WARNING: READ THIS DOCUMENTATION BEFORE USING TechTool !!!
Revision notes are at the end of this document.
About TechTool
TechTool is a handy utility which:
• Rebuilds the desktop
• Zaps the PRAM
•Tests for damaged system files
• Displays system information about the Macintosh
Welcome to version 1.0.9 of TechTool!
The most significant addition since version 1.0.7 and greatly enhanced in this version is a feature called System Analyzer. By analyzing resource and data components within a system file and comparing this information with a database known-good system data, it is possible to quickly and accurately determine if a given system file is damaged. This means that Macintosh users of the future will no longer have to go through the age-old ritual of replacing suspect system files based merely on an educated hunch.
This feature will work on US AND WILL NOW work with international system versions. It will only work on system versions between 7.0 and 7.5.2. As Apple officially releases new systems, we'll release updated versions of TechTool which contain the necessary database to test these systems. This brings up an important issue: registering your copy of TechTool.
TechTool now includes a registration screen. This is a basic name-and-address form which you can print and then FAX or mail to MicroMat or better yet; you can save the registration to a text file which can be emailed to us. Don't cringe! We're not going to ask you for money! TechTool is still a free gift from us to you. We would like to keep a database of TechTool users so that we can inform you of updates as we release them and tell you how to get the latest version. This is important to us because our technical support personnel are supporting many users out there that are still using ancient versions of TechTool. We will also inform you of other cool MicroMat inventions as we release them. Please take a few moments to register your copy of TechTool. This is a small price to pay for this great utility!
IMPORTANT: IF YOU'VE ALREADY REGISTERED A PREVIOUS COPY OF TECHTOOL, IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO REGISTER AGAIN!
Introduction:
Desktop Database: One or more invisible files which reside on Macintosh Finder-mountable media which contain file parent information. Data stored in the Desktop include: file and application icons, type and creator codes and semi-critical directory information. The Desktop is updated on an individual basis each time a new application is introduced (copied or mounted) to a given system. The Finder scans the new application for a BNDL resource, which provides the Desktop database with icon and file type information for the application and its respective document icons. Once the Desktop has been updated for the new application, that application no longer needs to remain present on the system for the its document icons to be correctly displayed at the Finder. The Desktop can globally updated by the user by rebooting the system and holding the COMMAND and OPTION keys simultaneously before the Finder appears.
Parameter RAM: Pronounced "pea-ram", the parameter RAM is a non-volatile RAM chip located on the motherboard of the Macintosh that holds time critical information, various user settings and pre-boot parameters. Many parameters are indirectly changed by normal user operation as well as by system and application software. The Macintosh ROM chips contain a default PRAM map in case the logic-board based backup battery fails. This map will restore the PRAM to its stock configuration.
The Desktop database and parameter RAM have been problematic since the first Macs were released in 1984. This is not due to any wrong-doing on Apple's part. Many third-party software and hardware products often use these semi-hidden areas to store settings or to make custom modifications. While this practice usually causes no problems, Apple frowns upon developer use of these areas since future Macs or system software may need these areas for their own special parameters. This eventual conflict is usually where PRAM and Desktop problems arise.
Another problem which plagues the Desktop and PRAM is bad data, often referred to as corruption. During normal use, the Desktop and PRAM will often be updated by the system, Finder or other applications. In the event that these updates are interrupted for any reason, because of a crash or an extension conflict, the data stored in either area could be written incorrectly. Garbage in, garbage out. In most cases the bad data may not affect anything important or noticeable, but it is possible for vital memory locations and file segments to become damaged, rendering the machine completely useless or riddled with crashes and freezes.
