09-23-2011, 12:28 PM

Dear All,

I've been having an issue with my computer for quite some time now and i would like your assistance.

I have a G4 PowerBook (late 2004 model) for the last 7 years. I was running in it; Adobe Creative Suite, Adobe Acrobat 6, and more recently Microsoft Office 2008. Until July 2011 everything was running smoothly as they had for the past 7 years. But, in late July 2011, I had a hard-disk crash and besides the fact that I had lost most of my files (eventhough the mac personnel who handled my problem did managed to save some files nevertheless, all the files were corrupted - but, this is another issue, I mean how is it possible for every file they had managed to rescued to be corrupted??).

Now, here's my issue. I had recently purchased Adobe CS 2. I had install it, then installed Acrobat 7 and right afterwards Microsoft Office 2008. Microsoft Office 2008 eventhough successfully installed could not launch and open files. I had contacted Microsoft and after trying a few possible solutions in order to fix this issue nothing happened. So, I have decided now to reinstall EVERYTHING! - Mac OS X 10.4.11, Adobe CS 2, Adobe Acrobat 7, and Microsoft Office 2008.

My question to anybody who could help me is; what installation sequence should I follow in order for every program to work perfectly after their installation?

For example, should I first install Office, then Acrobat and in the end Adobe CS 2?

I would really appreciated and be grateful to anybody who could help with issue.

It's really frustrating to have these kind of problems after having for 7 years such a great laptop without even the smallest issue occurring.

Thank you for your time and attention to my request.

William

09-23-2011, 12:36 PM

Originally Posted by William-ing

So, I have decided now to reinstall EVERYTHING! - Mac OS X 10.4.11, Adobe CS 2, Adobe Acrobat 7, and Microsoft Office 2008.

My question to anybody who could help me is; what installation sequence should I follow in order for every program to work perfectly after their installation?

It would probably be best to install the OS first (10.4.11)...then you can install all the other applications in any order you want (as long as they are all compatible with OS 10.4.11).

HTH,

- Nick

09-23-2011, 12:58 PM

Moved from Community Suggestions and Feedback to a more appropriate place.

09-24-2011, 04:08 AM

Originally Posted by pigoo3

It would probably be best to install the OS first (10.4.11)...then you can install all the other applications in any order you want (as long as they are all compatible with OS 10.4.11).

HTH,

- Nick

Hi Nick,

Thank you for your reply.

Well, here's the thing. I have heard in the past that there were some conflict issues between Microsoft Office (I think it was about Office 2004 and not Office 2008) and Adobe CS 2. This is why I have asked for the installation sequence.

When this issue came up with MS Office, I had already installed Adobe CS 2 and Acrobat. I'm not an expert but, perhaps the problem that caused this issue was coming from the hard drive Apple had installed in my PowerBook and from the Mac OS X (10.4.11) version they had installed.

When my hard disk crashed, my local Apple store told me that they could not replace the hard disk with a new one simply because it was a very old model (late 2004) and they didn't have in their stock a hard drive. The only thing they could offer and which I had to accept it because this is the only computer that I have was, to install a hard disk (used) from a mac mini that they had. Now, honestly I can't be certain if they did erase and reinstall a 'fresh' copy of Mac OS X 10.4.11, and this because when I finally took my laptop home I noticed that iphoto was missing.

Anyway, I don't want to bother you with all these matters and BrianLachoreVPI, my apologies for posting my request to this thread. I thought that this was the appropriate one.

Thanks again for your time and attention to my request.

William

09-24-2011, 04:29 AM

Do you still have the CD's/DVD's that came with the Powerbook? Install from that and your iPhoto should return also.

09-24-2011, 05:12 AM

Originally Posted by dtravis7

Do you still have the CD's/DVD's that came with the Powerbook? Install from that and your iPhoto should return also.

dtravis7,

Yes, I still have the CD's/DVD's that came with my PowerBook. But, they contain Mac OS X 10.3. Which means that I have to find every combo update in order to reach the latest Panther edition, then install the 10.4 Tiger upgrade that I had purchased as also, every combo update in order to reach 10.4.11, and finally, start installing the software packages that I have mentioned in my first email.

