Goldenseal Freezes on Opening

Problem

Goldenseal Macintosh accounting software versions-- the user reports a freeze-up right when they first open the program.

Menus are grayed out, nothing works-- have to force quit.

Diagnosis

How did they install the application?

This usually happens right after a fresh install from backup, or after moving Goldenseal accounting software to a different Macintosh computer via a Flash drive.

Solution

Reinstall-- either from a website download, or directly from the CD.

Comments

Moving the Goldenseal application (or any Mac application) via a Flash drive may not work in some cases-- since the Flash uses a Windows format, it separates the Goldenseal application file into two separate files-- one for the app's data file, and one for the resources. In some cases on the other end, the Mac won't recognize that they belong together, so only half gets moved.

This problem can also be caused by compression software-- if they use WinZip or some OSX compression programs, when they decompress, it won't pick up the resources that are attached to the Goldenseal application.

To be technical, Windows and Macintosh OSX will usually put the resources in a separate file with an underline at the start of the name. If they compress and decompress with a Mac-savvy program, it will recombine them properly. But if they use different programs to compress and decompress, the resources may get lost.

Because of that, the Goldenseal program will have all kinds of problems-- but the first to show is lack of menu info, meaning a blank menu bar.

Entered 2/6/06 by Dennis. Updated 10/24/2010.