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Printer Setup Repair 4.2.3 (Panther Edition) User Guide
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Version Name & Number |
Mac OS X |
| Print Therapy 6.x | 10.5.x |
| Printer Setup Repair 5.x | 10.4.x |
| Printer Setup Repair 4.x | 10.3 to 10.3.9 |
| Print Center Repair 3.x | 10.2 to 10.2.8 |
| Print Center Repair 1.x | 10.1.2 to 10.1.5 |
Installation and Removal Instructions
Printer Setup Repair can be run from almost any location. We recommend placing it into your /Applications/Utilities directory so that it can be conveniently found right next to the Printer Setup Utility - or better still, place a copy in your dock for quick access. You must be booted into the version of Mac OS X that you wish to repair.
Printer Setup Repair can be removed by simply dragging it to the trash. The preference file com.fixamac.psr.plist can be located in the /Users/<your user name>/Library/Preferences directory.
Unlocking Printer Setup Repair
In order to use Printer Setup Repair, it needs to be unlocked. To do this, click on the padlock icon in the bottom right hand corner of the main window.
Enter your administrator password when prompted to do so. You will need to be logged in as a user with administrator privileges or be a member of the sudoers group in order to use Printer Setup Repair. A startup check determines the access privileges of the current user and offers additional options based upon the results.
Once your administrator password has been verified, Printer Setup Repair will be ready to use. If you wish to secure the application to prevent misuse, you can do so by clicking on the padlock icon once again.
Accessing the Activity Log
Printer Setup Repair creates an activity log that records all repair activity, including error messages. The automatic activity logging can be enabled and disabled in the Printer Setup Repair preferences. See Printer Setup Repair Preferences for more information.
You can view the log from the Printer Setup Repair menu by choosing: Printer Setup Repair -->Log-->Open log (or Command-Shift-L). The log, called psr4logfile.log, will open up in the Console and may be viewed dynamically. The log may be cleared or deleted by using either the “Clear log...” (Command-Shift-C) or “Delete log...” (Command-Shift-X) options also under the Printer Setup Repair -->Log menu.
If you are experiencing difficulties with Printer Setup Repair, and are requesting tech support, please email the activity log to the Fixamac Software technical support department for analysis. The file is located in the /Users/<your user name>/Library/Logs directory.
System User Verification and Repair
Verify root User - Verification only.
Note: This option will verify Printer Setup Repair’s ability to function on your system since it uses shell commands at the root level for a majority of the repair/removal functions.
The root user (sometimes referred to by its long name “System Administrator”), is a critical part of Mac OS X. If it is missing, damaged, or incorrectly configured, it will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to perform shell commands that need to be assigned root level access - such as chown, chgrp, chmod, etc.
Printer Setup Repair, and many other applications that are designed to modify permissions, will not be able to function until the root user is correctly configured.
If there a problem is found with your root user, please follow these steps to recreate the root user with NetInfo Manager:
1) Open NetInfo Manager (located in the /Applications/Utilities directory)
2) Click the padlock in the bottom left side of the window to authenticate. Enter your normal login password when prompted.
3) In the center column of the Directory Browser (top of window), scroll down until you can see “users”. Click “users”.
4) If you can see the user “root” in the right-hand pane of the Directory Browser, continue with step 5. If not, skip to step 6.
5) Click on the user “root” and click the delete button (red circle with a line through it). Confirm the modification by clicking “Delete”.
6) Click on the user “nobody” and click the duplicate button (double folder icon). Confirm the modification by clicking “Duplicate”. This will create a new user called “nobody copy”. Make sure this new user is selected before moving to the next step.
7) Change the following values for the corresponding property:
Property |
Value |
| realname: | System Administrator |
| name: | root |
| uid: | 0 |
| gid: | 0 |
| shell: | /bin/sh |
| home: | /var/root |
| and if listed | |
| _writers_passwd: | root |
Note: The “uid” and “gid” values are zeros.
If the property “_writers_passwd” is missing, just continue on to step 8.
Make sure you don't confuse the “passwd” property for “_writers_passwd”. The “passwd” property contains the value * (star) and shouldn't be altered. The “_writers_passwd” property is used to store short names of users who are authorized to change the password for that user. It is not always present for system users in NetInfo. Therefore, Printer Setup Repair does not check to see if the “_writers_passwd” property exists.
8) Hit Command - S to save the changes. Confirm the modification by clicking “Update this copy”.
Try to avoid clicking on the menu bar at this point. If you click on the menu bar, you will receive the following error: “Domain / has no root account. You must log in on the computer named localhost/local (where the master is located) to make changes.” You will then have to dismiss this message 4 times before being allowed to save changes to the NetInfo database. Therefore, pressing Command-S is preferable. The root user is disabled by default. To authenticate the root user, choose Security-->Enable Root User. Enter and confirm a password when prompted. For security reasons, it is not a good idea to keep the root user enabled. Therefore, you should disable the root user whenever you aren't using it. To do so, select Disable Root User from the Security menu. You may need to authenticate first (see step 2 above). For more information about enabling the root user, read this AppleCare Knowledge Base article. Verify the root user again to make sure the root user has been created correctly. If there are still problems with the root user, repeat steps 1 through 8 above.
Verify lp User - Verification with the option to repair if problems are found.
The lp user (sometimes referred to by its long name “Printing Services”) is another vital part of the OS. The lp user plays a role in printing under OS X. If the lp user is missing, damaged, or incorrectly configured, you may experience printing difficulties. The Verify lp User option will examine the property values contained within the NetInfo database and report an error if the information is incorrect. If problems are found with the lp user, the “Repair lp User” button will become active and should be used (see below). Please note that any changes you have made purposely to the lp user will show up as errors during verification. If you are sure that the changes that you have made are correct, you can ignore the repair option.
