Couldn't we just walk him through a clean install if nothing else
works. He probably doesn't have data issues with only having the
machine for a day.
On Dec 13, 2007, at 7:05 AM, Simon Cavendish wrote:
Dear Esther,
No, I didn't have to enter my password in Tiger. The Macbook would
just boot and Voiceover would start. Unfortunately, if I remember
correctly, I off-loaded Voiceover with command+f5 before continuing
with the installation with my friend. After we finished the
installation, the Mac presentation started, and as it was already
late, my friend came out of it but I actually didn't check whether
voceover was working. We just switched the machine off after it had
updated itself. I wish I had now. I was using my friend's wireless
connection to download and install the updates.
I think we must have booted into my account after the installation
because Leopard also updated itself and to install the update I had
to enter my password. But that's all.
Just supposing for a minute that I do get the login screen, does it
open with the cursor in user name? Do I then press tab once in order
to get into password field? I suppose I could try this and see
provided I know where the cursor is located as the computer boots up.
Just a side question. I think I may have switched my Macbook off
incorrectly doing it blind so to speak, and now I cannot switch it
off. Is there a way of doing it blind, if only somewhat crude?
Simon
----- Original Message ----- From: "Esther" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "General discussions on all topics relating to the use of Mac OS
X by theblind" <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, December 13, 2007 11:50 AM
Subject: Re: SOS: can't get mu VO to work after upgrading to Leopard
Dear Simon,
On Dec 13, 2007, at 01:27AM, Simon Cavendish wrote:
Dear Esther,
Do you think that after the installation as I described it, I may
be being
presented with some kind of a welcome screen or option screen whichp
prevents me from using vo commands? Is there a login screen that
comes up
first? What's single userr mode?
Simon
Let me ask you, if your installation of Leopard was completed, I
assume
that your friend left you with your machine running and in your
account?
Otherwise you could not tell that the volume and other hardware keys
were working.
If your installation is as you described, you could either have
been left at
the login screen, or with your system already logged on.
Before your Leopard Upgrade did you need to enter a password to
enter your system once you powered on your computer? If so, and
you were left in the login screen, then you may need to enter your
user name and password.
David, and others. I don't remember. If VoiceOver was turned off
before, and
not turned on at boot up, does Simon have to log into his account
first before
he can activate VoiceOver?
Simon, single user mode is one of various options for restarting
the system
from the CD. I don't think you need to use it here. I was asking
the others
whether in this mode, we could start VoiceOver using system default
values,
since then we would know how to begin. Apparently, the answer is
that
it is not clear this would help here.
Cheers,
Esther
----- Original Message ----- From: "Esther" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "General discussions on all topics relating to the use of Mac
OS X by
theblind" <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, December 13, 2007 11:19 AM
Subject: Re: SOS: can't get mu VO to work after upgrading to Leopard
Hi David and Simon,
I think that Simon's situation is as he described yesterday --- a
Leopard
install was done by a sighted friend, but VoiceOver was turned
off while
this was performed, and he hasn't been able to bring it up.
Additionally, there was some confusion on our part that he was not
using the FN key to turn on VoiceOver on his Macbook. But this was
because he had checked the Systems Preference Box to use Software
settings for the function keys by default, and made this change
before
the update.
Richie was, I think, trying to respond to my question about
whether there
was an easy way to get VoiceOver started at boot time --- perhaps
by
using the install disk (not to install, but to override) and boot
into
single user mode with default settings. Do you know whether we
have
some option like this?
Cheers,
Esther
On Dec 13, 2007, at 01:09AM, David Poehlman wrote:
What install path did you take? If you upgraded unless you are
hanging on
some screen, you should have gotten vo to talk by now.
----- Original Message ----- From: "Simon Cavendish" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
To: "General discussions on all topics relating to the use of
Mac OS Xby
theblind" <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, December 13, 2007 5:21 AM
Subject: Re: SOS: can't get mu VO to work after upgrading to
Leopard
Dear Esther,
I hear no boing sound when pressing fn+f6. The only fundction
keys that
produce a sound is f9 f10 and f11 without pressing the fn key
and f11 will
produce a boing sound with or without pressing the fn key.
I've tried starting vo presentation by presssing control+option
+shift f8
but
that hasn't started anything either. I've tried messing about
with the
control+option+command left/right arrow and then arrow up but to
no avail.
