Archive-name: macintosh/general-faq
Version: 2.1.3
Last-modified:  April 16, 1993

Copyright 1993, Elliotte Harold


Changes:

	2.1: Where can I FTP Macintosh software?

		I added the ftp site anl.anl.fr.


    2.5: What is .bin?  .hqx?  .cpt?  .image? .etc.?

    	Disk Doubler will decode Packit archives.  Binhex 5.0
    	will decode MacBinary files, NOT StuffIt files as the
    	last version erroneously indicated.
    	
    2.7: I added the question 
     
    How can I get Binhex, StuffIt etc. from a PC?

    


                          comp.sys.mac.faq
          Part 1: An Introduction to the Macintosh Newsgroups


I.   Introduction
      1. How do I use this document?
      2. What other information is available?
      3. Which newsgroup should I post to?
      4. Someone just asked why the System was taking up sixteen 
      megabytes on their IIcx.  Shouldn't I display my knowledge 
      to the world by posting the seventeenth response to 
      their question?
II.  FTP
      1. Where can I FTP Macintosh software?
      2. Can I get shareware by E-mail?
      3. Where can I find Application X?
      4. Can someone mail me Application X?
      5. What is .bin?  .hqx?  .cpt?  .image? .etc.?
      6. How can I get BinHex?  StuffIt?  etc.?
      7. How can I get BinHex, StuffIt, etc. from a PC?
III.  Troubleshooting.  What to do when things go wrong
      1. Identify the problem.
      2. Read the READ ME file.
      3. Check for viruses.
      4. Reinstall the application and all its support files.
      5. Reinstall the system software.
      6. Isolate the problem.
      7. Contact technical support.
IV.  Preventive Maintenance
      1. Trash Unneeded Files
      2. Reevaluate Your Extensions
      3. Rebuild the desktop.
      4. Zap the PRAM and Reset the Clock
      5. Resize the system heap.
      6. Reinstall the system software.
      7. Disk Utilities
      8. Backing Up 
      9. Disk Defragmentation
     10. Reformatting and partitioning your hard disk

Other FAQ lists currently available:

B.    comp.sys.mac.system:

I.   Memory
      1. Why is my system using so much memory?
      2. What is Mode 32?  the 32-bit enabler?  Do I need them?
      3. Cache and Carry (How much memory should I allot to my cache?)
II.  System Software
      1. Why does Apple charge for System 7.1?
      2. What does System 7.1 give me for my $35 that System 7.0 doesn't?
      3. Where can I get System 7.1?
      4. How can I use System 6 on a System 7 only Mac? 
      5. Non-US scripts and systems
      6. What is System 7 Tuneup?  Do I need it?
      7. Why do my DA's disappear when I turn on MultiFinder?
      8. Do I need System 7.0.1?
      9. How can I get System 7.0.1 on 800K disks?
III. Hard Disks, Filesharing, and the File System
      1. Help! My folder disappeared!
      2. Why can't I throw this folder away?
      3. Why can't I share my removable drive?
      4. Why can't I eject this SyQuest cartridge?  CD-ROM?  etc.
      5. Why can't I rename my hard disk?
IV.  Miscellaneous:
      1. What does System Error XXX mean?
      2. What is a Type 1 error?
      3. What is A/ROSE?
      4. Easy Access or One Answer, Many Questions


C.    comp.sys.mac.misc:

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. How do 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?
IV.  Security
      1. How can I prevent users from changing the contents of a folder?
      2. How can I password protect my Mac?
V.   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?

      This work is Copyright 1993 by Elliotte M. Harold.  Permission
  is hereby granted to distribute this unmodified document provided
  that no fee in excess of normal on-line charges is required for
  such distribution.  Portions of this document may be extracted and
  quoted free of charge and without necessity of citation in normal
  on-line communication provided only that said quotes are not
  represented as the correspondent's original work.  Permission for
  quotation of this document in printed material and edited on-line
  communication  (such as the Info-Mac Digest and TidBITS) is given
  subject to normal citation procedures (i.e. you have to say where
  you got it). 
  
    Disclaimer:  I do my best to ensure that information contained 
  in this document is current and accurate, but I can accept no
  responsibility for actions resulting from information contained
  herein.  This document is provided as is and with no warranty of 
  any kind.  Corrections and suggestions should be addressed to
  erh0362@tesla.njit.edu. 
  
    Apple, Macintosh, LaserWriter, ImageWriter, Finder, HyperCard and
  MultiFinder are registered trademarks and PowerBook is a trademark
  of Apple Computer, Inc.  Linotronic is a registered trademark of
  Linotype-Hell AG, Inc.  PostScript is a registered trademark and
  Illustrator and Photoshop are trademarks of Adobe Systems, Inc. 
  Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. 
  PageMaker is a registered trademark of Aldus Corp.  AutoDoubler 
  and DiskDoubler are trademarks of Fifth Generation Systems, Inc. 
  StuffIt and StuffIt Deluxe are trademarks of Raymond Lau and
  Aladdin Systems, Inc.  StuffIt SpaceSaver is a trademark of Aladdin
  Systems, Inc.  More Disk Space is a trademark of Alysis Software
  Corporation.  TimesTwo is a trademark of Golden Triangle Computers,
  Inc.  UNIX is a registered trademark of AT&T.  All other tradenames
  are trademarks of their respective manufacturers.
  
      This is the FIRST part of the this FAQ.  The second part is 
  posted to comp.sys.mac.system and features many questions about
  system  software.  The third part is posted every two weeks in
  comp.sys.mac.misc.  Tables of contents for those two pieces are
  included above. Please familiarize  yourself with all three
  sections of this document  before posting. 
  
