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PageMaker printing problem in Mac OS 8 (and a work-around)

Russ Blaise writes: "When printing a document in PageMaker 6.5 under Mac OS 8, I sometimes get a warning saying: 'The driver failed to download all the fonts, close some windows or quit some applications and try printing again.'"

Apple Tech Support told him that "there is a conflict between the printer drivers in PageMaker and Mac OS 8." Russ found he could work around this problem if he used the technique of holding down the Option key when selecting Print (which "sort of" bypasses the PageMaker driver in favor of the Apple … Read more

Silverlining Lite disables some Command key shortcuts

Using Silverlining Lite 2.1.1, Mike Beshara found that he could not eject his SyQuest EZ135 cartridges using Command-Y (the shortcut for the Put Away command), although he could do it by selecting Put Away from the Finder's File menu or by dragging the disk icon to the Trash. When he wrote to La Cie about this, they replied:

"In compiling the full release version of Silverlining Lite 2.1.1 we inadvertently disabled all Command functions that would run through Silverlining Lite. All these functions will be restored in the next version of Silverlining Lite which … Read more

Flash! Apple releases 1.2GB Firmware Utility for 1.2GB drives with blinking question mark problems

Apple has just released the promised firmware upgrade utility for Macs with 1.2GB ATA drives that have had blinking question mark startup problems attributed to the drive. Note: you must boot from the utility disk to install the upgrade. More details next time. (Thanks, Version Tracker.)

And in other news...

While not exactly related to troubleshooting, these items relate to Apple's troubles:

Rumor sites gone; Apple's hard line Mac rumor reporting can be a risky business. Several readers have asked me what has happened to MacInsider. It has permanently shut down. No specific reason was given, but other reports (themselves rumors!) suggest that Apple applied legal pressure to get them off the Web. Apparently coincidentally, Mac OS Rumors also disappeared for awhile, although they claim this was due to a dispute with their ISP. They are up and running again, but are still waiting for a new DNS … Read more

Odds & Ends

Startup Doubler 1.0 is out. It's no longer a beta product.

Aaron Light 1.2.1 is out. It "patches the indeterminate progress bars (barber poles) in MT-NewsWatcher 2.3.5, removes the dialog box patch for BBEdit that was causing problems, and fixes a glitch drawing default button borders."

3400 RAM problem O'Grady's PowerPage claims that some of the free 32 Mb modules that Apple is giving away with the purchase of a new PowerBook 3400 may have a problem. "TechWorks has reportedly stated that the RAM cards marked LOT 9732415 (Product #… Read more

PowerBook 3400 modem speed issues:

a follow-up and a tip for preventing slow downs while connected Connection speed Last time, we covered the latest in the debate as to whether or not the internal modem that ships with the PowerBook 3400 really performs as fast as its specs imply. Many readers complain of an inability to get a 28.8 or 33.6 connection with this modem. However, not everyone shares this complaint. After posting this item, I received several emails from readers who said they routinely get connections in this range. For example, Gene Steinberg wrote: "I do get consistent 28,800 bps … Read more

Speaking of TechTool...what about its desktop rebuild problems?

Last month, we reported on several problems with rebuilding the desktop using TechTool 1.1.5. Harold Roeth had some of these same problems, especially the loss of custom icons. A standard rebuild (sans TechTool) fixes the glitches. He wrote to MicroMat about this and they replied as follows:

"We've had about 5 others experience the exact same thing. The other 80,000 people who downloaded 1.1.5 have not experienced this or just haven't bothered to contact us if they have. We suspect this is a bug in the new system for which we are … Read more

Gather ye troubleshooting tips where ye may:

TechTool damage reports, MAXpwr and Mac OS 8 install, Now Utilities, and restoring System icons! Previously, I reported that, after updating to TechTool Pro 1.0.5, the program listed my Mac OS 8 System file as damaged. I similarly found that TechTool 1.1.5 reported the same damage. I finally resolved this issue, and learned a couple of troubleshooting tips along the way. Here's what happened:

First, Jim Carr reminded me (as we had reported on MacFixIt months ago!) that if you hold down the Option key when selecting to analyze files, TechTool (and TechTool Pro) … Read more

New book about Apple

There's a new book out about Apple, although I am not sure you will want to add it to your holiday gift list. It's called "Apple: the Inside Story of Intrigue, Egomania and Business Blunders." It's by Jim Carlton, a technology reporter for the Wall Street Journal.

There's an excerpt in the November issue of Wired.