OnyX Questions

I just downloaded OnyX to my Mac about 45 minutes ago. I have two questions:
1. Does OnyX absolutely need to verify the disk every time it starts up? If not, how do I disable this?
2. When I change the OnyX icon, is it supposed to replace the original icon in the dock? Because it's not. The new icon is just in the toolbar of OnyX. I changed the icon to the Hawtin Design. I restarted OnyX after I made this change, and the dock icon still doesn't appear to change to the new design.
Can anyone help?
iBook G4 14'' 30GB HD 1.2 GHz PowerPC 256MB Mac OS X (10.4.9) (RED) 2nd Gen 4GB iPod Nano•••Black 1st Gen 2GB iPod Nano

See my other thread that I replied to your question:
http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=4460578#4460578

Similar Messages

Sorry. One More OnyX Question!

Sorry. I just realized I had one more question pertaining to OnyX. When I'm on the Optimization page, it says to either "update" or "complete optimization" options for optimization. What do either of those options mean? I'm just a little scared to try any of those things if I don't know what they do.
Thanks,
Rodriguez_Prime
iBook G4 14'' 30GB HD 1.2 GHz PowerPC 256MB Mac OS X (10.4.9) (RED) 2nd Gen 4GB iPod Nano•••Black 1st Gen 2GB iPod Nano

Rodriguez,
If you value your data, you will sit down and understand what it means to backup your data. Lack of patience is no excuse. You'd have even more lack of patience with your machine when you lose it all. Keep at least two copies of everything at all times. Don't reformat your hard drive without making sure there are two external copies of your data. Methods of backing up vary by individual. If you are the kind who lacks patience, run a clone every night the weather is known to be good with Superduper. It has the least complicated interface. Use a couple external Firewire hard drives at least the size of the internal hard drive to make the clone. An iPod is not a backup, since software copying music from the iPod to the computer is unreliable.
Upgrade only when you need to, and are aware that everything you have works with the update before you do upgrade. And repair permissions before and after with Applications -> Utilities -> Disk Utility.
Upgrade and backup only when you have no peripherals attached other than Apple's own (i.e. keyboard, mouse). A display is not affected by updates or backups, as long as there is no USB or Firewire plugged into the display.

Question about using onyx for maintenance.....

after using this app to maintain, clean up, and clear cahes, log files etc, the applications used to open certain files as default was changed and as a result so were their icons...
when i restarted my mac i noticed that some of my files (mainly .doc) where given the default icon picture instead of the microsoft word icon and i had to re set them all to open as default with microsoft word
i know this is a result of something ive done in onyx but am unsure which
any help apprecited, thanks

Onyx is third-party software. If you need support or questions answered regarding its use you should contact the developer via his/her web site. These Discussions only provide support for Apple products.

Quick question on Onyx maintanance

Hi All,
I dont know if i'm just not seeing something, but i wanted to run system maintanance on my macbook with Onyx. Per some other threads in this forum, i've read that this program is a good one to run maintanance. However, i dont know how to get the program to perform the maintanance. In other words, i open the program, i can click on all the tabs and the program runs fine, but is there a button or something that says "start system maintanance" or anything else along those lines? I just want to be sure that my macbook is running at tip top shape, especially since i have 2 GB of RAM and i feel that its slowed down a little bit since i installed the RAM (but RAM is fine, i've tested it).
Thanks for any tips.

Hi Sandra -
I believe you can tailor the items that Onyx 'cleans' ...in the Automation Page for example, unchecking 'Resetting LaunchServices database' would most likely solve your opening of applications problem. As far as passwords I'd take a look at disallowing certain Caches to be cleared.
I can't say for certain (not having experimented long enough with them) - but you should be able modify the cleaning experience.
Onyx has it's own forum as well...
Macbook 1.8-) Mac OS X (10.4.8) Week 38 base model w/1G Ram

Help! (Data Recovery best practices question)