Repair lp User - Only available if problems are found with the lp user during the verification process. This option will affect all users.
The function of this option is to remove what might be left of the old lp user and create a fresh, new entry in the NetInfo database. The lp user will be recreated to UNIX and Mac OS X 10.3.x default specifications.
Verify lp Group - Verification with the option to repair if problems are found.
The lp group is group that the lp user belongs to. It also needs to be present and correctly configured to avoid potential printing problems. The Verify lp Group option will examine the property values contained within the NetInfo database and report an error if the information is incorrect. If problems are found with the lp group, the “Repair lp Group” button will become active and should be used (see below).
Repair lp Group - Only available if problems are found with the lp group during the verification process. This option will affect all users.
The function of this option is to remove what might be left of the old lp group and create a fresh, new entry in the NetInfo database. The lp group will be recreated to UNIX and Mac OS X 10.3 default specifications.
A note about system users and groups: There is a bug in the process of upgrading Mac OS X from 10.2.x to 10.3. During the upgrade, a very important shell script is not run. This script, written by Apple, is supposed to install several new system users/groups into the NetInfo database. To address this issue, Printer Setup Repair will attempt to run the shell script each time the authentication process is run (i.e. - each time you unlock Printer Setup Repair for use.) The shell script will check for the presence of each system user and/or group and create them if necessary. The entire process is extremely fast and is skipped altogether if the users in question do actually exist. The main reason Printer Setup Repair has an lp user/group verification/repair option is because Apple’s shell script will only create missing users - not repair damaged ones. Performing an archive/install or an erase/install of Mac OS X 10.3 will install the new system users/groups correctly. With the release of the 10.3.1 update, Apple have addressed this issue. It is highly recommended that all users of 10.3 update to 10.3.1 or above.
File Permission Verification and Repair
Incorrectly configured permissions are one of the biggest problems encountered with Mac OS X. There have been several applications written, including Printer Setup Repair, that address this issue. Apple has included a permission repair option in the Disk Utility application. It does a very good job of repairing file permissions across an entire volume. Where it fails, however, is in the treatment of user directories. Basically, Disk Utility ignores these directories, their contents, and their permissions which leaves a potential problem without a resolution. Printer Setup Repair does examine and repair the permission for all user directory files associated with the printing system, as well as the files that Disk Utility does see. Also, since Printer Setup Repair only concentrates on the printing system, verification and repairs are carried out in very little time.
File Permission Verification and Repair - This option will affect all users. If running, the Printer Setup Utility and any Proxy Printers will be quit.
In order to run verification and repair, you will need to specify which directories to examine by checking the boxes next to the options you specify. The various options are explained below:
Printer Setup Utility.app
If the permissions of the Printer Setup Utility are incorrect, you may have difficulty opening the application, adding printers, or creating desktop (proxy) printers. Selecting this option will ensure that the permissions are correct. The Printer Setup Utility application must be located in the /Applications/Utilities directory.
/System/Library Directories
The /System/Library directory contains the majority of the files used by the printing system. They are located in three areas:
- /System/Library/Printers
- /System/Library/StartupItems/PrintingServices
- /System/Library/SystemConfiguration/PrinterNotifications
If the permissions are incorrect, you may experience errors while trying to print.
CUPS Host Directories
CUPS (Common UNIX Printing System) utilizes several directories for its normal operations, including the storing of its spool and temporary files. If the permissions for any of these directories and files contained within are incorrect, you may not be able to print or even add printers with the Printer Setup Utility. Another potential issue that is addressed by this option is the inability to start CUPS. CUPS relies on a background process called cupsd - a daemon process that must also have correct permissions in order to run. The permissions of the cupsd process are verified and, if necessary, repaired. In turn, the cupsd background process depends upon a configuration file called cupsd.conf. The /private/var/spool directory is used by the printing system to store spool files. If the permissions for this directory are incorrect, you may see errors while attempting to print.
Note: If you have selected the /usr/libexec option, the symbolic links that are located in the /usr/libexec/cups/backend directory will be recreated after the verification and repair process has completed.
/Library/Printers Directory
The /Library/Printers directory contains the majority of the pre-installed printer drivers and PPD files. While Printer Setup Repair currently does not verify and repair permissions of the pre-installed printer drivers, it does support the main directory structure and PPD files (including localizations).
Home Library Directories
Each user account has a Library folder where printing preferences and proxy printers are stored. Printer Setup Repair will examine these files and repair the permissions if required. This option includes the ability to examine the Library directory for all user accounts. User accounts that are locked by FileVault will not be checked by Printer Setup Repair.
Print & Fax Preference Pane
The Print & Fax Preference Pane was introduced in Mac OS X 10.3. It handles some of the features that used to be handled by Print Center and introduces some new ones. If the permissions for the Print & Fax Preference Pane are incorrect, you may not be able to access it in the System Preferences.
Acrobat 6 & 7 Support
Adobe Acrobat uses a number of files located in various system directories to create PDF files. If the permissions of these files are incorrect, Acrobat will fail to produce PDFs. Printer Setup Repair will examine these files and correct their permissions if required.
Reset the Printing System
This option will affect all users.