         All pieces  are available for anonymous ftp from
  rtfm.mit.edu (18.172.1.27) in the directory 
  pub/usenet/news.answers/macintosh.  Except for this introductory
  FAQ which appears in multiple newsgroups and is stored as
  general-faq.Z, the name of each file has the format of the last
  part of the group name followed by "-faq.Z", e.g the FAQ for
  comp.sys.mac.system is stored as system-faq.Z and the FAQ for
  comp.sys.mac.misc is stored as misc-faq.Z.  RTFM stores files as 
  compressed (.Z) BINARY files.  If you leave off the .Z at the end
  of  the file name when "getting" the file, rtfm will automatically 
  decompress the file before sending it to you.  You can also have 
  these files mailed to you by sending an E-mail message to 
  mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu with the line:  send
  pub/usenet/news.answers/macintosh/"name"  in the body text where
  "name" is the name of the file you want as  specified above (e.g.
  general-faq).  You can also send this server a message with the
  subject "help" for more detailed instructions.   

    

 ==================== 
 I HAVE A QUESTION...  (1.0)
 ====================
  
       Congratulations!  You've come to the right place.  Usenet is 
  a wonderful resource for information ranging from basic questions
  (How do I lock a floppy disk?) to queries that would make Steve
  Jobs himself run screaming from the room in terror.  (I used
  ResEdit to remove resources Init #11, WDEF 34, and nVIR 17 from my
  system file and used the Hex Editor to add code string #A67B45 as a
  patch to the SFGetFile routine so the Standard File Dialog Box
  would be a nice shade of mauve.  Everything worked fine until I
  installed SuperCDevBlaster, and now when I use the Aldus driver to
  print from PageMaker 5.0d4 to a Linotronic 6000 my system hangs. 
  P.S.  I'm running System 6.0.2 on a PowerBook 170.) 
  
       Since the Macintosh newsgroups are medium to high volume, we
  ask that you first peruse this FAQ list including at least the
  table of contents for the other pieces of it, check any other
  relevant on-line resources listed below in question 1.2, especially
  the FAQ lists for the other Macintosh newsgroups, and RTFM (Read
  the Friendly Manual) before posting your question.  We realize that
  you are personally incensed that the System is taking up fourteen
  of your newly-installed twenty megs of RAM, but this question has
  already made its way around the world three hundred times before,
  and it's developing tired feet.  Finally, before posting to any
  newsgroup (Macintosh or otherwise), please familiarize yourself
  with the basic etiquette of Usenet as described in the newsgroup
  news.announce.newusers.


 HOW DO I USE THIS DOCUMENT?  WHERE CAN I GET IT?  (1.1) 
     
         comp.sys.mac.faq is currently divided into multiple pieces,
  a general introduction which you're reading now, and specific lists
  for the newsgroups comp.sys.mac.system and comp.sys.mac.misc.  FAQ
  lists for comp.sys.mac.wanted, comp.sys.mac.apps and
  comp.sys.mac.hardware are in development.  When ready each part
  will be available in its respective newsgroup.  All pieces are
  available via anonymous ftp from rtfm.mit.edu in the
  pub/usenet/news.answers/macintosh directory. Except for this
  document itself which is named general-faq.Z the pieces are named
  as per the last part of the newsgroup they cover  followed by
  "-faq", e.g. system-faq.Z, misc-faq.Z.  The .Z means the  file is
  stored compressed so you'll need to ftp it in binary mode and use
  either MacCompress, StuffIt Deluxe, or the UNIX uncompress command 
  to decompress it.  However if you leave off the ".Z" extension when
   you "get" the file, rtfm will automatically decompress the file
  before sending it to you. 
  
         This introductory document is posted to all of the concerned
  newsgroups.  The tables of contents for each of the specific FAQ
  lists are at the beginning of this file so you should be able to
  get  at least some idea whether your question is answered anywhere
  else in the FAQ even if you don't have the other parts at hand. 
  It's not always obvious, especially to newcomers, where a
  particular question or comment should be posted.  Please
  familiarize yourself with the FAQ lists in all the major Macintosh
  newsgroups before posting in any of them.  Which questions appear
  in which FAQs can serve as a basic guide to what posts belong
  where. 
  
         To jump to a particular question search for
  section-number.question-number enclosed in parentheses.  For
  example to find "Where can I FTP Macintosh software?" search for
  the string  "(2.1)".  To jump to a section instead of a question
  use a zero for  the question number.


 WHAT OTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE?  (1.2)

      comp.sys.mac.faq provides short answers to a number of 
  frequently asked questions appropriate for the Usenet newsgroup
  comp.sys.mac.misc and comp.sys.mac.system.  Four other files are
  worthy of particular note: Daryl Spitzer maintains a FAQ list
  covering Macintosh programming for the newsgroup
  comp.sys.mac.programmer.  It's posted to that group weekly and 
  available for anonymous ftp from ftp.cs.uoregon (128.223.8.8) in 
  /pub/mac.  Eric Rosen maintains a frequently asked questions list 
  for comp.sys.mac.comm available in that newsgroup and from
  rascal.ics.utexas.edu in mac/faq (where the file you're reading now
  is also irregularly archived).  This list answers many frequently
  asked questions about networking, UNIX and the Mac,
  telecommunications, and foreign file formats.  Norm Walsh has
  compiled an excellent FAQ for comp.fonts that answers a lot of
  questions about the various kinds of fonts and cross-platform
  conversion and printing.  It's available in comp.fonts or by ftp
  from ibis.cs.umass.edu in /pub/norm/comp.fonts/FAQ*.  Finally Jim
  Jagielski maintains a FAQ for comp.unix.aux covering Apple's UNIX
  environment, A/UX.  It's posted every 2 to 3 weeks in comp.unix.aux
  and news.answers. It's available for anonymous ftp at
  jagubox.gsfc.nasa.gov.


