Special Report: Troubleshooting Mac OS X 10.3.8

CNET staff

Sept. 2, 2009 10:57 a.m. PT

27 min read

Release Notes, Download Links

Mac OS X 10.3.8 was released February 9th, in both standard and server versions. The update is available via Software Update and a series of standalone downloads from Apple's Web site.

Among the listed enhancements:

Addresses an issue with Mac OS X 10.3.7 in which iChat, Mail, or other network-based applications could take a long time to open.
Addresses an issue in which a computer wouldn't always restart automatically after a power failure, even when the Energy Saver preference option "Restart automatically after a power failure" was selected.
Improves the performance of Blizzard World of Warcraft's "Full Screen Glow" video feature.
Improves DVD Player compatibility when playing a movie (using certain ATI Radeon cards) to an external widescreen TV with a 16:9 aspect ratio.
Resolves an issue in which a "flicker" could be seen when navigating DVD menus in DVD Player on certain PowerBook G4 computers.
Addresses an issue in which a PowerBook G4 computer would, on rare occasion, wake from sleep with a black screen and not respond to any keyboard, mouse, or trackpad input.
Addresses "jumping cursor" issues that might occur when using your portable computer's trackpad with your thumb, side of thumb, or a "flat" finger.
Resolves an issue on certain Power Mac G5 computers where a fan cycles erratically at unexpected times, such as when Seti@home software is running.
Speeds up Address Book and Mail LDAP lookups that are performed by a Cisco DistributedDirector DNS server.
Addresses an issue that could prevent clients using the Active Directory plugin from binding to their Active Directory server.

Key updates for the standard version include:

improved OpenGL technology and updated ATI and NVIDIA graphics drivers
improved file sharing and directory services for mixed Mac and PC networks
improved compatibility for third party applications and devices
previous standalone security updates

Key updates for the server edition include:

improved reliability of Open Directory replication and PDC authentication
more reliable binding to Active Directory domains
improved compatibility for third party applications and devices
previous standalone security updates

As usual, we recommend the following procedure when applying a system Update:

Make sure your hard drive is in good shape: Boot from the OS X Install CD and run Disk Utility's Repair Disk function (or use a third-party drive utility such as DiskWarrior or TechTool Pro).
When booted from the volume containing Mac OS X, run Disk Utility's Repair Disk Permissions function.
Install the update.
After rebooting, again run Repair Disk Permissions.

Download Links:

Mac OS X Update 10.3.8 [27.7MB]
Mac OS X Update 10.3.8 (Combo) [103MB]
Mac OS X Server Update 10.3.8 [27MB]
Mac OS X Server Update 10.3.8 (Combo) [125MB]

Disappearing hard drive space

For some users, an issue is more prevalent under Mac OS X 10.3.8 where available space on the startup volume rapidly declines autonomously.

In many cases, this issue is caused by problematic hardware device drivers or other software components that rapidly record error messages to system logs, causing them to swell and occupy previously free space.

MacAlly's iShock driver is notorious for this behavior under Mac OS X 10.3.8 and is a prime case example for this issue.

The iShockXDriver application has an apparent incompatibility with Mac OS X 10.3.8 that causes repeated error entries to the system.log file, causing the file to swell to sometimes enormous sizes (several gigabytes). MacAlly has since released an updated driver -- version 1.0.4 -- that resolves this issue.

Other devices can cause the disappearing drive space problem as well, however, and once they have generated the abnormally large log files, there are a few methods for deleting them and re-claiming lost space.

The easiest method is to use the Console application located in the Applications/Utilities folder on a normal Mac OS X installation. Once you have launched this application, click the "Logs" button in the top navigation bar, and select the offending (swollen) log file. Press the "Clear" button to delete its contents.

What if you're not sure which log file is swelling? Mac OS X log files are stored in the /var/log directory on a normal installation. This directory is invisible, however, so you will need to use Mac OS X's "Go to Folder" command (located in the "Go" menu in the Finder) in order to access it.

Once you're in this directory, look for any abnormally large files with the naming scheme "System.log.(a number).gz," i.e. "System.log.1.gz" and move them to the trash.

