Acrobat Reader 4.0 crashes

Why does Adobe Acrobat Reader 4.0 keep crashing on my PowerBook 1400 (Mac OS 8.6), while it works fine on a desktop Mac under Mac OS 9.0?

Professor Tony Mallet

This could be because you’re trying to use an older version (currently it should be 4.0.5), due to a problem with fonts or preferences, or a straight extension conflict. Make sure you don’t have too many fonts, or any suspect or broken ones, in your Fonts folder (in the System Folder), and try throwing away the Acrobat Reader Preferences file from your Preferences folder. If those don’t help, use Extensions Manager (or Conflict Catcher if you have it) to turn off all non-essential extensions and control panels, and then restart. If this fixes the problem, try turning on, one by one, those which you have just turned off, until the problem recurs. You will then have identified the offending extension or control panel. If it’s essential you use it, you may be able to do so if you change the order in which it is loaded. This is easy in Conflict Catcher, but if you just have Apple’s Extensions Manager you can change this by adding a character to the start of its name, as they load alphabetically.

ATM 4.6.1 and GX Graphics

I updated ATM Deluxe to version 4.6.1, and now I can’t run with it installed without disabling the GX Graphics extension. This means I can’t run some of my applications, including SoftPress Freeway, without first disabling ATM ­ which I also can’t live without.

B Walmisley

ATM 4.6.1, released by Adobe on 19 October, introduced the inability to work with Apple’s GX Graphics extension, something it never complained about in version 4.6 or earlier. According to reports, this effectively disables a large number of applications, including Freeway, MultiAd Creator, and Digital Origin’s EditDV. It also interferes with applications which require WorldScript I support, and there are reports of ATM 4.6.1-based problems with PowerPoint 2001 (disabled printing) and other parts of Office 2001, Lotus Notes, SoundJam and the Toast FireWire extension. So far, there’s no word of a fix from Adobe, and the best solution at the moment is to downgrade to ATM 4.6 or earlier. Adobe appears to have removed earlier versions from its site, so you may need to call them to find out how to obtain a more compatible version.

Serial printer

Is there any way to use a laser printer with my Performa 630, which is running System 7.6 and has serial rather than USB ports?

R Halford

Most recent, cheaper laser printers have stopped offering serial interfaces, instead preferring USB, or else require drivers dependent on Mac OS 8. So you’re likely to get the best choice among printers offered for sale second-hand. However, some laser work-a-likes are still available with serial interfaces, among them the OkiPage 8iM, an LED printer (see Reviews Vol 15 No 24, p31). If you do choose a second-hand printer, it’s easy to see how heavily it has been used by reading the number of pages that it’s already printed (commonly on its test or demo page). You’ll also need to check that suitable printer drivers are available, from the vendor’s Web site.

Mac OS X

I installed Mac OS X public beta on my Power Mac G4 (PCI graphics), on the same single volume as Mac OS 9.0.4. But Mac OS X will not boot completely, hanging shortly after it says it’s checking and configuring. Is Mac OS X incompatible with my computer?

Alix Ingber

Mac OS X public beta should be compatible with your computer, but remember that it’s a far cry from a final release. Treat it with great caution, making sure that you keep full backups of all your work, and ideally you should only install it on systems which you can afford to wipe out completely. As Mac OS X is not another System Folder, you can install it on the same volume (partition) as Mac OS 9, but if Mac OS X messes up that partition at any point, you’ll have to start from scratch. You may find it best, therefore, to partition your hard disk into two or more volumes, and install Mac OS X on an otherwise empty volume.

Incompatible USB, SCSI and even FireWire devices can also cause problems, particularly during installation and the first time you run Mac OS X. It is therefore best if you disconnect all non-essential peripherals before you start installation, and leave them disconnected until Mac OS X is up and running. The same applies to third-party extensions and control panels, particularly those associated with peripherals and low-level functions such as disk and virus protection. Keep a watch on tips being posted on Web sites such as MacFixit (www.macfixit.com), and don’t be afraid to post your own questions there if you need to.

Memory upgrade

I have three different Macs to upgrade, an old Performa 5200, a Power Mac 8600 and a 266MHz iMac. How can I find out what kind of RAM each one needs? How much does adding RAM cost?

R Sanderson

Very old Macs take 72-pin and even 30-pin SIMMs, but modern Macs use either SODIMMs (PowerBooks and older iMacs) or 168-pin DIMMS. Prices fluctuate, so get prices when you actually purchase. Guru, from Newer Technology at www.newertech.com (and on this CD - editor), lists memory configurations for every Mac made, while Crucial Technology’s Memory Selector page at www.crucial.com/uk (pick Apple from the list) shows information on memory requirements, technical explanations of terms, and current UK pricing.

Virtual PC

I use Virtual PC 3.0 for running PC software, but need it to access an RS-232 port. Do I have to buy a PC card for this, or can I get a USB adaptor?

Jamie Nimmo

Connectix Virtual PC should have no problem at all in accessing a suitable USB-to-serial adaptor, such as Keyspan’s, provided you use the latest drivers for the adaptor. Although this type of adaptor is not completely compatible with all possible serial devices, it does an excellent job and is equal to any PCI card (such as the one made by Orange Micro), in this respect at least. However, even traditional Macs with built-in serial ports don’t quite meet the RS-232 serial specification, instead going for the slightly different RS-422 standard. Of course, if you need to connect 9-pin (or older 25-pin) PC devices, you will also need an adaptor to convert that to the Mac’s round mini-DIN pattern.