In many cases, the errors that can occur with the Printer Setup Utility are a combination of problems. The Reset Printing System option attempts to rectify most of the common errors with one simple step. When activated, it will do the following:
- Quit the Printer Setup Utility application (if running)
- Quit all Proxy Printers (if any are running)
- Stop the cupsd background process (if running)
- Delete the printers.conf and printers.conf.O files from the /private/etc/cups directory
- Recreate the printers.conf file
- Delete the printcap file from the /private/etc directory
- Recreate the printcap file
- Delete the CUPS spool files from the /private/var/spool/cups directory
- Recreate the /private/var/spool/cups/tmp directory
- Delete the following preference files from the Users/<usernames>/Library/Preferences directories:
- com.apple.print.PrintCenter.plist
- com.apple.print.custompresets.plist
- com.apple.print.custompapers.plist
- com.apple.print.favorites.plist
- com.apple.print.PrinterProxy.plist (for each Proxy Printer)
- Delete the cache files
- Delete Proxy Printers from the Users/<usernames>/Library/Printers directories
- Delete the AdobePDF application from the /Library/Application Support/Adobe directory (if it exists)
- Delete Acrobat preference files (if found)
- Restart the cupsd background process.
If you have Adobe Acrobat 6 or 7 installed, you will need to launch it in order to add the Adobe PDF printer back into the Printer Setup Utility list. Acrobat will ask you to enter your administrator password and will then recreate the AdobePDF application in the /Library/Application Support/Adobe directory. If the Adobe PDF printer fails to show up in the printers list, you may need to add it manually by holding down the option key while clicking the "More Printers..." button in the Printer Setup Utility. This will enable an advanced menu where the Adobe PDF option should be available to use. You may need to restart your computer in order to successfully add printers.
Backup and Restore the Printing System
Printer Setup Repair now includes a feature that will allow you to backup your printing system files and restore them in the event of a printing system failure. You may also backup you printing system files before performing a reset of the printing system.
The backup procedure explained:
When you choose to backup the printing system files, Printer Setup Repair will do the following:
- Quit the Printer Setup Utility (if running)
- Quit Proxy Printers (if running)
- Quit the cupsd background process (if running)
- Create a new backup folder in the location specified in the Printer Setup Repair preferences (see Printer Setup Repair Preferences for more information).
- Copy the following system files to the new backup folder:
- printers.conf (and backup files)
- classes.conf (and backup files)
- cupsd.conf (and backup files)
- ppds.dat
- ppd directory (including contents)
- printcap
- Copy the following user files to the new backup directory:
- com.apple.print.PrintCenter.plist
- com.apple.print.custompresets.plist
- com.apple.print.custompapers.plist
- com.apple.print.favorites.plist
- com.apple.print.PrinterProxy.plist
- .lpoptions
- Start the cupsd background process.
Printer Setup Repair will backup the user printing files for every user on the computer. Their files will be placed into individual folders named after their user ID (501, 502, etc.).
Note: The Printer Setup Utility and Proxy Printer preference files are only saved when they are quit normally. If you want to keep the most current changes to your configuration (mainly window positions and customized tool bars), be sure to quit the Printer Setup Utility and any Proxy Printers before proceeding with the backup.
The restoration process explained:
When you choose to restore your printing system files, Printer Setup Repair will ask you to identify a backup folder. The folder will be verified to make sure that it is a valid backup. Once the folder is verified, Printer Setup Repair will do the following:
- Quit the Printer Setup Utility (if running)
- Quit Proxy Printers (if running)
- Quit the cupsd background process (if running)
- Delete the existing printing system files and replace them with the files located within the backup folder.
- Delete the existing user files and replace them with the files located within the backup folder.
- Start the cupsd background process.
- Restore the correct file permission to all replaced files.
Printer Setup Repair will only restore the user printing files for current users on the computer. If a user was deleted after a backup, their files will not be restored.
Note: It is a good idea to perform a reset of the printing system before you restore the printing system files. This will ensure that you do not have any unwanted print cache or spool files that could cause printing problems after the restoration process is complete.
Create configuration sets.
While the backup and restore option was originally intended to do just that, we have discovered that it can also be used to create configuration sets.
For example: you can create a list of printers that only print black and white, perform a backup and rename the folder to reflect the configuration - say “Black and White Printers”, reset the printing system, create a list of printers that print in color, perform a backup and rename the folder “Color Printers” for example.
You can then restore each set as needed. While this may not benefit users who do not have many printers, if may be a benefit to larger companies that manage a substantial number of printers on a network.
Our intention is make this procedure much more intuitive in future versions of Printer Setup Repair. We welcome any feedback that you might have about the backup and restore option.
CUPS Tools
Delete CUPS Temporary Spool Files - Not necessary if you have used the Reset Printer Setup Utility option.
This option will affect all users.
Under certain circumstances, the CUPS spool files located in the hidden /private/var/spool/cups directory can become corrupted and cause problems with printing. The Delete CUPS Temporary Spool Files option will clear out these files. The option to calculate the current size of the /private/var/spool/cups directory and the number of spool files contained within is available by clicking on the “?” button.
Note: You can use this option for general maintenance to clear out these files periodically.
Cups Daemon Process (cupsd) - Adjust the status as necessary.
The Printer Setup Utility relies on a background process called “cupsd” to display the current list of printers and handle many CUPS printing tasks. Printer Setup Repair automatically checks the status of the cupsd process and offers options to either, stop, start, or restart it as necessary.
