Archive-name: macintosh/general-faq
Version: 2.3.0
Last-modified: June 29, 1994
Maintainer: elharo@shock.njit.edu

MACINTOSH FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
====================================


comp.sys.mac.faq, part 1:
Introduction to the Macintosh Newsgroups
Copyright 1993, 1994 by Elliotte Harold
Please see section 5.8 below if you wish to 
distribute or revise this document in any way.
Version: 2.3.0
Last-modified: June 29, 1994
Address comments to elharo@shock.njit.edu


What's new in version 2.3.0:
----------------------------

      This is the first HTML friendly version of this FAQ list.
      Most software and sites mentioned here is now presented in 
      URL form.  For details on how to use this information please
      see section 1.1, "How do I use this document?"  In the future
      I hope to release an HTML savvy version of this list with 
      intraFAQ and interFAQ hotlinks.  For the time being you may 
      browse this document at

      http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/macintosh/top.html

      where those links that do exist should be active.  Most links 
      available here at the present time are to files.  Official Apple 
      files are mostly linked from ftp.apple.com or ftp.austin.apple.com.
      Most other links connect to 

      ftp://rever.nmsu.edu/pub/macfaq/

      which is now the official site for all software referenced in the
      FAQ which I am allowed to post.  rever.nmsu.edu is NOT a general 
      archive site like info-mac or mac.archive and does not endeavor 
      to store every piece of shareware in the Macintosh universe.  
      However it should have most software mentioned here, and should
      be easily accessible.


TABLES OF CONTENTS
==================

General FAQ
-----------
I.   I have a question...
      1. How do I use this document?
      2. What other information is available?
      3. Which newsgroup should I post to?
      4. How should I answer frequently asked questions?
II.  FTP, Gopher and the World Wide Web
      1. Where can I FTP Macintosh software?
      2. Can I get shareware by E-mail?
      3. Where can I find application X?
      4. Where can I find an application to do X?
      5. Can someone mail me application X?
      6. What is .bin?  .hqx?  .cpt?  .image? .etc.?
      7. How can I get BinHex?  StuffIt?  etc.?
      8. 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.  (System 6 only)
      6. Reinstall the system software.
      7. Disk Utilities
      8. Backing Up
      9. Disk Defragmentation
     10. Reformatting and partitioning your hard disk
V.   Meta-FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions about the FAQ)
      1. There's a mistake in your FAQ.
      2. Why don't you include this complicated/payware solution?
      3. Would you please include my software in your FAQ?
      4. Why don't you post the FAQ more often?
      5. Can you help me with this problem I'm having with my Mac?
      6. Will you send me the FAQ?
      7. Why don't you format the FAQ in Word?  Digest?  HTML?  etc.?
      8. Can I repost, revise, publish or otherwise use this document?

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?
      6. How do I change my hard disk icon?
IV.  Fonts
      1. How do I convert between Windows fonts and Mac fonts?
         TrueType and PostScript?
      2. What font will my screen/printer use when different types 
         are installed?
      3. Where should I put my fonts?
V.   Miscellaneous:
      1. What does System Error XXX mean?
      2. What is a Type Y error?
      3. What is A/ROSE?
      4. Easy Access or One Answer, Many Questions
      5. How can I keep multiple system folders on one hard disk?
      6. How do I access the programmer's key?


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. Can I use a LaserJet or other PC printer with my Mac?
     11. How can I print grey scales on my StyleWriter I?
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 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 Ifind 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?


comp.sys.mac.apps
-----------------

I.   What's the Best...
      1. Text editor
      2. Word processor
      3. Genealogy software
      4. TeX/LaTeX
      5. Integrated application
      6. Spreadsheet
      7. JPEG Viewer
      8. Electronic publishing software
      9. Drawing application
      10. Typing tutor?
      11. OCR software?
II.  Microsoft Word
      1. How can I assign styles to characters?
      2. How can I automatically generate cross-references?
      3. How can I change a Word document to TeX?  and vice-versa?
      4. How can I depersonalize Word?
      5. Where can I get more information?
III. TeachText
      1. How can I change the font in TeachText?
      2. How do I place a picture in a TeachText file?
      3. How do I make a TeachText document read-only?


