Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

McMark · Mar 9, 2005, 09:07 PM

I have an emac 800 running os 10.3.8 and have noticed since the last
update that the 'apple shift 4' option which photographs a selected area of
the screen leaves just the text or sometimes the pdf icon and text until
the desktop is selected at which point the file disappears off the screen and
completely off the hard drive. I know someone with an imac 800 who is having
exactly the same problem.
Incidently we both use Yasu as a maintenance utility (just a suspicion).
Someone please respond before some power hungry fool locks this thread
and tells me my problem is not to do with an emac.
Thanks

OptimusG4 · Mar 9, 2005, 09:35 PM

Oddly enough, I had the same thing happen to me tonight using the screenshot command, and this is on a powerbook 667 running 10.3.7...odd :/

Boondoggle · Mar 10, 2005, 05:19 AM

this is an intermittent bug. I have not figured out what causes it. It happens about 10% of the time for me.

Naplander · Mar 10, 2005, 05:41 AM

I have the problem too. It's irritating and definately a bug in the OS. I used the grabb app now.

The DJ · Mar 10, 2005, 06:40 AM

Originally posted by Naplander:
I have the problem too. It's irritating and definately a bug in the OS. I used the grabb app now.

Yup i noticed it as well. And for me it's more than 10% of the time. I'd say more like 90% of the time

(G4/400 completely 10.3.8 + sec. fixes)

mism · Mar 10, 2005, 08:36 AM

I think it is solved if you do CMD Shift 4 and give it a moment to save, let the cross hair revert to the pointer. I have had this a lot but not since I tried this, or have I just been lucky?

Big Mac · Mar 10, 2005, 11:08 AM

I have never seen this behavior, and I use command+shift+4 fairly often.

McMark · Mar 10, 2005, 02:14 PM

Hey Big Mac
If you are not having the problem, maybe you can help narrow this downd a bit.
Are you running 10.3.?
Do you use a maintenance utility?
It would be good to nut this one out
cos it is irritating. I use this feature a lot
to create pdfs of docs I scan. It quickly creates
a small file to store or email.
I'd say it happens 90%of the time for me also.
I should point out that this happens mostly in conjunction
with photoshop CS, as this is where I import my scanner driver to

Love Calm Quiet · Mar 10, 2005, 06:45 PM

You say the icon goes "off the screen"... does it not appear in the Desktop folder? What if you do a FIND on "Picture 1" etc... to see if it's anywhere on drive?

Brass · Mar 10, 2005, 09:50 PM

I use CMD-SHIFT-4 frequently, and have never had this problem. I'm running 10.3.8 on a CRT iMac, with no real 3rd party system utilities.

I also use the CMD-SHIFT-4 then SPACE (for window capture), and the CTRL-CMD-SHIF-4 version to capture to clipboard instead of to a file. No problems with any of these.

BTW, if it is a file deletion issue, then the capture to clipboard variation (ie, with CTRL) may be a good work around for you.

Krusty · Mar 11, 2005, 12:25 AM

Originally posted by Love Calm Quiet:
You say the icon goes "off the screen"... does it not appear in the Desktop folder? What if you do a FIND on "Picture 1" etc... to see if it's anywhere on drive?

I've experienced too ... just once or twice and only recently. The behavior is that the "
Picture 1" does appear on the screen ... for a second or two. Then when you tried to click on it it literally disappears before your eyes

Sad thing is ... I figured out a workaround and the conditions under which it occured but can't for the life of me remember what it was now. Trying Brass' idea sounds like it may work too.