 WHICH NEWSGROUP SHOULD I POST TO?  (1.3)
  
      There are no stupid questions, but there are misplaced ones. 
  You wouldn't ask your English teacher how to do the definite
  integral  of ln x between zero and one, would you?  So don't ask
  the programmer newsgroup why your system is so slow when Microsoft
  Word is in the background.  Ignorance of basic netiquette is not an
  excuse. If you want people to help you, you need to learn their
  ways of  communicating.  
  
      Posting questions to the proper newsgroup will fill your
  mailbox with pearls of wisdom (and maybe a few rotten oysters too
  :-) ).  Posting to the wrong newsgroup often engenders a thundering
  silence.  For instance the most common and glaring mispost, one
  that seems as incongruous to dwellers in the Macintosh regions of
  Usenet as would a purple elephant to Aleuts in the Arctic, asking a
  question about networking anywhere except comp.sys.mac.comm,
  normally produces no useful responses.  Posting the same question
  to comp.sys.mac.comm ensures that your post is read and considered
  by dozens of experienced network administrators and not a few
  network software designers.
  
         Please post to exactly ONE newsgroup.  Do not cross-post. 
  If a question isn't important enough for you to take the extra
  minute to figure out where it properly belongs, it's not important
  enough for several thousand people to spend their time reading. 
  For the same reason comp.sys.mac.misc should not be used as a
  catch-all newsgroup.
  
         The breakdown of questions between different newsgroups in
  this document can also serve as a reasonable guide to what belongs
  where.  Specifically questions about productivity applications
  (software you bought your Macintosh to run, not software you bought
  to make your Macintosh run better) should go to comp.sys.mac.apps
  unless the application is covered in a more specific newsgroup. 
  Communications programs, games, HyperCard, compilers and databases
  all have more topical comp.sys.mac.* newsgroups.  Post questions
  about non-communications hardware including questions about what
  software is necessary to make particular hardware work to
  comp.sys.mac.hardware.  Questions about MacOS system software
  belong in comp.sys.mac.system.  Questions about utilities and
  extensions normally belong in comp.sys.mac.misc.  Questions about
  A/UX go to comp.unix.aux.  Detailed questions about Appletalk
  belong in comp.protocols.appletalk.
  
         Direct questions about HyperCard to comp.sys.mac.hypercard. 
  Non-HyperCard programming questions and questions about development
  environments should go to comp.sys.mac.programmer.  ResEdit
  questions may be posted either to comp.sys.mac.misc,
  comp.sys.mac.system, or comp.sys.mac.programmer; but generally the
  netters who inhabit the darker recesses of comp.sys.mac.programmer
  are considerably more practiced at the art of resource hacking. 
  
         A general exception to the above rules is that any VERY
  technical question about an application that actually begins to
  delve into the how's of a program as well as the what's (Recent
  example: How does WriteNow which is written entirely in assembly
  compare to other word processors written in high level languages?)
  might be better addressed to the programmer newsgroup.
    
         For Sale and Want to Buy posts should go to
  comp.sys.mac.wanted and misc.forsale.computers.mac ONLY.  We
  understand that you're desperate to sell your upgraded 128K Mac to
  get the $$ for a PowerBook 180; but trust me, anyone who wants to
  buy it will be reading comp.sys.mac.wanted.  Political and
  religious questions (The Mac is better than Windows! Is not! Is
  too! Is not! Is too! Hey! How 'bout the Amiga! What about it? Is
  Not! Is too!) belong in comp.sys.mac.advocacy.  Anything not
  specifically mentioned above probably belongs in comp.sys.mac.misc.
  
         Finally don't be so provincial as to consider only the
  comp.sys.mac newsgroups the appropriate forums for your questions. 
  Many questions about modems in comp.sys.mac.comm are much more
  thoroughly discussed in comp.dcom.modems.  Questions about Mac MIDI
  are often better handled in comp.music even though it's not a
  Macintosh specific newsgroup.  Shop around.  Usenet's a big place
  and not everything relevant to the Macintosh happens in
  comp.sys.mac.


 4. SOMEONE JUST ASKED WHY THE SYSTEM WAS TAKING UP SIXTEEN OF
 THEIR  TWENTY MEGABYTES OF RAM.  SHOULDN'T I PUT MY BRILLIANCE AND
 WIT ON  DISPLAY FOR THE WORLD BY POSTING THE SEVENTEENTH RESPONSE?

      No.  Frequent answers are just as boring and uninteresting as
  frequent questions.  Unless you really have something new to add to
  the traditional answers (such as the recent discovery that fonts in
  System 7.1 could eat memory) private E-mail is a much better medium
  for answering common questions like this one.
   
         You might want to add a mention of this FAQ in your E-mail
  response and a polite suggestion that your correspondent read it
  before posting future questions.  I do read all the newsgroups
  covered here and have written a small script in MicroPhone II that
  lets me send PWFAQ's (people with frequently asked questions) the
  section of this document that answers their question with just the
  click of a button so please don't feel obligated to respond to
  someone who cares so little about the answer to their question they
  can't be troubled to read the FAQ list to get it.

