Mac OS X 10.4.9 (#4): Networking problems with Mac OS 9 systems, workaround; Finder crashes; iSync issues and fixes; more
Mac OS X 10.4.9 (#4): Networking problems with Mac OS 9 systems, workaround; Finder crashes; iSync issues and fixes; more
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[10:45 AM update]
--Classic: Will not run, other issues Some users are reporting problems launching Classic or running Classic applications after updating to Mac OS X 10.4.9.
MacFixIt reader Paul Peterson writes:
"Since upgrading to OSX 10.4.9 yesterday, I cannot get anything to run in Classic 9 environment."
Fixes
Replace Classic Startup.app In some cases, the following file:
- System/Library/CoreServices/Classic Startup.app
can become problematic after an incremental Mac OS X update. Try removing this file and replacing it with a copy from a system that has a known working Classic environment.
Remove DiVX component Some users experiencing this issue may be subject to a conflict caused by the QuickTime DiVX 5.2 component. This file is located in the /Library/QuickTime folder. If you are having problems starting Classic, try removing the DiVX component from this folder, and attempt to re-launch Classic.
Remove Classic control panels In some cases, problems with Classic startup or Classic applications can be caused by problematic control panels. Try removing groups of control panels then re-attempting the previous operation. Some users have had success with removing the control panel "Apple Menu Options."
External optical drives: hardware errors External devices can become non-functional after incremental Mac OS X updates for a variety of reasons, including corruption or accidental deletion of critical kernel extensions/caches and firmware incompatibilities.
One reader writes:
"I updated to Mac OS X 10.4.9. All was fine until today when I tried to burn a CD using my: 16X LightScribe DL d2 DVD-RW. I have tried it using Disc Cover, disclabel NEATO Edition and LightScribe Simple Labeler. Keep getting: Hardware error, communicating with drive."
Fixes
Make sure firmware is up-to-date Is there a firmware update available for your drive? Make sure firmware is up-to-date. Before writing off a suspect device and seeking replacement, make sure that its firmware is not simply out-of-date. For most devices, manufacturers' Web sites will maintain a stock of current (and sometimes older, perhaps more compatible) firmware revisions.
Clear caches Perhaps cliché, but undeniably successful for some hardware recognition issues: 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/)
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 combo updater The tried and true method of re-applying the Mac OS X 10.4.9 combo updater has proven successful for some users experiencing this issue. Download links are as follows:
Bluetooth device issues Several users have reported a loss of Bluetooth device connectivity after updating Mac OS X 10.4.9.
One reader writes:
"Yesterday, I upgraded to OS 10.4.9. Today, my iMac G5 1.8GHz computer has had problems keeping in touch with my Apple Wireless Mouse via Bluetooth. Bluetooth Setup Assistant does not find a discoverable mouse on the first try, but succeeds eventually. The mouse does not always reconnect after sleeping the computer."
Fixes
Rediscover device(s) The most commonly applicable immediate fix for problems with Bluetooth device recognition after an incremental Mac OS X update is simple rediscovery of the afflicted device(s). You can accomplish this by going to the Bluetooth menu item (if it is enabled) and selecting the device or the "Setup Bluetooth device" option. Alternatively, go to the "Bluetooth" pane of System Preferences and select your device from the list, or press the "Setup new device" button.
Delete Preferences folder Try dragging the folder /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration to the Trash, then restarting and re-attempting access to your Bluetooth devices.
Reset PRAM/NVRAM In some cases, resetting your Mac's PRAM (parameter RAM) and NVRAM (non-volatile RAM) via the following process can restore Bluetooth access:
- 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.
Deactivate, Reactivate In some cases this issue can be resolved by simply going to the Bluetooth pane of System Preferences, then deactivating Bluetooth and subsequently reactivating it again.
Resetting the PMU/SMU Some users have reported that resetting their systems' PMUs or SMUs (depending on model) solved this issue. Apple provides details for performing the reset procedure in the following Knowledge Base documents:
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[9:00 AM update]
--Networking problems with Mac OS 9 systems Some Mac OS 9 systems are no longer able to properly access network shares -- generally via AFP (Apple filesharing protocol)-- served by Mac OS X after the 10.4.9 update.
