AfterDawn: News

New Snow Leopard update bricks 'Hackintoshes'

The new OS X 10.6.2 Snow Leopard update from Apple was released this week with much needed bug fixes but with a few unwanted fixes as well.

'Hackintoshes,' netbooks hacked to run Snow Leopard on Intel Atom processors, will no longer be able to run the operating system.



Mac OS X 10.6.2 will "enhance the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac," says Apple, while fixing 36 bugs and other security updates.

Netbook users did have ample warning, however, via Apple: "You may experience unexpected results if you have third-party system software modifications installed, or if you've modified the operating system through other means."

It will likely not be long until there is a workaround but for now users with netbooks running Snow Leopard should probably not update or risk bricking their "Hackintoshes."

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 10 Nov 2009 14:54

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• 25 comments

• Gidgid

  Hrm. Sensationalist headline much?
  
  Yes, the update renders the OS dead on a hackintosh netbook with the atom CPU.
  
  That is NOT the same thing as bricking the hardware.

  10.11.2009 16:23 #1

• hendrix04

  yeah, last i checked, a broken OS on a PC does not make the firmware lock up and prevent it from booting at all. This definitely does not brick the netbook...

  10.11.2009 17:02 #2

• Amak

  Apple stopping users from making choices...ahh, gotta love hypocrisy:D

  10.11.2009 17:48 #3

• ThePastor

  There are probably more "hackentoshes" then there are actual, Apple computers runing snow lepord.
  
  Apple is a bit player, down there with Linux and "others" in the single digits. They should welcome this use of their software.

  10.11.2009 18:22 #4

• bobiroc

  Originally posted by Amak: Apple stopping users from making choices...ahh, gotta love hypocrisy:DSeems to be the apple way. Sometimes I wish they would open up their OS to run on non-Apple branded hardware to run legally. Had a situation today where a student brought in a file created on a Mac and could not open it on a PC so I had to go interrupt a class to borrow an iMac in the lab just to open the file and print it and convert it to a more universally friendly format. If I could run the OS and iSeries software included in a VM workstation it would make my life easier. It's nice to be able to Run Windows 7 as my main OS and have virtual workstations for XP, Linux and other OSes for testing and usage all on one desktop. You talk to Apple about that and they say "Well maybe you should use a Mac and then you can run them all". I'm sorry I like having my tower computer with expandable options and dual 24" HD LCD displays and I am not going to trade that for a totally integrated iMac or spend $2500+ on a Mac Pro even if the school district I work for would be footing the bill. Waste of money. I have been tempted to run a "Hackintosh" VM but not about to violate licensing.

  10.11.2009 18:59 #5

• DVDBack23

  Originally posted by Gidgid: Hrm. Sensationalist headline much?
  
  Yes, the update renders the OS dead on a hackintosh netbook with the atom CPU.
  
  That is NOT the same thing as bricking the hardware.You are right, I forgot how much fun you can have with your netbook when the operating system doesn't work. There is the boot menu among other great features...

  10.11.2009 19:50 #6

• bobiroc

  Quote:Originally posted by Gidgid: Hrm. Sensationalist headline much?
  
  Yes, the update renders the OS dead on a hackintosh netbook with the atom CPU.
  
  That is NOT the same thing as bricking the hardware.You are right, I forgot how much fun you can have with your netbook when the operating system doesn't work. There is the boot menu among other great features...I think what he meant is the term "brick" usually means unusable in any fashion like fried the motherboard or processor. The OS going dead just means installing another OS or if you want to "hackintosh" it wait and do not update until another work around is found.

  10.11.2009 20:50 #7

• scum101

  This is what you get for "stealing" a proprietary OS .. and a pretty crap one at that.
  
  btw idiot.. linux has something like 40% of the worlds desktops..(and on systems 8 years old and more it's more like 90%) they aren't sold in shops and linux isn't sold in shops.. because it's free. That is why non M$ and crapple systems appear in the single figures.. the commercial companies only count over the counter sales.... another f---in rocket scientist I see.
  

