latest security update messed up my imac

Maybe!

I just downloaded the latest security update(2004-12-2) this morning. After I did the required restart, my safari icon change to a basic folder icon as well as my mail icon. Not only that, I can't drag the folders on my desktop anywhere. They highlight, they open, i just can't move them anywhere. Also, at startup, it takes a minute or so for the menubar to appear as well as the icons that are on the desktop.

I did a permission repair...nothing
I did a disk repair......nothing
I tried diskwarrior.....nothing
I called tech support....nothin....they want 50 bucks just to talk to me and I am not paying them moey to fix a problem that they may have cause.

Any ideas anybody? Any word of this happening to others?
I am stumped!

Try this…
Restart holding the Apple key + option + p + r
continue holding until you hear the third chime and then release

Also…
restart while holding the Apple key + s

You should get a screen of text…wait until it stops scrolling and then type /sbin/fsck -fy and press return

If it finds problems continue to repeat the fsck command

first, Dont use disk warrior to rebuild a system unless things are missing after a crash and restart, you may have caused further damage doing this. I often wait a week or so when a new update is released, ask others how their macs are doing, and when I see it causes no problems, I install it, the one before this caused me problems after restart, but the fsck should do it, if not, try using the panther install disk 1 or other software installation disk that came with your mac to repair permissions so it creates new ones.

ok, well, i tried all that and still nothing works. The fsck command says osx appears to be fine. I tried the os x disk too to repair permissions and disk, still nothing. Anything else I can try?

try starting up holding shift to boot with out extensions, if it works, the security update is most likely causing an extension conflict somehow/where, if not, hold command+V during startup to start in verbose mode, which if I remember correctly, itll show you consloe messages which state any problems with the os, if any, I think.

I tried it in safe mode and I still have the same problems. I also tried the verbose mode and I couldn't find anything wrong. It scrolled pretty fast to read through. Is there anyway that I can remove the last security update or revert back to a couple of days ago? My last actual back up has been a while ago and i really don't want to have to do all that anyway, unless I absolutely have to.

Hey I fixed it. I zapped the pram again only this time I did it from a hard boot and let it chime for 5 times rather the 3 times. I read somewhere else that you have to do it that way. It won't work by doing a softboot.

Thanks for all your help guys.

Ive read that it should chime 5 to 7 times, apples suppot says 2, who knows, I do 7, just in case.

so is it ok to download the update?

Danster said:

so is it ok to download the update?

Click to expand...

I would think so, just make sure you repair permissions before and after.

I found one other person on the apple discussions page that has the exact same problem that I did. I explained to him what I did to fix it and he says that it didn't work for him.

for the security update on my ibook, it made it unbootable to OS X. what it did was either freezing on the loading page say "welcome to Macintosh" then the bar freezes or the Mac version of BSOD, kernel panic.
but i left my mac aside for one day, and when i tried it again, it worked.

oh well, at least my ibook functions fine now.

wait i minute should i download the update or what?
because it seems to me that it just wrecks the computer and i have no idea what you are going on about up there.

I downloaded it and have had no problems.

I think for 99% of users the Security update is working fine, I haven't seen many people with an issue after installing it so you should be fine Danster.

nothing wrong here...

just downloaded the update everything works like a treat.

what was it for anyway?