Alternate fix for Wireless Networking

Question

Hi all,
I haven't gone through the board lately, so I'm not sure if this has already appeared or not, but if you are still having issues with Leopard dropping your networking and refusing to reconnect even if it is a remembered/saved network, this is something that I stumbled upon that may help.
1) Go into System Preferences
2) Click on Network
3) Click on Airport
4) Click on Advance...
5) Select your wireless network that is shown in the list (click on it only once!)
5) Click the "-" button to remove the network
6) Click Ok
7) Click Apply
8) Close System Preferences
9) Open Keychain Access (use Spotlight to find it if you need to)
10) Click on login under the Keychains list
11) Click on Passwords under the Category list
12) Select the name of your wireless network under the Name list (click only once!)
13) Delete it (Note: You may be required to enter an administrator password when performing this step)
14) Click on System under the Keychains list
15) Click on Passwords under the Category list
16) Click on the name of your wireless network under the Name list (click only once!)
17) Delete it (Note: You may be required to enter an administrator password when performing this step)
18) Quit Keychain Access
19) Click on your AirPort status icon in the Apple toolbar at the top of your screen (click only once!)
20) Select Join Other Network... (do this EVEN IF your network is showing in the list already!!)
21) Type in the name of your network under Network Name
22) Select the type of security your network uses under Security
23) Enter your password/key into the Password field
24) Ensure that Remember this network IS CHECKED
25) Click on Join
With any luck, you should be successfully reconnected to your wireless network. This seems to work every time I try it when my PowerBook refuses to reconnect to the network.
NOTE: If the above steps don't work right away, I've found it also to be useful to still perform the steps and then restart the computer and perform them again to ensure everything is cleared.

Answer 1

I have been searching high and low for a fix to this and none have worked…until now!
I spotted a fix to this problem that strangely centered on the specific location of the “System Preferences.app”, if other than the standard location of the root of the “Applications” folder. I had in fact moved mine and would NEVER have thought it related to this bug. Hmmm!
If you have moved the System Preferences application (not alias, actual app) to any other location for any reason, your newly joined preferred network will NOT be properly remembered and will NEVER be properly rejoined. Apparently one of the multi-step system procedures involved in properly saving a preferred network assumes the location of System Preferences to be the standard location. Period.
FIX:
1) Move “System Preferences.app” back to “Applications\”.
2) Delete all instances of “Preferred Networks” in “Network Preferences”.
3) Delete all “Airport network password” instances in “Keychain Access”.
4) Restart your Mac.
5) Add/Join applicable preferred network using the Airport pulldown menu or in Network Preferences (as if for the first time). Use “Advanced” in “Network Preferences” to confirm the existence of your preferred network and the correct settings. Use “Keychain Access” to confirm the existence of the applicable “Airport network password” instance and the correct settings.
6) Restart your Mac. The OS should now find your preferred network and join it on its own. Good Luck!
NOTE: Simply moving back System Preferences will NOT suffice. Deleting and re-adding/joining the preferred network is a must after the app has been moved.