Help needed - Safari, Software update and help a mess - Help response.jpg (1/1)

(Apologies first for any dupe since this didn't make it to Giganews from
original posting via Newguy yesterday afternoon)

Hi,

Not sure where to start on this oddity.

What is the common thread/file that would disable Safari, cause the
software update option to stall and say there is no internet connection,
and also fumble the Mac Help and give me the attached message when I ask
"Where are the safari bookmarks" and then select the lines seen?

Suffice it to say that it all started last night after Comcast deleted
one of my IP addresses which was a hold over from a previous life. When
attempting to get back online the Safari browser defaulted to some
Comcast site & auto downloaded their installer app and things went
downhill from there. (My initial call to Comcast was to find out how to
exchange my eons old cable modem which seemed to have a short in the
cord.)

17" iMac G4, OS 10.3.9 with updates current as of last week. No real
bolt on software/junk running in the background. New cable modem,
Buffalo Air Station router.

Comcast wanted me to return the modem for another. I'm having a tough
time with the logic of that since all seems fine except this iMac
running the apps mentioned. I can connect the PowerBook both hardwired
& wirelessly just fine and run all apps through the router. The iMac
will run (thus far) all the other internet related apps (Thoth,
MT-Newswatcher, Firefox, AOL, AIM) via the router & directly to the
modem. Only Safari is wrecked, but does retain all the bookmarks.
Oddly too, the little tab wheel just spins as it's trying to load the
page and never gives the message the site can't be found (or whatever it
says when it can't connect).

It may have been stupid, but thinking the Safari app was corrupted
somehow, I attempted to DL the 1.3.1 version and it said I could not run
it on this OS (hmmm). So, I DL'd v1.2 thinking I would just reinstall
that one and build from there. But as I then discovered, the Software
update feature/app doesn't work either so I seem to be stuck.

It's all very strange to me and I sure would appreciate any help.

Thanks,
Nate

 

Seems to me all you have are connectivity issues. First, fix the
connectivity, via System Preferences->Network. I'm on Tiger now -- you
could be, too -- and it has a very nice connectivity tool. Remember
the chain you have going here. First there's the Aiport connection,
then the Modem, then Comcast's servers, then the Internet. Unless that
chain is all connected, you don't get the Internet, Safari doesn't
fully work, and all the else remains. DON'T replace your Safari; once
your basic issues are resolved, download the Combo Updater for 10.3.9
and install that, then try Software Update. You'll get the Security
Updates again, most likely. And any other updates since the 10.3.9.
Apply them.

 

Thanks for the reply.

I can connect to the internet via everything except Safari & Software
update. The network pref shows I am connected via Built-in Ethernet.

When I try a software update it hangs and eventually tells me I it can
not connect to the internet.

Nate