Mac OS X 10.3.8 Special Report: Moving Apple's installed applications prevents them from being updated

A number of readers have let us know that if you previously moved any Apple-installed applications from their original location in /Applications or /Applications/Utilities, the 10.3.8 Update will not update them properly.

This has been an on-again, off-again issue with OS X updates -- some will successfully update moved Apple apps, but others won't. Since you never know until after you've installed the update, our previous advice bears repeating: Leave OS X's applications in their default locations. We realize that some people would rather use their own organizational scheme, and it's fair to argue that Apple's Installer should be able to find moved apps and update them. But until the latter happens, leaving these apps in place is the only solution. You can organize non-Apple/OS X applications all you want, but leave the Apple ones alone.

Topic Index:

• Release Notes, Download Links
• Disappearing hard drive space
• Wake from Sleep Issues
• Audio problems
• Safari World Leaks
• Excessive sensitivity in automatic screen brightness feature on PowerBooks
• Routers and slow network performance
• Printer problems, solutions
• Displays pane of System Preferences not working
• Clearing font caches for faster startup
• iBook G4 F12 key not working
• Trackpad problems
• Problems with third-party mice
• Slow iChat operation
• Problems with Java
• Increased G5 fan activity
• FireWire warning only provided for Combo update
• Moving Apple's installed applications prevents them from being updated
• Problems installing via Software Update
• Bluetooth Issues
• Positive reports

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