News

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.

Week-end Updates: Speed Doubler 1.3.3 and more

a. Connectix has released Speed Doubler 1.3.3, an update for those who still have not updated to Speed Doubler 2.x (first spotted this on Version Tracker). It fixes a few bugs including: "Attempts to copy a folder into another folder inside the first are detected. Attempts to replace a folder with a folder inside the first are detected."

b. Fonts Manager has a very minor update (Mac OS 8 TrueType font suitcase 'Truth' now called 'Charcoal') to version 3.6.7.

c. Three utilities in the Download Library authored by Alessandro Levi Montalcini have been … Read more

File-sharing slow down: possible fixes

Regarding the previously reported slow down when file sharing a large volume, one reader queries whether "the user might inadvertently be sharing every file on their drive by checking the 'Share this volume' box for the large drive." If so, this might lead to the slow down. He also reminds readers of a standard technique for dealing with file-sharing problems: delete the invisible AppleShare PDS file (at the root level of your hard drive); it will get recreated (although you will have to reset your permissions) and might just fix the problem.

QuicKeys and WunderBar

Jean-Luc Warin reports a conflict between WunderBar and QuicKeys (QuicKeys Edit function no longer works). When he contacted CE Software (makers of QuicKeys) about it, they replied:

"We have not had reports of problems with ZMac's WunderBar, but the problem you have described does sound familiar. Although there has been no official testing done by us, it appears that WunderBar is actually manipulating the regular menus in some way. This type of control has been known to cause problems with QuicKeys, due in part because QuicKeys expects to have access to the menu commands, and when other software … Read more