matthews@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu (Dave Matthews) (05/18/88)
>All of a sudden I'm getting the message "There is nothing to choose on the >startup disk" when I try to use the Chooser. This has happened to two of my >startup disks now. They're stuck in ImageWriter mode, apparently >irreversibly. Replacing the LaserWriter, Laser Prep, ImageWriter, System >and Finder with fresh copies from disks that work doesn't help. Changing >machines doesn't help. Disconnecting/connecting Appletalk doesn't help. >Has anybody ever seen this problem before? > >(This is on Mac+'s and 512E's under System 3.2, nothing fancy.) The problem was "Set Startup". On both of these disks I had recently set the application (in one case it was WriteNow, the other MacDraw) to start up immediately on booting, instead of the Finder or Minifinder. Apparently when this happens the Chooser doesn't know it should look in the System Folder to find the printer drivers. The problem can be fixed by exiting to the Minifinder and restarting the application (without rebooting). Or by moving all the system files out of the System Folder, onto the desktop with the application. I nominate this for Bug of the Week, especially if it still exists in the current versions. Thanks to Scott Douglass of Apple Computer for providing the vital clue. - Dave Matthews ARPA:matthews@tcgould.tn.cornell.edu BITNET:matthews@crnlthry USENET:...{cmcl2,shasta,uw-beaver,rochester}!cornell!batcomputer!matthews
dave@hpdstma.HP.COM (Dave Waller) (05/20/88)
Well, I have a possible answer for you, but I don't know the name of the file. There should be a file in your system folder similar to the notepad file that contains information about what you have chosen with the chooser. This is why replacing all the laserwriter stuff and the system and finder doesn't seem to help-- the file that contains chooser specific stuff is still there! If you blow this file away, things should be alright. Note also that this file may be invisible, so you will need ResEdit or something like that to manipulate it. 2-nite I will look and see if I can determine the name of the file, and post it tomorrow. Does anybody have a more specific answer than this?? Dave Waller Technical Computer Group Hewlett-Packard Co. Pacific Technology Park Sunnyvale, CA
dorourke@polyslo.UUCP (David O'Rourke) (05/21/88)
In article <440011@hpdstma.HP.COM> dave@hpdstma.HP.COM (Dave Waller) writes: >There should be a file in your system folder similar to the notepad file that >contains information about what you have chosen with the chooser. This is why >replacing all the laserwriter stuff and the system and finder doesn't seem >to help-- the file that contains chooser specific stuff is still there! If >you blow this file away, things should be alright. Note also that this file >may be invisible, so you will need ResEdit or something like that to >manipulate it. Well Apple's Documenation was no help what so ever in this case. I had to look it up in "Macintosh Programming Secrets" by Scott Knaster. The chooser does not manipulate a file, but it changes a resource in the system file. 'STR ' -8192 will contain the name of the currently selected printer. After retrieving that name from the string you can then open the file of the same name and rumage around inside it to find out additional information about the printer. Mr. Knaster gives a very good description of how to do this and I recommend the book highly. The nothing to choose problem might result if the choose is smart enough to look and see if the system file is locked, hence not allowing any modifications to be made. Since it has to store the current printer name in the system file, if it is locked it can't do this, so it might give up with the error message you saw. Hope this helps!!! -- David M. O'Rourke Disclaimer: I don't represent the school. All opinions are mine!
chow@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu (Christopher Chow) (05/22/88)
In article <2780@polyslo.UUCP> dorourke@polyslo.UUCP (David O'Rourke) writes: >The chooser >does not manipulate a file, but it changes a resource in the system file. >'STR ' -8192 will contain the name of the currently selected printer. After I hope this feature is fixed in a later system distribution: Having the choose change the system file is bad -- if you choose a different printer then the system file is has been modified, which means that the next time you do a hard disk backup the system file needs to be backed up. A stripped down system is still a big file! Christopher Chow /---------------------------------------------------------------------------\ | Internet: chow@tcgould.tn.cornell.edu (128.84.248.35 or 128.84.253.35) | | Usenet: ...{uw-beaver|ihnp4|decvax|vax135}!cornell!batcomputer!chow | | Bitnet: chow@crnlthry.bitnet | | Phone: 1-607-253-6699 Address: 7122 N. Campus 7, Ithaca, NY 14853 | | Delphi: chow2 PAN: chow | \---------------------------------------------------------------------------/