11-28-2006, 08:07 AM

I have a G4 AGP Graphics 400 MHz with 1Gb ram and an 80Gb HD. I have recently upgraded to Panther (after months of unsuccessfully trying to install it onto what turned out to be a knackered HD, doh!) and have updated to 10.3.9. Everything seemed fine, I was able to install Office 2004 with no problems (apart from a necessary Messenger upgrade). I was also able to install Limewire first time. Great.

My problems started when I came to install Photoshop CS and InDesign CS. I had been advised to repair disk permissons after every software installation, which I did. Photoshop installed fine, so I rebooted and repaired disk permissions. Photoshop still worked fine, so I thought 'great, onto InDesign'. InDesign seemed to install fine, so I rebooted. Before repairing any disk permissions I tried running Photoshop again and found it wouldn't load. I tried repairing disk permissions, but that didn't help. I tried rebooting again, and that stopped InDesign from working as well!!

In an act of desperation I tried the whole reset PRAM and reset NVRAM and defaults nonsense. When the machine was finally allowed to boot into OSX..... all the program files for Limewire, Office 2004, Photoshop and InDesign had disappeared!! The folders were still there, but no program files, and a bunch of '?' where their links used to be in the dock!! Every attempt to reinstall the software is met with failure. If I try and send the program folders to the trash can and empty the trash can, a message appears telling me that the items cannot be deleted as they are in use. How can they be in use if there's nothing there to use!?!

What have I done?!
Can it be repaired?!
Should I go back to pencil and paper!?!

11-28-2006, 05:15 PM

I'm not familiar with Panther but there are 2 things that you should try. Perform a Spotlight search of your Hard Drive for any remnants of the 3 apps. If you can't delete anything as it's "In Use", launch Disc Activity, search for any associated Processes and quit them.

If you have the original install disc pop it in and restart. When you hear the startup chime press and hold the C key. Navigate to the Utilities folder and launch Disc Utility and do a check on your Hard Drive.

Then, hopefully you should have a better picture on what's happening.

11-28-2006, 05:50 PM

Were you running the applications from the application folder or from the virtual disks?

If you placed a copy of the applications in the application folder, they should be still there.

As for doing a spotlight search, spotlight does not exist in panther. You will need to do a regular search. Spotlight came out with tiger.

11-28-2006, 05:52 PM

I'm thinking rman is right on this one.

Pulse, Panther didn't have Spotlight!

11-28-2006, 06:21 PM

Originally Posted by rman

Were you running the applications from the application folder or from the virtual disks?

If you placed a copy of the applications in the application folder, they should be still there.

As for doing a spotlight search, spotlight does not exist in panther. You will need to do a regular search. Spotlight came out with tiger.

The apps were installed in the Applications folder and their container folders do keep re-appearing. If I move them to the Trash can and try to empty it I get the 'in use' message. The next time I boot up they've re-appeared.

I've just tried searching for anything with adobe in the filename and what I found I tried deleting. Again, I got the 'in use' message.

11-28-2006, 07:58 PM

Did you copy the application from the virtual disk to your application folder? Drag the application from the virtual disk and drop it on the application folder.

What concerns me is the containers keep re-appearing. Do these container have white disk like icons?

11-29-2006, 03:50 AM

For the two Adobe applications I ran an install file (as they instruct), which then creates a folder for the program inside the Applications folder on my HD. For Microsoft Office 2004 I dragged and dropped the contents from the virtual disk into the Applications folder (again, as they instruct).

Forgot to mention earlier that I also had a copy of Toast 6 that also disappeared but left behind its folder in Applications!

When this first happened I tried downloading a program called System Optimiser X to repair permissions and perform a load of other maintenance tasks. Has anyone out there had any problems with this program? (By the way, this has also disappeared)

The only stuff that works at the moment is the core Panther software and apps (except Quicktime, which doesn't start).

Am I trying to make my computer perform beyond its 400MHz capabilities?

11-29-2006, 04:34 AM

Why are you trying to repair disk permissions after every installation? Just install everything without doing anything else. I'm wondering if doing this

How do the programs not load? Do they crash out, or do the dock icons keep bouncing?

11-29-2006, 05:05 AM

I was given this link by Mr Bobbins from a previous thread:

http://resale.headgap.com/osxnotesG4.html

I have based my installation and maintenance techniques on the advise in this link. In there it advises that you repair permissions after installing any software.

The programs don't load because their respective program files have disappeared, without me deleting them! One second they're there, I repair disk permissions and reboot, then they're gone. All that remains is an empty folder in the Apps folder and a '?' where the dock icon used to be.

I think my only solution is to re-install Panther and start again (for the zillionth time!).

11-29-2006, 06:19 AM

Have you tried booting from your Panther install disc and checking your HD with Disc Utility

11-29-2006, 06:30 AM

Not yet, Marty. That's my last action to do this evening. If that fails I'll just start all over again.

11-29-2006, 07:07 AM

Must be drivin' you nutz. You should have a look in Disc Activity or whatever the Panther equiv is to see if any of those apps processes are running.

11-29-2006, 07:15 AM

I've had a look and I can't see anything obvious that's still running.

And yes, it IS driving me nutz!!