Mac OS X 10.4.5 (#2): General workarounds; Reverting to 10.4.4; USB Overdrive broken, now fixed; QuickTime problems; more

CNET staff

Sept. 2, 2009 9:04 a.m. PT

5 min read

General purpose workarounds Three workaround routines will solve many of the issues that are indirectly caused by Mac OS X 10.4.5 installation (i.e. not due to bugs or flaws in the update, but pre-existing system conditions that may be triggered by the updater process).

The routines are as follows:

Delete kernel extension caches, other caches for some issues A number of common issues that crop up after incremental Mac OS X updates can be resolved by deleting specific cache files -- specifically kernel extension caches -- and restarting.

This can most easily be accomplished with a shareware utility like Tiger Cache Cleaner, but also bears a manual process which involves dragging the following files to the trash:

com.apple.kernelcaches (a folder in /System/Library/Caches)

Extensions.kextcache (a file in /System/Library)

Extensions.mkext (a file in /System/Library/)

com.apple.ATS (a folder in /Library/Caches/)

Files that start with com.apple.LaunchServices (in /Library/Caches)

You will be prompted to enter your administrator password when dragging these files to the trash. You may need to restart after moving them to the trash.

Re-apply the Mac OS X 10.4.5 combo updater A workaround that has proved successful for various problems caused by previous incremental Mac OS X updaters is re-application of the current combination updater (PowerPC). Doing so overwrites potentially problem-causing files that were not replaced by the "Delta" (adjacent version-to-version) update.

Re-apply the Mac OS X 10.4.5 combo updater from an alternate startup volume

Download and save the Mac OS X 10.4.5 combo updater (PowerPC).

Startup from an alternate boot volume, such as an external FireWire drive, or use another Mac to boot the problematic system in FireWire target disk mode (connect the two machines via a FireWire cable, and boot the target [problematic] system while holding down the "T" key)

Once booted from an alternate drive, select the problematic volume in the Finder, and "Get Info" -- either by pressing the Command-I keyboard combination or accessing the "Get Info" option in the File menu. Check the box marked "Ignore ownership permissions on this volume."

If you have a third-party disk repair utility like DiskWarrior, use it to re-build the directory on the problematic volume (this step may not be necessary)

Re-install the Mac OS X 10.4.5 combo updater on the problematic drive.

Re-attempt booting from the problematic volume (hold down the option key at startup to select the desired drive)

Reverting (downgrading) to Mac OS X 10.4.4 For instructions detailing how to revert to Mac OS X 10.4.4 from Mac OS X 10.4.5, see this tutorial.

Keyboard problems Some users are reporting issues with specific input devices -- generally third-party keyboards -- after the update to Mac OS X 10.4.5.

One reader writes:

"After updating my iMac Core Duo to 10.4.5, the scroll function of the blue, middle button on my IBM SpaceSaver USB keyboard (with integrated trackpoint pointing device) no longer works. I had been using USB OverDrive 10.4.4 to gain this feature."

USB Overdrive apparently broken As mentioned by the above reader, many of the input device issues are caused by the fact that the shareware utility USB Overdrive, which enables support for a variety of third-party mice and keyboards, is apparently broken by the Mac OS X 10.4.5. update.

One reader writes:

"After installing Mac OS X 10.4.5 on my Intel iMac, USB overdrive doesn't work. The mouse buttons on my Microsoft Wireless Laser Mouse 6000 respond to the settings in the Keyboard and Mouse control panel, and totally ignore USB Overdrive.

"Further, on boot, the Microsoft Mouse doesn't work at all unless I plug in a USB mouse; I can then remove the USB mouse and the Microsoft mouse will continue to work, but only as described in the preceding paragraph."

MacFixIt reader Jeff adds:

"Using USB Overdrive and an MX 510 mouse just dandily in 10.4.4, now when I reboot it takes forever because it seems to be polling or Bluetooth devices, and it also doesn't detect my USB mouse until I unplug and replug it (it actually locks me in this screen attempting to detect a bluetooth mouse)."

The only solution we've been able to identify thus far for this issue is a reversion to Mac OS X 10.4.4, which is compatible with the current version of USB Overdrive.

UPDATE: USB Overdrive 10.4.5, which appropriately enough includes compatibility with Mac OS X 10.4.5, has now been released.

QuickTime problems Some users are reporting issues with QuickTime -- particularly unexpected quits from any application attempting to access QuickTime content -- after installing Mac OS X 10.4.5.

MacFixIt reader Jeff Hetherington writes:

"I installed Mac OS X 10.4.5 this afternoon. Ran Fix Permissions both before and after. Tried to look at a movie clip from Apple?s QuickTime site, crashed Safari. Tried several times. Crashed the app each time. Tried also with newest Firefox and Opera. Same deal. Downloaded clip and tried to play with latest QuickTime Player (Pro). Same deal. Crashed every time. Reported bug to Apple on each instance."

Combo updater to the rescue As we've stated several times (and as mentioned above in our common workarounds section), re-applying the combo updater version of the latest iterative Mac OS X release can often solve issues that are apparent after applying the delta version of that release.

MacFIxIt reader Scott Denett provides a case example. He writes:

"Major issues under Mac OS X 10.4.5. Safari is crawling. The Logic 7.2 installer crashed on me, and everything seems slow

"Ran the combo update and things seem back to normal -- using the safe boot method. (see the above section "Re-apply the Mac OS X 10.4.5 combo updater from an alternate startup volume")"

iMac Core Duo (Early 2006) video issue fixed It appears that an issue with distorted video on iMac Core Duo systems (documented in this article) has been resolved in Mac OS X 10.4.5.

The problems were most noticeable when using Front Row to access video files and other media, and are generally described as "tearing" -- the appearance of horizontal lines or other distortions. In most cases, the issue did not affect media played through QuickTime, the DVD Player or other applications -- only in Front Row and perhaps a few other areas of operation.

PowerBook G4 audio looping/echo problem fixed The PowerBook G4 audio looping/echo problem, which we've documented extensively in this article, appears to be resolved in Mac OS X 10.4.5.

One reader writes: "Mac OS X 10.4.5 fixes the infamous Hi-Res 15" audio looping/stuttering/echo problem.

Although this fix is not mentioned in the Mac OS X 10.4.5 release notes, it is documented in Knowledge Base article #302978, which acknowledges the bug.

iTunes radio broadcasts faster Michael Mortilla reports that live streaming broadcasts through iTunes are much faster under Mac OS X 10.4.5.

He writes:

"After updating to Mac OS X 10.4.5, iTunes seems to connect to live streamed broadcasts (where you enter a URL) immediately and extremely fast to the streamed lists in the iTunes radio window."

Problems with Mac OS X 10.4.5? Please let us know at late-breakers@macfixit.com.

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