Mac OS X 10.3.6 (#14): Audio kext workaround successful for a number of readers

Audio kext workaround successful for a number of readers Yesterday we noted a workaround for audio issues that have appeared in conjunction with Mac OS X 10.3.6.

In some cases the problem causes a lack of sound output from external speakers -- an issue that can sometimes be resolved by simply unplugging then reconnecting the speakers. Other users are having problems using PCI-based audio interfaces, or devices like the Griffin iMic after updating.

To re-iterate:

The workaround involves replacing the file "Apple02Audio.kext" which is located in /System/Library/Extensions/ with a version of the kernel extension that is from Mac OS X 10.3.5.

The easiest way to replace this file is to simply copy it from a Mac that has not been upgraded to Mac OS X 10.3.6 and use it to replace the same file on the afflicted Mac OS X 10.3.6 system.

Alternatively, you can download the Mac OS X 10.3.5 combo updater, and use a tool like Pacifist to browse through its contents, locate the old version of Apple02Audio.kext and use it to replace the version installed by Mac OS X 10.3.6.

Several additional readers have now reported success with this workaround:

Paul Ingraham writes "Audio is back to normal after replacing Apple02audio.kext.

MacFixIt reader Hanson adds: "I have confirmed that the audio problem fix works on my Power Mac G4 dual 1 GHz MDD. Thank you very much for reporting on it. I hope Apple offers a more permanent bug fix in Mac OS X 10.3.7."

A word about replacing kernel extensions: Replacing kernel extensions, like the Apple02audio.kext file mentioned above, with earlier versions can cause unintended problems or a loss of some functionality included with an incremental Mac OS X update, and this method should only be used when no other workarounds are available. Make sure to keep a copy of the replaced file locally so it can be switched back in should problems arise.

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