FileMaker passwords

I have lost my book of admin passwords for the FileMaker Pro 4 databases which I have been developing. How can I crack its password system so that I can access my databases?

Joseph Ortenzi

Unless you have good connections with professional code-breakers in GCHQ, you’re going to be out of luck in cracking into your protected databases. Passwords such as these are carefully encrypted and embedded in the database so that you’re blocked from locating and reading them, even using a binary file editor. If you can’t guess your passwords, or find the book containing them, your work is lost. The one last chance might be to email FileMaker Pro support staff ­ if anyone has any chance of breaking into the databases, they might. This emphasises the importance of keeping duplicate records of all passwords used. If they control files of commercial importance, then you should lodge duplicate copies of the passwords in a safe place, such as your bank. Alternatively, ensure that you (and you alone) will have no problem remembering the passwords ­ and then you’ll only have to make sure that nothing happens to you or your memory.

PowerPoint 98

Whenever I try to launch PowerPoint 98 under Mac OS 8.1, it crashes with a Type 2 error. How can I get it to run?

Kenny Kinnear

Microsoft PowerPoint 98 should run fine on Macs under Mac OS 8.1, so there is clearly something going wrong on your system. Run Disk First Aid and make any necessary repairs, then restart with the minimum number of essential extensions and control panels (using Extensions Manager or Conflict Catcher if you have it). Open the Office folder inside your Microsoft Office 98 folder, and locate the application called Microsoft Office First Run. Double-click on this, and it will ensure that you have the right extensions necessary for PowerPoint.

If you are using Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 or Outlook Express, you’ll also need to open the Microsoft Internet Self-Repair folder, and run Microsoft Internet First Run afterwards, to ensure that all extensions are compatible with it too. Restart, and check that you have sufficient free memory for PowerPoint (at least 14Mb). If PowerPoint will still not run, ensure you have patched it to the current level ­ click on its application icon and use the Finder’s Get Info menu command to see that it’s version 8.0 (7801) or later. If not, you should visit the Microsoft Mactopia Web site (www.microsoft .com/mac) for updates.

CD-R backup

What is the best way of using a CD-R drive for backing up from larger hard disks?

Sean Kingsley

Although you can use conventional backup software, such as the ‘gold-standard’ Retrospect (from Dantz), which can spread large archives across several CD-R disks, you either need to create those archive files on your hard disk before burning them onto a CD, or ensure you have a CD-R capable of packet writing, which not all are.

Most users who employ CD-R for backups burn files and folders straight to the CD, so that they can be seen and used directly. If you have a partition or area on your hard disk in which you can assemble one or two CD’s worth before burning, it’s straightforward to progressively make CDs to cover all the material on your hard disk. Ideally, you should ensure that the folders and files to be burned have been defragmented first, so they can be accessed quickly while the CD is being burned. If they can’t, the buffer may underrun and your CD become ruined, although recent versions of Toast have made this less of a problem.

Don’t forget to put your entire System Folder onto one of the CDs: you can set it to be ‘bootable’ so it can be used to start up your Mac too. Once you’ve made a complete backup, you should then periodically make further CD-R backups containing new and updated files. Don’t forget to add your System Folder to those, from time to time.

Outlook Express errors

When I receive emails in Microsoft Outlook Express 5.02, some of them are not displayed. The message shown instead is that ‘Some text in this message is in a language your computer cannot display’. How can I read them?

Lee Fensom

If this error message is genuine, it means that the emails are in a language which uses two bytes to represent an individual character, rather than one ­ this probably means Chinese or Japanese (Kanji). If you want to view them, you’ll need to install the appropriate language kit and switch the script system, so that you have the right fonts available and WorldScript can work properly in that language. (Of course, you’ll have to know how to read the language yourself.)

It’s also possible that the emails are not in a double-byte language at all, but have simply become corrupted. You should then check your disk is OK (using Disk First Aid), that your System is intact and you have not turned off any essential extensions, and that Outlook Express has not become mangled. Try running Microsoft Internet First Run, to allow it to repair any damaged extensions.

X-Plane flight simulator

I love using X-Plane, the flight simulator. However, it has to run with its CD-ROM inserted, which is a pain, as my Mac periodically accesses it, freezing the simulation briefly. Is there a better way?

Larry Wright

As with many modern games and similar products, X-Plane relies on the data provided on its CD ­ in this case, to load scenery information ­ and when it pauses the simulation, it is doing so to load the next scenery files.

If a game relies on the CD-ROM for copy protection, there is less advantage in making a virtual CD volume, but for most products (including X-Plane) you can eliminate any need for the CD by creating an image of it using Apple’s free Disk Copy.

However, you need around 400Mb of free disk space to store the compressed image of the CD-ROM. Insert the CD-ROM, and drag-and-drop it onto the Disk Copy application icon. Let Disk Copy save the compressed image file onto your hard disk, and take a long break while it makes the image file as this takes some time. You can then eject the CD, double-click on the image file (the file with the suffix .img), and you will have a virtual CD-ROM mounted on the desktop. Once you have finished in X-Plane, drag the CD image to the Trash to free up your hard disk space again.