<b>Notable updates

It's amazing how, in just a week, so many updates to important software get released. No wonder there are programs and web sites devoted to helping you make sure your software is up-to-date. You can't do it without help anymore.

StuffIt Deluxe (update, Finder quits, and conflicts) As described on the StuffIt known problems web page, StuffIt Deluxe 4.5. Patch is now available. It fixes a trio of problem (all described previously on MacFixIt): (1) Magic Menu CM Plugin Registration Problem (2) Site License Registration Problem and most important (3) Finder Instability Problems. This last problem includes "seeing a multi-colored patch appearing in the Finder menu bar after selecting certain menu commands. A system crash may soon follow. Other users have experienced a Finder quit or a series of Finder quits.

The issue of Finder quits is especially interesting, as I have gotten several recent reports of this problem. Maybe this is the common cause. On the other hand, Dennis Favro claims that disabling Mac Easy Open (and/or deleting its Preferences file) solved the Finder quits problem he was having.

Brian Boutin is the first to report a potential problem specific to the update: "After applying the update, my primary Now Up-to-Date file became an unreadable file type and generated an Apple Events error when I double-clicked it." He could get access to the file by using the Now Up-to-Date application's Open command. If he reverted to the pre-update version of StuffIt Deluxe, the problem went away.

Update: Henri Picciotto states that disabling Space Saver worked-around this problem for him.

After installing the update, Paul Ringsmuth reports that his Mac froze when launching an application immediately after emptying the trash.

Meanwhile, Bob Warner reports that Conflict Catcher 4.1 may freeze when you try to open it. Casady & Greene are unsure of the cause, but speculate: "Please check to see if you have StuffIt Deluxe 4.5. If you do, how did you install it? If you downloaded StuffIt 4.5 (not the update), then you have something in common with two other similar reports. After those customers trashed their downloaded copy of StuffIt 4.5, and installed StuffIt 4.5 from the CD, there were no more problems."

Apple Data Detectors 1.0.2 Apple Data Detectors 1.0.2 is now out. "It contains a few important internal bug fixes and one new feature which is the ability (via a new command in the Help menu) to be easily disabled within any application without effecting its use in other applications."

Rotciv Biscocho reports a potential problem: "Most commands under the Help menu on Mac OS 8 didn't work after I installed the update (at least in certain applications). After running a conflict test using Conflict Catcher, I finally found out that Contextual Menu Enabler 1.0.3b1 (which comes with Apple Data Detectors 1.0.2) was the cause. Disabling this extension solved the problem." Of course, you lose the ADD features when you do this.

Update: If you have the WebFree control panel active, it treats the 1.0.2 URL as a tag to block (presumably because of the "add" in the URL) and thus the link to download 1.0.2 does not show up. If you need to know the exact link, it is: <http://applescript.apple.com/data_detectors/files/ADD.1.0.2.hqx>. (Thanks, Dan Wright.)

Symantec Norton Utilities 3.5.2 The Symantec Norton Utilities 3.5.2 update is only needed if you plan to use the HFS Plus feature of Mac OS 8.1. Symantec states: "Norton Disk Doctor version 3.5.2 is compatible with HFS or standard formatted drives. Non-HFS or extended formatted drives, including HFS formatted drives are treated as remote volumes and now cannot be accessed." In other words, Norton now correctly tells you that you cannot yet use Norton with HFS drives.

AdobePS 8.5.1 Although Adobe's web site may still not have a link to the AdobePS 8.5.1 printer driver, Lindsay Adams found that you can access it directly from Adobe's ftp site. The directory includes the driver itself and a Read Me file. The Read Me files describes the new features of the driver (which largely overlap with those of LaserWriter 8.5.1). It also notes that AdobePS is not compatible with Apple QuickDraw GX.

Driver Update 1.3 for Retrospect Driver Update 1.3 for Retrospect is now out. Dantz states: "The Retrospect Driver Update is a plug-in extension for Retrospect 4.0 or Retrospect Express. It updates Retrospect or Retrospect Express to support new drives and to work around a bug in the 'MESH' SCSI controller found onvarious Macintosh and compatible computers."

Apple StyleWriter 4100/4500 A new version of Apple's currently unsupported fix for G3 Macs and Color StyleWriter 4100/4500 printers is now out. It "eliminates the error 'The printer is not responding' (when using the 1.03 driver)." A Read Me file has more details. According to the MRP, expect to soon see new G3-compatible updates for HP DeskWriters.

Update: Regarding the HP 660C DeskWriter and problems with G3 Macs, Bob Novy writes that HP told him that they "hope to have a new driver available by the first week of January; they suggested calling and asking if one was in "special distribution" if it hadn't been posted by mid-January."

Software & Hardware Tracker II A new version 2.5.1 is out. It fixes a small bug in one of the databases. An updater is available for people who have already downloaded the complete 2.5 package.

PageMaker updates An Adobe web page contains avariety of new filters and plug-ins - including import and export filters for PDF files and an import filter for Word 97.

Default Folder public beta version 2.7.7b4 is now available. It fixes a bug (which caused crashes when a permanent folder was selected from the folder menu) discovered in the just released 2.8.7b3 version. The b3 version included a number of changes and fixes. For example, it now uses correct pop-up menu icons when running with Kaleidoscope and System 7, and updates the Appearance savvy buttons to more closely follow the appearance of Mac OS 8.

Mac OS Runtime for Java 2.0 is now out. It "works with Mac OS 8.0 and (for developers who have the prerelease version) Mac OS 8.1. No earlier versions of Mac OS are officially supported now, but Apple will support Mac OS 7.6.1 in early 1998."

Global Village TelePort K56flex firmware 1.2 adds voice/fax call sensing and better 56K performance (thanks, Version Tracker).

HP DeskWriter 500 series printer driver is out (thanks, Version Tracker).

FreePPP 2.6.2 Beta 4 MDEV is now available. It expires on 1/15/98. Only the MDEV was updated.

Memory Mapper 1.4.1, File Buddy 4.3.1 and GURU 2.6 are all out. They are all listed in the MacFixIt Download Library.

(Thanks also to the MRP and MacInTouch, as well as numerous MacFixIt readers, for help in preparing this item.)