Recently my fiancé's Macbook (first White model that used an Intel chipset) running 10.6.2 began to behave strange (slow response time, hanging while applications launch, etc). I decided to take an old external USB HD I had lying around and format it on my MBP in order to time machine her photo's and itunes library. Time machine would not complete a backup and I could not get any of the folders to copy through finder(various file corrupt errors). I assumed it could be a permission issue so I inadvertantly fired up my 10.5 disk and did a permission repair. Afterwards the disk was even more flaky (which I believe was self inflicted when I repaired with 10.5).
I've since created a 10.6.2 bootable flash key and went out and bought Disk Warrior (4.2). I ran a directory repair and several disk util repairs but was still unable to get the machine to behave properly (and unable to get time machine to complete). Attempting to run permission repairs while booted to USB or the Snow Leopard install disk resulted in it hanging at the '1 minute remaining' for well over an hour. My next step was to re-install Snow Leopard but the install keeps failing after the progress bar completes.
As it stands now the volume on the internal HD is not bootable and I'm running off my usb key boot drive using 'CP -R *' in terminal to copy her user folder onto the external USB hard drive. It seems to be working, but it's painfully slow (somewhere along the lines of maybe 10 meg per half an hour with 30gb to copy) I'm guessing this speed has to do with my boot volume running off a flash drive.
I'm thinking of running out and grabbing a firewire cable and doing a target boot from my MBP hoping that that would be a lot faster than what I'm experiencing now. My question is, would that be the wisest way to go? My plan of action was to grab her pictures and music then erase and reformat the drive. Is it possible that I could try something else with Disk Warrior? I've heard a lot of good things about it but I fear that I did a number on it when I accidently ran 10.5 permission repair on the volume.
Any additional help would be appreciated as she has years of pictures on there that I'd hate to see her loose.

That sounds like a sensible solution, although you need not replace the original drive. Install OS X on the external drive, boot from it and copy her data. Then erase her drive and use Disk Utility's Restore option to clone the external drive to the internal drive. If that works then she should continue using the external drive as a backup so the next time this happens she can restore from the backup.
For next time: Repairing permissions is not a troubleshooting tool. It's rarely of any use and it does not repair permissions in a Home folder. If a system is becoming unresponsive or just slower then there's other things you should do. See the following:
Kappy's Personal Suggestions for OS X Maintenance
For disk repairs use Disk Utility. For situations DU cannot handle the best third-party utilities are: Disk Warrior; DW only fixes problems with the disk directory, but most disk problems are caused by directory corruption; Disk Warrior 4.x is now Intel Mac compatible. TechTool Pro provides additional repair options including file repair and recovery, system diagnostics, and disk defragmentation. TechTool Pro 4.5.1 or higher are Intel Mac compatible; Drive Genius is similar to TechTool Pro in terms of the various repair services provided. Versions 1.5.1 or later are Intel Mac compatible.
OS X performs certain maintenance functions that are scheduled to occur on a daily, weekly, or monthly period. The maintenance scripts run in the early AM only if the computer is turned on 24/7 (no sleep.) If this isn't the case, then an excellent solution is to download and install a shareware utility such as Macaroni, JAW PseudoAnacron, or Anacron that will automate the maintenance activity regardless of whether the computer is turned off or asleep. Dependence upon third-party utilities to run the periodic maintenance scripts had been significantly reduced in Tiger and Leopard. These utilities have limited or no functionality with Snow Leopard and should not be installed.
OS X automatically defrags files less than 20 MBs in size, so unless you have a disk full of very large files there's little need for defragmenting the hard drive. As for virus protection there are few if any such animals affecting OS X. You can protect the computer easily using the freeware Open Source virus protection software ClamXAV. Personally I would avoid most commercial anti-virus software because of their potential for causing problems.
I would also recommend downloading the shareware utility TinkerTool System that you can use for periodic maintenance such as removing old logfiles and archives, clearing caches, etc. Other utilities are also available such as Onyx, Leopard Cache Cleaner, CockTail, and Xupport, for example.
For emergency repairs install the freeware utility Applejack (not compatible with Snow Leopard.) If you cannot start up in OS X, you may be able to start in single-user mode from which you can run Applejack to do a whole set of repair and maintenance routines from the commandline. Note that AppleJack 1.5 is required for Leopard. AppleJack is not compatible with Snow Leopard.
When you install any new system software or updates be sure to repair the hard drive and permissions beforehand. I also recommend booting into safe mode before doing system software updates.
Get an external Firewire drive at least equal in size to the internal hard drive and make (and maintain) a bootable clone/backup. You can make a bootable clone using the Restore option of Disk Utility. You can also make and maintain clones with good backup software. My personal recommendations are (order is not significant):
1. Retrospect Desktop (Commercial - not yet universal binary)
2. Synchronize! Pro X (Commercial)
3. Synk (Backup, Standard, or Pro)
4. Deja Vu (Shareware)
5. Carbon Copy Cloner (Donationware)
6. SuperDuper! (Commercial)
7. Intego Personal Backup (Commercial)
8. Data Backup (Commercial)
9. SilverKeeper 2.0 (Freeware)
10. MimMac (Commercial)
11. Tri-Backup (Commercial)
Visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQs on maintenance, optimization, virus protection, and backup and restore.
Additional suggestions will be found in Mac Maintenance Quick Assist.
Referenced software can be found at www.versiontracker.com and www.macupdate.com.

