Thumbnails

Can anyone please help me?
I create a CD on my desktop G5 iMac from a file on that computer, a file of small jpegs. I check the CD and all is well. I take the CD to my G4 iBook and when I look at the file there are no thumbnails on the icon page display for the file.
How can I get the thumbnails to appear?
Roger

1. Are both machines using the same OS version, and
2. what are you using to burn the CD, and
3. what software is being used in relation to the .jpgs (eg. Preview), and
4. is it the same for both Mac machines?

1.iMac G5 uses OSX 10.4.11, iBook G3 uses OSX 10.1
2. Toast 6
3. software in relation to the .jpgs is Preview
4. the same for both Mac machines

Okay, check Preview preferences to see that they're the same or similar in respect of how they display images. It may be that the OS 10.1 version of Preview is set to display thumbnails only.

Any chance you can install Tiger on the iBook. Mactracker states that it will support OS 10.4, but of course you'll need a retail install version of Tiger, not cheap!

I've checked the Preview prefs on both m/c's and neither has a preference option. But maybe I didn't explain my problem properly - when only the Finder is active there are 3 options of the way folders and their contents are viewed - columns, lists or icons. When I select the 'icon' option only the icon shows, the thumbnail of the image is not displayed. The icon that displays says it is a JPEG. Regrettably I cannot afford Tiger!

Grandad said:

when only the Finder is active there are 3 options of the way folders and their contents are viewed ... only the icon shows, the thumbnail of the image is not displayed.

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Ah, I'm with you now. I've included an attachment to show you how I've found photos in Finder > Pictures > iPhoto Library. You'll see that the thumbnail is a generic numbered Preview icon only, whereas the actual pic is a genuine thumbnail. Why it's like that I cannot say. I wonder if it's something in iPhoto prefs.

Are you using iPhoto to process your pics? From memory, it's the only app I use, although I did try Xee at one stage.

Regrettably I cannot afford Tiger!

Click to expand...

Join the club! It's at an exorbitant price, as is Leopard. The reason I suggested Tiger was to synchronise your two computers in respect of OS.

Under FINDER I do not have 'pictures' as an option. I have iPhoto but did not use it for these problem images, they were simply downloaded from the internet straight onto the desktop then burnt onto the CD using Toast. If I put them into iPhoto from the desktop, then select from iPhoto for the burn will that give the thumbnail? Sorry to be such a pain but this computing is not my forte, I make grandfather clocks (the modern equivalent), so I can make a lathe sing and dance but not this computer! I use the computer to help design the mechanism and to draw the face/dial.

Try Finder > Go (top menu bar) > Home and see if Pictures is there (Home should show your user name).

Otherwise, use Command-F from desktop, and type the word Pictures in the Search field. Don't worry, Pictures will be there somewhere, although it might be named Pics.

A Thought - are you the original user of these two computers? I'm just wondering if there's another account (user) on either of them, and you're not getting access to files/folders various as you should.

Yes, give iPhoto a try by dragging the pics from the CD across the iPhoto icon in the Applications folder, Better still, drag iPhoto from the Apps folder to the Dock, it's more convenient there (you can always dispense with it later). iPhoto may create a thumbnail, in fact (and I'm a bit short of time) you may be able to set iPhoto prefs to do just that.
[Incidentally, when you put the CD of photos into the Mac optical drive, the OS might open iPhoto automatically - not 100% sure.]

PS. you're not being a pain, M-F is a community of Mac people helping .... Mac people! I'll check back on this topic later.

Yes, I am the original owner, I bought it ages ago and haven't used it for many years, but need to use its portability now. I've tried all you suggest to no avail. I made the trip to an Apple store and showed them the m/c and asked them what to do. They said the version of OSX I was using on the G3 would not show thumbnails in those instances (I got a feeling that they were guessing!). They said if I were to open the jpegs in say Photoshop, on the iBook G3, then save them again this would work. This is what I'm presently doing and it seems to solve the problem. A very longwinded way, there are a LOT of images! They also said I couldn't upgrade the OSX from 10.1 as it was now not supported by Apple. Frustrating. Ugh!

There may be some validity to what you've been told about OS 10.1. Puma was a bit of a lemon, known for compatibility issues with some of its own bundled software. It's feasible that there is a similar problem between Puma and Tiger. The latter had numerous improvements.

Of course you can upgrade the OS on the G3! You will however need to purchase a retail version of, for example, Panther. What the Apple store people were talking about is sequential OS upgrades via Apple's own services.

Try searching Amazon for a retail version of Panther, just to assess its affordability. Panther and Tiger get along quite well with most applications, eg. Preview. Amazon.com: Panther OS Mac and Amazon.com: Used and New: Mac OS X 10.3 Panther [OLD VERSION].

Thanks for your advice. Sorry I've not replied for a while but I've been away. I've just looked at Amazon as you suggest and the price is reasonable, so long as the shipping to the UK is sensible. The Amazon UK site only has expensive versions, at present. BUT.... eBay has one in the UK! So I've placed my bid. Again, many thanks for all your help.