An alternative method is simply to use the Finder's "Find" command (located in the Finder's "File" menu) to search for any files over a given size -- usually 100 MB or so. It is important that you add a criterion (by clicking the "+" button next to an existing criterion) to search for both visible and invisible files -- doing so will ensure the appropriate log files are found. Drag these files to the trash (you'll be asked to enter your administrator password) and delete them.

Some shareware utilities -- including Cocktail -- can also clear various log files.

After or before attempting any of the above procedures, try disconnecting any USB or FireWire devices and check for persistence of the log swelling.

Some typical reader reports (of which we've received several dozen) concerning the disappearing hard drive issue under Mac OS X 10.3.8, implicating specific devices and offering a few other data points:

Bruce writes: "Same problem here. My PowerBook 1.25 GHz started the week with 30 GB free on the drive and over the course of the week, dropped to 4 GB free. I moved 10 GB of stuff to another disk, which got me to 14GB of space, but the other 16G is still absent. I ran MacJanitor, but that didn't change anything. After restarting the computer, I suddenly had 22 GB free. Somehow the restart gained me 8 GB of space, but the other 8 GB is still missing. I've repeated this process twice over the past two weeks with the same result. A restart will result in several GB of disk space being freed up, and the longer the computer goes without a restart, the more is lost."

Michael Cappelletti writes "I too am having hard drive space problems after the latest system update. I have discovered that the console.log files are the problem on all accounts."

Wake from Sleep Issues There are a variety of issues that occur when attempting to wake some systems from sleep and are more frequent under Mac OS X 10.3.8.

The most common symptoms include a completely blank screen with an unresponsive system, problems with keyboards and mice (or trackpads) not responding, altered display color profiles -- all after waking from sleep.

Other less reported issues include inability to maintain an AirPort wireless connection through a sleep session

MacFixIt reader Ted writes:

"The interesting thing about this freeze is that it occurs most often when I close the lid and then pull out the Microsoft IntelliMouse from the computer's USB port causing the computer to attempt to wake when the lid is closed. [...] This freeze occurs at other times, but is almost 100% reproducible if I pull out the USB connection when the lid is closed."

Brian adds:

"Sporadic problem where the computer won't wake from sleep from the keyboard or mouse if the amount of time the computer has been asleep is quite long, say two or more hours. I need to wake the computer by pushing the power switch on the computer. This usually wakes the computer from sleep. Once I had to turn off the computer and restart as nothing would wake it from sleep."

Some readers are able to workaround this issue by not disconnecting the power adapters for their portable Macs while the units are asleep.

Mike Smutko writes:

"Every time that I disconnect the AC adapter from the my 17 inch PB (1 GHz Rev A) while it is asleep the trackpad and keyboard will be non-functional when I wake up the PB. Everything else seems OK (i.e. the screen isn't black or garbled--it looks normal). An external mouse will still work, however, and I can connect to the PB remotely with ssh, so I know that the entire machine isn't hanging. Only a shutdown and then a startup will fix the problem (a "warm" restart doesn't fix it). This started after installing 10.3.8 last weekend and is 100% repeatable. Furthermore, I can sleep and wake the computer successfully as many times as I want as long as I don't connect or disconnect the AC adapter while it's asleep. If I disconnect the AC adapter when the machine is awake, I don't have the problem. And I've never had this issue before 10.3.8."

Based on the above reports, a few basic tips for avoiding some of these problems emerge:

Do not disconnect power from your laptop while it is sleeping.
Use Apple's Hardware Test CD to perform a diagnostic check on your system. If any memory is found to be faulty, remove or replace it and check for persistence of the wake-from-sleep issues.
Try putting your system back to sleep (closing the lid if it is a portable, using the power button on some desktops) and re-awakening it

For more potential workarounds, see our special report on this issue

Audio problems

Several readers have reported a distinct "buzz" or "static" noise coming from both built-in and external speakers since applying the Mac OS X 10.3.8 updater.

MacFixIt reader Steve Enersen writes:

"I have external Creature speakers on a G4 450. Since updating to Mac OS X 10.3.8, I have noticeable static coming from the right speaker (right speaker only, not the left speaker). The static is noticeable at normal volume when nothing is playing and noticeable during quiet moments when a movie is playing."

