About Mac OS 8.6 Update

What's New in Mac OS 8.6 Update and CD-ROM
This document provides information about Mac OS 8.6 that supplements the information in your installation manual, on-line help, and About Mac OS 8.5 Readme. For up-to-date news and compatibility information, please see the Mac OS Late-Breaking News web site at <www.info.apple.com/latebreakingtips>

Notes about Mac OS 8.6

  • Monitor Resolution changes after Mac OS 8.6 install
    After performing a clean install of Mac OS 8.6, your monitor resolution may have changed from its previous settings. You can change your monitor resolution back by using the Monitors & Sound control panel.

  • Slow screen redrawing
    If a desktop picture is redrawn slowly after closing a window, your computer might be running low on memory. Set the Appearance control panel to display a pattern, instead of a picture, to speed up the redrawing process.

  • Unusual or inconsistent appearance
    Some applications may exhibit unusual or inconsistent cosmetic anomalies when used with Mac OS 8.6. These should not impact the performance of the application. Contact the manufacturer of the program to see if an updated version of the program is available.

  • Mac OS ROM File
    If you are using an iMac or a 'blue and white' Power Macintosh G3 computer, do not attempt to move the file "Mac OS ROM" from a Mac OS 8.6 system software folder into a previous system software folder. This may result in a system folder which will not start your computer. Always use the Mac OS 8.6 installer when upgrading these computers to Mac OS 8.6.

  • NetBoot Administrators

    The Mac OS 8.6 default installation places newer versions of certain files on the NetBoot HD disk image, but does not remove the older versions which are on the Applications HD disk image. After installing Mac OS 8.6, you need to move the newer versions from the NetBoot HD to the Applications HD, and delete the older versions.

    Notes about compatibility

  • ColorSync 2.6
    ColorSync 2.6 now includes support for Unicode tags inside of ColorSync/ICC Profiles. Some profiles may not show up under the ColorSync Control Panel after version 2.6 or later is installed. Apple is working on a utility to help update profiles to support this. Visit the web site at: <www.apple.com/colorsync> for more information.

  • Compuserve Accounts
    When trying to dial in to a Compuserve account from the Remote Access control panel, after entering the password wait until the server responds before you press continue.

  • DVD-RAM Drives
    Mac OS 8.6 does not support start-up volumes based on DVD-RAM media. If you install Mac OS 8.6 on a DVD-RAM volume you will not be able to boot your Macintosh from that volume.

  • Apple Multiple Scan 15
    Newer versions of the Apple Multiple Scan 15 will not support 512x384 resolution. The Mac OS will notify you when your monitor does not support a particular resolution.

  • File Synchronisation control panel
    The File Synchronisation control panel may crash if any of the folders or volumes in the window have a custom icon. You can remove a custom icon from a folder or volume by selecting it, Get Info on it (Command-I), select the icon in the upper left hand corner, and type Command-X.

  • Apple HD SC Setup program
    After you install Mac OS 8.6, you cannot use the obsolete Apple HD SC Setup program to initialise your Apple hard drive. Use the Drive Setup program supplied with Mac OS 8.6 instead.

  • Applications that install QuickTime
    Some applications replace the version of QuickTime installed by Mac OS 8.6 with an earlier version when they are installed. This will cause problems with other parts of the system that require features of the newer version of QuickTime. If this occurs, you will need to re-install QuickTime from the Mac OS 8.6 CD by selecting "Add/Replace" in the installer, and then doing a custom install.

  • Connectix Virtual PC and Mac OS 8.6
    Connectix Virtual PC 2.1.1 and earlier (including version 1.X) are not compatible with Mac OS 8.6 and users should update to version 2.1.2 or later. The 2.1.2 updater is available as a free download for all Virtual PC 2.0 owners on the Connectix web site: <http://www.connectix.com/html/updates.html>

  • Desktop Printing extension and Mac OS 8.6
    The Desktop Printing extension is incompatible with Mac OS 8.6. It may cause your computer to freeze when starting up. Restart with the shift key held down and remove the file from the Extensions folder, then restart.

