A couple of years ago word got out from Apple that installing Flash Player could lead to various security troubles, etc. Then, in July 2011, and due to a nearby lightning strike, I had to replace both of my two Apple computers, and so I now have two identical OS X Lion Mac mini computers. But with the warning about Flash Player in mind, I installed FP on only one of the two new computers. And I then made weekly checks for any updates on both computers and downloaded them when available.
However, within several months the computer with FP installed began to perform erratically, gradually becoming worse and worse, and then at about ten months of age it ceased to function, at all, as it will not even turn the monitor on. But the computer without FP installed continues to work flawlessly well.
So, could that be due to hardware trouble, or software trouble?
Hardware trouble, or software trouble?
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Turboladdade
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Re: Hardware trouble, or software trouble?
That is really really sounding. Have you tried a fresh install of OS X and installing the latest version of Flash Player? Does it still do the same thing?
I am now telling the computer exactly what it can do.
Re: Hardware trouble, or software trouble?
Well, as I was saying, the OS X Lion that I have with FP installed can not even turn its monitor on, so there is no way for it to go online, for a fresh install. And as of that model, no install disk is included and there is no CD/DVD drive.
In the long run, however, I am considering that it is nearly two years old, and that I could be better off to consider upgrading to a new Mac computer.
But I thought it was worth mentioning the troubles that I have experienced.
And you can be assured that my next Mac will NOT get Flash Player installed!
Thanks!
In the long run, however, I am considering that it is nearly two years old, and that I could be better off to consider upgrading to a new Mac computer.
But I thought it was worth mentioning the troubles that I have experienced.
And you can be assured that my next Mac will NOT get Flash Player installed!
Thanks!
Re: Hardware trouble, or software trouble?
OK, so I had some trouble with my OS X Lion computer, but that probably was my fault because I installed Flash Player after I had been warned to not do so.
Yet I do have some nice things to say about Mac mini computers. Of course, if only the latest and greatest will do, then you need an iMac. But if you are a small-time user like I am then a Mac mini could serve you well. The Mac mini is available in a "standard" version and a "high performance" version, and I find that the standard version is all that I need. For instance, my standard version 2006 OS X Tiger Mac mini did everything that I needed it to do, and then my standard version 2011 OS X Lion Mac mini is waaaaay more powerful.
And should something go wrong, like the unexpected lightning strike that wiped out my first two Mac minis, or the corruption that I mentioned apparently caused by installing Flash Player, then a Mac mini can be replaced at about half of the cost of an iMac, as you already have a keyboard, a monitor and a mouse.
Yet I do have some nice things to say about Mac mini computers. Of course, if only the latest and greatest will do, then you need an iMac. But if you are a small-time user like I am then a Mac mini could serve you well. The Mac mini is available in a "standard" version and a "high performance" version, and I find that the standard version is all that I need. For instance, my standard version 2006 OS X Tiger Mac mini did everything that I needed it to do, and then my standard version 2011 OS X Lion Mac mini is waaaaay more powerful.
And should something go wrong, like the unexpected lightning strike that wiped out my first two Mac minis, or the corruption that I mentioned apparently caused by installing Flash Player, then a Mac mini can be replaced at about half of the cost of an iMac, as you already have a keyboard, a monitor and a mouse.
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Turboladdade
- 1024 MB
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- Joined:October 31st, 2007, 10:44 pm
Re: Hardware trouble, or software trouble?
I really don't think the act of installing Flash player itself is what caused whatever problem you're having. I have Flash player installed on all of my Macs and they work just fine. When people say Flash player sucks, it's because it sucks as a multimedia player, for the most part being replaced these days by native HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript techniques. They don't mean it will cause your computer's monitor to not turn on. I don't even see how that is possible. What's more likely is that coincidentally corresponded to whatever else happened to your system around the same time.tuulen wrote:OK, so I had some trouble with my OS X Lion computer, but that probably was my fault because I installed Flash Player after I had been warned to not do so.
I would try to find an external drive upon which to do a clean install of Mac OS X, including Flash player, and you'll probably see that I am right. Any USB or FireWire external drive will do - Mac OS X can boot off any of them. Even a large USB flash drive.
I am now telling the computer exactly what it can do.
Re: Hardware trouble, or software trouble?
