From: jjs@PRC.Unisys.COM (James Solderitsch)
Subject: Tuneups and such
Keywords: tuneup system crashes symptoms
Reply-To: jjs@PRC.Unisys.COM (James Solderitsch)
Organization: Unisys Corporation, Paoli Research Center; Paoli, PA
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1992 19:01:03 GMT


I'd like to share a couple of my Mac experiences that involve various
tuneups and system problems.  For the record, I have a Mac IIsi, 5MB,
40 MB internal (Conner) and 105 external (Quantum) running system 7.01
with a few extensions (AfterDark, Disinfectant, NEC CD-Rom Driver,
ScanMan driver, Dynopage and a few others -- running ATM and Suitcase
II (1.2.11) too).

Anyway, when Tuneup 1.1 was announced, I quickly retrieved it and
installed it using the installer and at first experienced no problems.
Slowly, my kids started to see glitches when they were using the Mac.
At one point, when I wanted to use the machine, it would boot but
*without* loading any of my extensions -- it would skip them all and
get me directly to the desktop.  When I did an About This Macintosh,
the indicator bar was all messed up -- the color fill went outside of
the indicator's outline.

To fix things, I restored my system file from a SyQuest cartridge that
I use as backup.  I did not do anything with the extensions, including
leaving the now-known problematic Tuneup 1.1 in the Extensions folder.
When I copied the system file it was 1791 KBs big.  When I rebooted,
the problem with loading the extensions was gone and things appeared
OK.

A short time later, I noticed that the system file had grown to 1792 KB
(is this the "patch" that the tuneup supposedly makes to the system
file to prevent the disappearing file folders thing? -- don't know).
For awhile things were OK.  When I heard that Tuneup 1.1 was recalled I
removed it from the extensions folder, replacing it with 1.0.  I didn't
then do anything with my system file.

However, overtime, I continued to see more system problems than normal
-- so did other members of my family.  The last straw occurred last
night when in trying to get the last few forms printed from Macintax,
my Mac would freeze in the middle of the printing -- only solution was
to do a Ctrl-Flower-Power reboot.  This glitch was 100% repeatable.  I
eventually was able to print by booting from my SyQuest backup
cartridge and running Macintax from there.  Note that the system on
this cartridge is identical to my IIsi internal *except* it was never
tuned up with the 1.1 tuner -- it only ran with the 1.0 tuneup.  I did
not change any other of the system parameters: the Macintax executable
and my tax files remained on the 105 MB drive and were untouched.

To finish a long story, I once again copied the SyQuest's system file
to my IIsi's internal (which now has tuneup 1.0 in its extensions
folder).  This time, the system file has stayed at 1791KB and I have
experienced no further printing problems -- I even re-printed the
Macintax forms after booting from the internal drive and everything was
hunky-dory.  No further problems to report.

So, I wonder if people's continuing problems, with even the new 1.1.1
Tuneup, are tracable to a previously "tuned" system file courtesy of
Tuneup 1.1?  Is Tuneup 1.1.1 supposed to re-tune the system to fix
things automatically?  Or is better to get back to a pre-1.1-Tuned
system file?  Or is it a myth that the tuneups 1.1* actually muck with
the system file itself?

That's my story.  Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.  I
intend to wait on using Tuneup 1.1.1 and stick with Tuneup 1.0 until
the trouble reports settle down -- I have as yet seen no disappearing
file folders (knock on wood).

Jim Solderitsch

jjs@prc.unisys.com