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Re: Re: Browser Troubles

Quote:

Originally posted by mclbruce
A quick and dirty way of testing the new user theory is to move the current user's Library folder to the desktop and then restart. Once you are done testing replace the Library folder with the one on the desktop and restart again.

Not labour-intensive and nifty idea. Will try that if they are not too nervous. Thanks.

Quote:

Originally posted by macmath
Perhaps you could create a new user.

(i) Use IE while logged in as the new user and see if you can connect to those sites.

If IE connects normally to these sites under the other user, move all documents over to the new user's folder (via the Shared folder as an intermediate folder) and then log in as the new user and type

% sudo chown -R <username>:staff ~ # change owner:group of all files

% chmod -R u+r ~ # add read access for all files

After you're sure that you've transferred everything over, delete the old user.

(ii) By the way, can you connect to those sites with their internet provider?

Re: (ii) Yes I can. We use the same ISP; it's Earthlink dialup.

Re: (i) I'm puzzled by this. If they can connect via the new user, that seems to mean that old user stuff is faulty. But if the old user stuff is faulty and is afterwards transferred to the new user, why won't the problem recur with the new user? The new user now becomes faulty. Just having a new user name and password can't remove faultinesss, can it? I'm obviously missing something here. What?

No need to get too far ahead of yourself. First find a way to get to those sites somehow. That should tell you a lot about the problem that you don't know now. Once you have that new information then try to make it work the way you want.

Have you checked their Network Preferences? In particular the DNS entries should be the same as yours if you're both using Earhtlink.

One more suggestion. Use Network Utility to look up the IP addresses of the problem sites. Try to ping the IP's from network utility. Then enter the IP addresses directly in the browser.

Doing what mclbruce says (removing the user's Library and restarting) would be a quick first step. If this works, put back in the user's Library only what you feel you must keep (personal fonts, etc). Restart again and see if the troubles have gone away.

If that does nto work, create a new user, log in as the new user, and see if everything (IE, in particular) works the way it should. I think it will.

Then you'll want to move over *only* personal files from the old user account to the new. The OS will recreate those files in the Library that are likely the only ones capable of causing something to go awry. Move nothing over from the old user's Library but move everything else over [unless you have special fonts in the Library]. It is not that you are just changing the name, you are starting out with completely fresh setttings on everything and only your personal data (which is not being accessed by any applications or system items anyway).

With the kerning problem I had in AppleWorks with the font Times, I threw away *nearly* everything in the user's Library (not quite) and it made no difference. Perhaps the .DS_Store files (goblins) were responsible (just kidding)! I don't know, but starting fresh can make a difference.

Edited to take into account mclbruce's previous post.

I've edited my above post, and so I'm posting this to redirect your attention to it (in case you've already read it).

Re: find, then fix

Quote:

Originally posted by mclbruce
Have you checked their Network Preferences? In particular the DNS entries should be the same as yours if you're both using Earhtlink.

mclbruce: Bingo . I had three DNSs; they had just two. The two worked for a month and a half for them, and then suddenly not. (Earthlink added a third DNS this year. I believe I passed it on to the couple before they left for their holidays. But if so, it did not get entered.)

No idea why the two worked for a month and half and then not. ("Go figure" as the kiddies say.)

Any, mirabile dictu, they are back in working order--and very happy. Thanks to you.

You're welcome Roy, glad I could help out. Earthlink does change DNS's from time to time. You can check their web site to see what they currently recommend. Playing around in Network Utility can give you some DNS numbers as well.