Thanks for your reply.

William

09-24-2011, 05:19 AM

What I was getting at is, did the iPhoto come with your powerbook or did you upgrade to a newer version later down the road? If not, after the tiger install, you can put in your CD's that came with the Powerbook and go to optional installs and reinstall iPhoto and the rest of iLife.

If you need help, let us know.

09-24-2011, 01:59 PM

Originally Posted by William-ing

Well, here's the thing. I have heard in the past that there were some conflict issues between Microsoft Office (I think it was about Office 2004 and not Office 2008) and Adobe CS 2. This is why I have asked for the installation sequence.

As far as I know...when it comes to installing applications...I know of no special sequence that programs should be installed.

Think of it this way. If someone owned the same computer since 2005...and each year they installed some programs (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, etc.). You wouldn't "uninstall" all previous programs so you could install a new program...that would be so laborious...and what a headache!

Each application install is a "self-contained" event (so to speak)...and developers of programs have to make sure their programs install "seamlessly" as not to conflict with other programs (especially programs from major developers like Microsoft & Adobe). As far as I know...there are no special "install sequences" to avoid conflicts. It's possible this sort of thing could have happened 15-20 years ago...but nothing within the last 10 years or so.

HTH,

- Nick

p.s. There may be some programs out there that may cause conflicts. But this doesn't occur due to the sequence in which the programs were installed...it's just basically an incompatibility with the OS...or between programs.

09-25-2011, 06:04 AM

Originally Posted by dtravis7

What I was getting at is, did the iPhoto come with your powerbook or did you upgrade to a newer version later down the road? If not, after the tiger install, you can put in your CD's that came with the Powerbook and go to optional installs and reinstall iPhoto and the rest of iLife.

If you need help, let us know.

dtravis7,

When I still had the Panther Mac OS installed in my PowerBook, all the standard software provided by Apple were installed. Through time, I used to download all the significant updates provided by Apple just to have my laptop running smoothly.

Now, a few years ago I had decided to upgrade to Mac OS Tiger and later on purchased the MS Office 2008 Student Edition, while at the same time I had installed the Adobe CS Premium edition.

Last July, my hard disk crashed; I got the grey screen with the question mark; installed the DVD as suggested by the Mac OS book in order to check every hardware in my Powerbook. Since, I couldn't do anything to fix this issue I decided to take it to my local Apple store in order to find out what has really happened.

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that when I got it back from them (which by the way in order to save some money I asked them if it's possible not to pay the VAT but, that also meant that I could not have a 6-month guarantee for the hard disk they had placed in my PowerBook), they told me that they had installed the used-hard disk; installed Mac OS X 10.4.11 Tiger; the Adobe CS 2; the Adobe Acrobat 7(not activated); and the MS Office 2008(not activated).

The fact is that I had lost a very significant amount of time from my work, not to mention the loss of very important personal and job files; some of which I was working at the time of the crash. This means that I didn't notice immediately that iPhoto was missing (and perhaps other parts of the Mac OS - probably....), only when I had to use it.

This is why I think that the reason why I have experienced all these issues is because the Apple tech-guy has probably installed the mac mini's hard disk as it was or, it was a machine with a not so good installation of Mac OS and other software.

I will keep you informed when I finish the whole procedure; hopefully with no further issues!

Thanks again for your help guys.

09-25-2011, 06:17 AM

Originally Posted by pigoo3

p.s. There may be some programs out there that may cause conflicts. But this doesn't occur due to the sequence in which the programs were installed...it's just basically an incompatibility with the OS...or between programs.

Well Nick,

Let me give you an example. When I had purchased a few years back the Adobe CS package they told me that there was a sequence in which I should place the programs from the specific package in order to improve their functionality. Now, I'm not a programmer or developer so, I took their advice.

But, I honestly believe that you're right when you say that the most possible thing that can occur is a conflict - incompatibility with the OS and probably due to the different dates of release of various updates that could possibly affect the relationship - functionality between these two; programs and OS.

On the other hand, why would I keep a program that either I don't use very often or have installed a newer version of it in my computer? It would use hard disk space and memory that I don't spare to loose.

I'll keep you updated on how things go.

Thanks again guys.