Self
Help Check List for Classic (OS 8 or 9 Macs)
OS 10 users will encounter few of these problems but for those who do,
please email us until our
OS 10 troubleshooting page is available
Click your area of
interest:
| within applications | printing | faxing | fonts | internet | start-up - SCSI |
| start-up - Extensions | system crashes | disc problems | sad Mac | good housekeeping | |
A
how to do it guide' within an application
Have
a good look across all the menus for the command you need
Is
the palette or window you need open? (Windows Menu)
Have
you made the correct selection?
Have
you chosen the right tool for the job you are doing?
Are
you in the correct application? (check application menu - top right
of your screen)
Have
you used the application's help guide? (hit help on your keyboard or
choose it from a menu)
Have
you checked in the manual? Use the index first.
Have
you visited the manufacturers website?
Is
the problem limited to one particular rogue file? It may be corrupt.
Have
you tried re-installing the application?
Click another area of interest:
| within applications | printing | faxing | fonts | internet | start-up - SCSI |
| start-up - Extensions | system crashes | disc problems | sad Mac | good housekeeping | |
Printing
Problems
If
you can't print check a few simple things (we're sure you already have!)
If
you have a Desktop Printer, select it and choose "Set default printer"
from the Printer Menu
Otherwise, reselect it in the chooser (from Apple Menu) - choose the
type of printer first in the left hand box and then the named printer
in the right hand box. (If it is a Laser, you may have to select AppleTalk
below, first and possibly restart). If it is an Ink jet, you may have
to switch off Apple Talk and select the correct serial port (USB, Printer
or Modem)
Check
it is switched on and the cabling is secure at all connections or junctions
along the way. If you have a USB Hub, check poser and connections there
as well
Have
you chosen the correct printer driver in Page Set Up?
Have
you chosen the correct Paper Quality, Size and source (Tray or manual
feed).
Have
you checked to see you have plenty of toner/ink.
Click another area of interest
| within applications | printing | faxing | fonts | internet | start-up - SCSI |
| start-up - Extensions | system crashes | disc problems | sad Mac | good housekeeping | |
Faxing
Problems
Have
you got the correct modem installed and selected (Control panels>Modem)
Is
the queuing enabled (if not re-enable it from it's application)
Have
you used the correct modifier key to change the print command to fax?
- Usually the "Option" key while choosing Print/Fax from the
File menu in any Application.
Click another area of interest
| within applications | printing | faxing | fonts | internet | start-up - SCSI |
| start-up - Extensions | system crashes | disc problems | sad Mac | good housekeeping | |
Font
problems
If
fonts fail to display or print as expected or come out jaggy or bitmapped:
You
probably have not installed all required parts of the font:
Postscript
fonts require a Bitmap or screen font (often stored in a suitcase and
a Postscript or Printer font to be present in the fonts folder in the
system folder (or in a nominated folder if you are using a font utility
such as Suitcase or ATM
Professional). They also require Adobe Type Manager (ATM) to be present
and active in the Control Panels Folder.
TrueType
fonts simply need to be in the fonts folder (often in a Suitcase) -
no second part required.
Click another area of interest
| within applications | printing | faxing | fonts | internet | start-up - SCSI |
| start-up - Extensions | system crashes | disc problems | sad Mac | good housekeeping | |
Problems
with the Internet
A
tricky one to generalise about. We should point out here that we only
support Rednet Accounts, but here are a few things to try if you can't
dial in:
Is
the modem correctly selected and turned on? (Control panels>Modem)
If
you can hear it dialling but the line hangs there:
Is
the connect script correct? - Look at Control Panel>Remote Access,
Config PPP, Apple Internet Dialler, or PPP depending on your System
version? You may need to refer to your joining details for this
Can't
send or receive email? What client are you using? If Eudora, check you
details in the Special Menu>Settings. If Outlook Express, check your
details in the Tools>Accounts or Edit>Preferences>Accounts
Click another area of interest
| within applications | printing | faxing | fonts | internet | start-up - SCSI |
| start-up - Extensions | system crashes | disc problems | sad Mac | good housekeeping | |
Start-up
Problems - Extensions
If
your Mac stops part of the way through the startup process, with the
Extensions partly loaded, this a sign of an Extension problem.
To
check this, first restart the computer with extensions off by holding
down the shift key at start up.
If
the computer starts up OK without them, then switch them all off in
Extensions Manager (a Control Panel) re-add them one at a time, each
time restarting the computer. When the problem recurs, your culprit
is the last one you switched on. Either remove it, or force it to load
later by prefixing it's name in the System Folder>Extensions folder
with a z or series of zzz's.
Start-up
Problems - SCSI - Only relevant to Macs more than 3 years old
If
your Mac stops part of the way through the startup process, with the
Arrow cursor frozen on the screen, this a sign of a SCSI problem.