Given the above, many mysterious system problems can arise from problems related to PRAM or the Desktop file(s). TechTool allows you to eliminate any PRAM or Desktop related problems using a method (outline below) that is a better alternative to traditional techniques. While TechTool has proven to be both safe and reliable, here on some suggestions which could help prevent potential problems:
Don't Use TechTool Like a Shotgun:
Many users will launch TechTool and immediately clear the PRAM and the Desktop. While there is technically nothing wrong with doing this, it makes finding the source of the problem more difficult. If the problem is eliminated, you won't know which aspect (PRAM or Desktop) was the source of the problem, which makes locating the potential culprit more difficult. Make one change at a time, and test your system to see if the problem has been eliminated. If it hasn't, move on to the next item.
Start With Extensions Off:
While having extensions off is not necessary, it can prevent potential difficulties and make some aspects of using TechTool faster. Rebuilding the desktop with extensions disabled will allow the Finder to rebuild the desktop at its maximum speed. The exception to this rule is Apple's Macintosh Easy Open control panel. This CDEV maintains a separate desktop database for its own use. If you have and use MEO, you should keep it active when deleting the desktop file. If you do not leave MEO active for the desktop rebuild, it will rebuild the desktop several times.
Always Save PRAM Before Zapping:
Saving the PRAM gives you the ability to undo the zap should a problem occur due to clearing the PRAM.
Don't Restore PRAM Unless There's a Problem:
Many users have been confused by the PRAM restore option, believing that after they zap the PRAM they should restore the previously saved PRAM file. This will just place the exact same information back into PRAM, eliminating any benefit gained from the previous zap. Restore should only be used if zapping the PRAM creates a problem and you wish to undo the zap.
Desktop Rebuild:
Rebuilding the desktop is often necessary when documents fail to launch after double-clicking, or when custom icons are unexpectedly replaced with generic document or application icons. Traditionally, holding the option and command keys before the Finder loads will force the invisible desktop file to "rebuild" itself. Quite often, this is not completely effective because the original desktop file was corrupted, so rebuilding it only yields an updated desktop file which is still damaged.
TechTool provides a better solution to rebuilding the desktop. It actually deletes the original desktop. The next time the Finder loads, it will create a brand new desktop file.
Usage:
• Push the Rebuild Desktop button.
• For file safety reasons, TechTool will not function when other applications are
active. If any applications are running (besides TechTool and the Finder) you'll
be prompted to quit those other applications. A dialog box will appear listing
any applications running. An AE Quit button will also be available. This will
send an Apple Events Quit All Applications command to any active application
other than TechTool and Finder. Some applications ignore Apple Events, so you
may have to quit them manually. HP Backgrounder, a Hewlett Packard printing
extension will NOT respond to AE Quit, so you will need to restart with exten-
sions disabled (shift key down) to bypass HP Backgrounder.
• TechTool will prompt you to select the hard drive(s) containing the desktop to be
rebuilt. You can select multiple drives by shift-selecting.
• TechTool will force the Finder to quit and then delete the selected desktop files.
• The new desktop file will be created by the Finder after quitting TechTool.
• System 7.5 users may find that the desktop(s) will be rebuilt twice. Macintosh
Easy Open requires a second rebuild of it's own.
Potential Side-Effects:
• Get Info comments will be lost.
• Documents that have lost their parent applications will become generic
document icons.
• Users of SpaceSaver™ and other "live" compression programs should
make sure that these programs are enabled before the desktop is rebuilt.
Many live compression programs modify the desktop file to utilize their
custom icons.
Zap the Parameter Ram:
The parameter RAM (PRAM) contains user-definable settings that must be retained after the computer has been deactivated. Settings such as time of day, mouse scaling, keyboard repeat rate, and startup drive preferences are all stored in the upper 64 bytes of PRAM. Traditionally, one could clear or "zap" these upper 64 bytes of PRAM by holding a special key combination at startup or before selecting the control panel. This often cured behavioral anomalies which could not be remedied with software replacement.
