|
|
| Home > Computers and Hardware > macintosh > |
Miscellaneous Macintosh frequently asked questions (FAQ) |
Section 1 of 3 - Prev - Next
All sections - 1 - 2 - 3
Archive-name: macintosh/misc-faq
Version: 2.4.1
Last-modified: August 9, 1996
Maintainer: elharo@shock.njit.edu
URL: http://www.macfaq.com/miscfaq.html
Miscellaneous Frequently Asked Questions
========================================
comp.sys.mac.faq, part 3:
comp.sys.mac.misc
Copyright 1993-1996 by Elliotte Harold
Please see section 5.8 of the general FAQ if you wish
to redistribute or revise this document in any way.
Archive-name: macintosh/misc-faq
Version: 2.4.1
Last-modified: August 9, 1996
Address comments to elharo@shock.njit.edu
What's new in version 2.4.1:
----------------------------
Mostly this is a maintenance release to improve the setext
formatting and change a few URL's. Also
1.1) Help! I have a virus?
Word Macro viruses are becoming a big problem. Disinfectant will
not detect or cure them.
2.2) How do I print a PostScript file?
Adobe's PSTool works better than the LaserWriter Utility
on some non-Apple printers.
2.7) Why doesn't PrintMonitor work with the ImageWriter?
SuperLaserSpool has been discontinued.
2.10) Can I use a LaserJet or other PC printer with my Mac?
The Grappler has been discontinued.
3.1) How can I move files between a Mac and a PC?
I realized this question hadn't been substantially revised
in almost four years. Therefore I rewrote it to take into account
the ubiquity of Superdrives, the presence of the Internet,
the bundling of Macintosh PC Exchange, and Windows95's
long filenames.
3.3) Should I buy SoftPC or a real PC?
I've updated this to reflect Windows 95 and current versions
of SoftWindows.
3.5) Should I buy a DOS compatibility card or a real PC?
I revised this to reflect current hardware and software.
4.1) How can I password protect a Mac?
MacPassword has been abandoned.
4.2) How can I password protect a file?
Cryptomactic has been discontinued. I now recommend
ultraSecure.
6.9) Where can I find the 1984 Quicktime movie?
I no longer know a location for this file. If anyone
does, would you please let me know?
6.12) How do I run software that needs an FPU on a Mac that doesn't
have one?
This question has been revised to reflect the existence of PowerFPU.
Table of Contents
-------------------------------------------------------------------
I. Viruses
1. Help! I have a virus!
2. Reporting new viruses
II. Printing and PostScript
1. How do I make a PostScript file?
2. How do I print a PostScript file?
3. Why won't my PostScript file print on my mainframe's printer?
4. Why are my PostScript files so big?
5. How can I print PostScript on a non-PostScript printer?
6. How do I make my ImageWriter II print in color?
7. Why doesn't PrintMonitor work with the ImageWriter?
8. Why did my document change when I printed it?
9. How can I preview a PostScript file?
10. Can I use a LaserJet or other PC printer with my Mac?
11. How can I print grey scales on my StyleWriter I?
12. How can I edit a PostScript file?
III. DOS and the Mac
1. How can I move files between a Mac and a PC?
2. How can I translate files to a DOS format?
3. Should I buy SoftPC or a real PC?
4. Should I buy Executor or a real Mac?
5. Should I buy a DOS compatibility card or a real PC?
IV. Security
1. How can I password protect a Mac?
2. How can I password protect a file?
3. How can I password protect a folder?
4. How can I prevent software piracy?
5. How can I keep a hard drive in a fixed configuration?
V. Sound
1. How can I copy a track from an audio CD onto my Mac?
2. How can I extract a sound from a QuickTime movie?
3. How can I convert/play a mod/wav/etc. file?
VI. No particular place to go (Miscellaneous Miscellanea)
1. Are there any good books about the Mac?
2. How do I take a picture of the screen?
3. How do I use a picture for my desktop?
4. Can I Replace the "Welcome to Macintosh" box with a picture?
5. What is AutoDoubler? SpaceSaver? More Disk Space? Are they safe?
6. How do they compare to TimesTwo, Stacker and eDisk?
7. Where did my icons go?
8. Where can I find a user group?
9. Where can I find the 1984 Quicktime movie?
10. Do RAM Doubler and Optimem work?
11. I'm greedy. Can I triple my RAM?
12. How do I run software that needs an FPU on a Mac that doesn't
have one?
