Getting Leopard's BSOD? Try uninstalling APE.

While there's no easy way to account for everybody Leopard user's crashing, Unsanity's Application Enhancer is apparently the cause of many a BSOD turning up on a range of user's systems during a system update to Mac OS X 10.5. If, after selecting "update," you're getting a perpetual blue screen, follow Apple's instructions for booting into single-user mode to remove the offending software. If you haven't updated yet, make sure you get rid of the software before you do: alternatively, do a fresh install and it'll overwrite any of the conflicts you would encounter otherwise. And remember to backup, backup, and backup.

[Thanks, Dilan J.]

[Robert @ Oct 28th 2007 8:08PM]

is that what they look like bsod???

[NightBlade @ Oct 28th 2007 8:19PM]

Nnnno.

[Anton @ Oct 28th 2007 7:39PM]

It just works?

[GBot @ Oct 28th 2007 7:52PM]

Yes, it just [barely] works.

[dj-kenpo @ Oct 28th 2007 8:23PM]

why do I feel next week they'll be an article on vista and all you'll hear from mac fanboys (read, not everyone, just the freaks) that macs don't do crash and vista/xp/etc is stupid and blue screens and yadda yadda.

really.. my xp install hasn't blue screened for years. but whatever. we all have selective hearing I guess.

good luck to all those affected who aren't fanboys.

[John Doe @ Oct 28th 2007 8:51PM]

Yes it does. As long as you don't install apps that dick around with the OS at a very low level. APE is one of those apps and should NOT be installed this soon after an OS launch. People are retards for doing this. Leopard has had numerous changes from build to build over the last few months and THIS is the exact reason Apple should have released the gold master weeks ago. This is on Apple's fucking head just as much as its on the end user's for installing the software.

[Big John @ Oct 28th 2007 11:00PM]

Every article where a Mac has a problem, I see this comment dragged out for another round. Please, can we just let go?

[prokanda @ Oct 28th 2007 11:17PM]

@ John Doe:

Uhm.. as long as you don't install apps? So the 6 useful apps for mac that you CAN do something with should not be used? Isn't that what you mac fan boys always make fun of US for as well? "Yeah, you guys have tons of software.. tons of CRAP software". But then it happens to YOU guys and the first thing you blame is the same thing that you just finished joking US for?

You guys really need to assemble so that you can get your insults correct... and not just to jerk each other off and compare .png dock icons.

[Xzavier @ Oct 29th 2007 2:39AM]

Now now John Doe... Take it easy!

One of my favorite apps running on OS X is APE. I have been using it for 2 or 3 version and I love it! It lets me and other people do what Apple wont let us do. What do you think we suppose to do with our new 10.5 OS, only install Apple apps?

Besides, I wonder if your statement also applies to the iPhone?

[HineyWipe @ Oct 28th 2007 7:41PM]

Or do it as an Archive & Install.

[Galley @ Oct 29th 2007 9:03AM]

I encountered the "blue screen of sadness" after doing a standard upgrade. A "Archive & Install" fixed it. I've never heard of APE, so I don't know if it was on my system or not.

[Colby @ Oct 28th 2007 8:04PM]

What was that? Oh, Apple software being unreliable. Who would have thought :P. First time I saw a Mac, it crashed.

[sparkstack @ Oct 28th 2007 8:10PM]

You must have been one ugly baby.

[LJKelley @ Oct 28th 2007 7:42PM]

How dare you confuse Leopard with Vista!

[SteveMB @ Oct 30th 2007 5:22PM]

Fanboy...

[MatthewJ @ Oct 28th 2007 7:42PM]

Macs can blue screen??? Wait, but how can this be??

[Qsat @ Oct 28th 2007 9:36PM]

They can, but only in 24bit colors.....

[Samo @ Oct 28th 2007 7:43PM]

Two things:
1) I thought BSODs were unique to Windows... Never used a mac before, so wouldn't know.

2) Is that the Mac BSOD? Funky...

I guess it's not just Windows that has crashes, huh...

[MRCUR @ Oct 28th 2007 7:48PM]

1. Usually you get a kernel panic, which is a dimmed screen with a message telling you to reboot the computer. But this is actually a blue screen, but not like a Windows BSOD. It's just a lite blue screen that doesn't go away (I think)...

2. No, that's not Leopard's blue screen... Not by a longshot.

[Jerry @ Oct 28th 2007 10:01PM]

Yes Mac crashes.. don't you remember the little bomb in elementary school? ;)

[aaronbareford @ Oct 29th 2007 6:19AM]

@ Jerry

Oh yeah, i remember the little bomb - freakin awesome!
Just played with it over and over...

[Mike @ Oct 28th 2007 7:46PM]

Before I say anything, let me just sya that I like Engadget. I really do. I like the concept of macs, just not their obscene pricing. So I run Vista on a homebuilt computer. Now, Leopard, the be all end all, gets massive BSOD's. Engadget mutters hardly a foul word against Apple. If MSFT pulled htat with Vista (Im yet to have a BSOD with Vista after over 11 months), Endgagdet would be all over them with the bashing. That subtle Engadget style bashing with quick wit and humor. Bashing nonetheless. I know its hard to be unbiased, but comon guys open your eyes alil huh? Also, when you do a comparo between two OS's, make sure u read up on the one OS before you take points away from it for feautres that it has but you are unaware of.

