Many problems with my Mac
Hi there,
I've been having alot of problems with my MacBook. My screen freezes sometimes in the middle of using the computer where there's nothing I can do other than to pull my battery out in order to reset my computer. Also, programs like Word and Firefox just quit unexpectedly. I also couldn't send documents via attachment in an email. I took my Mac to the nearest Apple centre and they tried to service it. They replaced the logicboard for the computer and said that it should solve my problems.
However, I still seem to be having problems. My word attachments attach as binary files instead of documents. When I download .dmg files and try to open them, it says that the disk image failed to mount, the reason being 'not recognised'. This happens with different downloads from mainstream sites e.g. msn.com. I'm just not sure what to do from here. Could it be a virus?? I'm not sure that if I take it back to the Apple Centre that it would be fixed. I'm not very computer savvy so try to dumb down the tech language please!
Thanks in advance!
I've been having alot of problems with my MacBook. My screen freezes sometimes in the middle of using the computer where there's nothing I can do other than to pull my battery out in order to reset my computer. Also, programs like Word and Firefox just quit unexpectedly. I also couldn't send documents via attachment in an email. I took my Mac to the nearest Apple centre and they tried to service it. They replaced the logicboard for the computer and said that it should solve my problems.
However, I still seem to be having problems. My word attachments attach as binary files instead of documents. When I download .dmg files and try to open them, it says that the disk image failed to mount, the reason being 'not recognised'. This happens with different downloads from mainstream sites e.g. msn.com. I'm just not sure what to do from here. Could it be a virus?? I'm not sure that if I take it back to the Apple Centre that it would be fixed. I'm not very computer savvy so try to dumb down the tech language please!
Thanks in advance!
Comments
System Preferences -> Accounts -> Click the "+" sign and make a new user. Log out and then back in as that user and see how the dmg and attachments work.
Hi there,
I've been having alot of problems with my MacBook. My screen freezes sometimes in the middle of using the computer where there's nothing I can do other than to pull my battery out in order to reset my computer. Also, programs like Word and Firefox just quit unexpectedly. I also couldn't send documents via attachment in an email. I took my Mac to the nearest Apple centre and they tried to service it. They replaced the logicboard for the computer and said that it should solve my problems.
However, I still seem to be having problems. My word attachments attach as binary files instead of documents. When I download .dmg files and try to open them, it says that the disk image failed to mount, the reason being 'not recognised'. This happens with different downloads from mainstream sites e.g. msn.com. I'm just not sure what to do from here. Could it be a virus?? I'm not sure that if I take it back to the Apple Centre that it would be fixed. I'm not very computer savvy so try to dumb down the tech language please!
Thanks in advance!
Computer freezes (crashes) and lots of apps crashing almost always means bad RAM.
Computer freezes (crashes) and lots of apps crashing almost always means bad RAM.
Bad RAM? As in, insufficient RAM?
I decided to do an erase and install and it seems to have solved most of the problems. Thanks for the tips!
There's still one thing though. When I insert a blank DVD, it spits it out after about a minute. When I insert a blank CD, there's no problems and I can burn things. Is there something wrong with my superdrive? I wanted to burn DVDs but it doesn't seem to like my blanks.
Bad RAM? As in, insufficient RAM?
I decided to do an erase and install and it seems to have solved most of the problems. Thanks for the tips!
There's still one thing though. When I insert a blank DVD, it spits it out after about a minute. When I insert a blank CD, there's no problems and I can burn things. Is there something wrong with my superdrive? I wanted to burn DVDs but it doesn't seem to like my blanks.
The superdrives can be picky as to what dvds they'll use. You may want to buy a second brand-- just one-- and test it out. Mine doesn't seem to like dvds that aren't blue.
what brands have worked for you in the past?
sorry for all the questions and thanks for your replies!
by the way, does this forum lead to pop ups? i've already enabled the 'block pop ups' function in mozilla but i still get pop ups sometimes, including one just b4 when i was checking this site. does it mean that i could have some spyware on my computer? are there any good free anti-spyware programs?
sorry for all the questions and thanks for your replies!
spyware and viruses shouldn't be a problem really on the mac side because that kind of software is not written to function on a macintosh - different kind of code (I've never run ANY anti spyware/anti virus and I've never been affected)... about the popups I've never got 'em on this site on any browser... I think the pop-up block in safari is better than mozilla though, especially with saft installed.
First step, make a new user account and see if the same problems occur. If they do, the quickest fix is to do an Archive and Install.
System Preferences -> Accounts -> Click the "+" sign and make a new user. Log out and then back in as that user and see how the dmg and attachments work.
Well after my erase and install, the problems SEEMED to be fixed, but today (4 days later) they came back again! I followed your advice and made a new user account. The attachments work! Now I guess I can just use the other account whenever I want to send an attachment. But what does this indicate? Is there a way I can overcome the problem?
Thanks for your helpful post!
Well after my erase and install, the problems SEEMED to be fixed, but today (4 days later) they came back again! I followed your advice and made a new user account. The attachments work! Now I guess I can just use the other account whenever I want to send an attachment. But what does this indicate? Is there a way I can overcome the problem?
