Troubleshooting Mac OS X 10.2.4: Another date bug solution; forgetting preferences; more
Troubleshooting Mac OS X 10.2.4: Another date bug solution; forgetting preferences; more
Another date bug solution Response to our Apple CHUD Tools workaround for the date bug has been excellent, with most readers reporting that the problem is solved - though they are still stuck changing a setting at every shut down.
A new utility dubbed "iTime" works to alleviate the date bug for dial-up users, by forcing the system to dial in and synchronize the time with a network server on every system start (the application has to be placed in the "Login Items" folder). Of course, this option is null for users without regular Internet access on the road.
MacFixIt reader Jon Weywadt offers some additional insight on what could be causing the problem:
"The problem could be caused by 10.2.4 corrupting the Power Manager during shutdown. If the PM stalls the life of the pram battery goes from five years to two days as described in article 95037 in Apple's knowledge base. This correspond to what is described by some posters that the problem occurs sometime after upgrading, not immediately. Since it takes a couple of days for the pram battery to drain with a stalled PM this could explain the delayed occurence of the problem. Unfortunately a replaced pram battery would only last a few days if 10.2.4 is indeed corrupting the PM."
Forgetting preferences Aside from forgetting the currently set date, Mac OS X 10.2.4 also has problems remembering which browser has been set to default (covered previously) and language settings.
Several readers report that flags representing languages other than the one they have set appear in the character menu (located at the far right of the Finder's menubar). One MacFixIt reader writes:
"On my DP 867MHz G4 at work, updating to Mac OS X 10.2.4 caused the International settings for Behavior to be set to English instead of Swedish. Which of course by itself cause a lot of odd settings for date, time and numbers. I did not at firs see that Behaviors had changed with the update. After switching that back, all was well again."
Michael Houtman describes another problem with language settings:
"I use with Mac OS OS X two keyboard layouts; US and Dutch. After every restart my date format is set to US format (month/date/year). I have chosen as default Dutch format Day/Month /Year. Also separator is / instead of -. When I reboot into Mac OS 9, my Euro designation is changed to a US dollar designation."
Multiple display issue Allen Gainsford notes a bug that causes his system to recognize turned off displays, causing some navigation issues:
"Under Mac OS X 10.2.3, I could switch the monitor on, then click 'Detect Displays' in the 'Displays' system preferences panel, and the system would detect the 'new' monitor and adjust the display setup. Then, when I was done, I could switch the second monitor off, and "Detect Displays" again, and the system would detect that it was gone.
"Under Mac OS X 10.2.4, the system thinks that the second monitor is always there, even when it's switched off. (I suppose I could get rid of it by shutting down and physically disconnecting it, but that's sort of awkward.) This has the unfortunate side-effect that my mouse can disappear off the side of my screen, because the Mac thinks it's on the second screen."
Feedback on this issue? Drop us a line at late-breakers@macfixit.com.Resources