TITLE
    Apple Location Manager: Frequently Asked Questions (2 of 3)
Article ID:
Created:
Modified:
31331
4/2/01
4/23/01

TOPIC

    This article contains frequently asked questions (FAQ) regarding Apple Location Manager, with answers to those questions. Additional Apple Location Manager FAQ articles are listed at the bottom of this article.


DISCUSSION

    Questions answered in this article:

    1. How do you turn the Location Manager on and off?
    2. Can I create a Location and then save it as a file, export it?
    3. Can I create a Location on a different computer and then import it to mine?
    4. I have exported a Location and dropped it into my Locations folder located in the Location Manager Prefs folder in the Preference Folder in the System Folder, and it gives me an error message when I open Location Manager that it is not installed correctly?
    5. Will At Ease's "Protect System Folder" option prevent Location Manager from switching Locations?
    6. My "Home" and "Office" Locations will be similar, can I duplicate "Home" and then modify it to make the "Office" Location?
    7. I have created my "Home" Location while I was at home, and then also created my "Office" location at home, but the "Office" Location is not working correctly?
    8. I want to change the name of one of my Location, I do not see a Rename button?
    9. I no longer use a Location I created. Can I delete this Location so it will no longer be a selection?
    10. I am editing one of my Locations, and I notice that some of the Modules have a (bullet) in front of them?
    11. When I change to my Location that I named "Office", it reports switching to "Ethernet" in the "Switching to Location" alert box, but when I go to the AppleTalk control panel it is set to Modem/Printer port?
    12. When I switch to one of my Locations, I get the "Switching to Location" alert box that reports what was changed, it is reporting, "Can't switch between Open Transport and Classic Network. Use the 'Network Software Selector' utility." I am running 7.6 and it does not support the Network Software Selector?
    13. What other messages can appear in the "Switching to Location" alert box?
    14. Can I edit multiple Locations at the same time?
    15. How can I tell if a Module was written by Apple's or a third party?
    16. I have installed a new Module in the "Location Manager Modules" folder located in the Extensions Folder in the System Folder but the new Module is not showing up in the Location Manager?

    Question 1: How do you turn the Location Manager on and off?

    Answer : You turn the Apple Location Manager program on by choosing a Location and you turn the program off by specifying no Location, "None (Off)", in the pop-up menu.

    Question 2 : Can I create a Location and then save it as a file, export it?

    Answer : You may Export a Location for use with another computer. In the Location Manager in the Location Editing List, select the Location you want to export. Then go to the File menu and select Export Location. It will ask you where to save and what you wish to name the file in the Save As Dialog. See question 3 for more information.

    Question 3 : Can I create a Location on a different computer and import to mine?

    Answer : You may Import a Location from another computer. First Export the Location on the other computer, see question 18 above, and copy the exported file to the computer you wish to perform the import. Then in the Location Manager go to the File menu and select Import Location. It will bring up the Open Dialog box. Select the Location you wish to import. If you already have a Location named the same as the Location you are trying to import it will give you the option of Canceling, Replace, or allow you to Rename it to something different.

    • Importing a location from another computer does not guarantee that all the software required to use the location is installed. (Apple Location Manager does not install software.) For example, you may import a location that specifies "LaserWriter 300" as the default printer, but the location cannot switch to that printer unless you have the printer's driver software installed. Therefore, it's a good idea to check all the settings in a location you import to verify that they are available on the new computer.
    • If you import any location that includes settings for a LaserWriter as the default printer, you must reselect and set up the printer in the Chooser. (Otherwise the location you imported will use the "generic" printer information for your LaserWriter instead of the specific information for the model identified in the original location.) You select and set up a LaserWriter by opening the Chooser, selecting the LaserWriter icon, selecting the printer's name, clicking the Setup button, and clicking Auto Setup. When the printer's model name appears, click OK.
    • Note: your computer must be connected to the network the printer is on to update the LaserWriter correctly.


    Question 4 : I have exported a Location and dropped it into my Locations folder located in the Location Manager Prefs folder in the Preference Folder in the System Folder, and it gives me an error message when I open Location Manager that it is not installed correctly?

    Answer : This is not the correct way to import a Location into the Location Manager. Please see Question 3 above for the correct way to import a Location.

    Question 5 : Will At Ease's "Protect System Folder" option prevent Location Manager from switching Locations?

    Answer : If you are using At Ease on your computer and you establish Locations for Apple Location Manager, you may see an error message when a module for Location Manager interacts with part of the system software to which access has been restricted by At Ease. You may need to turn off the "Protect System Folder" option so that Location Manager operates correctly.

    Question 6 : My "Home" and "Office" Locations will be similar, can I duplicate "Home" and then modify it to make the "Office" Location?

    Answer : You may Duplicate a Location in the Location Manager in the Location Editing List, select the Location you want to duplicate and then click the Duplicate button.

    Question 7 : I have created my "Home" Location while I was at home, and then also created my "Office" location at home, but the "Office" Location is not working correctly?

    Answer : It is best to make the Location configuration while you are out that location. This way you can set all the different aspects of the Modules you will be adding to this Location, such as the printer you will be using, and then create the Location with these settings being active and working.

    Question 8 : I want to change the name of one of my Location, I do not see a Rename button?

