10.6.2 update causes all non-Apple applications to crash.

Question

update Final Cut Studio 3 and Aperture fail to open as well (pro apps)
Hi: Hoping for some expert help here.
Updated from 10.6.1 to 10.6.2 today, using the combo update. The Software Update version refused to install.
After a reboot, I was *unable to open any non-Apple branded application*. Firefox, Adobe CS3 or CS4, Roxio, MS Office, you name it. All Apple branded apps, iLife, iWork, Mail, Safari, all performed well.
I created a new admin account, hoping that those problems would not occur - but they did.
I have since done a Time Machine backup and am ready to do a clean install to rid myself of this mess.
Before I do, I'm wondering if there's an easy fix out there.
I did do a repair permissions before and after the install. I have removed Application Support files from the Library (both in the root and my profile).
Am now angry and frustrated, but this isn't the first time Apple has let me down with a poor update package.
Any suggestions/help would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Message was edited by: Prof. Van Nostrum

Answer 1

donv (The Ghost) wrote:
I am still happily at 10.6 because .6.1 broke things for some and offered me nothing I needed. Looks like .6.2 combo will be the same. I have no incentive to install it.
Keep in mind:
1. There is no evidence that the Snow Leopard updates have broken anything for most users -- because of the focus of forums like this one on problems, they are not reliable indicators of typical results.
2. Among the reports of Snow Leopard update problems, many if not most are caused by unidentified pre-exsting conditions, not the updates themselves. These things should be fixed whether or not you update the OS because they usually get worse over time & eventually can't be ignored.
3. For almost all users there are very strong incentives to install the updates. Among them:
• Eliminating bugs that have been identified in the original release of the OS, typically ones that occur under relatively rare conditions. Just because one has not affected you yet does not mean it won't in the future.
• Adding small & sometimes not-so-small improvements in the reliability, efficiency, & optimization of applications & application services. Every OS release is subject to deadlines; there are always some things that could be improved given more time to work on them. Software updates give the engineers the time they need to add these tweaks to the system.
• Eliminating potential security exploits that have been identified in earlier releases of the OS. The OS is pretty secure to begin with; however, it is not so secure that users should become complacent about this -- especially since many of the flaws are well documented, meaning those with malicious intent can easily learn how to exploit them. This has been a historic problem with Windows: so many users of that OS are so lax about applying security updates that Windows malware that could not exploit the updated OS still regularly spread across the Internet & affect tens of millions of users. This includes Mac users because the malware often turns the vulnerable computers into "zombies" used to create botnets to do things like generate spam or launch denial of service attacks.
There is little indication that this kind of malware currently targets Macs -- Windows computers are still the low hanging fruit most malefactors target -- but continued complacency among Mac users about this issue plus the increasing market share of Macs do not bode well for the future.
Simply put, all OS's should be considered ongoing works in need of improvement. Apple does not make public all the fixes or improvements any OS update provides, so unless you try them you won't know how significant they will be for you. Caution is good -- always have a backup/reversion strategy should something go wrong -- but the old adage "if it ain't broke don't fix it" does not apply -- the OS is always broken so it is really a matter of how broken it is, not if it is or isn't.