G5 won't calibrate - colors are very saturated?

Try trashing the file Users/username/Preferences/ByHost/com.apple.preference.displays.0017f206d6ca.pl ist

Then restart and see if this helps.

Joe

Hi Joe.

thanks again. I did this - to no avail.

But what is your opinion on this thought that I just had: could it be a firmware issue?
I recently bought my friend's PowerMac G4 dual processor machine. He barely used it in the 7 years he's had it. My previous machine was a Power Mac G4 single processor, for which I had upgraded the firmware years ago. I'm not sure if my friend has done this.

Could it have something to do with a hardware compatibility with Tiger?

B.

Could it have something to do with a hardware compatibility with Tiger?

No. A monitor is a monitor. Let's step back and start over.

First, make sure all applications are closed. A program such as Photoshop locks open the monitor profile currently in use while it is running. Now open the System Preferences and click the Displays icon. Click on the Color tab and choose a general use profile such as ColorMatch RGB, or sRGB Profile. Close the System Preferences. How does color look now?

Hi Joe.

Thanks again. I didn't know about Photoshop locking in monitor profiles while in use - you taught me something!

Okay - I did what you suggested. I even closed the display prefs and quit the program between each display profile selection. No change.

I honestly don't think it's the monitor. I tried switching to a CRT Apple monitor with the exact same effect.

The glitch must exist somewhere in the relationship between Tiger and my G4. That's why I wondered about a firmware update. Again, when I restart from my Panther disk, it showcases all colour beautifully, so my monitor is functioning very well with that system.

Any other thougths?

B.

Again, when I restart from my Panther disk, it showcases all colour beautifully, so my monitor is functioning very well with that system.

Well, I can tell you that's it's not an incompatibility. A damaged OS I would believe. Try this. Copy the profile you're using for your monitor for Panther to the Tiger installation. The location should be in /Library/ColorSync/Profiles/. Copy the profile to the same location in Tiger. Select it in the System Preferences. If that doesn't make the color exactly the same as it does in Panther, then your Tiger installation is likely damaged. In which case you'll need to do an Archive and Install from the original OS disks.

Hi Joe.

thanks again!

I'm a step ahead - I've tried copying the profiles from Panther - same issue.

But while you were answering this, I did something else and it seems to have improved the colours quite well.

Here's what I did:

Apart from 'software' monitor calibration - on my Samsung SyncMaster 213T I went to the physical buttons for brightness/contrast. Under a section titled 'Gamma' there were the numbers 1 to 3. My current gamma was set to 1. When I pumped it to 2, it was horrifically bright, but when I pumped it to 3, the setting seemed 'softer' and closer to what things look like in Panther.

Then, under another section titled 'Image', there is a sub heading titled 'Image Effect' which shows three options: Sharpen, Medium and Soften. The current setting was Medium and I switched it to Soften.

I did all of this while an InDesign page was open - I used it as a perceptual barometer for the changes. It looks pretty darn close to what it looks like in Panther!

Then I opened a file in Illustrator which was another file I used as a perceptual barometer, and lo and behold - it was, again, just like the image in Panther (or at least what my memory recalls it to look like - too bad I can't actually have both OS systems open at the same time!).

I know that these changes will have affected my Panther display when I reboot from that disk, and I will have to keep changing monitor settings between the two startup disks, but for now, it appears to have solved my Tiger issues (fingers crossed).

The real test will be when I'm finished dicking around with my computer and install Tiger on my bus partner's computer - she has a LaCie CRT montitor. It will be interesting to see if these issues exist with that machine...

thanks again for all of your help!!

B.

Hi Joe...thanks again!

Name's Kurt. 🙂

When the monitor displays the way you want in one OS, but not the other with the exact same monitor profile, then something is wrong with the OS. You shouldn't have to play with the monitor to get the color looking the same when the monitor profile is identical. The correct solution is still to reinstall Tiger and then use the monitor profile from Panther. Though you could try one more thing. There may just be a system wide setting that's really goofed up. Go to the Preferences folder in your user account and delete the file:

com.apple.systempreferences.plist

Restart your Mac. Then open the System Preferences and choose the monitor profile you copied over from the Panther install since the OS will have defaulted back to something else. If that works, you're done. If not, the OS is definitely damaged.