Thanks for your helpful post!
sounds like a hardware issue. I would call Apple and invoke your 1 year warranty - get them to collect it and fix it.. or give you a new machine
Well after my erase and install, the problems SEEMED to be fixed, but today (4 days later) they came back again! I followed your advice and made a new user account. The attachments work! Now I guess I can just use the other account whenever I want to send an attachment. But what does this indicate? Is there a way I can overcome the problem?
Thanks for your helpful post!
It means you should move all your files to the new (working) acouunt, and stop using the old one.
Also, one thing that's probably smart to check: open Disk Utility (in your Applications > Utilities folder), select your disk on the left, and click "Verify Disk" (NOT "Verify Disk Permissions"). If it says there's a problem, you'll need to boot up from one of the CDs that came with your computer and repair it.
Well after my erase and install, the problems SEEMED to be fixed, but today (4 days later) they came back again! I followed your advice and made a new user account. The attachments work! Now I guess I can just use the other account whenever I want to send an attachment. But what does this indicate? Is there a way I can overcome the problem?
Thanks for your helpful post!
It means that the files that you copied back over to the Home directory after the erase and install have a corrupted file somewhere in them.
The corrupted file must be in the Home directory of the account that does not work - that is what the test account is telling you, since it has its own Home directory and that one works.
The next step is to see which folder in the Home directory has the bad file(s). It is almost always either the ~/Library/Preferences folder, or the ~/Library/Application Support folder, although it could be anything in the Home folder's Library folder.
Move the contents of the Preferences folder that is in the Home folder's /Library folder to another temporary folder on the Desktop, log out and in again, and see if the problem is fixed.
If not, put the items back in the original Preferences folder (replacing any that conflict) and then do the same for the Application Support folder that is in the Home folder's Library folder.
Continue with other items in the Home folder's Library folder, moving their contents to a temp folder on the Desktop, log out and back in, and then testing and replacing them if no change.
Eventually you will find the folder that contains the bad file and then you have it narrowed down to that folder. Then you remove half of the files at a time until the problem goes away and you know it was in the last batch that you removed. Then you put back half of those etc. until you find the problem.
It means that the files that you copied back over to the Home directory after the erase and install have a corrupted file somewhere in them.
The corrupted file must be in the Home directory of the account that does not work - that is what the test account is telling you, since it has its own Home directory and that one works.
The next step is to see which folder in the Home directory has the bad file(s). It is almost always either the ~/Library/Preferences folder, or the ~/Library/Application Support folder, although it could be anything in the Home folder's Library folder.
Move the contents of the Preferences folder that is in the Home folder's /Library folder to another temporary folder on the Desktop, log out and in again, and see if the problem is fixed.
If not, put the items back in the original Preferences folder (replacing any that conflict) and then do the same for the Application Support folder that is in the Home folder's Library folder.
Continue with other items in the Home folder's Library folder, moving their contents to a temp folder on the Desktop, log out and back in, and then testing and replacing them if no change.
Eventually you will find the folder that contains the bad file and then you have it narrowed down to that folder. Then you remove half of the files at a time until the problem goes away and you know it was in the last batch that you removed. Then you put back half of those etc. until you find the problem.
Good idea but let the apple tech do it. Your paying for the warranty, so use it while you got it.
It means that the files that you copied back over to the Home directory after the erase and install have a corrupted file somewhere in them.
The corrupted file must be in the Home directory of the account that does not work - that is what the test account is telling you, since it has its own Home directory and that one works.
The next step is to see which folder in the Home directory has the bad file(s). It is almost always either the ~/Library/Preferences folder, or the ~/Library/Application Support folder, although it could be anything in the Home folder's Library folder.
Move the contents of the Preferences folder that is in the Home folder's /Library folder to another temporary folder on the Desktop, log out and in again, and see if the problem is fixed.
If not, put the items back in the original Preferences folder (replacing any that conflict) and then do the same for the Application Support folder that is in the Home folder's Library folder.
Continue with other items in the Home folder's Library folder, moving their contents to a temp folder on the Desktop, log out and back in, and then testing and replacing them if no change.
Eventually you will find the folder that contains the bad file and then you have it narrowed down to that folder. Then you remove half of the files at a time until the problem goes away and you know it was in the last batch that you removed. Then you put back half of those etc. until you find the problem.
Thanks for the tip! But I don't understand how moving the items onto the Desktop would remove the problem. Does it mean the corrupted file has no effect when its in a Desktop folder?
Thanks for the tip! But I don't understand how moving the items onto the Desktop would remove the problem. Does it mean the corrupted file has no effect when its in a Desktop folder?
Right. If it is a preference file that is bad, then moving it out of the Preferences folder means that its application won't find it, and will make a new blank one.
By moving half of them at a time, you can narrow down in which group the bad file is. Like those puzzlers that ask you to find the lighter coin out of 10 coins with only xxx weighings on a scale..