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Mac OS X and Mac OS 9 |
Mac OS X is designed to provide you with very stable operating system. It hardly crashes. Even one program crashes, Mac OS and other programs will continue to run... Theoretically speaking. But a bad thing can happen - blue screen, rotating bars, color wheels, etc.
If the problem happens with only one program, it is most likely a preference problem. Create a new account (call it Test) in System Preferences with Admin privilege. Log out and log into new Test account. Try the program. If the problem disappears, you need to locate a bad preference in your user account. Log out and log into your user account. Open Preferences in Library in your home folder. Create a new folder in Library (Preferences disabled). Move a group of preferences, log out and log back in. Test. It is a systematical approach to locate a bad preference. We did the same in Mac OS 9 Preferences folder.
If the problem persists, you need to reinstall the program (and Mac OS in some cases).
If your Mac does not reach the desktop, try reinstalling Mac OS X using Archive & Install with preserving user preferences. You need to use Mac OS X install CD or DVD.
1. Turn on and hold down Option key until start up device screen appears.
2. Press Eject button once (or Command and E keys) and place Install CD. Click Circular arrow button. CD will appear. Click Straight arrow button.
3. Mac OS X install begins. When the hard drive icon appears, you need to click Options button. Select Archive (it should be already selected). Click OK and continue installation.
If this process does not fix the problem, you need to take your Mac to a local Apple Service (people like us). Let them handle the problem. |
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Mac OS 9: Assuming your Mac has been working good until this morning,
1. Run Disk First Aid in Utilities folder to examine your Mac to make sure that its hard drive structure is intact.
2. First, check for damaged preference files.
Open Preferences folder in System Folder. Change the view as List and click Date Modified. Move following preferences to Trash - Finder, Power Mgt, TSM, ASLM, Mac OS and System. Then, restart and test.
If the problem persists, move the whole Preferences folder to the desktop, restart and test. If the problem disappear, there is a bad preference in the Preferences folder (on the desktop). Move important preferences files and folder from the old Preferences to the new one in System Folder (e.g. AOL, Netscape Registry and Netscape Users, RemoteAccess, TCP/IP, Modem, etc.)
If your Mac still crashes, try following steps.
3. Next, your System file may be damaged. You need to replace it with new.
Insert Mac OS CD (the same version as in your System Folder) and restart. Immediately hold down C key until a smiling Mac appears. This will force your Mac to start from the CD. If successful, the CD appears first on the desktop.
Open System Folder in the hard drive and trash System and Finder, keeping everything else in System Folder.
Start Mac OS Install on the CD and follow on-screen instructions. Restart after Mac OS installation and select the printer in Chooser. Test your Mac. |
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