The reported problem:

"Mike,

A while back there was a lot of internet chatter about Appletalk problems. It seems I have fallen victim to the very same. I have to restart every time I switch from Appletalk to inactive and inactive to Appletalk..It gives me a dialog box about modem port being used, which of course it is not. The really weird thing is I never had to restart before. This just started happening since I reinstalled the Os . Can you steer me in the right direction?
John Garde

PS: Using OS 7.6.1 and a Performa 5215."

Below are suggests received from readers:

John Malm wrote:

" Mike,

Concerning John's AppleTalk problems, this Tech Info Library item should help:

TITLE                                        Article ID: 24346
                                             Created:    2/6/98
     Mac OS: Difficulty Disabling AppleTalk  Modified:   2/6/98
----------------------------------------------------------------
TOPIC

     I am trying to print a document on my StyleWriter but I am
     informed by the system that the port is in use. The error
     message indicates that I have to make AppleTalk inactive.
     I have tried to disable AppleTalk by using the control
     strip. I have also tried to disable AppleTalk by using the
     Chooser. However, the error message still occurs. I know
     it's not the printer because I get the same error messages
     when I try to connect my QuickTake digital camera to the
     serial port. What should I do?

----------------------------------------------------------------
DISCUSSION

     Making AppleTalk Inactive

     The default networking option for the Macintosh is to use
     the printer port for AppleTalk. In order to use the
     printer port for a serial device it is necessary to stop
     using the printer port for AppleTalk. There are two ways
     to accomplish this. The first is to move AppleTalk to
     another port such as Ethernet (if you are connected to an
     active Ethernet network). The second method is to make
     AppleTalk inactive.

     During the migration from Classic Networking to Open
     Transport, older components of the networking software
     have not been upgraded to fully support Open Transport.
     Two such components are the Chooser and the AppleTalk
     Switch Control Strip Module. If AppleTalk is made inactive
     using either the Chooser or the Control Strip then only
     Classic AppleTalk components are made inactive. Open
     Transport AppleTalk components are still active. When you
     attempt to use the printer port for a serial device, the
     following error messages (or similar messages) may result:

     "Printer port is in use by another application"
     "Cannot find printer"
     ".[XXX printer driver] requires that AppleTalk is
     inactive. Please make AppleTalk inactive."

     The recommended method of making AppleTalk inactive under
     Open Transport is to:
       1. Open the AppleTalk control panel.
       2. Select User Mode under the Edit menu (or Command-U).
       3. Select Advanced user mode and click OK.
       4. Click on the Options button.
       5. Select Inactive and click OK.
       6. Close the AppleTalk control panel.
       7. Save the changes.

     For Mac OS 8.1 users, Location Manager 2.0.1 offers a
     convenient way to turn AppleTalk on and off. For more
     information, please refer to the Read Me included with
     Location Manager 2.0.1."

Nathan Raymond of Everything Mac wrote:

" This sounds related to something I remember reading at www.macfixit.com a while back - the Chooser and AppleTalk control strip module are not OT-saavy, and do not completely inactivate AppleTalk. The only way to properly turn off and on AppleTalk when running OT is with the AppleTalk control panel."

Erik A. Giberson wrote:

" Hi Mike,

Regarding AppleTalk reporting that the modem port is in use:

I had this problem on my family's PowerMac 6500 running OS 8. There is a workaround, though I don't quite remember the specifics (you probably don't want to post this ;)

I essentially just monkeyed around with the AppleTalk and port settings until the modem port was free. The two areas to check are

1) whether or not AppleTalk is active and

2) which port it's using.

As I recall, the key to solving the problem was that making the change that should have fixed it didn't work - in other words, you'd think that switching AppleTalk to the printer port would free the modem port, but what you actually had to do was turn AppleTalk off. Or it could have been the other way around - switching AppleTalk off didn't work, but swapping the port did.

I hope that made some sort of sense! Either way, it should be easy for the guy to test."

Alexander Glass wrote:

" I suggest that Mr. Garde deletes the Appletalk Preferences, AppleShare Prep, and resets the PRAM. This has cured 99% of Appletalk problems in my experience."

Glenn Matsumura

" Hi Mike,

Regarding John's problems with Appletalk...

1 - Open the Appletalk control panel.

2 - Switch the setting to the modem port.

3 - Close the control panel. (Click yes to save the settings).

4 - You should now be able to work with the machine w/o AppleTalk w/o restarting the Mac.

5 - When you need to either use the modem port or need AppleTalk, just change the AppleTalk control panel back to the printer port and save the settings."

Michael Lee wrote

" I had the same AppleTalk problem with my 8500/233 (MacWorks $299 upgrade). When you make AppleTalk inactive in the Chooser and maybe in the Control Strip (I'm not sure since I don't use it in favor of Ambrosia's ColorSwitch Pro) it only makes the traditional AppleTalk protocols inactive. To fully disable the OpenTransport protocols in AppleTalk, go to the AppleTalk control panel, select user mode from the Edit menu and select advanced in the dialog box. Then click the options button and click inactive. If it doesn't help right away, a restart and PRAM Zap might also help.

I sometimes have this problem when I disconnect my AppleTalk-based HP 6mp and try to plug in a serial cable from my QuickTake 200. (I also have some conflicts with GlobalFax and the camera, but that's a different story.)

The Chooser has lots of legacy code and is not really fully OT compliant. A fix might appear in the next OS Revision. "

Brian Findlay of Solutions Training & Consulting wrote:

" Use remote only to hold the appletalk connection when you don't want it. You never have to make Appletalk inactive, so the restart thing never crops up. This allows the user to keep appletalk active without an ethernet connection, and without tying up any serial ports. Switching can easily be done with Location manager - making trips to the chooser unneccessary."

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