comp.sys.mac.wanted
-------------------

I.   Buying and Selling Used Equipment
     1. Should I buy/sell on Usenet?
     2. Where should I buy/sell used equipment?
     3. I've decided to completely ignore your excellent advice and
        post my ad anyway.  What should I do?
     4. I've decided to completely ignore your excellent advice and
        buy something offered for sale on the net anyway.  How can 
        I avoid being ripped off?
II.  Fair Market Value
     1. How much is my computer worth?
     2. What is used software worth?
     3. Going prices?
III. Where Should I Buy a New Mac?
     1. Authorized Dealers
     2. VAR's
     3. Superstores
     4. Performas
     5. Educational Dealers
     6. Direct From Apple
     7. Auctions
     8. Does anyone know a dealer in New York City?
     9. New Equipment Prices
IV.  When Should I buy a New Mac?
     1. Macrotime
     2. Microtime
     3. When will I get my Mac?
V.   How Should I Buy a New Mac?
     1. Know what you want
     2. The dealer needs to sell you a mac more than you need to buy one
     3. Have a competitor's ad handy
     4. Cash on delivery
     5. The sales tax game
     6. Leasing
     7. Be nice to the salesperson.
VI.  The Gray Market and Mail Order
     1. What is the gray market?
     2. Are gray market Macs covered by Apple warranties?
     3. Does anyone know a good mail-order company?


comp.sys.mac.hardware
---------------------

I.   Maintenance
      1.  How do I clean a keyboard?
      2.  How do I clean a screen?
      3.  How do I clean a mouse?
      4.  How do I clean a floppy drive?
      5.  How do I clean the inside of my mac?
II.  Problems And Repairs 
      1.  How do I open a compact Mac?
      2.  Now that I've opened my Mac how might I electrocute myself? 
      3.  Where can I get my Mac fixed?
      4.  Can you recommend any good books about Mac repair?
      5.  The screen on my compact Mac is jittering.
III. Upgrades
      1.  What Macs will be upgradeable to the PowerPC?
      2.  Can I increase the speed of my Mac by accelerating the clock?
      3.  Can I add an FPU to my Mac?  
      4.  Can I replace the 68LC040 with a 68040?
IV.  Thanks for the Memory
      1.  What kind of memory should I use in my Mac?
      2.  Can I use PC SIMM's in my Mac?
      3.  What vendors have good prices on memory?
      4.  Do SIMMdoublers work?
V.   Video
      1.  What's VRAM?
      2.  All monitors are not created equal.
      3.  There's a horizontal line across my monitor.
VI.  Floppy Disks
      1.  What kind of floppy disks do I need for my Mac?
      2.  Why can't my Quadra (SE/30, Iici, etc.) read the disks from my Plus?
      3.  Does punching a hole in a double-density disk make a high-density disk?
VII.  SCSI Troubles
      1.  How do I put my old internal hard disk in an external case?
      2.  What's the cheapest/fastest/most reliable/most common removable drive?
      3.  What's the best CD-ROM drive?
VIII. Printers
      1. What's a good printer?
IX.   Miscellaneous hardware FAQ's 
      1. What power adaptor do I need to use my mac in another country?
      2. How can I fix the sound on my IIsi?
A.    Models


RETRIEVING THE ENTIRE FAQ
=========================

       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 answers miscellaneous questions
  about Macs and is posted every two weeks in comp.sys.mac.misc.  
  The fourth part covers frequently asked questions about Macintosh
  application software and appears in comp.sys.mac.apps.  The fifth
  piece covers buying and selling Macintosh computers, software and
  peripherals and is posted in comp.sys.mac.wanted.  The sixth part
  answers many questions about Macintosh hardware and peripherals 
  and appears in comp.sys.mac.hardware.  Tables of contents for all 
  pieces are included above.  Please familiarize yourself with all 
  six sections of this document before posting.  All pieces are 
  available for anonymous ftp from 

  ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/macintosh/

  Except for this introductory FAQ which appears in multiple
  newsgroups and is stored as general-faq, the name of each 
  file has the format of the last part of the group name followed 
  by "-faq", e.g the FAQ for comp.sys.mac.system is stored as
  system-faq.  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.  
  For access via Mosaic use 

  http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/macintosh/top.html
   

===========================
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.  Usenet can be a real nerd-eat-nerd world
  and it's a bad idea to enter it unprepared.


