Security Update 2010-001: MBP rendered virtually Useless

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Security Update 2010-001: MBP rendered virtually Useless

As requested on another thread, I am starting a new thread to explain the problems I am currently having with my 17" MBP after installing the Security Update 2010-001.

I installed the security update this morning, and rebooted the machine.

Startup was extremely slow. in the region of about 5-10 minutes with a consistent beachball untill startup has completed.

After startup, I could not launch any non-apple product so far. That includes:

Skype
Firefox
CaptureONE Pro
Photoshop CS3 or CS4
Microsoft office suite (word, excel, etc)

Some application would open, and then as soon as I try and open a file, it would crash (microsoft and Adobe Products) some would just bounce in the dock (skype, firefox) and some would start to open and then crash after the ID screen has been up for a few seconds.

My Wacom Tablet is not recognised and crashes (through USB) although my itunes and Ipod Touch seems to work fine (so it's not the USB drivers, per se)

I have not had any problems with this computer since my upgrade to snow leopard (10.6) and have had no indication that there are any system issues.

Incidently, I did a Disk Utility, Disk Verify and Permissions verify about a week ago to show somebody else and picked up no errors. After the security update, I did the verification of the disk and permissions again, and now it picks up errors.

The permission errors were fixed (all relating to flashplayer?) but I could not get the disk repair to do anything. I just received a note saying that the disk needs to be repaired by booting up with a startup disk... which I don't have (can one be made by another mac? can I download a startup image?)

I have searched for information about this update, and have found not a few issues, but nobody has an answer.

I also cannot quite see why a HD failure would allow the system to run, but only certain apps not to run. Logic (well, my logic) says that a re-install should clear any damaged files for that specific app?

I also just got a notice that my crash reporter has crashed 😀 - ironic

Macbook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.2)

Posted on Jan 29, 2010 2:40 AM

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Answer 1

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DaddyPaycheck

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16,037 points

Jan 29, 2010 2:43 AM in response to Forgiss

Boot from your OSX installation disk and run Disk Utility to repair permissions on the hard drive. It is actually a good idea to do this both before and after an update.

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Answer 2

Forgiss Author

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Jan 29, 2010 2:52 AM in response to DaddyPaycheck

Thank you for that DaddyPaycheck, but I do not have my Install disks with me.

I am currently on a photoshoot in a small town on the coast of Turkey. I did not bring my install disks. In the last few years I have actually never had to use them except for the install, so bringing them seemed redundant.

Any other ideas? Can I download a startup disk? can I create a bootdisk (like an old DOS bootdisk?)

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Answer 3

thomas_r.

Level 7

31,989 points

Jan 29, 2010 2:53 AM in response to Forgiss

I could not get the disk repair to do anything. I just received a note saying that the disk needs to be repaired by booting up with a startup disk... which I don't have (can one be made by another mac? can I download a startup image?)

There's your answer, then... your hard drive is damaged. As to repairing it, you need to have a Mac OS X install disk for the system you've got installed (ie, your Snow Leopard install disk). Why don't you have it? If it's lost or somewhere far away where you can't get it for a while, you'll probably need to buy a new one. Fortunately, SL is only $29. If you've lost the gray install disk that came with your computer when you bought it, you should have that as well, in case you ever need to run Apple Hardware Test (which can only be run from such a disk). Apple will replace those disks for a small fee. ($10?)

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Answer 4

thomas_r.

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31,989 points

Jan 29, 2010 2:58 AM in response to DaddyPaycheck

I would have thought someone with as many posts and points would know better than this. Apple recommends against repairing permissions while booted from the install disk, as that repairs permissions to the state at the time that disk was made. Updates change things. Repairing permissions while booted from the install disk can actually break permissions. Repairing permissions before and after updates can't hurt, but is also unneeded.

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Answer 5

Forgiss Author

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Jan 29, 2010 3:05 AM in response to thomas_r.

Thomas A Reed wrote:
There's your answer, then... your hard drive is damaged.

welll... yes... it does appear to be so now. The errors it's showing is "missing thread record ID's"

What bothers me is that these weren't there last week. a Disk verification showed no issues, neither did the permissions. so something changed in the last few days. The only software update I did was the security patch. apart from that I just moved image files around and did general work (browsing and e-mails)

Any other ideas on a startup disk? Diskwarrior perhaps?

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Answer 6

Jan 29, 2010 3:10 AM in response to thomas_r.

I am always learning here.

Can you link me to something from Apple that recommends not doing what I suggested? It seems like it would make it tough to repair permissions if you don't use the installation disk.

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Answer 7

thomas_r.

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31,989 points

Jan 29, 2010 3:32 AM in response to DaddyPaycheck

Can you link me to something from Apple that recommends not doing what I suggested?

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1452

It seems like it would make it tough to repair permissions if you don't use the installation disk.

Permissions repair, unlike disk repair, can be done on the boot drive just fine. Of course, if you can't boot from the boot drive, that would make it difficult...

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Answer 8

thomas_r.

Level 7

31,989 points

Jan 29, 2010 3:39 AM in response to Forgiss

What bothers me is that these weren't there last week.

Well, any time a problem happens, it wasn't there the previous week! 🙂

What might have happened is that your hard drive has been working itself up to this, and had minor problems that Disk Utility couldn't find, and then installing a software update stressed things past the breaking point. However, it's important to remember that it's impossible to predict when problems may happen, so backups are very important!

Any other ideas on a startup disk? Diskwarrior perhaps?

If you have a DiskWarrior disk with you, I would think that you should be able to boot from that and repair with DiskWarrior.

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Answer 9

Jan 29, 2010 3:39 AM in response to thomas_r.

Thank you!

