fixed : OSX 10.8.4 update doesn’t install repeatedly

Question :

Each time I try to update my Mac’s OSX 10.8.3 to OSX 10.8.4 using the Mac App Store, I can see the updater is already downloaded, but when I get a message to restart my Mac to complete the install, and I click on it… my Mac restarts and finally turns out to still be at OSX 10.8.3…

Is there a solution for this ?

Answer :

Yes.

It’s simple, but not obvious : do a manual install of the OSX 10.8.4 Combo Update which you can download here :

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1659?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

That’s it.

😉

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fixed : mysterious March 2013 crash in iPad Calendar

Question :

Whenever I am using the iOS Calendar-app on my iPad, and I try to progress from February 2013 to March 2013 in Month-view, the Calendar-app crashes.

It’s always the same, and it’s in Month-view only…

What can I do ?

Answer :

This is a bug in the Calendar-app (for iPad) in iOS 6.0.1 (and probably in iOS 6.0 also).

Luckily, the solution is extremely simple : just update to iOS 6.1

To do so, do this :

– put the power plug into your iPad, to make sure it is constantly being powered during the update
– go to the Settings-app (gears icon)
– choose General (also a gears icon) from the menu list
– choose Software Update (the top second one listed) in the window
– …and follow the on-screen instructions
– if the update is installed, restart your iPad (if you have a WiFi+3G iPad, you will have to type in your SIM-card’s PIN-code, so make sure you have it readily available)

…then, during set-up, you will have to re-connect to iCloud (= re-enter your AppleID (= iTunes-login name) and password), so make sure you have that at hand also

😉

Enjoy !

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fixed : 10.7.5 refusing to see the Atheros AR9280

I must admit the title might be a little misleading, since I have not had anyone claiming problems like the “WiFi: no hardware installed”-error with the Atheros AR9280 AirPort-card and MacOSX 10.7.5 yet, but still…

…that is probably due to the fact that the MacOSX 10.7.5 updater doesn’t overwrite the IO80211Family.kext system extension. So if you are upgrading from an earlier version of MacOSX 10.7 “Lion” which you had already ‘patched’ for use with the Atheros AR9280, you won’t get any (new) issues…

Anyway…

If you do get the “WiFi: no hardware installed”-error after upgrading to MacOSX 10.7.5 (e.g. from MacOSX 10.6 “Snow Leopard” or earlier), you can just do the same ‘patch’ of reinstalling the old IO80211Family.kext system extension. Instructions for doing so can be found here :

https://macmanusnl.wordpress.com/2012/05/17/1074_refuses_to_see_atheros_ar9280/

Enjoy !

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BEWARE ! : FBI warns not to upgrade software through free-WiFi !

The FBI has reported that users of ‘out-of-home-WiFi’ (free-WiFi hotspots, hotel WiFi, etc.) have become infected with malware, while upgrading ‘a widely used software product’.

http://www.fbi.gov/scams-safety/e-scams

The original report states :

“Recently, there have been instances of travelers’ laptops being infected with malicious software while using hotel Internet connections. In these instances, the traveler was attempting to set up the hotel room Internet connection and was presented with a pop-up window notifying the user to update a widely used software product. If the user clicked to accept and install the update, malicious software was installed on the laptop. The pop-up window appeared to be offering a routine update to a legitimate software product for which updates are frequently available.”

Even though the software product is not mentioned by name, it is good to inform you that one of the most common software products using this type of upgrades is Adobe Flash… so watch out when upgrading Adobe Flash (and any other software upgrade that is offered) when you are not on your own private WiFi-network.

So… here are some useful guidelines regarding software updates while traveling :

1- if you can do without upgrading, don’t upgrade while traveling ; wait until you’re back home on your own trusted WiFi-network

2- if you really need to upgrade, take these precautions : when you are prompted to upgrade any software while on an ‘out-of-home-WiFi’-network, click to close the pop-up window that is urging you to upgrade. Then either use OSX’s built-in “Software Update…” feature, or open the (Mac) App Store to download your updates from there, or manually type the URL of the known software-maker and download the software update directly form their site (after having double checked that your installed version is not the latest one).

Note : in the case of of the Adobe Flash browser plugin, the software-maker’s website is Adobe.com

fixed : get iMovie 8.0.6 (from iLife ’09) on the unsupported G4 Macs

Question :

The official installer DVD of iLife ’09 refuses to install iMovie 8 on my good old iBook G4 (1.33 GHz, 1GB RAM, OSX 10.5.8 Leopard) – Is there an other way to install and get it running ?

Answer :

Yes, you can !

iMovie 8.0.6 (a.k.a. iMovie ’09) is the last version of iMovie that will run on the pre-Intel PowerPC Macs (which have G4 and G5 processors), and you can even install it on an unsupported G4 Mac that runs OSX 10.5.8 ; here’s how :

1- Download the app called “Pacifist” from MacUpdate.com :

http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/6812/pacifist

2- Use it to install only the iMovie.pkg from the official iLife’09 installer DVD

3- Do NOT run the iMovie app after installing ; update it first using OSX’s built-in “Software Update” function (under the Apple-logo in the top left corner of your screen) ; after upgrading you will have iMovie 8.0.6 installed

4- Do NOT run the iMovie app yet ! ; download this pre-tweaked iMovie file :

iMovie.zip

5- Rename the file to “iMovie.zip” and unzip it (just double click)

6- Now go to Applications –> iMovie –> [right-click the icon] –> Show Package Contents –> Contents –> MacOS

inside that folder is the un-tweaked version of iMovie.app (or just “iMovie”, since you might not be able to see the .app-fileextension) ; replace it with the tweaked version you’ve just downloaded

7- Now go to System Preferences –> Accounts –> select the user you are installing iMovie for and make sure that “Allow user to administer this computer” is checked during iMovie’s first run, else iMovie will not be able to set up the configuration needed…

8- Start up iMovie for a first run and see how it works 😉

9- Remember to re-adjust the account-settings back to “Managed” and/or “Parental Control” if you need to, since Administrator rights are only needed on the first run

10- Note that in the “Parental Control” settings of your System Preferences, iMovie will no longer be listed under the iLife-applications, but under the “Other” applications…

NOTE : there is (as always) a minimal, remote possibility that Apple might update iMovie 8.0.6 to a newer iMovie 8.0.x or 8.x version… If you upgrade your tweaked iMovie 8.0.6, it will no longer run… and you will have to do a new tweak yourself…

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If you need more info on this, look here :

http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/feedback/iLife09_user_feedback_tips.html#imovie_G4_patch

http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20090130074400511

Flashback trojan finally detected by built-in OSX malware detection

Apple introduced built-in Malware Detection in OSX 10.6 Snow Leopard (and OSX 10.7 Lion also of course). This works very good and updates automatically whenever your connected to the internet and Apple releases new malware definitions…

…this week (online) news sources were warning Mac-users that Apple still hasn’t updated for the latest expoit of Java by the Flashback trojan horse malware…

Today however the Java update was released by Apple :

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5228

As always : to install this update, just use OSX’s built-in Software update feature (find it under the Apple-icon menu in the left top corner of your screen).