Archive for the ‘Snow Leopard’ Category
Sunday, December 25th, 2011
I’ve been using Winclone, a Mac OS app, to back-up my Boot Camp - Windows 7 partition onto a HFS+ (Mac OS compatible) external disk drive. However tonight it failed, early in the attempt, repeatedly. Also when I asked it to look for updates, it failed to connect to the internet, whereas I could access websites OK over Safari. Searching round, I found a later version, downloaded it, deleted the existing one (2.2) and installed the new one (2.3).
The new one similarly failed to access the internet. On the other hand it did not fail early on in the process. I aborted it anyhow, for reasons that will become clear (below).
Web-Search:
- Google: [winclone alternative]
- Several posts stated:
- Mixed experiences when using Winclone under Snow Leopard and the impossibility of using it (straight) under Lion)
- To minimise problems under Snow Leopard, [Compressed] should be disabled. Also select [.dmg] format.
- This product (Winclone) was no longer being developed
- Best Example:
Posted in Windows 7, backup, Boot Camp, Snow Leopard, Mac | No Comments »
Thursday, October 6th, 2011
Upgrading a Mac Pro from Mac OS Leopard to Mac OS Snow Leopard. Now that I’m no longer mid-project, and have some “spare” time, I’m ready to have a go. Experiences:
- Paranoia:
- Will the installation offer an “Upgrade” (as opposed to “Fresh Install”) option?
- Will my Boot Camp partition be at risk?
- Doesn’t seem so. The installer recognises the partitions and asks which one you want to install to.
- Any install instructions/advice/tips:
- Steps Taken:
- Backup both partitions - Mac OS & Boot Camp.
- Check installation disk appearance of quality
- It was slightly marked. Could not easily be cleaned.
- Boot to install-disk
- Prompted for default/custom install
- Looked at Custom option, it installs everything except Rosetta. That app is only needed when running old (PowerPC) apps. It is being phased out (along with the apps…). If an app needs it, you will be prompted to download it anyway, so no real disadvantage in omitting it, in fact an advantage - running any ancient apps will highlight them as such.
- Installation started
- From top-menu, selected option to display Logger.
- Indicated that the process “migrated” my Preferences. Sounds hopeful…
- Run-time
- Estimated 42 minute. Still said that 10 minutes later.
- The estimate was about right - maybe an over-estimate - it’s just that the progress was nonlinear.
- Completion:
- Reboot
- Started up with no apparent problems.
- Prompted me for my contact details.
- Some of them needed updating - I did so.
- Success!
- Backup
- Prior to any Apple Updates (system, apps…)
Posted in Apple, Snow Leopard, Mac | No Comments »
Friday, July 15th, 2011
Backup & Restore via Disk Utility (DU) - on Mac OS install-disk - to a fresh hard-drive:
- Routine: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1553
- Complication: Backed-up not the whole disk but aMac OS partition alongside a Boot Camp partition.
- DU restores the partition (as a sole partition) but it won’t boot.
- Try install fresh OS X from install-dvd, then use it to create Boot Camp partition (and presumably boot-selection menu) then restore (with erase) to the OS X partition (only). To save time (hopefully), didn’t actually install Windows.
- Both the fresh-install and the restoration of OS X took about an hour.
- Yes it worked! Booted into Mac OS just fine.
- Left it to “settle” a bit - e.g. until CPU level down around zero.
- Restart in Shift-Boot mode (to refresh OS’s tables etc.) and log-in as “DefaultEverything” (dummy user created as per advice - I think from Larry Jordan). Maybe should have done that the first time…
- Restarted in normal user account, again left awhile.
- Started WinClone (App, started from MacOS)
- It appeared to first scan the backup then began to install it. Not quick, maybe an hour for each of these (two) tasks.
- Source partition was 232.57 GB - as compared to the destination partition of around 250 GB.
- Alt-Booted into W7 just fine.
- Being on the internet, it began downloading numerous system updates - furiously (like it was hard to web-browse even on another computer on the network.
- Correspondingly, on ShutDown, W7 installed numerous (61) updates. Took ages - so if ever repeating such a recovery, allow for this…
- Also on subsequent start-up, updating & registering stuff - took a few minutes - wish I’d run it straight (boot camp) not within Parallels. But it seemed “happy”.
- (to be continued…)
(more…)
Posted in MacBook Pro, disk, backup, Boot Camp, Mac, Snow Leopard, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Monday, July 19th, 2010
Problem:
- In Windows I export from Sony Vegas to AVI (CineForm). In OS X I read the file into FCP and apply the SmoothCam effect, then export to ProRes. In Windows, Sony Vegas, I replace the original file with the smoothed one. The levels/gamma are wrong.
Solution (Search):
- Sony Vegas forum http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?ForumID=4&MessageID=718371
- Use DNxHD
- Couple of tips re DNxHD: 709 color level assumes 16-235, and RGB assumes 0-255.
- Force it back again: www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/gamma_mac_pc.html
- But this presumably implies getting re-quantized twice (the roundtrip issue and the forcing), which for 8-bit footage I imagine could reduce the quality (banding).
- Uncertainties
- Where and how does this gamma get applied? In FCP I didn’t (knowingly) alter the levels (eg until it looked right), I just applied the SmoothCam filter. So I guess it would look wrong on the (pre-SnowLeopard) Mac but I wouldn’t care. Wouldn’t FCP then export back whatever it got but smoothed? This one is really confusing. Experiments needed (when I get time…) I guess.
