Messages

1

2008 / *** JavaSecurityUpdate4.tar ***

« on: February 05, 2008, 06:46:01 AM »

Um ok thanks again. I concede that the vertical lines could have been caused by low memory (or God knows what) but it sounds like you guys think the vertical lines turned up ONLY because of the recent (brief) memory problem caused by the .tar file...they didn't.

I had the vertical lines months ago and believe me I DIDN'T have a memory problem then, well at least not one that I noticed! The vertical lines scared the Hell out of me because of all the talk about them on Apple blogs. That time I managed to get rid of them by conducting the whole maintenance kit and caboodle as advised by smart people much like yourselves.

Then a couple of weeks ago the vertical lines came back...pooh! I did all the maintenance again but the lines just wouldn't budge this time. That's why I reinstalled the OP.

"They disappeared when I reinstalled the OP.
Then they coincidently reappeared with the .tar file (which I assume I downloaded as a software update)
Then when I got rid of the .tar file, the vertical lines disappeared again too."

Was that a better explanation?

2

2008 / *** JavaSecurityUpdate4.tar ***

« on: February 04, 2008, 02:27:26 AM »

Thanks people but there's something that worries me here and if it sounds ridiculous and/or far fetched you can put it down to the fact that I'm an artist if you like - the vertical lines issue.

I didn't have a memory problem then, just those darn vertical lines.

If you recall I reinstalled the OP because of the vertical lines - in an attempt to get rid of them - because they persisted after I followed through with all the 'normal' maintenance I was advised to do.
They disappeared when I reinstalled the OP.
Then they coincidently reappeared with the .tar file.
Then when I got rid of the .tar file, the vertical lines disappeared again too.

P.S. I assure you that I will go to the Apple site and download the .dmg, but can you first assure me that it's ok to delete the Previous System folder? There seems no point in keeping it because everything appears to be working ok plus there's no way on earth I'm competent enough to transfer anything from it to the now new system folder.

3

2008 / *** JavaSecurityUpdate4.tar ***

« on: February 03, 2008, 12:04:10 PM »

QUOTE(krissel @ Feb 2 2008, 03:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, if you had a Mac virus/malware/trojan you would make history.  

I'm thinking somehow the file was corrupt and/or was being interpreted improperly by the system.
 
If you are letting Software Update do the installing I'd suggest you only do one or two updates at a time to have more control over what is happening. Then run Permissions in between installs.

Hmmm old history making me you reckon? Remember I've got 47 GB to play with? Put it this way do you know what JavaSecurityUpdate4.tar is? Nobody seems to know but .tars are ancient files from way back (maybe 15+ years ago?) and yes it came down as a 'normal' Software Update and I only ever download small amounts at a time. It was pretty yucky but the MAIN thing I'm happy about now is NOOOOOOO vertical lines! Seeing as there are so many PB users out there with vertical line probs I just wonder how many may have this .tar thingy onboard? You just never know.

4

2008 / *** JavaSecurityUpdate4.tar ***

« on: February 01, 2008, 10:58:31 PM »

QUOTE(Paddy @ Feb 2 2008, 01:23 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You can download the real update here: http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/jav...rityupdate.html

Run Software Update - you may not need it, and if you do, you will be informed of that.

BTW - when you restarted after finally getting the offending file stuffed in the trash, and the trash emptied, did you check the free disk space on your HD? I'm actually surprised that your PB would even function with only 50MB of free space on the HD. The rule of thumb is to never go below 10% free space. If you've got an 80GB drive, then that's 8GB free. (approximately)

  Happily I have 47 GB to play with thanks, but yes the poor PB was seriously choked which required a whole lot of patience (not my normal forte). You see the 'choking' happened so quickly it meant that I had to fix it el pronto. All thanks go to my partner who is a typical Mr Fix It. He suggested a virus because he's experienced several similar melt-downs on PCs. I just had to 'translate' what he suggested into Mac language, but that's not as easy as it sounds because I think PCs are incredibly user-unfriendly!
As far as the updates are concerned...as you can well imagine I'm just a wee bit nervous about them at the moment! Thanks for the prompt though.

[JavaSecurityUpdate4.tar]

5

2008 / *** JavaSecurityUpdate4.tar ***

« on: February 01, 2008, 10:02:25 PM »

Hi good people

The last time I posted I had a problem with vertical lines on my screen. Unlike the ones that hundreds of 17" PB users describe mine were very prettily symmetrical. You nice people (and some others on other sites too) suggested reinstalling my OP system. Ok I did that - no probs, and the lines disappeared...phew! Next...

Due to reinstalling my OP system every time I went online, for days afterwards, I received heaps of software updates...nothing unusual in that except...one day I get a message coming up that I didn't have enough memory in my Start Up disc, exclamation mark, and I'd have to free up some space by deleting files...hmmmmmmmmmmm! Very odd. Plus the vertical lines were back.

To cut a long story short I checked and found that I only had about 50 MB of memory available! Then after much investigation I found a file HD>Library>Packages>JavaSecurityUpdate4.tar which was 47 GB!!!!!!!!! My partner, a PC user, Googled this 'thing' and the only 'thing' he came up with was JavaSecurityUpdate4.dmg (a proper update file). Nothing about this >.tar file. Sooooo, I tried to trash the damn thing, but no way would it go. I got that message up saying it couldn't be trashed because it was in use...but what was it doing? By that stage my PB was seriously choked and chugging. Next...

I started up in Safe Mode (took about 10 minutes!) and finally managed to trash the enormous .tar file. All seems well now, and the vertical lines have disappeared again too.

Do you think that JavaSecurityUpdate4.tar is a disc flooder or a similar virus/malware?

Thanks people, hope to hear from you soon

6

2008 / Can I reinstall OS without doing a backup?

« on: January 19, 2008, 09:57:06 PM »

 Thanks for all the helpful replies people. As an( add-on I forgot to say yes I initially did a par for the course Safe boot but that didn't change anything either. I will try all your other suggestions asap. Maybe I'm a weirdo but I find all Help(s) incredibly difficult to decipher, as if they're created in Eskimo then translated into sign language and then translated into English!

My inquiry about backing up or not backing up was to fill a void of information. In all my meanderings in and out of Mac forums only one 'poster' in one (ancient) topic on one site (totally irrelevant to my problem btw) ever mentioned that reinstalling wouldn't touch personal files. Like I said, it may seem a dumb question but now I know the answer. No you DON'T have to back up, but it's advisable.

Btw I was ever so slightly misleading with my description of the charming vertical stripes. There are actually sets of eight one pixel stripes (not 5) at even intervals, and depending on the background (remembering that they show up on screensavers) they may indeed sometimes be yellow as opposed to red.

[symmetrical]

7

2008 / Can I reinstall OS without doing a backup?

« on: January 17, 2008, 08:43:32 AM »

Sorry people but I've trawled through enough forums on enough sites for one day and I've finally done enough searching...I figure my question's just too dumb...so here it goes...

Can I reinstall my system without backing up my personal stuff and applications and not loose it all into the ethers? I've zapped the PRAM and run disc utility from the CD.

In case you're wondering why, well I have that ever so charmingly pretty vertical stripes thingy happening on my screen - however I think my stripes are a different, yet perfect, alien species. Reason? They're absolutely symmetrical from one side of the screen to the other - five red stripes, a gap, five red stripes, a gap etc etc. They're barely noticeable in a window (like this one) but when my screensavers come on, dada the stripes are really obvious.

I'd really appreciate some help thanks people.