Destinyone needs help! Calling ALL Mac and Illustrator users! URGENT!

Thanks to everyone for the advice!

I was able to piece together the way that he used to print the labels, and the process to go through in order to do it....

I HAD to boot into the 10.4 partition, which was password protected, and she nor I knew the password. A bit of online research told me how to create a new admin account through the command line, and then I was able to go back in and change the unknown password to a new one. That gave me access to the 10.4 partition, and then I had to run Illustrator in "Classic" mode, which was the only way to boot the program. What a twisted mess.

I've been able to print several pages of files, so Des is back in business!

Now, I have to work out a nice tutorial for her to follow, and let her run the printer herself, so she knows how to do it on her own.

Again, thanks to everyone who helped get Des out of a very stressful situation!!!! I knew ATS would be able to point me in the right direction!!!!

So sorry to hear, sending regards. Great replies, and best hopes to correct the issue-not much i can offer besides what has been shared but will check this later if there's still issues with a solution. I really hope things falls into place with this.

ETA, see that there's updates.

a reply to: Druid42

well, at least cheer you on. You, afterall, spent 12 hours driving one way to help her.

Hello Des,

I'm sorry for your loss.

Sometimes when I stumble across a file I can't open I go to google and type in:

How to open Ai8 file?

for example and then I would usually see a couple of forums show in the search results where people are asking the same question and experts on the forum answer.


Sorry, I couldn't help more.
I'm Windows.

Also sometimes I would try to convert the file to a format I can open.
Like convert Ai8 to (insert the file you can open) online

a reply to: Druid42

Druid, you did a fabulous job of puzzling out the answers. It has been a heroic effort to say the least.
I'm glad my wee bit of knowledge helped put a piece into the right place.

Well done.



- AB

a reply to: Druid42

Fantastic work. But might I suggest that you find a way to import her information into an easily usable (and changeable) format? Since this is going to be her snowball now, ensure she can throw it.

a reply to: Druid42

You earned your wings.

a reply to: Druid42

Happy to hear everything worked out Good job from what appears to be a very good friend

Well a thought came to mind, but not sure how to do this, because whenever I accomplish things its by spending a few days looking through linux forums and tutorials. But in the past recall loading a Linux CD to live desktop and rescuing files on various partitions.

I don't know what year the mac op's are, and if it makes a difference but you can install linux on macs.

Here is one example: www.ehow.com...

ETA: glad it worked out before I posted.

a reply to: Druid42

Hi Druid, well done sorting out the account and accessing the old Illustrator app. Just to make life easier for Des it should now be possible for you to create a single Acrobat file exporting out of Illustrator and having all the labels combined into one file. If it is set up properly It should only require selecting print from within Acrobat to run all the labels.

Druid: Sorry I'm late to the party, had to take someone to the ER yesterday and 10 or so hours later I was a little tired LOL..

Glad you got some access, here's a little info however, that you should keep in mind (and everyone else as well)

The PPCg5 machines were never intended to run the same version of 10.4 that the G4's ran, (and of course there's even a third version of 10.4 that ran on intel based macs, the early ones)... the G5 chip at it's core is a 64bit machine, and can run 9.22 in virtualization mode, or in a virtualbox window. Also there are a few standalone emulators nowadays that will run 9.2 in a window on 10.5 and later (again 10.5 was the last PPC based OS, 10.6 could run PPC based applications through Rosetta, done away with in 10.7 and later)

If you need to run OS9 (or OS8, 7 etc) the best bet nowadays would be to update the G5 to 10.5.8 and run it in a virtualization window rather than trying to forcefeed it through the 10.4 abstraction layer (which is how they ran 9.22 in that final version that had the classic mode).

Just my observations over time..

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

Leaving @ sunrise to head back home. My job here is done.

I was a drill Sargent today with Des. We sat done earlier today, and I ran her through the process of her printing out her labels with her running the mouse and activating the printer. I told her before I left she would have to write a tutorial out.

We had other work to do today, moving some heavy stuff she couldn't move on her own, so after we got that done, we sat back done at the computer, and again, went through the procedure, with her documenting everything in her own handwriting. She even was saying "don't tell me what to do", and she figured out what to click, and how to get to the boot menu, and load up 2 different OS's to do different things. Des is one awesome gal.