If the cupsd process is not running, it may have a permissions related problem, the hostconfig file may be configured in such a way that CUPS is not loaded during system startup, or you may have a corrupted, missing, or badly configured cupsd.conf file. Look at the CUPS status message at the bottom of the CUPS Tools window. If it reads “The hostconfig file is currently configured to load CUPS at system startup” then the problem is likely to be permissions related. Verify the permissions of the CUPS Host Directories of the File Permissions Verification & Repair section to make sure that the permissions of the cupsd process are correct. If the permissions were repaired, return to the CUPS Tools section and click the start button. If the CUPS status message reads “The hostconfig file is currently configured NOT to load CUPS at system startup” then the problem is likely to be a badly configured hostconfig file. Use the Enable CUPS button in the CUPS Tools window to change the “CUPS=-NO-” line to “CUPS=-YES-”. The next time you restart your computer, the cupsd process will launch. Meanwhile, to launch the cupsd process immediately, click on the Start button. If the cupsd process refuses to start, the problem may be related to a missing or badly configured cupsd.conf file. To correct this, see the “Reset cupsd.conf File” section below.
CUPS Administration
Mac OS X 10.3 has a built-in CUPS administration interface. This option opens the interface in your default web browser. (FYI, the default address is http://127.0.0.1:631.) Printer Setup Repair provides the option to open the interface on a different port number in case you have changed the default port assignment. The default port number can be changed in the Printer Setup Repair preferences. If you haven't change the port assignment, you do not need to specify an alternative port number. Full instructions for using the CUPS administration interface can be found at http://www.cups.org/documentation.php. This link is provided in the CUPS Tools window for your convenience. You will need to be connected to the internet to use the link.
CUPS Configuration in hostconfig File
Every version of Mac OS X 10.3 has a hostconfig file located in the /private/etc directory. This file is read by the OS at startup to determine which services to activate and which to ignore. CUPS is one of the services listed in the hostconfig file and will have either a YES or NO designation. The cupsd process activates if the CUPS entry in the hostconfig file is CUPS=-YES-. Printer Setup Repair can examine your hostconfig file and report whether or not CUPS is set to run when you start your Mac. After learning this, you can turn CUPS off or on with the click of a button. The hostconfig file is also examined when Printer Setup Repair is launched and a relevant status message is displayed in the CUPS Tools window. The message “The hostconfig file is currently configured to load CUPS at system startup” will be displayed if the line CUPS=-YES- is found in the hostconfig file. The cupsd process should be running automatically. If required, use the Disable CUPS button to change the line CUPS=-YES- to CUPS=-NO-.
The message “The hostconfig file is currently configured NOT to load CUPS at system startup” will be displayed if the line CUPS=-NO- is found in the hostconfig file. The cupsd process will not be running and the Printer Setup Utility will not be able to display a list of the current printers, or allow the addition of new ones. Use the Enable CUPS button to change the line CUPS=-NO- to CUPS=-YES-
Replace cupsd.conf File
The cupsd.conf file, located in the /private/etc/cups directory, is vital to the Mac OS X printing system. It is read by the cupsd background process after the boot sequence is complete. If the file is missing, damaged, or badly configured, the cupsd process will not launch and printing will not be possible — even if the hostconfig file is configured to load CUPS during the boot sequence (see above.) Another problem that can surface after upgrading Mac OS X to a newer version (especially 10.3.3 or 10.3.4), is that the administration area of the locally hosted web browser based CUPS Administration interface becomes protected by an unknown user name and password combination. Replacing the cupsd.conf file from a backup or creating a new file will correct this issue.
A popup menu in the CUPS Tools section will automatically show all of the available cupsd.conf file backup options available. The option to create a new cupsd.conf file is also available from this menu. If no valid cupsd.conf file backups are available, the option to create a new file will be the only item in the list.
To replace the current cupsd.conf file, choose an option from the popup menu and click the “Go” button.
The Replace cupsd.conf option will, if possible, move and rename the current cupsd.conf file to cupsd.conf.old.psr and replace it with the selected copy. The new copy is created from either a backup file (chosen from the popup menu) or a new file. In order to replace the cupsd.conf file, the cupsd process, if running, is stopped. Once the replacement process is complete, the cupsd process is started up and should read the new file. It is recommended that you restart the computer once the cupsd.conf file has been replaced. For your convenience, Printer Setup Repair will offer you this option at that time.
If you are still experiencing problem with CUPS, you should try a different backup file or create a new cupsd.conf file. It is recommended that you use the Revert button between each attempt.
The Revert button is provided in order to allow the reversal of the above process, if you decide to revert to the previous cupsd.conf file. Clicking the Revert button will stop the cupsd process, remove the current cupsd.conf file, and rename the cupsd.conf.old.psr file to cupsd.conf. The cupsd process will then be started up. Again, it is recommended that you restart the computer once the cupsd.conf file has been replaced.
Note: The Revert button will only be available once you have used the Replace cupsd.conf File option. It will remain active for as long as the cupsd.conf.old.psr backup file exists on your computer.
Warning: If you use the Replace cupsd.conf File option a second time without first clicking Revert, the previous cupsd.conf.old.psr backup file will be overwritten and cannot be recovered.
Temporary & Preference File Management
During the normal use, the Mac OS X printing system generates temporary and preference files along the way. These files can become corrupted and cause numerous printing problems, such as issues with print job spooling, and opening and using the Printer Setup Utility, among others. Also, temporary files generated by the printing system can build up over time. Use Printer Setup Repair as a general maintenance tool to clean out these files periodically.
Delete Preference Files - Includes the option to delete the preference files for the current user only or all users. If running, the Printer Setup Utility and any Proxy Printers will be quit.
Simply check any combination of the check boxes next to the names of the preference file that you wish to delete. You can also control whether or not you wish to delete the selected files for the current user or for all users. Once you have chosen the files that you wish to delete, click the Delete Preference Files button. The ability to select all options has been provided.
Delete Temporary Files - With the option to delete the temporary files for the current user only or all users.
