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How come my Windows XP is more stable than Mac OS?

H

Hakkinen

macrumors member
Original poster
May 7, 2004
78
0
I have only switched to Mac since May 20 2004 after getting a new ibook G4 14" 1.2GHz 768MB ram, and I have already encountered many unexpected quits and application/process hang.
Examples:
1) Mac Help quits. After calling apple support, I managed to get it working again. Then next day it quits unexpectedly again.
2) So far I have encountered one unexpected quit on Safari. Always got the impression it is the best browser.

I read this forum that Mac OX is very rock solid stable. Am I doing anything wrong that is causing the crash? Why is preference file so easily corrupted?

Don't get me wrong, i love my new ibook. But just get a bit upset i am having so many problems so soon. I hate Windows XP but it is working better than my Mac OS now!

I also wonder if some of the softwares downloaded from versiontracker or other websites may have caused some of this problems.

Would really appreciate advice from mac users.
 
I have not downloaded it yet. But I am not sure if it helps. Will get it tomorrow.
 
Best idea is to backup everything, then do a totally fresh install, and add programs one at a time to isolate if there is something you have installed which is causing the problem.
 
Hakkinen said:
I have only switched to Mac since May 20 2004 after getting a new ibook G4 14" 1.2GHz 768MB ram, and I have already encountered many unexpected quits and application/process hang.
Examples:
1) Mac Help quits. After calling apple support, I managed to get it working again. Then next day it quits unexpectedly again.
2) So far I have encountered one unexpected quit on Safari. Always got the impression it is the best browser.

I read this forum that Mac OX is very rock solid stable. Am I doing anything wrong that is causing the crash? Why is preference file so easily corrupted?

Don't get me wrong, i love my new ibook. But just get a bit upset i am having so many problems so soon. I hate Windows XP but it is working better than my Mac OS now!

I also wonder if some of the softwares downloaded from versiontracker or other websites may have caused some of this problems.

Would really appreciate advice from mac users.
Click to expand...
One or more of the applications you have installed is the most likely cause of this problem. For example, if you have Norton Utilities for Macintosh installed, uninstall it (that application installs several kernel extensions which have been known to cause problems with some configurations). Other applications that install kernel extensions and all 'hacks' are also likely causes of the problem (this includes ALL theming programs).
 
sparky76 said:
Best idea is to backup everything, then do a totally fresh install, and add programs one at a time to isolate if there is something you have installed which is causing the problem.
Click to expand...

Is there certain programs that usually cause problems?
 
wrldwzrd89 said:
One or more of the applications you have installed is the most likely cause of this problem. For example, if you have Norton Utilities for Macintosh installed, uninstall it (that application installs several kernel extensions which have been known to cause problems with some configurations). Other applications that install kernel extensions and all 'hacks' are also likely causes of the problem (this includes ALL theming programs).
Click to expand...
Nope I don't have norton utilities installed.
Also don't have any 'hacks' because i could not find any and even if i can find 'hacks' i feel insecure installing them.
So far i have downloaded handbrake, sidetrack, Diva, MSN messenger, Netscape, Eric's ultimate solitaire, VLC, menu meter, A4 wireless mouse driver.
 
Hakkinen said:
Is there certain programs that usually cause problems?
Click to expand...
Norton Utilities for Macintosh is a big problem-causer on ANY version of Mac OS X. Also, system "hacks" can interfere with things like software updates (for example, if you have a hack installed when you were running 10.3.3, and then updated to 10.3.4 and experienced odd behavior, you can bet that the hack caused the system not to update properly).
 
A reinstall could really help. I read somewhere that OS images that are loaded onto the machines can be faulty for some reason. I had a few problems with my PowerBooks as well so I reinstalled Panther and it's has been rock stable ever since.
 
telecomm said:
Mac Help can be a pain. Check out https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/66435/ for some ideas on getting Help Viewer to work properly. Deleting the contents of the cache folder and/or the preferences files usually does the trick.
Click to expand...
Thanks, i have figured that out awhile ago. But i am surprised how come preference files can be so easily corrupted.
 
