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Mac OS X 10.4.3 (#10): Solving an issue where Classic will not start properly; More on Address Book data disappearance; more

Mac OS X 10.4.3 (#10): Solving an issue where Classic will not start properly; More on Address Book data disappearance; more

CNET staff
5 min read

Solving an issue where Classic will not start properly A handful of readers have reported an issue where the Classic environment will not properly startup under Mac OS X 10.4.3.

MacFixIt reader Daniel Milligan writes:

"I use Classic mode occasionally to play old games. I've never had a problem with this, but since I installed the 10.4.3 update, launch of Classic fails every time, even with extensions turned off."

In some cases, this issue is caused by the presence of a DivX plug-in located, in /Library/QuickTime as per Knowledge Base article #301585. The solution is to remove the "DivXNetworks" folder from /Library/Application Support.

More on Address Book data disappearance We continue to report on a serious issue where Address Book data suddenly disappears from systems recently upgraded to Mac OS X 10.4.3.

Jari Kokko writes:

"I had read that Address Book entries might disappear after the new Tiger update. So I took precautions and exported all cards into a .vcf file. I updated and - POOF - my addressbook only had two entries. I double-clicked the vcf file and the import function warned that all cards are duplicates and would be updated. I let it, and true enough, all cards were back. I believe that the data doesn't disappear after all, it just becomes invisible. This is backed up by the fact that the 'empty' Address Book data file is not smaller than the ok one.

Monty Lee adds:

"Just to let you know, I have two computers, each experienced the loss of the Address Book. One is a Dual G5/2, the other a Dual G4/800. After updating to 10.4.3, both lost their address books in a couple of days. I thought it had to do with Dot Mac Sync, so I turned it off. I restored the Address Books from a backup (unfortunately several weeks old), only to find out that a couple of days later it was gone.

"I've reverted (painfully) back to 10.4.2 because of other problems with 10.4.3 (won't print) on one machine, and will have to do it on the other if I lose the Address Book again."

Safari difficulties A few readers report issues with Safari after the update to Mac OS X 10.4.3.

Sylvan Lionni writes:

"I updated to 10.4.3 last week and everything was fine except for one thing. When I quit Safari it takes a long time for it to close -- usually between 10 and 20 seconds. I get the rainbow timer wheel and it usually just lags for a while. In addition, sometimes when I start Safari the window is off to the side of where it should be -- as if I was in Safari and hit 'New Window' and closed the original one."

There are a few quick fixes that generally resolve these issues:

  • Empty the Safari Cache (an option in the application menu ["Safari"])
  • Clear the browser history (an option in the "History") menu.
  • Delete the file com.Apple.Safari.plist, located in ~/Library/Preferences/ (various settings may be lost)
  • Delete the Icons directory from ~/Library/Safari/ (the small icons that load in the URL field will no longer be cached)
  • Delete site-specific cookies by opening the Safari Preference pane (accessible via the application menu ["Safari"]), then opening the "Security" tab and selecting "Show Cookies." Remove cookies that correspond to the sites you are experiencing issues with.
  • Failing the above options, reset Safari. This is accomplished by choosing "Reset Safari" from the Safari menu. Resetting Safari clears the history, empties the cache, clears the Downloads window, and removes all cookies. It also removes any saved user names and passwords or other AutoFill data and clears Google search entries.

iChat problems -- try removing plug-ins A few readers are reporting issues with iChat after the update.

MacFixIt reader Jim Gibson writes:

"Just a note to let you know that after the 10.4.3 upgrade three out of the four Macs in my vicinity are unable to get iChat to launch. It bounces in the dock, but quits almost immediately after it shows up on screen."

In many cases, these issues can be resolved by removing problematic iChat plug-ins from the following folder:

  • ~/Library/Application Support/SIMBL/Plugins

Check for any recently added third-party items in this location, and temporarily move them out of the folder. Log out then back in, and check for persistence of the behavior.

Another fix for non-mounting FireWire drives Over the past few days we've posted numerous solutions to problems with unrecognized or non-mounting FireWire devices under Mac OS X 10.4.3.

MacFixIt reader Larry reports that, in his cases, re-building his FireWire drive's directory with DiskWarrior allowed proper mounting.

He writes:

"The Mac OS volume on my external Maxtor OneTouch FireWire drive failed to mount after I had updated to Mac OS X, 10.4.3 (curiously, the TechTool eDrive partition on the drive would mount). There was no change when I re-installed the 10.4.3 combo updater, and repaired permissions.

"However, I was able to get the drive to mount by rebuilding the directory with DiskWarrior 3.0.3."

Previous coverage

Resources

  • #301585
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