This option will delete the contents of the /private/tmp/<usernumber>/TermopraryItems directory for the current user or all users. It is highly recommended that you quit all running applications other than the Finder and Printer Setup Repair before choosing this option. Failure to do so may cause other applications to fail or behave erratically since they may also use the /private/tmp directory to store temporary files. A confirmation dialog will remind you of this when you click the button.
Verify /private/tmp Directory and /tmp Symbolic Link Permissions - Verification with the option to repair if problems are found.
Under certain circumstances, the permissions for the /private/tmp directory can be altered. If this happens, the Printer Setup Utility, as well as many other applications that depend on this directory to function correctly, may not be able to store temporary files. On the root level of the boot volume resides a symbolic link to the /private/tmp directory. The symbolic link, or alias, needs to point to the correct directory and have the correct permissions. This option will verify the permissions for the /private/tmp directory, and /tmp symbolic link, offering the option to recreate them if problems are found.
Note: Even if you are not having printing problems, you should periodically use this option to check the state of your /private/tmp directory permissions. Other applications rely on the /private/tmp directory and may fail if it is not accessible.
Recreate /private/tmp Directory and /tmp Symbolic Link - Only available if problems are found with the /private/tmp directory and/or /tmp symbolic link during the verification process. This option will affect all users.
The function of this option is to delete the old /private/tmp directory and /tmp symbolic link, recreating the directory with the correct permissions. A new symbolic link is then created on the root level of the boot volume. It is highly recommended that you quit all running applications other than the Finder and Printer Setup Repair before choosing this option. Failure to do so may cause other applications to fail or behave erratically since they may also use the /private/tmp directory to store temporary files. A confirmation dialog will remind you of this when you click the button.
Printer Driver Removal
Printer Driver Removal - These options will delete the selected print drivers in the /Library/Printers directory.
The default installation of Mac OS X 10.3 will include many additional printer drivers. This can be a benefit as it may remove the necessity to install the drivers that come with your printer. However, you may not need all of these drivers — which take up hundreds of megabytes of hard drive space (over 850MB with a full installation of Mac OS X 10.3). Additionally, the pre-installed printer drivers may conflict with user-installed printer drivers. The Delete Drivers options gives you the ability to remove either the Canon, Epson, Hewlett Packard or Lexmark drivers from the /Library/Printers directory. The entire directory for each printer that you choose will be deleted so you will need to reinstall any drivers that may have been added after the initial Mac OS X 10.3 installation.
If you choose to delete these drivers, you have two options:
- Reinstall only the specific drivers you need for your printer(s) from the Mac OS X 10.3 Install CD 2 and CD 3.
or - Download and install the latest printer driver from your printer manufacturers web site.
The Gimp-Print drivers can be deleted by downloading the Gimp-Print Uninstaller. A link to the download page is provided as a courtesy in the Printer Driver Management section of Printer Setup Repair.
Important note: If you have installed additional Canon, Epson, Hewlett Packard, or Lexmark drivers, they will also be deleted and must be reinstalled.
PPD Installation and Removal
In order for the Printer Setup Utility to successfully recognize and use third party PPD files, they need to be installed in either the /Library/Printers/PPDs/Contents/Resources or /System/Library/Printers/PPDs/Contents/Resources directories. Also, the permissions for the PPD file need to be set for the root user and admin group. To use PPD files in Classic mode, they also need to be installed in the /System Folder/Extensions/Printer Descriptions/ directory since Classic mode will not search any of the Mac OS X system directories. Printer Setup Repair will allow you to complete this process very quickly and easily by using the Install PPD Files option.
Select PPD File
This option will allow you to select the PPD file to be installed. It is recommended that the PPD file be placed on the desktop prior to installation to prevent potential problems with path names that include high bit ASCII characters that the UNIX shell cannot handle (such as •, TM, @). Printer Setup Repair will examine the file that you have selected and only allow the installation to take place if the file is in fact a PPD file. Once you have chosen a file to be installed, the path and file name will be displayed in the “File Path” box. This will enable you to verify the file path visually before you proceed with the installation to make sure you have the correct file selected. If you do not have the right file selected, simply choose the correct one by clicking the “Select PPD File...” option again. After a PPD file is chosen, select an OS for the installation and click the “Install PPD File...” button.
Install PPD File
To install the PPD file, you must choose a destination directory and a selection of languages. Printer Setup Repair will present you with an installation options dialog. Choose either the /System/Library/Printers or /Library/Printers directory, check the languages you require, and click continue. Printer Setup Repair will copy the file and set the permissions. Once the process is complete, you may install another file or quit Printer Setup Repair. If the Printer Setup Utility and/or any desktop printers are open, Printer Setup Repair will quit them for you.
Delete PPD Files - This option will delete PPD files in the /Library/Printers/PPDs/Contents/Resources and/or /System/Library/Printers/PPDs/Contents/Resources language directories.
Printer Setup Repair offers this option to allow the easy removal of unwanted PPD files that take up valuable disk space. Clicking the “Delete PPD Files” button will remove the selected language directories from either the /Library/Printers/PPDs or /System/Library/Printers/PPDs directories. Printer Setup Repair will present you with a removal options dialog.
Choose languages from either the /Library/Printers or /System/Library/Printers directories and click continue. Please note that only the existing language directories will be available for deletion.
To identify what the language abbreviations mean, move the mouse pointer over any language check box and the full name will appear in a floating box.
Classic Mode Management
Although Printer Setup Repair was initially designed to repair the printing system for Mac OS X, several issues can arise with the Classic printing system that might need to be addressed. Printer Setup Repair now includes several tools to help maintain a healthy Classic mode printing environment. This section will not be available if Printer Setup Repair was unable to locate a valid Classic System Folder upon launch. The Classic System Folder may be unavailable if the file permissions are incorrect. If you know the location of the current Classic System Folder, you can select it manually in the Printer Setup Repair preferences. See “Printer Setup Repair Preferences” for more information. Even if the permissions are incorrect and you have no access to the Classic System Folder, Printer Setup Repair will still be able to verify the file path and allow you to perform the permissions repairs.
Repair Classic Permissions
This option will allow you to repair the permissions for the Classic System Folder that is located on the current boot volume. If the permissions of the System Folder are incorrect, you may have difficulty printing - as well as launching Classic Mode. Use this option to return the Classic System Folder permissions to their default values.
The following three options use the Classic System Folder specified in the System Folder path box in the lower portion of the Classic Mode Management section. The path to the current Classic System Folder can be changed in the Printer Setup Repair preferences.
Delete PrintMonitor Spool Files
PrintMonitor is the OS 9 equivalent to the desktop printers created by the Printer Setup Utility in Mac OS X. PrintMonitor spool files can sometimes become corrupted and sit in the print queue effectively disabling printing from Classic mode. Use this option to delete any spool files that my be stuck in the PrintMonitor Documents folder.
Delete Printing Preferences
Occasionally, PrintMonitor will be unable to process print jobs or Classic applications will throw up an error when you try to print. These errors are normally caused by a corrupted preference file. Use this option to delete the current Classic printing preferences. You will need to open the Chooser from the Classic mode Apple Menu and configure your printers again before you can print.
Delete Classic PPD Files
Managing PPD files in Classic mode can be problematic. Not all PPD files that are compatible with Mac OS X will work with Mac OS 9. Contact your printer manufacturer directly about PPD compatibility. This option will allow you to delete the contents of the Printer Descriptions folder in the Extensions folder of the currently selected System Folder. You will need to reinstall the PPD files for the printers that require them.
Printer Setup Repair Preferences
Printer Setup Repair can store specific preferences between uses. These options are described in detail below.
Printer Setup Repair automatic activity logging feature:
Use this option to enable or disable the activity log. The activity log provides detailed information about every function performed by Printer Setup Repair.
Classic System Folder Path:
The path to the Classic System Folder (if available) is noted here. Use the “Change...” button to manually select another System Folder. Use the “Use active System Folder” button to change the path to the Classic System folder defined in the Classic preference pane of the System Preferences. The System Folder specified here is used for OS 9 PPD installation and deletion, as well as the removal of preference and spool files.
Path to printing system backups:
Use the “Change...” button to manually select another location for the printing system backup files. Use the “Use default location” button to set the path to /Users/<current user/Library/Application Support/PSR4_PS_Backups. A future version of Printer Setup Repair will allow you to change the name of the backup folder also. Currently the folder name “PSR4_PS_Backups” must be used. If you change the backup location from the default, the backup folder name is automatically applied to the new path.
Port number to use for the web based CUPS Administration:
You can specify the port number that is used to connect to the locally hosted web browser based CUPS administration page. You should only change this number if you have specified a different port number in the cupsd.conf file. Printer Setup Repair provides the option to change the port number as a convenience to those users who need to do so. Click the “Use default port number” to set the port number to 631.
Registration
Printer Setup Repair is shareware. That means you can download it and try it out for free, but if you use it you should register your copy. A single user license for Printer Setup Repair is $19.95 (USD). Other licensing options are available. An unregistered copy of Printer Setup Repair will run as an unrestricted trial version for 7 days. After the 7 days, you will no longer be able to use Printer Setup Repair unless you register. You will be reminded of the number of days remaining each time the application is used.
To purchase a license, please visit the registrations page or click the “Purchase License...” button on the startup delay panel. Once your payment is received, Fixamac Software, Inc. will send your registration code via email within 48 hours.
To enter the registration code, launch Printer Setup Repair and click the “Enter Code...” button on the startup delay panel. You will be presented with three text fields. Enter the user name, email address, and registration code information at it appears in the registration confirmation email. When you have entered the appropriate information, click the “Submit Code” button.
Previous registered users of Printer Setup Repair 4.0.x and 4.1.x will be able to use their existing Single User License codes with version 4.2.x
Registered users of Print Center Repair 3.x can upgrade to Printer Setup Repair 4.x. for a very low fee Please visit the registrations page for upgrade pricing.
Users who purchased Site or World licenses for version 4.0.x will notice that their license will show as a Single User License. This is because Printer Setup Repair 4.1.x and 4.2.x use a new code system for Site and World licenses. If you need a replacement code, simply email our registrations department and we will happily replace the old code free of charge.
A great deal of time and trouble went into the research and construction of this application. Please visit the registrations page for shareware pricing, upgrade information, and more information on how to register. Your support will help the continued development of this and other useful Mac OS X applications and utilities.
Please keep shareware alive!
Thank you.
John Goodchild
President of Fixamac Software, Inc.
Troubleshooting
Errors can occur for many reasons. The following is a breakdown of the most common ones with an explanation:
During Authentication:
Error type 1 - This error means that the administrator password has been entered incorrectly. This password should be your normal login password NOT the root password (unless they are the same). It is possible that the permissions for enabling root access are incorrect. If you opened Printer Setup Repair without administrator rights and falsely stated that you were a member of the sudoers group, you will see this error when you try to authenticate the application.
