Dateline: 05/05/97
I just found the "end run to beat all end runs" around Apple's deactivated 'warm reboot' trick, that took me by surprise when I upgraded a few years back. It's probably a trick that everyone but me has already figured out, but I'm going to post it like a "rare find" anyway. Maybe somebody else takes as long to catch on as I do! Macsbug is free from Apple, so it won't bust any budgets to add this one to your over-loaded hard drive. And, since all that shareware and freeware can, at times, crash your Mac, you need something like MacsBug so that you can 'warm re-boot'.
What on earth is a warm re-boot, you ask? In the good old days, Macs had the same ability that PC users have. A simple three key combination (I've forgotten what it is, as it's been so long) would allow you to restart your computer without having to turn off the power and then turn back on your computer. The inferior "off-on again" method can even cause damage to your hard drive which the computer complains to you about after it finally gets started up again (which usually takes about 3 times as long after crashing).
Warm re-booting is a much safer and faster method of restarting after a crash. For some reason, Apple disabled this feature a few years ago. I understand some of the newer PowerMacs have the ability restored again, but in order to re-boot my Quadra 610, I have to reach behind the machine and press this little tiny tab.
Along comes Apple's MacsBug! It's been around forever, and I never looked at it, as I didn't think I needed anything that a programmer uses. MacsBug is a developers tool to aid in the writing of software, but it comes with some very special tools we can all use. Once you download it, simply install it according to the folder instructions: "Put this in your system folder".
The next time you crash, you'll be greeted with a screen full of numbers and letters that probably won't mean much to you. What is important to the casual Macuser, is one simple command:
'RS' for "Restart".. or that nice old Warm Re-Boot...
There are other tricks you can do that will restart the application that froze your computer in the first place... you can learn each of them by typing 'Help Miscellaneous'.
I must warn you that this application can do other things.. like change the way your computer works. Not a good idea. Put all other commands outside of the miscellaneous directory into the "don't try this at home - we're trained professionals" category.
Once you install MacsBug on your computer, you'll be experiencing the strangest thing: The desire for your computer to crash, just so you can see MacsBug in action.
;)