  • Dr. Solomon's Virex and Mac OS 8.6
    Dr. Solomon's Virex versions 5.9 and earlier are not compatible with Mac OS 8.6 if the Virex "Scan Files When Opened" option is turned on. For more information on upgrading to Virex 5.9.1, contact Dr. Solomon's software at [email protected] or <http://www.drsolomon.com.>

  • Iomega 6.0.2 driver
    Mac OS 8.6 includes support for the use of removable media (like the Iomega Jaz drive) for Virtual Memory.

    If you wish to install Mac OS 8.6 onto a Zip or Jaz disk, you should change the backing volume used by Virtual Memory to a non—removable volume. To do this, disable extensions while restarting the first time by holding down the shift key. Open the Memory control panel and turn on Virtual Memory. The Memory control panel will let you set the VM backing volume to a volume that is compatible with VM.

    On some Powerbook models, mounted Zip disks won't show up as mounted in the Media Bay Control Strip module but they are mounted and will appear on the desktop.

  • Some programs may require Additional Memory
    Some programs may require additional memory when used with Mac OS 8.6. If a program will not open, select the program's icon, choose Get Info from the File menu and increase its minimum memory allocation by 300K. See the Memory topic in Mac OS Help for more information.

    Notes about Printing

  • Re-installing printer drivers
    If you perform a clean installation of Mac OS 8.6, and an icon for your printer is not available in the Chooser, you may need to re-install the software that came with your printer.

    If you have a StyleWriter, StyleWriter II, or StyleWriter 1200, you should use the StyleWriter 1500 driver that comes with Mac OS 8.6 instead of installing your original printer software. If you have a Colour StyleWriter 2200 or Colour StyleWriter 2400, you should use the Colour StyleWriter 2500 driver instead. After performing a clean install of Mac OS 8.6, you may need to re-install fonts that came with your printer software.

    If you use a Colour StyleWriter 4000 Series printer and have performed a clean install of Mac OS 8.6, you must custom install your printer driver.

  • LaserWriter 8.6.5 and USB printers
    LaserWriter 8.6.5 adds support for printing to USB-compatible PostScript printers, but additional hardware may be required to connect your printer to the USB port of your computer. Contact your printer manufacturer to determine the USB compatibility of your printer.

    Miscellaneous notes

  • QuickTake 150 software installs old version of QuickTime PowerPlug extension
    Mac OS 8.6 includes a new version of the QuickTime PowerPlug for computers with PowerPC microprocessors. The QuickTake 150 Installer replaces it with an older version (version 2.0). To install the QuickTake 150 software, first remove the newer version of the QuickTime PowerPlug extension from the Extensions folder (within the System Folder) then install the QuickTake 150 software. After installation is finished, drag the PowerPlug file back to the Extensions folder replacing the older one.

  • QuickTake Image Access
    When you are copying pictures from a QuickTake 100 or QuickTake 150 camera to your computer, make sure all the pictures you want have finished copying before you erase the contents of the camera. Previously, you couldn't erase the camera until copying was completed. Mac OS 8.6 can perform other tasks while copying files so it's possible to accidentally erase the pictures before they have been copied from the camera. You cannot recover a picture once it is erased from the camera.

  • Using Acrobat PDF documents
    Some of the manuals included with Mac OS 8.6 are in Adobe Acrobat format. These files have "pdf" at the end of their names. To view or print these documents you must install Adobe Acrobat Reader, located in the Adobe software folder on the Mac OS 8.6 CD.

  • Infrared Hardware on iMac's
    If your iMac does not have infrared hardware, you will get an error when launching the infrared Control Panel.
    © 1999 Apple Computer, Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, AppleShare, Apple Script, AppleTalk, Chicago, LaserWriter, LocalTalk, Macintosh, Mac OS, Power Macintosh, PowerBook, QuickDraw, QuickTake, QuickTime, and StyleWriter are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. At Ease, Disk First Aid, and Finder are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Adobe and Adobe Acrobat are trademarks of Adobe Systems, Incorporated or its subsidiaries and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. PowerPC is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation, used under license therefrom.

    Updated April 6, 1999