HELP, DAWs won't open

[mmkato]

Bumping

[fastlanestoner]

is there an apple variation of safe mode you can boot in? if so try to run the programs in that

[Eat]

did you try flowers, a romantic diner at a fancy restaurant, scented candles and reading poetry?


i dunno... with mac, i wouldn't automatically be tossing things out like drivers, in your case, just because you got a message like that.

did you try all the voodoo first..... verify disk (preferably with disk warrior), repair permissions, use an app like onyx to clear various caches and perform maintenance tasks?

i've never had a 'but it was working yesterday' mac problem that wasn't easily fixed by a google search for similar problem or applying the 'voodoo'

yeah, there is a safe mode.... don't know what key to press and never did it myself but it shoulfd be easy to look up the procedure

[JLiRD808]

Do macs have a "restore" option (restores computer to an earlier time)? Maybe try popping in ur install disks and seeing there's a "repair" option.

[Eat]

Originally Posted by JLiRD808

Do macs have a "restore" option (restores computer to an earlier time)? Maybe try popping in ur install disks and seeing there's a "repair" option.

yes... if he is using time machine or had cloned an earlier version.

he can use his disk to boot from and check it for errors, but like i say, disk warrior will find and repair stuff that the disk utility won't

[mixkitchen]

Dump the preferences and empty the trash. It'll be a Logic.plist file in the Preferences folder.

[phas3d]

Try starting up Logic with this modifier keys. Might help you pinpoint your issue.

Logic Pro/Express 8 & 9: Startup modifier keys for troubleshooting

[mmkato]

Thanks for the input phas3d.

Unfortunately, the modifier keys don't help, but great to know for future issues. Logic still gets hung up on "checking MIDI drivers", and since Ableton won't open either, I'm assuming it is the same issue.

I downloaded new MIDI drivers for my Mbox. As the Logic forums are littered with people having issues with this as well, I've gone through tons of possible solutions, but nothing is working.

My computer is picking up on the Mbox, audio still works fine with iTunes, etc.

[mmkato]

Originally Posted by Eat

did you try flowers, a romantic diner at a fancy restaurant, scented candles and reading poetry?


i dunno... with mac, i wouldn't automatically be tossing things out like drivers, in your case, just because you got a message like that.

did you try all the voodoo first..... verify disk (preferably with disk warrior), repair permissions, use an app like onyx to clear various caches and perform maintenance tasks?

i've never had a 'but it was working yesterday' mac problem that wasn't easily fixed by a google search for similar problem or applying the 'voodoo'

yeah, there is a safe mode.... don't know what key to press and never did it myself but it shoulfd be easy to look up the procedure

Nice tip! I'm gonna try sexing this problem up.

[greyskull]

Do you have mbox midi drivers installed? I had this issue an remove them and all was well,
Also try opening logic in 64 bit, then closing , changing back to 32 and re opening. Or vice versa.

[mmkato]

Originally Posted by mixkitchen

Dump the preferences and empty the trash. It'll be a Logic.plist file in the Preferences folder.

I don't see this file in my preferences folder. Checked both under Library and System Library, am I missing something?

[mmkato]

Originally Posted by greyskull

Do you have mbox midi drivers installed? I had this issue an remove them and all was well,
Also try opening logic in 64 bit, then closing , changing back to 32 and re opening. Or vice versa.

The only driver I have in the MIDI driver folder is the Mbox one, but I'll try dumping it again.

Now prepare for a dumb question... how do I open Logic in 64 bit?

[phas3d]

Are you sure you removed all the midi drivers here hd>library>audio>midi drivers ?

[phas3d]

Originally Posted by mmkato

The only driver I have in the MIDI driver folder is the Mbox one, but I'll try dumping it again.

Now prepare for a dumb question... how do I open Logic in 64 bit?

select Logic in applications and hit cmd+i, there you have a check box to start it up in 64 bit mode.

[mmkato]

Originally Posted by phas3d

Are you sure you removed all the midi drivers here hd>library>audio>midi drivers ?

Yeah, dumped everything, even checked under the midi drivers folder under user, nothing.

[phas3d]

And if you unhook your audio interface does it also happen?

[mmkato]

Tried 64 bit, no dice, switched back to 32, same thing.