A few questions before proceeding to uninstall/reinstall Mountain Lion

Since I'm new to this forum I inadvertently closed the discussion that I initiated myself without it being resolved, so I'll copy what I had asked in the previous discussion over to a new thread:
23-Oct-2012 16:08 (in response to ds store)
Since yesterday I've done this:
Safe boot
smc reset
pram reset
hardware test looped 5 times off of original discs: no trouble
check battery: good condition
reinstalled flash with click for flash in Safari, updated Firefox to 16
Startup Manager: Volumes are Mac hd and recovery 10.8.1: did repair disk and permissions repair
Onyx: did everything and rebooted. There was trouble with epson permissions that was fixed and still recurred, went to users and deleted printers and then went to epson and downloaded uninstall from July 2012 and removed with that anything that was there
Still crashes though, so I thought I would do this, I'm nervous about it though:
command r boot off Recovery HD partition and Disk Utility Erase with Security Option: Zero the OS X drive/partition. Check under Partition: Options: GUID and Format: OS X Extended Journaled and apply if not already set.
Quit and install 10.6 or 107+ from Apple's servers.
Reboot, use the same user name as before (different password advised)
quit and install 10.6 or 107, what is 107? does this mean 10.8? I'm confused by that
so I must write down the user name, not the owner name, both of which I changed
I also before had created a new user and deleted my friends user accounts, so that was done already but didn't help.
when you say different password advised, you mean change that later in users?
When adobe asks for id are they asking for my id that I created to get to this forum or my user name and computer password or the computer name and password?
I'm ready to do this once I get things ironed out.....I'm afraid something awful will happen....but I guess I've done what I can for the most part otherwise.
Thank you for your help, it's been great!
23-Oct-2012 16:28 (in response to ds store)
I also did try to command r and reinstall mountain lion but when I entered my adobe id they said that it has not been used in the app store.....
so I'm not sure where that leads, whether entering my friends id and password might have lead to a free reinstall or even how to get any reinstall,
however I'm happier with the idea of a fresh restart...but worried I won''t be allowed to or run into a message like that ....or it will cost a huge amount
but you say I believe that it is quite simple and free?
23-Oct-2012 16:31 (in response to ds store)
"quit and install from apple servers"
is this something that happens within the program without rebooting? Is the "install from apple servers"given as a prompt after you select the "quit" button?
23-Oct-2012 16:42 (in response to ds store)
Do I need to download and install this?
http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1492
I have noticed that somethings have improved with all these changes, I continue to delete programs that seem outdated and unneccesary, however there still seems to be lots of crashes, and a clean install deleting everything and starting again with mountain lion is what I'd like to do once I get these final things sorted out.
Thank you

