Moving Control Strip?

Question

Level 1

5 points

Moving Control Strip?

After a life time spent using windows I finally took the plunge 3 days ago and started using os 9.2.2
So far I haven't had any major issues, yes everything seems so familiar yet so different when compared to windows! What makes using a Mac so unique is that friends and colleagues haven't a clue about it, 🙂

My first burning question is,
How do I move the control strip to the bottom of the screen?
Apple Help has showed me how to minimise it or make it completely dissapear! The control + command + s command is quite usefull but there must be a way it can sit on the bottom of my screen, is there?

Also I cant use the right arrow on my keyboard, is there any problem with my keyboard?

Thanks for reading, I am sure I will be getting some usefull hints and tips

Zee

Posted on Oct 19, 2005 2:54 PM

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Answer 1

Ed Hanna

Level 4

1,240 points

Oct 19, 2005 3:45 PM in response to zeemac

The Control Strip loves it when you hold down either the Option or the Control Keys while playing with it using your mouse. Experiment. You'll be able to rearrange the modules within it, adjust its exposed length, and move it anywhere (well anywhere except coming off the top or bottom edges) on the screen you like.

Then, when you've set it up just as you want it, you'll completely forget which of the key/mouse combos does what, because it'll be so long since you've used them to make a change.

Welcome to OS 9, too bad you weren't here in OS 8.6. Now there was an OS! But you're here now. I'd browse around for a copy of David Pogue's excellent book (check his website): 'Mac OS 9, the Missing Manual' to guide your exploration. Lotsa secrets in it, and lotsa ways to prove "there's a dance in the old dame yet"

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Answer 2

Oct 19, 2005 6:54 PM in response to zeemac

Zeeshan Chattha, go to the Apple Help Menu & type in the search screen control strip.
Scroll down until you see Moving The Control Strip-Here you will see detailed instructions on how to move it up & down your computer screen.

Regarding your keyboard problem:
Your keyboard/arrow key may be dirty. Blow on it. Maybe some crumbs, dust and/or dirt down in there stuck underneath the keys.
If that does not work, then try this:
Go into the system folder>preferences folder & trash the following preferences:
finder
keyboard

Restart & empty the trash. Hopefully, the right arrow key should now work.

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Answer 3

Oct 20, 2005 3:04 AM in response to Ed Hanna

Ed,

Thanks for this too. We live and learn. Always considered myself a bit of a Mac guru, since 1987, but I never found out about this one.

If I had a game that had switched resolutions crash out it would leave my CS half way up the screen. I usually just trashed my CS preferences and restarted.

Ditto about OS8.6, as good as it gets (got). Although Panther is pretty close.

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Answer 4

zeemac Author

Level 1

5 points

Oct 24, 2005 3:31 PM in response to zeemac

A great big thanks to Ed & BabyBoomer for all your help, I have managed to get the Control strip to sit at the bottom of the page! Maybe its a windows dependency I just prefer to have my controls at the bottom of the screen! Am still trying to get used to the different clicks and clunks on Mac!

I have recentl noticed that a few websites are displayed differently even though I use IE 5, is this a Mac compatibility issue?

Also I am thinking of upgrading to OSX however I dont have my OS9 installations disks. When I upgrade I am assuming I will loose the OS9 program files, or can I burn them onto a disk for a future installation?

Also can I ever see my Bios settings? While booting up is there something I should press to get into the bios. With my PC its the delete button while booting up and I get into the system Bios settings.

Once again thanks for your help,
deeply appreciated

Zee

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Answer 5

Oct 25, 2005 2:06 AM in response to zeemac

Hi, Zee -

When I upgrade I am assuming I will loose the OS9 program files...

No.

OSX is designed to cohabit the same volume as OS 9. Provided your hard drive has sufficient free space, you should be able to install OSX (from a retail package) without problems, and with no loss of OS 9 files or utilization.

Also can I ever see my Bios settings?

Not easily, if at all. The Mac does not use Bios in the sense that PCs do.

Addressable settings are managed in OS 9 via control panel settings. Those needed during startup are automatically transferred (often at shut down) from the control panels' preference files (where their settings are stored) to PRAM or NVRAM, which is read by the Mac during startup.

There may be a way to do that known to programmers and developers; my opinion on that is that it is something I know far too little about to even think about tinkering with it, much less try doing it.

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Answer 6

Oct 25, 2005 4:44 PM in response to zeemac

"I have recentl noticed that a few websites are displayed differently even though I use IE 5, is this a Mac compatibility issue? "
Do you mean looks differently from the way it looks on a PC? Yes IE will look differently. However, you are using an ancient version. You should be using IE v5.1.7 which is the last version for your OS system. You can download it from here:
Internet Explorer 5.1.7 for Mac OS 8.1 to 9.x

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Answer 7

Ron JACKLE

Level 7

33,451 points

Oct 25, 2005 5:59 PM in response to zeemac

Zeeshan Chattha...