RETRIEVING THE ENTIRE FAQ
=========================
This is the THIRD part of this FAQ. The first part is also
posted to this newsgroup under the subject heading "Introductory
Macintosh frequently asked questions (FAQ)" and includes a complete
table of contents for the entire document as well as information
on where to post, ftp, file decompression, trouble-shooting, and
preventive maintenance. The second, fourth, fifth and sixth
parts are posted every two weeks in comp.sys.mac.system,
comp.sys.mac.apps, comp.sys.mac.wanted, and comp.sys.mac.hardware.misc
respectively and include many questions that often erroneously appear
in comp.sys.mac.misc. All pieces are available for anonymous ftp from
VIRUSES (1.0)
==============
HELP! I HAVE A VIRUS. (1.1)
-----------------------------
90% of all problems reportedly caused by viruses are actually
due to mundane bugs in software (and 90% of all statistics are made
up :-) ). Check your system with the latest version of Disinfectant,
3.6 as of this writing, by the excellent John Norstad from
Northwestern University. See
Disinfectant is absolutely free. It's easy to use and can
protect your system from most known Macintosh viruses. Releases
to protect from new viruses are normally made within a day or two of
the first confirmed sighting and capture of a new virus, and make
their merry way around the electronic highways faster than any
Macintosh virus ever has.
Unfortunately Disinfectant does not protect your system from what
have become the pernicious Mac viruses, Word Macro Viruses.
If you don't use Microsoft Word, you don't have to worry about
these. If you do use Microsoft Word, Microsoft offers a free
Macro Virus Protection tool which detects suspicious Word
files when they're opened and gives users an option to open the
file without executing the macros, thereby ensuring that a virus
does not execute. The tool can also scan your hard disk for one
Word macro virus, the Concept virus. It can not scan your disks
for other Word Macro viruses.
You may want to consider investing in one of the payware
anti-virals that will detect and destroy these sorts of viruses
such as Symantec's SAM, about $90 street price. At the least you
should download and use Microsoft's tool at
I THINK I'VE FOUND A NEW VIRUS. WHAT DO I DO? (1.2)
-----------------------------------------------------
*DON'T* post a report to any comp.sys.mac.* newsgroup. 99% of all
suspected new viruses are merely mundane bugs in the system or
applications being used; and even if you really have found a new
virus, there's nothing we can do about it anyway. You'll only
generate a lot of panicked, follow-up reports from people who will
blame every crash of QuarkXPress on the new virus.
If your system is protected against known viruses by Disinfectant or
one of the other anti-virus packages and you suspect a new virus is
causing you trouble, first consult with the most knowledgeable local
guru about your problem. Nine times out of ten, he or she will
identify it as a boring, ordinary, known bug in the software. If you
are the local guru and still think you may have found a new virus,
and have thoroughly checked out all other possibilities, then, and
only then, send a detailed description of your problem to
j-norstad@nwu.edu. Check the Disinfectant manual for procedures to
follow before reporting a new virus.
Please remember that it is VERY unlikely you have actually found a
new virus. Around the world in all of 1992 only four new Macintosh
viruses were discovered. Of all the suspected Macintosh viruses
which were reported to Usenet before being isolated by a recognized
virus expert, exactly none were eventually confirmed. One
public virus report, the so-called M virus, turned out to be the
result of a boring, ordinary bug in a common extension. The report
which received the most attention, the so-called Aliens virus,
remains unconfirmed and was probably the result of corrupt system
software.
PRINTING AND POSTSCRIPT (2.0)
==============================
HOW DO I MAKE A POSTSCRIPT FILE? (2.1)
---------------------------------------
First make sure a LaserWriter driver is in your System Folder.
