Seeking help ascertaining cause of two dysfunctions on Mac Pro tower OSX 10.8.5

[MacPro-10.8.5]

Computer: MacPro 2012 -- Four T2 WD drives -- Four memory slots/3cards

OSX: Lion 10.8.5

Programs: MS Office Suite 2011 and Adobe Photoshop 2012

__________________________

Two Issues

1. Dysfunctional operating system and programs.


2. Desktop images hard drives disappear when a second monitor is plugged into computer.



I have not been able to ascertain, if the two issues are syptom of the same unknown problem.




OSX Issues


1. Dysfunctional OSX began about six months ago for no apparent cause.


Symptoms of the dysfunction:

a) Cannot highlight a letter or word. If I click once in front of letter or word to make a change, the entire sentence or paragraph highlights. This happens with everything: files, folders, document names, image names, outlook email content, MS word document content, firefox, etc.

b) When I click once on an image or document to change a letter or title, it launches the Photoshop or MS Word to open the image or document. When I click once to drag and drop a document or image, it lauches the program and opens the item I clicked.

c) I am unable to locate the My Templates folder/documents for MS Word. While in the program, when I create a template, it shoes me the following folder path:

HD -- Users -- ML(name of folder that is image of A-frame home) -- Library -- Application Support -- Microsoft -- Office -- User Templates -- My Templates.

According to support from MS Word, this is the correct folder path.




Here is what is actually on my Mac desktop:

HD ---
...........Applications
...........Library
...........System
...........Users ----- ML (house image) ------ Applications (empty)
................................................................Desktop (empty)
................................................................Documents --- MS user data
................................................................Downloads (empty)
................................................................Movies (empty)
................................................................Music --- iTumes
................................................................Pictures (empty)
................................................................Public (empty)
................................................................Sites (empty)



HD --- Applications --- MS Office 2011 --- Media --- Templates --- 9 folders of template categories



Nowhere in the MS Office 2011 folder, or ,anywhere on my Mac computer is there a folder titled My Templates. A search of computer for specific named template documents nets a -0- search results.





Remedies Attempted:

a) Created guest login account. No issues or problems when I am over there.


b) Seach MS Word support site. -0- results. Telephone tech support. -0- They were baffled. Went to craigslist Apple Supprt and they baffled and unable to help.


c) I have reinstalled Lion 10.8.5 three times in the past six months.

d) Relaunching Finder on average of every hour per day. For a brief time afterwards, I can highlight a letter or word.

e) Each time I reinstalled Lion, I have reinstalled MS Word.

f) I tried trashing preferences. No resolution or improvements.



_________________________________________________________________________


Monitors Issue



2 . When I have two monitors plugged into the Mac, none of drives, nor desk-top images appear on either screen.


a) Three display ports on back of my Mac Pro - 1 - vga port 2 - mini-display ports.

b) Two monitors:

1.Hannspree Flat Screen HL269DPB 26-Inch Screen LED-lit Monitor

I have been operating soley on Hanspree for a couple years. No problems. It is connected to the Mac with a VGA plug.




2. Dell Flat Screen Ultrasharp U2713HM LED-lit Monitor

This monitor was quite expensive and I purchased for a publishing project that I am working on, but because I am still in research phase, I was saving the Dell for when I begin the artistic phase because it is higher resolution. It had remained in its mfg box until this weekend.

I used the HDMI cord that came with my View TV box; and went to Best Buy and purchased an Apple adapter to have the HDMI plug into the mini-display port.




Results:

a) Both monitors are on and have a background I am not familiar with. Neither show any of the hard drives. When I unplug the DELL, the Hannspree shows my desk top and the rotating images.




Remedies Attempted:

a) The DELL DVD install/drivers disk is for PC only. Unable to configure the monitor from the disk.

b) I have searched the internet and only found that other MAC users were lamenting about DELL not providing drivers for MAC.



//

 

[t8er8]

Computer: MacPro 2012 -- Four T2 WD drives -- Four memory slots/3cards

OSX: Lion 10.8.5

Programs: MS Office Suite 2011 and Adobe Photoshop 2012

__________________________

Two Issues

1. Dysfunctional operating system and programs.


2. Desktop images hard drives disappear when a second monitor is plugged into computer.



I have not been able to ascertain, if the two issues are syptom of the same unknown problem.




