Software Update

Came in on the weekend to run the latest security updates on my Macs and I've discovered that none of the updates are installing on any of them. I'm either getting a permissions error for a softwareupdates folder that doesn't exist or being told they can't connect to the Internet (they can). Luckily I'm mostly pc so I only have about 15 of these things to deal with, but does anybody have any ideas? Tried permissions repair but it doesn't fix the problem.

Removing a Sotware Update

What do you do if you experience trouble after installing a patch from Apple? Is there an easy way to remove indiviual updates like you can on Windows machines using the Add/Remove Programs app?

You can't remove an update once you install it. What's the problem?

Nothing right now. I'm getting a bunch of errors with Software Update now and it reminded me of the time I installed one and then had network connection problems until the next batch fixed the problem. At the time I thought that the only way to undo it would be to wipe the os, and just wanted to see if there was another way, which I guess there isn't.

Had it with Software Updates

Why am I constantly told there is no network connection or (my favorite) an unexpected error occured whenever I run this pos program? Am I going to have to run around and manually download and install security updates for all my Macs all of the time? You never see that in those commercials.

There are several possibilities as to why you could encounter something like that.
As the error states, the problem is with the connection, so it is not as likely to be an issue with software or any application as you imply. We will need some more information to try and help you, though.

What kind of connection do you have to the internet? DSL, Cable, Dialup?
Are you on a network? Wired or Wireless?
Where are you located when you are attempting to download updates? Home, Work, School?
Are you behind any firewalls?
Have you run a Disk Repair?
Have you run a Permissions Repair?
Have you tried running some other utility like MacJanitor, OnyX, or MainMenu to clear out system caches?
When was the last time you were able to successfully complete a Sotware Update?
Have you ever been able to successfully complete a Software Update?

I've got about 20 Macs connecting to two T1's through an isa server. We're connected to another office through another couple of T's and I've tried having the Macs go out through there with the same result. Last time I ran the updates w/o problems was months ago (I don't update the Macs often). A couple of weeks ago, I tried running the updates and they all failed. A week later, the daylight savings update worked, but none of the security updates. Did the whole Disk repair/Permission repair and nothing worked, so I downloaded and installed them all manually. My two or three Tiger machines could download all of the updates except for the iChat update. I have one laptop left to do that's running Tiger and it just refuses to download anything.

Could it be that Apple dropped the ball with these last round of updates? Is anyone else having problems downloading them?

That's Microsoft isa server. If you Google "isa server mac", you will get hits dating back to at least 2004 highlighting isa server/Mac incompatibilities. Were it me, I'd look at when your isa server received its last update and see if there's a correlation. Also, I'd scour Google to see if you can find the same problem, see what solutions you can find (and they seem to fairly abound), and see which one works for you.

At home I get my updates via wireless, with an outside FiOS connection (5Mb/sec). I've not had any problem with updates, even the most recent (iTunes and Quicktime).

Good luck!

Okay, let me see if I follow so far:

stevenyc said:

I've got about 20 Macs ....
..... My two or three Tiger machines could download all of the updates except for the iChat update. I have one laptop left to do that's running Tiger and it just refuses to download anything......

Click to expand...

Okay so this is an office network with 20 Macs, give or take. Two or 3 of these are running Tiger. What version of Tiger is this machine running? (.4, .6, .8)
What operating system is on the other machines and what versions are they running? (10.2.x, 10.3.x, 10.4.x)

.....I tried running the updates and they all failed. ......

Click to expand...

You tried to download the updates and all of the machines failed to get the udpates, or did all of the updatesfail on certain machines?
If it is select machines that failed either in part or all of the updates, have you tried running some other utility like MacJanitor, OnyX, or MainMenu to clear out system caches on those systems? I ask again because Disk Repair and Permissions Repair will not do this, and it wasn't clear from your response whether or not you cleared out system cache using some other method.

.....Last time I ran the updates w/o problems was months ago (I don't update the Macs often)

Click to expand...

So the updates have worked in the past, again confiming that it isn't an issue with the Software Update not doing its job. It comes back on the connection.

connecting to two T1's through an isa server.

Click to expand...

Has there been any change to any firewalls? What kind of authentication method is used on the server? Have you tried clearing the server cache?

I'll check my isa server but I 'm still not convinced it's the connection. I forgto to mention in my first post that when I tried installing the patches two weeks ago, all of the Macs failed with this message:

"Make sure you have permission to write to /tmp/501/TemporaryItems/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate, then try again"

This magically went away for the dst update on all of the Macs the next week, but not the other updates. For those I browsed to the web page, downloaded and installed them. No communication or permission errors. Those only popup when I use SU.

If my isa box is causing the problems, how did some of the updates like the dst get through?

mathogre said:

Also, I'd scour Google to see if you can find the same problem, see what solutions you can find (and they seem to fairly abound), and see which one works for you.

Click to expand...

You're right. Looks like a lot of people are having issues.

I have around 10 macs here on my network with a Windows 2K Advanced Server machine. NONE have any problems with Updates. Tiger on all machines except 2 with Panther. NEVER an issue. Both Intel and PPC Macs.

The only people who are having issues have a problem somewhere, either on their network or connection to the net. I have taken my iBook with me and installed updates at several different locations with different ISPs like Cable, DSL, WiFi, Wireless and Sat and never yet had an issue.

Here we go again. Wish me luck.

"Apple megapatch plugs 45 security holes"

Apple on Tuesday issued a security update for its Mac OS X to plug 45 security holes, including several zero-day vulnerabilities.

The megapatch is the seventh Apple security patch release in three months. It deals with vulnerabilities in Apple's own software, as well as third-party components such as Adobe Systems' Flash Player, OpenSSH and MySQL. Sixteen of the vulnerabilities addressed by the update were previously released as part of two high-profile bug-hunting campaigns.Apple megapatch plugs 45 security holes

Good luck! Did mine last night, and it went fine.