Broken icons in dock in Tiger?

[EvieSigma]

So I got an eMac the other day with OS X 10.4.11 and it's fully functional except for the fact that most of the icons in the dock are ? icons that are non-functional.

How exactly would I go about fixing this? This hard drive is packed with software and I don't currently have a way to back it up so I really don't want to reinstall Tiger and start over.

 

[Alex]

NOTE:

I probably introduced more info than you need.

Easy steps

1) hover mouse over each question mark, note their names

2) go to the applications folder and / or the utilities folder

3) drag what you want to the dock.

4) get rid of question mark icon by dragging them outside the dock. 

The question marks are the dock's way of notifying you that the original item can't be found. What you can do is hover over one of the questions marks, it might tell you what the original item was. Any and all of those question mark items point back to some app in the applications folder.

You can simply drag them off the dock and they will puff away but before doing that, go[SIZE=1.4rem] to the Finder, click the Go menu and select applications.[/SIZE] This will bring up the applications folder and list all your apps. See if you can find an original that dock claims it can't find. Drag whatever you want from the applications folder to the dock.

Now, it might be possible that applications are simply missing from your eMac as the previous owner might have deleted them so will need to retinal but you don't have to start over. You can do an "archive and install" and only what is missing will get reinstalled.

Source: http://www.peachpit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=455371&seqNum=3

• Upgrade Mac OS X or Install Mac OS X. This option will read Upgrade OS X if your selected volume includes an updatable version of Mac OS X; using this option will install the necessary newer files on top of the existing installation. If you do not have an updatable version of Mac OS X installed, the option will read Install OS X; this will install a new copy of Mac OS X on the volume. Typically, the appropriate choice here is the default option—which means, for example, that you can bypass this Options pane if you know you intend to upgrade an existing Mac OS X installation. However, in some cases, such as if there is insufficient disk space to upgrade, this option will be dimmed and you will have to choose one of the remaining two. In addition, you may prefer to use one of the remaining options even if the Upgrade/Install option is available (see below).With either option (but especially the Upgrade option), the Installer just installs or replaces the OS files that are new or updated. Thus, any documents you created or third-party software you added should be preserved.
  
• Archive and Install. This option is the one you will want if you are having any trouble with your current Mac OS X installation. Actually, you may want to use it instead of upgrading (I do!) as a way of preventing potential problems. Used for a volume that already contains some version of Mac OS X, archiving moves the existing OS software (essentially the System, Library, and Applications folders, plus all the invisible Unix folders) to a new folder named Previous Systems, located at the root level of your drive. One exception: Third-party software in the original Applications folder is not moved to the Previous Systems folder; instead it is transferred to your new Applications folder (which is typically what you would want!). The first time you do an Archive and Install, all the moved software is placed in a folder named Previous System 1 inside the Previous Systems folder. If you repeat this process, a Previous System 2 will be created and used, and so on. A new copy of Mac OS X software is installed in place of the moved copy.
  This process also moves the Developer folder (if one is present) to Previous Systems. To replace this folder, you need to install the Developer Tools software separately.
  
  A key sub-option here is Preserve Users and Network Settings. With this option selected, both the contents of the /Users folder (which contains your home directory!) and your Network settings are preserved. In almost all cases, I recommend selecting this option; if you don't, you'll have to re-create your accounts from scratch. About the only reason you wouldn't choose it would be if you thought files in your home directory were causing a problem, which you didn't want to carry over to the new installation.
  
  In addition to preserving the contents of your /Users folder, this option also preserves your Network System Preferences settings. It may also preserve third-party software that would not get preserved via a standard Archive and Install (such as certain software in the Applications folder).
  
  Note: This option does not preserve all system settings, just most of them. For example, it does not preserve the following: settings pertaining to whether a network time server is used; the list of configured printers (stored in /etc/printers.conf); the computer's time zone (stored in /etc/localtime); the resolution of your display(s), and other settings if more than one display is connected, such as arrangement (stored in the com.apple.windowserver.plist in /Library/Preferences and ~/Library/Preferences/ByHost/); and Sharing preference pane settings (stored in /etc/hostconfig). Most of this is minor stuff and can be easily reset if lost.
  
  Note: If you proceed past the Select a Destination pane and then use the Back button to return, the Preserve Users and Network Settings option may be dimmed and unselectable. If so, select another volume (if possible) and then return to the original volume. Otherwise, you'll need to restart the Installer to reselect the option.
  

If you need an install disc I may be able to find it on archive.org.

 

[Alex]

Please go to https://everymac.com/systems/apple/emac/index-emac.html and I will try to figure out what the original media for your eMac was and point you to the proper media on archive.org.

ahh, you can also go here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT2395

 

[Alex]

If you need a quicker lesson on reinstallation, http://www.macwaves.org/infocentral/2007/2007_09/HowTo_Install_Tiger.pdf

 

[Alex]

By the way, remember that you can backup using firewire target disk mode, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Target_Disk_Mode or https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201462

 

[Alex]

691-5518-A,2Z,eMac. Mac OS X Install Disc 1. Mac OS v10.4. AHT v2.5. Disc v1.1 (DVD DL).iso <--Apple Hardware Test

691-5519-A,2Z,eMac. Mac OS X Install Disc 1. Mac OS v10.4. Disc v1.1_2005 (CD).toast <-- Mac OS X 10.4

These discs were bundled with the eMac (2005), Model Identifier PowerMac6,4, Model Number A1002 which was a 1.42 GHz model.

I am not suggesting you have a 1.42 model but all eMac that shipped after October 2003 could go up to Mac OS X 10.5.x (Leopard)

 

[EvieSigma]

I have a pair of original restore disks that came with the unit which I assume are OS X Panther so they wouldn't work.