Yeah, this happens regardless if my interface is hooked up or not. The closest I've gotten things to working is without the interface and no drivers, Logic will let me open a project, and then immediately freezes there. When I open again, it goes back to hanging on the MIDI driver check.

[phas3d]

Very strange. If you removed the midi drivers it should just go past that part.

[mmkato]

Is there anywhere else those drivers could be hiding other than in those two folders?

[Mini-Dan]

What do you see in your Audio MIDI Setup application (found in utility folder)?
You can always try and trash this file:
com.apple.audio.AudioMIDISetup
Its here:
user/library/preferences/

//Dan

[tarfungo]

Have you tried running your setup from another user on your system?

If your DAW system works in a 'test' user account, but not in your usual 'working' user account, you can pretty much assume you have some corruption of your 'working' user account. That eliminates most of your operating system. If so, your fix may be to simply create a new 'working' user and have at it.

For this exact sort of troubleshooting reason, my Mac's always have two - usually three user accounts setup at all times. An 'admin' account with admin privileges that I NEVER touch -- it's an emergency access 'pristine' account only. My regular 'working' user account which does NOT have admin privileges. And, if a third account, a 'test' user account that also does NOT have admin privileges that can be logged into when and if my regular account is acting up to test against.

[mmkato]

Originally Posted by Mini-Dan

What do you see in your Audio MIDI Setup application (found in utility folder)?
You can always try and trash this file:
com.apple.audio.AudioMIDISetup
Its here:
user/library/preferences/

//Dan

I tried trashing that file too. Here is a screenshot of my Audio MIDI Setup:

[mmkato]

Originally Posted by tarfungo

Have you tried running your setup from another user on your system?

If your DAW system works in a 'test' user account, but not in your usual 'working' user account, you can pretty much assume you have some corruption of your 'working' user account. That eliminates most of your operating system. If so, your fix may be to simply create a new 'working' user and have at it.

Haven't tried this yet, I'll give it a shot.

[phas3d]

Originally Posted by mmkato

I tried trashing that file too. Here is a screenshot of my Audio MIDI Setup:

That's the audio window. You need to open the midi window.

[mmkato]

Whoops sorry. Well when I go to open the MIDI window it doesn't do anything. Nothing loads and can't click on anything.

This is what it gets stuck on:

[mmkato]

Now it says "Audio MIDI Setup couldn’t open the MIDI Server so you can’t view or edit your MIDI configurations.
If you recently installed a new MIDI driver, try uninstalling it and then open Audio MIDI Setup again. If Audio MIDI Setup works correctly after that, contact the driver’s manufacturer for further support."

I still don't have any MIDI drivers, I deleted them, so not sure what this is.

[Muser]

boot off using your startup CD/DVD .. get to the point where you install.. under one of the menus find disk utility. run that. fix permissions from there.. check your drive from there as well. if that all checks out you have eliminated those two.

[mmkato]

Ok, so I noticed that I am missing my coremidi framework file. Not sure how I deleted that. Can't find my startup CD (of course), so I downloaded the OSX 10.6.8 combo update, going to mount that and use Pacifist to extract the coremidi files. Backing up with Time Machine now, getting cigarettes to chain, and possibly a firearm for laying waste to my computer if this doesn't work.

A HUGE THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAD INPUT, I really appreciate it!

[Muser]

that should fix it. I'd keep your original OSX Disk in a bulletproof place.
you could have done a restore from that. I had to once and it saved my bacon.

The people who do Onyx also do a simpler one called Maintenance. it's useful to run it every now and then because it automatically checks your permissions and tells you the condition of your Drive/Partition. you can also fix those permissions from there and not run the rest of the routines. so it's a handy checker.

I was having some unusual issues on one partition recently and I happened to run it. It told me my partition had a problem and I should boot off my OS CD and check and fix my drive. that turned out to be exactly right. I very rarely check the condition of my disk in disk utility, even though I often check permissions.

I've also noticed that booting off the CD every now and then and fixing permissions from there, fixes certain things which doing it from an active partition does not. then when you fix from an active boot, fixing permissions again.. they sort of do something within their own domain.. I'm not sure what difference they make but I think every now and then it's useful.

permissions break down quite regularly.