"Not a speaker problem because the static is not present when the speakers are connected to an I-book running 10.3.6

"Not an audio jack problem because static is present through the computer speaker when the external speakers are unplugged.

"Not a hardware problem because the static is not present when the start-up system is changed to 9.2.2.

"I didn't noticed the static before upgrading to 10.3.8. I normally run with sound off, so I didn't notice the problem until turning the sound on for a movie."

Safari World Leaks Some users report an increase in the number of "World Leak" error messages generated by Safari under Mac OS X 10.3.8.

World Leaks are error messages generated by Safari's Debug menu option. They are only useful for developers, and should be of no concern to general users. In order to eliminate the messages, go back into the debug menu, and de-select the option called "Always Check for World Leaks".

MacFixIt reader Apta reports that the presence of the shareware add-on "Saft" may be partly responsible for some of the new World Leaks.

"I have not recently been experiencing World Leaks every time I close windows in Safari 1.2.4 (v125.12). It turns out I had installed Saft 7.5.2 last week. I experimented with and without Saft and sure enough the World Leaks disappeared when I uninstalled it."

Excessive sensitivity in automatic screen brightness feature on PowerBooks

Several readers report increased sensitivity in OS X's automatic screen brightness feature -- enabled via the "Automatically adjust brightness as ambient light changes" option in newer PowerBooks' Displays preferences -- since installing OS X 10.3.8. Many readers report the issue is so bad that their screen "flickers." Mark Donohoe writes:

"I have noted this same problem on my 1.25GHz FW800 15" Powerbook. What was formerly a very useful facility which has been turned on since I bought the PowerBook a year and a half ago is now a liability. I had initially thought my backlight was malfunctioning, and was set for a return of the PowerBook for yet another screen repair (I had one replaced because of the dreaded white blotches). Then I recalled the [10.3.8 Update]. It is distracting and annoying. You can watch the problem in real time by opening the Displays in System Preferences, and if 'Automatically adjust brightness as ambient light changes' is checked, move your hands over the speakers and watch the [onscreen slider] jerk around while the screen changes. It is worst in late afternoon light where I work."

For some users, the screen's auto-brightness is so sensitive that very subtle changes in light are triggering the feature. For example, Eric Jasso writes, "The screen twitches as the shade from the tree near my window moves!" and Fred Brunner notes, "The screen dims almost instantaneously from something like someone leaning over your shoulder to look at the screen and blocking some ambient light." Phil Geller notes that simply moving his hands around the keyboard causes immediate changes in screen brightness; this wasn't the case before the update.

And although the initial reader report described this issue as occurring on one of the just-released PowerBook G4 models, a number of readers have experienced the same issue with older PowerBooks that provide this feature. Reader "Vincent" writes:

"It seems the ambient screen dimming issue reported on MacFixit is not limited to the newer PowerBooks. I own a first-generation [Aluminum PowerBook G4] (15", 1.25 GHz) that has become very sensitive to variations in ambient lighting since the upgrade to 10.3.8. With light coming in at an odd angle or while working under flickering fluorescent lighting, the screen brightness varies every second or so. Quite annoying...Resetting the NVRAM and/or PRAM didn't solve the problem (though I hoped it would)."

Many readers have become so frustrated by this issue that they've resorted to completely disabling the feature -- this "fixes" the problem, but then forces them to do without what had previously been a useful feature.

Routers and slow network performance

Some routers -- particularly a handful of models manufactured by NetGear -- can cause a reduction in network performance under Mac OS X 10.3.8. When this situation occurs, users can often resolve the issue by removing the offending router from the network set-up.

Potential solutions include:

Manually entering DNS numbers Some users have been able to reclaim lost network performance by manually entering DNS server addresses in the Network Pane of System Preferences. Many times your ISP's specific DNS addresses can be found in in the on-router configuration file, usually accessible via the URL "192.168.1.1." (check your router manual for more information).

MacFixIt reader Eric writes: "I've seen this problem with my Netgear WRG614v4. My guess is that the users having this problem are getting the DNS servers via DHCP. I've had success getting 'net speeds back up by manually typing in the DNS servers from my ISP on the clients. In the Netgear router's config page those IPs can be found in the Router Status area. I don't know why having a DNS supplied via DHCP is causing problems because the correct DNS servers show up in /etc/resolv.conf but manually typing in the DNS in the Network Prefpane fixes it."