Hakkinen said:
Thanks, i have figured that out awhile ago. But i am surprised how come preference files can be so easily corrupted.
Click to expand...
Fortunately, such problems are very easy to fix - just find and delete the offending preference file(s) and let the application create new ones (do this while the application is NOT running).
 
Zaty said:
A reinstall could really help. I read somewhere that OS images that are loaded onto the machines can be faulty for some reason. I had a few problems with my PowerBooks as well so I reinstalled Panther and it's has been rock stable ever since.
Click to expand...
I have not tried that. But i think i read somewhere in this forum that reinstalling does not solve all problems.
(how come my keystroke is acting so slow at this moment as i type this???)
What sort of reinstall did you do? 'Archive and install?'
(Hey, my ibook fan turns on for the first time, now!!!??) I am only browsing the web!!!)
What is happening to my ibook experience???? HELP
 
Hakkinen said:
I have only switched to Mac since May 20 2004 after getting a new ibook G4 14" 1.2GHz 768MB ram, and I have already encountered many unexpected quits and application/process hang.
Examples:
1) Mac Help quits. After calling apple support, I managed to get it working again. Then next day it quits unexpectedly again.
2) So far I have encountered one unexpected quit on Safari. Always got the impression it is the best browser.
Click to expand...
OS X is very stable, BUT applications are another story. Mac help, well its not the best app in the universe... safari, is still a work in progress, and some web sites (esp. ones written for IE6) can case it to crash, though there is supposedly a large safari update coming. My best advice is to report any crashes to apple (the after crash window that pops up) and tell them the site and what you did, or in the case of help viewer, what help file you accessed... if you wanna get their attention, just tell them you'll "switch back to windows" if they don't fix it, that will get thier attention hehe ... :D
 
Fan just stopped.
Keyboard speed is normal again.
What was that all about. Makes me worried sick about my ibook. I had to get some books to put below my ibook so that the cpu got enough gap to let hot air escape. Probably my room is too hot (82F) but i am surprise browsing the web can cause the fan to turn on. First time it happens.
 
Make sure that you repair permissions on a weekly or biweekly basis to get the best results out of OS X. Also I run disk warrior once a month and my computer never has a single problem.
 
Best thing to do is do a total reinstall after backing up of course. Don't install anything else unless it is absolutely necessary...let it run like that for a while and see if it remainis stable. After that, install programs one at a time and give enough time to see how stable it remains...until you find the culprit...if there is in fact one and it was not the OS orginal install itself.

My iMac has not crashed requiring a restart once since getting it last October. Mail and Safari are the only things I have had to force quit and run fine after that. I don't have many additional programs on it though so that is probably why.

Johnny
 
I think you have a few things going on here...(just opinions).

1. You are ultra sensitive that something is wrong with your machine (why wouldn't you be, you laid out a good deal of cash). I remember buying my first laptop and freaking when the fan DIDN'T come on, or when a page came up a little slow. It sounds to me as if you are being really over-sensitive to some of the things going on (no offense).

2. Third-party apps cause problems with all operating systems, but I have found them extremely havoc-wreaking with OS X. I try to use as few as possible, myself.

3. Pick up a copy of "The Missing Manual" by O' Reilly for OS 10.3 Panther. The book will give you a good idea of how to keep things runnig smoothly and why Macs do some of the things they do. It will also give a good overview on apps like Safari, Mail etc.

End of the day, your Mac will require less tweaking and playing with than Windoze. Just take some time to learn how it works and you will see how brilliant the OS really is in comparison to Windows.

Good luck!
 
Hakkinen said:
I have only switched to Mac since May 20 2004 after getting a new ibook G4 14" 1.2GHz 768MB ram, and I have already encountered many unexpected quits and application/process hang.
Examples:
1) Mac Help quits. After calling apple support, I managed to get it working again. Then next day it quits unexpectedly again.
2) So far I have encountered one unexpected quit on Safari. Always got the impression it is the best browser.

I read this forum that Mac OX is very rock solid stable. Am I doing anything wrong that is causing the crash? Why is preference file so easily corrupted?

Don't get me wrong, i love my new ibook. But just get a bit upset i am having so many problems so soon. I hate Windows XP but it is working better than my Mac OS now!

