IMac Intel Quad duo & 10.4.5 Update

Question

I have a brand new iMac - it worked perfectly with 10.4.4 which was already installed. I upgraded to 10.4.5 via Software update yesterday. Since then the machine has significantly slowed in response and numerous errors occur.
This morning after checking the discussions for similar 10.4.5 issues (which are numerous) I decided to run a hardware test and the disk repair utilities off the boot disks. No problems were detected during these tests.
Some of the issues I've noticed since upgrading are as follows :
a. SYSTEM PREFERENCES - generally very slow to open and quit. Especially when opening Date & Time - this seems to hang in both 10.4.4 and 10.4.5. I have the PID sample files if they are required by Apple. THIS HAPPENS IN BOTH 10.4.4 and 10.4.5.
b. SAFARI refresh much slower e.g Apple home page
c. iPHOTO 6 crashed on opening. Wouldn't allow me to report a problem despite clicking on "Report Problem". Re-opening of iPhoto mcuh slower as is viewing and scrolling. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN IN 10.4.4 AFTER I RE-INSTALL FROM BOOT DISKS
d. iCAL - slowed right down. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN IN 10.4.4 AFTER I RE-INSTALL FROM BOOT DISKS
b. GO > NETWORK : no longer works. (it did in 10.4.4 becuase I transferred old files from my old AGP G4 using an Ethernet connection). It appears briefly once only but dissappears immediately. (the time it took 10.4.5 to initiate File sharing on the Intel was four or five times longer than on my Powerbook 800Mhz (File Sharing on both was started at approximately the same time in order to copy files.). THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN IN 10.4.4 AFTER I RE-INSTALL FROM BOOT DISKS
d. iTUNES - when playing multiple tracks/playlists it will skip the end of every song and jump into the next. This has never happened before, and I have not configured anything since the new installation and subsequent software upgrade. This happens in 6.0.3 and the newest version - the last 5 seconds are skipped on every track/song/audio/podcast etc. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN IN 10.4.4 AFTER I RE-INSTALL FROM BOOT DISKS
e. FRONT ROW took at least three to four minutes looking for artists in my iTunes directory ; eventually the rotating icon dissapeared, and the menu system became responsive again. In 10.4.4, the day before, it all worked instantly, with no delaying rotating icon.THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN IN 10.4.4 AFTER I RE-INSTALL FROM BOOT DISKS
f. Accessing .mac account through the System Prefs; again compared to the day before with 10.4.4 it was hugely slower. So slow that I went to make a coffee. (I have a 1.5-1.7Mps broadband connection.).THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN IN 10.4.4 AFTER I RE-INSTALL FROM BOOT DISKS
I decided to Re-intall 10.4.4 from the boot disks. The customisable options (e.g to turn off Norwegian / Korean fonts; not to re-install iWork trial etc) was not available; it took three attempts for it to recognise that the "install" key had been pressed (I've isolated any mouse issues by using two different mice). There was no need to press three times - it is just slow (10secs +) to respond.
Apart from the SYSTEM PREFERENCES, 10.4.4 is significantly better. You can see by my comments in CAPS in a-f above.
Is anyone else experiencing similar issues or is there a potential issue with my install ?
Rgds
Paul
iMac Intel Quad Duo   Mac OS X (10.4.5)  
G4 AGP 500Mhz   Mac OS X (10.4)  

Answer 1

Hi Paul, just wondering, are you a new first-time Mac user? Anyway, FYI, it's a Intel iMac Core Duo, not a "Quad duo", "Core Duo" is the name of the Intel chip iMac is using.
I am hopefullying assuming that there's nothing wrong with the hardware of your iMac, and dives right in what may be the cause of your iMac since the software update.
If you have read enough of this Discussion, you may have come across what is known as the "ritual of doing any Software Updates or Install" as I call it:
1.Before starting Software Update, unplug all external devices, FireWire, USB, hubs etc etc, not just turning them off but unplug the cables off your iMac
2.Repair Disk Permission
3.Restart the iMac if you wish, then start your SU, do not run any other apps.
4.After finishing SU, restart your mac; If you are updating OS or Security Updates, Restart is required.
5.Repair Disk Permission again
6.Shutdown and re-plug in everything and start up your mac as normal.
The above procedure is to help prevent any "aftermath" of people experiencing from little problems like general slow down to crashes or Kernel Panic just because they did not repair permisson, or worse, run "tons" of other things while doing SU together as well.
Since you have re-install OS, you can try again to do the Software Update, but maybe this time you can follow the suggested procedures, it works for me and ever since the very first OS X 10.4.1 update until now, I have not experience any major problems on my 3 macs.
Cheers