I still haven't been able to find anybody who could look at the
screen for
me. A friend promised he might be able to call later on this
afternoon if
I
haven't resolved the issue. I'm sorry to be such a bore. I've
been using
computers for over 10 years, and here I am feeling like a silly
child.
Bear
with me, guys.
Simon
----- Original Message ----- From: "Esther" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "General discussions on all topics relating to the use of
Mac OS X by
theblind" <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, December 13, 2007 1:07 AM
Subject: Re: SOS: can't get mu VO to work after upgrading to
Leopard
Dear Simon,
Let's assume that you have a working VoiceOver installation, and
that your Function keys are turned on to use software function
instead
of hardware function. If your volume is turned up (from
pressing
FN + F5) then when you press F6 you should hear a kind
of "boing" sound (I think they call it "funk"). Press FN+F6
once.
You should not hear any sounds at all. Now try pressing Command
and F5. Does VoiceOver come on? If not, press FN+F6 a second
time and try Command + F5 again.
The "funk" sound occurs whether or not you have VoiceOver
running.
Please believe that it is unlikely you could have done anything
to
the VoiceOver installation. It's just a question of getting it
properly
started. And nothing that you've done isn't something someone
else hasn't already had problems with already.
Cheers,
Esther
On Wednesday, December 12, 2007, at 02:31PM, "Richie Gardenhire"
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
The one thing I learned from that experience, to try those steps
Esther outlined; Leopard has audible cues that will indicate
when
VoiceOver is turned on, given all things have been tried.
Thanks
again, Esther. Richie Gardenhire, Anchorage, Alaska.
On Dec 12, 2007, at 3:18 PM, Esther wrote:
Dear Simon,
Is it possible that you pressed FN+num lock by mistake? The
most
likely things are: (1) you don't have the volume up high
enough to
hear the VoiceOver voice or (2) you accidentally managed to
press the num lock (F6) key so that your keyboard is not
sending
the characters you expect. (Item 2 happened to Richie
Gardenhire,
and is a particular problem to be aware of if you press keys
while
VoiceOver is not running).
If you switched hardware and software functions for the
Function
keys. I think you need to press FN+F6 to toggle the num lock.
I'm sure there is no problem with your VoiceOver install. I
think
it is one of the two problems I mentioned above. Make sure you
(now) use FN+F5 to put your MacBook at maximum speaker
volume before you try anything else.
Cheers,
Esther
On Dec 12, 2007, at 02:10PM, Simon Cavendish wrote:
Dear Esther,
Tried it all to no avail. Before installing Leopard, I had
changed
the
keyboard setting to desktop to avoid having to press the FN
key all
the
time, and that setting seems to have been kept by leopard. I
know
that
because when I press FN with the functions keys, I hear
various
funny noises
which I recgonise as changing volume or brightness. I've tried
hitting the
f6 key but I don't know now whether it's on or off. I've tried
various
combinations and VO is still silent. Does it sound serious
to you?
Simon
----- Original Message -----
From: "Esther" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "General discussions on all topics relating to the use
of Mac
OS X by
theblind" <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2007 11:54 PM
Subject: Re: SOS: can't get mu VO to work after upgrading to
Leopard
Hi Simon,
Remember that on a Macbook you need to hold down the FN key
as
well as
the Command and F5 keys to get VoiceOver to start up. You
may
also want
to hold down the F5 key on the Macbook for a while before
turning on
VoiceOver, since I think it's the hardware Volume up key on
the
Macbook.
(The top row should be Escape, F1, F2, F3, F4, F5. )
The other possible gotcha if your VoiceOver was not turned on
before your
friend left is that you hit the F6 (num lock) key on the
keyboard
instead
of
F5. If so, try to press F6 again to toggle num lock off, and
issue your
command
of FN+Command+F5 to turn on VoiceOver.
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Esther
On Wed December 12, 2007, at 01:42PM, Simon Cavendish wrote:
Dear All,
I've just installed Leopard on my new Macbook. it turned
out that
it came
with Tiger installed, and leopard on a CD. So I've just
had it
installed
with sighted assistance, as I'm not that experienced in VO
yet.
All went
smoothly and my friend has gone now. But when I tried to
get my
VO to
start with the usual combination of keys Command+f5 so
that i
could use my
Macbook, nothing happens. Does anyone know what might have
happened? This
command worked perfectly well in tiger.
S O S from desperate simon!
