Can't connect to Apple Server for updates with Powerbookg4

I am having the same problem with two iBooks (G3 and G4) which I updated to 10.4.2 yesterday. Both of them give the networking error: bad server response -1011 when I try to use Software Update. But the Network Diagnostics show that the network is fine. Other apps are working fine on the Internet (although Safari does have issues with the Apple site and a few others, incompletely loading and erratically showing icons instead of images -- behavior also mentioned by Alex Zachopoulos on the the Safari discussion board -- so that to the user it looks like Safari is returning the page without waiting until all parts have been downloaded.)

I have tried repairing permissions, reinstalling the OS, trashing the Software Update .plist files, etc. to no avail.

The two machines are on an Airport network behind an Airport Extreme Base Station which is hooked to a Direcway satellite system (D6000 modem). I have disabled proxy settings for the satellite system (the problem occurs both ways).

I am currently suspecting some sort of interaction with the satellite system. And I am also suspecting that the Software Update problem is related to the flakey Safari behavior in accessing the Apple Site.

I did not have this problem with 10.3.9 and the same hardware setup.

I should mention that Software Update worked fine for the first update on both machines...thereafter it always gives the bad server response -1011 error.

I experienced the exact same problem when upgrading to 10.4. The -1011 error occurs only with the Direcway 6000 modem when running Software Update, usually after a successful first time through.

After some luck with troubleshooting, I’ve noticed that the -1011 error occurs when running SU whenever a cache file is contained in user/yourname/Library/Caches/com.apple.softwareupdate/00/14.

If folder 14 is empty or doesn't exist (because I erased it), SU runs all the way through without a hitch. If a cache file is contained in folder 14, the -1011 error occurs the next time SU is run. 10.4 will eventually replace all cache folders in com.apple.softwareupdate after you delete them so the -1011 error will eventually occur again and the folders will need to be deleted again manually.

A workaround is to empty any cache file inside folder 14 and lock the folder - (select 14, get info, check locked). This way, no cache file can be written there and SU can be run continually without ever returning an -1011 error or you needing to delete any folders. I did send a report to Apple about this. Hope that helps.

Thanks Randall! This handled the Software Update problem for both my G3 and G4. Apple really ought to fix this.

BTW, how did you ever come up with 00/14?

I really appreciate the assistance. Let's hope it works for Harold as well.

Paul

We had this same problem here at my in-laws house -- my mother-in-law's new iBook refused to update after the first couple of attempts worked, and I had the same problem on my iBook, which has never had this issue at home on our Airport/DSL setup. However, the key is that here they have Airport/Direcway.

I just tried the cache deletion trick, and it worked on mine -- it should probably work on hers as well. Thanks!

Paul, I’m glad you appear to have the same success I had with the workaround.

If you search discussions, you’ll note that this problem with Direcway and Software Update came about as soon as Tiger was released. Another poster noted temporary success by deleting the entire com.apple.softwareupdate folder. Obviously that meant that something was changing in there, like a new cache file being written, to cause the problem.

I just happened to open the first folder, 00, and the first folder in it, 14, and watched to see what happened when I ran SU. Usually, but not always, a cache file would be written and SU would error the next time it was run. All the cache folders are eventually replaced when SU is run so the problem would reoccur even if folders were trashed. Locking 14 was the “low-maintenance” temporary long-term solution. I can now wait patiently until the techs figure out what’s being written on that cache file to cause the jam. I suspect it’s not a high priority fix for them but I can breathe normally in the meantime.

I also had problems with Safari and incomplete downloads of graphics on web pages. I’ve since switched to Firefox and have had zero problems. BTW, my Direcway 6000 shot craps this afternoon. I love living in the country but I sure miss real broadband.

As an addendum, I had no problem with my iBook, but my mother-in-law's brand-new iBook seemed to just sit there and try to Software Update for minutes on end. I ended up downloading the 10.4.2 Combo Updater manually and doing the 10.4.0 to 10.4.2 update via that method. Fixed permissions, tried again: it worked just fine. Go figure.

I've had the same problems as all of you with Direcway 6000 and tiger. Does anyone else think that Direcway is a pretty shoddy company? Charging $60 a month for a so-so connection that caps out if you download 169MB and fails often enough to be annoying. I think that it's terrible the way that they use people's inability to choose other broadband options to their advantage, charging 2 or 3 times the amount that other companies do and then capping your downloads when it works at all. It's unethical in my opinion. Anyway, I've experienced problems with caching, causing difficulties with software update, safari, and the mac help files. Reinstalls will do nothing. Only deleting caches evrey time seems to work. If anyone finds a fix through apple or direcway, please let me know!