This is my model of eMac:

https://everymac.com/systems/apple/emac/specs/emac_1.25.html

 

[Cory5412]

On principle, I recommend reinstalling the OS on that machine anyway. Odds are extremely low that you actually have something that's not archived elsewhere on the machine. Take an inventory of what you want and then look for it elsewhere. 

This hard drive is packed with software and I don't currently have a way to back it up so I really don't want to reinstall Tiger and start over.

If the machine shipped with Panther, you can use a retail 10.4.0 CD set or DVD.

10.5 would run on that machine and it might even work fine, although 10.5 doesn't have Classic Mode, if you wanted to keep using that on that hardware.

 

[EvieSigma]

I do have Tiger CDs so I could try the Archive and Install thing.

I'm sure I don't have anything rare but reinstalling 40GB of software is a huge time commitment.

 

[Cory5412]

40GB of software? DId that thing even have a 40GB disk?

And -- do you actually want to use all that stuff? I'd say just make note of what's there, make sure it's available elsewhere, then wipe and do a fresh installation. Wading through someone else's junk pile is only fun for so long. Especially if there's a chance that the installed software doesn't work or works poorly.

 

[EvieSigma]

40GB of software? DId that thing even have a 40GB disk?

And -- do you actually want to use all that stuff? I'd say just make note of what's there, make sure it's available elsewhere, then wipe and do a fresh installation. Wading through someone else's junk pile is only fun for so long. Especially if there's a chance that the installed software doesn't work or works poorly.

It has an 80GB disk that's about half full. Haven't even looked at all of the contents yet to determine what all is on there...

 

[Alex]

If you're eMac has a DVD-DL then you will need to burn this to a DVD-DL and install https://archive.org/details/691-5518-A2ZeMac._Mac_OS_X_Install_Disc_1._Mac_OS_v10.4._AHT_v2.5._Disc_v1.1_DVD

If you have only a CD, I am fairly confident that this is the OS only, https://archive.org/details/691-5519-A2ZeMac._Mac_OS_X_Install_Disc_1._Mac_OS_v10.4._Disc_v1.1_2005_CD

 

[Alex]

I have a pair of original restore disks that came with the unit which I assume are OS X Panther so they wouldn't work.

If they are Panther then no, it won't work but to be sure, please reply with the part numbers on those discs and I can check for you. It will look something like the sample I pasted. So specifically I need the 2Z691-xxxx-x or 691-xxxx-x number



I figure it might be one of these, 691-4639-A, 691-5233-A, or 691-5232-A

 

[Alex]

I took a look at the other replies.

It is true that a retail copy of Tiger will work. Retail here refers to Tiger as sold boxed in stores. Apple once sold the OS in a box and these retail versions would be the stock OS for any machine that met the system requirements but they lack the Apple Hardware Test (which is machine specific or span a group of machines), lacks the original software that shipped with the computer.

Those discs you have, I think you said two of them, one of them is likely the Applications disc and you can install those independently.

10.5 can be installed on that eMac but yes, you will not be able to run Mac OS 9 classic software.

If I was in your shoes consider the advice someone gave you, to check if the software on the HD can be found elsewhere. Might be best to install those apps anew.

You will, I assume be installing from optical disc, please ensure that the optical drive is working as expected before wiping the hard drive. Although, if the internal optical drive does not work you can put the eMac into target disk mode. This mode turns your eMac into one big fancy external hard drive. You can then mount it on another Mac just like it's a firewire hard drive and use the other Mac as the installer.

Once you establish the list of software currently on that Mac and conclude that is available elsewhere I would encourage you to securely erase the internal hard drive and install the OS fresh.

To securely erase a hard disk or volume:

In Disk Utility, select the disk or volume to erase, and then click Erase.

Specify a volume format, and enter a name for the disk.

Click Security Options and choose to write over the data once. Click OK.
Click Erase.

The reason you should erase the entire drive this way, writing over all data once, is that it does a few things. If successful you can be confident that the drive has been able to write over all sectors and this adds some confidence on the future prospects of the drive in terms of longevity. It also gives the drive an opportunity to flag any bad sectors.

After this kind of erase the drive will be ready for a fresh install. In my previous message I left links, preferably the DVD-DL is the way to go because it has everything, OS, apps and the Apple Hardware Test (AHT). Of course, since you have the original discs, you can simply install using those as it will get all the original software that came with the eMac installed and then when done you can install Tiger retail over it and you will have a wonderful machine, the CRT is extra special for sure, especially for old school gaming.

 

[Alex]

If you search the internet archive for any of the disc numbers, beginning with 691 you will have a retail copy of Tiger.

691-5539-A,2Z,Mac OS X v10.4.2 Tiger. Install Disc 1_2005 (CD).toast

691-5540-A,2Z,Mac OS X v10.4.2 Tiger. Install Disc 2_2005 (CD).toast

691-5541-A,2Z,Mac OS X v10.4.2 Tiger. Install Disc 3_2005 (CD).toast

691-5542-A,2Z,Mac OS X v10.4.2 Tiger. Install Disc 4_2005 (CD).toast

691-5811-A,2Z,Mac OS X v10.4.6 Tiger. Includes Xcode 2. Install Disc_2005 (DVD).iso

Either the green or orange set.

Running software update will get Java and OS X up to date.

 

[EvieSigma]

I just realized I don't actually have the applications disk, only system software. So I would have to find that one and burn a copy.

 

[EvieSigma]

Too late to edit but I found out that the second disk is actually the applications disk and the first disk is just Panther on its own. So I can use those two disks to get the original installation and then upgrade to Tiger.