Another reminder: PowerPC plug-ins don't mix with Universal applications (Safari and others)

Though we've covered the issue several times, a constant stream of user encounters with the problem bears repetition of an explanation.

MacFixIt reader Thomas recently wrote:

"This attached message pops up while using Safari. Do you know how to get rid of this message? Can't watch videos or successfully surf the internet. If you can't help - do you know who can. I am using the new iMac with an Intel chip."

If you are running into an issue like Thomas' on an Intel-based Mac -- where plug-ins for some applications are not operating correctly, or the Universal Binary's Intel code appears to be buggy -- it may be the result of a PowerPC plug-in operating under a Universal application.

Problems with plug-ins occur when an application is run natively in the Intel environment, but some of its plug-ins have not yet been updated and attempt to run in PowerPC (Rosetta) mode. When this happens, Mac OS X is unable to separate the tasks and simultaneously run the application in native Intel-mode alongside the plug-in in Rosetta.

If you need to make use of the plug-ins, you can tell Mac OS X to force a Universal application to run in the Rosetta emulation environment. When this option is selected, only the PowerPC code will run.

This can be accomplished by accessing the Get Info pane for an application (select the application in the Finder, go to the File menu and choose Get Info or press Command-I), then clicking the checkbox labeled "Open using Rosetta." One such scenario where forcing an application to run in Rosetta is necessary involves Safari.

As noted in Knowledge Base article #303059, you might see an alert message that you don't have a certain plug-in installed (for example, a plug-in to play multimedia content within a web page) even though you do have a plug-in installed when running the Universal Binary of Safari on an Intel-based Mac.

Apple says the solution is to "check with the plug-in's vendor to see if the there is a Universal plug-in format version available (or "Universal binary"). If so, download and install that version of the plug-in. If no such version is available, you can run Safari with Rosetta to avoid the issue."

Feedback? Late-breakers@macfixit.com.

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