McMark · Mar 11, 2005, 01:16 AM

My problem is exactly as Krustys.
It appears for a few seconds and when I select it
the magic unfolds before your eyes. Abracadabra-gone

"What if you do a FIND on "Picture 1" etc... to see if it's anywhere on drive?
"
Have tried this without success. It quite literally disappears off the HD
completely.
Many people aren't having this problem.
I have all the following installed.
Perhaps all of us that have the problem have similar appl.
installed. (long shot)
Acquisition
Address Book
Adobe Photoshop CS
AppleScript
AWS Guitar Tuner 1.1
Britannica2004
Calculator
Camino
CanoScan Toolbox 4.1
Checkbook
CiphSafe
Cubase SX
DVD Player
DVD2oneX
DVDBackup 1.3
EasyWMA
EPSON Printer Utility
Extractor
Final Cut
Firefox
Font Book
GarageBand
HexEdit
Image Capture
ImageBrowser
iMovie
Internet Connect
Internet Explorer
iOrganize
iPhoto
Ircle
iSync
iTunes
Keychain First Aid
Mac the ripper
Macromedia Dreamweaver MX
Macromedia Extension Manager
Macromedia FreeHand MX
Mail
Maxi_Bidder
Meteorologist
Microsoft Office 2004
Mozilla
MPlayer OS X 2
Netscape
Nisus Thesaurus
OmniPage Pro X
OpenShiiva
Pacifist
PDFLab
Preferential Treatment
Preview
PsyncX
QuickTime Player
Reunion 8
Safari
serial box
Sherlock
Smart reporter
Stickies
System Preferences
TextEdit
Toast 6 Titanium
Trash It!
Utilities
Virtual PC
VLC
Windows Media Player
Yasu

Big Mac · Mar 11, 2005, 04:59 AM

Originally posted by McMark:
Hey Big Mac
If you are not having the problem, maybe you can help narrow this downd a bit.
Are you running 10.3.?
Do you use a maintenance utility?
It would be good to nut this one out
cos it is irritating. I use this feature a lot
to create pdfs of docs I scan. It quickly creates
a small file to store or email.
I'd say it happens 90%of the time for me also.
I should point out that this happens mostly in conjunction
with photoshop CS, as this is where I import my scanner driver to

10.3.5 and 10.3.7 - never experienced this problem. Really do not use third party utilities, other than MacJanitor on occasion.

Boondoggle · Mar 11, 2005, 06:55 AM

I don't think for me this is related to 3rd party utilities as I have none. My suspicion is that it is a memory related issue. It seems to happen most often when I've got a lot of apps and windows open, and the Finder or whatever process handles the screenshots "chokes". Sorry about the technical jargon.

bd

Hi I'm Ben · Mar 11, 2005, 09:26 AM

Happens to me as well. Usually when I'm diong dual display on the iBook.

McMark · Mar 11, 2005, 10:16 PM

Boondoggie
I can say for sure that I usually have several apps open when this
problem rears its melon.
Maybe you are on to something here.
Possibly an indicator of incompatible ram perhaps?
Or some sort of memory corruption of the app.shift4
program (whatever that is) when too many apps open
as you are pointing out.
I will monitor this from now on and see how regularly
it happens.
Thanx

:haripu: · Mar 14, 2005, 02:31 AM

Like said before, there is a workaround for that problem: give the computer a moment to save the screenshot. As soon as the mousepointer has reverted back from crosshairs it is save to continue working.

This *always* works for me. So I guess it must be a memory problem, probably only on older, slower machines (mine is a G4/350 MHz with 576 MB of RAM).

Grrr · Mar 14, 2005, 08:54 AM

Originally posted by McMark:

Someone please respond before some power hungry fool locks this thread
and tells me my problem is not to do with an emac.

lol!

Big Mac · Mar 14, 2005, 09:33 AM

Originally posted by McMark:
Boondoggie
I can say for sure that I usually have several apps open when this
problem rears its melon.
Maybe you are on to something here.
Possibly an indicator of incompatible ram perhaps?
Or some sort of memory corruption of the app.shift4
program (whatever that is) when too many apps open
as you are pointing out.
I will monitor this from now on and see how regularly
it happens.
Thanx

If RAM were at fault, the problems would be serious, i.e. kernel panics. This is not a serious issue.

McMark · Mar 16, 2005, 08:11 PM

Haripu
you are right and your idea is a good workaround for
this problem. I use it all the time now.
Gettin a bit too quick on the trigger in ma ole age maybe.
I meditate now for 5 seconds before I selects the image on
the desktop.
Thanks all