Special Report: Troubleshooting Mac OS X 10.3.9

CNET staff

Sept. 2, 2009 11:19 a.m. PT

21 min read

Covering these and other topics:

Download Links, Release notes, upgrade procedure

On Friday, April 15th, 2005, Apple released Mac OS X 10.3.9 and Mac OS X Server 10.3.9 to Software Update, and as a series of standalone Web downloads:

Mac OS X 10.3.9 Client provides the following enhancements:

file sharing and directory services reliability for mixed Mac and PC networks
Mail, Safari and Stickies application reliability
compatibility for third party applications and devices
previous standalone security updates

Mac OS X Server 10.3.9 provides the following enhancements:

reliability of Open Directory authentication requests, and Active Directory integration
AFP performance when listing large files and directories
update to Cyrus version 2.2.10 for more reliable email message storage
reliability of Ethernet communications on Xserve
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.

Sluggish Mail.app performance

One of the most widely reported issues with Mac OS X 10.3.9 is significantly decreased performance from Apple's Mail.app after installation.

The most commonly reported issues include:

Extremely slow retrieval of mail
Pauses or freezes when synchronizing folders
Pauses or freezes when 'Comparing Notes with Server'

MacFixIt reader Seth Dolman writes:

"Mail.app has been performing quite sluggishly since applying the 10.3.9 update. Repairing disk permissions and clearing caches (system and user via Onyx and mail by deleting in ~/Library/Mail) do not fix the problems. Also, Mail.app has not been remembering SMTP settings, and it keeps reverting to another SMTP server than the one I keep setting."

Donald Broadribb adds:

"Since installing 10.3.9 I have found that when I go to load Mail it takes upwards of a minute for it to show up. (There was the same problem after one of the OS 10.3 updates a few updates ago, which was fixed by one of the later updates.) Once loaded, there seems to be no problem in retrieving messages. It is a bit slow in sending messages, though."

Gretchen Hayman offers a slightly more detailed account:

"After applying the update, Mail.app has had issues filtering my e-mail, even after I manually and repeatedly selected the mail and then 'Apply filters.' Only after repeated restarts (or force quits, see below) of Mail, will it filter properly.

"It has also become glacially slow in mail checking; it will just sit there for minutes on end while checking. I am on IMAP, connecting to a cyrus IMAP server on our LAN. Nothing on our mail server side or network side has changed; I'm the Network Administrator, so I know this for a fact. It also incorrectly reports the mail. For the entirety of yesterday afternoon and night, it continued to "check" e-mail and when I came in this morning, I had no new e-mail. After (force) quitting Mail and restarting it, it correctly found my e-mail. So, I have taken to manually checking for mail from time to time, and to (force) quitting Mail several times a day, just in case it is not correctly reporting/gathering my mail.

"Last, but not least, Mail also now has problems quitting. When I select Quit, it appears to quit, but doesn't (the Dock indictor still shows it open). An inspection of the Activity Monitor shows the Mail process as hung and I have to force quit the application, losing any changes I may have made."

Potential Solutions

Reverting to an earlier version of Mail.app Some readers have reported that obtaining a copy of Mail.app from a volume containing an earlier version of Mac OS X 10.3.x (10.3.8, for instance) resolves the performance bottleneck introduced by Mac OS X 10.3.9. The new version is 1.3.11, and the prior release is version 1.3.9. Note, however, that this procedure may undo security refinements introduced by the latest release of Mail.app.

Doug Miner writes:

"I appear to have fixed the problem by copying Mail.app from another disk with OS 10.3.8 installed on it. I just copied the app (no other associated files) and moved it to replace the version that came with 10.3.9. Everything seems to work fine now."

Emptying deleted mail Emptying messages from both the "Deleted Messages" and "Junk Mail" folders prior to quitting Mail.app reduces the quit and subsequent launch times for some readers.

MacFixIt reader Jim Forsman writes:

"One way that I have found not to have Mail stall when quitting, is manually to 'Erase Deleted Messages' and 'Erase Junk Mail' from the 'Mailbox' menu. If I fail to do this, Mail delays quitting for many minutes, but if I do, Mail quits promptly. (Note that in, Preferences -> Accounts -> Special Mailboxes, I have enabled "Erase Messages in the Junk Mailbox" and "Erase deleted messages" when quitting.)"

Deleting Mail.app cache and .plist file Deleting the following folder:

~/Library/Mail/Caches/Mail

and this file:

~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.mail.plist

may provide faster Mail.app performance in some cases.

