MacFixIt

Odds & Ends

a. Large DIMMs problem: an Apple response Ric Ford has been tracking the problem ( also covered here) of certain RAM configurations causing crashes and/or slowing network performance (on PCI-based Macs). MacInTouch posted an official answer from Apple on the subject. Essentially, Apple claims that it is due to the fact that "some third-party RAM does not interleave correctly."

Navigator Enhancer

Navigator Enhancer is a new utility that allows you to custom edit the buttons (such as "What's New?" and "What's Cool?") at the top of the Navigator window.

Update: Navigator Button Editor v1.1 appears to have a similar function.

XClaim VR upgrade

A new version of the XClaim VR driver software should be out soon. It fixes some bugs and adds new video capture features. In the more distant future, we may see a new version of the VR card itself - using the faster Rage Pro chip rather than the current Rage II chip.

Update: Looks like this new software has in fact been released already (sorry for the confusion!). There is an apparently new version 2.1 (the Read Me file is dated June 6, with a posting date of June 9) available from ATI's ftp site and web site. … Read more

Text highlighting problem: a follow-up

Many people wrote to confirm the text highlighting problem mentioned last time. Avariety of possible solutions were suggested but there was no convergence on any one solution. However, two readers (Stephen Panarelli and Dave Ritter) did agree that the cause for the symptom on their Macs was a problem with corrupt or incorrectly located print spool files (as found in the Print Monitor Documents folder). Deleting these files, or disabling Print Monitor solved the problem. Finally, a couple of readers noted that this problem has been around through several versions of the system software.

Explorer cache file saving problem: a follow-up

Alain Chan-To-Hing says that he had the problem with storing Explorer cache files on a ShrinkWrap image ( as reported last time). He further claims that he solved it by creating an alias of the ShrinkWrap image, renaming it "Explorer Cache" and putting it in the Explorer preference folder.

However, Chrisvargas and David Pickett report problems with Explorer reading cache files stored on a ShrinkWrap image. So, even if you get the cache files to stay there, your problems may not be over.

Latest news on the Drive Setup problem

Apple continues to work hard at solving the previously reported problems with Drive Setup 1.2.4. They now confirm that they have duplicated the problem in their labs. Most instances of the problem appear limited to "drives originally initialized using HD SCSetup 7.3.5." The cause of the same symptom on the PowerBook 3400 is still under investigation. More details should be available soon, including the plans for rolling out a fix.

Kaleidoscope and Global Village conflict: the final word

Greg Landweber, author of Kaleidoscope, offers these comments regarding the previously reported conflict between Kaleidoscope and Global Village's FAX software:

"There is a bug in Kaleidoscope 1.6 that causes a crash whenever you click on a scroll bar in any of the Global Village FAX windows. This problem happens with all color schemes, and only when you click on a scroll bar. You should be able to FAX without problems if you avoid clicking any scroll bars. I have just fixed this conflict, and I hope to release a new version of Kaleidoscope in a week or … Read more

Week-end web sites

a. Looking for more benchmark statistics, including for the new the 2400? Try The Mac and Mac Clone Performance Comparison Page.

b. Need help replacing your Mac's internal battery? Check the Macintosh Logic Board Battery Information page.

c. Looking for help with Photoshop? Try Download.com's Photoshop Survival Guide.

d. Looking for useful info on 56K modems? Try Daniel Knight's No Hype 56k Modem page.