Archive for the ‘Warnings’ Category
Apple Releases Mac OS X 10.6.8 Supplemental Update To Address Known Issues
Update 7/26/11: If you have already installed 10.6.8 and you’d like to fix the issues with it, then you need this version of the update.
If you’d like to upgrade from 10.6.7 to 10.6.8 then you need this version of the update.
If you’re running 10.6.6 or any previous version of 10.6, you need this version of the update.
If you’ve already applied the v1.1 update of 10.6.8 (Delta or Combo), then you don’t need to apply the 10.6.8 Supplemental Update, as it’s built into v1.1 update.
About Mac OS X 10.6.8 Supplemental Update:
The Mac OS X 10.6.8 Supplemental Update is recommended for all users running Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.8 and resolves issues with:
-Transferring personal data, settings, and compatible applications from a Mac running Mac OS X Snow Leopard to a new Mac running Mac OS X Lion.
-Certain network printers that pause print jobs immediately and fail to complete.
-System audio that stops working when using HDMI or optical audio out.
You can manually download the update installer. This is a useful option when you need to update multiple computers but only want to download the update once. These versions of the standalone installers are available from Apple Support Downloads.
What’s included?
-Enhancements to the Mac App Store to get your Mac ready to upgrade to Mac OS X Lion.
-Resolves an issue that may cause Preview to unexpectedly quit.
-Improves support for IPv6.
-Improves VPN reliability.
-Identifies and removes known variants of MacDefender malware.
-Corrects timezone data in iCal for Lisbon-Portugal.
-Adds the ability to use Kerberos authentication to a web proxy server.
-Fixes an issue when saving documents from Xcode or TextEdit when using an NFS home directory.
-Fixes an issue when importing certain media files into Final Cut Pro.
-Includes RAW image compatibility for additional digital cameras.
Mac OS X v10.6.8 also includes fixes provided in the Mac OS X v10.6.7 Snow Leopard Font Update:
-Addresses an issue in which some OpenType fonts don’t display correctly in certain applications.
Resolves issues printing from Preview.
-Addresses an issue with PDF files not opening in third-party PDF viewing applications.
-Resolves invalid font errors when printing to PostScript printers.
Update 9/27/11: Thanks Microsoft! Botnet that hosted MacDefender scareware/malware shut down thanks to Microsoft. http://t.co/LNpIXZWx
Pro Tip: Lojack For Laptops Users – Always Have Your Recovery Info With You
If your laptop gets stolen, and you don’t have quick draw access to your registration info, you could lose critical time in reporting your loss to LoJack For Laptops.
Sounds complicated, right? Nope, It’s super easy.
1. If you don’t have your registration info from LoJack already, then log in to get it.
2. Once you’re logged into your account, print a copy of your license.
3. Print that document, and save it as a PDF to your desktop.
4. Drag that license PDF to iTunes, then it will place the PDF in to your iTunes Library under “Books”.
5. If you have your iPhone set up to “sync” Books, then that PDF will show up in iBook on your iPhone or iPod touch.
Now if you MacBook Pro goes missing or gets ripped off, you have the info you need to report it right at your finger tips on your iPhone or iPod touch.
Also, if you’ve already upgraded to Lion and you have LoJack installed, be sure to follow the steps on our prior Blog post.
Sign up for LoJack for Laptops for Mac on-line: http://www.macmedics.com/lojack
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iMac 1TB Seagate Hard Drive Replacement Program
Apple has determined that a very small number of Seagate 1TB hard drives used in 21.5-inch and 27-inch iMac systems, may fail under certain conditions. These systems were sold between May 2011 and July 2011.
Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP) will replace affected hard drives free of charge.
Apple may contact you via email if you provided them with a valid email address when you registered your new iMac. Otherwise you can check your iMac’s serial number at this page to see if your hard drive should be replaced.
If you do have an affected 21″ or 27″ iMac, then, come see us at MacMedics to have it replaced free of charge.
