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Finder-Mac Help Prob.

S

scribes

macrumors newbie
Original poster
May 22, 2006
2
0
UK
Hi Folks,
New Mac user made changeover from PC. Had my new Mac 2 weeks & noticed a weird problem in Finder-Help-Mac Help.
Mac help opens OK but there are 2 pages Discovering Your Mac, Work Smart Play Hard and Switching from Windows where are my applications, when opened the text jumps!
If I click out & back in again sometimes it is OK, has anybody any idea of what the problem is?
I'd be real grateful for any input on this...
Glad to be here lots of useful info.
Thanks Folks
 
All I can say is that the Mac OS X Help is a little buggy. I have given up on using it a long time ago, and I have to say is the one portion of the OS that is pretty bad.

I don't really understand what you mean when you say "where your applications are" and that the text "jumps".

Do you have a question in general, sure I (or anyone here) could help ya in a sec.
 
Thanks GimmeSlack12, the 'where your applications are' is found as a sub page from 'changing from windows' below Discovering your Mac in mac help. The page flickers really fast as if you are rapid scroll so gives the effect of jumping.
The help desk told me to drag the folder from HD Library Folder to Desktop & restart, didnt answer the prob. Also created second user & tried in there, didnt work! So they told me to reinstall from the discs still didnt answer it :(
So I am at a loss. Tad surprised to have such a prob. on a Mac :confused:
 
Ok, I have to say I'm a bit frustrated cause I don't even know what the question is. I thought you just had a problem with the "Help" program, but is there something you are trying to do? Cause I really am not following you.

So you are consulting the Help Program to do something. What is that something? Move the Applications folder? Find the Applications folder?

A strong bit of advice since you are new to OS X, is DON'T MESS with the LIBRARY folder. Just had to stress that. Now what are you trying to do?
 
Here's the text of the page, although I'm not understanding enough to figure out if there's something more you need. All the applications listed can be found in /Applications except Dashboard, which is in your Dock, and any apps listed that you don't have installed.

Mac Help
Index

Where are my applications?
Mac OS X includes many applications to help you get started quickly and easily using your Mac.

You'll find many frequently used applications in the Dock, and you can add applications to the Dock whenever you want. You can also open your most recently used applications and documents by choosing the Recent Items command in the Apple menu.

Your applications are in the Applications folder. You'll find additional applications in the Utilities folder (in the Applications folder).

Applications may change because Apple frequently distributes updated and new software. Here's a list of some of your Mac OS X applications:


Address Book
Keep the names, addresses, and telephone numbers for all your contacts on your computer.
Open Address Book


Automator
Create workflows to automate tasks you perform repeatedly.
Open Automator


Dashboard
With a single click, gain access to a score of nifty mini-applications including Calculator, World Clock, Calendar, Address Book, Phone Book, Stickies, Stocks, and many more.
Open Dashboard


Dictionary
Look up words to check their spelling, meaning, and usage.
Open Dictionary


DVD Player
Play DVD movies (if you have a DVD drive).
Open DVD Player


Font Book
See the different type faces of the fonts available on your computer, set up font collections, and manage fonts.
Open Font Book


iCal
Keep track of important dates, meetings, and appointments.
Open iCal


iChat
Send text messages, talk long distance for free, or chat in a full-screen personal videoconference.
Open iChat


iLife
Use the iLife suite of integrated applications to make music, produce movies, create digital photo slideshows, burn DVDs, and more. The suite includes GarageBand, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, and iTunes. For more information, visit the iLife website.
Open the iLife website


Internet Connect
Dial your ISP, establish a PPP connection over Ethernet (PPPoE), connect to an AirPort network, or have your AirPort Base Station connect to the Internet.
Open Internet Connect


iSync
Synchronize your contact, calendar, and other information between your Mac, your cell phone, your PDA, and your iPod.
Open iSync


iTunes
Purchase individual songs and albums online, "rip" your CDs onto your computer, organize your music, and load up your iPod.
Open iTunes


iWork
Use the iWork productivity applications to create, present, and publish your work with style. iWork includes Keynote, for creating cinema-quality presentations, and Pages, a streamlined yet powerful word processor. For more information, visit the iWork website.
Open the iWork website


Mail
Send and receive email with your friends, family, and business associates.
Open Mail


Preview
Open images and Portable Document Format (PDF) documents. Preview documents before you print them.
Open Preview


QuickTime Player
Play movies and music on your computer.
Open QuickTime Player


Safari
Browse the web. It's easy to import your favorite bookmarks from Microsoft Internet Explorer.
Open Safari
 
Yeah, I'm not sure I understand the problem either. Can you grab a screen shot of it or is it too fast. Screen shots can be taken by pressing COMMAND-SHIFT-3 and a new PNG file should be created on your Desktop.

Which folder did you move before restarting, too. As GimmeSlack12 said, maybe leave the Library alone for now. :)
 
GimmeSlack12 and other confused Mac-type people, I can explain the problem very thoroughly. I happen to be fixing a MacBook Pro, and even though I'm a Windows dude, I can at least describe the problem fairly accurately.

1) In Finder, click on Help -> Mac Help

2) When you are in a Help window, I believe what is being displayed are simple HTML or XML files, so when you first enter Help and see "What's New in Tiger?" etc., you are probably looking at an HTML file.

3) Under "Discovering Your Mac" click on "Work smart, play hard."

4) This is where the problem occurs. The "Discovering Your Mac" screen flickers over and over again. The problem is that the icon for "iTunes" next to the link "Inspire, Create, Enjoy" is NOT loading. I believe it is flickering because the Mac OS Finder recognizes that the image is not loading properly and thus attempts to reload the page over and over and over again. To be really thorough, instead of an iTunes icon, one would see an empty box of a question mark where the image should be.

5) I was able to fix this problem by running Software Update. Once I ran Software Update and applied the various updates including an iTunes update and went back into Help -> Mac Help -> "Work smart, play hard," the flicker stopped.

Finally, in addition to "Work smart, play hard," scribes mentions "Switching from Windows where are my applications." What is meant by that is again in Help -> Mac Help, there are links called "Switching from Windows," and then when that is clicked, there is another link called "Where are my applications?"

Granted, our level 1 walk-in techs should have caught the Software Updates first, but eh, whatever, it gave me something to do.

To the original poster, scribes, try running Software Update, and see if that fixes the problem. It did for me. If that doesn't work, run Disk Utility to repair permissions and repair the HDD, then see if the problem goes away.

scribes, I hope this Windows tech was able to properly diagnose and fix your Mac problem :)

Peace from UW-Madison, USA,

pcdude
 
Well, even my awesome solution couldn't fix the problem for the customer. The customer would do something that would immediately bring the problem back...unfortunately, no one documented what the customer did to cause the problem, but that's neither here nor there.

What DOES matter is that I found the nitty gritty final cause of and solution to the problem...well, the cause is 100% certain, the solution, if it lasts, remains to be seen.

Here are the case notes I put for the customer:

########################
MacHelp HTML files are stored in:

/Library/Documentation/Help/machelp.help/contents/resources/english.lproj/

The problem is that several docs (such as ../english.lproj/disc/disc.html which is "Discovering Your Mac") reference an image in ../english.lproj/gfx/ called "xicnitn.gif" when the actual file that is present is called "xicnitun.gif." I made a copy with the appropriate name, and immediately the documents loaded properly. As it is now, there are two files, the same image, with distinct names: xicnitn.gif (what the HTML files call for) and xicnitun.gif (actual name of file per OS install).

Computer is ready to go!
########################
 
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