    Answer : To rename a Location, open the Location, and then change the name in the "Location Name" field and then close the Location window. It will ask if you want to save changes, click Save.

    Question 9: I no longer use a Location I created. Can I delete this Location so it will no longer be a selection?

    Answer : You may Delete a Location in the Location Manager in the Location Editing List, select the Location you want to delete and then click the Delete button.

    Question 10 : I am editing one of my Locations, and I notice that some of the Modules have a (bullet) in front of them?

    Answer : While creating or editing a Location you may notice that a Module has a (bullet) in front of it, this means that the system values for this setting have changed since it was added to the Location you are currently editing. To save the new values, select the Module and then click the "Update" button.

    Question 11 : When I change to my Location that I named "Office", it reports switching to "Ethernet" in the "Switching to Location" alert box, but when I go to the AppleTalk control panel it is set to Modem/Printer port?

    Answer: This applies to all Modules that change a control panel to a Configuration the user created. This includes AppleTalk, TCP/IP and Extensions Manager.

    When you change to a Location it will change to the Configuration that you saved with this Location. If you named the Configuration in the AppleTalk control panel "Ethernet" it will report in the "Switching to Location" alert box that it has switched to "Ethernet" when you change the Location. This does not mean this Configuration is changing the AppleTalk control panel to Ethernet, but to the Configuration you named as "Ethernet". This Configuration named "Ethernet" could no longer be set to Ethernet but instead Modem/Printer port. You may have changed this Configuration to Modem/Printer port, or more likely you went into the AppleTalk control panel to change the setting and it asked you to Save and you selected "Save" instead of "Don't Save", thus changed the Configuration "Ethernet" to Modem/Printer port.

    Note: To eliminate confusion it is best to name your Configurations the same name as the Location you will be using them with. Name the Configuration you will be using with the "Office" Location as "Office" in the AppleTalk, TCP/IP, and Extensions Manager control panel.

    Question 12 : When I switch to one of my Locations, I get the "Switching to Location" alert box that reports what was changed, it is reporting, "Can't switch between Open Transport and Classic Network. Use the 'Network Software Selector' utility." I am running 7.6 and it does not support the Network Software Selector?

    Answer : Check your Extensions Manager and make sure that the AppleTalk and TCP/IP control panel are not turned off, if so turn them on and restart. The Network Module is trying to change your Configuration but can not access one of these control panels. Make sure you can open and access both control panels, they may be damaged. The Location Manager requires that the software you wish to change with a Module be loaded properly to work correctly.

    Question 13 : What other messages can appear in the "Switching to Location" alert box?

    Answer: Here are a few of the messages you may get:

    • "No settings were changed" - This means that the current setting for this Module was the same as it was previously set.
    • "The Auto-Open module cannot open the selected item during startup, It will be opened after the startup process is complete" or"The setting will take effect after startup is complete."- If you switch locations as the computer is starting up, Apple Location Manager may defer changing some settings, such as sound level or auto-opening a document, until the computer's startup procedure is complete. Usually you will see a message reporting that the switch to the new settings is being deferred.
    • "Restart Needed" - If the computer has already loaded extensions you will need to restart in order for the new extension configuration to take effect, otherwise the new extensions configuration will load as the computer continues to boot.
    • "New settings are available immediately" - The new settings for this module have been changed and have already taken effect.
    • "Module Auto-Open Item" is not installed. Setting skipped since the module wasn't found. - The Module, is this example Auto-Open Item, is not located in the Location Manager Modules in the Extensions Folder in the System Folder. You will need to reinstall the Module and then restart the computer in order for the Module to be loaded properly. If you switch locations during startup and then switch again before continuing with the startup process, the deferred settings will only occur for the last location chosen. If there were deferred settings in the first location, they will be skipped.


    Question 14 : Can I edit multiple Locations at the same time?

    Answer : Yes you can edit multiple Locations at the same time. You can have, as an example, your "Home" Location and your "Office" Location windows open side by side. You can even copy the settings you have added from one Location and paste them into another, if this is desired.

    Select the Setting you wish to copy in the right hand list of the open Location window, example Time Zone in the "Settings for this Location" list for "Office". Then select copy from the Edit menu, click on the other Location, say "Home", to make it active and select the "Settings for this Location" list and then select paste from the Edit menu. It will not paste a setting that has already been added to this Location, in this example "Home".

    Question 15 : How can I tell if a Module was written by Apple's or a third party?

    Answer : When you are editing a Location click on the Module in question and then hit the Get Info button in the center of the window. All Apple Computer's Modules will have on the first line of the Get Info window the name of the Module followed by Apple Computer. Example: Auto-Open Item Apple Computer.

    Question 16 : I have installed a new Module in the "Location Manager Modules" folder located in the Extensions Folder in the System Folder but the new Module is not showing up in the Location Manager?

    Answer : Try restarting the computer. If you perform a Get Info on one of the Location Manager's Modules the kind is "system extension. "Most Modules require that you restart the computer for them to show up in the Location Manager and to work properly.

    Other Apple Location Manager FAQ's can be found in the following articles:

    Article 30118: Apple Location Manager: Frequently Asked Questions (1 of 3)

    Article 31332: Apple Location Manager: Frequently Asked Questions (3 of 3)


Document Information
Product Area: Mac OS System Software
Category: General OS
Sub Category: General Topics
Keywords: kfaq

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