Below the standard 64 bytes of PRAM lies another 192 bytes of memory which are, for the most part, publicly undocumented. These are secret storage areas that Apple uses for such things as Manufacture Date and Factory Service settings. When these portions of the PRAM become corrupted with invalid data, odd problems can occur and sometimes the machine will fail to work at all. Traditional PRAM zapping does not clear the lower 192 bytes of PRAM. The only alternative is to remove the PRAM battery, which is often soldered to the logic board. TechTool clears all 256 bytes* of PRAM memory without the need to remove the battery. Once the system is rebooted, the Macintosh ROM will replace the PRAM contents with its default or factory settings.
*As of version 1.0.3, TechTool will restore the 4 bytes that contain the date and hours in use. See "Manufacture Date" section for details.
Usage:
• Push the Zap PRAM button.
• You'll be prompted to SAVE the PRAM data before zapping it.
• If any applications are running (besides TechTool and the Finder) you'll be prompted
to quit those other applications.
• TechTool will prompt with the message, "Are you sure you want to zap the
parameter RAM?"
• If you select "YES", TechTool will set all PRAM bytes to 0 and then force the
system to restart (the system doesn't like having active PRAM data tweaked).
• The system will boot again, restore the mandate and then restart again.
(see Manufacture Date section for explanation)
• Factory default settings will be restored on the next restart.
Potential Side-Effects:
• Budget Apple color monitors and some VGA monitors may change to
a puke-green tint. This is due to a bug in some Mac PRAMs and will
occur if you use TechTool or zap the PRAM any other way. Apple has
remedied this with the Basic Color Monitor extension available from
most online services.
• Color desktop patterns may refuse to appear after zapping the PRAM
with or without TechTool. This is another PRAM bug on some Macs.
The cure is to open the Monitors control panel, select Black & White
and then reselect your color setting.
• Virus programs may try to prevent TechTool from zapping the PRAM.
If this occurs, temporarily disable your virus detection program.
• Color-capable Macs may revert to 1-bit B&W, the factory default setting.
• 32-bit addressing may revert to 24-bit addressing, if that is the factory
default setting. Newer systems will remain at 32-bit addressing.
• StartUp Device will revert to SCSI ID 0, the factory default setting.
• The printer port will revert to AppleTalk Active, the factory default setting.
If you use a non-AppleTalk printer, it may print a page of gibberish before
you deactivate AppleTalk.
• Mouse speed will revert to Tablet (super-slow), the factory default setting.
• Adjusting Control Panel and Chooser settings will correct the above problems.
TechTool can save your PRAM settings to disk. If you have any trouble with your system after zapping the PRAM, relaunch TechTool and select the RESTORE button. Original settings prior to using TechTool will be restored, provided that you saved this data before zapping.
WARNING:
Some of you might wonder what will happen if you save the PRAM data from one model Macintosh and restore it to another model. This is not advised. It could render the other Mac unbootable, forcing you to have to disassemble the machine and remove the PRAM battery.
Manufacture Date & Hours of Use:
The first time the Macintosh computer is activated at Apple's factory, the date is stored in the PRAM. Likewise, an ongoing timer begins counting total computer usage by increments of 5 minutes. This means you have a virtual "odometer" built right into your Mac. TechTool displays both the Manufacturer Date and Total Hours of Use. Before TechTool clears the PRAM, it stores the mandate and hrs. of use into an extension it creates and stores in your extension folder. When you reboot, this temporary extension restores the mandate information, deletes itself from your system and then restarts the system again (this is to insure that the system is rebooted without the TechTool Init). It is advised to restart with extensions disabled before running TechTool: virus programs will be under the impression that TechTool is trying to do something sinister to your system and may thwart the attempt to create the mandate restoration extension.
Caveats:
• Apple did not implement storage of this data until the release of the IIcx. All
models manufactured prior to the IIcx will not display this information.
• If the battery has been removed from the logic board, this information will
no longer be valid.
