Some users, since installing Leopard, find that of Apple's Mail.app exhibits an issue in which sent messages keep appearing in the "Sent Mail" folder every few seconds and errors that claim offline actions could not be completed appear.

Per Apple Discussions poster snowmaninthesun:

"I sent a message in Apple Mail and a new copy of it keeps poping up in my 'On My Mac' folder under my sent mail folders every 10-15 seconds. I also get an error message that says : 'Mail has undone actions on some messages so that you can redo the actions while online. Mail has saved other messages in mailbox 'On My Mac' so that you can complete the actions while online."

This problem has persisted through the Leopard system updates and seems to happen randomly with no apparent cause. When it does, users have found that it is nearly impossible to use Mail, or even edit Mail's preferences with this error appearing persistently

In addition, some users have experienced other IMAP-related errors.

Fixes

Remove offline cache files Users have had success in removing the offline cache files that Mail stores when users compose mail in "offline" mode. To do this, run the following command in the Terminal.

• rm ~/Library/Mail/*/.OfflineCache/*

NOTE: If users get an "access denied" error, then they should run the command with "sudo" in front of it as such, and enter their admin password when prompted:

• sudo rm ~/Library/Mail/*/.OfflineCache/*

Remove and re-add accounts If users can get to the Mail application preferences, they can try removing their accounts and then re-adding them. If this does not help, or cannot be done because of the error message persisting, then the following fix may help.

Remove preferences files Quit Mail and go to the user's preferences folder /username/Library/Preferences/ and remove the Mail application preferences file, which is named com.apple.Mail.plist. This will reset user account information, but will not remove downloaded messages or mailbox folder structures, so when users relaunch Mail they should be able to get their accounts back up and running by only entering account information.

Some users have reported an issue in which the "left-click" (main mouse click) does not function. This occurs for both the internal trackpad and external mice.

coolerthanice1 writes:

"Today I plugged my Mac Book Pro into my HD tv [and] everything worked fine...[Afterwards] I disconnected the TV and closed the screen. Later, I opened the screen and found that my mouse does not work. Right clicking does but not left clicking. The trackpad works for scrolling, moving the mouse, etc. even two-finger clicking for right clicking works. Option clicking does not register a right-click. I have noticed also that nothing registers the mouse as hovering, links on websites do not change the cursor to a hand, the dock doesn't pop up the name of the program I am hovering over. An external mouse has the exact same problem, left click works and right click doesn't."

This problem persists despite users restarting their computers, though mouse button works fine at the login screen, indicating that the problem is software-related. The only way users have been able to get their mice working again is to reconnect the external display (TV) and then disconnect it again. Some have speculated that Bluetooth input devices in close proximity to the computer have been discovered by the computer and interfered with the mouse settings; however, other users have had this issue with Bluetooth turned off, so while Bluetooth devices may be the cause for some users, it's not the sole cause for this problem.

It seems this problem may be in part due to some sort of lag or buffer fill-up that may suddenly get released, as one user claims this unresponsiveness occurred and then resulted in all his click and drag operations happening all at once and very swiftly, with windows closing and flying all over the screen according to his previous click sequences. This indicates the problem may be due to a hang in the driver software that suddenly gets resolved, resulting in all the previous clicks stored in an input buffer to get registered.

Fixes

Turn off Bluetooth if no devices are being used If the computer is not using any Bluetooth devices, turn the connectivity option off in the Bluetooth menu. This menu can be enabled by going to the Bluetooth System Preferences and in the "Settings" tab selecting the "Show Bluetooth status in the menu bar" option. In the menu, either disable Bluetooth if no devices are needed during alternate setups such as connecting the computer to a television. Alternatively, urn off Bluetooth devices in close proximity to the computer

Reset any USB connections Beyond Bluetooth, if users have a USB input device that is constantly registering a mouse click, this may prevent other attached or internal devices from registering the click as well. As such, users may benefit from disconnecting any USB devices that are attached to the computer, including hubs. If the mouse returns to normal then users can troubleshoot individual attached USB devices.

