Unchecking Unicode for AW 6.2.9

[paperandpencil]

Hi,

Two questions, please:

1. A question on Unicode for AW 6.2.9:

A current thread recommends unchecking Unicode in System Preferences - International - Input Menu.

I see that Unicode - in the very first line of my Input Menu - has indeed been checked all these months.

I've just unchecked it.

HOWEVER, I also see that near the bottom of the Input Menu, what's also been checked all along has been "U.S.," NOT "U.S. Extended - Unicode."

- Was Unicode, checked in line 1 for the past year, contributing to my problem in AW Database (described below)?


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2. I'm still having episodes in AW 6.2.9 Database (only), OS 10.4.11, where after using the "Find" dialogue box for a while, the Find function won't respond - and the gumdrop in the database stays greyed - even after I've clicked on the database to make it the active window again.

I AM able to make the AW window active again, to Save.

I then have to Quit, and relaunch the document.

It will happen again, sometimes in 5 minutes, sometimes 5 hours.

It's an ordinary postal mailing list.

I've done all of the following, per the kind suggestions of this group:

- Created fresh database template
- Inserted data as ASCII, instead of just Saving As previous version of AW database
- Shortened field names, well below 64-character limit
- Examined field types (two are checkbox fields, one is radio button, though rarely used, and never sorted upon; balance are Text or Name)
- Trashed appleworks.plist
- Trashed above on second hard drive, only used to park backups
- Trashed all four items in AppleWorks Preferences folder
- Trashed above on second hard drive
- Trashed finder.plist (this lead to the second line of file names being marooned in a window if I drag the icon! Very strange. Cured by checking Show View Options - Show Item Info; this seems to deepen the footprint of a click on a icon)
- Saved database in AW 5, then reopened and renamed in AW 6
- Maintenance 3.7, Repaired Permissions (no problem reported)
- Disk Utility, Verified Permissions (no problem reported)

Note that my copy of AW 6.2.9 was installed from an e-mail sent to me by the dealer from whom I purchased my computer.

Also note that my active hard drive is partitioned: 10.4.11 (AW 6.2.9) and 9.1 (no AW in Applications). I've never used the 9.1 partition yet.

My copy of AW runs well in Word and Drawing. (On one occasion, a long list of prices in an AW Drawing document failed to update for about 15 minutes. When the just-Saved document was opened, it still showed the old version of data.)


•


Could the problem just be that 6.2.9 isn't the best version in OS 10.4.11?

I have 6.2.4 on a genuine Apple grey CD, purchased from Hardcoremac.

Thanks again for your help!!


Bob

[Barry]

Hi,

1. A question on Unicode for AW 6.2.9:

A current thread recommends unchecking Unicode in System Preferences - International - Input Menu.

I see that Unicode - in the very first line of my Input Menu - has indeed been checked all these months.

I've just unchecked it.

HOWEVER, I also see that near the bottom of the Input Menu, what's also been checked all along has been "U.S.," NOT "U.S. Extended - Unicode."

- Was Unicode, checked in line 1 for the past year, contributing to my problem in AW Database (described below)?

AppleWorks is not Unicode compliant. The indication that you are using a Unicode keyboard layout is that AppleWorks will "unexpectedly quit" as soon as you type any character in a text/word processing environment.

Having one or more Unicode keyboard layouts checked in the Input menu means only that they will show in the menu should you choose to display it in the Menu bar, and will have no effect on AppleWorks, provided the active keyboard layout is not one of them when you are using AppleWorks.

2. I'm still having episodes in AW 6.2.9 Database (only), OS 10.4.11, where after using the "Find" dialogue box for a while, the Find function won't respond - and the gumdrop in the database stays greyed - even after I've clicked on the database to make it the active window again.

"gumdrop" ? (not familiar with the term)

I AM able to make the AW window active again, to Save.

I then have to Quit, and relaunch the document.

It will happen again, sometimes in 5 minutes, sometimes 5 hours.

It's an ordinary postal mailing list.

I've done all of the following, per the kind suggestions of this group:

- Created fresh database template
- Inserted data as ASCII, instead of just Saving As previous version of AW database
- Shortened field names, well below 64-character limit
- Examined field types (two are checkbox fields, one is radio button, though rarely used, and never sorted upon; balance are Text or Name)
- Trashed appleworks.plist
- Trashed above on second hard drive, only used to park backups
- Trashed all four items in AppleWorks Preferences folder
- Trashed above on second hard drive
- Trashed finder.plist (this lead to the second line of file names being marooned in a window if I drag the icon! Very strange. Cured by checking Show View Options - Show Item Info; this seems to deepen the footprint of a click on a icon)
- Saved database in AW 5, then reopened and renamed in AW 6
- Maintenance 3.7, Repaired Permissions (no problem reported)
- Disk Utility, Verified Permissions (no problem reported)

Note that my copy of AW 6.2.9 was installed from an e-mail sent to me by the dealer from whom I purchased my computer.

Also note that my active hard drive is partitioned: 10.4.11 (AW 6.2.9) and 9.1 (no AW in Applications). I've never used the 9.1 partition yet.

Most of these seem reasonable steps. a couple of points:

Missing from your list is "I emptied my Recent Items folder." Although I don't see anything in the problem to specifically suggest that step, it's one that won't hurt, and may help. You find Recent Items at HD > yourname > Documents > AppleWorks User Data > Starting Points > Recent Items.

Also, anytime you trash the AW preferences, do both the .plist and the files in AppleWorks's Preferences folder.

Third, I'm curious as to why you trashed the Finder plist. I don't see a Finder connection with this issue.

My copy of AW runs well in Word and Drawing. (On one occasion, a long list of prices in an AW Drawing document failed to update for about 15 minutes. When the just-Saved document was opened, it still showed the old version of data.)

I'm not sure what you mean by "a long list of prices in an AW Drawing document failed to update for about 15 minutes."

How were these prices entered into the the Draw document? Were the changes visible when you Saved the document? Had you moved/renamed the file while it was open?

Could the problem just be that 6.2.9 isn't the best version in OS 10.4.11?

I have 6.2.4 on a genuine Apple grey CD, purchased from Hardcoremac.

6.2.9 is running fine under OS X v10.4.11 on my iBook G4, although my most-used DB has had a couple of crashes lately. It's a membership list that is actively revised at this time of year, and got up to version k last year.

6.2.9 and 6.2.4 are both stable in Tiger. 6.2.9 did include some bug fixes, and added support for scroll wheel/scroll ball mice.

Sorry I can't offer a solution to the Find function not working. Answers to the questions above might trigger some ideas in my head (or someone else's).

Regards,
Barry