In many cases, Mac OS 9 systems are able to connect to (login to) Mac OS X 10.4.9 systems as clients, but cannot transfer any files, or files larger than a certain size.
One MacFixIt reader writes:
"After installing Tiger server 10.4.9, client machines running Mac OS 9.x can no longer write to server shares. The server connection is severed when one attempts to save a file on the server share. Other boards indicate this is also true of file sharing between OS 9 machines and 10.4.9 non-server setups as well.
Another reader adds:
"My Mac OS 9 users can no longer save files to the RAID Volume which is attached to and shared through the server. My OS9 users can not open and save files from the server, they can not copy files to and from the server, and when it is attempted the volume dismounts. Apple technical support's answer to this was that we should not be trying to save files from a OS 9 Mac to the server."
Workaround
One potential workaround for this problem is to reverse the scheme, so that the Mac OS X system is logging into the Mac OS 9 system. It's inconvenient, but can allow copying of files that would otherwise be non-transferrable.
In order to allow this process to take place, you must open the "File Sharing" control panel on the Mac OS 9 system, and enable the ability for users to connect via TCP/IP. You must then go to the "Network" pane on the Mac OS X system and enable AppleTalk.
You can now access the "Go" menu in Mac OS X and select "Network." The Mac OS 9 shares should appear, and you should be able to connect to them.
Fix [UPDATE]
A definitive fix for this issue is as follows, but can be risky because it involves mixing and matching components from different Mac OS X iterations:
- Download and install Pacifist, then launch it.
- Download the appropriate Mac OS X 10.4.8 combo updater for your system (Intel or PowerPC) from Apple's download page and mount the disk image if it is not done automatically.
- Drag the file Mac OS X 10.4.8 package (e.g. MacOSXUpdCombo10.4.8Intel.pkg) onto the Pacifist icon. The contents of the package should be displayed
Navigate to /System/Library/CoreServices/ in Pacifist and select the file "AppleFileServer.app."
- Click the "Extract To..." button the top of the Pacifist window and select the Desktop or another location for an extraction location (you will have to enter your administrator password).
- Drag the file "AppleFileServer.app" you just extracted from its present location to /System/Library/CoreServices/ on your Mac OS X startup drive, replacing the version that was installed by Mac OS X 10.4.9 with the older version from Mac OS X 10.4.8. You will again need to enter your administrator password.
Finder persistently crashes and re-launches Some users have reported an issue where the Finder repeatedly crashes then re-launches (its default behavior in the case of a crash) after updating to Mac OS X 10.4.9.
MacFixIt reader Vernon Haley writes:
"I have never had an issue with an update until now. After applying this update by-the-book, my Finder repeatedly quits and restarts. The Finder crash log reports an error, but does not identify the problem. There are also no error messages that pop up on screen to say that the program has crashed."
Fixes
Re-apply combo updater The tried and true method of re-applying the Mac OS X 10.4.9 combo updater has proven successful for some users experiencing this issue. Download links are as follows:
- Mac OS X 10.4.9 Update Intel, Combo [310 MB]
- Mac OS X 10.4.9 Update PowerPC, Combo [163MB]
- Mac OS X Server Update 10.4.9 Intel, Combo [350 MB]
- Mac OS X Server Update 10.4.9 PowerPC, Combo [216MB]
Delete Finder .plist In many cases, Finder crashes can be resolved by deleting the files: com.apple.finder.plist and com.apple.sidebarlists.plist from the following directory:
- ~/Library/Preferences
then restarting. [note, this is the Library folder inside your home user folder].
Remove third-party contextual menu items Though it is usually useful only for a situation where the Finder crashes when control-clicking (or right-clicking) an item to access its contextual menu, it may also be applicable in cases of inexplicable Finder crashes.
Check the following folders:
- ~/Library/Contextual Menu Items/
- /Library/Contextual Menu Items/
for recently added third-party contextual that could be causing the crashes. Try temporarily removing all items, then logging out and back in (or restarting) and check for persistence of the freeze. If the problem is gone, add files back one-by-one to determine the culprit.