It doesn't really matter which one although LaserWriter driver
8.3.4 is the best. This driver is available from
and works with System 6.0.5 and later. If you're using the System 6
driver, you'll need a Laser Prep file in your System Folder as well as
the LaserWriter driver and will also need to turn off background
printing. Once you've verified that there is indeed a LaserWriter
driver in the System Folder, select LaserWriter in the Chooser.
A dialog box will probably pop up informing you that the LaserWriter
requires Appletalk and asking if you want to turn Appletalk
on. Whether you have AppleTalk or not click OK. Then select
Page Setup... from the File menu to format your document
for the LaserWriter. Next select Print... from the File menu.
If you're using LaserWriter driver 7.0 or later, the Print
dialog box that appears will have a radio button for Destination
near the bottom. Click PostScript File. The Print button at the
top should change to a Save button. Click it and you'll get a
standard file dialog asking you what to name and where to save
the PostScript file.
If you're using LaserWriter driver 6.0.x or 5.2, the procedure
is more complicated. When the Print dialog box pops up, position
the cursor over the Print button and hold the mouse button down and
keep it down like you're going to click and drag. Then, with your
other hand, press and hold the K key. If you'll eventually print
the file on a non- Apple PostScript printer, especially one not
designed with the Macintosh in mind, also hold down the Command
key. Using Command-K instead of plain K includes some Mac specific
information non-Apple-oriented PostScript printers need to know
about. Now let the mouse button up. When you see a message box
that says "Creating PostScript file," take your finger off the
K key.
After you've gotten the message "Creating PostScript file" you
should find a file called PostScript0 in the same folder as the
application you were printing from. This is the file you just
printed. Rename it before you forget what it is. If you print to
disk (what this whole process is officially called) more than once,
the second file will be called PostScript1, the third PostScript2,
and so on. It really is much easier to use the System 7
LaserWriter driver.
HOW DO I PRINT A POSTSCRIPT FILE? (2.2)
----------------------------------------
On a Macintosh you'll need the LaserWriter Font Utility
available on the high density TidBits disk from System 7 or the
More TidBits disk from the 800K distribution. A more feature-rich
version called simply LaserWriter Utility is available from
If you have a non-Apple printer, you may have more luck with the
similar PSTool from Adobe, available at
These utilities allow you to send files to the printer in such
a way that PostScript commands get interpreted as PostScript rather
than as text to be printed. If you're printing to a PostScript
printer connected to something other than a Macintosh, you'll need
to consult your local system gurus. A simple "lpr filename.ps"
works on my Sparc, but your mileage may vary.
WHY WON'T MY POSTSCRIPT FILE PRINT ON MY MAINFRAME'S PRINTER? (2.3)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Moving PostScript files between the Macintosh and other platforms used
to be as dark an art as existed in the Macintosh universe. With the
LaserWriter 8 driver, it's no longer so complicated. You will need a
PPD file for your printer. Many are available in
Be sure to select the options for PostScript Level 1 and ASCII
text PostScript files in the Print dialog box. Finally if you're
still having problems try using only genuine PostScript fonts, no
TrueType or bitmapped fonts; and don't include any fonts in your
document that already reside in the printer or on the host system.
Hugo Ayala's shareware control panel Trimmer will help with this
if host available fonts are other than the standard 13 which the
LaserWriter 8 driver has an option to omit. See
If you've installed QuickDraw GX you can ignore PPD files.
So far in my limited tests I've found that the PostScript files
produced by QuickDraw GX seem to be quite portable across different
printers.
Unfortunately the LaserWriter 8.1 and later drivers are
incompatible with older versions of most Aldus products, Canvas, and
QuarkXPress. Until you upgrade you may need to continue using an
older version of the LaserWriter driver. In this case you should
experiment with your combination of application software, LaserWriter
driver, and printer to see what works best. If you're using the
System 6 LaserWriter driver, try using Command-K instead of K
to create the PostScript file in which the Laser Prep header is
included. The System 7 LaserWriter drivers include this header
automatically though Trimmer will leave it out.