No, please don't do that. Here's how you do one or the other:
Downgrade Lion/Mountain Lion to Snow Leopard
1. Boot from your Snow Leopard Installer Disc. After the installer
      loads select your language and click on the Continue
      button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the
      Utilities menu.
2. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the
      mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Note the SMART status
      of the drive in DU's status area. If it does not say "Verified" then
      the drive is failing or has failed and will need replacing. SMART
      info will not be reported on external drives. Otherwise, click on
      the Partition tab in the DU main window.
3. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions
      from the drop down menu to one. Set the format type to Mac OS
      Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, set the
      partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Click on
      the Partition button and wait until the process has completed.
4. Quit DU and return to the installer. Install Snow Leopard.
This will erase the whole drive so be sure to backup your files if you don't have a backup already. If you have performed a TM backup using Lion be aware that you cannot restore from that backup in Snow Leopard (see below.) I suggest you make a separate backup using Carbon Copy Cloner.
If you have Snow Leopard Time Machine backups, do a full system restore per #14 in Time Machine - Frequently Asked Questions. If you have subsequent backups from Lion, you can restore newer items selectively, via the "Star Wars" display, per #15 there, but be careful; some Snow Leopard apps may not work with the Lion files.
Reinstalling Lion/Mountain Lion Without Erasing the Drive
Boot to the Recovery HD: Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the menu screen appears. Alternatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.
Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions: Upon startup select Disk Utility from the main menu. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions as follows.
When the recovery menu appears select Disk Utility. After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the main menu.
Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion: Select Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion and click on the Continue button.
Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible because it is three times faster than wireless.
Install or Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion from Scratch
Be sure you backup your files to an external drive or second internal drive because the following procedure will remove everything from the hard drive.
Boot to the Recovery HD:
Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the menu screen appears. Alternatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.
Erase the hard drive:
1. Select Disk Utility from the main menu and click on the Continue button.
2. After DU loads select your startup volume (usually Macintosh HD) from the left side list. Click on
      the Erase tab in the DU main window.
3. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Optionally, click on the Security button and set the Zero
        Data option to one-pass. Click on the Erase button and wait until the process has completed.
4. Quit DU and return to the main menu.
Reinstall Lion: Select Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion and click on the Install button.
Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible because it is three times faster than wireless.

I have 2 imac computers and here are my questions: first, how to I transfer the information from my contact directory from my old imac into my new imac and once the information is transfered how can I print it? Second: I have a large music collection in m

have 2 imac computers and here are my questions: first, how to I transfer the information from my contact directory from my old imac into my new imac? Once the information is transfered how can I print it? Second: I have a large music collection in my old Imac computer how do I transfer this information to my new computer? Also how can I share this information with other computers at home?