As a final step for her knowing how to run the label printing process, I instructed her how to make a new folder with subfolders to contain the labels for all her products, and how to "save as PDF" for every file she opened. Eventually, she'll get everything moved to the new folder, save it to a flash drive, and be able to print from any computer. There's no reason for her to use Illustrator 8.0 JUST to print labels. She knows that now. I've talked with her, and she would like to make new products, but now has no way to create new labels. I'm leaving that ONE thing up to fellow ATS members, and I'm asking a few of you to step up to the plate, and heed her new requests. Neither Des nor I have any substantial ability in artwork, but I know that people will volunteer with help to make a new PDF for a new product she makes, and that'll be between you and her. You know you love her. I know I do.

I am proud of her, not only for dealing with her loss, and all the crap that has gone with it, but also for having the tenacity to learn something new. She is on a solid path now.

I can't express how much I've appreciated the feedback, and Des feels the same.

Carry on.

originally posted by: Unity_99
Well a thought came to mind, but not sure how to do this, because whenever I accomplish things its by spending a few days looking through linux forums and tutorials. But in the past recall loading a Linux CD to live desktop and rescuing files on various partitions.

I don't know what year the mac op's are, and if it makes a difference but you can install linux on macs.

Here is one example: www.ehow.com...

ETA: glad it worked out before I posted.

Hey Unity...

Are you aware that MacOS *IS* a *nix (in it's case Free/Open BSD) based Operating System? No need to install Linux, that would be just ruining a good machine to make it slow down...

a reply to: Druid42

Help with creating new graphic labels, etc., has been offered by myself, with what skills I have.

-AB

a reply to: vkey08

It wasn't about installing, though you can install. And Linux is preferred by some and runs faster than windows and mac.

But this was about using a live CD to rescue files.

a reply to: AboveBoard

There are three others I know who can also help. The point is, if Des wants to create new products, she has noone to do the graphics and layout, as she is a widow now, and he did all that previously. I've explained to her that many are willing to help, and there's no need to have just one person do all the work. If she were to ask one person for one new product label sheet, and another for another, the burden isn't on just one person to make the new graphics. All she needs is the PDF to be able to print them out, and who makes them is irrelevant. You know how giving and caring Des is.

She doesn't feel right asking for help, and is currently thinking she can't make new products, but I say that her products are awesome, and if she knows she has people she can contact, it'll all work out.....that issue is off topic here, and that's all I'll say about that. As a dear friend to many, remember that Des is independant, and everthing will work out behind the scenes.

On a side note, I've made it back home, safe and sound. Other than an annoying rain/mist from Lexington, KY that persisted until Akron, OH, I had a smooth drive.

Destinyone, I THANK YOU so much for your hospitality during my visit. To meet you in person was a personal blessing, and to be able to have long conversations about life with you was something amazing. My ONLY regret is that I couldn't stay longer. I'm sorry about that, but we both know that we will meet again.

a reply to: vkey08

Hey, I could've used that info earlier, and I wanted to KISS. Others in PM had suggested VMing the whole thing, but in MHO that's overkill. All she needs, really, is a PDF to print, and that's all she needs. There's no reason to go the VM route when the end user is not technically skilled. However, booting 10.4, then switching to "classic" mode is a sort of VM, isn't it? I've watched it boot, and to me it is.

From all the valuable input this thread has created, a PDF for all her artwork is the way to go, and that's the standard for every OS. That way, if her Mac system crashes, she has her files backed up on a flash drive, and won't have to worry about one specific computer to print from, she could print from anywhere. The only thing I worry about is that her folder is 15.8 GB, so a 32 GB flash is more reasonable budget-wise for now, and under $20 USD.

32 GB flash drive on Amazon

Don't you agree that's plenty of room for what she has, and then a few more products?

a reply to: Druid42

The tags are formatted the same way for all products, so if one person makes a template file for each side, it can be shared and easily updated by whomever has the skill and software. That's just one idea, anyway.

As you say, I'm sure there are several people willing to help, no doubt more skilled than I am.

- AB