Thanks Kurt! So I guess you're not a 'Joe' type, huh? 🙂 sorry for that!

I will try your suggestion soon. Before I do, what is your opinion of this:

I bought two copies of the OS - one for me, one for my bus partner. I used her disk, as well, to reinstall Tiger onto my computer. Both her disk and mine gave the same results. Could it be that the OS on both disks is faulty?

Again, I will try your suggestion soon - and let you know what happens.

thanks!
B.

Okay, Kurt. I just did everything you suggested. Still the same problem - as if Tiger isn't distinguishing between its own profiles and those of Panther.

Hmmm....

B.

I bought two copies of the OS - one for me, one for my bus partner. I used her disk, as well, to reinstall Tiger onto my computer. Both her disk and mine gave the same results. Could it be that the OS on both disks is faulty?

Not impossible of course, but not likely. I assume these are retail copies of Tiger? Black DVD with a large silver X on it?

Still the same problem - as if Tiger isn't distinguishing between its own profiles and those of Panther.

Kind of figured that would happen. You mentioned above that choosing different profiles in the Display settings didn't change the color at all. Which is a problem since for example, you should see a change in color between sRGB and ColorMatch RGB. It's not a huge difference, but certainly noticeable.

One more thing you can try before reinstalling to see if it's just some user setting that's wonky. Go to the Library folder in your user account and move the Preferences folder to the desktop. Restart the Mac. It will come back up as if you've never used it before. Try choosing your profiles again. If things behave as they should, you moved out a bad preference somewhere. If not, then it's the OS.

In the case of the latter, open the Preferences folder the OS created to replace the one you moved. Highlight everything and trash them. The OS will immediately create a new Finder preference file. Open the Preferences folder on the desktop and move, or copy everything back into the Preferences folder in your user account. That will get all of your settings and registrations back into your account. Restart the Mac once again. Then reinstall OS X using the Archive and Install method which preserves your user settings and preferences. Apply all available updates.

One thing that will happen doing that is Photoshop will suddenly refuse to open files you double click on. It never seems to fail that one file it needs doesn't get relocated to the new OS. After reinstalling OS X, you'll have a folder named Previous System on the drive. Go to the /Library/ScriptingAdditions/ folder with the Previous System folder and copy or move the file "Adobe Unit Types" to the /Library/ScriptingAdditions/ folder at the root of the hard drive.

Hi Kurt.

Thanks again for your help!

Before attempting this new suggestion, I wonder if it is worth the try, since my problem exists upon a fresh new install on a fresh newly bought disk- before anything else is installed.

If you still think I should implement your suggestion, just say the word.

thanks again,
B.

Post script to my last entry: I just installed my bus partner's Tiger (yes - retail bought) on her PowerMac G4 and the identical problem is happening!

So something definitely within the OS.

B.

Can't hurt. 🙂 I suggest it since it's something that will only take about 10 minutes total to see if it works, as opposed to reinstalling Tiger and all of its updates, which will take at least a few hours.

In short, you just move your preferences to the desktop by putting the entire Preferences folder from your user account there. Restart. The Mac will build a completely new Preferences folder and basic preference files. If the profiles then work as they're supposed to, you've found the problem. If not, then drag your entire Preferences folder on the desktop back to its normal location and let it replace the existing folder. Restart again immediately to make those preferences active.

If that does fix the problem, please post back so we can cover how to copy only relevant preference files back from the desktop.

BB, hi again, try going to System Preferences/Accounts/+ and creating a new account and see if the problem is still there. If so just select the - sign and delete it.

Joe

Hi Kurt and Joe.

Okay: Kurt, I'll try your idea a bit later (gotta run and do some errands...).

Joe: thanks - I actually did this as one of my very first troubleshooting tactics. It didn't work.

Again, it's happening on my bus partner's computer too. I have a PowerMac G4 dual processor, she has a single processor. I'm using a Samsung LCD monitor, she a LaCie CRT.

I really suspect the Tiger disks were manufactured at the same time and something went wacky on that batch...it's definitely within the OS itself.

We'll see. I'll try your suggestion, Kurt, then post my results.

Thanks again!!
B.