Turning off SSL Turning off the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) option in Mail.app's preferences (Click "Server Settings..." for the desired account) appears to resolve performance issues with IMAP servers in some cases. Note, however, that this will disable access to some servers that require this option to be turned on.

MacFixIt reader Chris Janton, for instance, writes:

"When connecting to the IMAP server using SSL on port 993 all sorts of odd behavior - slow, not completely quitting, etc.

"If you turn off secure mail (back to port 143) the bad behavior seems to go away, at least I haven't observed the odd behavior."
Switching e-mail clients Some users are simply switching to an alternative mail client, such as the excellent Mozilla Thunderbird, in the wake of these issues.

MacFixIt reader Richard Eppert writes:

"I'm seeing the same things as David Miller. Connecting to our campus Exchange server has become painfully slow (and sometimes requiring a restart of Mail to even work) under 10.39. Never had this issue with any previous OS X updates. Installed Thunderbird, just for testing and it works fine."

Drive/media mounting issues

A number of users have reported difficulty mounting drives and removable media (CDs, DVDs, etc.) after upgrading to Mac OS X 10.3.9.

MacFixIt reader Tony reports that manually mounting items through Disk Utility (located in Applications/Utilities) is successful in his case.

Tony writes:

"Ever since I installed 10.3.9, none of my volumes want to mount automatically (DVDs, Firewire HD, etc.). Usually a quick trip to Disk Utility to do a manual mount solves the problem, but it sure is annoying."

For more suggestions on resolving mounting issues in Mac OS X, see our tutorial "Ejecting media in Mac OS X: Removing 'stuck' CDs/DVDs."

In some cases, when it affects FireWire drives, this problem can be resolved by re-installing the latest firmware for your drive (check the manufacturers Web site.)

MacFixIt reader Tanja writes:

"I also encountered a problem with FireWire after updating the system to v10.3.9 (the external hard drive, a LaCie Porsche FireWire drive, does not mount any more)."

Michael Clark is one reader who had success with re-installing the latest firmware for his FireWire drive.

Michael writes:

"I was able to restore my external Firewire drive (Macally PHR-100AC) by reinstalling the Macally firmware update designed for fixing problems from earlier OSX versions. The USB interface on the PHR-100AC worked fine and the HD itself was OK, just the Macally firewire firmware was damaged."

Safari 1.3: Java Issues; Plug-in (AcidSearch, etc.) problems;

Java Issues By far the most detrimental issue with Mac OS X 10.3.9 for most users is a set of problems affecting the Java subsystem. This range of issues can cause problems with Safari repeatedly quitting, inability to play Java content, and more.

After our initial coverage and posting of some successful workarounds, Apple acknowledged the issue with a Knowledge Base article that offers some limited fixes, including those published here.

Finally, Apple has released a software download that will resolve this issue on most afflicted systems.

In a description of the issue, and subsequent fix, Apple says:

"To reduce the memory footprint of Java applications, the HotSpot Java Virtual Machine (JVM) in Mac OS X makes use of a Java Shared Archive (JSA). The JSA contains the preprocessed internal HotSpot JVM representations of common standard Java classes that would otherwise be found and processed from the standard classes.jar file. Mac OS X 10.3.9 has exposed an issue in the use of the JSA, by which the virtual memory location of libhotspot.dylib can become incompatible with the current JSA. This can result in Java crashing on every execution.

"The Java Update for Mac OS X 10.3.9 addresses this issue.

"After installing the automatic software update and fixing the issue, Java no longer has a Java Shared Archive (hence the optional steps above). Users that run a large number of Java applications simultaneously will see an increase in memory pressure (usually 3Mb per application), because there is no Java Shared Archive."

The Apple Java Update for Mac OS X 10.3.9 is available as a 1 MB download, or through Software Update.

Other solutions for this issue include:

Terminal fix MacFixIt reader Camillo Lugaresi offers a workaround that can be executed through the Terminal (located in Applications/Utilities), and replicates the fixing mechanism utilized by previous workarounds.

The Terminal commands are as follows (press the "Return" key after each line):
cd /System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/1.4.2/Libraries/ sudo ../Commands/java -Xdump
Camillo explains why this fix works:

"The reason why Java 1.4.2 Update 2 and Security Update 2005-002 can be used to fix the Java issue is that they include the JavaStartup startup item. This startup item rebuilds the Java Shared Archive on the first reboot after the upgrade, and then deletes itself. The commands I suggested above reproduce the exact steps taken by JavaStartup to update the JSA, with the advantage of avoiding a reboot and not requiring any downloads."

