Safari: Fix for "Localized string not found"; improving keyboard scrolling; more

Fix for "Localized string not found"We previously reported a problem in Safari where after the update to Mac OS X 10.3.4, contextual menus show "localized string not found" in place of "open link in new window".

Some users were able to remove the problem by re-installing the Mac OS X 10.3.4 combo updater, but others were not.

MacFixIt reader Jared has since submitted a solution that has worked on several of his systems, as well as for other readers:

1. Download the latest version of Safari from Apple (this is essential to do before anything else)
2. Locate the webkit files and stick them in the trash: System/Library/Frameworks/webkit.frameworks (these are used to connect to the web - if you fail to follow step 1, you will kick yourself as you will not be able to connect using ftp, http etc etc)
3. Install Safari from your fresh download
4. Restart
5. Run permissions repair in Disk Utility
6. Rejoice as your contextual menus reappear in Safari

Confirmation for combo updater fixing connectivity issues We previously reported that some users are able to resolve Safari connectivity issues -- where certain sites will refuse to open in Safari unless requested multiple times, for others Safari displays the "Cannot connect to server message" several times in a row -- by re-applying the Mac OS X 10.3.4 combo updater.

We've since received a number of notes confirming this workaround as successful. MacFixIt reader Phil writes "I've always been a bit hesitant to try the combo updater route since software update has always worked well for me, but not wanting to mess around with the local DNS server suggestion I decided to give it a try (then reapplied the June security update). I also dumped my preferences folder allowing each to be remade from scratch.

"It's only been a couple of days, but so far I have yet to see the 'safari can't connect to server' message even once!"

Improving keyboard scrolling A number of readers have reported preferential problems with Safari's scrolling behavior when using the keyboard up and down arrow keys. Some find that the area covered by the scrolling mechanism is too imprecise.

One MacFixIt reader found that changing the keyboard repeat in the "Keyboard and Mouse' pane of System Preferences made keyboard scrolling more acceptable:

"When I scroll down pages in web browsers such as Safari by placing the cursor over the down arrow on the browser window and holding down the mouse button, scrolling is fast and smooth, but when I would use the down arrow on my iBook keyboard (the preferred method of scrolling through webpage's since the arrow block is so convenient on the built in keyboard), scrolling was marginal at best. The solution? Up the 'Key Repeat Rate' and shorten the 'Delay Until Repeat' options in the Keyboard & Mouse System Pref. Now, when holding down the arrow keys, windows scroll fast and smooth (no problems with typing text as a result of the change). The exact combination of the two settings will probably be different for different hardware, but I believe this should have the same effect for all."

Feedback? Late-breakers@macfixit.com.

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