Finder Problem 10.2.4
 

I have a really irritating problem. I think I might be at the point of just clean installing everything again... and backing up whatever I can... but first I am going to ask you all and see if you have any ideas...

This is the problem, I installed a program called MetamorphX or something like that, is a GUI theme program to customize the look for X.... at anyrate it was acting kind of weird so i tried to rid my system of the theme DSX which I was using at the time thinking that would automatically set things to default... so then I restarted and it seemed to go through the start up correctly... but much to my dismay once it is finished.. it looks like the finder tries to boot, but it fails instead I am left with this blue screen that doesn't let me do anything...

This is what I have tried with no sucess thus far....
-Booting into different OS and erasing files that are believed offenders, such as remnants of the program MetamorphX. No go.....
-Zapped Ram. No go.......
-Tried erasing every file created and or modified today... No go...
-Trying to find crash logs... none found...

doing this has chance absolutely nothing thus far... I have been working on this for a few hours... and I have had no sucess. I have looked through these forums awhile and there only seems to be on simlair to it... but it provides little information on the offending files... and if it was caused by the same problem. Anyways and ideas would be really appreciated....

I am also wondering if when you do a software restore off of apples CDs weather there is away for it to just install X again and leave all programs intact..



:confused:

can you log into another admin account to apply an aqua fixer?

Its been a while since I tried any of the theme apps - but if I remember correctly - they all move the default Aqua graphic files out of the way and replace them with theme files. To return to the standard Aqua theme - you must use the theme application to restore the Aqua graphics back to their original places. So depending on how you "uninstalled" your Metamorphix theme - that may be the problem. did you try to uninstall your theme by manually deleting the files?

In your case though - you are stuck with a non- booting system at this point. You are in luck though - you can safely run the OS X installer CD again and it should only install and replace what is missing. You need the Aqua graphics files and those are probably only going to be on a full installer cd - like 10.2 Jaguar CD (as opposed to the updates). So run that installer cd, then proceed to update as necessary. Most of the time you should then be able to start up again and get right back to work with your old setup.

thanx, bluehz.

no problem merv - thats what we're all here for.

I was trying to remember where those Aqua files were stored, and then I was going to say you could just startup in single user mode, (or another boot) mount the install cd and copy the Aqua files over - but I can not remember where they are. Merv - you go any insight as to their location?

hmm, no, i don't know where they all are without considerable research.

i wondered if emersive could log into another admin account, download and run aqua fix...

http://gordon.sourcecod.com/sites/aquafix.php

and if that'd do it.

reply
 

Thanks guys for responding... I love how everytime there is a problem with my mac the community is always here ready to help out.... at this point I am running in OS X on a different hard drive... I am wondering if any of you have insight as to how I could run the aqua fixer... if I am unable to get to the desktop on the troubled drive.. any ideas are welcomed... Will the OS X Jaguar CD restore things with out deleting my files?? And if so how do I do it. Put CD in drive on startup hold C and then what do I do.... thanks in advance!!!!!

regrets. please disregard my posts re: running aqua fix. if you can't login because of fractured aqua GX, then you can't login and run it under any user.

and i don't believe you can affect the aqua fix fix from an offworld partition.

i'm not sure how to advise the re-install of OSX except take a really good backup of your cherished files first.

Emersive - in most cases running the install disk on an already installed OS X will only install the files that are missing or newer than what you have on your machine already. Pretty nice setup - being able to install over an installed system without wiping. As with anything of this nature though - I would recommend at least backing up your home and other important files off that drive first.

Before you do that though - I was just taking a 3rd look at the AquaFixer mentioned above and I noticed they have a manual version for CLI (terminal usage). You can get the manual install package here:

http://homepage.mac.com/gordonbyrnes...quaFix_man.zip (4.5mb)

So since you are booted onto another OS X volume - you should be able to download the manual AquaFix above, decompress and move the script and graphic files onto your crippled drive and voila - it should work. I just downloaded the pkg and I believe this will work fine. Its a simple shell script and a dir of graphic files. The shell script simply puts the original Aqua graphic files back into place.