HOW DO I USE THIS DOCUMENT?  (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, comp.sys.mac.misc and
  comp.sys.mac.apps.  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.
 
       This document is in "setext" format.  Akif Eyler's freeware
  application EasyView can parse this document into a hierarchical
  outline view that makes for easier browsing.

       Files available by anonymous ftp are here listed in URL 
  (Uniform Resource Locator) format.  To retrieve a file you can
  just paste the URL into Mosaic's Open URL dialog or you can
  retrieve it manually.  A typical file URL looks like

  ftp://rever.nmsu.edu/pub/macfaq/UUTool2.3.2.sit.bin

  If you don't have Mosaic, Cello, MacWeb or some other World Wide Web
  browser this reference is easy to decode for use by regular, manual
  ftp.  (In fact it's easier to use than the form I used to use which
  didn't include directories.)  Ignore the "ftp://".  The next part,
  "rever.nmsu.edu" is the site.  The last part, "UUTool2.3.2.sit.bin"
  is the file itself.  Everything in between is the directory.  Thus
  to retrieve this file by ftp you would ftp to rever.nmsu.edu, login
  as "anonymous" using your E-mail address as your password, switch to
  "binary" mode (since the .bin on the end of the file indicates this
  is a binary file), change directory to pub/macfaq and get the file 
  UUTool2.3.2.sit.bin.  Directory URL's are similar except they end
  with a / symbol.  A typical directory URL looks like 

  ftp://rever.nmsu.edu/pub/macfaq/

  Here rever.nmsu.edu is the site and everything after that is 
  a directory.


WHAT OTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE?  (1.2)
-------------------------------------------

       comp.sys.mac.faq provides short answers to a number of 
  frequently asked questions appropriate for the comp.sys.mac regions
  of Usenet.  Five other FAQ lists are worthy of particular note.   All
  are available for anonymous ftp from rtfm.mit.edu [18.181.0.24] in the
  directory pub/usenet/group-name (where "group-name" is the name of the
  group in which they're posted) as well as in their respective
  newsgroups.  Jon W{tte maintains a public domain FAQ list for
  comp.sys.mac.programmer which is posted about every three weeks.  See

  ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/macintosh/programming-faq
  
  The original FAQ list for comp.sys.mac.programmer is no longer being
  posted or updated but is still useful and available via anonymous ftp
  to rtfm.mit.edu.  See

  ftp://rever.nmsu.edu/pub/macfaq/info/Original_Programmer_FAQ.txt

  David Oppenheimer maintains a FAQ list for comp.sys.mac.comm.  This 
  list answers many frequently asked questions about networking, UNIX 
  and the Mac, telecommunications, and foreign file formats.  See

  ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/macintosh/comm-faq/

  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. See

  ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/comp.fonts/

  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.  See

  ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/comp.unix.aux/


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.  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 unless the question is about object-
  oriented programming in which case it belongs in one of the three 
  comp.sys.mac.programmer.oop groups.  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 only consider the
  comp.sys.mac newsgroups 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.  Posts about the Newton belong in the comp.sys.newton
  hierarchy, not in ANY of the Macintosh newsgroups.Look around.  
  Usenet's big and not everything relevant to the Macintosh happens 
  in comp.sys.mac.


HOW SHOULD I ANSWER FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS?  (1.4)
------------------------------------------------------

       Mostly through private E-mail.  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 FAQs.  You might want 
  to add a mention of this FAQ list in your E-mail response and a
  polite suggestion that your correspondent read it before posting
  future questions.



==========================================
FTP, GOPHER, AND THE WORLD WIDE WEB  (2.0)
==========================================

WHERE CAN I GET MAC SOFTWARE?  (2.1)
------------------------------------
 
       The two major North American Internet archives of shareware,
  freeware, and demo software are Info-Mac at sumex-aim.stanford.edu
  [36.44.0.6], and mac.archive at mac.archive.umich.edu
  [141.211.120.11]  Unless otherwise noted shareware and freeware
  mentioned in this document should be available at the above sites. 
  Unfortunately these sites are extremely busy and allow very few
  connections.  Thus you should try to connect to a mirror site
  instead.
   