During Repairs:
Error type 1 - This usually means that the file or directory that the application is looking for is either missing or not in the expected location. For example, if you use the Delete Preference Files option and then try the same option again, you will see this error. The error will also occur if the Printer Setup Utility is not in the /Applications/Utilities directory on the boot volume.
For an explanation of other errors, please email the Fixamac Software, Inc. technical support department with details of the error number and any accompanying message. We will assist you with the steps necessary to remedy the error. You may also attach the psr4logfile.log document located in the /User/<your user name>/Library/Logs directory. This will provide additional information about the error.
There are also other circumstances under which Printer Setup Repair will not function. Some of these are as follows:
Printer Setup Repair will not open. The cursor becomes a spinning beach ball indefinitely requiring a force quit. This occurs if you downloaded Printer Setup Repair while logged in as one user and are trying to run it while logged in as another. The permissions for any file/application copied in OS X are set to the user who copies the file/application and Printer Setup Repair is no exception. The work around is to download Printer Setup Repair while logged in as the admin user who will be doing the repairs.
Other circumstances in which printing can be problematic:
You receive communication errors while printing. Under certain conditions, printing will fail if the Classic environment is running. Usually, stopping Classic (from the Classic System Preferences pane) allows normal printing.
You are unable to see Epson printers under the EpsonUSB option in the Printer Setup Utility. There is a problem with USB to Parallel adapters and OS X. If possible, switching to a standard USB to USB cable will resolve this issue in most cases.
You are unable to see USB printers under the USB option in the Printer Setup Utility. In most cases, this can be rectified by doing the following:
- Power off the computer and printer.
- Disconnect the printer from the computer.
- Power on the computer and wait for it to boot fully. Log into Mac OS X if you have auto-login disabled.
- Power on the printer and re-connect the USB cable.
- Open the Printer Setup Utility and if you do not already see the printer in the list, click Add and select the printer from the USB option.
For Printer Setup Repair support, please email our technical support department
Version History
Version 4.2.3 - 9/18/06
- Fixed a bug that caused Printer Setup Repair to freeze during permission repairs while checking file names containing certain high bit ASCII characters.
- Fixed a bug that may have prevented Printer Setup Repair from deleting preference files while resetting the printing system.
- The restore option has been redesigned. Now, users are presented with a list of backup folders from the pre-defined backup location.
- The default backup location has been moved to the user library Application Support directory.
- Changed the URLs to point to the correct pages on the Fixamac Software web site.
Version 4.2.2 - 8/10/05
- Fixed a bug that would generate errors during registration if FileVault was enabled for the active user account.
- Fixed a bug that may have left temporary PPD files in the system following a reset.
- Added support for the System owned printing preferences to the backup and restore option.
- Added FileVault awareness to the User Library permission repairs. Now any user account that is protected by FileVault, other than the active account, will be skipped.
- Added FileVault awareness to the Backup and Restore option. User accounts protected by FileVault will not be included in the backup and restore process.
- Added support for Adobe Acrobat 7 in the printing system reset option.
- Added support for Adobe Acrobat 6 and 7 to the permission repairs option.
- Added support for temporary PPD files to the permission repairs option.
- Printer Setup Repair will now replace certain files and directories that are removed by the reset option.
- Modified the registration window to allow registration codes to be typed in manually.
- Added a link to this online user guide via a new Help menu.
Version 4.2.1 - 6/14/05
- Added the option to backup and restore the printing system.
- Fixed a bug that may have caused an error while attempting to discover the process ID number of several applications that Printer Setup Repair interacts with.
- Fixed a bug that would have prevented the lp user or lp group from being repaired if missing property values were detected.
- Fixed a bug that would allow the symbolic links in the /user/libexec/cups/backed directory to be repaired if the user had stopped the verification and repair process.
- Fixed a bug that left the title of the main window showing trial version information after the user had registered.
- The trial period is now 7 days.
Version 4.2 - 4/19/05
- Added support for the Classic printing system.
- Added a new Preferences window. Preferences can now be set for the Classic System Folder path and the port number to be used for the web based CUPS administration.
- Changed the order in which certain file permissions are verified.
- Symbolic links are now recreated after permission repairs have been completed.
- .DS_Store files no longer show up in the PPD directory listings.
- Files selected for PPD installation are now verified to be PPD files before installation can take place.
- Fixed a bug that may have caused a crash if the user directories were unreadable.
- Fixed a bug that may have caused a launch error if the user was using an alternative date and time format.
- For unregistered users, the startup timer delay has been replaced by a 15 day trial period.
Version 4.1.8 - 12/20/04
- Fixed a bug that may have incorrectly altered the /private/var/spool directory permissions after deleting temporary spool files.
- Fixed a bug in the PPD Installation & Removal section that disabled the OS9 check box after the first PPD installation.
Version 4.1.7 - 12/7/04
- Fixed a bug that, in very rare cases, may have prevented Mac OS X from booting properly after performing permission repairs.
- Changed the way the /private/tmp directory repairs are handled. If a problem is found, the /private/tmp directory is recreated instead of being repaired.
Version 4.1.6 - 11/29/04
- During PPD installations, invisible files no longer show up in the PPD file selection dialog.
- Improved the speed of permission repairs.
Version 4.1.5 - 10/4/04
- Fixed a bug that may have left users without a valid cupsd.conf file after using the cupsd.conf file reset option.
- Fixed a bug that may have caused Printer Setup Repair to hang while attempting to re-examine troublesome file permissions by using root access.
- Fixed a bug that may have prevented the Adobe PDF portion of the Reset Printer Setup Utility option from functioning correctly.
- Fixed a bug that caused an extra dialog box to appear during the PPD installation process.
