If you have trouble mounting an image with this error, open Terminal, paste in the line below, and hit ENTER. You're simply reloading the extension that handles image mounting.
DMG mount - device not configured - The macosxhints Forums:
sudo kextload /System/Library/Extensions/IOHDIXController.kext
MS always feels the need to throw its users curve ball with every new release, such as completely changing the interface of MS Office or migrating to an entirely new document format! Thanks Steve Ballmer and Bill Gates.
Here's a bandaid solution for the frustrated, though you'll most likely lose formatting. Best thing to do is download the converter mentioned at the end of mindplunge's post or upgrade to Office 2008 for Mac.
Open .docx files on a mac | mindplunge:
Ever had to open up a docx file on a Mac and you had no idea how to? Here is the simple solution:
Update:
- Change .docx to .zip
- Unzip it.
- Go to Safari and File > Open File…
- Navigate to the /insert_name_of_Word_file_here/word/document.xml and open.
- Read text.
Microsoft released a converter for the Mac last December. It’s still in beta but it does the job perfectly. Download Microsoft Office Open XML File Format Converter for Mac 0.2.1 (Beta) here.
Apple removed your post on Apple Discussions, titled “Re: logic board died after being replaced 2 years ago,” because it contained the following:
* Discussion of Apple Policies, Procedures or Decisions
* Polls or Petitions
* Non-constructive rants or complaints
We are including a copy of your post at the end of this email for your reference.
Our terms of use, which include helpful information about using Apple Discussions, is located here: http://discussions.apple.com/help.jspa We encourage you to continue using the Apple Discussions while abiding by our terms of use.
Kind regards,
Apple Discussions staff
++++++++++
A copy of your message for reference:
My Powerbook G4 1.5 GHz 15” (1 GB RAM) also recently developed the lower RAM slot failure. Our PB had slowed to a crawl, so I popped open System Profiler and noticed that half my RAM was missing (lower slot showed EMPTY). I thought it was the memory, so I bought another stick and tried it in both slots—the lower slot continued to show EMPTY, while the upper slot was OK.
My problem is that my PB’s serial number DOES NOT FALL within the arbitrary range selected by Apple for the Repair Extension Program. I spent an hour yesterday on the phone with Apple Tech Support, and they want me to take it to the Apple Store here in San Antonio to be checked out. Of course, they will discover (like me) that the lower slot is bad, and then they will tell me what the person at Apple told me on the phone—I’ll HAVE TO PAY TO FIX IT BECAUSE IT’S NOT IN THE SERIAL NUMBER RANGE SELECTED BY APPLE FOR THE REPAIR EXTENSION PROGRAM
I have found many examples via Google of Apple customers in my exact predicament—lower slot failure with Powerbooks outside of that serial number range. Seems to me that Apple has a bigger problem than they want to admit, so let the class actions begin. One way or another, Apple will have to own up to this considerable problem.
Recommend others searching here and having my problem snoop around via Google and sign the petition and the class action that’s being started.
My problem is that my PB's serial number DOES NOT FALL within the arbitrary range selected by Apple for the PowerBook G4 (15-inch 1.67/1.5GHz) Memory Slot Repair Extension Program. I spent an hour yesterday on the phone with Apple Tech Support, and they want me to take it to the Apple Store here in San Antonio to be checked out. Of course, they will discover (like I did) that the lower slot is bad, and then they will tell me what the person at Apple told me on the phone:
I'LL HAVE TO PAY TO FIX IT BECAUSE IT'S NOT IN THE SERIAL NUMBER RANGE SELECTED BY APPLE FOR THE REPAIR EXTENSION PROGRAM.
And I'm not the only one. Others with Powerbooks outside of Apple's arbitrarily chosen serial number range are also plagued with this problem:
RAM slot not working after upgrading to Leopard | MacRumors Forums
I was not aware of this problem, however my serial number is outside the range of "affected" machines. It does exactly describe my problem, though. And perhaps it has nothing to do with Leopard but like I said, it happened just after I installed it. I suppose I can live on 1GB of RAM, but 1.5 would definitely help.
Thanks for your replies,
Matt
PowerBook G4: Memory Problems | Macintouch
I have a 1.33 Ghz 15" Powerbook and the lower memory slot has died in my machine - twice. Both times Apple (under Applecare) replaced the motherboard, but the problem clearly predates the newer machines, and I'm a little anxious about what happens once my expensive Applecare coverage lapses. I suspect that Apple is being disingenuous about the extent of this issue.
Apple - Support - Discussions - logic board died after being replaced 2 years ago:
My PB's logic board is broken again. It was fixed under warranty two years ago.
I was having problems with it, it was running extremely slow and the battery no longer charges. Turns out I am missing half of my RAM. The lower slot no longer sees the RAM, which is what happened two years ago when my logic board died.
