Mac OS X 10.4.6 Special Report: Bluetooth: Connectivity issues

Some readers are experiencing loss of Bluetooth capabilities after the update.

MacFixIt reader Alan writes:

"After the software update from 10.4.5 to 10.4.6, I lost my bluetooth.  The menu bar item has a line through it and it says "Bluetooth: Not Available" when you click on it.  System profiler says 'No information found' when I click on Bluetooth.  Rebooting has not fixed the problem."

Some users have success resetting the PMU (power management unit) to restore Bluetooth capabilities

PMU reset instructions for various portable models are found in Knowledge base article #14449. For most models it requires removing the unit's power cord and battery then holding the power button for at least 5 seconds, then replacing the battery and powering up the system.

Many desktop Macs' PMUs can be reset by disconnecting power for several minutes. Instructions for the Mac Mini and Power Mac G5 are also available.

In other cases, this issue can be resolved by resetting your Mac's PRAM (parameter RAM) via the following process:

• Shut down your Mac
• Turn your Mac back on, while holding down the Command, Option, P and R keys simultaneously.
• Allow the startup chime to repeat twice, or listen for your Mac to perform a restart process twice, then release the keys.

After resetting your PRAM, Software Update may indicate that you once again should apply the Bluetooth firmware updater, which you should abstain from doing if you were having problems after the first application.

Index:

• Release Notes/Download links
• General purpose workarounds
• List of updated Apple applications
• Update process recommendation

• AirPort network not automatically re-joined after sleep
• Bluetooth: Connectivity issues
• Dock Auto Hide/Show function broken -- fix
• Double restart is expected behavior
• Energy Saver issues -- system will not automatically shut down, etc.
• FireWire problems
• Font issues -- fixes
• Improvements
• iSync Issues -- Issues with hacks for unsupported devices; Sony Ericsson K700i won't synch
• Menu bar items missing
• Networking issues: Problems with proxies
• Photo booth distortion
• Printer issues
• Problems logging in from Windows systems
• Reminder: Have enough free drive space before installing
• Reverting (downgrading) to Mac OS X 10.4.5
• Safari: Image loading problems
• SCSI drives not recognized
• Server volumes cannot be written to -- fixes
• Special permissions messages no longer appear in Disk Utility
• Spotlight issues -- make sure drive is not in Privacy tab
• Startup problems -- will not proceed after update, etc.
• Streaming Audio -- fixes
• Third-party applications: Fix for Photoshop save on crash; Word crashes; more
• Update Installer cannot find destination drive

Resources