Can't open dictionaries

System: G4 533 MHz/768MB RAM/ 40GB HD (10GB± remaining) 120GB FW external HD; OS X 10.3.9; Applescript Editor 2.0; XCode 1.0

Problem:
Attempting File->Open->Open dictionary causes a freeze. App stops responding, and force-quit is required. This occurs with both AE and XCode. I've tried repairing permissions. Same problem persists.

Anybody got an idea what would cause this to happen in BOTH apps?

Hi Jim and welcome !

have you tried deleting the preference files for both Apps ?

regards

Ric

Just tried it. Removed ~/Library/Application Support/Preferences/com.apple.ScriptEditor2.plist and the XCode .plist.
No joy. Still goes "Application not responding..." on me. Wierd.

I'm wondering if having installed Firefox, Thunderbird, and NeoOffice/J could have clobbered anything. I'm not really fluent in the unix side of the Mac, (kinda like a sailor who knows just enough of a foreign language to order beer and get arrested.)

Here's what the Console Log shows just after the "Open dictionaries" command in XCode:
## Component Manager: attempting to find symbols in a component alias of type (regR/carP/x!bt)

I get the same line in the Console Log just after *starting* Script Editor.

Hi there,

A few thing to try...

Try booting from the install CD/DVD and running Repair Disk from Disk Utility.

Try creating a new user and then try from that Account to see what happens ?

I've had "Firefox, Thunderbird, and NeoOffice/J" all on my Macs from time to time with no apparent problems...

Can you post the "Crash Log" ? That will probably give us a bit more info.

Plan B

Sometimes the quickest and most effective course of action as long as you have got a good backup and +- 5GB of spare space on your hard drive, is to just do an Archive and Install, it normally gets you 'running' quicker...

regards

Ric

Have you recently installed Toast ?

regards

Ric

If you have then try and remove...

"Toast Video CD Support.qtx" from /Library/Quicktime/

This should get rid of the message.

regards

ric

It did get rid of the message, but XCode still won't open a dictionary. I think I'm gonna do the "Archive and install" thing. There are some other things messed up on this box that need fixing. While Archive and Install will cause me to have to do the 10.3.9 upgrade package again, it should make the problems go away.

Wish I knew what caused it. I just took this machine over from my wife, and she hasn't tampered with the system any. (Doesn't know how ) If it were my old box where I've downloaded Fink stuff and compiled it, I could see where I might've trashed some directories or symlinks tinkering with stuff. But that box runs better than this one.

Well, I just did the "archive and install," and it cleared up the problem. Still haven't got a clue why it did that.

But I'm glad it's gone!

Sorry, Jim thought I'd already replied...

...been stripping today ! (Paint off walls, not nice.)

Glad the Archive and Install went okay !

regards

Ric