Perform standard maintenance Reboot the computer in safe mode by holding the Shift key at bootup, and then perform a permissions fix on the main boot drive using Disk Utility to ensure essential system files are properly accessible. Next, reboot the system. Additionally, users might try resetting the computer's PRAM by rebooting and holding down the option-command-P-R keys all at once until the computer resets and makes the boot chimes again. If the problem still persists, try creating a new user account to test the mouse behavior in, and if things work properly in the new account then users can troubleshoot account-specific system settings such as login items, or locate and remove any bluetooth-related preferences files from the users/username/Library/Preferences/ folder

There is an unresolved issue for some iTunes users in which libraries stored in locations other than the default ~/Music folder do not stay that way, and the library path gets reset to the default location in iTunes.

Per Apple Discussions poster Xoedusk:

"I have my iTunes library located on an external drive. Works nicely. But every now and then, the location of the library resets to the default location (~/Music/)...I keep the external drive mounted at all times."

There may be several reasons for the iTunes settings to be reverted back to default values, though it is puzzling that the problem reoccurs at seemingly random times for some users, especially if the iTunes library location is constantly mounted and accessible by the system. Still, users might try the following fixes to see if they help the situation.

Ensure external drives are set up properly Unless the external drive is going to be used with multiple operating systems, it is recommended to keep the volume formatted as Mac OS Extended. Many drives ship formatted as "FAT32" for cross-platform compatibility, but some users have experienced I/O problems with FAT32 in OS X.

Reset the iTunes preferences Locate the iTunes preferences file (named com.apple.iTunes.plist) in the users/username/Library/Preferences/ folder, and remove it from the preferences folder. Then open iTunes again and change the default library location. If a preferences file corruption is causing a reset of the settings, then this should fix it.

Fully reset the iTunes library In addition to removing the iTunes preferences file itself, users might reset their iTunes libraries by leaving any old library files in the default location and then dragging only the contents of the "iTunes Music" folder into the iTunes window to import them all to the new desired location (do this once the desired library location has been set in the iTunes preferences). This may take time for users with large libraries, but may help ensure that all library-related items point to the proper locations.

Internet connectivity via a number of methods (AirCards, cable modems, DSL, etc.) is broken for many users who have applied Security Update 2008-005. Some sample reports:

1. "I discovered some time after installing the update that I intermittently had problems accessing the Internet using Safari. I could access our in-house server for email stored there, but I could not access any web page on the Internet. Our IT person adjusted my computer to use the proxy access, but that allowed access to the Internet but did not allow access to my secure bank site (https)."
2. "After installing the Security Update 2005-008 my Macbook Pro stopped
3. recognizing my Sprint Novatel EX720 express card. I tried a workaround by
4. "I still have connection problems that seem to resolve themselves in an hour or so. There is nothing wrong on either side of the router and now I can only think it was the 'update'."

The most promising fix for this issue involves adding DNS servers, such as those from OpenDNS, to Mac OS X's repertoire. Open System Preferences and click "Network." Select "Built In Ethernet" and click Advanced. Select the DNS tab and add:

• 208.67.222.222
• 208.67.220.220

to the DNS server list. If you currently have DNS entries, note them and keep them in a separate location but replace them with the aforementioned.

Previous coverage:

• Security Update 2008-005 (#3): Safari crashes; Apps will not launch; Update fails; more
• Security Update 2008-005 (#2): Cannot startup; system issues (cannot drag and drop, etc.); more
• Security Update 2008-005 released, closes DNS hole

Several users have experienced problems with Safari not launching. For affected users, the program seems to run perfectly fine and then suddenly stops. There doesn't seem to be any specific cause for the problem, but once it occurs the program just hangs if it's opened.

Apple Dicussions postermbp233 writes:

"Suddenly Safari can't launch. (I'm using Firefox now) What can I do to make Safari responsive again? "

This problem persists despite users running permissions fixes and trashing Safari's preferences file, and even when users have reinstalled the program itself; however, the program does launch if users log into another user account. Users should not be expected to migrate to another account to fix this problem, but this does indicate the problem is with some resources that Safari accesses in the user's Library folder, and users should be able to troubleshoot the Library's contents.

Some affected users have found this problem to be with history items such as caches and history preferences, but it could also be with other internet resources such as cookies and plug-ins. Unfortunately users cannot use Safari's "Reset Safari" feature since the program will not load to access it. Perhaps Apple should supply this as a separate utility, but for now users must perform similar tasks manually if they're affected by this problem.