Andy James writes: "I too have had issues with the 10.3.8 update and my Netgear MR814v2 router (on EarthLink DSL). I have tracked down the issue a bit, though -- it seems to be somehow related to the router's DNS proxy feature. By default, the router gives out its own address for all DHCP clients, then it seems to serve as a proxy for all DNS requests. If I hard-code the DNS addresses into the computer (not the router), I get better network performance than I have ever gotten with the router."

Jim Macak had similar results: My router is a Netgear MR814 v3 802.11b wireless router. My main Macintosh is actually on its network via Ethernet. My ISP is Roadrunner (in Wisconsin). After installing 10.3.8 (from 10.3.7, using Combo Updater and fixing permissions before and after) I could no longer send e-mail via Apple Mail. Recalling previously recommended fixes, I manually entered the ISP's DNS addresses into my Network configuration. This has fixed the problem. iChat and iTunes music store come up fine also, though I had not checked them for a 10.3.8 problem before entering the fix."

For more information on DNS connectivity issues, see this previous article.

Make sure your router's firmware updated Check your router manufacturer's Web site for the latest available firmware. In many cases, applying the latest release can resolve issues associated with incremental Mac OS X updates and Security updates.

MacFixIt reader Donald Latham had success with the application of new firmware: I noticed my wireless network slowed substantially at 10.3.7. I did all the tricks trying to speed it up. At Mac OS X 10.3.8 it seemed slow more and I had trouble getting to apple itunes store. I however upgraded to the latest v7 firmware (it ships with v3). In the NetGear notes there were some comments regarding network slowdown. It seems much snappier now [...]

Change to dynamic setting Most newer routers offer dynamic routing capability (a setting usually accessible via the browser's configuration page; LinkSys instructions, for instance, are here)

One reader writes: "I to have experienced the same PPoE issues with my router after the 10.3.8 update.(D-Link 804) Working with my ISP I discovered 2 things. First Rebuilding the TCP stack is the best corse of action (Creating a new location). This got me up and running at first. However, second and better option, if one has the option of FULLY DYNAMIC or PPoE connections through the ISP choose the FULLY DYNAMIC setting for one's router. I find the response is better than trying to get PPoE to efficiently connect since the 10.3.8 update (as well as now my ISP tries to recommend Dynamic setting to customers). As your one reader reported there seems to be significant lag in network connections and opening such programs as MAIL after the update. Since my IPS recommend I move to Dynamic connection things are once again 'Snappy.'"

Turn off WEP Security Though we can never recommend disabling wireless security measures, some MacFixIt readers report that turning off WEP protection on Wi-Fi routers resolved slow-down issues associated with Mac OS X 10.3.8.

Bruce Forsberg writes: "When I first purchased the NetGear router, I set it up with a WEP login. It was constantly slow and inconsistent. Last year I tried upgrading to the WGT624v2. It had the same sluggish performance as the MR814v2 or worse. I have since put the MR814v2 back into my network without any security and it performs well. I suggest that if Philip Chadwick is using a WEP login, try using the open network and see if the sluggishness goes away."

Power off all networking devices and your Mac Disconnecting power from all networking devices (router, network adapter [DSL, Cable]) and turning off your Mac, waiting a few minutes, then restoring power to all devices can sometimes trigger an alleviation of the speed bottleneck introduced with Mac OS X 10.3.8.

Creating a new network location Joe Boyer reports that his case of network slowness after updating to Mac OS X 10.3.8 was resolved by creating a new Network Location in the Network pane of System Preferences:

"I updated to 10.3.8 and my Internet DSL 1.5 Mbps download speed went to 1.3KB/sec, any slower and I would be traveling back in time. I installed the Mac OS X 10.3.8 combo updater to see if that cured it, it didn't. I e-mail my ISP but that will take forever for a reply. Then I remembered a little trick from MacFixIt. I put in a new location in the Network System {refs. That did the trick."
Setting a lower MTU rate MacFixIt reader Alan Knoepfler reports that setting the router MTU ( Maximum Transmission Unit) size to 1432 or lower resolves network slow-down issues.