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  10.11.2009 21:01 #8

• bobiroc

  Originally posted by scum101: This is what you get for "stealing" a proprietary OS .. and a pretty crap one at that.
  
  btw idiot.. linux has something like 40% of the worlds desktops..(and on systems 8 years old and more it's more like 90%) they aren't sold in shops and linux isn't sold in shops.. because it's free. That is why non M$ and crapple systems appear in the single figures.. the commercial companies only count over the counter sales.... another f---in rocket scientist I see.Think your numbers are a bit off there pal. OS usage is not determined by sales alone. Internet access plays a huge role and while it may not be 100% accurate but it does capture pretty darn close seeing as 99% of the desktop usage world uses a computer to get on the internet. Now some of these machines may be running multiple OSes but it all comes down to the one that is used the most and Linux on 40% of the desktops is a huge exhaggeration based on no hard evidence.
  

  AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+, 2GB Ram, 400GB's of HDD Space, GeForce 6600, DVD-ROM, 16X DL DVD±RW
  Windows Vista Ultimate 64bit
  
  

  10.11.2009 21:19 #9

• ddp

  bobiroc, watch it as scum101 knows what she is talking about.

  10.11.2009 21:28 #10

• xnonsuchx

  Yeah...TOTALLY overblown (ignorant?) article title. MOST OS updates to 'hackintosh' PCs will stop the OS from booting right if not done carefully. Most people with them don't even install OS updates immediately until they've heard via OSX86 forums whether there are issues with the update and, if so, how to bypass/fix them.

  10.11.2009 21:32 #11

• bobiroc

  Originally posted by ddp: bobiroc, watch it as scum101 knows what she is talking about.Well I think her figures are a bit skewed. While the percentages are based partially off sales from OEMs, retail and system builders it is not all the only way these numbers get analyzed. Maybe linux is used on more desktops than what the numbers say but nearly half? Doubtful.
  
  And why should I watch it? Did I say something wrong. I didn't call anyone names like she did referring to an earlier poster calling them an idiot. Usually hostile people like her are FUD spreaders and liars. Just an observation and no direct implication being made here.

  10.11.2009 21:34 #12

• xnonsuchx

  Quote:Originally posted by ddp: bobiroc, watch it as scum101 knows what she is talking about.Well I think her figures are a bit skewed. While the percentages are based partially off sales from OEMs, retail and system builders it is not all the only way these numbers get analyzed. Maybe linux is used on more desktops than what the numbers say but nearly half? Doubtful.
  
  And why should I watch it? Did I say something wrong. I didn't call anyone names like she did referring to an earlier poster calling them an idiot. Usually hostile people like her are FUD spreaders and liars. Just an observation and no direct implication being made here.
  You can't argue w/ Linux zealots. They are totally right all the time (even if all in their heads), so there's no way to correct them on anything they claim. Just let them be and don't malign their OS of worship and they'll be less likely to blow up in your face.

  10.11.2009 21:57 #13

• KillerBug

  Snow Leopord is just a crippled, crummy version of Linux. I'd rather run android on a netbook (if it was possible). Apple does not want me to use their software on a non-mac, and their systems are clearly designed to keep me away (even ignoring the insane prices). Screw apple...Zune is better than iPod, Droid is better than iPhone, and Windows 7 is better than Snow Leapord.

  11.11.2009 01:55 #14

• plazma247

  Errm KillerBug its possible to get android on a netbook and has been for a while now.... :)
  
  http://code.google.com/p/live-android/
  
  and
  
  http://www.android-x86.org/

  11.11.2009 03:23 #15

• KillerBug

  Originally posted by plazma247: Errm KillerBug its possible to get android on a netbook and has been for a while now.... :)
  
  http://code.google.com/p/live-android/
  
  and
  
  http://www.android-x86.org/Cool...I guess this means that there is no use for snow leopord at all; if you want an underpowered, linux-based OS, just use Android!

  11.11.2009 03:52 #16

• NINVIN21

  yeah it's not bricked,If you install the update your hackintosh will get stuck in a reboot loop.
  
  There is already patched kernels floating around I give it a week or two and it will be fixed.