System Information:
TechTool provides a text window which displays a multitude of data relevant to the system the program is running on. System version, model name, RAM, ROM and more is displayed. This information is provided by a system global called Gestalt. Much of this information is really only relevant to programmers, but we've included because you might find it interesting. By pushing the Print button, you can also print this data, which is about two pages worth of information. Using the Save as... button will prompt you with a "Save..." dialog and will save the system info to a text file.
The IMPORTANT Menu:
TechTool contains a menu which has information about MicroMat products and special offers. Please check out the menu options! If you think TechTool is cool (you probably do if you've read this far) you have to see MacEKG. Consider it TechTool on steroids. The "Personalize..." option gives you information on how you can order a TechTool Editor application which allows you to place your own message in the startup/About window (select "About TechTool..." under the Apple menu to see).
TechTool's Future:
TechTool recently celebrated its second birthday and it's still free! We plan to continue adding new features to the program. Watch for updates on your favorite online service or better yet, REGISTER so we can send you email when a new version becomes available.
Help and Contacting MicroMat:
If you have any difficulty with TechTool, chances are it is due to an extension conflict. Having file sharing active has been known to cause oddities on the desktop rebuild. Try restarting with the shift key down to disable extensions and then running TechTool again. Remember that the PRAM settings can be restored to their previous settings (see the Zap PRAM section for details).
Please feel free to call us at our technical support line: 707-837-0444.
When calling, please know the TechTool version number you are using and be sure to call from a Touch-Tone™ telephone.
MicroMat can be reached by E-Mail at:
Internet: micromat@nbn.com
eWorld: MicroMat
AppleLink: MicroMatComp
CompuServe: 71333,166
America Online: MicroMat
Revision History:
1.0.9 11/21/95
Updated system database for Open Transport 1.0.8.
General update of system database.
Correct inaccurate gestalt machine identifiers.
1.0.8 10/20/95
Updated system database to test international systems.
Updated system database to test system version 7.5.2.
Fixed occasional -108 error.
Removed annoying "Have you read the instructions?" dialog.
Added a preference file.
Rearranged/renamed several menus.
Updated gestalt machine models.
1.0.7 6/6/95
Added system analyzer feature.
Added save/print option to help screen.
Added save/print to offer screens.
Added save/print for system data.
Added registration screen.
Recompiled as native application.
1.0.6 10/15/94
Fixed bug with deletion of invisible files.
1.0.5 10/12/94
Added hard drive data to information screen.
Moved initial start screen to a Help menu.
Added new about box which user can customize (with purchase of editor).
1.0.4 3/14/94
Added system information screen.
Added saving of PRAM data to disk.
Removed forced restart from DT rebuild.
Added Power Macintosh compatibility.
Added additional restart after deletion of mandate init.
1.0.3 9/1/93
Displays Manufacture Date and Hours In Use.
Will restore PRAM bytes which hold this information.
1.0.2 8/14/93
Now makes sure no other items are active. Should correct
problem with File Sharing and/or other extensions being on.
1.0.1 8/10/93
Repaired Finder/AE bug
1.0.0 8/8/93
Initial release
Legal Stuff:
This utility may be freely distributed via online services, BBSs and user groups provided it is not altered in ANY way except with the purchase of the TechTool Editor. Commercial, Shareware, and CD-ROM services must obtain advance permission in writing from MicroMat Computer Systems before distributing this product.
This utility is available for public use free of charge. However, it is NOT public domain. All copyright, ownership, and rights of ownership shall remain with MicroMat Computer Systems.
USE THIS PRODUCT AT YOUR OWN RISK. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROMAT COMPUTER SYSTEMS BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL OR INDIRECT DAMAGES (INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, LOSS OF BUSINESS INFORMATION AND THE LIKE) ARISING OUT THE USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THIS SOFTWARE EVEN IF MICROMAT HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. MICROMAT WILL BE ANNOUNCING TECHTOOL PRO IN DECEMBER. MICROMAT COMPUTER SYSTEMS AND MICROMAT'S LICENCSORS EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
