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Apple releases iMac freezing fix, MacBook Pro software update

Apple late Thursday released a software update for owners of its new aluminum iMac line who have been experiencing intermittent freezing issues, though the patch has produced mixed results. Meanwhile, the company also released a software update for its newest MacBook Pro notebooks.

iMac Software Update 1.2 and 1.3

As was first report by AppleInsider last month and than subsequently acknowledged as a known issue by Apple, owners of new aluminum iMacs have been suffering from a flaw that randomly locks up the interface, rendering the all-in-one systems all but inert until a reboot.

On Thursday, Apple released two small software updates that were intended to remedy the issue — iMac Software Update 1.2 [13.3MB] for users running Tiger and iMac Software Update 1.3 [21.6MB] for those running Leopard.

While some members of the AppleInsider forums are reporting that updates alleviate the freezing issues, others say it has had no effect on their iMacs, which continue to experience random freezes.

MacBook Pro Software Update 1.2

Meanwhile, Apple also released MacBook Pro Software Update 1.2 [14.4MB], which improves graphics stability and is recommended for all 2.2/2.4GHz MacBook Pro models running Tiger.

Login & Keychain Update 1.0

Earlier this week, the company released Login & Keychain Update 1.0 [22MB] for Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, which it recommendeds for all Leopard installations.

The update addresses issues users may encounter when:

  • Logging in with an account originally created in Mac OS X 10.1 or earlier that has a password of 8 or more characters.
  • Connecting to some 802.11b/g wireless networks.
  • Changing the password of a FileVault-protected account.