General Troubleshooting FAQs
Q. Troubleshooting Unexpected Quits, Crashes, or Freezes
A. Unexpected quits, crashes, or freezes can be caused by a damaged or conflicting system extension or control panel, a damaged font, a problem item in the QuarkXPress folder, a damaged element within a document, and so on. Below is a step-by-step troubleshooting strategy that will help you locate and eliminate the problem.
The concepts presented in this document apply to QuarkXPress 4 and 5 installations running under Macintosh OS 8.x and 9.x. Please visit the Quark technical forums for more recent information regarding OS X troubleshooting concepts.
Please note that this information is primarily concerned with issues that effect the QuarkXPress application itself, and that issues such as those discussed here may be resolvable only by contacting Quark Technical Support.
Introduction
Diagnosing the Problem
Troubleshooting Application Level Quits
Troubleshooting Specific Items in the QuarkXPress Folder
Troubleshooting System-Level Quits
Fonts
PPDs
Other System Folder Items
Known Issues
If All Else Fails
Unexpected quits -- often accompanied by "Type 1" or "Type 11" errors -- are low-level system crashes. They quit the active application but may not be serious enough to crash the entire system. The system environment is unstable at this point, and you should save all open files and restart your computer before relaunching QuarkXPress(TM).
You may also encounter a system error known as a bomb (so-called because of the bomb in the alert box), or a system freeze, in which all activity ceases, and mouse clicks and keystrokes have no effect. All these types of errors are similar in cause, and the steps to resolving them are the same.
Troubleshooting unexpected quits and system errors requires a logical step-by-step process. You must first determine if you can reliably reproduce the problem with the same series of steps. Next you must determine the source of the problem by systematically eliminating variables and repeating the steps that lead up to the quit, until a particular item is isolated as the cause of the quit. System errors and unexpected quits generally can be classified as follows:
Application-level quits. The quit is caused by an item in the QuarkXPress folder: XPress Preferences, XTensions(TM) software, a PDF (QuarkXPress 3.3x), or one of the other auxiliary files.
System-level quits. The quit is caused by a resource at the system level, such as an extension, control panel, or font.
Document-level quits. The quit is caused by something in the document itself, such as a picture, font, or QuarkXPress element.
The first step in solving the problem is to determine the category it falls into. To do this, restart your computer, then repeat the actions performed when the last unexpected quit occurred. If the quit can be reproduced, determine whether it occurs when launching QuarkXPress, opening or working in a document, or printing.
* If the quit does not involve a document, or can be reproduced while working in any document, see "Troubleshooting application-level quits" and "Troubleshooting system-level quits" below.
* If the quit only occurs when opening or working in a particular document, see Troubleshooting Unexpected Quits, Crashes, or Freezes While Opening or Working in a Document, tech*note 010066.
* If the quit occurs while printing, see Troubleshooting Unexpected Quits, Crashes, or Freezes While Printing, tech*note 010060.
Tip: Unexpected quits can be caused by working with insufficient memory. These types of quits may not be easily reproducible, and therefore may seem somewhat random. Increasing the memory allocation for QuarkXPress might help solve the problem. (See Memory Errors, tech*note 010047, for more directions on increasing the memory allocation for QuarkXPress.)
Troubleshooting application-level quits
To determine if the quit is caused by something in the QuarkXPress folder, drag the QuarkXPress application icon out of the QuarkXPress folder and onto the desktop. Double-click the QuarkXPress icon and try to reproduce the unexpected quit.
Note: If an XPress Preferences file is in the Preferences folder in the System Folder, it will be used when you launch QuarkXPress from the desktop. Move this file from the System Folder to a temporary folder for the purpose of these tests.
If the quit still occurs, then it is not caused by an item in the QuarkXPress folder. Return the QuarkXPress icon to the QuarkXPress folder and continue to "Troubleshooting system-level quits" below.
Note: QuarkXPress will create a new default XPress Preferences file if it cannot find one at its root location (in the same folder); this will happen when you launch QuarkXPress from the desktop. You can throw away the new XPress Preferences file on the desktop after completing the above test.
If the quit does not occur, one of the items in the QuarkXPress folder is causing the problem.
Note: If you found and removed an XPress Preferences file from the System Folder, this may be the source of the problem.
To isolate the problem item:
1. Quit QuarkXPress and return the application icon to the QuarkXPress folder.
2. Create a temporary folder on your desktop for testing, then transfer all of the items in the QuarkXPress folder -- except the QuarkXPress application and the XPress Preferences file -- to the temporary folder on the desktop.