I think you may find helpful information here:
A Basic Guide for Migrating to Intel-Macs
The Knowledgebase article Intel-based Mac: Some migrated applications may need to be updated refers to methods of dealing with migrating from PowerPC chips to Intel with the Migration Assistant safely. The authors of this tip have not had a chance to verify this works in all instances, or that it avoids the 10.6.1 and earlier Guest Account bug that caused account information to get deleted upon use of the Migration/Setup Assistant. However, a well backed up source that includes at least two backups of all the data that are not connected to your machine will help you avoid potential issues, should they arise. In event it does not work, follow the steps below.
If you are migrating a PowerPC system (G3, G4, or G5) to an Intel-Mac be careful what you migrate. Keep in mind that some items that may get transferred will not work on Intel machines and may end up causing your computer's operating system to malfunction.
Rosetta supports "software that runs on the PowerPC G3, G4, or G5 processor that are built for Mac OS X". This excludes the items that are not universal binaries or simply will not work in Rosetta:
Classic Environment, and subsequently any Mac OS 9 or earlier applications
Screensavers written for the PowerPC System Preference add-ons
All Unsanity Haxies Browser and other plug-ins
Contextual Menu Items
Applications which specifically require the PowerPC G5 Kernel extensions
Java applications with JNI (PowerPC) libraries
See also What Can Be Translated by Rosetta.
In addition to the above you could also have problems with migrated cache files and/or cache files containing code that is incompatible.
If you migrate a user folder that contains any of these items, you may find that your Intel-Mac is malfunctioning. It would be wise to take care when migrating your systems from a PowerPC platform to an Intel-Mac platform to assure that you do not migrate these incompatible items.
If you have problems with applications not working, then completely uninstall said application and reinstall it from scratch. Take great care with Java applications and Java-based Peer-to-Peer applications. Many Java apps will not work on Intel-Macs as they are currently compiled. As of this time Limewire, Cabos, and Acquisition are available as universal binaries. Do not install browser plug-ins such as Flash or Shockwave from downloaded installers unless they are universal binaries. The version of OS X installed on your Intel-Mac comes with special compatible versions of Flash and Shockwave plug-ins for use with your browser.
The same problem will exist for any hardware drivers such as mouse software unless the drivers have been compiled as universal binaries. For third-party mice the current choices are USB Overdrive or SteerMouse. Contact the developer or manufacturer of your third-party mouse software to find out when a universal binary version will be available.
Also be careful with some backup utilities and third-party disk repair utilities. Disk Warrior, TechTool Pro , SuperDuper , and Drive Genius work properly on Intel-Macs with Leopard. The same caution may apply to the many "maintenance" utilities that have not yet been converted to universal binaries. Leopard Cache Cleaner, Onyx, TinkerTool System, and Cocktail are now compatible with Leopard.
Before migrating or installing software on your Intel-Mac check MacFixit's Rosetta Compatibility Index.
Additional links that will be helpful to new Intel-Mac users:
Intel In Macs
Apple Guide to Universal Applications
MacInTouch List of Compatible Universal Binaries
MacInTouch List of Rosetta Compatible Applications
MacUpdate List of Intel-Compatible Software
Transferring data with Setup Assistant - Migration Assistant FAQ
Because Migration Assistant isn't the ideal way to migrate from PowerPC to Intel Macs, using Target Disk Mode, copying the critical contents to CD and DVD, an external hard drive, or networking will work better when moving from PowerPC to Intel Macs. The initial section below discusses Target Disk Mode. It is then followed by a section which discusses networking with Macs that lack Firewire.
If both computers support the use of Firewire then you can use the following instructions:
1. Repair the hard drive and permissions using Disk Utility.
2. Backup your data. This is vitally important in case you make a mistake or there's some other problem.
3. Connect a Firewire cable between your old Mac and your new Intel Mac.
4. Startup your old Mac in Transferring files between two computers using FireWire.
5. Startup your new Mac for the first time, go through the setup and registration screens, but do NOT migrate data over. Get to your desktop on the new Mac without migrating any new data over.
If you are not able to use a Firewire connection (for example you have a Late 2008 MacBook that only supports USB:)
1. Set up a local home network: Creating a small Ethernet Network.
2. If you have a MacBook Air or Late 2008 MacBook see the following:
MacBook (13-inch, Aluminum, Late 2008) and MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2008)- What to do if migration is unsuccessful;
MacBook Air- Migration Tips and Tricks;
MacBook Air- Remote Disc, Migration, or Remote Install Mac OS X and wireless 802.11n networks.
Copy the following items from your old Mac to the new Mac:
In your /Home/ folder: Documents, Movies, Music, Pictures, and Sites folders.
In your /Home/Library/ folder:
/Home/Library/Application Support/AddressBook (copy the whole folder) /Home/Library/Application Support/iCal (copy the whole folder)
Also in /Home/Library/Application Support (copy whatever else you need including folders for any third-party applications)
/Home/Library/Keychains (copy the whole folder) /Home/Library/Mail (copy the whole folder) /Home/Library/Preferences/ (copy the whole folder) /Home /Library/Calendars (copy the whole folder) /Home /Library/iTunes (copy the whole folder) /Home /Library/Safari (copy the whole folder)
If you want cookies:
/Home/Library/Cookies/Cookies.plist /Home/Library/Application Support/WebFoundation/HTTPCookies.plist
For Entourage users:
Entourage is in /Home/Documents/Microsoft User Data Also in /Home/Library/Preferences/Microsoft.
Credit goes to Macjack for this information.
If you need to transfer data for other applications please ask the vendor or ask in the Discussions where specific applications store their data.
5. Once you have transferred what you need restart the new Mac and test to make sure the contents are there for each of the applications.
Written by Kappy with additional contributions from a brody.Revised 5/21/2011

