Mac OS X 10.4.9 Special Report: Networking problems with Mac OS 9 systems
Some Mac OS 9 systems are no longer able to properly access network shares -- generally via AFP (Apple filesharing protocol) -- served by Mac OS X after the 10.4.9 update.
In many cases, Mac OS 9 systems are able to connect to (login to) Mac OS X 10.4.9 systems as clients, but cannot transfer any files, or files larger than a certain size.
One MacFixIt reader writes:
"After installing Tiger server 10.4.9, client machines running Mac OS 9.x can no longer write to server shares. The server connection is severed when one attempts to save a file on the server share. Other boards indicate this is also true of file sharing between OS 9 machines and 10.4.9 non-server setups as well.
Another reader adds:
"My Mac OS 9 users can no longer save files to the RAID Volume which is attached to and shared through the server. My OS9 users can not open and save files from the server, they can not copy files to and from the server, and when it is attempted the volume dismounts. Apple technical support's answer to this was that we should not be trying to save files from a OS 9 Mac to the server."
Workaround
One potential workaround for this problem is to reverse the scheme, so that the Mac OS X system is logging into the Mac OS 9 system. It's inconvenient, but can allow copying of files that would otherwise be non-transferrable.
In order to allow this process to take place, you must open the "File Sharing" control panel on the Mac OS 9 system, and enable the ability for users to connect via TCP/IP. You must then go to the "Network" pane on the Mac OS X system and enable AppleTalk.
You can now access the "Go" menu in Mac OS X and select "Network." The Mac OS 9 shares should appear, and you should be able to connect to them.
Fix
A definitive fix for this issue is as follows, but can be risky because it involves mixing and matching components from different Mac OS X iterations:
- Download and install Pacifist, then launch it.
- Download the appropriate Mac OS X 10.4.8 combo updater for your system (Intel or PowerPC) from Apple's download page and mount the disk image if it is not done automatically.
- Drag the file Mac OS X 10.4.8 package (e.g. MacOSXUpdCombo10.4.8Intel.pkg) onto the Pacifist icon. The contents of the package should be displayed
Navigate to /System/Library/CoreServices/ in Pacifist and select the file "AppleFileServer.app."
- Click the "Extract To..." button the top of the Pacifist window and select the Desktop or another location for an extraction location (you will have to enter your administrator password).
- Drag the file "AppleFileServer.app" you just extracted from its present location to /System/Library/CoreServices/ on your Mac OS X startup drive, replacing the version that was installed by Mac OS X 10.4.9 with the older version from Mac OS X 10.4.8. You will again need to enter your administrator password.
Index:
- Release notes
- Update procedure recommendation
- Common workarounds for when things go wrong post-update
- Downgrading to Mac OS X 10.4.8 (uninstalling Mac OS X 10.4.9)
- Files modified by this update
- AirPort: Loss of connectivity, card not recognized, more
- Application launch problems
- Bluetooth device issues
- Classic: Will not run, other issues
- Desktop icons missing
- Disk images not mounting
- Eject key issues: Longer duration before action takes place
- External optical drives: hardware errors
- Final Cut Pro/Express: Capture issues, performance concerns
- Finder persistently crashes and re-launches
- Frozen windows
- iSync issues/general synchronization problems
- Mail.app: junk filters not working
- Microsoft Office: Various issues
- Networking problems with Mac OS 9 systems
- Persistent booting into Windows
- Printer problems, fixes
- Problems starting up
- Quicken: .Mac backup failure: Fixes
- Resolved issues
- Secure site access broken: fixes
- Segmentation faults
- Server connection drops
- Third-party device issues (Nikon Capture NX, Griffin AirClick, more)
- Update to Final Cut Pro 5.1.4 for best performance
- Volume significantly louder: boon for some, drawback for others
- VPN connectivity issues
- WWAN update included, how to remove
There are plenty of pundits whose first question is "why are you using OS 9?" and the answer is $45,000 investment in specialized hardware. We have three remaining machines. Clearly, they will be replaced sooner than later but in the mean time we have to keep working.
Why does this feel so much like Slashdot?
..
- by seika7 August 6, 2007 4:37 PM PDT
- The real fix for this problem came on April 23 from Apple in their support article 305420: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=305420 and was later mentioned in a MacFixit article on May 22 which should've been appended to this one: http://www.macfixit.com/article.php?story=20070522080011780 .
- Like this Reply to this comment
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(3 Comments)Solution: On the server, change the TCPQuantum value used by the Apple File Service from 262144 to 327680. You can change this value using the serveradmin command, or by directly editing the /Library/Preferences/com.apple.AppleFileServer preference file. You only need to use one of these methods. The article describes how to do both.
--Bryan