If you are having issues in a 21″ or 27″ Late 2009 iMac with the fans running all the time, and you have a 500 GB or a 1TB hard drive, please give us a call. We might be able to help you with that problem.
If info like this is important to you, then please subscribe to the MacMedics email newsletter!
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Apple Security Update 2011-003 For Snow Leopard 10.6.7
If you are still running Snow Leopard 10.6.7 and you DO NOT wish to upgrade to Snow Leopard 10.6.8, there is an Apple Security Update that you should run.
Because Apple expects you to just upgrade to 10.6.8, the new Security Update for 10.6.7 will not show up in Software Update.
In order to install this update, you need to download it manually. See this link from Apple for grab it:
http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1387
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Apple Releases Snow Leopard 10.6.8 Update
Update 7/25/11: Until Apple released the 10.6.8 Supplemental Update we were recommending that our clients NOT install this update. Now that Apple has addressed the Printing and Font issues, we are now endorsing this update. See our new Blog post for details.
Here’s some info from around the web about the 10.6.8 problems:
10.6.8 update issue roundup
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-20074767-263/how-to-fix-printers-not-working-in-os-x-10.6.8/
The 10.6.8 update is recommended for all users running Mac OS X Snow Leopard and includes general operating system fixes that enhance the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac, including fixes that:
-Enhance the Mac App Store to get your Mac ready to upgrade to Mac OS X Lion
-Resolve an issue that may cause Preview to unexpectedly quit.
-Improve support for IPv6.
-Improve VPN reliability.
-Identify and remove known variants of Mac Defender.
For detailed information and precautions on running the 10.6.8 update from Apple, please visit this website: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4561.
Please see this page for more information on precautions and warning from MacMedics. ALWAYS back up your data, and test your back up before your run ANY Apple Software Update!
For information on the security content of this update, please visit: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222.
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ALERT: MacDefender/MacGuard Mac OS X Security Update 2011-003 Is Now Available
Update 5/31/11 18:43: Early Twitter reports indicate that OS X security update designed to target MacDefender missed finding MacGuard. Be aware that there could still be malware on your Mac if you were infected prior to the new update. Also, it is now being reported by zdnet.com, that MacDefender/MacGuard is now spreading via Facebook.
Security Update 2011-003 is now available and addresses the
following:
File Quarantine
Available for: Mac OS X v10.6.7, Mac OS X Server v10.6.7
Impact: Definition added
Description: The OSX.MacDefender.A definition has been added to the
malware check within File Quarantine. Information on File Quarantine
is available in this Knowledge Base article:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3662
File Quarantine
Available for: Mac OS X v10.6.7, Mac OS X Server v10.6.7
Impact: Automatically update the known malware definitions
Description: The system will check daily for updates to the File
Quarantine malware definition list. An opt-out capability is provided
via the “Automatically update safe downloads list” checkbox in
Security Preferences. Additional information is available in this
Knowledge Base article: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4651
Malware removal
Available for: Mac OS X v10.6.7, Mac OS X Server v10.6.7
Impact: Remove the MacDefender malware if detected
Description: The installation process for this update will search
for and remove known variants of the MacDefender malware. If a known
variant was detected and removed, the user will be notified via an
alert after the update is installed. Additional information is
available in this Knowledge Base article:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4651
Update 9/27/11: Thanks Microsoft! Botnet that hosted MacDefender scareware/malware shut down thanks to Microsoft. http://t.co/LNpIXZWx
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MacMedics Offers Free Removal Of MacDefender Malware In Baltimore & Washington DC Offices
Update 5/31/11:While our competitors look to cash in on MacDefender/MacGuard malware scare by charging between $49 and $99 to remove the malware, MacMedics continues to offer FREE removal of the malware in either Millersville or Lanham offices! You do NOT have to be an existing MacMedics client to take advantage of this free service, just stop by and we’ll remove it for you. Can’t make it in to see us? We can arrange to access your machine remotely and remove it that way. Or, If you’re a WISP member, the remote service is included in your service plan, or you can join and we’ll take care of it for you. See http://www.macmedics.com/wisp for more info.