Notorious culprits for this issue include StuffItCM.plugin.
Check for corrupt/bad fonts, clear font caches Repeated Finder crashes can be caused by corrupt or otherwise problematic fonts or font caches.
First, try clearing font caches with a tool like Font Finagler. Failing that, inspect the following directories:
- ~/Library/Fonts (the tilde [~] represents the current home user directory)
- /Library/Fonts
- /System/Library/Fonts
for recently added fonts that may be causing the problem. Temporarily remove them and check for persistence of the issue. For a list of all the fonts installed by Mac OS X by default, see Knowledge Base article #301332.
Look for problematic login/startup items Look in the following folder:
- /Library/StartupItems
for any third-party startup items that could be causing the issue. You can also open System Preferences, then the "Accounts" pane and turn on or off specific startup items for each user. In some cases, processes that start here can interfere with normal Finder operation.
One MacFixIt reader provides a case example:
"(My Finder was crashing after the update to Mac OS X 10.4.9). I did some testing and digging around. It seems that my Stuffit Deluxe AVR (Archive Via Rename Daemon) VERSION 10 was the culprit. I took this item out of my login/startup items and the problem disappeared."
iSync issues/general synchronization Several users continue to report issues with synchronizing devices and Macs through iSync and other synchronization applications after the update to Mac OS X 10.4.9.
MacFixIt reader Michael Kohan writes:
"I 'm having problems syncing with a Palm Tungsten E2 using iSync with iCal and Address Book. At first there were all kinds of conflict messages, now it takes a very very long time compared to 10.4.8. One time it stalls on the Address Book even though I did not make any changes to addresses, the next time it stalls on iCal with a change or not."
Meanwhile, a number of users have found that they are unable to synchronize their Motorola KRZR and RAZR phones after the Mac OS X 10.4.9 update, despite their addition to the list of supported devices on the official iSync list. (Mac OS X 10.4.9 includes iSync 2.4).
One MacFixIt reader writes:
"According to the list of iSync 2.4 compatible devices after the Mac OS X 10.4.9 update my GSM Motorola KRZR (K1) phone should now be compatible for syncing through both Bluetooth and USB. I have tried connecting my phone through both methods and while iSync does now connect to my phone and add it as a listed device it will not sync. What I get after a while is the following message: '[K1] There was an error getting data from the phone. The synchronization may have been cancelled on the phone. Device 'K1' synchronization failed'. This happens through both USB and over Bluetooth on both my personal Mac (1.25GHz 15" PowerBook G4 with 1.25GB RAM) and my work Mac ((1.5GHz 12" PowerBook G4 with 1.25GB RAM). The synchronization process is not being canceled on the phone and I have tried rebooting both and repairing permissions etc on both Macs."
Potential fixes
Update firmware If you are experiencing iSync issues, you may need to update your devices's firmware. The firmware update should be available from your manufacturer's Web site.
Reset devices Alternatively, try resetting all devices via the following steps from Knowledge Base article #52318
- "Make sure that all your data is correct, current, and up-to-date in your Mac OS X Address Book, iCal, and Safari.
- Open iSync, then choose Reset All Devices from the Devices menu.
- In the window that appears, select This Computer as the reset source.
- Click Reset All."
Synchronize only contacts Some users have been able to workaround synchronization issues (albeit inconveniently) by synchronizing only contacts, and synchronizing only activities that are less than two weeks old.
Delete .plist file Try deleting the file: ~/Library/Preferences/ByHost/com.apple.HIToolbox.xxxxxxx.plist (the characters represented by xxxxxxx will be different on each machine) may resolve the aforementioned synchronization issues.
Previous coverage:
- Mac OS X 10.4.9 (#3): WWAN update included, how to remove; When a startup failure isn't actually a startup failure; more
- Mac OS X 10.4.9 (#2): Printer issues, fix; Application launch problems; Eject key delay/problems; Bluetooth, AirPort problems and fixes; more
- Mac OS X 10.4.9 released: Improved app launch times, security fixes galore; Update recommendations, general workarounds
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