Among the fixes for Leopard is a patch for Time Machine, which was one of the system’s most notable and anticipated new features prior to its release.
Time Machine is an automatic back up tool that backs up everything on a machine. All settings and all types of files, folders and software updates can be recovered if a machine’s hard drive dies. Files also can be restored a la carte. The data, which can be backed up to another hard drive or server, is displayed as a 3D filing system, which can be automatically searched and clicked through.
However, some users reported problems with restoring files and formatting recovered files. Apple said the110MB update includes a patch that resolves formatting issues that occurred when used with single-partition MBR drives that were at least 512GB and with all variants of NTFS drives. Also, files would now be restored in the folders that they belong, Apple said.
Problems with Finder were also fixed, including the issue of data being erased for some users when they moved files across a network and if their connected was interruption.
A log-in issue after turning off FileVault for a user account has been resolved, Apple said. Compatibility with Adobe flash-based files used by .Mac Web Gallery and other applications has also been improved.
Apple also patched a code-signing issue within the Firewall so that, when they are included in the Application Firewall, third-party applications can now run.
Mail got some fixes too. Synch issues between Mail and .Mac accounts were resolved, as were problems with resizing columns in the message viewer. Attachments inside HTML links can now be opened from within Mail.
Problems with saved passwords for wireless networks was also fixed, as were issues with Microsoft Windows shared folders being read-only when connected via SMB.
Speculation on whether Apple would continue to patch Tiger has been rife among bloggers. For Tiger users who are not planning to upgrade to Leopard any time soon, this week’s Tiger gave one potential clue that Apple would continue to support the older OS: it included a new feature, Safari 3 for Tiger, which isn’t typical for a Mac OS X update.
