Snow Leopard update causing problems for many

Following the recent Mac OS X Snow Leopard release, users have reported a variety of problems upgrading their systems. A number of forum posts on Apple's Support page point to problems with printers. One user reports incompatibility with Canon's Multifunction Laser printers, while several others cannot print to select HP devices.

Apple Support forum member Eric Nix claims to have talked to a Canon representative that expects Snow Leopard support sometime in the fall. Older machines, such as the MF6590, will allegedly lack support for scanning, although the print function should work.

For problems with HP multifunction printers, the company has posted instructions for uninstalling any previous HP software from OS X 10.4 or 10.5. After wiping the system of previous apps and registered printers, users can reset the printing system from the Print & Fax section of System Preferences.

The Snow Leopard-compatible HP drivers are reportedly included with the OS X update, eliminating the need to download new software. After restarting the system and plugging in the printer, OS X will automatically install the appropriate drivers. Users will not be able to use the "Scan" button on the printer, as the function is automatically integrated with Preview and Image Capture.

Several users report similar issues connecting to network-attached storage (NAS) devices. Member Node927 fixed a problem with the D-Link DNS323 by downloading the 1.0.8 beta firmware available from the hardware manufacturer. Another user found a quick fix for a different device by disabling the password protection, although this is not a recommended option for sensitive data.

The Snow Leopard upgrade is also causing e-mail issues for some, particularly when using SMTP servers. Member hardhatmac allegedly removed the "com.apple.mail.plist" file from home/library/prefrences, forcing the mail to be imported again but finally enabling the send function.

The variety of reports appear to be related to several different issues such as port settings or Keychain passwords. Several users were only able to send messages after going to the "Edit SMTP Server List" menu from the outgoing mail server section of the mail preferences, then finding the "Use Custom Port" dialog and manually entering port 25.

Apple has published a list of software that is currently incompatible with Snow Leopard, although many of the companies are quickly releasing updates. Unconfirmed reports suggest Apple is already testing OS X 10.6.1, which is expected to address many of the bugs experienced with the initial release.

Important note: The aforementioned compatibility fixes have not been tested by MacNN and should be approached with caution.

by MacNN Staff