After you uninstalled Elements, did you run Repair Permissions and then run it again after the reinstallation? You also need to get the old Preference folder out manually, which is in your Home applications folder, under Preferences, I think. You don’t say which version of OS X you’re running.
Dear Beth:
Thanks for the quick reply. My OS version is Mac OS X 10.3.4 (7H63). I couldn’t find Repair Permissions when you mentioned it, so no, I didn’t use it. I believe that I removed the old Preference folder when I did the uninstall following the FAQs instructions, but I can’t be positive. I plan to do that after I figure out how to Repair Permisions.
Sorry, I’m new to Mac. I have worked a lot with Windows, but a lot of this is new to me. Can you help me find Repair Permissions?
Thanks Again,
Gary
Egad! OK, I haven’t moved to Panther yet, and there are some differences, but I don’t think a lot. Open your main drive (not Home) and look for the Applications folder for OS X. Within that you should find a folder called Utilities. Inside that should be Disk Utility. Click on Disk First Aid. I seem to remember somebody saying it was a little more straightforward in Panther than it is in Jaguar, but you should be able to spot it pretty quickly. You might not have to dig down as far as I do. And, if you’ve never run it before, it may take a while, so don’t be in a hurry the first time. (I don’t know how long you’ve had the computer, and the more you’ve used it the more things it may find to repair.)
As a general rule, I’ve learned to run Repair Permissions both before and after installing any software and I’ve yet to have a problem. I may be a bit on the paranoid side, but I’m the kind who would rather take a few minutes extra and do something preventative than have to troubleshoot problems! ("Lazy" is another word used often!)
Since you’re new to OS X, you may or may not realize the system is set to automatically perform little housekeeping tasks in the wee hours of the morning, too. However, if you’re like some of us, you don’t always leave your computer on 24/7 and either shut it down or put it to sleep, in which case those tasks don’t run. There are a couple of freebie programs available that you can run on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis to substitute for what the system can’t do on its own. I happen to use MacJanitor, and my computer has stayed in good shape for quite a while. Any problems I’ve had have been those I brought on myself. 🙂
Try the Repair Permissions routine and then post again with either a success story or a failure report.