More importantly Trimmer also lets you select which fonts to
include in your PostScript file. Try using only genuine PostScript
fonts, no TrueType or bitmapped fonts; and don't include any fonts
in your document that already reside in the printer or on the
host system.
The freeware DMM-LaserWriter Stuff can customize your pre-8.0
LaserWriter drivers in several different, useful ways. Among other
possibilities this package can modify a LaserWriter driver so that
the PostScript files it creates are more compatible with non-Apple
printers and printing to disk is the default. The upload to the
mainframe from which the PostScript file will be printed may also
make a difference. Normally you need to transfer the file in pure
Binary format, neither MacBinary nor ASCII. See
WHY ARE MY POSTSCRIPT FILES SO BIG? (2.4)
------------------------------------------
Versions 7.0 and later of the LaserWriter driver automatically
include all the fonts you use in your document plus the LaserPrep
information plus the TrueType engine (if you're using any TrueType
fonts) in the PostScript file. Thus a 3K document formatted in 90K
of fonts can easily produce a 300K PostScript file. If these fonts
are present on the system you'll be printing from, they don't need
to be included in the document. You can remove them with the
shareware control panel Trimmer or the free UNIX utility StripFonts.
If you're using the LaserWriter 8 driver, you can manually select
an option to leave out all fonts or just the standard thirteen
faces of Times, Courier, Helvetica, and Symbol though for more
control you'll still need StripFonts or Trimmer. See
HOW CAN I PRINT POSTSCRIPT ON A NON-POSTSCRIPT PRINTER? (2.5)
--------------------------------------------------------------
For most users who only want to print to common
printers like DeskWriters, StyleWriters, or Personal LaserWriter
LS's, the basic version of TScript will suffice. ($145 street).
The more expensive version of TScript also works with more
esoteric printers, particularly very-high-end color printers
and imagesetters.
If you're printing to a StyleWriter, then GDT Softworks
StyleScript is also an option at $149. See
If you have a Macintosh with a 68020 or better CPU, the
payware MacPalette II provides general purpose color printing
from any application that prints on a QuickDraw printer (e.g. NOT
Illustrator). MacPalette II is about $45 street. If you need
more information the publisher, Microspot, can be contacted
at (800) 622-7568. QuickDraw GX can also provide general purpose
color printing from any application that prints on a QuickDraw
printer (though with a much larger memory footprint).
WHY DOESN'T PRINTMONITOR WORK WITH THE IMAGEWRITER? (2.7)
----------------------------------------------------------
You need to upgrade to System 7.5 and install QuickDraw GX. This
requires a Mac with at least five megabytes of RAM. Eight megabytes
is a more realistic figure. However the background printing in
QuickDraw GX is quite stable and does not significantly decrease
the speed of foreground applications.
The above-mentioned MacPalette II provides background printing on an
ImageWriter under System 7 and a 68020 or better CPU. These are
fully commercial products. There are NO freeware, shareware, or
other ftpable solutions that work under System 7 so get out your
credit cards. At $45 for MacPalette but less than $300 for a
vastly superior DeskWriter or StyleWriter II you may want to forgo
the software and buy a better printer instead.
If you're still using System 6 and have no plans to move to
System 7, there is a shareware product called MultiSpool from Italy;
but it is not System 7 compatible and prints only under MultiFinder.
See
WHY DID MY DOCUMENT CHANGE WHEN I PRINTED IT ON SOMEONE ELSE'S PRINTER? (2.8)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There are many different reasons this can happen. Far and away
the most common problem is using the wrong printer driver. BEFORE
you start formatting your document, make sure you have a printer
driver for the printer you'll use for the final draft in your system
folder and have selected that printer in the Chooser. Then choose
Page Setup... from the File menu to let the application know what
sort of output it should try to match the display to.
The second most common problem is font confusion. Make sure
you know exactly which fonts are in your document; and, if you're
printing to a PostScript printer, make sure PostScript versions of
these fonts are available to that printer. On newer printers you
might also be able to use TrueType fonts; but PostScript is still
the standard, especially if you're eventually going to Lino for
camera ready output.
