MUST READ: Yahoo lands Tumblr for $1.1 billion: report

Topic: Apple

Beware of installing MacBook Air and MacBook Pro Update 2.0

Summary: Depending on the age of your MacBook and the version of Mac OS X installed, either Software Update or the Mac App Store may tell you to run the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro Update 2.0. But don't.

David Morgenstern

By for The Apple Core |

The MacBook Air and MacBook Pro Update 2.0 was offered for 2012 models. However, there continue to be reports of issues with the update. Worse, late last week, Apple pulled the support page about the update as well as the download link. Recall time.

Some users report issues with video memory as well as with Keychain operation.

On the VMware Fusion Blog, a post warned that the update may cause virtual machines to stop working when a 3D application is run.

Users who have already applied this update and are affected by this issue can work-around it by disabling the “Accelerate 3D Graphics” option under Virtual Machine > Settings > Display.

Meanwhile, Apple this week released a new update for Mountain Lion, OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.2 Supplemental Update 2.0, which may address some of the Keychain issues separately.

This update is recommended for all Mac systems introduced in 2012.

So, it appears to be a problem with Mountain Lion and not the laptops.

Topics: Apple, Hardware, Laptops, Operating Systems, Software

Kick off your day with ZDNet's daily email newsletter. It's the freshest tech news and opinion, served hot. Get it.

Talkback

21 comments
Log in or register to join the discussion

  • Growing pains?

    I wonder if some of these recent Apple gaffes aren't simply a result of such staggeringly quick growth they are witnessing internally. Hopefully they are taking steps within to nip these semi-innocuous issues in the bud. I imagine some of the long-time Apple fans are watching this happen to their beloved company, and hoping the same (albeit a bit quieter). Sure, I'm a MSFT fan at heart, but I strongly believe in healthy competition. Apple has continuously raised the bar, year-over-year, for at least 6 years now. That (IMHO) brought out the best of everyone to at least keep up with them. And that competition is great for consumers. I think the coming year will demonstrate telling details of Apple's depth and durability.
    FuzzyBunnySlippers
    Reply 1 Vote

  • And no..

    .. I won't get into a long, drawn out, troll battle with anyone that wants to defend or deface Apple. They are what they are, now. Not what they've been in the past. They are an ex-underdog, with exponential growth. They face new, different obstacles. Growth is wrought with benefits, as well as hurdles.
    FuzzyBunnySlippers
    Reply 3 Votes

    • Just a reminder

      Apple is perhaps the oldest, still alive "Personal Computer" company. Though they changed a lot, they probably still know a trick or two others don't.
      danbi
      Reply 2 Votes

      • They are certainly experts

        a fleecing the faithful and the wanabees
        deaf_e_kate
        Reply 1 Vote

        • deaf_e_kate

          Your an expert in hating!
          PogoBlue
          Reply Vote

      • seeded problems for Apple

        -----ecosystem model-----
        the established appstore has a deep problem that will stagnate it in the years to come. The typical pay once app model is flawed in that it's short term biased and offers no ongoing incentive for developers to support old apps once they reach saturation point in sales. It is a good deal for users but a terrible deal for developers who needs to find ways to generate revenue and in app purchasing and/or advertising seems the only way. Devs are doing extra versions (pro/tablet versions etc) just to generate more revenue. Won't happen overnight, but this app store problem will become more obvious as app purchases saturate over time.
        -----scalability-----
        Apple has a problem with scalability with iOS. iOS broke new grounds when it was new. The problem is they didn't consider scalability in the OS. It was never meant to be a general purpose OS but that's what users are trying to use iOS devices for. iOS is an OS that is suffering from stunted growth. New iOS devices are limited in innovations if they are to work with established ways. It will be difficult to break out of its mould without causing more fragmentation problems than it already has. Android has scalability covered quite well with little/no limitations in the OS holding back device or software innovations.
        OSX needs to get serious. Multiple monitor support is still in its infancy with OSX. The persistent menu bar is a dated concept that's not practical when scaled across multiple screens. Does Apple care? doesn't seem like it. They are more concerned with form over function and trying to dumb down OSX to be more like iOS. What they need to do is bring iOS up to OSX, not the other way.
        ---- open standards ----
        from protocols to ports and connectivity, Apple needs to embrace and foster open standards rather than creating proprietary stuff so it can attempt to license it. The Apple vs the world arrogance will be a huge setback in the long term for Apple. The closed system approach is too restrictive and the divide grows bigger every day. Can brand loyalty overcome this restriction? the trend shows Apple is sliding. The stocks price backs up the trend.
        These are just some main points in the long term problems for Apple. They are running out of tricks. Smoke and mirrors only fool people for a while.
        warboat
        Reply 1 Vote