Re-applying the combo updater Re-application of the Mac OS X 10.3.9 combination updater has (for some Macs) resolved issues where Safari repeatedly quits.

However, as noted by a number of readers, repairing permissions (using Apple's Disk Utility, located in Applications/Utilities) after the combo update has been installed may be necessary for the fixes to materialize.

MacFixIt reader Tom Lowry writes

"Updated my PowerBook with delta version of Mac OS X 10.3.8, using MacFixIt's tried and tested rules. All went well, no problems, firewire drives working, sleeping etc.

"Safari on the other hand started crashing when closing windows or quitting. Also java on Google maps not working. However terminal was returning java versions with no problem.

"Then applied combo update, again all went well, repaired permissions, one difference noted it repaired as follows:

[Permissions differ on ./private/etc/slpsa.conf, should be -rwxr-xr-x , they are -rw-r--r-- Owner and group corrected on ./private/etc/slpsa.conf Permissions corrected on ./private/etc/slpsa.conf

"Safari stopped crashing, although Google maps US still not working unless User Agent changed to Windows Internet Explorer [Ed.- Changing the Safari user agent can be accomplished by entering the command defaults write com.apple.Safari IncludeDebugMenu 1 in the Terminal (located in Applications/Utilities) while Safari is not running, then selecting the desired browser agent) when all worked as should."

Deleting the Safari preference file If you are still having problems with Safari intermittently crashing under Mac OS X 10.3.9 after trying the workarounds posted in the past several days, try deleting the file:

com.apple.Safari.plist

from the folder ~/Library/Preferences and restarting Safari.

Crashes on launch -- removing SIMBL plug-ins, clearing caches Several plug-ins that were causing problems initially under Safari 1.3 have now been updated for compatibility. Make sure you are using the latest versions of all Safari add-ons -- particularly AcidSearch (now at version 0.41) -- if you are experiencing repeated crashes or other issues.

MacFixIt reader Del Marshall writes:

"I updated to Mac OS X 10.3.9 and Safari wouldn't launch, crashed every time. Tried the various fixes currently on your page, no go. Finally looked at plug-ins, updated the neat little add-on called AcidSearch to the latest version, 0.41. All OK now."

If updated, compatible versions of these plug-ins are not available, removing them from the folder Library/Application Support/SIMBL/Plugins (e.g. acidsearch.bundle) will resolve the on-launch crashes in most cases.

Also, as previously noted, several readers have noted that clearing system caches with a tool like OnyX or Panther Cache Cleaner can resolve crash-on-launch issues. Select "Delete all caches" or a "deep" cache clean, dependent on which tool is being used. After deleting caches, use Apple's Disk Utility (Applications/Utilities) to repair permissions.

Slow performance, launches solved by deleting icons folder For most users, Safari 1.3 (included with Mac OS X 10.3.9) provides a noticeable page rendering speed boost.

Some users, however, are experiencing slower performance after applying the update.

In some cases, performance problems can be solved by deleting Icons folder located at ~/Library/Safari/Icons. Note that this procedure will eliminate any favicons (the small logos that appear in Safari's URL entry field for some Web sites) stored in cache.

MacFixIt reader Rick Zerman writes:

"Safari would take 30 or so bounces to load (about 45 seconds) and then run exceedingly slow. Running top -u in a terminal window showed that that Safari process would be using up to 135% of the CPU (dual processor Mac) even to load simple web pages.

"The solution was to go to /[username]/Library/Safari folder and delete the Icons folder."

Apple bookmarks put back A minor annoyance associated with the upgrade to Safari 1.3 is the replacement of Apple's default bookmarks that have been deleted by the user.

MacFixIt reader TJ Ronningen writes:

"The Safari update included an 'update' to my bookmarks. Apple decided I once again needed to have all the bookmarks that they like. This feels like a Microsoft thing to do in the worst sense of the word. Very annoying to weed out the garbage they left behind."

iGetter fix coming iGetter 2.2 Input Manager Bundle is incompatible with the new release of Safari (1.3, included with Mac OS X 10.3.9), causing crashes. To avoid crashing of Safari v1.3 you must uncheck "Add Contextual menu support for Internet browsers" option at iGetter preferences, Integration panel.