    

 === 
 FTP  (2.0) 
 ===

 WHERE CAN I FTP MAC SOFTWARE?  (2.1)

      The three major North American Internet archives of shareware,
  freeware, and demo software are sumex-aim.stanford.edu (36.44.0.6),
  mac.archive.umich.edu (141.211.165.41), and wuarchive.wustl.edu
  (128.252.135.4) which mirrors the other two sites and several
  others. Wuarchive often holds on to files after other sites remove
  them for space concerns, and still has files that were deleted from
  the formerly important site, rascal.ics.utexas.edu.  Rascal was
  notable for storing its files in MacBinary format rather than the
  less efficient BinHex format common at the other archives.  Unless
  otherwise noted shareware and freeware mentioned in this document
  should be available at the above sites.
  
       To keep traffic on the Internet manageable, Scandinavians 
  should try connecting to ftp.funet.fi (128.214.6.100), ftp.lth.se
  (130.235.20.3), or sics.se (192.16.123.90) instead.  Those in 
  the U.K. should look first at src.doc.ic.ac.uk (146.169.2.1). 
  Continental Europeans can try nic.switch.ch (130.59.1.40),  
  ezinfo.ethz.ch (129.132.2.72), and anl.anl.fr(192.54.179.1). 
  Australian users should try to find what they want at archie.au
  (139.130.4.6) which mirrors info-mac and mac.archive.  Japanese
  users will find sumex mirrored at ftp.u-tokyo.ac.jp
  (130.69.254.254). 

         A fourth very important site is ftp.apple.com (130.43.2.3). 
  This is Apple's semi-official repository for system software,
  developer tools, source code, technical notes, and other things
  that come more or less straight from Apple's mouth.  Some material
  at this site may not be distributed outside the U.S. or by other
  sites that don't have an official license to distribute Apple
  system software.  Please read the various README documents
  available at ftp.apple.com for the detailed info if you're
  connecting from outside the U.S. or if you wish to redistribute
  material you find here.


 CAN I GET SHAREWARE BY E-MAIL?  (2.2)

      The info-mac archives at sumex-aim are available by E-mail from
  LISTSERV@RICEVM1.bitnet (alternately listserv@ricevm1.rice.edu). 
  The listserver responds to the commands $MACARCH HELP, $MACARCH
  INDEX, and $MACARCH GET filename.  Mac archive files are available
  from mac@mac.archive.umich.edu.  Send it a message containing the
  words "help" and "index" (no quotes) on the first two lines of your
  message for instructions on getting started and a list of the files
  you may request.  You can retrieve files from other sites by using
  the server at ftpmail@decwrl.dec.com.  For details send it a
  message with just the text "help" (no quotes).


 WHERE CAN I FIND APPLICATION X?  (2.3)

      If you can't find what you're looking for at one of the above
  sites, try telnetting to your nearest archie server or sending it
  an E-mail message addressed to archie with the subject "help." 
  Archie servers are located at archie.rutgers.edu (128.6.18.15,
  America), archie.mcgill.ca (132.206.2.3, the original archie server
  in Canada), archie.au (139.130.4.6, Australia), archie.funet.fi
  (128.214.6.100, Scandinavia), and archie.doc.ic.ac.uk (146.169.3.7,
  the U.K. and the continent).  These sites index the tens of
  thousands of files available for anonymous ftp.  Login as "archie"
  (no password is needed) and type "prog filename" to find what
  you're looking for or type "help" for more detailed instructions. 
  For instance you would type "prog Disinfectant" to search for a
  convenient ftp site for Disinfectant.  If the initial search fails
  to turn up the file you want, try variations on and substrings of
  the name.  For instance if you didn't find Disinfectant with "prog
  Disinfectant", you might try "prog disi" instead.  Substring
  searches often hide the gold in a pile of dross.  To avoid many
  erroneous matches add a ".*\.hqx" to the end of the substring, e.g.
  "prog disi.*\.hqx"  Most Mac software available on the net ends in
  .hqx but almost no UNIX or PC software does. 

         Please check the above archives and ARCHIE personally BEFORE
  asking where you can find a particular piece of shareware.  If you
  follow the above advice, you should almost never have to ask the
  net where to find a particular piece of software.


 CAN SOMEONE MAIL ME APPLICATION X?  (2.4)

      No.  Nor will anyone mail you a part of a file from
  comp.binaries.mac that was corrupt or missed at your site.  Please
  refer to the first questions in this section to find out about
  anonymous FTP, archie, and automatic E-mail servers.


 WHAT IS .BIN? .HQX? .CPT? .ETC?  (2.5)

      Most files available by FTP are modified twice to allow them to
  more easily pass through foreign computer systems.  First they're
  compressed to make them faster to download, and then they're
  translated to either a binhex (.hqx) or MacBinary (.bin) format
  that other computers can digest.  (The Macintosh uses a special
  two-fork filing system that chokes most other computers.)  BinHex
  files are 7-bit ASCII text files, while MacBinary files are pure
  8-bit binary data that must always be transferred using a binary
  protocol.
  
         How a file has been translated and compressed for
  transmission is indicated by its suffix.  Normally a file will have
  a name something like filename.xxx.yyy.  .xxx indicates how it was
  compressed and .yyy indicates how it was translated.  To use a file
  you've FTP'd and downloaded to your Mac you'll need to reverse the
  process.  Most files you get from the net require a two-step
  decoding process.  First change the binhex (.hqx) or MacBinary
  (.bin) file to a double-clickable Macintosh file; then decompress
  it.  Which programs decode which file types is covered in the table
  below.  Also note that most Macintosh telecommunications programs
  will  automatically convert MacBinary files to regular Macintosh
  files as they are downloaded.