  • Beware Mac Updates

    A few weeks ago I updated my late-2010 MacBook Pro using Software Update and when I rebooted the Mac App Store and also Software Update themselves were non-functional. They wouldn't open at all. I was forced to restore my machine using my Time Machine backup to get them back to proper order again. A few months ago I did a Software Update on the same Mac and right away upon reboot my machine was plagued with sporadic Kernel Panics (BSOD in Windows parlance). During one reboot it would boot properly but then the next time I turned on the machine it would kernel panic and not reach the Desktop. I took this opportunity to reinstall Mountain Lion as a clean install instead of the way it was installed before which was an upgrade install from Lion.

    Macs are frightening to Software Update as the only recourse to reverse course is to restore from Time Machine backup the whole hard drive. At least on a Windows machine you can do a simple System Restore to the point before the updates. Much easier in Windows.
    TehGoldenRule
    Reply 3 Votes

    • Hardware problem perhaps

      Have you verified you don't have an problem with your hardware? Most probably flaky hard drive, but could be memory as well.

      What you describe is not common and not easily explained otherwise -- except if you have heavily modified your OS, that is.
      danbi
      Reply Vote

      • Apple has very low quality hardware

        I notice that every time anyone reports a software issue with a Mac, the underlying cause is immediately assumed to be the hardware:
        "Have you verified you don't have an problem with your hardware?"

        I always thought that Apple hardware was rock solid but what you write is written hundreds of thousands of times a day:
        Things not working right? Probably broken Apple hardware.
        toddbottom3
        Reply 1 Vote

        • toddbottom3

          "Apple has very low quality hardware" = dream on iHater!
          PogoBlue
          Reply Vote

          • Not hating

            It is not that he is dreaming. It is just, the people defending Apple are the exact ones saying that there might be a problem with the hardware after praising Apple for their top of the line quality hardware.
            Fleeb
            Reply 1 Vote

          • Breaking news!!!!

            According to BottomFeeder and Fleeb only low end hardware is ever going to fail, top of the line quality hardware will never fail in any instance, it's simply impossible.
            non-biased
            Reply Vote

      • @danbi

        you sound like a dumb blonde looking at a car's flat tyre and saying "maybe the air shrunk, check the air for shrinkage"
        warboat
        Reply Vote

        • And you sound like a small minded hater

          How is his comment a "dumb blonde comment" when he is pointing out a possible alternative to it being an update issue since it's not wide spread or even remotely common?
          non-biased
          Reply Vote

    • If what you say is true sounds like there are other problems

      Considering the vast majority don't have any issues let alone to the extent you say you are having there must be other issues with your system. Not claiming that they can't be Apple's fault but there is more at play here.
      non-biased
      Reply Vote

  • Apple has proven to have extremely poor software QA

    Updates are constantly breaking existing functionality and applications. I think this is part of the reason why Apple simply doesn't support software versions that are more than a couple years old, they simply don't know how to.
    toddbottom3
    Reply Vote

    • Yet over the years

      I have had far more issues with Windows updates causing issues than Apple updates.
      non-biased
      Reply Vote

  • But Apple Stuff Just Works™

    Buying Apple gear is supposed to be a no-brainer because you don't have to fiddle around with it to get it working. Are you saying you have to fiddle around with it to get it working?
    ldo17
    Reply 1 Vote

  • I wonder...

    In all honesty, I have never had an issue with an Apple update. I update regularly, but I do usually wait a few days after being notified of an update, as articles like these are bound to turn up if there is a problem.

    But what I wonder is are these issues caused by updates, or are they caused by people that don't update regularly and then install 4 or 5 updates at once?

    I know with Windows at work, it seems like if there are 1 or 2 update, they usually install with no problems, but if there are any more than that, there are usually at least 2-3 issues that need to be resolved.
    cmwade1977
    Reply Vote

    • Sorry, not true

      I last did hundreds of windows updates at once, about a month ago when I dud a factory restore on an early Win 7 system including SP1. No problems. Done that many times with systems I have repaired/restored
      AreV
      Reply Vote
CNET Join | Log In | Privacy | Cookies Close