On 30.12.2010, at 01:21, Brian Ferguson wrote:

> 
>> It [my MacBook Pro 17''] is in fact amazingly slow right now. I used Migration Assistant so I may have brought some old issues with me from my old G4. 
> 
> Migration Assistant is excellent but it will transfer all of you ..plist Preference files as well.
> APP
> This can cause problems; you may now have duplicate copies but, more likely, some of these are very old.


First of all, I wish you Brian and all the others here a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Thanks for drawing my attention to duplicate copies.


> 
>> 1) The startup process is very slow. I press the power button and … nothing happens. After 7 seconds I hear a low click and then a loud chime. It takes 55 seconds until I see the Desktop. I guess this is normal because I have 500 GB hard disk and it is nearly full (I always try to keep about 20% free, now I have 50 GB available). Besides I am running MaxMenus which always need some time to load as well as a few menu bar applications. The Dock is also full (= 86 applications and folders, is that perhaps too much?). 
> 
> No wonder it's slow. Far too little space; no, far too much garbage. 
> I suggest you get an external FireWire HD and transfer files to there and use it for backup.

I guess I could transfer most of the videos, they take up 200 GB on disk.


> 
>> I have been using Spell Catcher X 10.3.7 (<http://www.rainmakerinc.com/>) for some time and I suspect this software to be responsible for some instability I have been experiencing lately.
>> 
>> Is anybody here using Spell Catcher X?
> 
> Not since 1999, or earlier.    (-:
> 
> Why don't you utilise the built-in spell checker which comes with the system.

I do. I was just testing Spell Catcher X and I wanted to see if it has changed much since I used it last time. I used it under System 7 and 8. The dictionaries they provide are not very relyable (at least the German dictionary). Sometimes you can write a word that actually doesn't exist in reality and the spell checker fails to detect it. The inbuilt OS X spell checker will highlight the word as wrong.


> 
> Go to System Preferences/Language and Text/Spelling/Setup. (…)

I just did that now and to my surprise I found out that English had been disabled. Obviously Spell Catcher X has changed the settings behind the scenes without asking me. I have been wondering why English texts were not correctly spell checked by me in the last few days. 


> But better still, buy for UD$15 this PDF:
> 
> "Take Control of Exploring & Customising Snow Leopard from Take Control" from Tidbits.com.

> 
> Here is an extract from it: (…)

> 
> Then follows a detailed method of setting-up your own internal spell checker, customised for your language too.

I've always wanted to set up my own (Icelandic) spell checker. :-)

> 
> Here's more:
> (…) > Correct Spelling Automatically (…) Now type behaviour (a British spelling) followed by space, and watch it correct itself to behavior.

I use Typinator for that kind of stuff. 

> 
> I haven't checked Permissions lately, but there was a time when a multitude of them were 'repaired' only to return. As advised by others more knowledgeable than I, 'let it be'.

I started up from another disk today and "repaired" them. As I ran Disk Utility immediately again afterwards they were all back again, apparently all wrong again. I even "repaired" the permissions with MacPilot but that did not make any difference so I can't blame Disk Utility anymore for this.

> 
> Disk Warrior? Also last used about 1999. I know there have been later versions, but...
> And since you HD is so full I don't think it would help.

> 
> Do you really need to store files on 95% of your operating HD?

Where would you set the limit? 10% free? 20% free? I guess 100 GB free space would be enough.


Best wishes,
Þorvarður