NOTE: It is always recommended that you keep another browser installed on the system as a backup in case there are problems with the user's primary browser. Alternate browsers include: Firefox, Camino, Opera, iCab, SeaMonkey, and OmniWeb.

Fixes

Remove history- and session-related preference files Go to the users/username/Library/Safari/ folder and remove the following two files:

If these two files are corrupted or otherwise inaccessible by Safari, then the program may not load properly, resulting in the behavior experienced by users.

Reset Safari history caches Remove the Safari Cache by navigating to the following folder in the Finder: /username/Library/Caches/Metadata/Safari/History/ and remove the contents of the folder. This folder just contains webhistory files and nothing is required for Safari to run. However, similar to preference files, if any of these files are corrupted, when Safari loads and accesses the file it will create problems.

Remove cookies Locate the cookies.plist file that's located in the users/username/Library/Cookies/ folder and remove it. If any faults in stored cookies are interfering with Safari's launch, then this could lead to problems at launch.

Internet Plug-ins If users have any third-party internet plug-ins installed (flash, adobe reader, etc), they should try removing them. User plugins are located in the /username/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/ folder and should be removed for troubleshooting first. Global plug-ins are located in the /Macintosh HD/Library/Internet Plug-ins/ folder, and should be removed next if nothing else has worked.

Some users are experiencing an issue in which iChat refuses to connect when attempting to video chat with other users, and the program generates the message "Error 8".

Per Apple Discussions poster Wejebe: "I have been having this issue for a long time with iChat. 90% of the time I can't connect with video due to "error 8". It happens when I am using my AIM or mac account."

For some users this has happened after installing networking software such as third-party FTP clients, but for others the cause does not seem so apparent. This problem has affected iChat users for a long time, and seems to be a result of improper networking connections with local FireWall settings.

Fixes

Ensure routers are set up properly As with most networking software packages, iChat requires specific network ports to be opened for proper communication. If users have administrative access to their routers, they should be able to ensure the proper ports are open and forwarded to their computers. The steps for changing ports on routers depends on the make and model of router, and users should consult their router's documentation for instructions. Specific ports to have open are listed in this Apple support document.

Troubleshoot system firewall Ensure the system Firewall is not interfering with iChat by going to the "Security" system preferences and selecting the option to "allow all incoming connections" to turn off the Firewall. Then attempt reconnecting with iChat to see if the problem is cleared. If so, troubleshoot the various FireWall settings by adding or removing iChat from the list of applications under "Set access for specific services and applications", additionally try removing all applications except for iChat.

Uninstall recently installed third-party networking software For some users these connectivity problems started after the installation of third-party networking software. In this case the users should uninstall the software and retry the iChat connection. Users may have to restart the computer for changes to take effect.

Troubleshoot with a new account Create a new user account and see if the problem still persists for iChat in that account. This may particularly help for users who've experienced this problem after installing other software, since it will bypass any problems from files in the user home directory. If iChat works in the new account, then users can try pinpointing files in their original user library folder that may be associated with the problem. The specific files and folders will differ depending on the situation, but users might check for and remove files from recently installed applications located in the "Application Support" and "Preferences" folders.

Perform standard system maintenance and application troubleshooting Users might also try removing their iChat preferences file and restarting the program, as well as running permissions fixes on the main boot drive. Removing the preferences file will require users to re-enter iChat account information, but may help pinpoint the problem to a faulty setting or corrupt preferences file itself. The file is located in the /username/Library/Preferences/ folder and is called "com.apple.iChat.plist". Lastly, users might also try resetting the computer's PRAM by rebooting and holding the "options", "command", "P", and "R" keys all at once until the computer chimes and then resets and chimes again.

iSync users who keep their contacts and calendars synchronized between their computers and mobile phones may run into a problem where iCal no longer syncs properly, and instead gives an error indicating the lack of an available and ready calendar.

As described by Apple Discussions poster 2ns:

"Recently I noticed the calendar entries on iCal no longer syncs with that of my mobile phone. When I clicked on the icon of my mobile phone in iSync, the check box for the "calendars" is not checked, but whenever I click on the check box the following message appears: "No writable calendar was found: Before you can synchronize your calendars, you need to open a calendar application that supports synchronization and create at least one writable calendar."