The third most common source of trouble is poor formatting,
especially in Microsoft Word. The Mac is not a typewriter, and
you shouldn't use it as one. Don't use tabs as a substitute for
indentation; don't force a page break with carriage returns; and
NEVER use spaces to position anything. If you're writing a resume
(by far the most common source of formatting problems for Word
users), give serious thought to using the well-formatted resume
template that comes with Word to help you avoid problems with
your final printout.
IS THERE A UTILITY TO PREVIEW POSTSCRIPT FILES ON THE MAC? (2.9)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Net godhood awaits the first person to write a working shareware
or freeware PostScript previewer for the Mac. The payware product
TScript allows viewing PostScript files on the Mac, but this is a
large package with other purposes and even the light version costs
over $100. Aladdin Enterprises' GhostView can preview some PostScript
files, but tends to crash. Be sure to save your work before launching
it. See
CAN I ATTACH A LASERJET OR OTHER PC PRINTER TO MY MAC? (2.10)
--------------------------------------------------------------
If your printer isn't a PostScript printer with an AppleTalk
interface, you need PowerPrint from GDT Softworks. It includes
the necessary printer drivers and serial to parallel cable to
connect a Macintosh with any common PC printer including HP
LaserJets and DeskJets. If your printer is uncommon you can
always ask the vendor before ordering. Street price is
about $95.
HOW CAN I PRINT GREY SCALES ON MY STYLEWRITER I? (2.11)
--------------------------------------------------------
The StyleWriter II driver 1.2 works with the StyleWriter I
and will print greys. You can get it from
Updated versions of Print Monitor and Printer Share are also
available. See
When printing on a StyleWriter I with this driver, be sure
not to select the Clean Print Head option in the Print Options
dialog box. This damages the print head of the StyleWriter I.
The StyleWriter I+ patch will remove StyleWriter II specific code
from the driver including the option to clean the print head. See
HOW CAN I EDIT A POSTSCRIPT FILE? (2.12)
-----------------------------------------
In the most basic sense PostScript files are just ASCII text, so
if you're familiar with the PostScript programming language you can
edit PostScript in any good text editor. However if you want to edit
the PostScript files graphically, you need Adobe Illustrator 5.5 or
later. Use the bundled Acrobat Distiller to turn the PostScript file
into a PDF file which Illustrator can import and edit. If the file
includes embedded EPS bitmap images you may also need Photoshop or
another paint program to edit those.
DOS AND THE MAC (3.0)
======================
HOW CAN I MOVE FILES BETWEEN A MAC AND A PC? (3.1)
---------------------------------------------------
This isn't as frequently asked a question as it used to be since
Apple started bundling Macintosh PC Exchange with System 7.5.
As long as Macintosh PC Exchange is loaded any Mac with a
Superdrive (that is all Macs sold since the introduction of
the IIx in 1990) can read, write and format 3.5 inch PC floppies.
Macintosh PC Exchange does not support Windows 95's long file names
though. For that you'll need the commericial product Dayna DOS
Mounter.
System software versions 6.0 though 7.1 include Apple File Exchange
instead, a minimal program to read, write and format 3.5 inch PC
floppies in a Superdrive. Apple File Exchange is difficult to use
and violates at least half of Apple's user interface guidelines.
(Can anyone explain why no other software company violates as
many of Apple's user interface guidelines as Apple itself does?)
If you don't have a Superdrive, the easiest way is to transfer the
files across the Internet or a LAN. If that's not an option,
perhaps because you'rue transferring files from a really old DOS box
and you don't want to waste your time trying to get it to talk to
your ISP or network, then you can always move the files between two
computers with a null-modem cable connected between their serial
ports and a reliable communications program. You can get a
null-modem cable from any good electronics store. Make sure the
cable you buy has the appropriate connectors for the Mac and PC
you'll be connecting. Hook one end of the cable to the printer or
modem port on your Mac and the other to a serial port on the PC.
This should work just like a very high speed (57,600 bps) modem
connection except that you'll probably need to turn on local echo in
your communicatins programs.