OSX Issues


1. Dysfunctional OSX began about six months ago for no apparent cause.


Symptoms of the dysfunction:

a) Cannot highlight a letter or word. If I click once in front of letter or word to make a change, the entire sentence or paragraph highlights. This happens with everything: files, folders, document names, image names, outlook email content, MS word document content, firefox, etc.

b) When I click once on an image or document to change a letter or title, it launches the Photoshop or MS Word to open the image or document. When I click once to drag and drop a document or image, it lauches the program and opens the item I clicked.

c) I am unable to locate the My Templates folder/documents for MS Word. While in the program, when I create a template, it shoes me the following folder path:

HD -- Users -- ML(name of folder that is image of A-frame home) -- Library -- Application Support -- Microsoft -- Office -- User Templates -- My Templates.

According to support from MS Word, this is the correct folder path.




Here is what is actually on my Mac desktop:

HD ---
...........Applications
...........Library
...........System
...........Users ----- ML (house image) ------ Applications (empty)
................................................................Desktop (empty)
................................................................Documents --- MS user data
................................................................Downloads (empty)
................................................................Movies (empty)
................................................................Music --- iTumes
................................................................Pictures (empty)
................................................................Public (empty)
................................................................Sites (empty)



HD --- Applications --- MS Office 2011 --- Media --- Templates --- 9 folders of template categories



Nowhere in the MS Office 2011 folder, or ,anywhere on my Mac computer is there a folder titled My Templates. A search of computer for specific named template documents nets a -0- search results.





Remedies Attempted:

a) Seach MS Word support site. -0- results. Telephone tech support. -0- They were baffled. Went to craigslist Apple Supprt and they baffled and unable to help.


b) I have reinstalled Lion 10.8.5 three times in the past six months.

c) Relaunching Finder on average of every hour per day. For a brief time afterwards, I can highlight a letter or word.

d) Each time I reinstalled Lion, I have reinstalled MS Word.

e) I tried trashing preferences. No resolution or improvements.



_________________________________________________________________________


Monitors Issue



2 . When I have two monitors plugged into the Mac, none of drives, nor desk-top images appear on either screen.


a) Three display ports on back of my Mac Pro - 1 - vga port 2 - mini-display ports.

b) Two monitors:

1.Hannspree Flat Screen HL269DPB 26-Inch Screen LED-lit Monitor

I have been operating soley on Hanspree for a couple years. No problems. It is connected to the Mac with a VGA plug.




2. Dell Flat Screen Ultrasharp U2713HM LED-lit Monitor

This monitor was quite expensive and I purchased for a publishing project that I am working on, but because I am still in research phase, I was saving the Dell for when I begin the artistic phase because it is higher resolution. It had remained in its mfg box until this weekend.

I used the HDMI cord that came with my View TV box; and went to Best Buy and purchased an Apple adapter to have the HDMI plug into the mini-display port.




Results:

a) Both monitors are on and have a background I am not familiar with. Neither show any of the hard drives. When I unplug the DELL, the Hannspree shows my desk top and the rotating images.




Remedies Attempted:

a) The DELL DVD install/drivers disk is for PC only. Unable to configure the monitor from the disk.

b) I have searched the internet and only found that other MAC users were lamenting about DELL not providing drivers for MAC.



//

Hi there, before I get to the nitty gritty I have to say this is the fanciest way of putting foreward an issue that I’ve seen in this forum.

Now, from what I understand from your OS issues. The problem could be resolved with something as easy as swapping mice. Unless you can give me further detail or a screenshot of what your problems with clicking look like. All I can really reccomend is changing mice because t could be a mouse driver problem or the mouse is broken.

As for your problems with MS Word. What I’d reccomend doing is updating your OS if possible. Lion is very very outdated and lacks support of recent/updating apps, that could be where your problem lies. The reason no one in the support forums for MS Word was helping you was because you’re on such an outdated operating system.
Even for me, it’s hard to really help unless you update your OS.

In fact many of your issues could be fixed if you just updated your computer, it’s fully capable of going up to the latest operating system and has arguably much more support for everything and much less issues.

As for your monitor issues. Whenever you plug in your monitors you do have your computer off correct, a lot of the time computers can’t properly hot swap monitors being unplugged and plugged back in when the computer itself is on.

It could also help to try different ports on your computer.

Right now, screenshots and photos of your issues taking place could seriously help me further diagnose your issues. Also, it would help to know how computer savvy you are just so I can better instruct you on possible fixes.