Changing the MTU setting can be accomplished either through your router's configuration page (usually accessible via the URL 192.168.1.1.) or more easily with a shareware utility like IPNetTuner.

Knoepfler writes:

"I was advised by my ISP to further reduce my MTU size to 1432 and have had no problems since. Except for stalls with opening pages occasionally, but I think that is more a Safari issue. I still have the Netgear router and I'm still on PPPoA, however if this is phased out and only PPPoE is available I think I will be stuck as my DG814 does not work at all on that setting. The router is using the latest firmware from Netgear v4.10. It seems that there is an issue with the Netgear but to date I?m not sure what the kernel of the problem is, except that the router seems stable with MTU being set at 1432 ? I have access to internet and emails and the slowdown issue seems to have normalized, though can be erratic occasionally but this could be due to traffic."

Printer problems, solutions

One of the most continually successful workarounds for printing problems associated with Mac OS X 10.3.8 is to simply delete, then re-add the problematic printer via Apple's "Printer Setup Utility" located in the Applications/Utilities folder on a standard Mac OS X installation.

MacFixIt reader Michael Ruschak, for instance, writes:

"[...] I went into the Printer Setup Utility and deleted (my client's) printer and re-added it. Now it works. The driver needs to be re-added so that anything internally that needs to be done for printing is reset in any updated files."

"When you add the printer in the printer utility you create a new file in the ~/LIbrary/Printers folder. This perhaps could get corrupted just like a preference file so deleting this by removing the printer in the utility and re-adding it may be why it worked."

Some other solutions include:

Resetting AirPort (Extreme, Express, Standard) base unit For users with printers connected through through an AirPort wireless network, resetting the host Base Station or AirPort Express unit after installation of Mac OS X 10.3.8 may be required.

We first reported this workaround yesterday, based on a user's experience with an Epson CX5200 connected through an Airport Express unit. In his case, resetting the unit resolved an inability to print.

We've since received a number of corroborating reports.

MacFixIt reader Mike Zalis, for instance, writes:

"I had a loss of rendezvous printing function after upgrading my 20" iMac to Mac OS X 10.3.8. I'm happy to report that the AirPort reset procedure you posted (yesterday) restored full functionality to my HP LaserJet 1012. In retrospect, the printer and its drivers were likely fine. It seems that after the upgrade, the iMac would not recognize the AirPort Extreme Base Station at all. The restart of the Base Station took care of the problem."

Instructions for resetting various AirPort base devices are as follows:

Resetting AirPort Express

Resetting the AirPort Extreme Base Station

Resetting the AirPort Base Station (Dual Ethernet)

Resetting the AirPort Base Station (Graphite)

Run DiskWarrior Some readers report that re-building their drive directory with Alsoft's DiskWarrior restores proper printer operation.

MacFixIt reader Fritz Mills writes:

"I began to experience printer problems after upgrading to 10.3.8. Restarting and reinstalling the printer didn't help. However, after sending the email, I booted from the Disk Warrior CD and ran Disk Warrior. It found several problems, which it fixed. I then rebooted normally, and found that printing worked again."

Printer Setup Repair A number of readers have had success using the shareware utility "Printer Setup Repair" to eliminate printer issues that appeared in conjunction with Mac OS X 10.3.8.

This highly useful utility is also useful in a number of other problematic printer scenarios. It can verify many system and printing settings as well as repair printing-related permissions and, if necessary, delete a number of printing-related files that can at times develop corruption and lead to printing problems.

Suggestions from HP technical support Meanwhile, we previously reported on problems with various Hewlett-Packard printer models under Mac OS X 10.3.8. HP technical support offers two workarounds that may provide relief:

Delete the following Preference files (all those listed that exist) from the ~/Library/Preferences/ folder by dragging them to the trash:

com.hp.photo.director

com.hp.photo.scantoconfig.plist,

HP All-in-One Prefs

HP inkjet utility prefs

HP Scan Dest link prefs

HP Image Unload Prefs

HP Copy Prefs

HP Links Prefs

Reset the printer via the following process:

Ensure that your printer is turned on.

With the power on, unplug the power cord from the back of your printer.

Press and hold the # and 6 keys while plugging in the power cord.