You very well could be right. I installed FP on my 2006 OS X Tiger, then on my 2010 OS X Snow Leopard, and had no trouble with FP, whatsoever.
And I am not one to go to websites known to cause trouble. And so maybe it all comes down to hardware trouble. But I am left to guess about that.
At the time, back in July 2011, I noticed the lack of a CD/DVD drive on the OS X Lion models, and so I also purchased the optional accessory CD/DVD drive, with USB plug. But by that time Apple had migrated all of its available software to the cloud, no longer providing software on CDs.
And because I can not go online, due to an inability to use a monitor, it appears that going to an Apple store is my only option, to either have my two year old OS X Lion repaired, or to purchase a brand new model.
And because Apple does not particularly cater to backwards-compatibility, to older models, perhaps I could be better off to simply purchase a brand new model.
And I am not one to go to websites known to cause trouble. And so maybe it all comes down to hardware trouble. But I am left to guess about that.
At the time, back in July 2011, I noticed the lack of a CD/DVD drive on the OS X Lion models, and so I also purchased the optional accessory CD/DVD drive, with USB plug. But by that time Apple had migrated all of its available software to the cloud, no longer providing software on CDs.
And because I can not go online, due to an inability to use a monitor, it appears that going to an Apple store is my only option, to either have my two year old OS X Lion repaired, or to purchase a brand new model.
And because Apple does not particularly cater to backwards-compatibility, to older models, perhaps I could be better off to simply purchase a brand new model.
Re: Hardware trouble, or software trouble?
... a thought...
connect your two macminis together via a firewire cable
switch on the "DEAD" FP macmini in TARGET mode. (http://support.apple.com/kb/PH10725)
this macmini should now be available to the other as a hard drive and you can "CLONE" the working mac to the suspect mac using SuperDuper ( http://www.shirt-pocket.com/ ). NB this is a very different procedure than simply wiping one disk and copying the other to it,- lots of important , invisible files would be lost doing that, Super Duper makes a direct copy of the original disk...this may be something that Time Machine might do - unfamiliar with its workings
but all this presupposes the video /dvi out of your macmini is OK...
QUOTE: "as it will not even turn the monitor on", by this do you mean it no longer sends a video signal to the monitor? so the mac mini powers up, 'bongs' and you hear disk activity and can see glowing led at front of case but no picture? I assume you have swapped the two monitors to confirm it's the mac at fault and not the monitor? or any cable fault?
connect your two macminis together via a firewire cable
switch on the "DEAD" FP macmini in TARGET mode. (http://support.apple.com/kb/PH10725)
this macmini should now be available to the other as a hard drive and you can "CLONE" the working mac to the suspect mac using SuperDuper ( http://www.shirt-pocket.com/ ). NB this is a very different procedure than simply wiping one disk and copying the other to it,- lots of important , invisible files would be lost doing that, Super Duper makes a direct copy of the original disk...this may be something that Time Machine might do - unfamiliar with its workings
but all this presupposes the video /dvi out of your macmini is OK...
QUOTE: "as it will not even turn the monitor on", by this do you mean it no longer sends a video signal to the monitor? so the mac mini powers up, 'bongs' and you hear disk activity and can see glowing led at front of case but no picture? I assume you have swapped the two monitors to confirm it's the mac at fault and not the monitor? or any cable fault?
Re: Hardware trouble, or software trouble?
Hi brendank,
I have not tried connecting them together by firewire, but they both are connected together by a hardware firewall/router. However, you could be on to something and an inexpensive piece of firewire just might do the trick.
But yes, my "bad" OS X Lion otherwise does appear to be quite dysfunctional. Yes, it "bongs" at startup, if I listen carefully I can hear its hard drive, the led appears at front, but yes, no picture. And yes, one of the first things that I did was to swap the monitor connections, just to be sure, but again no picture.
Meanwhile, I thank you for the links that you mentioned.
I have not tried connecting them together by firewire, but they both are connected together by a hardware firewall/router. However, you could be on to something and an inexpensive piece of firewire just might do the trick.
But yes, my "bad" OS X Lion otherwise does appear to be quite dysfunctional. Yes, it "bongs" at startup, if I listen carefully I can hear its hard drive, the led appears at front, but yes, no picture. And yes, one of the first things that I did was to swap the monitor connections, just to be sure, but again no picture.
Meanwhile, I thank you for the links that you mentioned.