Odds and Ends: MBNA site and Safari; Virtual PC loop after Windows update; Knowledge Base updates

MBNA site and Safari Yesterday we covered reports that the MBNA website -- which provides payment services for Apple Credit Accounts -- recently underwent changes that make it inaccessible to Safari users. We suggested that users change the user agent setting (which identifies the browser name and version to Web servers) using Safari's debug menu. We've since received a number of reports from readers that changing Safari's user agent setting to Internet Explorer or Netscape does indeed allow them to access the site. However, many users -- including us -- feel that this shouldn't be necessary. MacFixIt reader "Wade" notes:

"Given the amount of money that MBNA making through Apple it is really unfortunate that their web developers would be so disrespectful of Apple users. Obviously, there is nothing about their site that precludes Safari use as it works just fine with Safari. They just choose to be lazy in their development of User Agent debugging."

If you're an MBNA customer, it may be helpful for you to contact MBNA Customer Service and encourage them to actively support Safari.

On a related note, reader Steve Kortze notes that the recent changes in the MBNA site also affect other browsers:

"I have another MBNA account and noticed that you can't use Mozilla or Camino. Evidently, the browser checking is looking for Netscape in the browser detection code. I have recent versions of Mozilla and Camino, but I was informed that I needed to upgrade to more recent version of Netscape. Netscape 7.1, which has older core code than Mozilla or Camino, will work."

Windows looping within Virtual PC after updates Yesterday we covered a report from a reader where applying the latest Windows 2000 security updates to a copy of Windows running within Virtual PC resulted in an "endless" restart loop. We've since received a number of confirmations of the issue, all noting the same solution: forcing the "PC" to shut down manually via Virtual PC and then starting it up again. Note that all reports of the problem we have received involve variations of Windows 2000.

A side note: reader Robert Suznick reports that this appears to be a Windows issue, not one isolated to Virtual PC:

"I have seen this looping behavior regularly when upgrading the PCs I manage and have found no consistent solution for it. I have usually had to reinstall Windows 2000. So to be safe and save myself from time consuming reinstalls, I have not and will not apply these patches on my Macs that run Win 2000 on VPC. I use native Mac programs for internet business and avoid the need for the patches."

New/Updated Knowledge Base Articles

Desktop Macintosh: Power, Reset, and Interrupt Buttons, Part 2 discusses the location of power, reset, and interrupt buttons on Mac models released since November 1997.
iPod Manuals provides PDF downloads of iPod manuals.
iCal 1.5.1: Can't Access Help Content discusses a solution for the inability to access Help content after installing iCal 1.5.1.
Mac OS X: Opening and saving files on the Mac OS 9 desktop explains how to get to items saved on the OS 9 Desktop from within OS X.
Mac OS X 10.2: Casio QV-3000EX doesn't appear in iPhoto or Image Capture notes that under OS X 10.2.3 or earlier, the Casio QV-3000EX digital camera may not be accessible.
Power Macintosh: Bus Speeds provides a table of bus speeds for every Power PC-based Macintosh and Apple laptop.
Mac OS X: About Third-Party Compatibility provides links to information about printer compatibility for Brother, Canon, Epson, HP, Lexmark, and Xerox printers.

Resources