  	   In the United States Info-Mac's files are available from
  grind.isca.uiowa.edu [128.255.21.233] in the directory mac/infomac
  or wuarchive.wustl.edu [128.252.135.4] in systems/mac/info-mac. 
  Mac.archive files are available from mirror.archive.umich.edu. 
  Scandinavians should try connecting to ftp.funet.fi (128.214.6.100)
  or ftp.lth.se [130.235.20.3] first.  In the U.K. look to
  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].  In Australia check out archie.au
  [139.130.4.6]. Japanese users will find sumex mirrored at
  ftp.u-tokyo.ac.jp [130.69.254.254].  In Israel try
  ftp.technion.ac.il [132.68.1.10] in the directory
  pub/unsupported/mac.  In Taiwan nctuccca.edu.tw [192.83.166.10 
  or 140.111.1.10] mirrors both sumex and mac.archive.  A more
  complete list of mirrors is available from

  ftp://rever.nmsu.edu/pub/macfaq/info/Mac_FTP_List.txt


  U.S.:        ftp://grind.isca.uiowa.edu/mac/infomac
               ftp://wuarchive.wustl.edu/systems/mac/info-mac
               ftp://mirror.archive.umich.edu/
  Finland:     ftp://ftp.funet.fi/
  Sweden:      ftp://ftp.lth.se
               ftp://ftp.sunet.se/pub/mac/
  U.K.:        ftp://src.doc.ic.ac.uk/packages/info-mac/
  Switzerland: ftp://nic.switch.ch/
               ftp://ezinfo.ethz.ch/
  France:      ftp://anl.anl.fr/
  Taiwan:      ftp://nctuccca.edu.tw/
  Israel:      ftp://ftp.technion.ac.il/pub/unsupported/mac/
  Australia:   ftp://archie.au/
  Japan:       ftp://ftp.u-tokyo.ac.jp/

  Another very useful site is ftp.apple.com [130.43.2.3], particularly 

  ftp://ftp.apple.com/dts/mac/

  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.

       All software mentioned in these FAQ lists which may be freely
  posted is available for anonymous ftp from rever.nmsu.edu in the
  directory /pub/macfaq, i.e.

  ftp://rever.nmsu.edu/pub/macfaq/

  rever.nmsu.edu is NOT a general archive site like info-mac or 
  mac.archive and does not endeavor to store every piece of shareware 
  in the Macintosh universe.  However it should have most software 
  mentioned here, and should be easily accessible.

       Finally if you have one flavor or another of Gopher available, 
  Apple maintains an astoundingly useful gopher server at

  gopher://info.hed.apple.com/ 

  This site contains gobs of PR, technical specs for Apple products, 
  and pointers to sumex and mac.archive.  It's often much easier to 
  browse mac.archive and sumex through gopher rather than directly 
  by ftp.
  

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
  word "help" (no quotes) on the first line of your message for
  instructions on getting started.  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 shareware 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, 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.

       Most common payware is stocked by MacWarehouse and featured
  in their catalog which you can request from MacWarehouse at 
  (800) 622-6222.  Apple brand software not stocked by MacWarehouse
  and not available on ftp.apple.com is often available from 
  APDA, the Apple Programmers' and Developers' Association.  Call
  (800) 282-2732 in the U.S., (800) 637-0029 in Canada, (716) 871-6555
  elsewhere, for a catalog.  Finally most third party programming
  tools with too small a market to be advertised in the MacWarehouse
  catalog are advertised in every issue of MacTech along with
  information on how to order.

       Please check the above catalogs and archie personally BEFORE
  asking the net where you can find a particular piece of software. 
  These sources provide answers much more quickly than the net.


WHERE CAN I FIND AN APPLICATION TO DO X?  (2.4)
-----------------------------------------------

       Most archives of shareware and freeware have index files
  which briefly describe the various programs available at the site. 
  At anonymous ftp sites these files typically begin with 00 and end
  with either .txt or .abs.  Lists that cover the entire archive and
  topical subdirectories are both available. For example if you're
  looking for a program to play MOD files, ftp to sumex-aim and 
  look in the directory Sound/util for any files beginning with two
  zeroes.  You'll find 00Utility-abstracts.abs. Get it and then
  browse through it at your leisure.  Then when you've located a
  likely candidate in the index file you can ftp it and try it out. 
  