My computer is not under warranty anymore (no AppleCare). What should I do? Has this happened to you?
This is just a small sampling of what's out there. Other key links to check out regarding this considerable problem:
Lower Memory Missing; All Forces
Allegations of 15" PowerBook RAM Slot Defect
G4 Powerbook Aluminum RAM slot repair
(if you're not willing to wait for this to play out legally - $250 repair)
Mac OS X updates disable or damage PowerBooks?
PowerBook - PB G4 Memory Slot Failure
My cheaper, temporary solution will be to buy a 1 GB stick (yet more expense to me--thanks Apple) to insert in the one good slot; at least I'll have my original amount of RAM again. If you're one of those who had more than 1 GB RAM, you'll have to wait or pay for the repair above--don't send it to Apple (too expensive and too little warranty).
There's a petition out there to sign (4701 signatures as of June 2008), and you can also sign up here for a potential class action lawsuit. Don't get stuck paying for something that's not your fault!
Shame Apple! Look at me--devoted Apple fanboy since 1986--having to beg Apple to treat me like a loyal customer. Shame, shame, shame!
Here's a weird one. Under one account on my Powerbook, I suddenly can no longer print from Safari (3.1.1.) via Bonjour (i.e., a shared printer on another Mac). Other applications work fine, and other accounts can print from Safari.
Console consistently looked like this:
2008-05-11 10:22:09.602 Safari[1609] PMSessionValidatePrintSettings failed (error code = -50)
2008-05-11 10:22:09.672 Safari[1609] PMSessionEndDocumentNoDialog failed (error code = -30871)
2008-05-11 10:22:11.243 Safari[1609] Failed to end PMPrintContext
Here are the solutions I tried that were ineffective:
The culprit?
Little Snitch...it had been accidentally set to block Safari connections.
First, if you can't even install PithHelmet (because your Safari isn't recognized), use Pacifist to get the PithHelmet.bundle onto your desktop. It's a SIMBL plug, so make the following directory (if not already there) and place this plugin within it:
/Library/Application Support/SIMBL/Plugins/PithHelmet.bundle
If you're using a newer Safari with an older OS (Tiger), here's how to use PithHelmet:
It will then look like this:
<key>MaxBundleVersion</key>
<string>4525.18</string>
Save and relaunch Safari.
Original instructions: Mind Mining Medium; Safari 3.1 and Pith Helmet
If you click on the Trash icon in the Dock and nothing happens, try quitting the Finder and restarting it.
A work in progress? You mean M$ releases unfinished products on its customers? Yes...products that they can't completely fabricate will take some time before they can, so use this garbage until the REAL Vista is ready.
Ballmer: Vista 'a work in progress' - Business - Macworld UK:
As users clamour for Microsoft to continue to support Windows XP, company CEO Steve Ballmer called the Vista OS "a work in progress" at an annual Seattle event on Thursday.
"It's a very important piece of work. We did a lot of things right and have a lot of things we need to learn from. You never want to let five years go between releases," he said.
Insert laugh of Nelson Muntz from The Simpsons.
Yahoo to reject Microsoft bid: source - Yahoo! News:
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Yahoo Inc. is set to reject Microsoft Corp.'s offer, initially worth $44.6 billion, as undervaluing the business, a source familiar with the situation said on Saturday.
The Internet media giant is expected to reject Microsoft's offer on Monday, the source said.
A buddy named Derek pointed me to these links; they're perfect for the blog. Thanks Derek!
Phil Factor's Phrenetic Phoughts : Microsoft Boy announces his School Homework
Microsoft can't speak straight any more - Joel on Software:
Here's how Microsoft says, “SQL Server 2008 will be late:”
“We want to provide clarification on the roadmap for SQL Server 2008. Over the coming months, customers and partners can look forward to significant product milestones for SQL Server. Microsoft is excited to deliver a feature complete CTP during the Heroes Happen Here launch wave and a release candidate (RC) in Q2 calendar year 2008, with final Release to manufacturing (RTM) of SQL Server 2008 expected in Q3. Our goal is to deliver the highest quality product possible and we simply want to use the time to meet the high bar that you, our customers, expect.”
Here are some good tips for fixing slowdowns on your Mac.
I especially like the advice given for web browsing and using Mail:
Quit and Relaunch Web browsers tend to be resource hogs, and if you visit lots of media-rich sites, this effect can increase over time. Quit and relaunch your browser occasionally (at least once a day) to speed up browsing and reduce your browser’s impact on other programs.
Over time, though, these databases can become cluttered or even corrupted, resulting in slower overall performance, among other problems. You may be able to speed up your e-mail client significantly by rebuilding the message index every few months.
Mail’s Rebuild command (Mailbox: Rebuild) works only on individual mailboxes.
