Significant system slowdown after installation of 10.5.4

Question

I downloaded update 10.5.4 this afternoon (about 3:30PM MDT Jun 30). Thereafter I noted a significant system slowdown. Symptoms: much slower system boot.
Safari, instead of the usual 2 "bounces" to start, took 8. I rebooted twice to confirm. (Now, even Firefox3 is faster!)
I am a relative newbie to the MacOSX world (10-year Windows veteran) so I haven't the slightest hint how to investigate... A simple-minded hint, for the likes of me, would be much appreciated! I'll check back in tomorrow morning.

Answer 1

Hi fjpoblam-
I have some possible causes for you, and a couple solutions to suggest...
CAUSES?
(Keeping in mind that some of these may be unlikely, they are all possible and shouldn't be automatically discounted because of their odds.)
1. The 10.5.4 update may have been corrupted or done something wrong.
2. A previous OS X update may have somehow been corrupted or done something wrong that was then made worse by the 10.5.4 update.
3. You may have some third-party software that isn't playing nice with 10.5.4.
4. Your unit could have a hardware issue which may have been triggered by the 10.5.4 update, or that just happened to appear at the same time by coincidence.
TROUBLESHOOT:
(letting me know the results of these tests might help narrow down the problem)
I. Unplug all external devices (USB, Firewire, ExpressCard, Ethernet, Monitor) and turn off Airport. Restart and see if the problem is gone.
II. From the Login screen, hold down shift immediately after pressing Login, which will prevent any Login Items from starting. Play around a bit and see if the problem is gone.
III. Startup holding down the Shift key, which will boot into "Safe Mode", temporarily disabling third-party and unnecessary extensions. Check to see if the problem is gone.
IV. Does it occur just on AC power, just on battery power, or both? Is there anything about the hardware that did not originally come with it from Apple? Do you have any third-party RAM installed?
_(Possible) SOLUTIONS_:
a) Download and run the 10.5.4 "Combo Updater" from http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/macosx1054comboupdate.html. It should still run even though you are already at 10.5.4. This will often have the ability to fix problems that were created by previous OS X updates and/or conflicts between updates as a result of corruption or errors. *(Likelihood to fix: 30%)* +Note: I always prefer to do OS X updates via combo updaters rather than the automatic Software Updates just to be safe, even though it works fine for most people.+
b) Do an "Archive and Install" via your original Leopard disc _(Backup everything first!!)_. This is one of the most time consuming and least enjoyable options, but almost always works. Startup from the Leopard disc and run the installer; when you see an "Options" button, click it and select "Archive and Install" and check the boxes to Preserve Users and Applications. Make sure you do not skip that option because if you continue with the install without making that selection you will loose your data. *(Likelihood to fix: 90%)*
c) Take the unit to an Apple retail store or call Technical support. My guess is that their recommendation will be to do an Archive and Install, but if that doesn't work and it turns out to be a hardware issue they will be your only options for repair or replacement. If you go to a retail store, you can make an appointment ahead of time through this site: http://www.apple.com/retail/storelist/ by selecting a store and clicking "Reserve" under Genius Bar so that you don't have to wait in line. *(Likelihood to fix: 100%)*
+REMINDER TO EVERYONE: Although hardware and software perform without problems most of the time for most people, things can go wrong for no good reason to anyone at anytime with any OS (sadly, some people get hit more often than others). ALWAYS make a backup of your data before doing major updates (especially OS updates). I know it doesn't help to hear after the fact, and backing up isn't convenient for many people, but it's guaranteed to prevent this problem every time. I at least suggest holding off from immediately doing updates and letting others be the guinea pigs instead.+