       The best source of information about payware programs is the
  MacWarehouse catalog.  You'll occasionally find it on sale at
  newsstands for about two dollars; but if you call MacWarehouse
  at 1-800-622-6222, they'll be happy to send you one for free.
  Unlike many other catalogs almost all common software is
  advertised in the MacWarehouse catalog.  A quick browse through
  the appropriate section normally reveals several products that
  fit your needs.


CAN SOMEONE MAIL ME APPLICATION X?  (2.5)
-----------------------------------------

       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 E-mail servers.


WHAT IS .BIN? .HQX? .CPT? .ETC?  (2.6)
--------------------------------------

       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 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  .gz
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     X
BinHex 4.0 |               X
DiskDoubler|                           X                X
ZipIt      |               X     X                            X
DiskCopy   |                                      X
macutil    |         X     X           X                X
MacGzip    |                                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. See

  ftp://rever.nmsu.edu/pub/macfaq/StuffItExpander.sea.bin
   
       StuffIt 3.0.7 (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 3.0.7.  See

  ftp://rever.nmsu.edu/pub/macfaq/StuffItLite.sea.bin
  
       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.
 
  ftp://rever.nmsu.edu/pub/macfaq/UUTool.sit.bin
  ftp://rever.nmsu.edu/pub/macfaq/MacCompress.sit.bin
  ftp://rever.nmsu.edu/pub/macfaq/SunTar.sit.bin

       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 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.  See

  ftp://rever.nmsu.edu/pub/macfaq/MacUtil.shar


     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 Microphone 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 
  the freeware utility  MungeImage to treat the images on your hard 
  disk as actual floppies inserted in a floppy drive.  MungeImage 
  has a reputation for being buggy, so you should have some blank 
  floppies and a copy of DiskCopy handy just in case.  See

  ftp://rever.nmsu.edu/pub/macfaq/MungeImage.sit.bin
 
      .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.?  (2.7)
---------------------------------------------

       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 rever.nmsu.edu and 
  login.  Type the word "binary."  Hit return.  Type "cd pub/macfaq" 
  and hit return.  Then type "get StuffItExpander.sea.bin" and hit
  return.  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?  (2.8)
-----------------------------------------------------

       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
  preventive 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, 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.

  ftp://rever.nmsu.edu/pub/macfaq/Disinfectant.sit.bin


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 usually fix this.  Check to see if the
  application has a preferences file in the Preferences folder in
  the system folder and if so trash it.  This is often overlooked
  when reinstalling.  Since the preferences file is often the most
  easily corrupted file in an application, reinstalling it alone
  may be sufficient to fix the problem.


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 32-bit and VM 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. If you have a 68040 Mac, turn the cache off.  Many older
     programs don't work well with the built-in cache of the 68040.
    
     e. Restart your Mac and hold down the shift key (or boot from 
     a virgin system floppy if you're using System 6).  If the problem
     disappears you likely have an init conflict.  You need to
     progressively remove extensions until the problem vanishes. 
     Ricardo Batista's freeware Extensions Manager 2.0.1 lets you
     decide at startup which extensions to load so you don't have 
     to spend a lot of time moving files into and out of the System
     Folder.  See

     ftp://ftp.apple.com/dts/mac/hacks/extensions-manager-2-0-1.hqx

     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.  
     Although performing this procedure manually can be fairly quick 
     if you have a pretty good idea of which extensions to check, it 
     can take quite some time when you really don't have any strong 
     suspects for a conflict.  In that case consider using Conflict 
     Catcher II to help isolate the offending init.  A fully functional 
     timed demo can be had from

     ftp://rever.nmsu.edu/pub/macfaq/ConflictCatcherDemo.sit.bin

     f. Remove all external SCSI devices.  If the problem disappears,
     add them back one at a time until the problem reappears.  Once
     you've isolated the SCSI device causing the problem check its
     termination and try moving it to a different position in the 
     SCSI chain.  It's also possible a SCSI cable's gone bad, so 
     try replacing just the cable.
     
     g. Turn the Mac off and unplug all cables: power, ADB, modem,
     printer, network, SCSI and anything else you've plugged in to the
     back of your Mac.  Then plug everything back in and try again. 
     Loose cables can imitate malfunctions in almost any hardware or
     software.  I recently spent a day in panic because I thought my
     analog board had died before I could back up the latest draft of
     the hardware FAQ.  I even went so far as to E-mail my favorite 
     repair shop (Tekserve, 212-929-3645) before I thought calmly for 
     a few minutes, unplugged all my cables, and plugged them back in.  
     My Mac booted up immediately.  The power cable had been loosened 
     when I moved my desk the previous weekend and a few days later 
     random motion finally disconnected it enough to cut my power.  To 
     all appearances this was an expensive analog board or power supply 
     failure rather than a cheap cable problem that I could fix in about
     a minute at home.


