[muglo] Mac OS 10.5.6 Issues at Macfixit.com
- From: Andy Skuse <askuse@xxxxxx>
- To: muglo@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 18 Dec 2008 07:44:51 -0500
To go along with my earlier post on upgrading to Mac OS 10.5.6 here's
the latest from Macfixit.com.
Note the one line below that I marked in bold and underlined regarding
major hard drive corruption. This rarely happens with Mac OS updates
but it highlights the need for a full clone-type backup before
updating. If you do decide to update, download the combo update file
to your hard drive, then run Disk Utility and repair the drive and
permissions, then dbl-click the combo update package and install it.
Andy
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Mac OS X 10.5.6 Problems (#2): Startup Loop, AirPort, Bluetooth, Mail
Change, even for the better, brings consequence. With the release of
Mac OS X 10.5.6 Apple targeted problems problems related to graphics
performance, security and stability. Among the components targeted for
improvement are AirPort, MobileMe, Time Machine, and networking
performance. Unfortunately and unsurprisingly, these are the
components with which users are having the most probles after the
update.
Pre-Installation--hangs and more
As reported yesterday, some people are experiencing problems with the
installation process for the Mac OS X 10.5.6 update. Although Software
Update presents the appropriate update file, many users are
experiencing hangs resulting in the update never completing. As also
noted yesterday: for some users, this occurs during the "configuring
setup" step, and the system never goes into the actual update mode.
Other users have reported errors stating the update cannot be
installed because it encountered an error, as well as "validation"
errors for the update files. For the most part, these problems have
occurred with the delta updater.
Fix For most of these situations, users can fix the issue by
downloading and applying the standalone "Combo" update. This edition
includes all updated files since the release of 10.5.0, and as such
will ensure all files are properly accounted for in the system. It is
recommended that users update by downloading the combo update and then
boot into Safe mode. When in Safe mode, run a permissions fix and
drive check using Disk Utility, and install once those are completed.
Post-Installation--the infamous startup loop
Although the update should cause the computer to reset twice, several
users have reported computers going into the infamous startup loop, in
which the system endlessly boot and make the boot chimes, then reset
and chime again after the white screen. Unfortunately this problem may
indicate a major corruption in the boot drive.
Potential fix: Run a disk and permissions repair. Boot off the Leopard
DVD and after selecting the language, open "Disk Utility" from the
"Utilities" menu and run a permissions and disk repair on the boot
drive. Hopefully this will fix the problem. Additionally, users with
third-party drive repair tools (such as TechTool or Disk Warrior)
might try booting off those repair disks and diagnose the drive. If
these do not work, then users may have to reinstall their operating
system using the "Archive and Install" method which will preserve user
data and settings. This might require users to reinstall some software
packages, but it is probably the easiest option.
A few users are noticing the system is creating a loud pop sound after
installing the updates. This happens during the boot process, right
when the system begins to load after the grey screen. It could be a
problem with the computer switching audio inputs to the headphone
jack, as internal speakers do not seem to make this pop, but devices
plugged into the headphone jacks will.
Fixes
* Reboot with no devices plugged in Some users have corrected
this problem by rebooting with no audio devices connected. This seems
to clear the problem, though has not worked for all users.
* Reset PRAM It may be possible this problem is from a PRAM
setting, and resetting the PRAM might help. To do this, reboot and
hold the options-command-P-R keys all at once until the system resets
and chimes a few times. Then release the keys and allow the computer
to boot normally.
Bluetooth
Several users have experienced a problem in which Bluetooth is not
working under Mac OS X 10.5.6; mice and keyboards do not work. This
may also be accompanied by the disappearance of the Bluetooth icon in
the system menubar. Users have tried deleting the bluetooth preference
files, as well as changing batteries and resetting various bluetooth
devices. It's clear that the bluetooth receiver in the computer is not
working. It seems most users experiencing this problem are running
older PowerPC Macs, though this does not rule out the possibility of
it happening on Intel machines.
Fixes:
* Remove Bluetooth configurations in the system Users have found
that this problem seems to be a result of bluetooth cycling on and off
with certain devices configured. As such, they fixed the problem by
connecting a USB keyboard and mouse, and then removing all bluetooth
devices in the bluetooth system preferences. Re-adding the devices has
resulted in flawless functionality.
* Remove third-party bluetooth connectors and restart the
computer Users might try uninstalling the software and hardware for
third-party bluetooth solutions, and reboot the computer. This could
be caused by a driver incompatibility with the OS update, or could be
another instance where bluetooth devices need to be reset and
reinstalled.
Airport
Some users are having problems connecting to wireless networks after
applying Mac OS X 10.5.6. Some have described Airport Extreme
connections dropping out, and others have suspected either WEP or WPA
protection being the culprit. However, in most cases these problems
seem to have self-corrected after a while of usage. As such, it is
recommended to restart the computer when this problem happens, and
perhaps also run permissions and disk repairs with Disk Utility.
Additionally, try resetting the wireless routers the computer is
connected to, in order to refresh the connection and IP address lease
information in the router.
Some users might get an error claiming no AirPort card is installed,
but resetting the PRAM in the computer seems to clear this problem up.
Time Machine
Because Apple updated various components of Time Machine, some users
are experiencing various new problems with Time Machine after
updating. Backups are failing many times, and other times users are
getting "access privileges" errors. Some folks are also getting
problems with the Time Machine volume being "read only". For some
users the initial backup after the update may take a long time. Time
Machine will do a deep traversal of the boot volume to ensure all
files are properly accounted for in the backups after the update has
been applied, so it is recommended to wait it out if backups seem to
take a long time.
Potential Fixes: Reset Time Machine Go to the Time Machine preferences
and remove the backup drive from the destination. Then turn off Time
Machine and shut down the computer. With the computer off, turn off or
unplug the Time Machine drive and wait a few minutes. Then boot the
computer and wait for it to load. When the computer is completely
loaded, plug the TM drive back in and turn TM back on in the system
preferences, reselecting the drive as the backup volume.
MailMany users are having problems with Mail crashing after the update
when trying to read email messages. For some the program will not
open, but for others it seems to crash when messages are selected.
Some users have been able to fix this problem by removing Mail add-on
software, but this does not apply to all affected users, most who do
not have any third-party add-ons. As such, users might try the
following to fix these problems: Fixes
* Reapply the combo update Users should first try downloading and
applying the combo update for the 10.5.6 updater. This may fix some
problems with various frameworks and other system resources that Mail
uses, and is a way to ensure all updated files on the system are
refreshed as much as possible without having to reinstall.
* Delete Mail's preferences file These problems could be due to a
corruption in the Mail preferences file. As such, users should try
removing the "com.apple.Mail.plist" file from the /username/Library/
Preferences/ folder, and then relaunch Mail.
* Rebuild Mailboxes Since this problem happens for many when they
load messages, launching Mail with the shift key held should allow it
to load as this prevents the program from loading messages when the
program starts. With the program open, users can select each mailbox
and use the rebuild option that's available in the "Mailbox" menu to
hopefully fix this problem.
Trackpads
Several MacBook owners have posted issues regarding loss of
functionality with their trackpads after updating to OS X version
10.5.6. This seems to be a problem only in the Finder, as Safari and
other application seem to recognize multi-touch inputs that do not
work in the Finder. This problem seems to be a bug that's affecting
earlier MacBook models, and hopefully Apple will supply a fix for it.
Currently there are no known fixes that users can try.
END
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