Losing my old Kensington keyboard means losing my power button. But even though I can't power up from the keyboard anymore, I can still shutdown or restart easily:
Apple - Support - Discussions - The ole keyboard shutdown ...:
Hit CTRL (yes, CTRL, not CMD) and EJECT key. This will bring up 'Are you sure you want to shut down.... dialogue box. Once in there, hit enter/return for shut down or hit 'S' to sleep.
And to bypass the dialog:
Apple - Support - Discussions - Power up from keyboard. ...:
Sleep = opt + cmd + eject
Restart = ctrl + cmd + eject
Shut Down = ctrl + opt + cmd + eject
Well, this New Year's Eve, I stupidly spilled coffee into my old Kensington keyboard, while typing away over at GtrOblq. Even though I took it apart and used a hair dryer on it, the bottom row of keys refused to come back to life. So, we did a mad dash to the nearest Best Buy before they closed for New Year's Eve, and I purchased one of those slender, new Apple keyboards. We didn't have time to make it to the Apple Store at La Cantera, because everything closed at 6 pm.
Man, what a great keyboard! I barely feel like I'm typing, and it's so thin that I don't even need a wrist support! Yeah! The front housing is made of Aluminum, so it seems sturdy. I looked at the other Mac-compatible keyboards, but they all came with a mouse and were at least $20 more than the Apple keyboard! So much for that theory that Apple is more expensive.
I've revamped the blog a little. Added some additional sidebar content. Also, be sure to sniff around at my other pages around the web, including:
http://www.sonicdeviant.com
http://sonicdeviant.blogspot.com
Have a great 2008!
I really need to write about something else. This blog is turning into a "I hate Microsoft" column. But they're just so hateable.
The iPhone whining from Microsoft is apparently ceaseless. Too bad the iPhone WAS A SUCCESS, eh Ballmer and Allard?
MacNN | MS Zune chief: iPhone is a "lousy" iPod:
"It’s a lousy iPod," Allard explains. "You can’t skip a track without looking at it. You can’t go running with the thing."
Ballmer bawls out Apple iPhone as 'no hoper':
Microsoft's boss Steve Ballmer slammed the iPhone last week, saying it has "no hope" of gaining a foothold in the mobile phone market.
Ballmer clearly hasn't heard much about the one million AT&T customers in the US already signed-up for information on the new product when it ships.
On the security-and-utter-bull-crap front, Computerworld magazine published this gem from a hacking contest winner. Obviously, MS is trying their damnedest to reverse the PR image that their pathetic OSX-wannabe is not the malware slut it once was:
Vista more secure than Mac OS:
I have found the code quality, at least in terms of security, to be much better overall in Vista than Mac OS X 10.4. It is obvious from observing affected components in security patches that Microsoft’s Security Development Lifecycle (SDL) has resulted in fewer vulnerabilities in newly-written code. I hope that more software vendors follow their lead in developing proactive software security development methodologies.
It wasn't all bad, though, in that he actually had some good security advice for Macites:
I recommend that Mac users make their primary user a non-admin account, use a separate keychain for important passwords, and store sensitive documents in a separate encrypted disk image. I think these are fairly straightforward steps that many users can take to better protect their sensitive information on their computer.
Mmm hmm...oh yeah, it's real secure (and energy-friendly). Later we read:
Vista Battery Problems and Microsoft Security Update:
A Domain Name System (DNS) zero-day bug had been found that could expose vulnerabilities throughout Microsoft's entire server line. There are indications that Microsoft will also include a DNS patch in the Tuesday round.
Yep, it's just plain more secure than OS X. We then read this:
How Internet Criminals Will Evade Vista's Safeguards:
Think malware will fade away with Vista? Sorry. There's about as much chance of the thriving throngs of online criminals packing up shop as there is of Microsoft doing the same.
And MS's gobble-everything-up mentality hasn't gone away, seeing that they are unable to muster any innovations of their own accord; when someone is actually competing with them, they'll just work at acquiring a service or product that they just can't seem to deliver well on their own:
Reports: Microsoft pursuing Yahoo:
Microsoft is feeling increasing pressure to compete with Google, which plans to beef up its portfolio with a $3.1 billion purchase of online advertising company DoubleClick Inc. Microsoft currently trails both Yahoo and Google in the lucrative and growing business of Web search, even as Google increases its development of Web-based software that directly competes with Microsoft's lucrative Office suite.
Technorati Tags: vista, news, opinion, osx, apple, macintosh, tip, gmail, microsoft, security, google
XP continues to outperform Vista (aka poor copy of OS X).
Testers see Windows XP passing Vista - Yahoo! News:
Wellington, Fla.-based Devil Mountain Software ran several versions of XP and Vista through a test simulating common desktop computing tasks. It found the original Vista performed 50 percent to 100 percent slower than the prevalent XP Service Pack 2, or SP2.
Vista has shaken IT professionals; more and more are considering the "real thing".
Vista woes lead IT pros to Mac, Linux - Business - Macworld UK:
Users won't be booting up Vista PCs any time soon, according to a recent survey, which revealed a majority of IT professionals are worried that migrating to Vista will reduce stability and introduce too much complexity into their environments.
In terms of alternatives, Apple's Mac OS X leads the pack, with support from 28 per cent of survey respondents. About 25 per cent said they would opt for Red Hat Linux, with SUSE Linux and Ubuntu each garnering 18 per cent of the vote. Another nine per cent cited other Linux operating systems and four per cent were unsure.
It turns out that even Microsoft execs can't keep straight which version of their new OSX-lookalike OS will run on which new PCs. Just 'cause your hardware says "Vista Capable" doesn't mean it will work with the Vista that you bought.
Lawyers: even Microsoft confused over Vista marketing - Business - Macworld UK:
Actually, the Vista Capable sticker meant that the machine would not necessarily be able to run any version of Vista, but only a version. A Vista Capable machine, for example, might be able to run Vista Home Basic, the lowest-priced and least-capable version in the lineup, but not the more advanced Home Premium. (Systems also tagged with the Premium Ready sticker, however, would be able to run all versions of the operating system, including the top-end versions such as Ultimate or Home Premium.)
More proof that all PC users secretly want to be Mac users, no matter how hard they come down on us "fanboys":
Mock OS X: Five ways to make your PC more like a Mac - Crave at CNET.co.uk:
Oh, and before anybody throws their Start menu out of the pram, the best way to have Mac functions is obviously to buy a Mac. But it's not that simple for roughly 90 per cent of the working population, chained to ancient HP WageSlave 486s in strip-lit spreadsheet farms across the world. For them, this article is a ray of hope. And we're sure there are plenty of people out there who are perfectly happy with Windows, but even they could benefit from the nifty features we have lined up.
Here's another potential Microsoft killer (I hope this is making them shake in their Redmond boots in the same way they gasp at OS X, the iPod, and iPhone):
Uncovered: Evidence that Mac OS X could run Windows apps soon
Leopard apparently contains an undocumented loader for Portable Executables, a type of file used in 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows. More poking around revealed that Leopard's own loader tries to find Windows DLL files when attempting to load a Windows binary.
Leopard is the New Vista, and It's Pissing Me Off:
Surprise, surprise! A PC Magazine columnist, who claims to worship OS X 10.4 (Tiger), is more or less calling Leopard OS X 10.5 unfit for release in much the same way Vista was unfit (and is still unadopted by the PC faithful).
Let's break this idiot's diatribe apart piece-by-piece, shall we?
Let's see, Tiger crashed—oh yeah, NEVER. Ten months and I'm installing everything from production-level Office for the Mac 2004 to 0.x releases of VLC, Seashore, and Ecto—even betas of Firefox and Parallels. Whatever my nerdy little heart desires. I've had those early apps crash, but Tiger never faltered.First of all, BS! All OS's crash, though I proclaim that OS X is typically more stable than Windows, regardless of the version. I guarantee you that Tiger version 10.4.0 crashed MORE than version 10.4.5, and so on. Now the latest version of Tiger (10.4.11) has some quirks that tick me off in a few included apps (like making me use Safari 3.x, for example), but what we're seeing here from this guy is a little overstated.
The first version of anything is going to have bugs. All developers rely on the cutting-edge crowd to find the junk in their code that they have been unable to find. Basically, if you buy and install the first version of anything, you're paying to be a beta tester, whether you like it or not!
Later on, the goon states:
A month of using Leopard with the same software I had under Tiger and the OS has dumped six times. That's six cold reboots for Oliver. Apple isn't even honest enough to admit that Leopard is crashing: The OS just grays out my desktop and pops up a dialog box telling me I've got to reboot. Like the whole thing is my fault. I even snapped a picture of it. After all, I HAD PLENTY OF CHANCES! And all my complaints, mirrored by online forum traffic, are the same complaints I heard about Vista when it first reared its unbaked head.Next lesson for this noob. Developers of software for a particular OS MUST CATCH UP WITH THE LATEST OS RELEASE! If they don't, IT'S NOT APPLE'S FAULT! Hello, are you listening, Oliver? Every time I've upgraded to a new version of OS X, apps that once worked on the previous version have occasionally had problems. I either must wait until the developer fixes the app to work with the new OS version, or I MUST CHOOSE NOT TO UPGRADE UNTIL ALL THE APPS I USE ARE COMPATIBLE. These are all simple, elementary things that every savvy computer user knows. PC Mag...I'm available if you need a writer with a brain who uses a Mac.