Cheers

 

[MacPro-10.8.5]

Hi there, before I get to the nitty gritty I have to say this is the fanciest way of putting foreward an issue that I’ve seen in this forum.

Now, from what I understand from your OS issues. The problem could be resolved with something as easy as swapping mice. Unless you can give me further detail or a screenshot of what your problems with clicking look like. All I can really reccomend is changing mice because t could be a mouse driver problem or the mouse is broken.

As for your problems with MS Word. What I’d reccomend doing is updating your OS if possible. Lion is very very outdated and lacks support of recent/updating apps, that could be where your problem lies. The reason no one in the support forums for MS Word was helping you was because you’re on such an outdated operating system.
Even for me, it’s hard to really help unless you update your OS.

In fact many of your issues could be fixed if you just updated your computer, it’s fully capable of going up to the latest operating system and has arguably much more support for everything and much less issues.

As for your monitor issues. Whenever you plug in your monitors you do have your computer off correct, a lot of the time computers can’t properly hot swap monitors being unplugged and plugged back in when the computer itself is on.

It could also help to try different ports on your computer.

Right now, screenshots and photos of your issues taking place could seriously help me further diagnose your issues. Also, it would help to know how computer savvy you are just so I can better instruct you on possible fixes.

Cheers

I was amiss in not including the mouse perspective in my original post.

I use a Kensington Turbo Mouse and Logitech ergonomic extended keyboard.

While both are only three-years old, I purchased a new Turbo Mouse and removed former drivers and preferences and installed anew with the new mouse.

I am now the proud owner of two perfectly performing Turbo mouses, and Logitech keyboards.

The new items did not remedy the issue.

 

[BrianBaughn]

a) Created guest login account. No issues or problems when I am over there.

If this is true then your entire issue must be a corrupt User Account. Your solution will be to either successfully fix any and all of those errors or to switch to a new, clean User Account and move your data over.

 

[MacPro-10.8.5]

Okay. So save everything to DVD and then zero out computer and install Lion?

 

[chrfr]

Okay. So save everything to DVD and then zero out computer and install Lion?

Your computer supports all the way up to High Sierra, 10.13. You'd be best off to move to something quite a bit newer than either Lion or Mountain Lion.

 

[t8er8]

I was amiss in not including the mouse perspective in my original post.

I use a Kensington Turbo Mouse and Logitech ergonomic extended keyboard.

While both are only three-years old, I purchased a new Turbo Mouse and removed former drivers and preferences and installed anew with the new mouse.

I am now the proud owner of two perfectly performing Turbo mouses, and Logitech keyboards.

The new items did not remedy the issue.



As for updating the OSX, I do not want to do it for because it does not serve me to do so for the following reasons.


1. The game the tech companies, including Apple are playing with their customers, mimics the mafia of the 1920s method of operation - "pay monthly fee to operate your business."

2. Customers have to keep paying and if they stop, they cannot open their documents.


I am aware that many customers have rebelled and MS Word and Adobe now offer ownership again. That would allow me to upgrade OSX except for two reasons:

1. The cost is too majorly high for me at this time, and in near future.

2. It is still the same dance, in the same old shoes, that Apple has been doing: They refuse to provide a DVD of the install disk to their customers. This for many of us in the publishing world is a deal breaker with Apple. Why pay thousands for a machine we not allowed to have complete control over?

I have been a Mac user since childhood. My Mac 4 was a marvelous work horse. I purchased her brand new in 2001. When I sold her last summer, she was still going strong for a 16-year-old. Never upgraded OSX. Same with the G5 I purchased new in 2007. This begets the question, why does this highly expensive MacPro have so many OSX issues its ancestors did not exhibit?


As for the monitors. I never plug in, or, unplug anything while the machine is on.

Thank you for responding.

Hi again, I don’t quite understand your reasoning for not wanting to update, Apples OS version and completely free and have nothing to do with payments whatsoever. There isn’t a monthly payment of anything that has to do with Apple. Unless you’re talking about Microsoft word, I don’t fully understand your reasoning. This could just be of your language, but really I see no point in not updating your machine to get consistent support from Apple. Apple doesn’t give CD updates any more because their hardware doesn’t include CD slots like they used to, that’s just a technological advancement. You should be able to keep your MS office through to the new updates.