Here's what to do...
1. Download package above onto your WORKING OS X volume, and decompress. Inside the archive you will find a file called "Aquafix", some readmes, and a dir called "aquafiles"
2. Move the aquafile dir (the one with the graphic files in it) onto your crippled drive into the MAIN /Library dir. So it should be at /Library/aquafile.
3. Now move the aquafix file (which is the shell script) to a convenient location (I suggest /usr/local/bin) on the crippled drive. Just remember where you put it.
4. Now open your System Prefs and set the startup to your crippled drive and restart holding down (to boot into single-user mode).
5. When you get a command prompt, type and press return
6. When the prompt returns, type and press return
7. Now enter in our example above we would type and let the script run its course replacing your files.
8. When you get a prompt again type exit press return.

With any luck that should put you back into the Finder on your once-crippled-drive.

Awesome I will haven to try that when I get home. Thanks for all the help... I will let you know what happens with it..

bluehz, good eye! thanx.

Thx merv - I started looking into the installer AquaFix verson and found out that DAMN - there are Aqua graphic files that must be replaced all over the system. So I started thinking about parsing the data, and writing a shell script for it - I was just about to commence when I saw that manual install package at the Aquafix site - it is exactly what I envisioned writing.

I noticed this topic is listed as "Finder Problem 10.2.4" but it should prob more to themse, Aquafiles, etc in case future users need the info. Is there anyway to change the title - or is that all just at the will of the user searching on the term "theme", etc.

i've update the thread title to include 'fix aqua theme'

Looks good merv - you have the POWER!

wish me luck
 

I am just about to try the aquafix technique... it sounds like it should work just fine thanks again for help I will let you know how it goes... -Emersive

Cool! Good luck...

I just tryed booting into single user mode a couple times.. correct me if I am wrong but to boot into single mode I am suppose to hold 's' on startup..

(I wouldn't mind hearing an affirmitive either cause I'm not really sure)

I believe its cmd+s - never can remember - my fingers just do it.

Yep. apple-s. ;)

alrighty going to try it again I can't believe I forgot the apple. Actually thats a lie I can... haha

No go said it couldn't find the file I put it in the usr/bin folder... I am pretty sure...
I am going to check it out again in a few minutes.-Emersive

I just checked it out, I made the mistake of putting in the dir /usr/bin instead of /usr/local/bin, I checked my local folder and it doesn't have a bin folder that I could see... I am just going to change the line from sudo sh /usr/local/bin/aquafix with /usr/local/bin/aquafix sorry guys I will report again as soon as possible.

No go same problem, this time I know I typed it in correctly, it said there was no aquafix file in that directory... I am wondering if it is a permission issue is that possible since it was created under a different user and different install. Well guys I don't really no what to do... I feel like I have hit a major wall. I sorry guys... I am sure you are probably tired of my posts.... anyways if anyone has any ideas or perhaps and ideas where I might of messed up... let me know

this is what I did...
1)I put the unzipped aquafiles into the library on crippled drive
2)I put the file aquafix into a hidden folder on my crippled drive using safari
file:///
oh my gosh found the problem haha.... wow shoot me now!

<snicker> way to persevere

THANKS EVERYONE!!!!!
 

It worked succesfully right now I am writing this in my now WORKING Drive... thank you all for this... I hope others can learn from my mistakes! I forgot to write what made me realize I had put it in the wrong place...

I went back and went into safari and went to the /usr/ folder and found that it opened the one on my working drive... so I had to type in
put it else where, I also ran into permission problems trying to put the aquafix file in usr folder...

Quick question can I delete the file called aquafix??


Anyways thanks again for you time, patience, the mac community is clearly an invaluable resource.. you are all wonderfull.

Congrats Emersive! I know thats gotta feel good - nothing like having to start from scratch or near scratch. Glad it worked out.

If you are done trying themes - then by all means delete the aquafix stuff - if not leave it around for while.