Spinning ball problems--need to do a clean install--have questions

Hi
background:
I have a G4 (quicksilver) since July 2002, it came with OS9.2 and OS10.1.3. I've upgraded a few times since and currently have 10.3.9. I mainly work in OS9.2 due to most of my programs being used are only in 9 and the PC network I'm hooked up to likes it better. I boot up in 9.2 -- 80%of the time.
I'm not sure when the problem started in OSX since I'm not working there alot but I started to get the spinning ball in installer, software update and some preferences. So I reloaded (archive/install) from 10.3.5 upgrade disk but couldn't further upgrade to 10.3.9 due to that spinning ball-- still there even after I reloaded 10.3.5.
I've run Disk Utility from the 10.3.5 upgrade disk (repaired disk, repaired permissions) and then I again reloaded (archive install) 10.3.5 and then upgraded to 10.3.9 and this time it worked because I went immediately to the 10.3.9 to install.
BUT I still have the spinning balls in almost everything. Almost seems worse now. I can't even use Disk Utility from the utility folder on my mac without getting the spinning ball.
OS9.2 is fine and I would like to leave it that way.
But it's looking like I need to do a clean install--which means I'll have to reload OS9.2 -- correct?
My question is for a clean install do I need to go back to the original disks that came with my Mac (OS10.1.3) or can I do a clean install with the 10.3.5 upgrade disks. And if I do a clean install from 10.3.5 can I still install OS9.2?
Also what are those Software Restore disks for? They came with the original set of CDs, are they used in the clean install?
Thanks for any help you can give
Power Mac G4 (quicksilver) Mac OS X (10.3.9)
G4 quicksilver Mac OS X (10.3.9)

Keith:
Welcome to Apple Discussions.
You really should start a new topic, as threadjacking is frowned upon in these Forums.
The spinning ball or the beachball effect is a result of the computer spinning its wheels, so to speak, as it does not have sufficient computing power to deal with the task at hand. This can be caused by many things.
I am almost certain that it has nothing to do with the latest Panther update. I did them all with no problem.
Is there a way to deal with it?
1. Sufficient RAM
2. Sufficient available HDD capacity.
3. Regular maintenance.
4. Repairing Disk Permisssions before and after any installations.
In terms of RAM you should aim to max out your RAM if you can. I don't have much information on your computer specs so I can't give any more specific information about that.
You should have 10 to 15 percent of your internal HDD as free space. This gives your computer room for virtual memory to be most efficient.
Here is an article on maintenace that has good advice and links to resources: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=607640&#607640
In addition to repairing permissions, another simple procedure is to reset the PRAM. You should boot from your install disk and run Repair Disk from Disk Utility on the install disk. I run monthly diagnostics and repairs with Tech Tool Pro or Disk Warrior. In addition running regular CRON cleaning with a utility like MacJanitor, Cocktail, Macaroni or Onyx (all linked in the article above) keeps your machine running smoothly and minimizes the potential for major problems.
I think I have given you enough to chew on for now. Post back if you have further questions.
Good luck.
cornelius

Older disk utility question

I can't find my installation disks for 10.4. The most recent one I can find is 10.2
I ran verify disk on Onyx and it told me the disk needed repair and that I needed to run disk utility from the cd.
1. is there any difference between the 10.2 disk utility and the newer 10.4 version that might corrupt the system?
2. I ran multiple tests with Tech tool pro and passed everything. Is there something Disk Utility does that tech tool pro isn't doing?

Wow, you do your research in addition to answering everyone's questions! Apple should be paying you. I'll offer some personal comments, which I'm sure you're familiar with. I'm not a Mac specialist; but as one very experienced system programmer once said to me, 'All operating systems are basically the same'.
I discover things by using theory, then discover them wrong in an 'Ars Technica' article, because Mac changed something. The Wikipedia is essential for puzzling terms and even basics.
In addition to Apple's incomparable 'Help System', 'Apple Support', and 'Apple Boards', I can recommend independent forums (though I don't use them). CNET has a list:
http://forums.cnet.com/mac-forums/
Some favorites are
MacFixIt Forums
http://archive.macfixitforums.com/?tag=blankArea.1
MacRumors Forums:
http://forums.macrumors.com/forumdisplay.php?f=78
Printing
My preference has always been HP inkjet printers, if only for their level of support in CUPS for MacOSX and GNU/Linux. Using their inks & papers, I can spend my time on research rather than fiddling with ICC profiles. (I think I had four drivers, three CUPS PDD's and the standard one.) Rather than change my 'presets', I created a different virtual printer for duplex B&W, 4x6 glossy color, &c. Nice for OOUI users.
Debian GNU/Linux has an HP control panel for fine adjustments, ink levels, etc. There are better printers, I'm told; but HP is Mac & Linux friendly:
HP Support Forum for Mac Printing and Scanning
http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Mac-printing-and-scanning/bd-p/Macintosh

Persistent Flashing Question Mark Folder Icon, after Repair & Rebuild-THX!

