"Software Update could not expand the package correctly..."

Hello, something is stopping you from updating and must be addressed. Try going to your Utilities folder>Disk Utilities>Repair permissions. This solves many issues.


Wish you luck,

Ray

A warm welcome to the Forums! 🙂

First, use Disk Utility to Verify the HD, stop there if it can't, otherwise then Repair Permissions and reboot.

Then get Security Update 2008-001 directly from Apple, forget SU for now...

http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/apple/security_updates/securityupdate20080 01universal.html

Does that install?

Good News! 🙂

Ive got same problem.

When I verify disk, it says it cant verify, with the following message:

Verifying volume “Macintosh HD”
Checking HFS Plus volume.
Checking Extents Overflow file.
Checking Catalog file.
Checking multi-linked files.
Checking Catalog hierarchy.
 %)
Checking Extended Attributes file.
Checking volume bitmap.
Volume Bit Map needs minor repair
Checking volume information.
Invalid volume free block count
Invalid volume free block count
(It should be 1325838 instead of 1325825)",2)
Volume Header needs minor repair
The volume Macintosh HD needs to be repaired.
Error: The underlying task reported failure on exit
1 HFS volume checked
 Volume needs repair

And the Repair Disk button is greyed out. Should I be worried about this? How do I repair my disk and resume back to using Software Updates? Why has this happened all of a sudden?

Yes, be worried very much until it is fixed.

It's gray because you need to boot from another hD or your install disk...

"Try Disk Utility

1. Insert the Mac OS X Install disc that came with your computer, then restart the computer while holding the C key.
2. When your computer finishes starting up from the disc, choose Disk Utility from the Installer menu. (In Mac OS X 10.4 or later, you must select your language first.)
Important: Do not click Continue in the first screen of the Installer. If you do, you must restart from the disc again to access Disk Utility.
3. Click the First Aid tab.
4. Click the disclosure triangle to the left of the hard drive icon to display the names of your hard disk volumes and partitions.
5. Select your Mac OS X volume.
6. Click Repair. Disk Utility checks and repairs the disk."

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106214


Unfortunately, Disk Utility can't fix all that much, and the only other Apple Options are erasing the HD, or installing OSX to a second drive, then using Migration Assistant to move stuff over to the new HD.

You must repair the HD, your best bets are DiskWarrior from Alsoft...

http://www.alsoft.com/DiskWarrior/

Data Rescue II...

http://www.prosofteng.com/products/data_rescue.php

This last one would require another HD with plenty of space to recover to.

Oh cr*p. Now im worried.

Does it sound like Disk Utility could fix my errors? Looks like only minor errors were reported. Im just wondering if its worth going straight to DiskWarrior (or similar) or doing Disk Utility first, then if that fails go to DiskWarrior.

If I use the Disk Utility method you described from the apple doc, am I going to lose all my personal documents, photos, applications etc?

Is there any way to diagnose the cause of this?

Oh cr*p. Now im worried.

Well, maybe not that worried!

Im just wondering if its worth going straight to DiskWarrior (or similar) or doing Disk Utility first, then if that fails go to DiskWarrior.

Yes indeed, the way to go.

If I use the Disk Utility method you described from the apple doc, am I going to lose all my personal documents, photos, applications etc?

Not likely at all, but doing nothing may run in that direction.

Is there any way to diagnose the cause of this?

Mostly because of some untoward shutdown, but can be caused by many HW or SW issues... or even just a stray Gamma Ray at the wrong time/right place! 🙂

PS. If your data is important, you really need a backup drive or two... and a plan.

BDAqua wrote:

Oh cr*p. Now im worried.

Well, maybe not that worried!

Im just wondering if its worth going straight to DiskWarrior (or similar) or doing Disk Utility first, then if that fails go to DiskWarrior.

Yes indeed, the way to go.

Do you work for Alsoft? (kidding..)

If I use the Disk Utility method you described from the apple doc, am I going to lose all my personal documents, photos, applications etc?

Not likely at all, but doing nothing may run in that direction.

Is there any way to diagnose the cause of this?

Mostly because of some untoward shutdown, but can be caused by many HW or SW issues... or even just a stray Gamma Ray at the wrong time/right place! 🙂

Im studying software technology, and just now im learning Perl. Been using MAMP for ages, but recently had to configure the MAMP httpd.conf file to enable Perl. Hope thats not the cause. In fact, also hooked up Airport Express to my 3rd party wireless network recently, and had to upgrade the firmware, had a couple issues there... in fact I could go on, but my real question i guess was if there was a logfile somewhere that detailed causes.

Guess this is a good time to start learning about repairing HD's.

PS. If your data is important, you really need a backup drive or two... and a plan.

Yeah its backed up, mostly to dvd's tho so don't fancy hoking them all out again.

BDAqua wrote:
Unfortunately, Disk Utility can't fix all that much, and the only other Apple Options are erasing the >HD, or installing OSX to a second drive, then using Migration Assistant to move stuff over to the new >HD.

If I copy all my files across to an external hard drive, then re-install OSX, can Migration Assistant help me to copy everything back to the re-installed HD?

Not sure why I would need to install OSX on a second drive - is that different from dragging & dropping all my files onto an external drive?

Not sure why I would need to install OSX on a second drive - is that different from dragging & dropping all my files onto an external drive?

Well, Drag & Drop isn't near as good, many files won't copy at sue to being hidden or Permissions etc.

Installing to a second drive gives you a bootable option besides your other drive... invaluable at times!

Best way to get an exact bootable copy of your old drive to the new one is with Carbon Copy Cloner...

http://www.bombich.com/software/ccc.html

once your sure the new one boots you can fix your Internal, or reinstall, etc.

Once you have a bootable install, or before actually... at the end of the install it asks if you wish to migrate things then, without going through the setup process.

Im having trouble locating my original start up disks. My girlfriend has a MBP running the same OSX 10.4.11. I have an older Powerbook. Will her start up disks work with my older Powerbook?

Nope, Machine specific, and CPU specific on top of that... hers are Intel, you need PPC.

Ok, found my disks. Ive got two that came with my Powerbook:

1) - PowerBook G4 Software Install and Restore. With instructions to start up from the disk by holding C as the computer starts up. Problem is, this disk has 10.3.5 on it.

2) Mac OSX Tiger CPU drop in DVD - with a huge X on it, but no instructions to start up from this disk.

Which one do I use?

Ok, scrap last post.

Repaired the disk successfully, however still have same problem when using Software Update. So im in the same boat as the OP.

Anyone else with this problem?