The developers of iGetter report that an updated, Mac OS X 10.3.9-compliant release is on the way:

"We're working on a fix of this problem and will release a new version as soon as possible. Note that the 'Integrate with Internet browsers (Watch for URL clicks)' option works well with Safari v1.3."

File saving changes As noted by a number of readers, Safari 1.3 changes the default option from save as to save to download folder. You can still specify the download location by holding down the option key while control-clicking a link.

Flash problems Some users note problems with Macromedia Flash content in Safari 1.3.

One reader writes: "I too am having flash problems. The file just downloads but will not play even though Safari plugins show the Flash plugin is registered. Reinstalling Flash player/plugin doesn't solve the problem either."

MacFixIt reader Michael Landes adds:

"After the Mac OS X 10.3.9 update, Gameday on MLB.com no longer provides continually updated scoring (i.e. dynamic content for the game) -- it gets stuck on the splash page (you have to reload to get the latest info). Also, with any flash-based video content on MLB.com, the audio is choppy now. Haven't seen the problem with any other flash sites."

For some readers, however, re-installing Flash does provide resolution.

Safari being updated outside of Applications folder? We normally recommend that users keep any Apple applications inside the default "Applications" folder so they can be properly recognized by Software Update and other processes.

However, some readers are noting that the Mac OS X 10.3.9 installer updates copies of Safari that are not in the default location.

Don Card writes:

"I had an odd experience updating to Mac OS X 10.3.9. Due to the problems reported with Safari, I saved a copy of Safari in a subfolder of my user folder. The updater updated this copy to 1.3 instead of the copy in the Applications Folder! I switched the two, and seem to be doing okay."

Problems launching Classic, fixes

Some users are unable to launch Classic under Mac OS X 10.3.9.

One potential fix involves first starting up Classic with the "Shift" key held down to turn off all extensions. Then, once in the Classic environment, using the Extensions Manager to turn off the "Apple Menu Options" extension, then restarting Classic.

We've received several notes from readers who have successfully applied this workaround.

MacFixIt reader Karl Brooks writes "I tried the suggestion and disabled the Apple Menu Options. It worked. Classic started - although, still very slowly - and so far has functioned without any problems."

Some users are able to resolve this issue by simply re-installing the Mac OS X 10.3.9 combo updater.

Meanwhile, some readers now report that simply starting Classic with Extensions off once is enough to eliminate subsequent startup problems.

MacFixIt reader David McKinnon writes:

"I also couldn't get Classic to start after installing the 10.3.9 updater on my G4 400 (Sonnet 1Ghz upgrade). However, after successfully starting Classic with extensions off, I restarted Classic with my usual set of extensions no troubles at all."

Virtual PC problems

A handful of readers have reported issues with Virtual PC 7.0 under Mac OS X 10.3.9.

MacFixIt reader Eric writes:

"Since updating my wife's dual 2.5GHz G5 to 10.3.9 she cannot run Virtual PC. We have the latest version, but two weird things happen: starting the start menu kills access to the dock. When we stop the start menu, the dock returns. Also, Virtual PC is not recognizing keyboard input."

Symantec LiveUpdate compatibility problems, update released

When Mac OS X 10.3.9 was first released, Norton AntiVirus' LiveUpdate component would not function properly under it. Using the standalone virus definitions installer from Symantec's Web site offered a temporary fix.

Symantec later released LiveUpdate 3.0.3, which company representatives told MacFixIt "resolves the problems people were having with updating their Virus Definitions once they upgraded to (Mac OS X) 10.3.9."

To obtain the LiveUpdate 3.0.3 patch (this patch is currently only available for the English version of LiveUpdate 3.0.x):

Launch LiveUpdate.
Click Customize this Update Session.
When a list of available updates appear, remove check marks from all products except LiveUpdate (make sure that the text that appears when you highlight LiveUpdate mentions version 3.0.3).
Click Update.
When the Summary window appears, quit LiveUpdate (the old

QuickTime stalls

We've received reports from a handful of readers who report difficulties playing QuickTime movies after applying the Mac OS X 10.3.9 update.

MacFixIt reader Louis Klidonas, for instance, writes:

"All of a sudden after the update, when I open a movie in Quicktime, I get into the program, but the movie won't play, just that spinning cursor of death.

"Things I've tried: repairing permissions, prebinding, removal of cache, reinstalling 10.3.9, reinstalling Java and that security update that everyone's suggesting. I've also reinstalled Quicktime, nothing!"