Hello All,
Thank you in advance for any insights.
For the past week, one/two days after a force re-boot, my Quicksilver Mac (OSX 10.4.11 and OS 9 Classic) starts up with the dreaded flashing question mark folder.
The start up disk has always been on "Mac OS X, 10.4.11 on main stuff" ("main stuff" is the name of the hard drive.)
The first time, I ran DiskWarrior and rebuilt the hard drive, which is kind of new as it was replaced in April 2009. Then I ran OnyX and got a clean bill of health. The Mac was shut down at the end of the day as is my habit via turning off the power strip.
If it helps, here's part of the DiskWarrior report:
• 13 files had a directory entry with an incorrect text encoding value that was repaired.
• 340 files had a damaged extended attribute that was repaired.
• 3 folders had a directory entry with an incorrect custom icon flag that was repaired.
• Incorrect values in the Volume Information were repaired.
Disk Information:
Files: 370,719
Folders: 85,161
Free Space: 92.55 GB
Format: Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
Block Size: 4 K
Disk Sectors: 268,171,472
Media: WDC WD5000AAKB-00H8A0
The next day, the flashing question mark folder reappeared. This time I used the original system installer CD (labeled Power Mac G4 OS X Install). Disk Utility made its repairs. And this time, the computer was put to sleep instead.
In the morning, it woke up, the wireless optical mouse worked for a few seconds, the hard drive is humming along then all of a sudden the arrow (mouse) froze and none of the keys on the keyboard functioned.
After some research, I deleted the energy saver preference (powermanager.list?) and ran Disk Utility again. And again, I shut down b/c I wasn't going to use the Mac for a day or two.
This afternoon, the pesky icon reappeared at start up. At first Disk Utility didn't see the hard drive then I restarted and the hard drive was selectable though not mounted. It was repaired and verified yet once again. Btw, when I did hard drive test, the message says something to the effect that it appears to be working properly.
My question is, might anyone know what's wrong? I've been backing up after every use and I have a laptop. But I love working on the desktop and if this issue can be fixed, that would be perfect.
As an aside, I've read that I should do a clean install. Would doing a clean install mean I need to re-install OS 9 as well as all other all other software programs-Adobe Creative Suite, Quickbooks, Verizon DSL, printer drivers etc.?
One final question, can I continue to boot up from the CD, repair then restart or will I damage the computer? Once it restart, everything seems to work normally and well.
Many, many thanks for reading and any help would be greatly appreciated!
Have a wonderful weekend.
Sam

Disk damage can also affect the startup sequence, but I think what you have already done should have repaired any disk damage, or given you more information.
Once you have ruled out Disk damage, you get the flashing question mark when your Mac cannot find:
• the preferred operating System
• of the preferred version
• on the preferred startup drive.
All these items are stored in the parameter RAM, backed up by a 3.6 volt, non-recharging 1/2-AA size battery that lasts three years or so, unless you turn off all power at night.
If you cannot remember when you last changed that battery, now is a good time. Be sure to reset the PMU/PRAM after installing the new battery.
Message was edited by: Grant Bennet-Alder

PDF displays question mark font

I'm trying to study for an exam, but am having trouble viewing certain PDF files. It displays a box-enclosed question mark font. Up till a few days ago, I could read them just fine, but then I ran Onyx and since then I get the weird font. I've tried opening in Preview, Adobe reader, Skim, and in my browsers and they all do this. Can someone please help me out? Thanks

