need to replace the battery on the mainboard. > >Best wishes, Christian. > First, trash your finder preferences. I had identical troubles with my Perf. 6400/180. Just trashed the preferences, and now it works fine. Cheers. -------------------------------------------- Stephan Bondier ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Dec 1997 22:15:49 -0500 From: Bill Guion Subject: PCMCIA Readers Where can one purchase external PCMCIA readers for a Performa? Several digital cameras store pictures on flash memory cards or PCMCIA cards. I would need an external PCMCIA reader to be able to read one of these cards. -----===== Bill Guion =====----- Bill Guion bguion@us.net Do not confuse liberty with license. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Dec 1997 23:22:35 -0600 From: "Charles P. Crawford" Subject: question on modems I'm having a little trouble trying to decide on a new modem. I currently have a Performa 6200CD, and am using the Global Village 14.4 that came with it. I really want to up my speed to 33.6, but can't find any info on modems of that speed anymore - no reviews, ratings etc.. Lots of sources have great prices. How can I decide between a FastMac V.24 from Boca only $70 compared to US Robotics Sportster V.34 for $120? Some comments or recommendations are appreciated. I'm not really interested in $160 for Global Village 56K. Although I'm very happy with the Gobal Village I have now. Charlie C. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Dec 1997 09:30:40 -0700 From: Gordon Moynes Subject: Re; Finding Invisible Files Actually Leslie, "Find" does indeed have an option for invisible files. Once you launch "Find", hold down the "Option" Key as you click on the "name" pulldown menu and you will then seen a few more options to utilize with "Find", including visibility. You may want to tinker as doing a basic search this way will also list all invisible icons unless you re-select the "name" pulldown and de-select icons. hth, Gord >Date: Thu, 4 Dec 1997 16:30:42 -0800 (PST) >From: Leslie_Ballentine@sfu.ca >Subject: Finding invisible files > >I wish the FIND command had an option to find invisible files, but >unfortunately it does not. Has anyone written a utility that can find >hidden files? (I know how to make them visible with ResEdit, but I have to >locate them first.) > >Leslie Ballentine I was going to buy a copy of "The Power Of Positive Thinking", but then I thought, "What the heck good would that do?". ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Dec 1997 08:16:09 -0800 From: Chris Beck Subject: Reading Jaz cartridges on a mac? PC Exchange will do the job. I have been able to read Zip and Jaz cartridges which are DOS formatted, as well as PC formatted floppies just fine. Chris Beck, Student Network Analyst Academic Computing & Media California State University, San Bernardino e-mail : cbeck@acme.csusb.edu ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 8 Dec 1997 10:35:44 -0500 From: pkoch@G-and-O.com Subject: Scan direct to print (Q) I am looking for a utility that allows a scanner/printer setup to=20 function as a simple copy machine=2E Ideally, a single command would=20 scan the image and initiate the printing of a selected number of=20 copies of the image=2E =20 Does anyone know of such a utility? =20 Thanks in advance=2E =20 =20 =20 Paul Koch ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Dec 97 09:11:05 +1000 From: Al Byrne Subject: Setting sound levels on shutdown At about 04/12/97 02:05 (-1100), Hardie, Doug HIM,CA (hardied@CAPO1.HIM.unisys.com) wrote: > >I am looking for a small utility that I can put in the shutdown folder that >will set the sound level to zero when my 3400 (OS 8) is shut down. I >frequently use the PB for sound applications and constantly forget to >manually turn of the volume when shutting down. Doug - this works - type the following, one line AppleScript, into the the script editor set sound volume to 0 save it, as an application - and drop the application in the shutdown items folder. You'll need to have Applescript (supplied with Mac OS 8) and the "Jon's Commands" scripting addition installed - it is available from the archives as /info-mac/dev/osa/jons-commands-201.hqx -- al byrne ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 7 Dec 1997 09:12:51 -0400 From: Laurence Hawkins Subject: Simple File Opening Problem I'm ashamed to pose such an elementary problem, but why, since a HD crash and rebuild, do I get a screen saying "Please insert the disk: Macintosh HD", whenever I try to open a specific file, namely "Netscape Navigator". As soon as I press "Cancel", the file loads immediately. Why the query? And why only this one file? I'm running OS 7.6.1 on a PowerMac 6500/225. Laurence Hawkins ------------------------------ Date: 08 Dec 97 10:26:46 +0000 From: "m. fletcher" Subject: some keyboards are more equal thank others hi, everybody. anyone have a guess why standard startup keyboard commands (zap pram, start without extensions, boot from non-startup disk) would fail using a performantz keyboard on my starmax clone? same commands worked with the bundled motorola keyboard and with an apple keyboard. just curious. dead nancy http://home.earthlink.net/~deadnancy/ see you in hell! ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Dec 1997 18:22:11 +0200 From: "Dr. Peter Stoyanov" <5040@unforgettable.com> Subject: Unkwnow extensions Does anybody knows what for are shareware extensions PowerWindow StillDown I've got them with MacOS8 Mega Pack but without documentatin. TIA Peter ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 7 Dec 1997 14:24:07 -0800 From: roger7@idt.net Subject: Warning to Fastback Users - Don't Use It! Sunday, December 7, 1997 This is a warning to all who are still using Symantec=B9s Norton Utilitie= s for the Macintosh version 3.2. You are strongly advised not to use its backup utility, Fastback, under any circumstances! About once for every gigabyte of backed up data, Fastback makes some sort of error in output to the backup medium which neither it nor its companion, Norton Expand, can use for a successful, error-free restoring of all files. This error is repeatable. Once such an error has occurred, if a repeat backup is performed without changing any of the data to be backed up prior to the point of error and the same compression format used, then the same error will reoccur at the same point in the data. If removable media are used for backup, a switch to another set of these will still result in the same error at the same point in the data output, independently of which physical disk receives it. Unfortunately, there is no indication given of such an error at the time of backup. Only when attempting to do a restore does the error become manifest. At the point in the data where the error is detected, either =46astback in restore mode or Norton Expand will issue the message: "The backup data cannot be read. The backup file may be damaged. If the backup file is on a disk, try running Norton Disk Doctor." The backup file is indeed damaged, but Disk Doctor will not find anyting wrong with it. If the by then distraught user clicks on the "continue" button in hopes of a recovery, the message is almost always repeated in a cluster about the point of error, sometimes in discouragingly large numbers -- I have observed cases requiring over 500 -- until restoration gets moving again. It is interesting to note that even the number of clicks required to get past an error will be the same for repeated attempts at backing up, and therefore constitutes a kind of signature of the error. When the restored files are examined carefully after such an error and sufficiently many repeats of the "continue" button, at the least the file being restored at the time of the error has had an entire 16K block skipped! Thus unless the file is being restored to its original location and was already perfectly intact, its restoration has thereby failed. If the "continue" button strategy is not used, the remaining files can on= ly be restored using Fastback in selective restore mode chosen to skip the particular file at the point of error, and this can only be done by restoring to files' original locations. Doing this requires some degree of courage after encountering such errors as these. Norton Expand cannot do such a selective restore. In a large number of experiments performed with Fastback 3.2.1, I found that this error occurs regardless of the following kinds of circumstances: 1. the form of backup medium, removable or hard disk, 2. the particular computer used, 3. the version of Mac OS currently running, 4. the choice of "Save Disks" or "Save Time" compression, 5. the choice or error correction or not, 6. choosing write-verify option in Fastback backup, 7. choosing write-verify in backup media i/o, 8. doing full or selective backups, 9. which extensions and control panels are enabled, 10. the system disk cache setting, 11. old or freshly installed copies of Fastback and Expand, and 12. replacing Norton Preferences folder. It should be clear from the above evidence that what we are faced with here is a hard programming or algorithmic error in Fastback/Expand which is data-dependent. There are no random elements involved -- the same data set produces the same result, right or wrong. Given all this, to continue to use Fastback is to engage in a kind of Russian Roulette with one's data backup process. Fastback has been in wide use for a very long time, and it must have been responsible for much grief on the part of a great many users! The ironic aspect of this is that the above error message must have made the overwhelming majority of such sufferers think that their backup medium was at fault. Symantec cannot be proud of this particular part of their software production. It is well that they have apparently withdrawn the product from the market. Roger Stafford -------------------------------- --Info-Mac-Digest-- End of Info-Mac Digest ******************************