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 Macintosh PC Exchange loaded all the time.  Cutting 
  back on your extensions 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.  See

  ftp://rever.nmsu.edu/pub/macfaq/CommentKeeper.sit.bin
 
  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.  See 

  ftp://rever.nmsu.edu/pub/macfaq/DesktopReset.sit.bin


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 that holds certain
  settings that belong to the CPU rather than the startup disk, for
  example the disk to start up 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, and click "Yes" when asked if you want to zap the
  parameter RAM.  Zapping the PRAM erases the settings of most Apple
  Control Panels including the General Controls, Keyboard, Startup
  Disk, Mouse, and Map.  It also erases the Powerbook 100's
  non-volatile RAM disk.  Thus after zapping the PRAM you will 
  need to reset these Control Panels to fit your preferences.  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 reset it now anyway.


RESIZE THE SYSTEM HEAP (System 6 Only)  (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 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.
 
       Under System 7 your Macintosh automatically resizes the 
  system heap as necessary, but under System 6 you yourself need 
  to set the system heap size large enough to have room for all your
  extensions and applications.  By default this size is set to 128K,
  way too small for Macs with even a few extensions.  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
  resizes your system heap but also checks how much memory your heap 
  is using and tells you how much more needs to be allocated.  If 
  you're running System 6, get BootMan, use it, and be amazed at 
  how infrequently your Macintosh crashes.  See

  ftp://rever.nmsu.edu/pub/macfaq/Bootman.sit


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 Disk Tools 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.  ShutDown and then boot from the Installer floppy of your
        system disks.
    6.  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.
    7.  If you installed System 7.0 or 7.0.1, you should now install 
        System 7 Tuneup 1.1.1, available from

 ftp://ftp.apple.com/dts/mac/sys.soft/7.0.tuneup/system-7-tune-up-1-1-1.hqx

        If you installed System 7.1, 7.1 Pro or 7.1.2, then you should 
        also install System Update 3.0, available from

        ftp://ftp.apple.com/dts/mac/sys.soft/7.system.updates/
   
    8.  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.
    9.  Reinstall any fonts or DA's you removed in step 2.
   10.  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

  ftp://ftp.apple.com/dts/mac/disk-first-aid-7-2.hqx

  If you have an earlier version than 7.2 (and most people do) 
  you should get version 7.2 from ftp.apple.com, make a copy of 
  your Disk Tools disk, and replace the old Disk First Aid on the 
  copy with the new version.  At the same time you should also 
  replace the old version of HD SC Setup on your Disk Tools disk 
  with the new HD SC Setup 7.2.2 from the same directory.  See

  ftp://ftp.apple.com/dts/mac/hd-sc-setup-7-2-2.hqx
    
       Several companies sell 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
  Symantec's MacTools 3.0, Public Utilites, and 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 (4.8) and
  reformat (4.10).


BACKING UP  (4.8)
-----------------

       This is one part of preventive 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 the usual ftp sites should have Diversified I/O's $35 
  shareware SoftBackup II, a full featured backup program that will
  do full, image and incremental backups to floppies, tape drives,
  WORMs, Syquest drives, hard disks, servers and other media.  See

  ftp://rever.nmsu.edu/pub/macfaq/SoftBackupII.sit.bin

  About the only thing thing SoftBackup II can't do is replace old 
  versions of files in a backup set with newer versions.  If you want 
  to do that check out the more flexible payware utilities Redux ($49 
  street, doesn't support tape drives) and Diskfit Pro ($74 street).


DISK DEFRAGMENTATION  (4.9)
---------------------------

       As disks fill up it gets harder and harder to find enough
  contiguous free space 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
  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.  If you use
  any of these products, be sure to run a disk repair package
  on the disk you wish to defragment before defragmenting.
  Defragmenting will almost certainly make any existing problems
  with a disk worse so it's important to make sure a disk is in
  good health before using a defragmenting utility on it.
 