Continue holding the left arrow key and cancel button. Watch the printer display. When it reads, button stuck or s-full reset, let go of the left arrow key and cancel button on your printer.

You may need to re-install your printer's drivers (check for the latest version on HP's Web Site) after performing either of these workarounds.

Displays pane of System Preferences not working

A handful of MacFixIt readers reported that they are unable to access the "Displays" pane of System Preferences after updating to Mac OS X 10.3.8.

One reader writes:

"After having used 'Software Update' to install Mac OS X 10.3.8, I can no longer start/load 'Displays' in System Preferences."

This problem is sometimes directly related to the presence of certain ATI graphics card drivers, which may include (but are not limited to) the following:

/System/Library/Extensions/ATIRadeon9700.kext
/System/Library/Extensions/ATIRadeon9700DVDDriver.bundle
/System/Library/Extensions/ATIRadeon9700GA.plugin
/System/Library/Extensions/ATIRadeon9700GLDriver.bundle

Users have reported that deleting these files and using an alternate graphics card from another manufacturer (such as NVidia) re-allowed access to the Displays pane of System Preferences. Note that deleting these files will render your ATI Radeon card unusable at the next restart.

Clearing font caches for faster startup

For users experiencing slow startup times after upgrading to Mac OS X 10.3.8, font-related corruption may be to blame.

Using the shareware utility Font Finagler to delete font caches will often restore normal startup speeds if indeed the bloated or corrupt files are to blame.

iBook G4 F12 key not working

There is a fairly widespread issue under Mac OS X 10.3.8 where the F12 key does not function to eject media on some iBook G4 models under Mac OS X 10.3.8.

A handful of readers have reported that the multi-purpose workaround of re-applying the most recent Mac OS X combination updater [99.2 MB] works in this instance as well.

MacFixIt reader Scott Kissinger writes:

"I have a 933MHz G4 iBook that had the F12 eject problem after installing the 10.3.8 update (via the software updates tool)

"I downloaded and installed the Combo update over top and that corrected the issue."

MacFixIt reader Lee Eichelberger says he was able to resolve this issue by using the "reset-nvram" and "reset-all" commands while using Open Firmware booting. To boot into Open Firmware, hold down the Command, Option, O and F keys while your Mac starts up. Enter the aforementioned commands and press the return' key after each.

Eichelberger writes: "I had this same problem on my 12" 1.2 Ghz iBook after installing 10.3.8 US English via the Combo updater. A reboot into open firmware to 'reset-nvram' and then 'reset-all' fixed it permanently. No problems with it since even after multiple sleeps and reboots."

If you are still having issues ejecting media after this workaround, try some of the suggestions offered in the tutorial "Ejecting media in Mac OS X: Removing 'stuck' CDs/DVDs"

Trackpad problems

A number of users reported erratic PowerBook trackpad behavior after installing Mac OS X 10.3.8. Some report that the "Ignore Accidental Trackpad Input" option no longer seems to works, while others report "hopping," "pausing" and other phenomena.

One potential workaround: Resetting PRAM. For some users this has restored normal operation in both this case, and the aforementioned non-functional F12 key problem. Resetting PRAM is accomplished by holding down the Option, Command, P and R keys at system startup until the computer restarts again and you hear the startup sound for the second time.

Reverting to Mac OS X 10.3.7 A number of readers have asked how they can revert from Mac OS X 10.3.8 to Mac OS X 10.3.7, generally in the case of major system malfunctions associated -- directly or indirectly -- with the update.

Instructions for doing so can be found in our tutorial "Reverting to an earlier version of Mac OS X."

Problems with third-party mice

A number of users reported problems with third party input devices, including mice from a number of manufacturers, under Mac OS X 10.3.8.

MacFixIt reader Steve Siegel writes: "Since upgrading, the programming functions for the IceMini mouse don't work. The Macally application doesn't recognize the mouse, and the buttons can't be programmed."

Heather Clarke adds: "Additionally, I picked up a Microsoft optical mouse on the weekend and the right click button on the Microsoft mouse does not work either in relation to the 10.3.8 update."

