About the Mac OS X 10.3.4 Update

Important: Read Before Installing

1. You may experience unexpected results if you have installed third-party system software modifications, or if you have modified the operating system through other means. This precautionary statement does not apply to the normal installation of application software.
   
2. To update to Mac OS X 10.3.4, enter an administrator account password. The password cannot contain a space or special characters typed by pressing the Option key. You can change the password in Accounts preferences if you need to.
   
3. The installation process should not be interrupted. If a power outage or other interruption occurs during installation, use the standalone installer (see below) from Apple Downloads to install.

Installation

There are two ways to update to Mac OS X 10.3.4: Software Update and Standalone Installer.

Software Update Installation

You may have been referred to this document by Software Update (as described in "Mac OS X: How to Update Your Software"). After reviewing the information here, use Software Update to download and install the update.

Because some updates are prerequisites for others, you may need to use Software Update more than once to get all available updates.

Standalone Installer

An installer is also available from Apple Downloads.

Mac OS X 10.3.4 Update updates Mac OS X 10.3.3 to the later version. This document describes how to use this installer.

This update can be installed on nonstartup volumes if you start from a Mac OS X 10.3.4 or 10.3.3 volume first.

Enhancements

These are some of the enhancements included with the Mac OS X 10.3.4 Update.

Mail and Address Book

• Addresses a Mail issue in which a long address (URL) in a Mac OS X Panther Mail message may not open in your Web browser when you click it. More...
  
  
• Resolves an issue in which a third-party "Times RO" font could cause Mail, Safari, or other applications to unexpectedly quit. More...
  
  
• Address Book can now import more than one email address per contact from an LDIF export file.
  
  
• You can now send SMS messages longer than 68 characters via the Mac OS X 10.3 (Swedish) Address Book. More...
  
  
• A Mail message will now retain its status (read or unread, flagged or not flagged, and so forth) when you copy and paste it within Mail.
  
  
• Attached .zip files can now be saved from Mail without automatically being decompressed.

Networking and .Mac

• Resolves an issue in which automated (scheduled) syncing between iSync and .Mac would sometimes not work as expected.
  
  
• Improves function when connecting to a TLS-authenticated wireless network; addresses a "error -1001" issue that could occur when more than one client certificate is stored in a keychain.
  
  
• Addresses an issue that could prevent you from using VPN over a PPTP connection.
  
  
• Addresses an issue in which, in some cases after a scheduled backup was missed, the .Mac Backup application opened twice.

iPod and peripheral devices

• iTunes and iSync now recognize an iPod connected via USB 2.0.
  
  
• Improves compatibility with mass storage devices, SCSI or RAID PCI cards, and USB and FireWire devices, when using Mac OS X 10.3.3.More...
  
  
• Addresses a kernel panic that may occur when capturing from some Canon cameras in ESP mode.
  
  
• Addresses a situation in which video frames may be missed when digital video is being captured from a FireWire camera connected to a PowerBook.
  
  
• Windows for incoming phone calls and SMS messages for a paired Bluetooth phone now appear in the foreground.

Finder

• Addresses an issue in which a writable disc might not appear in the Finder after you burn it. More...
  
  
• Improves reliability when selecting several files at a time in Finder at the same time Finder is previewing a movie or MP3 file.
  
  
• You can now use more kinds of disk image volumes when the Mac OS X Panther language is set to Devanagari (Hindi, Marati, Nepali, or Sanskrit language), Gujarati, or Gurmukhi (Panjabi).
  
  
• Addresses an issue in which some screen captures (or grabs) could unexpectedly contain a gray area.

Printing and faxing

• With this update, you can now print shadowed text from Preview to HP DeskJet 970 or 990 printer without a black outline appearing around the text.
  
  
• A PDF file's shadowed graphics will now print as expected with a PostScript printer.
  
  
• Improves function when receiving a multiple-page fax.

Other

• Includes recent Mac OS X Security Updates. (This update does not include Security Update 2004-05-24.)
  
  
• Improves compatibility when receiving an email with a very large PDF file attached in Microsoft Entourage .
  
  
• Preview will no longer ask for a password when opening a PDF file that hasn't been password-protected. More...
  
  
• Stickies no longer writes to the hard drive every five minutes, even when the computer is idle.
  
  
• Addresses an issue in which scheduled items, such as automated backups or Software Update checks, may not work if the computer is asleep at the scheduled time. With this update, the schedule will run once the computer wakes from sleep.
  
  
• Resolves an issue in which an eMac's display resolution could be unexpectedly large and its geometry is off-center (only the upper left portion appears), after waking from sleep.
  
  
• Addresses an issue that could prevent an update from installing if some .plist files (ones related to an application that would be installed) were damaged.
  
  
• Safari is now able to download a Hotmail email attachment. More...
  
  
• Addresses a DVD Player issue in which an "Operation not permitted {symbol like a 0}" alert could appear, and the player could unexpectedly quit.
  
  
• Resolves an issue that could prevent users with network home directories from adding fonts to a Font Book collections.
  
  
• Improves OpenGL by adding support for OpenGL Vertex Buffer and Replaceable OpenGL entry points.