HOW CAN I TRANSLATE FILES TO A DIFFERENT PLATFORM? (3.2)
---------------------------------------------------------
With the increasing popularity of cross-platform development,
many Macintosh programs like Adobe Illustrator, Adobe PhotoShop,
and Microsoft Word are able to save directly to a format readable
by DOS or Windows programs. You'll still need to mount the DOS
floppies in the Mac drive using one of the products discussed above
or do a default translation from within Apple File Exchange.
Although translators for Apple File Exchange could theoretically
be designed to translate files made by applications without these
capabilities, AFE has never really caught on. The best solution is
a payware product by DataViz called MacLink Plus. MacLink Plus,
about $70 street price, can translate over 1000 DOS, Windows,
Macintosh, and NeXT formats back and forth. For $25 more the Pro
version comes bundled with a copy of Macintosh PC Exchange. Some
translators are also bundled with some of the CD versions of
System 7.5 and with certain PowerBooks and Performas.
SHOULD I BUY SOFTPC OR A REAL PC? (3.3)
----------------------------------------
The various versions of SoftPC and SoftWindows run most DOS and
Windows software on a Macintosh as advertised; but even on the
fastest PowerMacs, you'll only achieve speeds around the level of a
486/25. This may be adequate for some Windows 3.1 and DOS software,
but 32-bit Windows 95 programs slow to a crawl. My 100 MHz
PowerBook 5300c could play solitaire using SoftWindows 95, but even
simple operations like unzipping files tied up my machine for
hours. For adequate Windows 3.1 performance you probably need a
PowerMac with an L2 cache and at least 32 megabytes of RAM.
Furthermore there are some nagging compatibility problems,
especially with CD-ROMs. When I tested SoftWindows 95 I was never
able to get a CD-ROM mounted on the Windows desktop, even with the
help of Insignia technical support. The bottom line is that if you
have a fast PowerMac with lots of RAM and only an occasional need to
run Windows 3.1 or DOS software, then SoftWindoows 3.0 may be
useful. But if you need to use Windows 95 or Windows NT, or Windows
3.1 on a daily basis, then you really should buy a PC or perhaps a
As of summer, 1996, there are three versions for 68040 Macs, SoftPC
3.0, SoftPC Professional 3.1, and SoftWindows 1.0. These emulate an
80286 with an 80287 math coprocessor and support extended memory.
SoftPC 3.0 ($99 street) supports 16 color EGA graphics. SoftPC
Professional 3.1 ($185 street) requires a 68030 Mac, adds support
for 256 color VGA graphics and expanded memory, and includes Netware
client software. SoftWindows 1.0 ($300 street) requires a 68040 Mac
with at least 10 megs of free RAM and fourteen megs of free hard
disk space (plus any disk space you want to allocate to DOS and
Windows files). It includes all of the above plus Windows 3.1 and
is optimized to make Windows performance tolerable (if not exactly
speedy) on a fast Quadra. There are two versions for PowerMacs,
SoftWindows 3.0 and SoftWindows 95, which emulate a 486 and provide
VGA graphics and all networking support. SoftWindows 3.0 ($299)
includes Windows 3.1 and DOS 6. SoftWindows 95 ($350 street)
includes Windows 95.
SHOULD I BUY EXECUTOR OR A REAL MAC? (3.4)
-------------------------------------------
ARDI's $99 Executor/DOS 1.2 allows some Macintosh applications
to run on a PC. It also lets a PC read and write Mac formatted high
density floppies and hard disks, and at only $99 Executor's doesn't
cost much more than a dedicated utility to do this alone. That this
works at all is nothing short of amazing and a tribute to the talents
of ARDI's programmers, especially since they've received no help from
Apple. However the limitations on what it will run are decidedly
non-trivial. For instance it won't run the Finder, System 7,
HyperCard or many other applications and does not support color,
Section 1 of 3 - Prev - Next
All sections - 1 - 2 - 3
| Back to category macintosh - Use Smart Search |
| Home - Smart Search - About the project - Feedback |
© allanswers.org | Terms of use