Re: BIOS

Macintosh is currently Open Firmware based but is graphically overlayed so we do not see the stuff load in.

About the closest we get to that is to boot into Open Firmware and have the magical code in hand to see a list of 1000's of commands being execuited.

A rather common everyday Mac user probably croak if they ever saw a Mac load up like Windows boxes do. 😉

...Ron

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Answer 8

zeemac Author

Level 1

5 points

Oct 27, 2005 5:19 PM in response to zeemac

thanks for the lowdown Don & Ron JACKLE I guess I am going to have to get used to do way with the whole BIOS settings, I was asking because I am planning on upgrading the standard internal CD ROM to a DVD CD ReWriter combo drive however I am hoping that mac will automatically recognise it as being mac compatible (fingers crossed!)

Thanks for the tip Babyboomer, I am going to be downloading the latest version tonite, will keep you all updated on my first attempts at using the updated explorer.

I was wondering if there was any way I could get into IE tools to delete the temp internet file, clear the history which hasnt been cleared for years and delete the cookies ?

As I am still using my PC alongside my mac (having to unplug the monitor & modem cables every time i want to change!). I am noticing that when mac loads up my tft flat screen monitor flickers until I change the monitor resoltuions. Will i need to manually to this each time?

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Answer 9

Oct 28, 2005 12:04 AM in response to zeemac

Hi, zeemac -

I was wondering if there was any way I could get into IE tools to delete the temp internet file, clear the history which hasnt been cleared for years and delete the cookies ?

I'm not familiar with IE tools, but you can clear the history and cache, and delete any cookies you want, via IE's Preferences, accessible via the Edit menu when IE is the active program. Those items are located here in IE's Preferences -
History and Cache - Preferences > Web Browser > Advanced
Cookies - Preferences > Receiving Files > Cookies

Note - when selecting cookies to delete, you can hold down the Shift key to select more that one; to select all of them, click one, then press Command-A.

***

Deleting the temp cache file for IE is a manual operation; you will need to throw away the file named IE Cache.waf which can be found here - System Folder >> Preferences >> MS Internet Cache >> IE Cache.waf.

You can also delete IE's Download Cache file, which is located here - System Folder >> Preferences >> Explorer >> Download Cache

Note - it's a good idea to trash a preference file only when the program is not running, and to restart after throwing it away.

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Answer 10

Nov 1, 2005 3:35 AM in response to zeemac

zeemac,

I take it you want a DVD player / CD rewriter (or 'Combo') drive for your G3 ? A 400MHz G3 can handle this. But if you were thinking of burning DVDs, I'm not sure if the processor is meaty enough to encode quick enough for you.
I also think DVD Video playback needs a half decent video card, the ones from the era of your mac are suitable, but some might not be. Can you post back which video card you have (it doesn't need to be great but something with 8M video memory will easily cut it) ?

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Answer 11

zeemac Author

Level 1

5 points

Nov 6, 2005 4:28 AM in response to Simon Teale

Hi
Just a quick update on sunday morning while waiting for the kettle to boil!
My PC seems to have totally died on me last night so In think I will be spending more time with my mac now.
I have bought a hitachi dvd/cd rw from ebay which arived about a week ago but I have'nt as of yet opened it. The drive is supposed to be from a Mac therefore I assume i wont have any compatability issues (i hope).

Still abit unsure how I will actually install it, any tips anyone?
As for my video card, I have an ATI Rage 128 pci. At least that what system profiler is telling me. I know from when I bought the system the graphics card is supposed to be half decent because my mate bought it off a graphics design company.
Will I need to download any drivers or software for the dvd/cd rw or will mac automatically install these for me?

I also have os x tiger somewhere in my room, but at the moment am not brave enough to install it.
The main reason for holding back so far is I dont want to loose the driver for my modem and set up internet connection again. I set up my internet connection when I was totally smashed late one night and I wont even know where or how I managed to do it
:0) Lols

Thanks to Baby boomer and Don i managed to change my default homepage and clear the cache. I have also managed to upgrade to IE 5.1.7
Still cant seem to upgrade my quickplayer, am presuming will have to upgrade to tiger sooner or later.

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Answer 12

Nov 6, 2005 7:21 AM in response to zeemac

zeemac,

A Rage 128 will be fine. It's a few years old now, but it' should handle anything a G3/400 can throw at it. Do you know how much video memory it has ?

Take a look at http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/ for lots of reviews and tips for upgrading your mac. In there, there should be instructions for fitting an internal CD/DVD burner. But it's not that complicated, even without instructions. If you have a spare drive bay, it's a cinch. If you're replacing an existing drive, it should be easier still. One caveat is to make sure the drive is not too long to fit in your PMG3. ie. you can still close the case with the drive installed, ie. it's not in the way of a video or network card.

For drivers, check the manufacturers web site, hitatchi is pretty good kit and has even better support so you should be OK. BUT, I do have a concern that you may have a DVD+R burner, this would require at least OS X 10.3. It would also mean no OS9 drivers.

Perhaps you could find out about this.

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