Identifying a user name on an external HD

[ranger1]

Hello all,

After numerous incompatibility issues with OS X 10.11 on my Mac HD, I occasionally must startup from an external HD with OS X10.10.3 as the active system.

To make any changes with OSX 10.10 active, I am frequently asked to enter a User Name and Password.
Neither of the listed users (paulcollins or paulranger) with a known password are accepted.

Can I discover an external HD user that the system will accept while that external OSX is the active system.

Sincerely, ranger1.

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello and welcome.

-Which model Mac?
-Which exact version of El Capitan 10.11.x?
-What kinds of incompatibility issues? Software/hardware?

You can see what users have been created on the external by looking in the Macintosh HD > Users folder. If they indeed are the same as your El Capitan system, they may be using an older password that you had previously.

C

 

[ranger1]

Hello Cory Cooper,

Thank you for your generous response. My iMac Model Identifier is 10,1; my OSX is 10.11.4 and my compatibility issues include:

'Photoshop Elements 8' will neither export nor import from the clipboard - a window opens explaining the cause as "problems with Quicktime".
All other functions work as expected.

'Photoshop Elements 11' will not 'save/save as' (it freezes - NO explanation) necessitating a 'Force Quit' - all work and panel rearranging is lost.
It WILL run fully and correctly when opened from external HD running OSX 10.10.3 ALTHOUGH PSE 11 is only installed on the (then) inactive Mac HD. I purchased/installed PSE 11 through the App Store - no installation disk supplied.

The uniquely functional (and open source) video manipulation software 'MPEG Streamclip' V.1.9.3b8 or V.1.9.2 WILL recognise the title of a video clip (when double clicked to open it) BUT will not open/play the clip - "File open error: unrecognised file type" >> "Open Anyway" / "OK".
Clicking "Open Anyway" gives warning window "File open error: can't find video or audio tracks" >> "OK".
'MPEG Streamclip' opens and plays clips as normal, as well as allowing its unique video manipulation possibilities, when opened on the external HD with that system (OSX 10.10.3) being the active system.

'Snap Motion' V.2.3 ( purchased through the App Store) will not open any video clip (to allow stills to be taken from the clip).
A warning window opens "Quicktime not support movie. Default components of Quicktime cannot read movie file at...(on internal HD).
Again, 'Snap Motion' plays correctly when opened on external HD with OSX 10.10.3 being the active system.

These, Cory, are just a fraction of the incompatibility issues around El Capitan (all versions) that afflict countless faithful Mac (and Adobe) users everywhere.

I am grateful for any advice you may have. Thanking you again, I remain

Yours sincerely,
ranger1.

 

[ranger1]

Hello again Cory Cooper,

When reviewing my request for advice, I realised that I may not have defined my iMac model in sufficiently detailed parameters.
My iMac is 21.5" late 2009 with 3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4 GB 1067 MHz DDR3 installed.

I hope this addition model definition may better enable you to ascertain my circumstances.

Sincerely, ranger1.

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello again...sorry it took me a while to respond.

I think there are a few reasons some of the applications aren't working properly with El Capitan:

-Adobe Photoshop Elements 8/11: These are older versions that were designed for compatibility with older version of Mac OS X. Elements 8 was compatible thru Snow Leopard 10.6. Adobe Photoshop Elements 11 was compatible thru Mac OS X Mountain Lion 10.8. The current shipping version is Adobe Photoshop Elements 14, which has support for Mac OS X Mavericks 10.9 and Yosemite 10.10. You will probably need to upgrade when they announce El Capitan compatibility, as there are reports some functional issues and slowness currently.

-MPEG Streamclip 1.9.x: These are also older versions. 1.9.3b8 was released in 2012 for compatibility with Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion. It requires the QuickTime MPEG-2 Playback Component for Mac OS X from Apple, which was released many years ago for Mac OS X Tiger 10.4 thru Snow Leopard 10.6 and was not compatible with Mac OS X Lion 10.7 and later. They haven't released and updates/upgrades since then. You will probably have to find a replacement for it.

-Snap Motion 2.3: Again, this is an older version that was compatible with Mac OS X Lion 10.7 thru Mavericks 10.9. They have released a new paid upgrade version this year called Snap Motion 3.0.2 that is compatible with Mac OS X Yosemite 10.10 and later. You would need to purchase the upgrade from the App Store.

Some/all of these apps may have still worked with Yosemite, but there have been some changes in El Capitan that may be preventing full compatibility. I know how frustrating it can be when a new version of OS X is released and your current software isn't compatible, needs updates, or requires paid upgrades. But that's the way the computer hardware/software industry works unfortunately. We always recommend that folks check all of their hardware/software for compatibility before upgrading Mac OS X, as there are always compatibility issues introduced in the name of progress. This is especially important for those in production environments with large projects and deadlines looming in the audio, video, and printing industries. I have been supporting those folks for years upon years, and always recommend that they test any new software/hardware on a testing Mac before moving it into production. Of course, that is not normally a recommendation or option for the average consumer, which is why we are here.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it simply seems that you have been mostly lucky to this point running those older versions of software. Feel free to ask about any other applications that are giving you compatibility issues, and we'll be happy to look into it for you.

I will answer your other post(s) as well,

C