 

[MacPro-10.8.5]

Hi again, I don’t quite understand your reasoning for not wanting to update, Apples OS version and completely free and have nothing to do with payments whatsoever. There isn’t a monthly payment of anything that has to do with Apple. Unless you’re talking about Microsoft word, I don’t fully understand your reasoning. This could just be of your language, but really I see no point in not updating your machine to get consistent support from Apple. Apple doesn’t give CD updates any more because their hardware doesn’t include CD slots like they used to, that’s just a technological advancement. You should be able to keep your MS office through to the new updates.

OSX requires updating the MS Word and Adobe Photoshop programs. I verified this with those companies. They do not effortlessly adapt to the next level OSX.

 

[t8er8]

OSX requires updating the MS Word and Adobe Photoshop programs. I verified this with those companies. They do not effortlessly adapt to the next level OSX.

But they are fully compatible correct, how hard could it be, to update your OS because that’s really very likely your solution

 

[lclev]

I am currently using MS Office 2011 and Photoshop CS6 and several upgrades to the CC versions. They all work great on my 2009/2010 Mac Pro running High Sierra. I had absolutely no problems using them. Yes, there are updates to the apps but that is normal.

I will say MS Office 2011 and possibly PS 2012(?) are 32-bit apps. Apple plans to stop support for these apps in one of the next upgrades to OS X.

But you need to move past Lion.

Lisa

 

[t8er8]

OSX requires updating the MS Word and Adobe Photoshop programs. I verified this with those companies. They do not effortlessly adapt to the next level OSX.

For future reference, don’t edit your comments and delete everything you said after someone replies to your comment, makes me look like an idiot and is kind of a douche move.

 

[MacPro-10.8.5]

I didn't realize when I came to the forum, I actually came to anti Mt Lion group.

I have success to report. My OSX is functioning normal, again. The person that posted about a corrupted system..... well I researched what exactly that is and how to cure. Find a solution and it worked.

I have not found yet, how to fix the issue of my folder path for the My Templates folder, which does not match what Apple and MS Word thinks it should be, which is odd, given Apple is the only one messing with my system, i.e. download of Mt Lion.

Also, the monitor issue is not resolved. I suspect that is a DELL issue, because it does not provide drivers for the Mac.

 

[t8er8]

I didn't realize when I came to the forum, I actually came to anti Mt Lion group.

I have success to report. My OSX is functioning normal, again. The person that posted about a corrupted system..... well I researched what exactly that is and how to cure. Find a solution and it worked.

I have not found yet, how to fix the issue of my folder path for the My Templates folder, which does not match what Apple and MS Word thinks it should be, which is odd, given Apple is the only one messing with my system, i.e. download of Mt Lion.

Also, the monitor issue is not resolved. I suspect that is a DELL issue, because it does not provide drivers for the Mac.

No one hates mountain lion here I can guarantee you that. We just don’t understand why you won’t update your OS, it’s a simple and easy problem solving action.

 

[DeltaMac]

You don't need drivers for the Dell monitor.
All you need for the Dell monitor to work properly, is a better connection choice.
The Dell has a DisplayPort connnector. Get a cable that is DisplayPort on one end, and Mini DisplayPort on the opposite end, whatever length you need. One such as this.

Once you have a proper connection for the display, then you have some choices about how to use the two displays.
All of those choices will be in your Displays pref pane. With both displays powered on, you can open the Displays pref panel, and you will see a new Arrangements tab. Each displays will show its own Displays pref pane, so you can make settings changes on each, independent of the other. You can ALSO change the background for EACH display, so each has its own background image, using the Desktop. & Screensaver pref pane (which is another pane that appears on BOTH screens). You can have different screensavers on each screen, should you choose to do that.
AND, the Arrangement pane in Displays will have the choice to use screen mirroring. You can see the choice on that pane, where you can turn mirroring on or off.
What is mirroring, you may ask? Mirroring, when on, shows the exact same screen on both displays. Mirroring also restricts the screen to show both monitors with the same resolution, which may or may not be a resolution that you want to use. When mirroring is turned OFF (un-checked), then you have an extended desktop using both screens. You can position the screens so they "connect" to one another in a way that is convenient for you, allowing you to move the screens relative to each other, all in software, and without physically moving the monitors.
Each monitor can have its own resolution setting, and as I said, different background images, different folder positions (which can easily be moved from screen to screen while you work.)

With the extended desktop, only ONE screen will have a top menubar. which you can drag from one screen to the other in that same Arrangements pane.
All very neat, right?