  11.11.2009 08:01 #17

• Mr-Movies

  Quote:Originally posted by scum101: This is what you get for "stealing" a proprietary OS .. and a pretty crap one at that.
  
  btw idiot.. linux has something like 40% of the worlds desktops..(and on systems 8 years old and more it's more like 90%) they aren't sold in shops and linux isn't sold in shops.. because it's free. That is why non M$ and crapple systems appear in the single figures.. the commercial companies only count over the counter sales.... another f---in rocket scientist I see.Think your numbers are a bit off there pal. OS usage is not determined by sales alone. Internet access plays a huge role and while it may not be 100% accurate but it does capture pretty darn close seeing as 99% of the desktop usage world uses a computer to get on the internet. Now some of these machines may be running multiple OSes but it all comes down to the one that is used the most and Linux on 40% of the desktops is a huge exhaggeration based on no hard evidence.He got the decimal place wrong it should have been 4% and that is most likely high too. LOL

  11.11.2009 08:41 #18

• Mr-Movies

  Originally posted by ThePastor: There are probably more "hackentoshes" then there are actual, Apple computers runing snow lepord.
  
  Apple is a bit player, down there with Linux and "others" in the single digits. They should welcome this use of their software.Absolutely agree with that but that isn't the Job's way which is why his OS hasn't hit the main stream like Windows.

  11.11.2009 08:43 #19

• NINVIN21

  FIXED (Where is the new news article?)
  
  Thanks goes out to meklort
  
  What you need to do is the following
  
  1) Download NetbookInstaller 0.8.3 RC4 (from google code website).
  2) Run it. You absolutely *must* make sure that it installs the bootloader and extensions (default behavior).
  3) Reboot
  4) Installer 10.6.2.
  5) Reboot.
  5) Run NebtookInstaller, specifically to patch the new extensions in 10.6.2
  
  use at your own risk

  12.11.2009 02:30 #20

• xnonsuchx

  Originally posted by NINVIN21: FIXED (Where is the new news article?)
  
  Thanks goes out to meklort
  
  What you need to do is the following
  
  1) Download NetbookInstaller 0.8.3 RC4 (from google code website).
  2) Run it. You absolutely *must* make sure that it installs the bootloader and extensions (default behavior).
  3) Reboot
  4) Installer 10.6.2.
  5) Reboot.
  5) Run NebtookInstaller, specifically to patch the new extensions in 10.6.2
  
  use at your own risk
  Saying something like this is fixed isn't as sensationalistic as an article title that sounds like Apple did something evilly wrong, so not worth telling.

  12.11.2009 03:52 #21

• KillerBug

  Quote:Saying something like this is fixed isn't as sensationalistic as an article title that sounds like Apple did something evilly wrong, so not worth telling.They did do something wrong...they intentionaly dissabled software that people paid for just because they chose not to use the larger, less powerfull, more expensive netbooks made by apple. Imagine the uproad if microsoft released a patch to keep Windows 7 from working with computers made by Gateway! Heck, even if they did something to keep it from installing on the mac...

  12.11.2009 06:03 #22

• Seanspade

  Quote:Originally posted by Gidgid: Hrm. Sensationalist headline much?
  
  Yes, the update renders the OS dead on a hackintosh netbook with the atom CPU.
  
  That is NOT the same thing as bricking the hardware.You are right, I forgot how much fun you can have with your netbook when the operating system doesn't work. There is the boot menu among other great features...umm... You can just reinstall the OS, so there goes your insult. Please be smarter before you speak.

  12.11.2009 06:20 #23

• xnonsuchx

  Quote:Quote:Saying something like this is fixed isn't as sensationalistic as an article title that sounds like Apple did something evilly wrong, so not worth telling.They did do something wrong...they intentionaly dissabled software that people paid for just because they chose not to use the larger, less powerfull, more expensive netbooks made by apple. Imagine the uproad if microsoft released a patch to keep Windows 7 from working with computers made by Gateway! Heck, even if they did something to keep it from installing on the mac...
  FAIL much?

  12.11.2009 22:07 #24

• shaffaaf

  Quote:Quote:Quote:Saying something like this is fixed isn't as sensationalistic as an article title that sounds like Apple did something evilly wrong, so not worth telling.They did do something wrong...they intentionaly dissabled software that people paid for just because they chose not to use the larger, less powerfull, more expensive netbooks made by apple. Imagine the uproad if microsoft released a patch to keep Windows 7 from working with computers made by Gateway! Heck, even if they did something to keep it from installing on the mac...
  FAIL much?very much a fail

  13.11.2009 22:00 #25