Slow iChat operation

A number of users have reported slow iChat operation after installing Mac OS X 10.3.8. MacFixIt reader Peter now reports that deleting a specific preference file from the ~/Library/Preferences directory resolved the issue:

"The first time I ran iChat after updating it took just as long (2 or more minutes). I then deleted the 'com.apple.iChat.plist' from my User/Library/preferences and restarted iChat. Bingo! Fixed."

Problems with Java

Some users report problems with Java (Safari unable to access Java-enabled Web sites, applets causing system-wide crashes, etc.) after applying Mac OS X 10.3.8.

In most cases, re-installing the most recent Apple Java package (currently Java 1.4.2 Update 2) resolves the issue.

Increased G5 fan activity

For some users, cooling fans are significantly more active on PowerMac G5s after Mac OS X 10.3.8 is installed.

It now appears that this may be an intentional modification intended to reduce the incidence of "thermal runaway" events (covered in previous MacFixIt articles 1 and 2) which can cause kernel panics and problems with sleep.

MacFixIt reader Ed Rashed writes:

"For me, the increased fan activity since downloading the 10.3.8 update seems to have resolved a much more serious issue: I am on a dual 2 GHz G5, 1.5 GB RAM, and for some time I have had an issue with the system just spontaneously dropping into sleep mode. The system.log showed a 'Thermal runaway' causing the system to put itself to sleep, although the tasks that the processor was being asked to perform should not have caused this by any stretch of the imagination - it happened when: opening a link or even just a menu in Firefox, and sometimes for no apparent reason at all. Once the computer went right back to sleep as I was trying to log in from sleep mode.

"I read reports elsewhere that others with similar problems had had their motherboards replaced with mixed results. Others reported that changing or eliminating external power strips helped, and actually, my situation improved somewhat when I plugged the computer directly into the wall. But still, off she went to sleep every so often. Now with this update my fans do engage more often, but the narcolepsy seems to be cured. Seems that one of the undocumented fixes in this update is that Apple has reset the software thresholds to engage the fans sooner and thus prevent these "thermal runaway" issues. Maybe those initial reports of how quiet this computer was supposed to be were based on a higher threshold setting that then allowed the thermal problem to surface. Anyway, I am glad to trade the fan revving for a computer that stays awake"

The increased fan activity, and consequential decrease in processor temperature, has also apparently resolved some other stability issues

MacFixIt reader James Taylor writes:

"I recently installed the 10.3.8 update on my Rev A. dual 2.0 G5, and I noticed the fans will rev a little bit when opening apps and the like. [...] When browsing a particularly large series of files (like my music directory) in detail mode, sometimes Finder would pause, hit 100% usage on the CPU, and sometimes crash (it would recover a good 2 out of 3 times, if I remember correctly.) The 10.3.8 Finder does not exhibit this behavior, even with huge directories of thumbnails.

"I think the fan differences might be an effort by Apple to keep the chips a little cooler. X-Resource Graph shows a difference of a few degrees since installing the update, possibly as a result of increased fan usage. It's not a huge drop in temperature, and praise goes to the Apple engineers for designing such a wonderful case."

The only effective workaround we've seen is to change the Processor Performance setting (in the Options tab of Energy Saver preferences) from Automatic to Highest -- a number of readers have reported that this "fixes" the increased fan activity. (It's odd that this results in reduced fan activity, considering that the Highest setting should make the processors run hotter.) However, note that by doing this you're circumventing your Power Mac's built-in processor regulation system -- instead of running at full speed only when necessary, your G5 processors will be running at full speed all the time. We wouldn't consider this a prudent long-term workaround.

FireWire warning only provided for Combo update Mac OS X 10.3.8 Update's release notes did not include the warning -- found in the notes for previous 10.3 Updates -- to disconnect all FireWire devices before installing the update. Several readers wrote in to report that they did see such a warning in the release notes. However, this is because they were installing the Combo update; the warning does not appear if you're installing the Patch or Delta versions because the issue precipitating this warning was fixed in OS X 10.3.7. The Combo update includes this warning because Apple assumes that individuals using the Combo update aren't yet running OS X 10.3.7 (or they'd be using the Delta or Patch update) and thus don't yet have the "fix."

That being said, given the various FireWire issues that have arisen with updates to Mac OS X 10.3, MacFixIt staff always unplug our FireWire devices before installing an update and then reconnect them after restarting.

