10.6: Run old screen savers on Snow Leopard
Nov 05, '10 07:30:00AM
Contributed by: melby.ruarus
With Snow Leopard the ScreenSaverEngine application is a 32/64-bit binary, and if your system supports it will run in 64-bit mode. This means that any screen savers without 64-bit code will not run, and this is primarily old unsupported screen savers.
To get screen savers with only 32-bit code in them to run ScreenSaverEngine must be forced to run in 32-bit mode only.
One way to accomplish this it to remove the 64-bit portion completely:
- First backup the ScreenSaverEngine app to somewhere safe, it's located at /System/Library/Frameworks/ScreenSaver.framework/Resources/.
- Then run this command from a terminal under an account with Admin rights:
sudo lipo -remove x86_64 /System/Library/Frameworks/ScreenSaver.framework/Resources/ScreenSaverEngine.app/Contents/MacOS/ScreenSaverEngine -output /System/Library/Frameworks/ScreenSaver.framework/Resources/ScreenSaverEngine.app/Contents/MacOS/ScreenSaverEngine
Removing the 64-bit portion of the ScreenSaverEngine has no apparent disadvantages; it runs fine by opening it from the Finder, having the screen saver activate on a timer, through a hot corner, etc.
One issue that will occur is that System Preferences will still run in 64-bit mode, and so will not allow you to select a screen saver that only includes 32-bit code. Handling this is much simpler:
- Open the /Applications folder in the Finder.
- Get Info (Cmd+I) on System Preferences.
- Tick the Open in 32-bit mode tick box.
Opening System Preferences should give you a window titled 'System Preferences (32-bit).' Now you should be able to select the screen saver from the list.
[crarko adds: I haven't tested this one.]
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Mac OS X Hints
http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20101105035304606