Hmmm....reinstalled X but still same problems...

Posted:
in Genius Bar edited January 2014
This is really pissin me off & I need some help. I just reinstalled OS X on my G4 cause I have been having a few problems which I thought might be fixed through a reinstall. The main problem is that after installing the OS X driver software for my HP DeskJet 935C printer, I can't add the printer. When the "Printer Manager" comes up and asks me if I want to add a printer I tell it to add and it unexpectedly quits on me. I've tried this lots of times and it always does this. So I have been unable to use the printer thus far. Is it the drivers or the computer? I would think the computer since the drivers install fine and everything.



Also, a lot of times when I open up programs I've downloaded it asks me for an application to open it up with and there isnt any, so I basically can't open it. A lot of stuff doesnt work when I try running it (such as themes).



Do you think maybe this is due to a virus or something which I may have contracted somehow (maybe a program I downloaded had something?? that's the only way I could've)? What sofware is the best for checking this sort of stuff as well as my drives to see and repair any problems? Norton Utilities or Antivirus? I can get the software from somebody.



If anybody can help me ASAP it would be greatly appreciated.



I love OS X & this G4 but these things are puzzling me, and I really dont want a repeat of our last Apple experience.



It really bugs me that I can't even print.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 7
    neutrino23neutrino23 Posts: 1,561member
    I can't help you with the printing problem. I don't have much experience there. The one printer I added went without a problem. Was the printer connected and turned on when you tried to add it? That is the only minor hang up I had.



    If you double click on a document and it says there is no application to open it then select it in the finder, do a get info, then tell it the application you want to use. But maybe something more serious is lurking here. Do you know what kind of document you are downloading? I mean, if it is a FMP database you should be able to go to FMP and open it from that program or drop the icon on the icon of the application. Is this document coming from a Mac or a PC?



    Regarding the more general question, it is a puzzle why two computers running ostensibly the same OS and apps should behave differently.



    The only suggestion I have is to run a memory check and an HD scan. I heard of someone recently with a new Mac that was having a lot of kernel panics which were caused by bad add-on memory.
  • Reply 2 of 7
    The actual CPU could also cause problems like that. When diagnosing that kind of behaviour on a machine, the CPU is one of the first parts to get replaced, along with the memory.
  • Reply 3 of 7
    stimulistimuli Posts: 564member
    A bad cpu would cause crashes. This sounds like a strictly software problem. My guess is maybe the driver for the printer is fuxXing something up.
  • Reply 4 of 7
    neutrino23neutrino23 Posts: 1,561member
    A couple more thoughts.



    I think this is a USB printer. Have you tried all the different USB ports you have available? Are you using a USB hub? Try a direct connection.



    Also, I would not use themes. They are OK to have fun with but a lot of people seem to have problems when they use themes.



    Does the Printer Manager work OK before you install the printer driver? Is this a downloaded driver? Try getting a fresh copy. If you uninstall the driver does the Printer Manager work?



    [ 04-08-2002: Message edited by: neutrino23 ]



    [ 04-08-2002: Message edited by: neutrino23 ]</p>
  • Reply 5 of 7
    tigerwoods99tigerwoods99 Posts: 2,633member
    Damn...I hope its not the CPU. The stuff are Mac stuff, not PC. It is just programs I have found off of versiontracker and tried to run. I do get some quits on applications, which are a bit puzzling. Also, it seems like now everytime I try to run AIM (the real version of it from AOL) it always like freezes and doesnt work. I have to force quit some things all the time, like AIM and Limewire.



    Yes, the printer is a USB printer. I dont know if the same thing was happening before I installed the drivers for it because I never checked until I actually had the stuff to get my printer running in X. I will try to use a different USB port on my computer and see if that works.



    What program do you recomend I run to check things on my computer out?
  • Reply 6 of 7
    airslufairsluf Posts: 1,861member
  • Reply 7 of 7
    neutrino23neutrino23 Posts: 1,561member
    [quote]Originally posted by TigerWoods99:

    <strong>

    What program do you recomend I run to check things on my computer out?</strong><hr></blockquote>



    How is it going? Still having problems?



    When you reinstall do you wipe the drive clean?



    The only program I know of for checking the whole computer is TechTool Pro. Recently Apple has started shipping a diagnostic CD with the power macs. I think it is a version of TechTool Pro.



    How is the AC power for this machine? Is the cord in good shape? How about the connectors? Do they fit firmly or are they loose? I've seen a couple flaky systems that turned out to be power problems.



    Could this be heat related? Older G3s and G4s had a temperature monitor you could monitor with software. It is missing from more recent G4s. I have seen problems with poorly fitting heat sinks cause problems. These are hard to diagnose as the machine may be fine most of the time but just overheat when it gets really busy (encoding MP3s for example).



    Is this still under warranty?

    <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" />
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