Need Help - Most programs are not responding - OS 10.3.9

MooMooKing11 · #1 October 14th, 2009, 06:43 PM

Hi. Over the last week I have been having problems with my work computer.

It is a PowerPC G5 computer with OS 10.3.9.

I use a program called FaxSTF and it is buggy to begin with but it got hung up on this one fax and froze. I close it and came back to it and whenever I start the program it will open but then freeze and do the spinning ball of death.

I uninstalled the program and tried to reinstall it but when the installer box opens it freezes too. I tried to repair the disk but that program freezes as well. Printer Setup Utility freezes too. (I repaired/verified the drive using my startup disk eventually). Character palette freezes. System preferences freezes too.

All my other programs work fine (photoshop, firefox, indesign, itunes).

What's weird is I signed onto my other account (that was used for my coworker to sign into my computer remotely) and everything works fine ( to the best of my knowledge). I was actually able to install the Fax software on the other account and it seemed to work on my main user account, but today it froze again and now I can't even get it to work at all.

Is this user account messed up? Should I just delete this user account and use the other one?

FYI: Everything works fine on my other user account. What I am scared of is that just using my other account would be a bandaid and that this problem will just creep back up. Thanks!

PowerPC G5 Mac OS X (10.3.x)

#1 Rhapsody · #2 October 15th, 2009, 06:06 PM

Try reinstalling Mac OS X with your install disks. All of your user data should be saved. Be careful not to tell it to wipe your HD.

MooMooKing11 · #3 October 15th, 2009, 06:15 PM

So will all my settings for networking/etc. be saved?

I figured I would have to do a clean install but I didn't want to mess with any of the network settings or anything.

Thanks!

#1 Rhapsody · #4 October 15th, 2009, 09:23 PM

You might want to do an "Archive and Install" because it will still do a clean install but will still keep the old System. If the "Archive and Install" fixes the problem, then you can get your old preferences (for Network and such) in the fresh install.