Alsoft FOND Fixer: two troubleshooting issues

Last time, we mentioned a new utility for fixing the font bug in Mac OS 8.6: Alsoft's Corrupt FOND Fixer. A couple of minor problems have emerged with using the program:

Fixed applications may not run Jeff Hanson writes: "Some programs can't be modified and/or will not run after you have fixed them with Corrupt FOND Fixer. Sound Sculptor II and Realverb PPC are two examples."

Alsoft's Joe Muscara replies: "The shareware applications referred to by Mr. Hanson test all of their resources, upon launch, to see if any of them have been modified. This enables these applications to detect an infection by a virus. If a modification is detected then the applications will display a virus alert and refuse to run. The problem is that the test is indiscriminate. With these applications, any change to a resource, even a positive one, by an extension, utility or even a manual change with ResEdit, results in the virus alert. There's simply no way to repair a corrupt FOND resource in these applications without triggering a virus alert. Fortunately, it is rare for an application to perform such an indiscriminate modification test and rarer still for one to contain a corrupt FOND resource.

The good news is that with Corrupt FOND Fixer you have complete control over modifications to your files. You must approve a modification to a file and you can skip any applications that exhibit this behavior. We're updating the Read Me to cover the possibility of running into one of these applications. One more thing, one of the applications has been updated by its author and no longer contains a corrupt FOND resource.

Corrupt FOND Fixer does not launch Several readers (including Eliot White and Eric O'Brien) report a problem even launching Corrupt FOND Fixer. When they try, they get an error message that states: "This program requires Navigation Services and Appearance to run. Navigation Services is part of Mac OS 8.5 and later and can be optionally installed in Mac OS 7.5.5 through 8.1." The problem is apparently linked to having ACTION Files enabled. If you disable ACTION File or enable Navigation Services for Corrupt FOND Fixer (in ACTION Files' compatibility window), Corrupt FOND Fixer will run.