***************************************************************************
Suffix:      .sit  .cpt  .hqx  .bin  .pit  .Z  .image  .dd  .zip .uu  .tar 
Extractors
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
StuffIt 3.0|   X     X     X     X     X                  
Compact Pro|         X     X 
Packit     |                           X
UUTool     |                                                      X 
MacCompress|                                X 
SunTar     |               X     X     X                                X 
BinHex 5.0 |                     X 
BinHex 4.0 |               X 
DiskDoubler|                           X                X 
UnZip      |                                                   X 
DiskCopy   |                                     X 
macutil    |         X     X           X                X
***************************************************************************

     A few notes on the decompressors:

      StuffIt is a family of products that use several different
  compression schemes.  The freeware StuffIt Expander will unstuff
  all of them.  Versions of StuffIt earlier than 3.0 (StuffIt 1.5.1,
  StuffIt Classic, UnStuffIt, and StuffIt Deluxe 2.0 and 1.0) will
  not unstuff the increasing number of files stuffed by StuffIt 3.0. 
  You need to get a more recent version of StuffIt or StuffIt
  Expander. 
    
         StuffIt 3.0.5 (Lite and Deluxe) consistently makes smaller
  archives than any other Macintosh compression utility.  To allow
  maximum space for files on the various ftp sites and to keep
  net-bandwidth down, please compress all files you send to anonymous
  ftp sites with StuffIt 3.0.5.
   
         UUTool, MacCompress, and SunTar handle the popular UNIX
  formats of  uuencode (.uu), compress (.Z), and tar (.tar)
  respectively.  The UNIX versions are often more robust than the Mac
  products, so use them instead when that's an  option.  Translators
  that allow StuffIt Lite to expand uuencoded and tar files are also
  available by anonymous ftp. 
  
         Macutil is dik winter's package of UNIX utilities to
  decompress and debinhex files on a workstation before downloading
  them to a Mac. Since UNIX stores files differently than does the
  Mac, macutil creates MacBinary (.bin) files which should be
  automatically converted on download.  It can't decompress
  everything. In particular it can't decompress the new StuffIt 3.0
  archives. :-(  However, if you need only one or two files out of an
  archive--for instance if you want to read the README to find out if
  a program does what you need it to do before you download all of
  it--macutil is indispensable.  It can be found at sumex-aim in the
  info-mac/unix directory.

     A few notes on the compression formats:

      .bin:  These are MacBinary files.  Always use a binary file
  transfer protocol when transferring them, never ASCII or text. 
  Most files on the net are stored as .hqx instead.  Only rascal
  stores most of its files in .bin format.  Most communications
  programs such as ZTerm and MacKermit are capable of translating
  MacBinary files on the fly as they download if they know in advance
  they'll be downloading MacBinary files.
  
      .image: This format is normally used only for system software,
  so that on-line users can download files that can easily be
  converted into exact copies of the installer floppies.  Instead of
  using DiskCopy to restore the images to floppies, you can use Steve
  Christensen's freeware utility  MountImage to treat the images on
  your hard disk as actual floppies inserted in a floppy drive. 
  MountImage has a reputation for being buggy, so you should have
  some blank floppies and a copy of DiskCopy handy just in case.
  
      .sea (.x, .X):  .sea files don't merit a position in the above
  table because they're self-extracting.  They may have been created
  with Compact Pro, StuffIt, or even DiskDoubler; but all should be
  capable of decompressing themselves when double-clicked.  For some
  unknown reason Alysis has chosen not to use this industry standard
  designation for self-extracting archives created with their 
  payware products SuperDisk! and More Disk Space.  Instead they 
  append either .x or .X to self-extracting archives.


 HOW CAN I GET BINHEX?  STUFFIT?  ETC.?  (2.6)

      By far the easiest way to get these programs is to ask a human
  being to copy them onto a floppy for you.  If you're at a
  university there's absolutely no excuse for not finding someone to
  give you a copy; and if you're anywhere less remote than McMurdo
  Sound, chances are very good that someone at a computer center,
  dealership, or user group can provide you with a copy of StuffIt. 
  Once you have StuffIt (any version) you don't need BinHex.
    
         If you're such a computer geek that the thought of actually
  asking a living, breathing human being instead of a computer 
  terminal for something turns you into a quivering mass of 
  protoplasmic jelly, you can probably download a working copy  of
  StuffIt from a local bulletin board system. 
  
         If you have religious objections to software gotten by any 
  means other than anonymous ftp, then I suppose I'll mention that 
  you can in fact ftp a working copy of StuffIt though this is by 
  far the hardest way to get it.  Ftp to wuarchive.wustl.edu and 
  login.  Type the word "binary."  Hit return.  Type "cd
  mirrors/rascal.ics.utexas.edu/compression" and hit return.  Then
  "get StuffIt_Expander_1.0.1_SEA_bin"  and hit return.  Of course
  it's always possible that by the time you read this StuffIt
  Expander will have been updated and the name changed so if this
  fails look for something similar.  If you've ftp'd straight onto
  your Mac you should now have a self-extracting archive which will
  produce a working copy of StuffIt Expander when double-clicked.  If
  you've ftp'd to your mainframe or UNIX account first, you still
  need to use a modem program to download it to your Mac.  Just make
  sure that the Mac is receiving in MacBinary mode and the mainframe
  is sending in binary mode.  If you need more details on the last
  step, consult the FAQ list for comp.sys.mac.comm and the manuals
  for both your mainframe and Macintosh telecommunications software.
  
