OS X 10.6.2 update is live, squashes 150 bugs

Nov. 10, 2009 (4:02 am) By: Christian Zibreg

The half a gigabyte update has resolved the guest account issue and squashed 150 bugs. It also sports native support for Apple’s multi-touch Magic Mouse.

Apple has posted the second Snow Leopard update Monday afternoon. OS X 10.6.2 arrives exactly two months after Apple left the first Snow Leopard update out of cage. The nearly half a gigabyte download brings 150 bug fixes and solutions to dozens of issues, including a fix for a nasty guest account bug causing data loss for a small percentage of users.

It also packs in native support for the new multi-touch Magic Mouse. Leopard users who have Magic Mouse are advised to download the Wireless Mouse Software Update 1.0 in order to unlock Magic Mouse capabilities.

The software improves graphic performance and resolves issues with QuickTime X and OpenCL that caused frame drops during playback of full HD videos. Apple listed several dozen security updates included in OS X 10.6.2, adding that the update includes “general operating system fixes that enhance the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac.” For the complete Apple-provided list of fixed issues, see below:

Apple also released the following updates:

• Security Update 2009-06 Client – 143MB download
• Mac OS X 10.6.2 Server Update – 496MB download
• Mac OS X 10.6.2 Server Combo Update – 503MB download

To update your Snow Leopard installation, either download the 473MB OS X 10.6.1 updater or the 479MB combo installer that will update any Snow Leopard version to version 10.6.2. Alternatively, choose Software Update from the Apple menu to check for the latest updates online.

OS X 10.6.2 IN BULLETS
General operating system

• an issue that caused data to be deleted when using a guest account
• an issue that might cause your system to logout unexpectedly
• Spotlight search results not showing Exchange contacts
• the reliability of menu extras
• an issue in Dictionary when using Hebrew as the primary language
• shutter-click sound effect when taking a screenshot
• an issue with the four-finger swipe gesture
• an issue adding images to contacts in Address Book
• an issue in Front Row that could cause sluggish or slow frame rates while watching videos
• creation of mobile accounts for Active Directory users
• reliability and duration of VPN connections
• general reliability improvements for iWork, iLife, Aperture, Final Cut Studio, MobileMe, and iDisk
• overall improvements to VoiceOver performance
• this update addresses video playback and performance issues for iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2009) and iMac (27-inch, Late 2009) computers that may occur in some situations while AirPort is turned on

Fonts

• an issue with font spacing
• an issue in which some Fonts are missing
• font duplication issues
• an issue with some PostScript Type 1 fonts not working properly

Graphics

• an issue when connecting monitors to DVI and Mini DisplayPort adapters
• an issue in which the brightness setting may not be remembered on restart
• addresses functionality with specific display models
• general reliability and performance improvements when using some applications

Mail

• a situation in which Mail’s unread count may not update properly as messages are read on another computer
• an issue in which deleted RSS feeds may return
• an issue in which Mail cannot preview or Quick Look attachments when composing a new message
• an issue that can cause Address Book and/or Mail to stop responding when opened
• an issue in which email messages received from an Exchange Server are not formatted correctly
• an issue in which Mail reports “Account exceeded bandwidth limits” for some Gmail accounts

MobileMe

• performance when accessing files from iDisk via the Finder and syncing iDisk files
• an issue in which syncing iDisk files does not proceed beyond “checking items”
• reliability and performance when syncing contacts, calendars, and bookmarks with MobileMe (syncing with iTunes and iSync are also improved)
• an issue that prevents some users from logging into MobileMe via the MobileMe System Preference pane

Network file systems

• compatibility with third-party AFP servers
• file synchronization for portable home directories

Printing and Faxing

• automatic printer updates improvements
• Print dialog allowing you to enter and send to more than one fax recipient

Safari

• a graphics distortion issue in Safari Top Sites
• Safari plug-in reliability