I do notice that it doesn't say specifically not to do it, only that it is better to do it from another volume.

That is all well and good, but I would venture to say that the majority of posters here do not have a boot capable external hard drive from which to start up.

In that case, it seems that the lesser of the evils is to try and boot from the OSX install disk and repair what can be repaired.

However, in the future, I will suggest the first choice of starting up from an updated external volume before resulting to the installation disk. I am not optimistic because not only are folks often unable to find the installation DVDs they generally have no boot-capable backup either, especially with the use of Time Machine.

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Answer 10

thomas_r.

Level 7

31,989 points

Jan 29, 2010 3:43 AM in response to DaddyPaycheck

That is all well and good, but I would venture to say that the majority of posters here do not have a boot capable external hard drive from which to start up.

As I said, that's not necessary for repairing permissions. Just open Disk Utility and repair permissions. The only catch is if you can't boot from your regular boot drive... of course, I've never seen a system that was unable to boot because of a permissions issue.

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Answer 11

Forgiss Author

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Jan 29, 2010 5:16 AM in response to thomas_r.

Thomas A Reed wrote:
If you have a DiskWarrior disk with you, I would think that you should be able to boot from that and repair with DiskWarrior.

Nope... only have the downloaded version.

On Diskwarrior's site, It suggests that I try booting up the computer in Target Disk mode while connected via Firewire from a second computer. Both our MBP's have the same issues now, but wouldn't it be possible for the one computer's disk utility to rebuild the second's ones drive?

Or am I running the risk of completely wasting both disks (Please excuse my ignorance. This is just a tool for me, I am not too well versed in possible risks)

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Answer 12

thomas_r.

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31,989 points

Jan 29, 2010 5:23 AM in response to Forgiss

On Diskwarrior's site, It suggests that I try booting up the computer in Target Disk mode while connected via Firewire from a second computer. Both our MBP's have the same issues now, but wouldn't it be possible for the one computer's disk utility to rebuild the second's ones drive?

Certainly! The catch with this is that, if repairing with Disk Utility doesn't fix the problem, you've probably got corruption of system files caused by the damage. In that case, your only real option would be to reinstall the system, which you can't do without the install disk.

You say you're in Turkey, which throws a bit of a complication in... but if you can find a store there that sells Apple stuff, you could pick up a Snow Leopard disk cheap. You're probably going to need it.

Or am I running the risk of completely wasting both disks (Please excuse my ignorance. This is just a tool for me, I am not too well versed in possible risks)

Everything you do with your computer involves risk. You never know when a problem might pop up, and you should never do anything - even repair the hard drive - without a good backup. If you don't have a backup right now, that should be your first priority, if you can manage to make one. Disk Utility can make a rudimentary emergency backup, using the Restore tab that appears when you select a hard drive. If you're not in such bad shape as that, check out my [Mac Backup Guide|http://www.reedcorner.net/thomas/guides/backups> for more information. (I need to add information about emergency backups to it...)

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Answer 13

Forgiss Author

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Jan 29, 2010 5:37 AM in response to thomas_r.

I have not come across a store that sells any apple equipment. Closest is some cellular stores that sell iphones. I will have to travel to istanbul, or maybe fly to izmir's larger airport.

This is really the worst possible thing that could have happened now. Reading other people's threads and posts, I am amazed at how wrong it went for some people. I spoke to a person in South Africa that did the update on a new MBP, right now he has no keyboard and no USB. Photoshop is the only program installed on his machine.

I know you say it's a prior condition of my mac, but both my 2 macs developing HD errors on the same day? I am more inclined to think that there is a software conflict somewhere that screwed something up, (not necessarily from apple's side) Either way... Can't run backups, it crashes.

Wish Drobo would make a portable drive!

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Answer 14

Forgiss Author

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Jan 29, 2010 6:10 AM in response to thomas_r.

Ok Disk checked, verified and repaired. Problem persists...

I so wished I didn't run this security update!!!

so it looks like a re-install... Just a bit of interesting trivia: Both the MBP seems to have lost 6 "Thread ID's and had 22 files miss-matched in the file count. One for the conspiracy Theorists 😀

I will have a disk shipped to me. 4 days without the computers, what a friggin waste

Is there any way to check whether it's something else, and not system files? I'd be seriously miffed if I wait this time, re-install the system and security patch and be back at square 1!

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Answer 15

R C-R

Level 6

17,782 points

Jan 29, 2010 7:10 AM in response to Forgiss

I know you say it's a prior condition of my mac, but both my 2 macs developing HD errors on the same day? I am more inclined to think that there is a software conflict somewhere that screwed something up, (not necessarily from apple's side)

I think you are probably right about a software conflict being the cause of your problems. Obviously, this would have to be something common to both Macs. You can almost certainly rule out the Apple stuff that everyone has on their Macs & mainstream apps like Photoshop -- if they were at fault then just about everybody would be having problems.

If you have installed anything that modifies the user interface, consider it a likely suspect. Even though they aren't advertised as such, they are hacks that modify the fundamental operation of the OS, usually in unorthodox ways, to "enhance" it. High on this list are things that add non-Apple *menu items* to the right side of the menu bar, among the Apple-supplied items like the volume icon, Airport indicator, etc. If you can Command-click on any of these & drag them to a different menu position, then that is what I'm talking about.

Also check /System/Library/StartupItems & /Library/StartupItems. These are empty by default, so anything in them has been installed by a third party app. Take a look at System Preferences > Accounts > Log in items. Some items, like iTunes Helper are normal; others may be causing login problems.

Since you don't have ready access to another startup volume, try Starting up in Safe Mode. This does several helpful things, as documented in Mac OS X: What is Safe Boot, Safe Mode?, not the least of which is doing a directory check of the startup volume.

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