MAC question

[KEND]

A friend has a Mac and had it repaired last year. He has a 10.4 system with many files etc. The mechanic put in a 10.5 which seemed to be a good deal at the time. Unfortunately he could not access the files used in 10.4, so he had the 10.4 reinstalled. Is there any way of transferring the files to 10.5 system?

[Michael]

Not sure how many MAC heads there are here, except maybe for bailewen. I don't know much about them, however the question seems a bit odd as you don't usually expect a minor upgrade to be incompatible with the previous file system. File systems are fundamental aspects of the OS and don't often change, and even when they do, you get small incompatibilities. Could it be perhaps a particular application and not the MAC OS itself?

[GrahamB]

Sorry Ken, but the question makes no sense. Upgrading to 10.5 makes no difference to your files.

[GaryR]

I'm with Graham, it makes no sense, the files should still be able to open. If he is having this mechanic do it, I would find another, sounds like he screwed something up and used that as an excuse. I would simply back up the computer on an external drive and put the latest/greatest OS on it. Then put the files that you need back only.

G

[bailewen]

So weird being thought of as a MAC head. lol. I'm a PC guy really. Only had to learn Mac for work when I was doing tech work for my step-dad's company.

My experience is the same as what has been said. Makes no sense. I have to ask, how do you define, "access"?

Can you see the files but can't open them?
Can you see the folders that you believe hold the files but can't open the folders?
Are the files supposed to be in some particular folder that you can't find now?

If you can't find the files at all, they may have been accidentally deleted. They may also just be hidden in another folder somewhere that you aren't seeing because you are not the same user as you were before. Try logging on as an Administrator and searching for them. You may need to log on in "single user mode". That gives you a bunch of access privileges you normally don't get. It's what I use when I need to reset a password on a Mac for some reason.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1492

Kind of scary how little security you have when someone has physical access to your computer.

http://www.securemac.com/macosxsingleuser.php

[KEND]

Thanks guys, I'll pass on the information

[count]

A friend has a Mac and had it repaired last year.

Is there any way of transferring the files to 10.5 system?

You could call me a Mac head. I still have the original Mac 2 from 1984. Still works like it did back than. I still remember my first "sad mac"

But this isn't a Mac issue. Anytime you have someone else "repair" your computer, you've already failed. There are only three rules to computers, which few people understand. Back-up, back-up and back-up. Unless you know how to load an operating system appropriately, you will undoubtedly erase everything from your drive. If your friend has backed up his files somewhere, they will work fine from this upgrade.

Funny, I think of Omar as a Windows guy. At least one who understands how to work with a truly ugly operating system. How do you like the feel of OSX compared with Windoz?

[bailewen]

lol.

I just posted a big long rant on what a piece of crap Windoz is next to Mac over on the "Windows 7" thread.

Yeas. I am a Windows guy. I have worked with both systems and spent a few years as an Avid tech and default "computer guy" where I had to go out and repair both Windows and Mac systems. So I got familiar with Macs from the perspective of a tech rather than as an end user. When sent out on an install I am vastly more relaxed knowing I will be setting up an edit bay on a Mac based system as opposed to Windows. Waaaaaay fewer things to go wrong.

I like Windows because I like computer games and, more importantly, at least as far as XP was concerned, I knew XP inside and out.

My only critique of OSX is that in order to gain all that eye candy it seems to have sacrificed a fair bit of stability. I have seen at least as many OSX systems freeze, crash or require a reinstall of the OS as I have of XP. No viruses but sometimes programs mysteriously disappear and things freeze all the time. Featurewise though, OSX should be compared to Windows 7. The new media player sucks eggs and movie maker now needs to be downloaded. Windows 7 is a lot prettier but most of the funtional improvements are just things that were either ripped off of OSX or from Google. Very little creativity happening in the Windows world.

[Michael]

All I said was "except maybe bailewen". Poof, now you're the RSF MAC expert.

[Darth Rock&Roll]

Not sure how many MAC heads there are here, except maybe for bailewen. I don't know much about them, however the question seems a bit odd as you don't usually expect a minor upgrade to be incompatible with the previous file system. File systems are fundamental aspects of the OS and don't often change, and even when they do, you get small incompatibilities. Could it be perhaps a particular application and not the MAC OS itself?

Omar doesn't even have a mac why is he a mac head? lol

Heres the solution: take it to the mac store, have them do it for you. that's what they are there for.

[Michael]

i just knew he worked on MAC's before and couldn't remember anyone else specifically who was into them.

I would love to be in your world for a while. You must be the only person I know who always gets good results from the "experts", whether their doctors or computer technicians. I learned basic car and motorcycle repair because I was tired of paying others to be more incompetent than me, and I suck at car repair. Same for computers. Same for health issues.

I mean, it's like in Toronto everyone must be honest and skilled or something.

[GrahamB]

Dude, I'm the editor of the UK's best selling Mac magazine - if anybody is a Mac-head its me! Ok, just don't ask me any technical questions, ok? I don't program computers, I edit magazines

[Darth Rock&Roll]

yeah, grahams the mac lad here. And Bruce is too I think, seeing as he's a music dude, it's likely he has a mac for protools and such

[meeks]

Mac question:

so that was 2 all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, onions, pickles all on a sesame seed bun...

right?

[KEND]

More clarification-There were files in the original system 9 that could be accessed by using a program called 'Classic'
This apparently works for system 10.4 but not 10.5