To
check this, first remove all SCSI devices - external drives, scanners
etc from the computer.
If
the computer starts up OK without them, then re-add them one at a time,
each time checking that they have a unique ID number (clicker or dial
at the back or underneath the device) between 1 and 6 but avoiding 3.
Check they also have a terminator at the end of the chain and nowhere
else. (Always power down the system before adding or removing cables
and do a full normal start up after each one). If the problem recurs,
it is either the last device or cable you added at fault, or that device
conflicting with an earlier one.
Click another area of interest
| within applications | printing | faxing | fonts | internet | start-up - SCSI |
| start-up - Extensions | system crashes | disc problems | sad Mac | good housekeeping | |
Sad
Macs Symbols etc/ 4Note Chimes
These
are often a sign of a serious hardware error do not attempt to fix yourself.
Call us immediately.
Click another area of interest
| within applications | printing | faxing | fonts | internet | start-up - SCSI |
| start-up - Extensions | system crashes | disc problems | sad Mac | good housekeeping | |
Problems
with the System Crashing
Two
or three crashes per day are not unheard of and by themselves are nothing
to worry about - other than to act as a warning to save your work often.
However,
if there is a pattern to them, action needs to be taken either by you
or us:
First
check your memory settings are set to deafults. Choose Control Panels>Memory>Set
default
If
still problems follow extensions problems procedure above.
Ways
out of a crash
Force
Quit the Application : Command (Apple) + Option (Alt) + Escape
If
not successful:
Forced
Re-start: Command (Apple) + Control + Startup Key
If
still not successful:
Forced
Hard Re-start: Press Emergency restart key (usually a small left facing
triangle icon on a small button) or if all else fails (only to be used
in a dire emergency), Power down, wait 10 secs.and power up again.
Zapping
the pram
(Re-setting
the Parameters)
Hold
down Command (Apple) + Option (Alt) + P + R at startup and keep them
held down until the machine has rebooted 4 times (you will hear the
startup chime.
This
forces all items to be re-set to factory settings and you will have
to re-set the clock, memory and monitor settings
Click another area of interest
| within applications | printing | faxing | fonts | internet | start-up - SCSI |
| start-up - Extensions | system crashes | disc problems | sad Mac | good housekeeping | |
Disc
Problems
Force
to boot to CD or Ext drive:
On
startup: Insert your System CD in the drive and either hold down "C"
until the Mac has started or Command (Apple) + Option (Alt) + Shift
+ Delete (Backspace) until the Mac has started.
or,
for Macs with no CD drive:Boot to Emergency floppy (Disc Tools): Start
up Your Mac with the floppy in the drive.
Once
booted, you should be able to establish with HDSetUp or Drive SetUp
if your Hard Disc is visible or not. If it is, you should be able to
repair or re-format it - obviously re-format will lose all data, you
will have to revert to your last back up.
Hard
Drive Utilities
3rd
Party Utilities such as Norton can be helpful if you know what you are
doing. In the wrong hands, however, they are powerfully destructive
weapons. Remember they are just what they say: Hard Disc Utilities.
We do not support them and they don't give any other information or
help about the state of your Mac - only the hard drive. We strongly
recommend that if you must use them you don't install them on your Mac
but keep the latest edition of the Emergency Disc for recovering lost,
damaged, or accidentally erased files.
Click another area of interest
| within applications | printing | faxing | fonts | internet | start-up - SCSI |
| start-up - Extensions | system crashes | disc problems | sad Mac | good housekeeping | |
Good
Housekeeping
Monthly:
Rebuild the desktop: At startup, hold down Command (Apple) + Option
(Alt) until the Mac has started.
Monthly:
Look in System Folder>Preferences and throw away Finder Preferences
Weekly:
Delete unwanted files.
Always
Try
at least two re-starts, drink two cups of coffee, go for a long walk,
if all else fails drink two large whiskies
Remember
A
Mac is not human but a very obedient and stupid piece of plastic.It
can only do what it has been told. If something goes wrong there is
always a reason so please be patient. Try the above. If no luck, send
us a full report by email or fax and we will do our best to help (subject
to our support terms and charges). If you must phone, please do so in
the Afternoon and bear in mind that it may cost you more.
Click another area of interest
| within applications | printing | faxing | fonts | internet | start-up - SCSI |
| start-up - Extensions | system crashes | disc problems | sad Mac | good housekeeping | |
dave steele mac services (dmac) publish the above information in good faith to the best of their knowledge and experience at the time of publication. They can not be held responsible for any loss of data or consequential financial loss in the event of errors or omissions. This information will updated frequently as new information becomes available and they welcome comments by fax or email on your experiences after following the above advice.