Mail Service issues (users cannot log in) in Mac OS X 10.3.9 Server; possible solution

Several readers have reported a problem where, after applying the Mac OS X Server 10.3.9 update, the mail server doesn't recognize any user accounts except the administrator. The log says "mail is not enabled for this user" when the user's mail client tries to log in.

Now MacFixIt reader Rob Lews reports a possible solution:

"I had to use Directory Access to make sure the LDAPv3 server was included in the Authentication pane. This fixed the problem."

In order to perform this workaround, first launch Directory Access which is located in the Applications/Utilities folder. Next, click on the "Authentication" pane and change the "Search" option from "Automatic" to "Custom path." Finally, click "Add" and select "/LDAPv3/127.0.0.1" from the resulting pop-up. Apply the settings.

For some users, a restart is required after performing this procedure.

Battery issues (not measuring charge correctly, etc.): Third-party units affected, more

Some users are experiencing odd battery behavior (unrecognized, not measuring charge, etc.) after upgrading to Mac OS X 10.3.9.

In particular, third-party batteries appear to be affected more than standard Apple units.

MacFixIt reader Les Clark writes:

"I have a Pismo PowerBook that has be operating with 10.3.x with no problem. On Sunday I updated to 10.3.9 and my Newer Tech 7200mAh battery that I purchased in January has stop being recognized. Nether Apples Battery Monitor or the shareware Slim Battery Monitor can recognize the battery any longer. I have a High Capacity Power Products 4800mAh that was purchased a couple of years ago that is still be recognized and charged by the PowerBook. I still have one of my original Apple Batteries and it is also still being recognized by both software programs. When I installed the update to 10.3.9 the Newer Tech was fully charged and I have not run the computer on Battery since that time. [...] I have tried doing a PMU reset and it did not help. Also the LED lights show the battery to not have any charge."

MacFixIt reader Todd Stubbs adds:

"I set Mac OS X 10.3.9 to install, answered the questions to make sure it was on its way, then went to bed. The next morning my one-month-old 3rd Party battery showed dead. I'm using an old power connection which doesn't have the LED indicators, so I didn't know what was happening, just that it wouldn't charge beyond 1%.

"When I got to work, where I have another power supply WITH the LEDs I could see what was going on. If shut down, then lifted the keyboard of my PowerBook and reset the Power circuits, it would recharge for 3 - 5% then stall. All day long, as I've had time, I've done this to coax it to, currently 70% (It just stalled again. One way I can tell is it reverts to "Calculating" where minutes before it gave a number).

"I have no idea what will happen if I just, unplug it and let it run down to 0% again. Will it let me get it back up to where it was, or will I have to coax it 3 - 5% at a time? Or will it think I only have 3 -5% total power and go to sleep in a few minutes?"

So, it appears in Todd's case that resetting his portable's PMU (power management unit) temporarily resolved the issue.

Firefox, Mozilla, Camino: Updated, 10.3.9-compliant builds posted

If you are having problems with Firefox, Mozilla, or Camino under Mac OS X 10.3.9, make sure to download the latest nightly build of the problematic browser.

MacFixIt reader Thomas writes:

"Following a hint on MacFixIt-Forums I installed the latest nightly builds for all three apps and they work fine now."

For Firefox, in particular, updating to version 1.0.3 has resolved a number of Mac OS X 10.3.9-related issues.

Problems launching LimeWire; fixes

Several readers have reported issues launching the peer-to-peer application LimeWire after upgrading to Mac OS X 10.3.9.

MacFixIt reader Ray Cole writes:

"Limewire 4.81 Pro does not work with 10.3.9. It crashed immediately upon trying to launch it. I re-installed Limewire and still no go."

Two previously published solutions (which were intended for resolution of Safari 1.3 issues) appear to be applicable here:

Re-installing Security Update 2005-002
Manually re-installing the Java 1.4.2 Update 2 package as described in a previous Mac OS X 10.3.9 report.

Using Security Update 2005-002 for miscellaneous issues

A number of varying Mac OS X 10.3.9 issues can be solved by re-installing Security Update 2005-002 over Mac OS X 10.3.9.

MacFixIt reader Ian writes: "After installing Mac OS X 10.3.9, I was unable to launch MATLAB v.14 or Maple 9.5, which are both common mathematical applications that I use for my studies. But after following your advice ("The far simpler, and equally effective (in most cases) workaround involves re-applying Security Update 2005-002, which made several significant changes to critical Mac OS X Java components."), I was back up and running."