- Fixed a bug that may have allowed users to calculate the size of missing printer driver directories.
- Modified the "Reset cupsd.conf File" option to include a popup menu of available backup files. Now the user can replace the current cupsd.conf file with a valid backup or create a new cupsd.conf file.
- Registration information can now be entered before the startup delay counter reaches zero.
- Reorganized the PPD Installation & Removal section. Language directory selections are now made during either the installation or deletion process instead of before either process.
- PPDs can now be installed into either the /Library/Printers/PPDs or /System/Library/Printers/PPDs directory and only existing PPD language directories can be deleted.
- Added the option to choose an OS 9 System Folder location for PPD installations. The choice is automatically remembered between each use of Printer Setup Repair.
- Added the ability to view the contents of either the /Library/Printers/PPDs, /System/Library/Printers/PPDs, or /System Folder/Extensions/Printer Descriptions directories from within Printer Setup Repair.
- Added the option to restart after replacing the cupsd.conf file.
- Added the option to restart after certain permission repairs are performed.
- Added the option to restart after using the Reset Printer Setup Utility option.
- Added additional warning information to the Reset Printer Setup Utility option dialog.
- Added additional warning information to the Reset cupsd.conf File option dialog.
- Added many additional code adjustments for improved functionality.
Version 4.1.4 - 8/31/04
- Added the option for non-admin users who are members of the sudoers group to use Printer Setup Repair.
Version 4.1.3 - 8/10/04
- Fixed a bug that may have prevented repairs to either the Printing Services user or Printing Services group from being carried out under certain circumstances.
- Added additional error capture coding to the permission repairs.
Version 4.1.2 - 7/21/04
- Fixed several bugs that may have caused permission repairs to fail under certain circumstances.
- Added a "percentage complete" counter to the progress indicator.
- Made cosmetic adjustments to the authentication panel.
Version 4.1.1 - 7/12/04
- Fixed a bug that may have caused permission repairs to fail if the option to check permissions for all home user library accounts was set.
Version 4.1 - 7/12/04
- Redesigned the interface.
- Changed the way the file permission verification and repair options work in order to give the user greater selection control.
- Printer Setup Repair now automatically checks the status of the cupsd background process and will offer options to either stop, start, or restart it accordingly.
- Added home user library directory permissions support for either the current user or all users. Permissions lists for proxy printers are created dynamically for each user.
- Added limited file permissions support for the /Library/Printers directory.
- Added the option to replace the cupsd.conf file and restore from a backup if necessary.
- Added the option to delete PPD files from either the /System/Library/Printers/PPDs or /Library/Printers/PPDs directories.
- Added the option to calculate the size of the pre-installed printer driver directories.
- Added the option to calculate the size of the /private/var/spool/cups directory.
- Added the option to calculate the size of either the /System/Library/Printers/PPDs or /Library/Printers/PPDs directories.
- Improved the way Printer Setup Repair handles permission verification of optionally installed files.
- Fixed a bug with the authentication password field that may have required the user to click in the field before a password could be typed.
- Added the option to open the CUPS Access Log file.
- Added the option to open the CUPS Error Log file.
- Added the option to open the CUPS Page Log file.
- Printer Setup Repair can now only be run by users who have administrator privileges.
- Some options are now only available to registered users.
Version 4.0.2 - 1/27/04
- Fixed a bug that may have caused Printer Setup Repair to freeze immediately after entering an administrator password.
Version 4.0.1 - 1/12/04
- Added Adobe Acrobat 6 support to the Reset Printer Setup Utility option.
- Fixed a bug that prevented the creation of the log file if the /Users/<username>/Library/Logs directory did not exist. The directory is now created if it is missing.
- Fixed a bug that may have caused Printer Setup Repair to report that it was being used with the wrong OS version.
- Fixed a bug with PPD installations for Classic mode that prevented the PPD file from being used.
- Fixed a bug with the activity log that produced an error if a PPD file name contained high bit ASCII characters.
- Fixed a bug that may have caused one of the startup checks to falsely report problems with the sudo command.
- Improved the handling of files that may have been deleted with the Reset Printer Setup Utility option and are reported as missing.
Version 4.0 - 11/17/03
- Changed the name from "Print Center Repair" to "Printer Setup Repair".
- Updated the code to be fully compatible with Mac OS X 10.3
- Redesigned the interface and renamed interface elements to reflect the Mac OS X 10.3 change from Print Center to the Printer Setup Utility.
- Added the option to verify and repair the Print & Fax Preference Pane.
- Modified the Reset Printer Setup Utility option to include the deletion of Proxy Printers and additional .plist files.
- Added a registration code system.
System Requirements:
- Mac OS X version 10.3 to 10.3.9
- Monitor resolution of 800 x 600 and above.
Legal Statement
Printer Setup Repair is shareware and cannot be distributed via any means without prior authorization from Fixamac Software, Inc.
Please contact us for more information.
Fixamac Software, Inc. cannot be held responsible for any accidental data loss or other damages incurred through the use of Printer Setup Repair. Please make sure you back up important files before using.
Apple, AppleCare, AppleScript, Macintosh, Mac OS, Mac OS X, Printer Setup Utility, and Print Center are trademarks of Apple Computer Inc. Adobe and Acrobat are copyright of Adobe Systems Inc. Canon and the Canon logo are copyright of Canon Inc. Epson and the Epson logo are copyright of Epson Inc. HP and the HP logo are copyright of Hewlett Packard Inc. Lexmark and the Lexmark logo are copyright of Lexmark Inc. CUPS is copyright of Easy Software Products. All rights reserved and respected.
© 2008 Fixamac Software, Inc.