This problem does not seem to be related to the phone, since it has occurred for users of various makes and models of phone, including the Nokia N93i and Sony Erricson K800i. As such, users have focused troubleshooting efforts on the iSync application and found that resetting the sync folder seems to be the solution.

Fix: Reset the sync folder Open the iSync application and go to it's preferences. Then click the "Reset Sync History" button at the bottom in the "Advanced" section and confirm the reset action in the popup window. Then select the mobile device again in the iSync application, enable the features that were not syncing properly, and try another sync. If the problem still persists, do a manual reset of the sync folder by opening the Terminal application and entering the following command.

• /System/Library/Frameworks/SyncServices.framework/Versions/A/Resources/resetsync.pl full

When the command completes, follow the same steps above to re-enable syncing on the device and attempt again. Users may be tempted to manually remove their SyncServices folder (located in /username/Library/Application Support/) to fully reset their synchronization, and while this may work it should be used as a last resort. Apple claims doing this can result in duplicate entries for sync information, or loss of sync information. If users attempt this, it is highly recommended they back up their contacts and calendars first. This can be done in iCal and Address Book by selecting the desired information and then exporting (in the File menu) the contents to a safe location.

Users continue to report issues with installing Office 2008 12.1.2. MacFixIt reader David Badovinac has discovered a somewhat kludgy fix, as follows:

1. Download the standalone Office 2008 12.1.2 updater
2. Mount the disk image then control-click the updater file and select "Show Package Contents"
3. Navigate to Contents -> Resources
4. Open the script "package_updatable" with TextEdit or another plain text editor.
5. Remove these lines:
   • if not found_valid_version:
   • sys.exit(48)
6. Save the file then close it and reattempt the update.

We've also discovered that if users have stripped the Microsoft Office universal binaries of their PowerPC code with a tool like Monolingual, the 12.1.2 update may not install. In this situation, users need to reinstall the Office suite from original media then reattempt the update.

Word bugs Meanwhile, some users are reporting random, minor bugs in Word 2008 after the update. One reader writes:

"Since applying the new update to Office 2008, Word will no longer count words correctly when you check the 'Include footnotes and endnotes' option."

Previous coverage:

• Office 2008 12.1.2, Office 2004 11.5.1 released; problems installing

Some iCal users have experienced a problems in which iCal does not save events. Users add events to the calendar and after a while, the events disappear. For most users, this happens either after a few hours or after a few days, but for some users it happens sooner.

Apple Discussions poster Auctoria writes:

"I can watch the events disappear! I create a new event, wait about 20 seconds, and poof--it vanishes right before my eyes. I cannot add any events at all. They simply disappear right after I enter them."

The fix for this problem may lie with the sync services database, and resetting it seems to have helped for some users. In addition, ensuring permissions are correct on the drive and resetting the iCal preferences file may also help. In addition to fixing the problem with disappearing events, resetting the sync services may also help other problematic calendar issues as well, such as the appearance of "Ghost calendars", where calendars that have been deleted reappear after iCal is quit and reopened.

Fixes

Reset the sync services database Open the iSync application in the Applications folder and go to the application preferences. In the preferences click the "Reset Sync History" button to reset the SyncServices folder. This can also be done by running a script in the command line. Open the Terminal and enter the following command (copy and paste is recommended):

• /System/Library/Frameworks/SyncServices.framework/Versions/A/Resources/resetsync.pl full

Apple suggests users do NOT manually remove or delete components in the SyncServices folder that resides in the ~/Library/Application Support/ folder. However, if users are not concerned about losing any data then they can attempt removing this folder.

Remove the iCal preferences and run permissions fixes on the drive Locate the iCal preference file, called "com.apple.iCal.plist" and located in the ~/Library/Preferences/ folder, and remove it. Then restart the iCal application and see if the problem is resolved. In addition, use Disk Utility to run a permissions fix on the main hard drive. This may also potentially help the situation.

Restore from Backup If this problem has just recently started, users may attempt to restore to a recent backup (Time Machine or otherwise) of the ~/Library/Calendars/ folder to hopefully resolve any problems. Ensure iCal is closed before restoring any of the contents of the Calendars folder.