  
  HOW CAN I GET BINHEX, STUFFIT, ETC. FROM A PC?  (2.7)

       You can't.  There is absolutely NO way to get an executable
  Macintosh file from an ftp site onto a PC and then onto your Mac
  without some software obtained by means other than anonymous ftp.
  You MUST beg, borrow, or steal the necessary software such as
  Binhex or StuffIt Lite from another person.  I realize this may 
  terrify those among you who haven't left your parents' basement 
  since you got an  Apple II+ in 1980, but eventually you're going 
  to need to link up with some human being other than your mother.  
  (though I suppose if you're this much of  a nerd you could send 
  your mother out to get it for you.)  While you're gathering
  your nerves for a venture into the strange and terrifying world 
  of daylight, please don't bother the net by asking this question
  again.  There simply is no way to move executable Macintosh
  programs from a PC or other non-Macintosh computer onto a 
  Mac without software that is not bundled with most Macs.



=================================================================
TROUBLESHOOTING: WHAT TO DO (BEFORE POSTING) WHEN THINGS GO WRONG (3.0)
================================================================= 

         While the various FAQ lists cover a lot of specific
  problems, there are far more problems that aren't covered here. 
  These are a few basic techniques you should follow before asking
  for help.  You should probably also perform the ten-step
  preventative maintenance routine described in section four,
  especially rebuilding the desktop (4.3) and resizing the system
  heap (4.5).  Following these steps may  or may not solve your
  problem, but it will at least make it easier  for others to
  recommend solutions to you.

 IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM.  (3.1)

      "Microsoft Word is crashing" doesn't say much.  What were you
  doing when it crashed?  Can you repeat the actions that lead to the
  crash?  The more information you provide about the actions
  preceding the crash the more likely it is someone can help you. 
  The more precisely you've identified the problem and the actions
  preceding it (Step 1) the easier it will be to tell if the
  following steps fix the problem.  For example, "Sometimes
  QuarkXPress 3.0 crashes with a coprocessor not installed error." is
  not nearly as helpful as "QuarkXPress 3.0 crashes when I link two
  text boxes on a master page when copies of those text boxes already
  contain text."  The former will leave you wondering whether the bug
  remains after a given step.  The latter lets you go right to the
  problem and see if it's still there or not.


 READ THE READ ME FILE.  (3.2)

      Many companies include a list of known incompatibilities and
  bugs in their READ ME files.  Often these aren't documented in the
  manual. Read any READ ME files to see if any of the problems sound
  familiar.


 CHECK FOR VIRUSES.  (3.3)

      Run Disinfectant or another anti-viral across your disk.  Virus
  infections are rarer than most people think, but they do occur and
  they do cause all sorts of weird problems when they do.


 REINSTALL THE APPLICATION AND ALL ITS SUPPORT FILES.  (3.4)  
   
       For half a dozen reasons (external magnetic fields,
  improperly written software, the alignment of the planets) a file
  on a disk may not contain the data it's supposed to contain.  This
  can cause all types of unexplained, unusual behavior.  Restoring
  from original masters will normally fix this.


 REINSTALL THE SYSTEM SOFTWARE.  (3.5)  

      Bits are even more likely to get twiddled in the system file
  than in the application and the effects can be just as disastrous. 
  See question 4.6 for a detailed procedure for performing a  clean
  reinstall. 
  
         If the problem continues to occur after you've taken these
  steps, chances are you've found either a conflict between your
  application and some other software or a genuine bug in the
  program.  So it's time to


 ISOLATE THE PROBLEM.  (3.6)  
 
         You need to find the minimal system on which the problem
  will assert itself.  Here are the basic steps of isolating the
  cause of a system or application crash:
  
     a.	Run only one application at a time. Occasionally applications do
     conflict with each other.  If the problem does not manifest itself
     without other applications running simultaneously, you can begin
     launching other applications until you find the one that causes 
     the crash.
     
     b.	If you're running System 6, turn off MultiFinder.  If you're
     running System 7, allot as much memory to the application as you 
     can afford.  Sometimes programs just need more memory, especially 
     when performing complicated operations.
     
     c. If you're running System 7, turn off virtual memory and 32-bit
     addressing.  There's still an awful lot of System 7 hostile
     software out there including some from companies that really 
     have no excuse.  (Can you say Microsoft Word 5.1, boys and girls?  
     I knew you could.)  Some of this software only expresses its 
     incompatibilities when certain uncommon actions are taken.
     
     d.	Boot from a virgin system floppy.  If the problem disappears
     you likely have an init conflict.  You need to progressively remove
     extensions until the problem vanishes.  Use a little common sense
     when choosing the first extensions to remove.  If the problem occurs
     when you try to open a file, remove any inits that mess with the
     Standard File Open procedure such as Super Boomerang first.  If the
     problem remains after the obvious candidates have been eliminated,
     either remove the remaining extensions one at a time or, if you have
     a lot of them, perform a binary search by removing half of the
     extensions at a time.  Once the problem disappears add half of the
     most recently removed set back.  Continue until you've narrowed the
     conflict down to one extension.  When you think you've found the
     offending init restart with only that init enabled just to make 
     sure that it and it alone is indeed causing the problem.


 CONTACT TECHNICAL SUPPORT.  (3.7)

      By now you should have a very good idea of when, where, and why
  the conflict occurs.  If a tech support number is available for the
  software, call it.  If you're lucky the company will have a work
  around or fix available.  If not, perhaps they'll at least add the
  bug to their database of problems to be fixed in the next release.

    

 ====================== 
 PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE  (4.0)
 ======================

      You wouldn't drive your car 100,000 miles without giving it a
  tune-up.  A computer is no different.  Regular tune-ups avoid a lot
  of problems.  Although there are Mac mechanics who'll be happy to
  charge you $75 or more for the equivalent of an oil change, there's
  no reason you can't change it yourself.  The following nine-step
  program should be performed about every three months. 


