Mac OS X 10.3.9 (#5): FireWire drive mounting problems; More Safari fixes; Firefox; LimeWire; more

CNET staff

Sept. 2, 2009 11:16 a.m. PT

4 min read

FireWire drive mounting problems As reported yesterday, a number of users are reporting problems mounting FireWire drives after updating to Mac OS X 10.3.9. In some cases, this issue can be resolved by re-installing the latest firmware for your FireWire drive (check the manufacturers Web site.)

MacFixIt reader Tanja writes:

"I also encountered a problem with FireWire after updating the system to v10.3.9 (the external hard drive, a LaCie Porsche FireWire drive, does not mount any more)."

Michael Clark is one reader who had success with re-installing the latest firmware for his FireWire drive.

Michael writes:

"I was able to restore my external Firewire drive (Macally PHR-100AC) by reinstalling the Macally firmware update designed for fixing problems from earlier OSX versions. The USB interface on the PHR-100AC worked fine and the HD itself was OK, just the Macally firewire firmware was damaged."

Safari 1.3

Flash problems A number of users are reporting issues with Macromedia Flash in Safari 1.3 (included with Mac OS X 10.3.9.)

MacFixIt reader Michael Landes writes:

"After the Mac OS X 10.3.9 update, Gameday on MLB.com no longer provides continually updated scoring (i.e. dynamic content for the game) -- it gets stuck on the splash page (you have to reload to get the latest info). Also, with any flash-based video content on MLB.com, the audio is choppy now. Haven't seen the problem with any other flash sites."

If you are having problems with Flash after updating to Mac OS X 10.3.9, please let us know.

Make sure AcidSearch and other plug-ins are updated Several plug-ins that were causing problems initially under Safari 1.3 have now been updated for compatibility. Make sure you are using the latest versions of all Safari add-ons -- particularly AcidSearch (now at version 0.41) -- if you are experiencing repeated crashes or other issues.

MacFixIt reader Del Marshall writes:

"I updated to Mac OS X 10.3.9 and Safari wouldn't launch, crashed every time. Tried the various fixes currently on your page, no go. Finally looked at plug-ins, updated the neat little add-on called AcidSearch to the latest version, 0.41. All OK now."

Remember to repair permissions after applying combo updater One of the previously reported workarounds for issues where Safari 1.3 repeatedly quits is re-application of the Mac OS X 10.3.9 combination updater.

However, as noted by a number of readers, repairing permissions (using Apple's Disk Utility, located in Applications/Utilities) after the combo update has been installed may be necessary for the fixes to materialize.

MacFixIt reader Tom Lowry writes

"Updated my PowerBook with delta version of Mac OS X 10.3.8, using MacFixIt's tried and tested rules. All went well, no problems, firewire drives working, sleeping etc.

"Safari on the other hand started crashing when closing windows or quitting. Also java on Google maps not working. However terminal was returning java versions with no problem.

"Then applied combo update, again all went well, repaired permissions, one difference noted it repaired as follows:

[Permissions differ on ./private/etc/slpsa.conf, should be -rwxr-xr-x , they are -rw-r--r-- Owner and group corrected on ./private/etc/slpsa.conf Permissions corrected on ./private/etc/slpsa.conf

"Safari stopped crashing, although Google maps US still not working unless User Agent changed to Windows Internet Explorer [Ed.- Changing the Safari user agent can be accomplished by entering the command defaults write com.apple.Safari IncludeDebugMenu 1 in the Terminal (located in Applications/Utilities) while Safari is not running, then selecting the desired browser agent) when all worked as should."

Deleting the Safari preference file If you are still having problems with Safari intermittently crashing under Mac OS X 10.3.9 after trying the workarounds posted in the past several days, try deleting the file:

com.apple.Safari.plist

from the folder ~/Library/Preferences and restarting Safari.

Firefox, Mozilla, Camino: Download latest nightly builds If you are having problems with Firefox, Mozilla, or Camino under Mac OS X 10.3.9, make sure to download the latest nightly build of the problematic browser.

MacFixIt reader Thomas writes:

"Following a hint on MacFixIt-Forums I installed the latest nightly builds for all three apps and they work fine now."

For Firefox, in particular, updating to version 1.0.3 has resolved a number of Mac OS X 10.3.9-related issues.

Problems launching LimeWire Several readers have reported issues launching the peer-to-peer application LimeWire after upgrading to Mac OS X 10.3.9.

MacFixIt reader Ray Cole writes:

"Limewire 4.81 Pro does not work with 10.3.9. It crashed immediately upon trying to launch it. I re-installed Limewire and still no go."

Two previously published solutions (which were intended for resolution of Safari 1.3 issues) appear to be applicable here: