AirPort Extreme Update 2007-001 Special Report: Uninstalling (getting the update off your Mac)

CNET staff

Sept. 2, 2009 12:56 a.m. PT

4 min read

If you are experiencing dire issues after applying AirPort Extreme Update 2007-001 that cannot be resolved by workaround posted elsewhere in this report, you may need to uninstall the update.

The first thing to try is reversion to an earlier edition of the 802.11 kernel extension. [WARNING: This workaround risky because you should not generally mix and match kernel extensions after updates, you will lose some improvements (including security refinements) brought about by AirPort Extreme Updater 2007-001, and new conflicts can ensue. Still, in a bind, it can restore wireless connectivity where other workarounds fail.]

The kernel extension reversion process is as follows:

Download the most recent version of Mac OS X for Intel (10.4.8) but do not install it.
Download and install the shareware application Pacifist
Drag the Mac OS X 10.4.8 installer package onto the Pacifist application icon.
Click the triangle next to "System" to expand it
Click the triangle next to "Library" to expand it
Click the triangle next to "Extensions" to expand it
Scroll down and find the file IO80211Family.kext. Drag it to your Desktop or another location (you will have to enter your administrator password)
On your Mac OS X startup drive, navigate to /System/Library/Extensions and locate a similarly named file (IO80211Family.kext). Move it to another location for safe keeping.
Now drag the file from step 7 (the one that you retrieved from the Mac OS X 10.4.8 install package) into the /System/Library/Extensions, in effect replacing the newer file (installed by the AirPort updater) with and older copy -- you will have to enter an administrator password.
Restart your Mac

A more tedious workaround is to completely remove all traces of the update via an Archive and Install. This can be accomplished via the following process, adapted from our tutorial on reverting to a previous iteration of Mac OS X. Note, however, that reverting your system will remove any refinements brought by the update and leave your system open to potential vulnerabilities.

First, make a backup of your current Mac OS X installation with the Security Update applied, problematic as it may be. If there is an issue along the way, your valuable data will be safely intact in its current form.

Next, you'll need to perform an Archive and Install process to remove all of the Security Update's (and potentially problem-causing) components, and replace them with the components of a fresh copy provided by the Mac OS X disc that shipped with your system, or a retail Mac OS X disc. Unfortunately, this means you will lose some system settings and some or all third-party system add-ons.

To begin the process, insert your Mac OS X CD or DVD, as indicated above. Restart your machine and hold down the "C" key to boot from the newly inserted disc. Follow the on-screen instructions, and after accepting the license agreement, click "Options." Select "Archive and Install," and check the "Preserve User and Network Settings" option if you'd like to do so.

After the installation process is complete, you will be left with an earlier Mac OS X system that (hopefully) does not suffer from the problems generated by the Security Update. Use Software Update or Apple's download page to download the update that brings your system to a state directly prior to the Security Update

Reader reports (Success with kernel extension reversion

One reader writes:

"I too have been experiencing issues after installing Airport Extreme Update 2007-001 on my MacBook Pro Core Duo. There are certain locations in my home where WiFi access is non-existent. Prior to this update, returning to another zone in the house and power cycling the Airport card resolved the issue. After the update, I must reboot my computer in order to regain WiFi access. I have full strength on the signal indicator, but no packets are routed. I tried deleting network-related plists with negative improvement. Overwriting the existing IO80211Family.kext with an older version did resolve the issue."

James Schorr writes:

"I have had the same connectivity losses since the wireless update. I have great signal strength, but no Internet or LAN connectivity. I have reverted via the old kext file and that seemed to help."

Lori Sword adds:

"Thanks for the help - I did the manual .kext workaround that you provided and everything is back to normal. It was easy to do and the instructions were great."

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