Re: was: Re: FLASH: Flash crash is: Mac troubleshooting re: rodmann

[Frederico]

On 7/23/1999 3:28 AM, A.R. via

rodmanndigitalwelten [dot] com

, said:


>So, just be friendly with us stupid Macusers - and don�t try to tell us that

>taking care to all you mentioned

>will avoid all the stupid problems that can occur. It won�t   ;-))


A.R., (may I call you A.R.?)


You make some very fine points, but I think if you'll take the time to 

reread my original post, I make all the required exceptions and notations 

where generalizations are made. Every single one of your detailed points 

is covered by my general advice, and allows for the unwanted extents 

issues with Flash or any application. Further, I followed up the post 

with not only more details, but an apology for spouting off in the manner 

I did.


And just so you don't think I or my group use Flash or just a few minor 

apps at a time, a typical web/media Mac running in our house has running 

(at the same time) Emailer, Netscape/ Explorer (alternating between 

versions as needed), FilemakerPro (or 4D), GoLive, Dreamweaver (yes, both 

at the same time), BBEdit,  Photoshop, ImageReady (or MediaCleanerPro), 

Freehand (or Canvas), Flash (3 or 4), some form of QuickTime editor, some 

sound processor like Raygun or Performer, and optionals like Acrobat 

Exchange/Distiller/Reader, RealPlayer, QT Player, QT Conferencing, 

Director, Bryce and/or Raydream and/or DCAD, maybe Poser, various 

System/Finder enhancements, and many other assorted 3rd party apps, and 

the dedicated HTML-ers also are likely running VirtualPC and W95 and/or 

W98 and or NT with related browsers. Very few of our Macs run dedicated 

single apps, those are usually the ones doing video/audio capture or 

playing server duty. Only the video capture machines have the occasional 

freeze when someone loses site of the cap, the rest are pretty rock-solid 

and  stable.


Yes, you will note that no MS office products are listed. While we do 

indeed use MS Office and related products, we avoid running them at the 

same time as the rest, firing them up only long enough to get the data in 

and out to other more stable and easy to use apps (save accounting, which 

runs Excel and ClarisWorks in dedicated mode), given the likelihood that 

running MS apps will step on other apps. However, even you must admit 

that Office98 has done a great job (after the triple-patch updater 

releases last month), and no longer presents anywhere near the issues 

that that joke of an app called Office 4.2 gave us (remember the MOM 

extent? Yikes!) just for being installed. RealPlayer still likes to 

install those pesky DLLs, but since they are libraries, not extents, when 

and if they cause an issue they can be loaded on the fly via AppleScript, 

and unloaded when no longer needed.


Yet another example of why a Pro is fool to use only a single volume, 

rather than have multiple volumes at hand to isolate trouble makers, 

provide a spot for a known-good System for cascade backup and on-the-fly 

restoration to keep working (when that boss is not so nice), and a place 

to install a virgin OS and only the app that drives you crazy. The number 

of benefits goes on from there, and is too numerous to count for you in 

one post. Just installing Communicator and all the garbage it installs 

that will kill your apps alone (like IdleTime and AIM extents) is worth 

having a dedicated, current backup (though any pro/SOHO user foolish 

enough to use Communicator in conjunction with web and graphics apps at 

all, rather than more stable, technically equal or superior apps pretty 

much deserves what they get).


What is the point of my last three paragraphs? Stability and proven apps. 

The ones listed (save Communicator), when properly configured and 

maintained can easily survive each other, and following the 

troubleshooting outlined in my original post, paying close attention to 

disabling 3rd party shareware and utilities in favor of the major players 

until the conflict is found, and just plain old TLC to your System and 

directories is all most Flashers need to do to run and be happy.


You'll also note that not a single game was listed above. Do we play 

games? Certainly, but no game is allowed to be installed on a primary 

System, and are only run from alternate volumes dedicated to testing new 

apps and playing unstable and generally buggy games. Pro users, once 

again, are foolish to punish their primary System and config (aka, bread 

and butter) with silliness like games. Do yourself a favor, either buy 

another drive, and/or partition what you have to give yourself that extra 

System you can beat up all you want, allowing you to return to work as 

you require.


I hope you can now see better where I'm coming from, and are able to 

recognize we are, and always have been on the same page. I simply chose 

not to go into extreme detail on list about every possible conflict, but 

gave a very general (yet precise) strategy to determine if such a 

conflict actually exists, or whether the issues can be attributed to 

System, System or application resources, or media damage.  My advice 

directly parallels your intent. I also offered the ability to contact me 

directly, and I generally at that time advise anyone seeking advice on 

persistent crashing due to conflicts to send me an Apple System Profile 

(get permission first), and I then troubleshoot all those arcane and 

mysterious conflicts you mention from the depths of my more than twenty 

years on Apple machines, free of charge.


 In short, I'm not talking out of my ass when I discuss how to run 

multiple apps with success. I make a fine living making sure it happens, 

and am more than happy to help anyone on this list enjoy and earn from 

their Macs as I do.


HTH, Regards


Frederico


"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from 

magic."--Arthur C. Clarke 


Think AltiVec



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