Configuration Network access on 10.4.11

Question

Access to the Network has been blocked since I upgraded to 10.4.11 (on both iMac and PowerBook)
Whn opened, the tools keeps popping a window with "Newtwork settings changed by another app"
and the Conf tool in the menu bar dosn't work. I must use the "Connexion" tool window to do so
Is there a way to fix it other than a reinstall?

Answer 1

When you upgraded, was this an installation over an existing older OS X
where the content of your computers were the same, only the OS changed?
There are a few threads in the OS X Tiger 10.4 Discussion area about this
kind of issue; and some users did a complete new installation as one possible
path to get past the connectivity issue brought about in some cases by one
or two Security Updates earlier in Tiger. The later updates include the early
ones, and they to not re-create the original problem when they are avoided.
A new system folder (if the computers have the free space in hard drive) can
be one way past the issue; in the form of an Archive & Install, then update.
Be sure to repair disk permissions between updates and installations with
the Disk Utility in the new running system to help the build be a good one.
Be sure the check-box item is selected to keep your older settings, user
account, passwords, etc from the old system and move them into the new.
If you have an external backup of the computer's contents, to totally wipe
the internal drives of the computers (use option to over-write with zeros
and reformat to HFS+ before a fully new & complete install from scratch)
and use the last Combo update, security update, java updates, for a new
and better built system than one which saw all of the other older updates.
And, if you had Panther on a computer originally, as shipped when new,
the older iLife apps are a bit of a stretch with Tiger. iLife 06 thru iLife 08
would be a better way to go, just note the newer iLife may not be best
for older computers with hardware limitations. An upgrade over Panther
would've left the old iLife (and AppleWorks) in the applications folder.
The newer Tiger retail install disc set does not include these items.
It is possible to use Pacifist utility to extricate items from your original
disc set (AppleWorks, etc) and see about installing them in a new
Tiger system. Sometimes that works OK. I found iLife 06 retail installer
to be a better path than using Charlesoft's Pacifist to get iLife from an
original restore disc set for my iMac; as it came with Panther.
{Having these other items on hand make a full new installation without
any recourse to an older system (and then updating from that) easier
and better overall. That is why I mention this aspect of the situation.}
Probably to rebuild a new system, at least an Archive & Install, then
update; may be the fuller path to a cure. You may get some ideas
about the other Configuration issue by reading in Tiger discussions.
A short-term fix for some involved using the Security preference panel
in System Preferences, and set it so you have to log in a password in
order to change important system settings in System Preferences.
In any event...
Good luck & happy computing!