Software Updates...

Some of these updates are quite large (I've just downloaded a 74mb security update) and overtime must take up much of my HD space!

Each time I download/install any recommended Apple software updates, do they overwrite the previous downloaded version (to save my HD space)?

pod,

I'm sure some is overwrite, while many of the improvements are additions. My 10.5.3 was 530 MB, so I expected it would use more space, but looking at sizes in Disc Utility, it actually seems to be smaller!

Noel

They are not cumulative. As Noels saw, the massive 10.5.3 update overwrites and replaces code. It left my aging PowerBook with nearly identical drive space and I was watching carefully because there isn't much room left!

pod said:

Each time I download/install any recommended Apple software updates, do they overwrite the previous downloaded version (to save my HD space)?

Click to expand...

They certainly do. You may have noticed the length of time taken on restart to be perhaps as much as twice the usual startup time (commonly reported). The update and restart process clears a lot of caches - "Booting the thing uses a lot of cached files to speed the process up. Major updates make these caches obsolete so they have to be re-created, hence the delays. If you are using >= 10.4 then Spotlight will probably want to have a go at things too. Things are faster the second time round" (that from another forum).

As well as overwriting, the update deletes completely the redundant files, hence you don't see any 'old stuff' in your Trash. An update shouldn't add much, if any, to your HD.

Thanks for the replies... I have a folder with 'receipts' in from various past software updates... just curious... can I delete these or are they important?

Do not touch anything in the receipts folder. You can hurt yourself on the next update, if you delete anything.

er... thanks... I think

The receipts 'prove' to Apple's software updater that appropriate downloads have happened. If you delete them there will be problems!
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=25768

declining updates

Some of the software updates don't apply to what I have, at the moment there is an update for iphoto ,but I don't have the camera which the update applies is there anyway to not install an update so it doesn't keep reminding you.

Yes, simply launch Software Update, highlight the ones that you don't want. Go to the Update menu bar, select Ignore Update.