 TRASH UNNEEDED FILES  (4.1)

      Many of the operations that follow will run faster and more
  smoothly the more free disk space there is to work with so spend a
  little time cleaning up your hard disk.  If you're at all like me,
  you'll find several megabytes worth of preferences files for
  applications you no longer have, archives of software you've
  dearchived, shareware you tried out and didn't like, announcements
  for events that have come and gone and many other files you no
  longer need.  If you're running System 7 you may also have several
  more megabytes in your trash can alone.  Throw them away and empty 
  the trash.


 RETHINK YOUR EXTENSIONS  (4.2)

      Some Macintoshes attract inits like a new suit attracts rain. 
  Seriously consider whether you actually need every extension 
  in your collection.  If you don't use the functionality of an
  extension at least every fifth time you boot up, you're probably
  better off not storing it in your System Folder where it only takes
  up memory, destabilizes your system, and slows down every startup. 
  For instance if you only read PC disks once a month, there's no
  need to keep AccessPC loaded all the time.  Cutting back on your
  extension habit can really help avoid crashes. 


 REBUILD THE DESKTOP  (4.3)

      The Desktop file/database holds all the information necessary
  to associate each file with the application that created it.  It
  lets the system know what application should be launched when you
  open a given file and what icons it should display where. 
  Depending on its size each application has one or more
  representatives in the desktop file.  As applications and files
  move on and off your hard disk, the Desktop file can be become
  bloated and corrupt.  Think of it as a Congress for your Mac. 
  Every so often it's necessary to throw the bums out and start with
  a clean slate.  Fortunately it's easier to rebuild the desktop than
  to defeat an incumbent. 
  
         One warning: rebuilding the desktop will erase all comments
  you've stored in the Get Info boxes.  Under System 7 Maurice
  Volaski's freeware init CommentKeeper will retain those comments
  across a rebuild.  CommentKeeper also works with System 6 but only 
  if Apple's Desktop Manager extension is also installed. 
  
         To rebuild the desktop restart your Mac and, as your
  extensions finish loading, depress the Command and Option keys. 
  You'll be presented with a dialog box asking if you want to rebuild
  the desktop and warning you that "This could take a few minutes." 
  Click OK. It will take more than a few minutes. The more files you
  have the longer it will take.  If you're running System 6 you may
  want to turn off MultiFinder before trying to rebuild the desktop.
   
          If you're experiencing definite problems and not just doing
  preventive maintenance, you may want to use Fifth Generation's
  freeware init Desktop Reset.  Desktop Reset completely deletes the
  Desktop file before rebuilding it, thus eliminating possibly
  corrupt data structures.    


 ZAP THE PRAM AND RESET THE CLOCK  (4.4)

      All Macs from the original 128K Thin Mac to the Quadra 950
  contain a small amount of battery powered RAM to hold certain
  settings that properly move with the CPU rather than with the disk
  such as which disk to boot from.  Unfortunately this "parameter
  RAM" can become corrupted and cause unexplained crashes.  To reset
  it under System 7 hold down the Command, Option, P, and R keys
  while restarting your Mac.  Under System 6 hold down the Command,
  Option, and Shift keys while selecting the Control Panel from the
  Apple menu. Click Yes when asked if you want to zap the parameter
  RAM.  Since you've erased almost all the settings in the General
  Control Panel, you should now reset them to whatever you want.
   
         The one setting that zapping the PRAM does not erase is the 
  date and time; but since the internal clock in the Macintosh is
  notoriously inaccurate you'll probably want to take this
  opportunity to reset it anyway.


 RESIZE THE SYSTEM HEAP  (4.5) 

      Even after rethinking their extensions as per step two most
  people still have at least half a row of icons march across the
  bottom of their screen every time they restart.  All these
  extensions (and most applications too) need space in a section of
  memory called the System Heap.  If the System Heap isn't big enough
  to comfortably accommodate all the programs that want a piece of
  it, they all start playing King of the Mountain on the system heap,
  knocking each other off to get bigger pieces for themselves and
  trying to climb back on after they get knocked off.  All this
  fighting amongst the programs severely degrades system performance
  and almost inevitably crashes the Mac.
  
         If you're using System 7, your Macintosh will automatically
  resize the system heap as necessary; but if you're running System 6
  it's important to set your system heap size large enough to manage
  all your extensions and applications.  By default this size is set
  to 128K, way too small for most Macs with any extensions at all. 
  The system heap size is stored in the normally non-editable boot
  blocks of every system disk.  Bill Steinberg's freeware utility
  BootMan not only lets you resize your system heap but even checks
  how much memory your heap is already using so it can tell how much
  needs to be allocated.  If you're running System 6, get BootMan,
  use it, and be amazed at how infrequently your Macintosh crashes.


 REINSTALL THE SYSTEM SOFTWARE  (4.6)

      System files can become corrupt and fragmented, especially if
  you've stored lots of fonts and desk accessories inside them. 
  Merely updating the System software will often not fix system file
  corruption.  I recommend doing a clean reinstall.  Here's how:

    1.  Boot from the installer floppy of your System disks.  
    2.  Copy any non-standard fonts and desk accessories out 
        of your System file into a temporary suitcase.
    3.  Trash the System file on your hard disk.  Also trash the 
        Finder, MultiFinder, DA Handler, and all other standard Apple 
        extensions like Control Panel and Chooser.  These will all be 
        replaced in the new installation.  If you're running or 
        installing System 7, move everything in the Extensions, 
        Control Panels, and Preferences folders into the top level 
        of the System Folder.
    4.  Rename the System Folder.  Any name other than System Folder 
        is  fine.
    5.  Double-click the installer script on your System disk.  Then 
        choose Customize...  Select the appropriate software for your 
        model Mac and printer.  You could do an Easy Install instead, 
        but that will only add a lot of extensions and code you don't 
        need that waste your memory and disk space.
    6.  Once installation is finished, move everything from the 
        temporary folder you created in step 4 into the new System 
        folder.  If you're asked if you want to replace anything, you 
        forgot to take something out in step 3.  You'll need to replace 
        things individually until you find the duplicate piece. 
    7.  Reinstall any fonts or DA's you removed in step 2.
    8.  Reboot.  You should now have a clean, defragmented System file 
        that takes up less memory and disk space and a much more stable 
        system overall.