Posted in gamma, Snow Leopard, QuickTime, Windows 7, roundtrip, DNxHD, ProRes, Final Cut, Mac, Cineform, Sony Vegas, Formats, Video Computer Technology | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 21st, 2010
For Mac OS:
For Windows:
They are both pretty similar, in each case displaying filespace usage via a tree map looking like a patchwork of multicoloured PVC, each colour representing a different type of file (audio, video, application, document etc.). Their advantage over traditional browser trees is you can see all the largest files and folders simultaneously (as a plan-view). Tree maps (treemaps) are explained at http://w3.win.tue.nl/nl/onderzoek/onderzoek_informatica/visualization/sequoiaview/about_treemaps/ - they are formed by subdividing in alternate dimensions (horizontal/vertical), each time in proportion to relative size of item, be it folder or file. A variation on this, employed by the above tools, is a cushion treemap [http://www.win.tue.nl/~vanwijk/ctm.pdf], where shading reveals the directory structure. A further variation is the squarified treemap [http://www.win.tue.nl/~vanwijk/stm.pdf], where subdivision and grouping attempt (no guarantee of success) to make the rectangles as square as possible. (more…)
Posted in Snow Leopard, microsoft, file mgt, linux, Windows, Video Computer Technology, Mac, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 14th, 2010
How to get screen-lock on demand, e.g. when walking away from a machine still executing something:
<<<OS X has native screen-locking built-in; though you wouldn’t know unless you dug around. To enable it, open your Keychain Access utility in the Applications / Utility folder. Under the “View” menu at the top, select “Show Status in Menu Bar.” A black padlock will appear in your taskbar in the upper right-hand corner. Close Keychain Access. Now when you click on the padlock, you have a “Lock Screen” option in the drop-down. Selecting it will cause your screen to fade to black and engage your screen saver. Click any key to open a login / password dialog box, and you’re back in.>>>
Posted in Snow Leopard, Mac | No Comments »
Saturday, March 27th, 2010
Problem:
- MacBook Pro, when in Boot Camp Windows 7, gets uncomfortably hot (in its heatsink areas, the bar above keyboard and also the chassis underside). In comparison, it runs pretty cool (temperature) under Mac OS.
Reason:
- No fan control when in Boot Camp Windows mode.
Popular Solution (does not imply any recommendation):
Some good links (as of 2010-03-27):
Experiences:
- Just copied the contents of the zip file to [C:\Program Files (x86)\Lubbo’s Fan Control] and ran it from there. It has files [inpout32.dll] and [inpoutx64.dll].
- Ran it but it gave error messages:
- (The) Following process(es) is/are using SMC:
- It’s not an error, but Lubbo’s Fan Control cannot share apple SMC access.
- Do you want to kill it/them?
- NO = the system may freeze. Try only if you are running BootCamp 3.1
- YES = the incompatible process(es) will bekilled and the program will start.
- But I have read elsewhere that this means function keys won’t then work (for that session).
- Didn’t work - it said “It was not possible to load IO driver. Retry?” and “(May be better to press CANCEL and reopen the program)”
- CANCEL = this program will exit
- Someone else had the same problem but found a solution that appeared to work for them:
- So it seems that to get Lubbo’s utility working I have to:
- Kill a system process
- Install a version of .NET that is not yet officially supported.
- I’ll write a separate blog post about .NET
- Life on the edge, huh?
Posted in Boot Camp, Snow Leopard, Windows, Mac, Video Computer Technology | No Comments »
Thursday, January 28th, 2010
In a post at http://www.macvideo.tv/BLOGS/index.cfm?blogid=101658&entryid=3201452 Matt Davis links to Sony’s page offering the latest SxS driver which is compatible with Snow Leopard. Also he points out is bugs/features, irritating rather than show-stopping. There is also a driver for Windows, I’ll try it under Boot Camp.
The following has a FAQ about it:
Posted in Setup, Snow Leopard, XDCAM EX, Sony EX XDCAM, Final Cut | No Comments »
Saturday, January 9th, 2010
Posted in Snow Leopard, Mac | No Comments »
Thursday, January 7th, 2010
The XDCAM Transfer plugin allows FCP to easily ingest footage in the format generated by XDCAM-EX cameras such as the EX3. Unlike FCP6, where it was also advised to load a “FAM Driver” (as a separate plugin), this is not appropriate for FCP7 (explained below)
From the ReadMe phase of the ‘Install XDCAM Transfer’ installer dialog:
XDCAM FAM driver and tool.
Mount Professional Discs in XDCAM devices connected by FAM (i.LINK) in the Finder.
Note: The XDCAM FAM driver and tool are not compatible with Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard and are not installed.
• XDCAM Transfer main application.
Preview clips from XDCAM and import your selected material as QuickTime movies. XDCAM Transfer supports the PDW-U1 XDCAM Drive unit and Professional Memory Cards recorded with the PMW-EX1 camcorder.
• Sony XDCAM Import and Export plug-ins for Final Cut Pro.
Initiate transfers from XDCAM directly into a Final Cut Pro project and render your Final Cut Pro sequence directly onto a connected XDCAM disc.
• Final Cut Pro XDCAM presets.
Configure your sequence and export settings to be compatible with XDCAM. The XDCAM HD422 presets replace those installed by Final Cut Pro 6.0.3.
• XDCAM Transfer User Guide.
Found in the Documentation folder of this disk image and also available from the Help menu of the XDCAM Transfer application after installing the software.
Posted in Setup, Snow Leopard, XDCAM EX, Sony EX XDCAM, Final Cut | No Comments »