[manfesto @ Oct 28th 2007 8:03PM]

BSOD is a COMPLETE misnomer in this case - it has nothing in common with the Windows BSOD. On first boot, the system will "hang" on a pure blue screen, which is just the choice of screen color Apple made for when OS X is booting. This is no more a BSOD than the Windows XP/Vista scrolling-boot-bar is. Also, there are many reports that if you wait long enough, Leopard will indeed boot (probably just ends up completely ignoring APE altogether and continues along on its boot process after a while). This is of course not an ideal solution (in some cases, it took waiting literal HOURS) - the ideal solution is to uninstall APE.

Moreoever, this is entirely due to Unsanity's APE (Application Enhancer), which is known to be an UGLY hack that, considering it broke between different releases of Tiger, is not surprising that it is broken in Leopard. Also, Unsanity's website lists APE as leopard-incompatible. I personally hope they never fix it - read up on just how APE works and you'll wonder who in their right mind would write an application to do that.

[manfesto @ Oct 28th 2007 8:05PM]

And for the record, no, I wouldn't bash Microsoft if, say, WindowBlinds (which hacks Windows in a similar way that APE hacks OS X) broke Windows. I'd bash the people that make WindowBlinds.

And I'd assume that Engadget would do the same.

[wireless.nemo @ Oct 28th 2007 8:23PM]

@ manifesto.

well most of the time Windows doesn't cause BSOD, it's the faulty, buggy drivers provided by hardware manufacturers. Are you bitching at them? No......

[paloooz @ Oct 28th 2007 8:42PM]

He's not bitching at anybody, actually. So you're correct. No, he is not bitching at the hardware venders that make faulty drivers.

[manfesto @ Oct 28th 2007 9:54PM]

@ wireless.nemo

Actually, I have often bashed Nvidia over how crap-tacular their Vista support has been, and don't get me started on Polaroid or Epson. However, somehow, I think that would be offtopic :)

Also, there's no "i" in manfesto.

[Kevin @ Oct 28th 2007 11:02PM]

CTRL+ALT+DEL -> Proccesses -> Show processes from all users -> crss.exe -> End Process

And now you have seen a BSOD in Windows Vista. What a horrid operating system, bluscreening when you kill system processes.

[matt @ Oct 29th 2007 1:24AM]

Does Vista actually let you terminate crss via process manager, or is that more mac propaganda? I havent tried vista yet (it seems worthless) but XP blocks morons from terminating system processes with task manager.

[johnzilla @ Oct 29th 2007 7:01AM]

I think it is funny how people still think there is price differential on Apple hardware.

I just did a complete, feature by feature comparison of the Dell Inspiron (the hot 13" that everyone seems to like) vs. the Macbook.

Out of 25 features, Apple was ahead on five, Dell was ahead on another five (neither vendor by much, just slightly different) and they were dead-on the same on the other 10 features.

And the Apple, with a fully supported UNIX-based OS, was $100 less. Hmmm....

I did the comparison because I honestly don't care which one I use, I'm an expert with both operating systems. I think everyone should do it.

And yes, I understand that you can cobble together a Windows PC from misc. parts you have laying around in your closet, or that you can get $500 worth of stuff from Newegg and build a functional PC yourself (I've done it). I'm talking about doing a comparison feature by feature. Warranty, each hardware specification, etc. Do that, and I think you will find that Apple is extremely competitive.

But that wouldn't be rational now, would it?

[David Clark @ Oct 29th 2007 5:30PM]

You can't terminate csrss from task manager. Nice try.

[Nate @ Oct 28th 2007 7:46PM]

Oh damn. I

[MikeE @ Oct 28th 2007 10:22PM]

...forgot to finish the sentence, maybe? :)

[nate @ Oct 28th 2007 10:26PM]

I need cleardock to survive.

[podphreak @ Oct 29th 2007 12:00AM]

Its one possibility that he may meant to say "Aye!!" like a pirate. I don't know... but i like pirates!

[NightBlade @ Oct 28th 2007 7:51PM]

LMAO, imagine if that was Leopard's BSOD! XD

[HineyWipe @ Oct 28th 2007 7:55PM]

BTW, this really applies to those that have Unsanity's software. Just go to their website, get the latest 2.0.3 version, update it, THEN upgrade to Leopard. http://unsanity.net/ape-203.dmg

[HineyWipe @ Oct 28th 2007 7:57PM]

I guess Engadget has other things more important than reporting some haxie issue with the new OS.

Again, the minority with this issue are those with Unsanity's APE (update to version 2.0.3 BEFORE installing 10.5).