       Fast Unfrag is a $10 shareware disk defragmenter by  
  Kas Thomas.  See 

  ftp://rever.nmsu.edu/pub/macfaq/FastUnfrag1.0.sit.bin

  It appears to do the job it was designed for; (defragmenting the
  files on a hard disk) and my brief tests didn't reveal any glaring
  bugs or trash any files.  Nonetheless, I'm a bit nervous about this
  product because the programmer and his skill level are unknown to
  me, and writing a disk defragmenter is not something I'd trust to a
  novice.  The interface is flaky; the program only works on the disk
  where the application resides (very unusual behavior for a disk
  defragmenter); it's unfriendly to background applications (not so
  unusual for any disk intensive app); and neither documentation,
  online help, nor an E-mail address are provided with the program. 
  Since this is still a relative unknown I STRONGLY recommend that
  you backup your files before using it.  I'd appreciate hearing any
  experiences you have with it. 


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 whaF9Path: planet!isdnlin.mtsu.edu!darwin.sura.net!jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu!mozart.amil.jhu.edu!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!MathWorks.Com!yeshua.marcam.com!usc!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!faqserv
From: elharo@shock.njit.edu  (Elliotte Rusty Harold)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.apps,comp.sys.mac.misc,comp.sys.mac.system,comp.sys.mac.wanted,comp.sys.mac.hardware,comp.answers,news.answers
Subject: Introductory Macintosh frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Summary: This document answers a number of the most frequently asked
Keywords: FAQ, Macintosh, Mac, macintosh, mac, general, introduction
Message-ID: <macintosh/general-faq_772973714@rtfm.mit.edu>
Date: 30 Jun 1994 10:55:22 GMT
Expires: 28 Jul 1994 10:55:14 GMT
Reply-To: elharo@shock.njit.edu
Followup-To: comp.sys.mac.misc
Organization: Dept. of Mathematics, NJIT
Lines: 1562
Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.edu
Supersedes: <macintosh/general-faq_771761214@rtfm.mit.edu>
NNTP-Posting-Host: bloom-picayune.mit.edu
X-Last-Updated: 1994/06/30
Originator: faqserv@bloom-piall 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 owners 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 likely.



===========================================================
META-FAQS (FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FAQ)  (5.0)
===========================================================

       Since posting the first version of my FAQ list a little over
  two years ago I have noticed a precipitous drop in the frequency of
  certain questions.  Most noteably: Why is my system using 14 of my
  20 megs of RAM?  Though that still shows up occasionally, it's no
  longer at the twelve times a day level that induced me to start
  writing.  I count that as some measure of success.  However, I have
  experienced one unexpected phenomenom.  Certain questions have begun
  appearing frequently in my mailbox so I've composed this little list
  of meta-faqs, i.e. frequently asked questions about the FAQ.  Please
  familiarize yourself with this list before mailing me comments
  or questions.


THERE'S A MISTAKE IN YOUR FAQ.  (5.1)
-------------------------------------

       Thanks for pointing this out.  Since I maintain several
  documents of about 300K total size, it would be helpful if
  you would reference the specific document where you found
  my error and the question number.


WHY DON'T YOU INCLUDE THIS COMPLICATED/PAYWARE SOLUTION?  (5.2)
---------------------------------------------------------------

       When there are multiple solutions to a common problem, I try
  to pick the one that is achievable with the simplest and cheapest
  tools.  Chances are I do know about that undocumented feature
  of WhizzyWriter 1000 that lets you download PostScript files.
  Call me crazy, but I suspect that most people would prefer to 
  download a free utility from ftp.apple.com rather than shell
  out $995 for WhizzyWriter just to solve their PostScript problems.
  Similarly if a problem can be solved with the tools that are
  bundled with every Mac, I'll choose that solution over one that
  requires downloading some shareware.  Space in the FAQ is limited;
  (mainly by brain-dead news software at some sites that restricts
  files to 32K) and I can't give comprehensive lists when they're
  not needed.


WOULD YOU PLEASE INCLUDE MY SOFTWARE IN YOUR FAQ?  (5.3)
--------------------------------------------------------

       As explained above space in these documents is limited, and 
  I simply can't mention every imaginable software that conceivably
  falls somewhere within the purview of the Macintosh newsgroups. 
  If, however, you feel your software answers a frequently asked
  question, e.g. a _working_ PostScript previewer (GhostScript doesn't
  count.); or it provides a solution to a common problem superior to 
  what's already available, then I'll be happy to consider it for 
  inclusion in the FAQ.