I will touch on MS Office 2011 very briefly.
That will work all the way up to the current High Sierra, assuming your Office is up-to-date on version 14.7.7
The user templates are (by default) in your user/Library folder, which is normally hidden on any macOS system from Lion newer.
In the Finder, click on the Go menu, which will drop down a list of various folders. While that menu is dropped, press the Option key. See the Library appear in the list? Choose that, that's your user Library. And, browse to the Applications Support folder, then Microsoft, then Office. And, finally there you are in the right folder, with lots of folders used by Office. One of those will be (ta-da!) User Templates.

 

[rippiedoos]

The other issue with the Dell Monitor will be that it won't display any resolution higher then 1080p. So you're stuck with 1920x1080 but the monitor is 2560x1440. It looks very blurry and you should REALLY get a Display Port cable. That will raise the resolution to it's native resolution.

And because of the capped resolution of 1920x1080 it also could be that the placing of windows is 'funky'. That happens to me too regularly. When this happens to me, I can only see the last 3 pixels and can expand my image. But first try the display port cable.

 

[MacPro-10.8.5]

You don't need drivers for the Dell monitor.
All you need for the Dell monitor to work properly, is a better connection choice.
The Dell has a DisplayPort connnector. Get a cable that is DisplayPort on one end, and Mini DisplayPort on the opposite end, whatever length you need. One such as this.

Once you have a proper connection for the display, then you have some choices about how to use the two displays.
All of those choices will be in your Displays pref pane. With both displays powered on, you can open the Displays pref panel, and you will see a new Arrangements tab. Each displays will show its own Displays pref pane, so you can make settings changes on each, independent of the other. You can ALSO change the background for EACH display, so each has its own background image, using the Desktop. & Screensaver pref pane (which is another pane that appears on BOTH screens). You can have different screensavers on each screen, should you choose to do that.
AND, the Arrangement pane in Displays will have the choice to use screen mirroring. You can see the choice on that pane, where you can turn mirroring on or off.
What is mirroring, you may ask? Mirroring, when on, shows the exact same screen on both displays. Mirroring also restricts the screen to show both monitors with the same resolution, which may or may not be a resolution that you want to use. When mirroring is turned OFF (un-checked), then you have an extended desktop using both screens. You can position the screens so they "connect" to one another in a way that is convenient for you, allowing you to move the screens relative to each other, all in software, and without physically moving the monitors.
Each monitor can have its own resolution setting, and as I said, different background images, different folder positions (which can easily be moved from screen to screen while you work.)

With the extended desktop, only ONE screen will have a top menubar. which you can drag from one screen to the other in that same Arrangements pane.
All very neat, right?

I will touch on MS Office 2011 very briefly.
That will work all the way up to the current High Sierra, assuming your Office is up-to-date on version 14.7.7
The user templates are (by default) in your user/Library folder, which is normally hidden on any macOS system from Lion newer.
In the Finder, click on the Go menu, which will drop down a list of various folders. While that menu is dropped, press the Option key. See the Library appear in the list? Choose that, that's your user Library. And, browse to the Applications Support folder, then Microsoft, then Office. And, finally there you are in the right folder, with lots of folders used by Office. One of those will be (ta-da!) User Templates.

[doublepost=1527513073][/doublepost]Thank you
[doublepost=1527514328][/doublepost]

If this is true then your entire issue must be a corrupt User Account. Your solution will be to either successfully fix any and all of those errors or to switch to a new, clean User Account and move your data over.

Thank you Brian.

I researched what a corrupt Mac was and how to fix. Found a link to an Apple Support page that directed me how to go Safe Mode to fix. That did not resolve anything.

Then found a page that provided a step by step of going into Finder and then hold down the option key and then to to Go drop down menu, viola! There was the hidden Library folder that contained the My Templates folder. I was able to remove many outdated documents.

Most importantly, I found on the Apple Support page with a step-by-step of how to diagnose a dysfunctional operating system.

Steps

1. Open System Preferences folder.
2. Click on the Users and Groupsl
3. Click on your User Account.
4. On right side click on the Login In Items button.
5. Take picture of desktop to have image of the items inside Login In box.
6. Delete items in the Login In box.
7. Close Item User box and System Folder.
8. Restart computer.

In my Items box was Adobe Reader and iTunes. Once I saw the Reader Resource item, it occured to me that is the culprit, as I installed the Reader about six months ago and that is when my O.S. began the dysfunction.

I went into the application folder and trashed Adobe Reader, its preferences, etc. Computer is operating at optimal levels again.