[Frank Furter @ Oct 28th 2007 8:05PM]

It's ironic that, like the iPhone, this 'bsod' really applies to those that wish to alter the sound/look of their interfaces. Not saying you should always take whatever the vendor offers (in this case, Apple), but still, I quit using stuff like themes ages ago, because they are simply an unstable hack. Kinda like the iPhone hacks. Ooh!

[Josh @ Oct 28th 2007 8:34PM]

WindowBlinds works great once you get it working. Its the main reason i think vista is one ugly baby when i can just grab a skin off deviantart thats looks amazing.

To each his own.

[Tony @ Oct 28th 2007 8:08PM]

Next think you know you will be hearing that there is a virus for a Mac

[josh @ Oct 28th 2007 8:40PM]

Well, to be fair, there are actually viruses for the Mac, they just aren't propogating in the wild. They are proof of concepts developed by researchers and academics, but you would be surprised how many there are. Safari itself is a giant blinking magnet for such efforts and I find it odd that of all the applications that Apple chose to sandbox (though not in the proper sense) they ignored their web browser. I can't think of a more potentially vulnerable outward facing component running on the system, but that is a rant for another day.

On the topic at hand, I don't think this (the actually story, not the subject of your post) is horribly surprising. Leopard may not be the under the covers leap in architecture that Vista was (Vista was roughly a 60% code rewrite even if much of the effort is unnoticed, hence the 5 years of development) but I would still expect any application that hooks into the kernal to need at least a bit of updating to play nice given the numurous changes. And any third party code that hooks into kernal space is a potential source of hangs and crashes, regardless of OS (fanboys on both sides, settle down. It happens to both OS vendors and is usually a 3rd parties fault. Change is innevitable, and actually desired. The OS vendor cannot feasibly be responsible for making sure all third parties can actually adapt to the change)

For the record though, OS X doesn't BSOD in the same way as Windows NT based OSes (amusingly the term was popularized with the 9x line that also don't truly BSOD even if they have a blue stall screen of the same color). BSOD refers specifically to the blue screen crash dump spew that happens after a component (usually a driver) toasts the windows kernel, and generally you don't see it much since 2000 (not just because the OS is generally hardened and more stable, but also because it often doesn't perform a dump first and simply reboots). The Apple kernel panic response is to blacken the whole screen and freeze input. It sometimes (but rarely) recovers and proceeds but most of the time a reboot takes place to restore the system. In this instance though, the OS is stalling at load time before it is at a point to display true kernel panic behavior.

Random trivia, since 2000 there is also a darker blue crash screen that gets displayed when hardware is hosed. Those screens make me cry because it means I need to fork out money to fix the problem instead of just rebooting or tinkering with software.

[Unkown guy @ Oct 29th 2007 8:27AM]

I had this experience, It's not leopard that causes the problem, but rather the application enhancer, apple can't guarantee that all programs will be compatible with leopard, but so far I like a lot. Although I had to do archive and install.

[uros @ Oct 28th 2007 8:15PM]

See, it's stuff like this that reminds me that despite the inconveniences, doing fresh installs of any 10.x.0 OS never hurt anybody.

[nikster @ Oct 29th 2007 8:44AM]

not much of an inconvenience as both documents and apps migrate to the new OS X with ease. I don't see the point in upgrading vs a new install - no advantages, many pitfalls, so why do it?

[Barbara Doduk @ Oct 28th 2007 8:21PM]

I think I will wait a while to see what bugs shake out before I get the newest OS.

[Josh @ Oct 28th 2007 8:35PM]

They don't call them 'public betas' for no reason...

[Saad @ Oct 28th 2007 8:49PM]

This is the real deal not a public beta - they really should have gone with another color instead of blue, so as not to draw the camparison...

"Crash Different"

[Big John @ Oct 28th 2007 11:08PM]

Yes, I really wish Apple would have dedicated the man hours and research required into what color the boot-up screen is. It hangs when the OS is starting -- imagine WinXP/Vista hanging where the 'progress' bar is when you turn on the machine, this is the same exact thing.

[Tim @ Oct 28th 2007 8:51PM]

What a lot of people seem to be missing in their rush to gloat about a problem in OS X, is that these problems are caused by a hack.

I'm not saying that Apple software is bug free (far from it actually), but Application Enhancer is a big, ugly, nasty hack, and I've always refused to put it on any of my systems, even before all of this Leopard blue screen stuff happened.

It's been known for a while that APE is a problem, and many people strongly discourage its use. The problem is that a lot of add ons rely on it as a framework, so people end up installing it without realizing what they're doing.

A selection of quotes from Wikipedia to drive this home:

"Many developers ... advise users to remove Application Enhancer modules, the Application Enhancer framework, and the Application Enhancer daemon before contacting customer support for help with their applications."

"Application Enhancer modules are also a source of controversy amongst system administrators who regularly run into stability issues on computers running the Application Enhancer framework."

"The Application Enhancer framework has also been a source of controversy for security issues exposed in the Month of Apple Bugs when it was found Unsanity were leaving a root-enabled executable fully accessible (and writable) by non-root accounts."

In short, it's a terrible piece of software, and no one should have it installed.