Mac OS X 10.4.7 (#3): AirPort connectivity issues -- fixes; Peripherals can prevent proper sleep; Safari access/login problems;

CNET staff

Sept. 2, 2009 7:23 a.m. PT

6 min read

AirPort connectivity issues -- fixes So far, one of the most common issues for users who have applied Mac OS X 10.4.7 is a loss of AirPort connectivity.

One reader writes:

"I also have issues with AirPort after upgrading. My case is such that i do get proper IP address but no transmission. Icon on status bar shows that I am connected to my wireless network with a good signal but nothing works. Turning AirPort off and then on (via the AirPort menubar item) does help."

Another reader adds:

"I'm experiencing the same problems with Airport after the update. I'm getting the internally assigned IP address problem, but only when trying to connect to a wireless A network after a restart. No error on a wireless G network."

Finally, one reader writes:

"I installed the 10.4.7 update from system updater and upon reboot, was returned 'failed to load extension...AppleAirPort2.kext' And now my AirPort is now not working."

Some users are having success restoring AirPort connectivity using one of the workarounds listed in our tutorial "Improving AirPort reception, avoiding dropouts/lost connectivity, working around card/Base station recognition issues", as follows:

Open System Preferences and select the "Network" pane
Select "AirPort" and click "Configure"
In the "By default, join:" pull-down menu, select "Preferred networks"
Delete the network(s) you regularly use from the list
Launch the "Keychain Access" application located in Applications/Utilties.
Click on the "Kind" filter at the top, and look for "AirPort network password" entries. Delete them.
Restart, or log out then back in.
Repeat steps 1-3, this time re-adding your regularly used AirPort networks to the list using the " " button.
Restart or log out then back in.

Periphery devices can prevent proper sleep As has been the case with previous iterative Mac OS X updates, certain peripherals (USB, FireWire, PCI, SCSI, etc.) can prevent proper sleep routines after the update to Mac OS X 10.4.7.

In MacFixIt reader Mike's case, the issue was a PCI-based USB 2.0 card. Removing the card allowed proper sleep to resume.

Mike writes:

"I figured out what the problem was that was preventing my G5 from sleeping. I had an Adaptec 5 port USB 2 card in one of the PCI slots. After removing the card I was again able to put the G5 to sleep. It had been working just fine with 10.4.0 through 10.4.6, so I assume something was changed in the .7 update that made it incompatible with the PCI card."

Mighty Mouse issues Some users are reporting difficulty using the MIghty Mouse after updating to Mac OS X 10.4.7.

MacFixIt reader Barry Lane writes:

"Is anyone else out there having trouble getting their Mighty Mouse to work after updating to Mac OS X 10.4.7? After a shutdown my Mighty Mouse refused to be recognized and I had to reinstall the software on my Powerbook 1.67 MHz. After the reinstall it worked normally until this morning, when once again it failed to be recognized and I have had to reinstall."

If you are experiencing a similar issue, please let us know.

Safari site access/login problems A handful of readers are reporting issues accessing or logging into some sites using the updated version of Safari (2.0.4) included with Mac OS X 10.4.7.

Some users report an increase in "(NSURLErrorDomain:-1005)" errors after the update. This issue can generally be resolved by simply refreshing the page.

Other users are reporting problems logging into some secure sites.

One reader writes:

"After applying the Mac OS X 10.4.7 update, Safari now fails to properly log on to my online banking website. I can use Firefox or Opera with no problem, but Safari results in an incorrect username and password even though both are correct. Worked fine prior to the update."

Loss of Bluetooth As is typical with Mac OS X updates, a limited number of users have lost Bluetooth connectivity after applying Mac OS X 10.4.7.

MacFixIt reader Sam writes:

"Installed the update on my PB 17inch 1GHz now I don?t have blue tooth at all . No Bluetooth hardware is seen by my Mac in system profiler."

Some users have success resetting the PMU (power management unit) to restore Bluetooth capabilities

PMU reset instructions for various portable models are found in Knowledge base article #14449. For most models it requires removing the unit's power cord and battery then holding the power button for at least 5 seconds, then replacing the battery and powering up the system.

Many desktop Macs' PMUs can be reset by disconnecting power for several minutes. Instructions for the Mac Mini and Power Mac G5 are also available.

In other cases, this issue can be resolved by resetting your Mac's PRAM (parameter RAM) via the following process:

Shut down your Mac
Turn your Mac back on, while holding down the Command, Option, P and R keys simultaneously.
Allow the startup chime to repeat twice, or listen for your Mac to perform a restart process twice, then release the keys.

After resetting your PRAM, Software Update may indicate that you once again should apply the Bluetooth firmware updater, which you should abstain from doing if you were having problems after the first application.

.Mac transfer agent message Some users are reporting the appearance of a message indicating the the .Mac transfer agent has been updated after applying Mac OS X 10.4.7 -- a message we haven't seen with previous Mac OS X updates.

MacFixIt reader Glenn Heilemann writes:

"I rebooted and not until an hour or so later came back to the PowerBook to check mail. I never let this computer sleep and as I moved the mouse I noted a dialog box waiting for me. It went something like this: "Confirm Application Change -- .mac Transfer Agent has been updated. Do you want to allow the new version to access the same keychain items (Such as passwords) as the previous version? This change is permanent and affects all keychain items used by dotmacfx."

"I have never seen this warning prior to these updates. [...] I read the help viewer after clicking on the question icon within the dialog box. It said that this may happen after software updates, but it would be a good time to run anti-virus software. I am running Norton's anti-virus software now and haven't found any problems so far."

"By the way, I selected the 'Don't Change' to be safe. I am unsure of doing this may effect my .mac account or other apps."

If you received a similar message, please let us know.

Office 2004 issues Some users have reported Microsoft Office 2004 issues after the update to Mac OS x 10.4.7.

MacFixIt reader Peter Keenan writes:

"As of this morning I was notified of the Mac OS X 10.4.7 System update which I proceeded to activate. After activation and a restart I got the Microsoft Auto Update window instructing me to download the latest 2004 Office update.

"I am currently having Microsoft Excel problems with the current version 11.2.4. (Although it reads 10.2.3 when I do a "get info." ) The application will launch and then shutdown and launch the Microsoft Error Reporting. After about an hour of some workarounds I uninstalled Office and reinstalled. I purposely did not update Office and began to have the same problems. I also tested Word and it too has gone south on me."

Similar issue? Please drop us a line.

Spotlight will be re-enabled after update Note that if you used an application like Spotless to turn off Spotlight functionality prior to the Mac OS X 10.4.7 update, Spotlight will be re-enabled post-update. Using the application to re-disable Spotlight is effective.

MacFixIt reader Dennis Chesters writes:

"I used Spotless to turn off 10.4.x indexing of an internal backup disk. After the 10.4.6->10.4.7 update, the OS started indexing the backup disk again. Another application of Spotless has put a stop to that."

Feedback? Late-breakers@macfixit.com.

Previous coverage:

Resources

"Improving AirPort reception, avoiding dropouts/lost connectivity, working around card/Base station recognition issues"

Late-breakers@macfixit.com

Mac OS X 10.4.7 (#2): Exte...