Other Apple Troubleshooting Tools
While the tools in the previous section are specific to Mac OS X, some of those in this section are particular to Mac OS 9.
Extensions Manager
Extensions Manager is a Mac OS 9 control panel that gives you detailed information about the extensions, control panels, shutdown items, and startup items in the System Folder. Besides showing you what is present, it also gives you control over which of these elements are loaded at startup. This is often useful in resolving software conflicts in which two items work fine independently but clash when both are loaded.
Mac OS X does not have the same sort of extensions and control panels as Mac OS 9, so there is no similar utility for managing these types of startup items in Mac OS X. However, Mac OS X still relies on Extensions Manager if you are using Classic mode.
To open Extensions Manager in Mac OS 9, choose Control Panels from the Apple menu, then double-click the Extensions Manager icon. In Mac OS X, the Extensions Manager is in the Control Panels folder, inside the System Folder at the root level of the hard disk.
With Extensions Manager, users can:
Turn extensions and control panels off or on individually and in user-defined batches
Turn on optional items in the System Folder
Activate or deactivate startup and shutdown items
Create customized groups of extensions by duplicating, altering, and renaming existing sets of extensions
Using Extensions Manager
A chief use of the Extensions Manager is in troubleshooting system extension conflicts. This process is described in detail in Knowledge Base document 30929, “Mac OS: Extension Conflict Troubleshooting/Extensions Manager Features.”
Extensions Manager comes with two predefined sets: Mac OS 9 Base and Mac OS 9 All. The first set loads only those files necessary to start up the Macintosh computer successfully. When you troubleshoot, it's a good idea to start by selecting this set. If the problem disappears, it's likely that the cause was one of the items turned off by this set. In that case, restart—but this time, select the Mac OS 9 All set. This loads all of the files from Apple—even those that are optional. If the problem still appears to be solved, then it's likely the cause lies with a third-party item. Discovering the troublesome item requires creating a new test set by duplicating the Mac OS 9 All set, turning on suspect items one at a time, and restarting after each change. You can automate this laborious process through the use of Conflict Catcher, a popular third-party replacement for Extensions Manager. Unfortunately, Conflict Catcher's original publisher is no longer in business, but you should be aware of the utility, as it is commonly found installed on Macintosh computers.
Extensions Manager Exercise
For the following exercise, you need a Mac running Mac OS 9. Follow these steps:
1. | Launch Extensions Manager. |
2. | Choose Mac OS 9 All from the Selected Set pop-up menu. |
3. | |
4. | Name this duplicate set Testing. |
5. | Select the checkbox next to a suspected problem file to add it to the new Testing set. |
6. | Click Restart. |
7. | Check to see if the problem has reappeared. If not, return to step 5 and repeat. If the problem has reappeared, the last item selected is suspect and should be the focus of your further troubleshooting efforts. |
Install and Restore Discs
Apple currently supplies Software Restore and Software Install CDs and DVDs with many of its computers. These discs are important troubleshooting and service resources. They are bootable, which enables you to start up a Mac that has a damaged OS on its drive. The discs that come with a system are normally the best resource for troubleshooting using a known-good startup disc, since they were designed specifically to work with that system.
NOTE
When using Software Install or Software Restore CDs, back up any customer data before proceeding. Do not take the risk of losing customer information. Software Restore procedures erase all the information on a drive and replace it with the factory default software. This means that any data or customer-installed software will be lost. Software Install procedures are designed to allow discrete installation of specific software. While they do not totally erase a drive, it is still a good idea to back up any important customer data before doing the installation. If you are not sure of the importance of customer data on a system, check with the customer before proceeding.
One excellent use of Software Install discs is resetting passwords in Mac OS X. If you forget the password to a user account, boot from the Mac OS X Install disc and choose Reset Password from the Installer menu.
Install/Restore Exercise
The following exercise is optional. It requires a Mac with a hard disk that can be erased, and the Software Install and Software Restore discs that came with that Mac.
1. | Boot the system from the Software Install disc. |
2. | Reinstall the default OS. |
3. | Restart the system and verify that the installation was successful. |
4. | Boot the system from the Software Restore disc. |
5. | Following the directions, restore the system to its factory default configuration. |
6. | Restart the system and confirm that the restoration was successful. |
Display Utilities
Apple has four different utilities that are specifically for display units and that you can download for free from links within Knowledge Base document 112125, “Service Diagnostics Matrix”:
Apple LCD Tester (Mac OS X only) displays white, red, green, and blue screens to facilitate viewing and locating screen pixel anomalies.
Display Adjustment Utility (Mac OS 9 only) adjusts the display geometry and color on the iMac, Power Macintosh G3 All-In-One, iMac (Slot-Loading CD/DVD), iMac DV, iMac DV+, and iMac DV Special Edition computers.
Display Service Utility (Mac OS 9 only) replaces the MacTest Pro display patterns and Display Settings Restore Utility.
USB Display Service Utility (Mac OS 9 only) creates and writes display settings, adjusts the geometry, and displays video test patterns on the 21-inch Apple Studio Display, the 17-inch Apple Studio Display, and the Power Mac G4 Cube. However, it cannot be used on Power Mac G4 computers released after July 2000, such as Power Mac G4 (Digital Audio) and Power Mac G4 (QuickSilver).
For details on using these utilities, see Lesson 9, “Liquid Crystal Displays,” and Lesson 10, “Cathode-Ray Tubes.”
TechTool Deluxe
TechTool Deluxe is a “lite” edition of Micromat's diagnostic utility TechTool Pro (discussed later in this lesson). It is available only on the CD that comes in the optional AppleCare Protection Plan that customers can purchase for their new Macintosh computers. TechTool Deluxe offers a robust collection of diagnostics and utilities, including checking disk structure, hard disk blocks, file integrity, directories, system file resources, clock chip, cache, logic board, drive mechanism, FPU, PRAM, CPU, RAM, ROM, and video RAM.
NOTE
The AppleCare Protection Plan is a service and support contract available to customers of selected Apple products.
Unlike many of the other diagnostic programs discussed in this lesson that merely tell you what is wrong with a Macintosh computer, TechTool Deluxe can often repair the problems it finds. For that reason, try using it whenever you suspect disk directory damage based on the results you obtained with other utilities or through experienced observation.
The TechTool Deluxe CD supplied with the AppleCare Protection Plan can boot in either Mac OS 9 or Mac OS X.
1. | Insert the TechTool Deluxe CD into the computer. |
2. | Restart the computer, holding down the C key to boot to the TechTool CD. |
3. | Locate the Volume pop-up menu in the lower-left corner.
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4. | |
5. | Click the Start button. As each test is performed, its icon passes through a magnified windowpane in the upper portion of the screen. Clicking the Skip button halts the current test, and the next test begins. Clicking Stop ends the testing altogether. When the testing is complete, the Test Details report is displayed. The report lists each test—including whether the test passed, failed, or was skipped—and a brief description of the test. |
6. | Choose Quit TechTool Deluxe from the TechTool Deluxe menu. The computer automatically restarts, using the hard disk as the startup drive. |
NOTE
TechTool Deluxe is a very reliable and thorough diagnostic application. However, it can be affected by external factors such as unusable system software or a bad hard disk drive, unstable applications or applications that don't work with other programs that are running, and unusable third-party peripherals. These and other elements can result in erroneous reports from even the best diagnostics.