Mac OS X 10.5.6: Apple fix for install hangs; display options missing; not booting past white screen

Apple fix for installation hangs As we previously reported, many users are experiencing some pre-installation problems with the Mac OS X10.5.6 wherein the Software Update hangs when the update is selected for install.

This problem seems to be the same as similar ones users have experienced with past updates, and relates to how updates are downloaded and managed by the Software Update application. Users have been able to bypass the problem by following MacFixIt's recommendation to download the standalone updater for 10.5.6. However, users should also be able to address this problem by removing all downloaded updates that are in Software Update's "Updates" folder. On Wednesday, Apple released a Knowledge Base article outlining this procedure:

Go to the /Library/Updates/ folder and remove all files in it. Then launch "Software Update" again (available in the Apple menu) and try running the update procedure again. Removing these files may prevent the problem from recurring for future updates, so it is recommended to do this even if affected users have successfully installed the Combo update.

Display options missing Apple appears to have left some components out of the Mac OS X 10.5.6 release. So far, users have noticed the battery menu does not have any options to switch power modes, and users who connect to their TVs do not have any options for enabling "Overscan".

Some users have tried removing various preference files, creating new user accounts, and changing system settings, but those attempts have not worked. As with the battery menu, the lack of this option seems to be an oversight on Apple's part, and hopefully it will be added back with a future update.

System not booting past white screen As we described previously, some users are experiencing boot problems after installing the Mac OS X 10.5.6 update, wherein the system will indefinitely reset. In addition, some users are not able to boot past the white screen.

Apple Discussions poster guvenen writes:

"The update was downloaded automatically by machine....It restarted (it seemed with difficulty. It had to reboot itself twice before coming up). Then nothing seemed to work so I had to push the power button down to restart. Then nothing.. now it does not seem to be able to find the boot disk or something...it just hangs up on the white screen."

We recommend that users only resort to holding the power button down as a last resort. After updating system software users might experience slowdowns while the computer applies settings and other configuration changes, which can take a long time. In the process users can experience pauses at the white and blue screens, but in many cases just waiting it out will give positive results. However, if the system will not respond, in addition to booting off the Leopard DVD and running disk/permissions repairs as recommended previously, users can also try booting into safe mode by holding the shift key at startup, which runs additional maintenance routines.

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