Apple has at last released Mac OS X 10.6.2, a key update to Snow Leopard. The patch addresses a variety of technical problems, most notably one which would permanently delete data when logging into a main account after having just used a guest one. The bug has been known since at least early October. Other resolved account problems include unexpected logouts, and difficulty authenticating as an administrator.

Areas addressed in connection to Safari and/or the Internet include better Safari plug-in reliability, graphics distortion in Top Sites, and sudden Mail quits when configuring an Exchange server. Downloads should now open properly, and some issues involving NTFS and WebDAV file servers have been solved. Miscellaneous fixes target four-finger swipe gestures, edits and contact images in Address Book, and the "general reliability" of iWork, iLife, Aperture, Final Cut Studio, MobileMe and iDisk.

The v10.6.2 update is now available through Software Update or as a manual download. File sizes may vary, depending which updates have already been installed. The full-sized combo update measures 479MB.