[osxrules]

My brother is having issues with taking screenshots under 10.3.5, 350MHz imac g3, 384MB Ram. When he makes the screenshot, it is making empty files or files that give errors when opened. I'm not sure what component in OS X (coreservice) is used for this - whatever it is, it's invoked by shift-command-3/4.

When he tries to use the grab app, the options to take a screenshot appear to be blanked out. Did they change it so you need quartz extreme? His graphics card isn't high enough. It works fine on my system though. I have noticed this behaviour once in a while myself though where I would take screenshots and they wouldn't appear on the desktop or the files would be empty.

[lenox]

This might be a shot in the dark, but try repairing permissions?

Maybe grab.app has lost the ability to write files due to faulty permissions.

[Simon]

osxrules, I've seen those errors too, but they aren't very reproducible here, rather random. Normally when I repeat the shot, the bug's gone. Also, try not using mouse/KB until you see the screenshot has been completed and the file is sitting on your desktop. I have the impression this helps, but maybe that's just illusion/esoteric.