     DISK UTILITIES  (4.7)

      Much like system files hard disks have data structures that
  occasionally become corrupted affecting performance and even
  causing data loss.  Apple includes Disk First Aid, a simple utility
  for detecting and repairing hard disk problems, with its System
  disks. It's also available for anonymous ftp from ftp.apple.com in
  the  directory dts/mac/sys.soft/hdsc.  Even if you have an earlier 
  version, you should get the latest version (7.1) from ftp.apple.com
  and run it on all your hard disks.
     
         Several companies have released payware disk utilities that
  detect and repair considerably more problems than Disk First Aid
  though, interestingly, none of them detect and repair everything
  that Disk First Aid does.  The three most effective for general
  work are Central Point's MacTools Deluxe 2.0, Fifth Generation's
  Public Utilites, and Symantec's Norton Utilities for the Macintosh
  2.0.  A department or work group should have all of these as well
  as Disk First Aid since none of them fix everything the others do. 
  For individuals MacTools ($48 street) is about half the price of
  Norton ($94 street) or Public Utilities ($98 street) so, features
  and ease of use being roughly equal, I recommend MacTools.
   
         All of these products occasionally encounter problems they
  can't fix.  When that happens it's time to backup (4.7) and
  reformat (4.9).


     BACKING UP  (4.8)

      This is one part of preventative maintenance that should be
  done a LOT more often than every three months.  The simplest back
  up is to merely copy all the files on your hard disk onto floppies
  or other removable media.  If you keep your data files separate
  from your application and support files then it's easy to only back
  up those folders which change frequently.  Nonetheless every three
  months you  should do a complete backup of your hard disk. 
  
         A number of programs are available to make backing up
  easier.  Apple included a very basic full backup application with
  System 6.  With the Performas Apple ships a new Apple Backup
  utility that can backup the entire disk or just the System folder
  onto floppies.  The previously mentioned Norton Utilities for the
  Mac and MacTools Deluxe 2.0 include more powerful floppy backup
  utilities that incorporate compression and incremental backups.
  
         Finally if you're lucky enough to have a Tape Drive, network
  server, or removable media device to use for backups, you should
  check out the more powerful payware utilities Redux ($49 street,
  doesn't support tape drives) and Diskfit Pro ($74 street).  There
  are NO freely available backup utilities other than the old HD
  Backup from System 6.  


 DISK DEFRAGMENTATION  (4.9)

      As disks fill up it gets harder and harder to find enough free
  space in the same place to write large files.  Therefore the
  operating system will often split larger files into pieces to be
  stored in different places on your hard disk.  As files become more
  and more fragmented performance can degrade.  There are several
  ways to defragment a hard disk.
  
         The most tedious but cheapest method is to backup all your
  files, erase the hard disk (and you might as well reformat while
  you're at it.  See question 4.10.), and restore all the files.
   
         A number of payware utilities including Norton Utilities for
  the Mac and Mac Tools Deluxe can defragment a disk in place, i.e.
  without erasing it.  Although the ads for all these products brag
  about their safety, once you've bought the software and opened the
  shrink-wrap they all warn you to back up your disk before
  defragmenting it in case something does go wrong.  There are NO
  freeware or shareware disk defragmenters so please don't annoy the
  net by asking for one. 


 REFORMAT YOUR HARD DISK  (4.10)

      Just as a floppy disk needs to be initialized before use, so a
  hard disk must be formatted before it can hold data.  You don't
  need to reformat every three months; but when your system is
  crashing no matter what you try, reformatting is the ultimate means
  of wiping the slate clean.  Reformatting your hard disk may even
  gain you a few extra megabytes of space.  Not all hard disks are
  created equal.  Some can hold more data than others.  To facilitate
  mass production and advertising without a lot of asterisks (* 81.3
  megabytes is the average formatted capacity.  Your mileage may
  vary.)  Apple often formats drives to the lowest common denominator
  of drive capacity.  When you reformat there's no reason at all not
  to reclaim whatever unused space Apple's left on your disk.
     
         Unlike floppies hard disks need a special program to
  initialize them. Most hard disks come with formatting software. 
  Apple's disks and System software ship with HD SC setup, a minimal
  disk formatter which will format Apple brand hard drives ONLY. 
  Most other manufacturers ship appropriate formatting software with
  their hard drives.  Normally this will be all you need to reformat
  your hard disk.
  
         A number of general-purpose formatters are also available
  which go beyond the bundled software to include features like
  encryption, password protection, multiple partitioning, faster disk
  access, System 7 compatibility, and even compression.  Two of the
  best are the payware Drive7 and Hard Disk Toolkit Personal Edition
  ($49 street for either).  While there are one or two freeware
  formatters available, none are likely to be superior to the ones
  bundled with your hard disk. 
  
         PowerBook users should be sure to turn off Sleep and
  processor cycling before reformatting their hard drives no matter
  what software they use.  Otherwise disk corruption, crashes, and
  data losses are a very good possibility.
  