3. Launch QuarkXPress and try reproducing the unexpected quit. If the unexpected quit occurs, the XPress Preferences is causing the problem. See "Troubleshooting specific items in the QuarkXPress folder," below, for more information.
4. If the quit does not occur, continue to return items to the QuarkXPress folder one at a time until the problem is identified. (If the quit occurs after returning a folder, such as the XTension folder or PDF folder, troubleshoot the items in the folder individually.) Remember to quit QuarkXPress after each test and relaunch it after a new item is returned to the folder.
Tip: You can speed up the process by returning items in groups. For example, return all the items that start with the letters A-F, and test to see if the crash occurs. If it does, then you can narrow down the search to just those items. If it doesn't, then those items have been eliminated as suspects. Another strategy is to use the Label menu in the Mac OS Finder to assign colors to groups of items to help keep track of which ones have been tested as you go.
Troubleshooting specific items in the QuarkXPress folder:
1. XPress Preferences file. If the unexpected quit occurs when QuarkXPress is launched with just the QuarkXPress application icon and the original XPress Preferences file in the QuarkXPress folder (step 2 and 3 above), you may need to replace the XPress Preferences file. You can replace it with a backup copy (if you have one) or a copy from the QuarkXPress installation disks or CD-ROM. (Note: The default XPress Preferences file that QuarkXPress creates doesn't include all of the frames that are included in the XPress Preferences file on the install disks.)
Tip: You should back up your XPress Preferences file if you customize the following features: style sheets, colors, H&Js, hyphenation exceptions, frames, kerning tables, tracking tables, and default preferences (Application, General, Typographic, Trapping, and Tools). These custom specifications will be lost if you replace your XPress Preferences file with a copy from the QuarkXPress installation disks or CD-ROM. For information on preferences settings, see Nonmatching Preferences Alert, tech*note 010033.
Note: If your XPress Preferences file needs to be replaced frequently, contact Quark Technical Support for additional assistance.
2. XTensions. When QuarkXPress is launched, it will load any XTensions software it finds either loose in the QuarkXPress folder or in the XTension folder. To identify an XTension(s) that may be causing a quit, crash or freeze, you can run a test on the QuarkXPress XTensions. To do this, create a folder on your hard drive and name it "Test XTensions". Move half of the XTensions in the QuarkXPress XTension folder into the test folder, and launch again. If the problem stops, then it is one of the XTensions you just moved. If it persists, quit out of QuarkXPress, then continue to take half of the XTensions out of the QuarkXPress XTensions folder and relaunch. As soon as the quit, crash or freeze stops occurring, then the most recent set that was moved contains the problem XTension. The problem XTension is either incompatible, needs to be updated or could be damaged and will need to be reinstalled.
3. Printer description files. QuarkXPress 3.3x will load PDFs (Printing Description Files) that are loose in the QuarkXPress folder or in the PDF folder. If a PDF is the cause of the unexpected quit, reinstall it from the original install disk. QuarkXPress 3.3x and 4.0x also load PPDs (PostScript Printer Descriptions) that are loose in the QuarkXPress folder or in the PPD subfolder. If a PPD is the cause of the unexpected quit, try reinstalling it. If reinstalling a PDF or PPD does not solve the problem, it may be necessary to update it to the most current version. If this is the case, contact the manufacturer for more information.
Note: QuarkXPress reads the PPDs installed in the Printer Descriptions folder located in the Extensions folder of the System Folder. Troubleshooting these will be discussed in the following section.
Troubleshooting system-level quits
System extensions and control panels:
Unexpected quits can be caused by extensions or control panels that are damaged or that are in conflict with each other or with other software. Determining which item is damaged or in conflict with another item can be done with one of several third-party applications created for this purpose, such as Conflict Catcher or Now Startup Manager. Or, with a little time and patience, you can use the following steps as a guideline for isolating the problem yourself.
Tip: Since this document is not a complete reference for troubleshooting your System Folder, you may wish to contact Quark or Apple Technical Support for additional help.
Note: Before troubleshooting your System Folder, find a bootable system disk, such as your system CD-ROM or Disk Tools disk. This will prove useful if any troubleshooting steps should inadvertently cause your system to fail to start up.
1. Disable all your extensions and control panels by restarting your Macintosh while holding down the Shift key. Keep the Shift key down until you see the message "Welcome to Macintosh. Extensions off." Note: Some non-Apple keyboards may not support this function; consult your keyboard's documentation if applicable. This procedure disables extensions, control panels, and startup items. It does not disable Chooser extensions.