Entourage users who have decided to not use the program anymore have found that the iCal calendar the Entourage created keeps reappearing. This calendar is continually added to the calendar list despite explicit deletion.

Apple Discussions poster pemarsh writes:

"Today I deleted Entourage, and will use iCal instead. Why does 'Entourage' keep popping up though under my list of calendars. I have deleted this calendar in iCal by right clicking on it, and deleting it. It keeps popping up."

Users affected by this problem appear to have deleted the Entourage program. Upon trying to reinstall the program in an attempt to disable the calendar, users receive error messages claiming that the previous identity could not be used.

Fix: Remove Entourage's preferences Removing the Entourage preference file seems to represent a fix for most users facing this problem. The files are located in the /username/Library/Preferences/ folder and are labeled as follows:

• com.microsoft.entourage.syncservices.plist
• com.microsoft.entourage.database_daemon.plist
• com.microsoft.entourage.office_reminders.plist

In addition, the following files located in the /username/Library/Preferences/Microsoft/Office 2008/ folder might also need to be removed.

• OfficeSync Prefs
• Microsoft Office 2008 Settings.plist

restart the computer to ensure the Entourage calendar data does not load.

iTunes users are running into a problem in which iTunes displays an error message and not load the library. The error message states the library was damaged and has been renamed, and when iTunes opens it creates a new library that is blank.

Per Apple Discussions poster Mathieu:

"Yesterday iTunes told me that my iTunes library was damaged and that it renamed my library to iTunes Library (Damaged). Then, when I opened my iTunes again, everything was missing!"

This has occurred for users who have their libraries in the standard ~/Music folder, as well as for those who've located their libraries elsewhere, such as on external drives. The cause for this problem is not yet known, but given the widespread occurrence it is most likely a bug in iTunes that is causing this problem. As of yet no preventative fix has surfaced, but to regain use of iTunes users can either restore a backup of their iTunes libraries or re-import their songs into the new library.

Fixes

Restore library from backup Locate a recent backup of the iTunes Library file either in Time Machine or other backup solution, and restore it to the iTunes folder, overwriting the blank library that iTunes created. While this may be all that's needed, it might be a good idea to restore both the "iTunes Library" as well as the "iTunes Music Library.xml" files from the same backup, to ensure compatibility. Some users have gone so far as to restore the entire iTunes folder, music and all; and while this may be a solution that covers all bases, going this far shouldn't be necessary.

Re-import all songs into the new library If library statistics, such as the play times and counts for songs, are not important, then users may re-import their music collections back into itunes to populate the new library that was made. This may take some time, depending on the size of the user's library. To do this, first check the iTunes preferences to ensure the library location is where you want it (Preferences --> Advanced --> General). Then open iTunes and in the "iTunes" folder drag the contents of the "iTunes Music" folder to the iTunes window. This will catalogue and import all songs into the new library.

Feedback? Late-breakers@macfixit.com.

Apple has released Security Update 2008-005, which resolves a widely reported BIND DNS issue that could result in cache poisoning attacks from remote attackers.

• Security Update 2008-005 (Leopard [Intel and PowerPC]) [65MB]
• Security Update 2008-005 (Intel for Mac OS X 10.4.11) [143MB]
• Security Update 2008-005 (PPC) [88MB]
• Security Update 2008-005 Server (PPC) [135MB]
• Security Update 2008-005 Server (Intel) [180MB]

The update closes these specific security vulnerabilities, among others:

• A local user may execute commands with elevated privileges: "A design issue exists in the Open Scripting Architecture libraries when determining whether to load scripting addition plugins into applications running with elevated privileges."
• BIND is susceptible to DNS cache poisoning and may return forged information "The Berkeley Internet Name Domain (BIND) server is distributed with Mac OS X, and is not enabled by default. When enabled, the BIND server provides translation between host names and IP addresses. A weakness in the DNS protocol may allow remote attackers to perform DNS cache poisoning attacks. As a result, systems that rely on the BIND server for DNS may receive forged information."
• Processing long filenames may lead to an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution. "A stack buffer overflow exists in the handling of long filenames. Processing long filenames may lead to an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution."
• Visiting a maliciously crafted website may lead to an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution. "CoreGraphics contains memory corruption issues in the processing of arguments."
• Viewing a maliciously crafted PDF file may lead to an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution "An integer overflow in the handling of PDF files may result in a heap buffer overflow. Viewing a maliciously crafted PDF file may lead to an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution."

