10/29/2007, 1:15pm, EDT
Monday, October 29th
Apple acknowledges Leopard install issues
UPDATE: Apple has now acknowledged issues with Leopard installation that can result in an everlasting blue screen after the install has taken place. Blaming the problem on "third-party 'enhancement' software," namely Unsanity's APE (Application Enhancer) and its included haxies, Apple says the problem can be resolved by either reinstalling Leopard (recommended), or using the Terminal to uninstall APE and its haxies. The first fix requires performing an Archive and Install installation of Leopard. Archive and Install moves your existing Mac OS X system files to a folder named "Previous System," and then installs a new copy of Mac OS X on the selected volume. Apple says "After installation, verify each third-party software product is compatible with Leopard before reinstalling it, especially any application 'enhancement' software."
The second fix requires starting up in single-user mode by holding Command-S after restarting the computer, then executing a series of commands that will remove the offending software. However, according to Apple. if the problem still exists after uninstalling APE, you may need to resort to the first, recommended fix: performing an Archive and Install.
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A number of users who have bought Mac OS X Leopard have been experiencing stalled upgrade installations, Apple's forums reveal. Upon nominally completing the installation process, some Macs have rebooted only to become stuck at a blue screen, requiring users to manually shut them down. Apple is said to already be aware of the issue, but the exact causes are at present unknown; some have suggested problems with attached peripherals, DivX Application Support or Tiger's RAID technology, but these factors are not constant.
A recurring suggestion is the presence of Unsanity's Application Enhancer program, though this too has not been reported on all frozen Macs. MacFixit has posted a guide for removing Application Enhancer, as well as handling other potential fixes. The site ultimately recommends though that if installations continue to freeze, users should attempt to boot from the Leopard DVD by holding down "C" at start-up, and picking either "Archive and Install" or "Erase and Install" instead of the Upgrade option.
Apple on Saturday released a patch for less severe issues, fixing Wi-Fi connections, logins for users upgrading from Mac OS X 10.1, and password changes for FileVault-protected accounts.
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I wish Apple would get rid of the upgrade option.
Not to mention novices have no idea what to do after Archive and Install. Novices who aren't likely to have unstable hacks like APE on their systems.
10.1 -> 10.2 -> 10.3 (my old iMac G4/800)
10.3 -> 10.4 -> 10.5 (my Powerbook G4/1.67)
Had no major issues on any of these machines with the upgrade process. I've had the apps that were not compatible, but no major issues.
Come on Apple, anyone who doesn't know how to backup their computer, install a clean OS, and copy all the components from their old system to the new by hand is just wasting our time and should just go back to windows!
I must admit, though, that I couldn't find my hundreds of ElectricSheep screensavers in the Previous Systems folder, and now I'll have to spend a few weeks of downloading them again. Admittedly, I also did not have enough space for the safer Archive + Install option until it forced me to make some critical decisions of first deleting a few dozen shareware titles that I would be less likely to use, and of course my tens of thousands of music and my iPhoto library are on three of my four 500-GB external hard drives. The fourth is filled with downloaded TV episodes and admittedly less legitimately acquired movies. If I of all download fanatics can open enough space on my hard disk for the Archive + Install option and thus profit from a cleaner and more stable system, most other users can do the same.
I'm sure some would still have problems with the upgrade though.