Update 5/25/11: Apple has posted a Knowledge Base article on how to remove this malware: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4650
MacMedics Offers Free Removal Of MacDefender Malware In Baltimore & Washington DC Offices.
Stop by MacMedics Baltimore or MacMedics Washington for a free removal of MacDefender, MacProtector, and MacSecurity malware.
As always, NO APPOINTMENTS are ever necessary to stop by and visit. Most Macintosh service we perform in our lab is set up as a drop-off service. In this case we can remove this malware from your Macintosh computer while you wait. For FREE.
On the grand scale of things concerning malware and virus threats against the Macintosh platform, this threat is pretty small. However, if you don’t understand how to remove this malware safely, we’ll take care of getting it off your Mac free of charge. You do not need to be an exiting MacMedics client to have this service performed, just stop by.
If you are trying to learn how to remove MacDefender malware then please see our previous post on how to remove MacDefender from your Mac AND from your Time Machine backup system.
We also welcome former clients of Apple Specialist, macUpgrades of Bethesda, Maryland to MacMedics. See our special webpage for more information on our purchase of that long time Macintosh focused service and sales organization here.
Update 9/27/11: Thanks Microsoft! Botnet that hosted MacDefender scareware/malware shut down thanks to Microsoft. http://t.co/LNpIXZWx
How To Remove MacDefender From Your Time Machine Backup
Update 5/28/11: MacMedics Offers Free Removal Of MacDefender Malware In Baltimore & Washington DC Offices. If you’ve picked up a copy of MacProtector, MacDefender, MacSecurity, or now MacGuard, just stop by either or Millersville or Lanham offices, and we’ll remove this malware off of your Macintosh computer for free. No appointments are needed, just stop by. See this link for more details.
Update 5/25/11: ALERT!: Turn OFF Safari’s “Open ‘safe’ files after downloading” option. A new MacDefender malware variant, MacGuard (Mac Guard) has appeared, and this version doesn’t require that you enter your Mac’s administrator password prior to Installation. It will install by it’s self, but it can’t do that if you have the “Open ‘safe” files after downloading” option turned off. The default for Safari is for that to be ON. See Intego’s website for more info: http://is.gd/Zq7BQd
Apple has posted a Knowledge Base article on how to remove this malware: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4650
How To Remove MacDefender From Your Time Machine Backup
Lots of folks have posted info on how to remove MacDefender from your computer, but I have not seen a mention of also removing it from Time Machine. It’s not that big of a deal, but better to ensure it’s gone for good.
If you are just learning about MacDefender and have found your way to this page, be sure to check out the Mac Security Blog for more details on this malware.
Also MacDefender also goes by the name MacProtector and MacSecurity. The screen shots shown here show the MacProtector variety of the Mac malware.
I’ll re-cap how to get it off your Mac and how to stop the application from running as there is no way to quit it normally.
1. Remove the MacDefender application from your applications folder:
2. Launch Activity Monitor (you can search for it in Spotlight if you don’t know where to find it). Quit the process for MacDefender:
3. Once you’ve done those two items, then enter Time Machine and remove all backups of the application from your Time Machine backup. You can do so by right clicking or control clicking on the MacDefender application while selecting “Delete all backups of…”:
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When One Of Your Hard Drives Dies You Must Work To Re-Backup Your Data
It’s never a nice thing when one of your hard drives die, but the mistake we see so often is folks will delay in re-backing up the data that they DO have.
As soon as one of your hard drives has a problem, you need to check all of the devices and backups that might have relied on the drive that died on you.
Below is an e-mail that came into our Baltimore office today, that is exactly what we’re talking about. Nobody ever expects to drop one of their iPods or iPhones in the toilet, but it happens more than you think.
Good rule of thumb: Keep iPods and iPhones out of the bathroom.
Names and locations redacted to protect the innocent:
My name is XXXXX XXXXXX. I dropped my iPod in the toilet accidentally days after my computer’s hard drive got fried. I dried the iPod off immediately as best I could and dried it in 1 pound of white rice for 10 days. It sort of turns on when I plug it into my computer. Basically, I don’t have a back-up for most of the 30+ GB of music on it and need some help salvaging the music and the iPod if possible. I live in XXXXXX XXXXX.
