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OS X First Aid

Diagnose a sick Mac

Sometimes it’s hard to figure out the cause of a Mac’s affliction. But there’s one good way to begin. Create a fresh, untouched troubleshooting account that you use only to solve problems.

To create a new user, go to the Accounts preference pane. If you’re running OS X 10.4, click on the lock icon and enter your administrative password to make changes, and then click on the plus sign (just below Login Options) to create a new account. Enter a name for the new user (for example, Troubleshooting User), enter a short name (trouble) and password, select the Allow User To Administer This Computer option, and then click on Create Account.

After creating the user, do not install any of the Login Items, user-specific fonts, or applications you may have installed for your regular account. In other words, keep this account as clean and simple as possible. In the future, if you have problems with your main account, use your troubleshooting account to make a diagnosis. Log in as the troubleshooter and try to re-create the problem. If the problem recurs, then you know you have a systemwide issue that will probably require either reinstalling the program in question or something more drastic—such as reinstalling your system software. If the problem doesn’t recur, then you know you have a user-level problem—this is much more likely.

You can resolve most user-level issues by trashing the affected program’s preferences file (which you’ll find in your user folder /Library/Preferences), removing a troublesome Login Item, or using Font Book (/Applications) to find and remove corrupted user fonts. (For more informa-tion about font problems, see “Solve Font Problems” at macworld.com/1149.)

The process for identifying the specific cause of the problem isn’t completely scientific. Start by moving anything you suspect out of its present location to a safe spot (for example, your desktop), and then try to make the problem happen again. If it doesn’t, you’ve found the culprit; if it does, repeat the process until you eliminate it.— Rob Griffiths