I also wonder if some of the softwares downloaded from versiontracker or other websites may have caused some of this problems.

Would really appreciate advice from mac users.
Click to expand...
There is always the possibility that you have a faulty computer out of the box. However, that is not likely.

I have never had a global problem caused by third-party applications on MacOS X. Some applications--either beta versions or ancient versions--will crash, but they don't damage the rest the system.

You should, however, be careful with haxies. These are not so much applications as third-party modifications to your OS. Some are downright unstable. Haxies may also interfere with future updates.

Your installation of MacOS X is more likely to be faulty than Apple's installation.

A lot of people on this and other rumor sites run pirated versions of pre-release software. Keep this in mind when taking any advise given on the Internet.

For every effect, there is usually a logical explanation. What have you done with your computer since you bought it? The answer to this question will most likely lead to to the cause of your current problems. It will also likely lead you to their solution.
 
I totally agree with igary & flyfish.

Since getting my PowerBook back from the shop (new logic board & hard drive) I have switched to OS X. This means a clean install, no programs, no files, nothing.

Building back up the computer to where I want it has meant no crashes, no slow downs, no issues at all. I do graphics, video and audio work on it, so you know its getting a workout.

The point is this: if, after trying everything suggested above, you still have problems, don't screw around -- back up and start over. If you still have problems, then you know you are have serious hardware issues (but I doubt you will find this).
 
Hey, i think its time you do an erase and install of Panther.
Archive is a pain in the neck. Better to start all over.

Last night I reinstalled os x, both my laptops are working perfectly now :)

About the iBook fan thing, I suggest you get something like an iCurve from Griffin or a PowerPad. Or one of those laptop stands with built in fans. The fan makes a lot of noise, but really theres nothing you can do about it :( You could do what I do, get one of those refreezable gel pack thingies you can slip in lunchboxes and stuff, pretty cheap, and just pop one underneath the laptop when you feel it getting a little too hot.
 
Sorry my reply came in too late. It was 1 am when i log off. Now back in my office. Thanks for all the suggestions out there.
Agreed that I over reacted about my fan coming on. Probably i set the power in 'highest performance', probably my room was a bit warm last night. Do you think ibreeze is worth buying?

Since i got my ibook one week ago, the things that I have done are installing 3rd party softwares found in versiontracker and apple.com. I am not the type who wants as many softwares to play around. i think most of us will look for freebies first when we want to get something done, in my case, i was hunting for a software that can compress my movie files downloaded from my Canon camcorder, and to edit them.

Have no hacks or warez that sort of stuff installed.

I think I will take the advice and do a re-install once I got hold of the softwares I want to use. :)
 
Hakkinen said:
I have not tried that. But i think i read somewhere in this forum that reinstalling does not solve all problems.
(how come my keystroke is acting so slow at this moment as i type this???)
What sort of reinstall did you do? 'Archive and install?'
(Hey, my ibook fan turns on for the first time, now!!!??) I am only browsing the web!!!)
What is happening to my ibook experience???? HELP
Click to expand...

That happens to both my Pismo (G3 PowerBook) and my Dell. I don't think it's something to worry about. I usually give my comptuer a little rest, let the fan stop spinning so fast, and proceed to what I had been doing. I wouldn't worry about that if I were you
 
Hakkinen said:
Since i got my ibook one week ago, the things that I have done are installing 3rd party softwares found in versiontracker and apple.com. I am not the type who wants as many softwares to play around. i think most of us will look for freebies first when we want to get something done, in my case, i was hunting for a software that can compress my movie files downloaded from my Canon camcorder, and to edit them.
Click to expand...


Ummm...., have you tried iMovie? It came free with your iBook. It's the blue scene marker icon in your dock. Also, iPhoto (for editing/sorting photos), iTunes(sorting/playing music), GarageBand(creating/editing music), and (if you have a SuperDrive) iDVD (creating DVDs made from projects created in other iLife apps) came with it. Don't worry, they'll still be there after you reinstall. All are very easy to use (Garageband is the hardest, but I'm sure its easy or otherwise it wouldn't be in iLife.)
 
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