WHY DON'T YOU POST THE FAQ MORE OFTEN?  (5.4)
---------------------------------------------

       The FAQ is posted automatically about every two weeks, give or
  take a day.  Normally it doesn't change more frequently than that;
  and I want to avoid wasting bandwidth since Usenet is not, contrary
  to popular belief, free.  The FAQ includes an Expires: header to
  insure that one version doesn't disappear from your news spool
  until the next one arrives and a Supersedes: header so multiple
  copies won't waste everyone's disk space.  This is all accomplished
  automatically via Jonathan Kamens' faq server. If the FAQ is ever
  not available at your site, then your news software is BROKEN and
  should be fixed.  Complain to your news administrators about their
  broken software that ignores Expires: headers, not to me.


CAN YOU HELP ME WITH THIS PROBLEM I'M HAVING WITH MY MAC?  (5.5)
----------------------------------------------------------------

       Certainly!  I negotiate consulting fees on a case-by-case
  basis, but they tend to average about $60 an hour with a four
  hour minimum.  If you're outside the metropolitan New York
  area (roughly Philadelphia to New Haven) the minimum is seven
  hours and you'll also be expected to provide airfare and $100
  a day expenses for meals, hotel, and car rental.  Quantity
  discounts and support contracts can be negotiated on a
  case-by-case basis.  Oh, you meant free help?.  Sorry, that's what
  Usenet is for.  Post your question to the appropriate newsgroup,
  and you'll probably get a lot more advice than I could give you.


WILL YOU SEND ME THE FAQ?  (5.6)
--------------------------------

       No.  I have neither the time nor the inclination to act
  as a mail-server for people who can't be bothered to use the
  mail-server at rtfm.mit.edu as outlined in the introduction. 
  I reject all such requests.


WHY DON'T YOU FORMAT THE FAQ IN WORD?  DIGEST?  HTML ETC.?  (5.7)
-----------------------------------------------------------------

       While I get about one request per month to adhere to some 
  imagined "standard" format, I have yet to receive two requests 
  for the same format.  The FAQ has recently been redone in setext. 
  Sometime next fall I hope to release a much improved HTML version 
  after with HTML sectioning  I am exploring the possibility of 
  publishing an expanded version lots of pictures, sounds, and movies
  for profit on the net.  The basic FAQ list posted to Usenet will 
  of course remain free for the foreseeable future.  I'm also 
  interested in Common Ground, Adobe Acrobat, and MIME based news.  
  However none of these are particularly high on my priority list.


CAN I REPOST, REVISE, PUBLISH OR OTHERWISE USE THIS DOCUMENT?  (5.8)
--------------------------------------------------------------------

       This work is Copyright 1993, 1994 by Elliotte M. Harold.  
  Permission is hereby granted to transmit and store this document as 
  part of an unedited collection of any newsgroup to which it is posted 
  by myself.  I also grant permission to distribute UNMODIFIED copies 
  of this document online via bulletin boards, local file servers, online 
  services, and other providers of electronic communications provided 
  that no fees in excess of normal online charges are required for such 
  distribution; i.e. if the FAQ is available on a system, it must be 
  available at the minimum charge for accessing the system.  For 
  instance you may post it to most BBS's that charge either a flat
  monthly fee or a per hour rate. However if there is an extra charge
  for downloading files over what is charged per normal access, either
  per hour, per kilobyte, or per month, then the FAQ may not be posted
  to that system without my explicit, prior permission.  Portions of
  this document may be extracted and quoted free of charge and without
  necessity of citation in normal online communication provided only
  that said quotes are not represented as the correspondent's original
  work.  Permission for quotation of this document in edited, online
  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).  If you wish to republish this FAQ in a modified form or in a
  non-electronic medium, please contact me with specific details.  I'm
  normally receptive to non-profits that wish to redistribute it at no
  charge, and to anyone who is willing to make reasonable remunerative
  arrangements for non-exclusive republication rights.
		

--
   Elliotte Rusty Harold       Dept. of Mathematics
   elharo@shock.njit.edu       New Jersey Institute of Technology
   eharold@sunspot.noao.edu    Newark NJ 07103
..
