GMail problems and Widows advice for a newbie

I love my new Mac Pro, but have a few ?s I thought you all might help me with.

1. I have three Gmail accounts, and on my wife's Powerbook Safari can remember all three logins (as a drop down), but I can't seem to get Safari to remember but one (if I try to add a second it replaces the first). I am using Leopard and she has Tiger - could this be the difference or am I missing a setting somewhere in Safari?

2. Also in Gmail, when I start to type in an address I get the expected drop down of addresses that begin with what I have typed, but when I click on the address it doesn't show up, just what I have typed. I.E. if I type CR I get a list of all the address beginning with CR, but if I select one I only (still) have CR in the address window. As in no.1, I don't have this problem on my wife's Powerbook. A missed setting again maybe?

3. (and last, for now at least). I want to run Windows, but sadly my copy of XP is SP1a. I actually have a disk of SP2, and Bootcamp seems to install it OK, but whenI type in my reg. no. for SP1a it seems to know I don't have an originial SP2 disk and won't accept my reg. no. So, my delema is, do I buy another copy of XP (which is about $300 from what I can see around here) or should I buy a copy of Vista (which it looks like I can get for about half that). I don't mind Vista, so long as it will work with my older Windows programs I want to run (like, for example, Flight Simulator, Paint Shop Pro, and assorted older games my son has). Any advice (or opinions)? On the other hand, maybe I should just give away all those old Windows programs and learn to live with out them.

Thanks for your help, and if you ever happen to be visiting Alcatraz ask for me - I'm a Park Ranger out there.

You should confirm that you have the AutoFill settings on for names and passwords. Preferences / AutoFill.

On the Windows XP front a license for XP covers SP1 or SP2. I would not recommend getting a Vista license since you should be ok with what you have. You may need to call MS about the license key for your XP copy - as long as it is a legitimate license you should be fine.

Thanks for the reply David. Autofill is on, it works fine in other browsers (like Firefox) to have multiple logins for GMail, just not Safari. It only wants to remember one login, the last one entered. It's sort of frustrating as, like I mentioned, it works fine in Safari on our laptop.

I tried to contact MS about the key, but as it is an OEM copy support is from the maker of my old/dead computer, and they were a local company now out of business. MS will only talk to me at $65 an hour. I have a copy of a SP2 install disk I got from another local company, but when I put in the key for my SP1 disk it won't accept it. (This type of situation is one of the reasons I'm now with a Mac - never had this sort of problem talking to customer service at Apple).

RangerCraig said:

Thanks for the reply David. Autofill is on, it works fine in other browsers (like Firefox) to have multiple logins for GMail, just not Safari. It only wants to remember one login, the last one entered. It's sort of frustrating as, like I mentioned, it works fine in Safari on our laptop.

I tried to contact MS about the key, but as it is an OEM copy support is from the maker of my old/dead computer, and they were a local company now out of business. MS will only talk to me at $65 an hour. I have a copy of a SP2 install disk I got from another local company, but when I put in the key for my SP1 disk it won't accept it. (This type of situation is one of the reasons I'm now with a Mac - never had this sort of problem talking to customer service at Apple).

Click to expand...

Sorry Craig - not sure how to handle that with Safari. Now that 3.1 is out are you experiencing the same issue? I'm really just poking around in the dark on this one.

The most likely reason your SP1 activation key would not work is if the company you got XP from sold you a bootleg version. MS does offer a program where they will reissue you a new activation key if you were sold a bootleg copy but you will likely need to provide proof.

Do you still have the SP1 installation CD? Can you install with that instead of SP2? If so, you should be able to get SP2 through Windows Update.

You shouldn't have to pay $65 to use something you already purchased. When I've called MS support for things like this they will ask for a CC and may even charge it but will provide a refund if it's customer service related like this. Good luck man...

Craig another option would be to use a different browser for your wife, Firefox or Camino. I know its not what you are looking for, but it is a work around soluation for your Gmail login issues. I used two gmail accounts, one of the pings the other but I have Camino setup to open that account on its own when needed, my main browser is Firefox and that one I use for my main Gmail login.

I may be missing something, but can you install whatever original version you have a serial number for without a problem?

The service packs are a free download off the Microsoft site. You install them after completing the installation of XP including entering the registration code. I think you should be able to install whatever you have, and then add the service packs later. I installed my XP in Parallels this way.

I did have one problem you may run into--I couldn't get the service pack download to start by clicking the download button on the appropriate Microsoft page. I never did figure out why. Instead, I had to select the option to "download the service pack to be installed on multiple machines" (or something to that effect). Instead of installing immediately, it sends you a file that gets saved on your HD. You then click the file to open the service pack. I guess the idea is that you download it once (it's 135mb), copy it to several machines, and then install as needed.

Jaygray - from everything I've been told you must have a SP2 install disk in order to put XP on an Intel Mac. It will not work with a SP1 install disk.

y-guy - indeed I don't have this problem with other browsers, just with Safari (and just on my new desktop, in Safari on my wife's G4 laptop it works fine - all three of my Gmail logins appear in the Username window with no problem. But being new on a Mac (of my own) I am really wanting (for no good reason) to use Apple's software as much as possible - at least until I have needs that other software does better. Oh wait, maybe this is one of those times!

dalison - I'm using Safari 3.1, which is maybe the problem? My wife's Powerbook has 3.0.4 and it handles it fine. Hmmm. As far as the Windows key, I'm pretty sure I don't have a bootleg. My copy has the "Certificate of Authenticity" label and all. The only thing I can figure out is that my product key is tagged to SP1a, so when I try to use it with a SP2 install disk it rejects it? That sure sucks if true, it's not like it cost anything to get SP2 once it became available.

Solution, use firefox, and/or hook up apple mail to gmail via imap for whoever mainly uses the computer. Then your mail is always a click away.

Well, after about an hour playing on Microsoft's phone tree I was able to get a real person on the line (without billing me for customer service first - usually you have to give credit card info to talk to someone, and IF they resolve your issue (to their satisfaction) you are billed $59) who explained why I can't get XP to install.

As it is an OEM copy of XP, it is only licensed for the original computer for which it was purchased. And to buy a new license for my existing copy is about the same price as buying a new non-OEM copy, $260!!!

So my options are 1) buy a new copy of Windows or 2) buy a used copy and hope that it isn't in use on another computer (that the seller really isn't using it any more). Oh well, it's not what I wanted to hear, but at least now I know.

Now, on to solving my Gmail problem...