Mac OS X 10.4.7 Special Report: Bluetooth: Erratic device behavior, loss of connectivity

CNET staff

Sept. 2, 2009 7:30 a.m. PT

3 min read

Loss of Bluetooth As is typical with Mac OS X updates, a limited number of users have lost Bluetooth connectivity after applying Mac OS X 10.4.7.

MacFixIt reader Sam writes:

"Installed the update on my PB 17inch 1GHz now I don?t have blue tooth at all . No Bluetooth hardware is seen by my Mac in system profiler."

Some users have success resetting the PMU (power management unit) to restore Bluetooth capabilities

PMU reset instructions for various portable models are found in Knowledge base article #14449. For most models it requires removing the unit's power cord and battery then holding the power button for at least 5 seconds, then replacing the battery and powering up the system.

Many desktop Macs' PMUs can be reset by disconnecting power for several minutes. Instructions for the Mac Mini and Power Mac G5 are also available.

In other cases, this issue can be resolved by resetting your Mac's PRAM (parameter RAM) via the following process:

Shut down your Mac
Turn your Mac back on, while holding down the Command, Option, P and R keys simultaneously.
Allow the startup chime to repeat twice, or listen for your Mac to perform a restart process twice, then release the keys.

After resetting your PRAM, Software Update may indicate that you once again should apply the Bluetooth firmware updater, which you should abstain from doing if you were having problems after the first application.

Erratic behavior Some readers indicate erratic behavior from Bluetooth devices.

MacFixIt reader Brandon Meixel writes:

"I have noticed that since installing Mac OS X 10.4.7 that my apple bluetooth keyboard is no longer working properly. For example, when i press the "j" key, "8" will appear, and even worse, one keypress will register as three, four, five, or more of the same key - example: evvvvverything. No amount of permission repairing, restarting, or re-pairing the device fixes the issue so far. I have been forced to proofread and edit everything i type much more than usual."

MacFixIt reader Sean writes:

"I've also noticed erratic behavior with my bluetooth mouse (Logitech m-rbb93) since updating to 10.4.7. I addition, I applied the delta and did not get the OpenGL updates. I've since applied the combo patch, but still have mouse issues. I am using 15" MacBook Pro 2.0 GHz."

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