Hello belgremoo, and a warm welcome to the forums!
Sounds like a munged Font or Font Cache.
Safe Boot from the HD, (holding Shift key down at bootup), run Disk Utility in Applications>Utilities, then highlight your drive, click on Repair Permissions, it will try to repair your Disk Directory while the spinning radian is happening, so let it go. Reboot when all done, it clears Font Caches as well.
Start with Font Book in Applications, Validate Fonts first, if that doesn't fix it then move all your new fonts to a different set & leave only these in the Main set...
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1538

QUESTION MARKS IN BOXES ON EBAY

Starting yesterday I began to see a whole new ebay webpage with question marks in boxes where the usual click buttons are. I also have trouble seeing photos and all the pages seem a lot "rougher" (not as slick as they used to be). Did I do something easy or is this another kind of problem?
Thanks Tim Trotter

Apple won't respond to your query. If you want a response you'll need to call Apple Care.
Something else you can try is cleaning the system cache files. There are a number of products that do this - I use OnyX. There is no charge for the software, but I believe the developer asks for a donation.
It's very easy to use. I run it twice a month. Once it is installed, you would double click on the OnyX icon in your application folder (or drag an icon to your dock for quick access) to open the application. After entering your administrator password, you would select "automation". The panel looks like this:
Select the same items I have checked, except for "repair permissions" as you have already done this step. Also, select in the cache section "system and kernel" and then select "execute". The program takes about 5 to 10 minutes to run. Leave your computer alone, that is don't use it for anything else until OnyX is finished. Once complete, restart the computer and try Safari.

I was getting support for my Office 2008 for Mac, and the support tech said my OS was very slow. I have latest update for Snow10.6.7. Question how can I speed up my Macbook?

I was getting support for my Office 2008 for Mac, and the support tech said my OS was very slow. I have latest update for Snow10.6.7. Question; How can I speed up my Macbook?

Hi
In the first instance, I'd use Onyx and run through its sequence of maintenance and tune up tools:
Verify, Maintenance, Cleaning.
I'd also reset the SMC and PRAM (Google them)
If that doesn't help then I'd look at System Preferences.. > Accounts > Login Items tab (not Login Options). Check what processes get started at login and decide which ones you don't want.
After that I'd use Applications/Utilities/Activity Monitor to see if any processes are using a lot of computer power or if anything else nasty might be happening.
If none of this helped then my final step would be to reinstall OS X.
Bob

Hello Mac heads.! I just downloaded Onyx for tiger. All went well. But I try to launch onyx from my applications and it doesn't offer checking the S.M.A.R.T. status so I can check my disk. Everything else appears. Uninstall only, forums, website etc.

Hello Mac heads.! I just downloaded Onyx for tiger. All went well. But I try to launch onyx from my applications and it doesn't offer checking the S.M.A.R.T. status so I can check my disk. Everything else appears. Uninstall only, forums, website etc.

I think you should get Applejack...
http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/15667/applejack
After installing, reboot holding down CMD+s, (+s), then when the DOS like prompt shows, type in...
applejack AUTO
Then let it do all 6 of it's things.
At least it'll eliminate some questions if it doesn't fix it.
The 6 things it does are...
Correct any Disk problems.
Repair Permissions.
Clear out Cache Files.
Repair/check several plist files.
Dump the VM files for a fresh start.
Trash old Log files.
First reboot will be slower, sometimes 2 or 3 restarts will be required for full benefit... my guess is files relying upon other files relying upon other files! :-)
Disconnect the USB cable from any Uninterruptible Power Supply so the system doesn't shut down in the middle of the process.

WARNING: Type 'SByte' is not available in the public API. Onyx development?

Hello i'm getting the warning WARNING: Type 'SByte' is not available in the public API.
and various other warnings.The problem is that i don't see any code.
Any thoughts?BTW is onyx still under development?
ps:I know that nobody is going to reply so i wonder why i keep asking.

The vSphere client uses some hidden API's. If you perform an action in the vSphere client that uses a hidden API, Onyx will report the "WARNING: Type 'xxx' is not available in the public API." message. This unfortunately limits what you can do with PowerCLI. Some know hidden API's are for tags, cluster EVC mode and for Storage Profiles.
I don't know if Onyx is still under development. Maybe some from VMware can answer this question?

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