Mac OS X 10.4.8 Special Report: Audio issues

Issues with loss of audio playback seem to crop up for a handful of users with every incremental Mac OS X release. The problem is generally caused by problematic settings, and is not usually indicative of hardware failure or driver issues.

Some users report loss of sound from internal speakers after the update to Mac OS X 10.4.8.

This issue can sometimes be resolved by opening the Audio MIDI Setup application (located in Applications/Utilities) and changing the output setting to 44 KHz (44100.0 Hz). In other cases, audio can be restored by simply running the application GarageBand.

Reader reports

Robert Ameeti writes:

"On my 1.67 GHz 17" Powerbook G4, it seems that my sound no longer works. I tried to fix it by resetting PRAM but even that does not make the speakers sound off."

MacFixIt reader Brandon Schetgen reports some other minor audio glitches under Mac OS X 10.4.8.

"After installing Mac OS 10.4.8 on my 2 GHz Intel MacBook (1 GB RAM, 80 GB Hardrive) I noticed a pause in audio playback from going between external and internal speakers. I used to be able to unplug my external speakers and the internal speakers would pick right up. Now there is a 1-2 second delay when I unplug and vice versa when I plug back in. The delay is correspondent to an abnormal message of the Output pane in the Sound System Preference when I unplug/plug in my speakers. Not a huge deal... just another little quirk."

Index:

• Release Notes: Delta vs. Combo; Enhancements in this release, more
• Update procedure recommendation: How to apply Mac OS X 10.4.8
• Common workarounds: Resolving typical incremental update issues

• Adobe Illustrator: Problems with pathfinder function, other issues
• Audio issues
• Black border around cursor 
• Burning media issues
• Classic: Problems starting up; launching apps
• Closed-lid portable functions broken
• Display coloring issues: Blue tinting and more
• External devices (USB/FireWire): Not recognized; can cause issues after system updates
• Finder Crashes, other issues
• Flash: Slowness caused by new version
• Incomplete update: Installing Mac OS X 10.4.8 stalls or otherwise fails
• Increased fan activity
• iSight difficulties: "In use," won't turn on, more
• Math problems in Rosetta applications
• Menu items: Disappearance, other issues
• Mighty Mouse problems: Scrolling, more
• Non-launching applications (including Rosetta apps): Fixes
• Printing issues -- fixes
• Safari Issues: Bad plug-ins, caches, more
• Spotlight issues
• Startup problems: Stalls, extremely slow booting, more
• Universal Access: New features, processor usage questions
• Wireless connectivity (AirPort, etc.) issues and fixes

Resources