2. With extensions off, try reproducing the unexpected quit. If the unexpected quit does not occur, then one of the disabled items may be the source of the problem. Continue to step 3 to isolate the problem item.
If the quit does occur again, see "Other System Folder items" below.
3. Restart your computer and allow all the extensions and control panels you normally use to load. Then use one of the following methods to isolate the problem item:
* You can systematically disable extensions and control panels using the Extensions Manager Control Panel. To do this, open Extensions Manager and create a new group. Systematically uncheck each item or group of items. Then, restart the computer, and try to reproduce the unexpected quit until you isolate the problem item.
* If you don't have Extensions Manager, you can troubleshoot the items in your Extensions and Control Panels folders by systematically moving items (by groups according to alphabetic order or label color) from these folders to folders on the desktop. Restart your computer after an item is moved, and try to duplicate the unexpected quit. Continue troubleshooting each item until you isolate the one that is causing the quit. Note: If you are using Mac OS 8, the Appearance control panel must be loaded in order for the system to launch.
4. When you isolate the item that causes the unexpected quit, reinstall it from its original install disks and attempt to recreate the quit. If the old copy was damaged, no unexpected quit will occur. If the quit still occurs after reinstallation, then the extension or control panel may not be compatible with the current versions of the System or QuarkXPress. Consult the item's manufacturer to determine if this is the case.
5. If the unexpected quit is isolated to an extension which is responsible for accessing fonts, the problem may be related to a font rather than to the extension itself. Proceed to "Fonts" below.
A damaged font can be responsible for a crash when launching QuarkXPress, when opening a document, or when printing. To determine if fonts are the cause of the problem, try the following:
1. Drag the Fonts folder out of the System Folder to the desktop (or close the fonts in your font utility program, such as Suitcase). Rename this folder "Disabled fonts." You may have to restart in order to disable the fonts. Then attempt to recreate the unexpected quit. If it does not occur, one of the disabled fonts may be damaged.
2. To test the fonts, create a new Fonts folder inside the System Folder. (If you restarted the computer in the previous step, you will already have a new, empty Fonts folder inside your System Folder.) Then, transfer the fonts one at a time (or in groups according to alphabetical order or label color) from the folder on the desktop to the Fonts folder in the
System Folder. After each move, attempt to recreate the unexpected quit. Repeat the test until you isolate a particular font.
3. Reinstall the suspect font from the manufacturer's original disk.
Damaged or incompatible PPDs may be responsible for quits when launching QuarkXPress or printing. PPDs are located in a folder called Printer Descriptions; this folder may be either loose in the System Folder or within the Extensions folder. If your Printer Descriptions folder is in the Extensions folder, these should have been tested when system extensions were tested, above. However, if the Printer Descriptions folder is loose in the System folder and the above steps did not isolate the problem item, drag the Printer Descriptions folder out to the desktop. Then launch QuarkXPress and attempt to reproduce the unexpected quit. If the quit does not occur, test the PPDs using a process of elimination, then reinstall or upgrade the PPD causing the quit.
If testing system extensions, control panels, fonts, and PPDs does not reveal the cause of the unexpected quit, reboot the computer using Disk Tools or a system CD. If the unexpected quit does not occur while the alternate system is loaded, the quit may still be caused by something in your usual startup System Folder. Check for any extensions or control panels that may be loose in the System Folder, drag them out to the desktop, restart, and attempt to reproduce the quit. If necessary, continue testing the remaining items in the System Folder in the same way.
1. Under certain circumstances, a crash can occur on a PCI PowerMac when a user displays the Document Layout palette (F10 or View > Show Document Layout). This problem is fixed in QuarkXPress 3.32r5. Updaters are available online or by calling Quark Technical Support at (303) 894-8899.
2. When running QuarkXPress 3.32r2 and certain printer drivers, a crash or freeze can occur when a user chooses File > Print or File > Page Setup. The crash is caused by a conflict between the printer driver and the Balloon Help file located in the QuarkXPress folder. To resolve the problem, remove the Balloon Help file from the QuarkXPress folder and relaunch QuarkXPress or update to QuarkXPress 3.32r5.
3. Other known issues may have been fixed in updates to QuarkXPress 3.3x or 4.0x. Please see Downloading and Using Online Updaters, tech*note 010117 or information on updating your version of QuarkXPress. Please refer to the Updater Read Me file to see if the problem you are experiencing is fixed in that update.
For assistance with any of the above troubleshooting strategies, you may want to contact Quark Technical Support. Please visit http://www.quark.com.