[wily]

Problem: Walk into my office, my G5 fans are screaming, the computer has frozen.

Suspect: Software.

Suspicicion: Screensaver that conflicts with 3am UNIX housekeeping.

Symptoms: Eradic testing of "bad" RAM; continues after RAM is replaced, numerous softwear "quits," files disappearing, reappearing.

Decision: Install a new system folder.

Questions.

1. Using the Panther upgrade disc, is it possible to create a new system folder and reboot?

2. In OS 7-9, I could create a new system folder and then drag in stuff from my old system folder as needed and to help isolate problems. This still work in OS X?

3. Any other thoughts?

[Spheric Harlot]

Um.

Screen savers should not be installed in the "System" folder. If you have one that's written badly enough to have installed itself there, then I'd say it's likely to have other problems as well.

What, exactly, are you thinking of adding back to a new "System Folder"?

And which folders, exactly?

If you think it's the screen saver, just remove it from /Library/Screen Savers (or the /Library/Screen Savers folder in your home folder, depending upon where it is), and select a different saver in the System Preferences.

That's it. No restart, no re-install, nothing.

Screen savers are not loaded on start-up.

-s*

[wataru]

There is no reason to reinstall the system to fix a screen saver. Any and all user software should be in /Library or your home folder. If you really think it's a software problem (it sure doesn't sound like it) then make a new user and try it out for a bit. If that doesn't do it, remove anything you've added to /Library.

[CatOne]

Originally posted by wily:
Problem: Walk into my office, my G5 fans are screaming, the computer has frozen.

Suspect: Software.

Suspicicion: Screensaver that conflicts with 3am UNIX housekeeping.

Symptoms: Eradic testing of "bad" RAM; continues after RAM is replaced, numerous softwear "quits," files disappearing, reappearing.

Decision: Install a new system folder.

Questions.

1. Using the Panther upgrade disc, is it possible to create a new system folder and reboot?

2. In OS 7-9, I could create a new system folder and then drag in stuff from my old system folder as needed and to help isolate problems. This still work in OS X?

3. Any other thoughts?

It won't work in OS X. In OS X, *nothing* goes in the System folder, except for the System. Any machine-wide extensions go in /Library, and user-specific extensions go in ~/Library (that is, the Library in your user's home folder).

Unless something in system got corrupted (odds aren't too good), reinstalling /System wouldn't fix a thing.

[Person Man]

Originally posted by wily:
Problem: Walk into my office, my G5 fans are screaming, the computer has frozen.

Suspect: Software.

Suspicicion: Screensaver that conflicts with 3am UNIX housekeeping.

Symptoms: Eradic testing of "bad" RAM; continues after RAM is replaced, numerous softwear "quits," files disappearing, reappearing.

Decision: Install a new system folder.

Questions.

1. Using the Panther upgrade disc, is it possible to create a new system folder and reboot?

2. In OS 7-9, I could create a new system folder and then drag in stuff from my old system folder as needed and to help isolate problems. This still work in OS X?

3. Any other thoughts?

I think he means a "clean reinstall of the system," which under OS 7/8/9 was installing a new system folder, and then dragging things from the old folder to the new.

OS X has an "archive and install" feature that you could use. Of course, if you suspect a screensaver, just try removing that first.

[arekkusu]

Originally posted by CatOne:
In OS X, *nothing* goes in the System folder, except for the System. Any machine-wide extensions go in /Library, and user-specific extensions go in ~/Library (that is, the Library in your user's home folder).

This isn't quite true. Most things (fonts, screen savers etc) go in /Library, but kernel extensions still go in /System. So if you had custom drivers for a MIDI interface or surround sound card or what not, you'll need to reinstall them.