Using Navigation Services with Adobe GoLive 4.x and GoLive Cyberstudio 3.x
Question I'm having a problem with the open command in GL4, sometimes it may take 30 or seconds after hitting Apple-O (Command-O) before the dialogue box appears. I have tried everything I could think of and finally turned off Navigation Services. I am a big fan of NS and it really hurt to have to turn it off. An article on the Adobe site recommended shutting it off but did not offer a fix.
Why?
Answer It is a known incompatibility between AGL and Apple Navigation Services.
Or, more accurately, it is a frequently experienced symptom on certain configurations under certain conditions. General disk maintenance has always resolved the problem in our shop.
Frequent causes of crashes, freezes and hangs while using Navigation Services (in any application), are third-party conflicts, corrupt or badly fragmented prefs files, corrupt or badly fragmented aliases, corrupt or badly fragmented Virtual Memory partition, corrupt or badly fragmented temp files, corrupt or badly fragmented cache files, delays due to File Sharing, AppleTalk, TCP/IP, and more.
I, for one, am so in love with Navigation Services that I don't know how I'd get along, especially in AGL and like-apps, without it.
Apple Navigation Services offer enhanced 'Open' and 'Save' dialog boxes, which include features like a Finder-like interface (list view), which allows faster navigation through folders by allowing you to "preview" the contents of a folder (via the expand/collapse triangle), direct navigation to mounted volumes, direct navigation to items/folders in your 'Favorites' folder, fast access to recently used items, a 'Preview' window for images, a 'Create Preview' command (from within Quicktime), and more.
Third party Finder-enhancers like Action Files offer much the same features (plus more), and therefore (may) override the need for Navigation Services.
Not all applications are "Nav-savvy", e.g., Navigator 4.x, and still only offer the old-style (pre OS 8) simple white open/save boxes, with limited navigation features and no previews.
The use of the preview window alone makes Navigation Services invaluable when using with AGL4/GLCS3.x.
To restore use of Navigation Services, or to correct the "hang-time" delays while using it, first confirm that no conflicts exist when using it in conjunction with AGL4. This test will take less than five minutes, and will be useful in future for exploring other conflicts.
1) Go to Extensions Manager, save your current set with a name you'll remember, then create a new set, called "AGL minimum config".
2) Turn 'off' all extensions, control panels, startup and shutdown items.
3) Turn 'on' the following (and only the following):
4) Restart.
*note one: Virtual Memory will now be 'off'. If you do not have enough physical RAM to run AGL and your Mac OS, you will need to temporarily decrease AGL memory allocation to the 'Minimum Setting' to perform this test. If you still do not have enough physical RAM at this point, you need more RAM, period.
*note two: Upon relaunch, QT4 users will receive "Can't launch..." and "Can't do..." messages because OpenTransport is disabled. Dismiss these warnings and continue.
*note three: RAM Disk users will receive "...unable to recognize this disk..." messages. Confirm that it is the RAM Disk, and initialize, dismiss the successive warning, and continue.
5) Launch AGL. Test Navigation Services functionality (you may need to re-enable 'Use Navigation Services' in AGL prefs).
6) If Navigation Services works as expected, restore your extensions and controls in groups (start with Mac OS 8.x Base, restart, etc.), until you discover the potential conflict.
If Navigation Services continues to "hang" for more than a couple seconds (some users report as much as five minutes), do not force-quit the application or computer. Wait out the hang, and quit when clear. If the computer is definitely frozen, it is only more confirmation of a need for disk maintenance. Proceed to section two.
**NOTE: Failure to perform these steps in the correct order as instructed may lead to catastrophic data loss. Print these instructions and follow them carefully. You have been warned.**
These steps may seem excessive, but this shotgun method is the best I can do without being physically with your machine. Please don't skip any steps just 'cause you think you can <w>. This section may take from ten to twenty minutes, depending on your System configuration and condition, more if you have been neglectful.
1) Back up your critical data. Boot from System CD or Emergency disk (e.g., Disk Warrior).
2) Run Disk First Aid v.8.5.2 (or DiskWarrior™ 1.0.4) on all mounted volumes). Note any problems and repair as needed. (DW preferred)
3) Quit all running applications. Use Trash*Desktop 1.2.1 to delete (not just rebuild) your Desktop DB and DF files on all mounted volumes. Restart immediately.
*note: If you need to maintain the comments you installed in 'Get Info' windows, use the proper Apple Desktop Rebuild method, not just 'Restart--Command-Option'. Use of a simple 'Command-Option' rebuild is incorrect and may magnify your problems. If you can live without your saved comments, the delete method is preferred here. (see: Desktop Rebuilding for more details)
4) Restart from System CD or Emergency disk (e.g., Disk Warrior). Allow DTs to rebuild.
5) Open your primary Startup Volume: System Folder: Preferences Folder: Navigation Services Folder:
Inside, you will find two files, 'Navigation Services Prefs1', and 'Navigation Services Prefs2'. Delete (or move to Desktop) both of these files.
You will also see a folder called 'Recent items'. Open this folder, select all items, and delete them.
*note: do not delete the folder 'Recent Items', or the 'Navigation Services' folder.
6) In the Primary Startup Volume: System Folder: Preferences Folder:
Delete (or move to Desktop) the following:
Apple Menu Items prefs (or BeHeirarchic), General Controls prefs, Finder prefs, Mac OS prefs, System prefs, File Exchange prefs.
7) In the Primary Startup Volume: System Folder: Apple Menu Items: Recent Items:
Delete all items found in 'Recent Documents', 'Recent Applications', 'Recent Servers'.
Open the 'Favorites' folder, and delete (or move to a new folder on the Desktop) all the items contained within.
*note: do not delete the 'Favorites' folder!
8) In the Primary Startup Volume: System Folder: Preferences Folder: Explorer Cache Folder:
Delete the 'cache.waf' file. (only present if Internet Explorer has ever been launched)
9) In the Primary Startup Volume: System Folder: Preferences Folder: Netscape Users Folder:
Delete the 'cache.log' and all cache files. (repeat for each user profile). (only present if Netscape Navigator or Communicator has been launched)
10), Locate your Adobe GoLive 4.0 folder: GoLive Cache folder:
Delete all the 'cache' files from the cache folder.
*note: do not delete the cache folder itself. Repeat for GoLive Cyberstudio 3.x, if still on disk).
11) Delete any errant 'print-spool' files from your printer spooler folder of choice.
12) Empty the Trash.
13) Use a quality disk utility (not TechToolPro!), such as DiskExpressPro or MacToolsPro (HFS Std. format) or at least a defrag utility (HFS+ format) like PlusOptimizer (not TechToolPro!) to test the need for defrag/optimisation on all volumes, correct issues as needed. (Use Norton v4.0x at your own risk!).
14) Use Drive Setup 1.7.3 to update your disk(s) driver(s). (Launch DS, select the target disk, select 'Update Driver' from the 'Special Menu', Restart).
*note: if you are not using Apple drivers, use the appropriate and up-to-date driver provided by your utility of choice.
15) Restart from Primary Startup Volume again, with 'AGL Minimum Config' selected in 'Extensions Manager' (as in Section One).
16) Launch AGL, and retest Navigation Services issues. They should now be resolved. Restore your original extensions set, and confirm again.
You can minimize the likelihood of this issue returning by exercising proper maintenance and preventative care. Yes, Virginia, it's really just that simple.
If your delay or crash issues are not resolved, and you are certain you have followed each of these steps fully, contact me with details of what you did, didn't do, what failed, etc. for more assistance.
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