Problems after updating? Please let us know.

Aperture 2.1.1, which Apple released earlier this week, includes an important, undocumented change to its Compare mode. In the new edition, to Compare, you must go into the Compare mode with Option-O when in the Viewer or Viewer/Browser. This step was not necessary in prior releases.

Like most releases, Aperture 2.1.1 is accompanied by unnecessarily paltry change notes, indicating only which components of the application were affected, not what bugs were fixed or improvements made.

MacFixIt reader Joseph Samuels writes:

"After going into the Compare mode, you can carry on as before by setting the Compare image with Return, or choosing the command in the Edit menu, and so on.

"Unfortunately, in Apple's news for 2.1.1, all you're told is that some fifteen items are changed in the new release, among them "Compare". But there's no explanation of any of these items. Apple is leaving their users to struggle to knowledge.

Feedback? Late-breakers@macfixit.com.

Several users have reported problems with the incoming mail server for MobileMe.

Apple's directions state to use mail.me.com as the incoming mail server for these accounts. However, some users are unable to receive mail with this configuration. Instead, they must use the old .Mac address, mail.mac.com.

Outgoing mail via smtp.me.com server works properly.

If you are experiencing a similar issue, please let us know.

Wednesday, July 23

Problems printing Some users have reported an issue in which iPhoto 7.1.4 refuses to properly print, sometimes delivering the error message "No Themes Available."

If you are experiencing a similar issue, you may want to try the following:

1. Navigate to ~/Library/Application Support/iPhoto (the ~ represents your home user folder)
2. If you find a Themes folder in that location, move it to /Library/Application Support/iPhoto folder and restart.

Failing the aforementioned, try reinstalling iPhoto from its original disc.

"Tell a Friend" function may be fixed Some users have reported that iPhoto 7.1.4 resolves previously extant issues with the "Tell a Friend" function, but success is not universal.

As described by MacFixIt reader Bob:

"'Tell a Friend' still does not work in iPhoto. All I get is some Mobile Me web-site looking stuff. Everything else seems to be OK."

After updating, if you're still experiencing this issue, try deleting the following file:

• ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.iPhoto.plist (the ~ represents your home user folder)

Focus delay One MacFixIt reader reports sluggish performance from the focus function after the iPhoto 7.1.4 update:

"The delay in iPhoto properly 'focusing' on a full size image has increased noticeably as compared to the previous version. Some images take as long as 7-10 seconds compared to 2-3 seconds previously."

Feedback? Late-breakers@macfixit.com.

Ted Landau

July 2008

The more time I spend with my new iPhone 3G and the new MobileMe software, the more I find that neither of these upgrades were worth the bother. Now, before you start sending me hate mail, let me be clear:

I still consider the iPhone to be one of the greatest technology inventions of the decade. And the new iPhone 3G is even better than the original. The iPhone 2.0 software, especially the App Store, is a significant leap forward from iPhone 1.1.4. As for MobileMe, on balance (assuming the service can ever get past its initial hassles and actually work as intended), I believe it is marginally superior to the .Mac service it replaces.

So what's the problem? The problem is this: The new hardware features in the iPhone 3G and the new options in MobileMe are largely irrelevant to me (and I suspect to a lot of other people as well).

iPhone 3G

Let's start with the iPhone 3G. It has only two major new features: 3G network support and GPS tracking capability. Yes, it also has improved sound (I can now hear my iPhone ringing even in a noisy environment) and a standard-size headphone outlet. But these are small-change improvements. It's 3G and GPS that represent the major differences from the original iPhone. So let's look at these features.

If you had asked me before I bought an iPhone 3G, I would have told you that 3G support is a very big deal. Indeed, painfully slow Web browsing, when using an EDGE connection, was my single biggest complaint about the original iPhone. However, it turns out that the 3G capability makes far less difference for me than I had anticipated.

For one thing, the 3G network is not available in nearly as many places as the EDGE network. I often can't get on the 3G network. Even if I do make a 3G connection, it is often such a weak one (just one bar with occasional dropping off altogether) that the overall speed seems not much different than with an EDGE connection.