Don’t forget that iPod Videos and iPod Classics have 1.8″ hard drives inside of them. With an iPod (or a portable hard drive) you’re working with an elevated level of risk, as one drop of these delicate hard drives and you could be in a data loss situation. DO NOT store information on your iPod that is not also stored elsewhere.
When you are planning your backup, don’t forget about your iPhone and iPod. Also, with an iPhone you do need to plug it into a computer from time to time, as that also backs up the iPhone. If your iPhone were lost, stolen, or damaged, you could get a new iPhone and hook it up to iTunes and restore from your last back up.
Also, the “rice trick” does work, but not with a unit has liquid in the hard drive. If water gets inside the hard drive, it’s generally toast. In cases of using the rice as an agent to dry out your device, it should not be used blindly. This means that the unit should still be opened up and inspected. Rice won’t remove corrosion caused by whatever liquid got into your unit. With Apple products of all types, don’t forget that liquid can affect the various alloys and chemicals used to produce the Apple device in ways that you might not expect. This is a leading factor in folks that got liquid inside a unit, but did not open up the unit to check it after they got the unit “dried out” on their own.
Don’t Let Your Valuable Data Fall Victim To Friday The 13th
Time Machine is an excellent way to back up your files! It's only cool and powerful if you actually turn it on and USE it!
Friday the 13th would be an excellent time to ensure that your Mac’s valuable hard drive data is fully backed up. We’ve been over this before, but here in the MacMedics Lab we see this just about everyday. We HATE to see folks in here who have lost pictures, school papers, financial and business documents, and music when a back up system can be had for as little as $99! In fact, we often have to perform data recovery for folks that bought a back up hard drive, but never even took it out of the box to set it up. We’ll complete a data recovery for someone, and when we get to the part where we need to have the “Backup Talk” we find out they had a back up drive, but just never used it.
We’re starting to see a few of the unita from the 2010 holiday season start to show up for failed hard drives. Someone will get a new Mac as a present for Christmas or Hanukkah and since Apple is so well known for excellent quality, new Mac owners will delay their backup plans. We also hear about this happening because of the lack malware and virus issues on the Macintosh as well. Since these issues hardly ever impact the Macintosh platform, people are less likely to plan ahead for problems.
You need to make your back up system automatic, or use a program like Time Machine. That’s the first step. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY can keep up with a “manual” drag-n-drop back up! To boot, quite a bit of the data loss we see here at MacMedics happens when someone copies over important data during a drag-n-drop Finder copy. Sometime, folks think they have the data copied, but something goes wrong and they just end up with an alias, then they go and delete the original data, because they think they just copied it.
The second step is to regularly test that back up to ensure your files are there and you’re able to grab them anytime you need them. There’s no such thing as a “Set-It-And-Forget-It” back up system. Even with Apple’s Time Machine, you should keep a close eye on it to ensure it IS backing you up and that the hard drive that Time Machine is using is healthy!
If you need help getting your back up set up, our advice is free, and we have external portable and desktop hard drives in stock!
If you have data you care about it needs to be backed up! Just because your computer is new or you just replaced the hard drive offers you very little protection. Hard drives can die at any time, and in fact there’s an increased risk of that occurring in the first 30 to 60 days of a hard drives’ life.
See our website http://www.HardDrivesDie.com for more info on “retiring” older drives and ensuring you have a safe back up.
Also, an Off-Site back up is a nice way to double your chances for data recovery. Plus, if something terrible happens like a theft, fire, or flood, your data is still safe. See this post for more info on that.
Also, as an added tip: Don’t have iPhoto delete your pictures off your camera. Leave them in two places, in iPhoto AND on your camera until you have them BACKED UP. You ALWAYS want to have your valuable data in TWO PLACES at all times. You can manually delete them off your camera once you have them backed up on your computer.