MacFixIt reader Wiz writes: "Re-applying Security Update 2005-002 has fixed the problem with LiveUpdate. It now runs correctly. No other problems that I can find with Norton AntiVirus at this time."

Updating prebinding for miscellaneous issues

One workaround that has proved useful for a number of Mac OS X 10.3.9 issues is performing a prebinding process with one of a number of maintenance utilities, such as OnyX or sterMachine.

You can also perform this procedure by opening Terminal (located in Applications/Utilities/) and typing this command, followed by the enter key:

sudo update_prebinding -root / -force

MacFixIt reader Mark writes "I manually updated the prebinding on my 10.3.9 update, and it seems to have resolved a couple of issues listed on the main page... Specifically my java based apps seem to be running OK now (Acquisition, several web based java applets that were not working)."

Checksum error with initial posting of Mac OS X 10.3.9 combo, resolved

One of the most versatile troubleshooting methods for Mac OS X 10.3.9 and other incremental releases is the re-application of the current combination updater.

Unfortunately, some users initially experienced issues using the Mac OS X 10.3.9 combination updater disk image, receiving a checksum error.

It now appears Apple has rectified the issue, and disk image will download and mount properly without error.

MacFixIt reader Jordan Miller writes:

"The download as of 5 PM (on Tuesday) matches the checksum listed on Apple's page, and verifies and mounts correctly. "

Problems with multiple user accounts, potential solutions

A number of readers have reported an issue where non-admin users are unable to log in to their accounts after the Mac OS X 10.3.9 update.

Matt Zehner writes:

"My wife tried to log into her account for the first time since the update, using the login screen direct from a reboot - and the system hung up right after she entered her password. Just showed the blue spiraling progress bar and the words 'logging in...' forever.

"I forced a restart, and tried logging into my (administrator) account first (which went fine), then tried switching to her account via Fast User Switching (actually, using WinSwitch). This time, after entering her password and hitting Return, I got the rotating cube effect as normal, but her 'side' of the cube never progressed beyond a completely blue screen. Disk was still being accessed, as if the login process was occurring. Cursor was visible and movable, but clicking/double clicking in random places didn't seem to activate anything. I tried uninstalling WinSwitch and retrying each method for logging in as her, but each gets the same result."

MacFixIt reader Mark adds:

"After upgrading to Mac OS X 10.3.9 through Software Update, I am unable to log into any other user accounts, if those accounts are managed. With 'standard' or 'admin' accounts, everything works fine. But if any limitations are applied to other accounts, we are unable to log in."

Potential solutions for this issue include:

Use a utility like Panther Cache Cleaner or OnyX to delete system caches. Deleting system caches can also be an effective workaround for an issue where Mac OS X freezes when a user attempts to log out.
Delete the following files from the /Library/Preferences folder:
com.apple.loginwindow.plist
com.apple.windowserver.plist
Remove any restrictions for each problematic account (in the Accounts pane of System Preferences), reverting them back to standard form
Delete the user account and re-create it. The user's personal data will be saved in the "Deleted Users" folder.

iTunes: Music Library switched back to default location

For some users, installing Mac OS X 10.3.9 caused iTunes to switch the desired Library location back to the default ~/Music folder.

MacFixIt reader Scott Rose writes:

"After the Mac OS X 10.3.9 update, my iTunes changed back the preference of my Music Library location to the default Library Location again. I had my Library location originally set to an external volume, but after the update, iTunes changed it back to ~/Music/iTunes/iTunes Music/"

CheckPoint Secure Client broken

Several readers report that CheckPoint's Secure Client (a VPN tool) is broken after installing Mac OS X 10.3.9.

Carl van Denzen writes:

"A few minutes after trying to start VPN (this happens automatically when I log in), it comes with a message box with title 'VPN-1 SecureClient Error' saying 'SecureClient services are down. Please reboot your machine to start them.'

Reverting to Mac OS X 10.3.8

If Mac OS X 10.3.9 is causing serious issues that cannot be resolved via any currently published workarounds, you may want to revert to Mac OS X 10.3.8. Instructions for doing so can be found in our tutorial "Reverting to an earlier version of Mac OS X."

Resources

Download Links, Release no...

Sluggish Mail.app performa...

Drive/media mounting issue...

Safari 1.3: Java Issues; P...

Problems launching Classic...

Virtual PC problems

Symantec LiveUpdate compat...

QuickTime stalls

Mail Service issues (users...

Battery issues (not measur...

Firefox, Mozilla, Camino: ...