Moving Apple's installed applications prevents them from being updated

A number of readers have let us know that if you previously moved any Apple-installed applications from their original location in /Applications or /Applications/Utilities, the 10.3.8 Update will not update them properly.

This has been an on-again, off-again issue with OS X updates -- some will successfully update moved Apple apps, but others won't. Since you never know until after you've installed the update, our previous advice bears repeating: Leave OS X's applications in their default locations. We realize that some people would rather use their own organizational scheme, and it's fair to argue that Apple's Installer should be able to find moved apps and update them. But until the latter happens, leaving these apps in place is the only solution. You can organize non-Apple/OS X applications all you want, but leave the Apple ones alone.

Problems installing via Software Update Some users are having trouble installing the update using Software Update, getting a permissions error related to the /tmp directory (and sub-directories within it). Running Disk Utility's Repair Disk Permissions function may fix this issue. If not, we recommended downloading the Update from Apple's Downloads page; many users have successfully installed the update this way.

Alternatively, Meg Hopper found that using Software Update to download the update manually allowed it to then install the update:

"I had the issue where SW Update complains it can't expand the 10.3.8 update because of the /tmp/501/temporaryitems/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate permissions problem. I was able to resolve this by highlighting the update [in Software Update] and choosing 'Download Only' from the Update menu, then selecting 'Install' from the same menu once it had downloaded. It...installed without issue after I did that."

The reason this workaround is effective is that when you use the Download Only option, the update package is downloaded to /Library/Packages instead of to the /tmp directory. Bluetooth Issues

A number of readers have reported issues with Bluetooth connectivity after installing Mac OS X 10.3.8. MacFixIt reader Stu, for instance, writes:

"Just saw 10.3.8 up on software update. Installed it. No bluetooth after update, this on a 20" G5 iMac."

For most readers, the following procedure works to restore recognition of affected Bluetooth devices:

Shutdown.
Disconnect all USB devices
Disconnect the iMac from all power for 1 minute.
Restart.

Positive reports Lest readers think that we've only heard bad things about 10.3.8, we should point out that we've received many, many positive reports -- possibly more than with any recent OS X Update. Below is a representative sample of the praise:

Gulliver: "I have a G5/Dual 2.5 GHz. When I ran SETI@Home with previous versions the fans would continuously cycle on and off -- extremely annoying. This was completely fixed with the 10.3.8 Update. My G5 was never so quiet like after this update."
Doug Stringham: "My experience has been 180° the opposite of the [bad fan reports of] G5 owners you have posted on your site. The fans on my dual 2.5Ghz G5 would do exactly what they describe is happening... but since the 10.3.8 update they have ceased their revving."
Spencer: "I installed the 10.3.8 combo update this morning, and rebooted. I'd become quite used to the on and off fan while running BOINC/SETI@Home. After the update the fan was still cycling in the same way, but at a much lower (and quieter) speed. It's a great improvement!"
Hessel Haak: "For me the best news so far is: Myst IV Revelation is working properly again!"
Tony Martin: "Ever since 10.3.6, my 1 Ghz PowerBook has had extremely noisy and erratic behavior of its fan. 10.3.7 only slightly improved it. 10.3.8 seems to finally fix it for good."
Patrick Barsby: "Original problem [since 10.3.5]: If you set the device for sound output to Digital Out (Optical digital-out port) and then send the G5 to Sleep, when it wakes up, the Output device is switched back to Internal speakers (Built-in audio). The problem is now fixed with 10.3.8 (for me at least). Digital Out (Optical digital-out port) stays as Digital Out after Sleep."
Robert Shaye: "10.3.8 resolved my Safari problems. The most recent security update had caused a 50+ second loading time for the Citibank website on my 1.25GHz Aluminum PowerBook and my Power Mac G4 B/W. With 10.3.8, the loading time is faster than ever on both units."
Michiel Houtman: "The update solved very slow access of Mail to mailbox (receiving and sending mail); Quicktime player not loading 'hot picks'; very slow access to iTunes Store; and very slow access to all Apple servers."

Despite our focus on troubleshooting, we're always happy to hear that an update works as advertised.

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