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D.J. Glisten Author

Level 1

0 points

Install Xcode from the App Store = Deleted System

Not entirely positive this is an App Store related issue, but... it's certainly an issue.

Last night, I bought the $4.99 Xcode app from the App Store. Once it was done downloading, I told it to go ahead and install, and... about halfway through it's install I noticed my applications were deleting one by one. Frantically, I shut my system down with a hard shut down. Upon reboot, sure enough, the HD wouldn't reboot.

I reinstalled my system from a Time Machine backup, still wouldn't boot, but I overcame the booting issue by reinstalling OSX over the restored drive.

Once I got everything back up and running, I thought to myself "surely, an App Store download of Xcode couldn't cause such irradic behavior" so with a morbid curiosity (and knowledge that i can restore if need be) I gave it another shot... and sure enough: just like before, about halfway through the Xcode install, my apps and system library files started disappearing. Less panic'd I stayed around as long as I could before doing the hard shut down. Leaving Safari open saw it slowly loose necessary files to run (fonts, images, etc) not that the app itself was around anything anymore anyway.

Truly odd behavior, and it'll keep me from installing Xcode unless there's a real solution to the problem out there. So I put it to you, Apple faithful and forum moderators... thoughts?

Mac Pro (early 2009), Mac OS X (10.6.6)

Posted on Mar 15, 2011 11:01 AM

64 replies

D.J. Glisten Author

Level 1

0 points

Apr 13, 2011 7:43 AM in response to Arun.Sundaram

...or (I know this is an obvious solution, but just so it's said) you could just wait for Apple to address the issue. Seriously, unless you're a developer who makes his living off of this, there's really little reason to bet your system instead of being patient and hoping Apple sorts it out in some degree of a timely manner.

Moreover, if a large enough percentage of users stop downloading and installing Xcode for fear of destroying their systems it might prompt Apple to provide a solution sooner than later. Wishful thinking as this only seems to be effecting a small percentage of users, but... everyone added helps.

Again... patience is the obvious solution, but just making sure its said. It's the route everyone in this forum has been forced to take.

D.J. Glisten Author

Level 1

0 points

Apr 13, 2011 7:47 AM in response to Frustrated Dylan

Frustrated Dylan wrote:
Has anyone heard anything from apple? I didn't when I submitted a support request. Maybe somebody needs to let the AppleInsders and MacRumors type sites know so that this can get some press. Seems like a big deal to me, maybe it's affecting such a small minority of people that Apple just doesn't care.

I actually submitted the thread and the problem to http://www.tuaw.com in hopes that someone there would write a quick blog warning users of the potential danger. Nothing yet, but I totally recommend those of us that have the time to hit up the sites we visit regularly, and mention it. Publicizing the issue would certainly lead potential Xcode installers to become cautious (as they should be), and with that - if it hasn't already - it would certainly get Apple's attention.

D.J. Glisten Author

Level 1

0 points

Apr 13, 2011 8:46 AM in response to D.J. Glisten

I actually did some Googling, and found that Cnet wrote up a little thing about our thread on April 8.

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-20052216-263.html?tag=mncol

D.J. Glisten Author

Level 1

0 points

Apr 14, 2011 2:32 PM in response to tforcade

Welp... Xcode was updated to 4.0.2 today, and the closes mention in the update notes of our problem being resolved is "Additional bug fixes and stability improvements". Hardly specific enough to instill one with any degree of confidence that things won't go kaput again, BUT... anyone out there feel like taking the plunge and seeing if it got addressed? I did it last time when the 4.0.1 update dropped. Totally someone else's turn. haha

Apr 18, 2011 3:39 PM in response to D.J. Glisten

I've done it twice already with 4.0 and 4.0.1 and it takes a chunk of time to restore.

May have a shot next week when I have a few days off.

sirtimp

Level 1

0 points

Apr 21, 2011 6:52 AM in response to Dom Mooney

I too am interested to see if anyone who had experienced the fatal crash has tried again, since the new Xcode update.

After in install wiped my drive, I restored my drive w/ Time Machine, I ran the Combo Update, and I deleted an ~old~ version of the Xcode developer folder (version 2)

..Still waiting to try the update. Apple didn't specifically address a fix for this error in the update, so I'm rather hesitant..

etresoft

Level 8

46,936 points

Apr 21, 2011 8:53 AM in response to D.J. Glisten

D.J. Glisten wrote:

I actually submitted the thread and the problem to http://www.tuaw.com in hopes that someone there would write a quick blog warning users of the potential danger. Nothing yet, but I totally recommend those of us that have the time to hit up the sites we visit regularly, and mention it. Publicizing the issue would certainly lead potential Xcode installers to become cautious (as they should be), and with that - if it hasn't already - it would certainly get Apple's attention.

If you want to get Apple's attention, why not submit this to the Apple Bug Reporter?

This is an extraordinary claim that requires extraordinary proof. A dozen "me too" posts by anonymous internet accounts does not qualify.

The installer has a logging functionality that will report everything it does. Turn it on and watch it.

tforcade

Level 1

10 points

Apr 26, 2011 9:58 AM in response to Frustrated Dylan

Been working with Apple and finally have a resolution that worked here anyway.

They traced the problem down to my /Applications/Installers/ folder where a previous version of an early Xcode installer had migrated from an old G5 as I migrated all apps having recently purchased a new iMac.

I deleted that and another G5 installer and Xcode installed flawlessly via the AP store.

That said I wouldn't recommend attempting to install Xcode from the AP Store without first...

- Verifying that you have a recent TimeMachine backup.

- Logging off all networked drives and connected drives--even flash drives.

Apr 26, 2011 10:41 AM in response to tforcade

Just did some checking and I found a copy of the Panther (10.3) version of Xcode in the /applications/installers folder which must have moved there when I migrated my user profile when I upgraded from my old iMacG4. I've deleted it now and will try again later in the week.

sirtimp

Level 1

0 points

Apr 26, 2011 12:07 PM in response to tforcade

'Wanted to chime in.. I too had an old Xcode install, migrated over from an old G5. I removed the old Macintosh HD/Developer folder, along with the old Tools folder located in /Applications/Installers (good call tforcade!)

I also had run the Combo Update on top of my original 10.6.7 update (http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1361)

And after all of the above, I successfully downloaded and installed Xcode 4.0.2 this afternoon. Good times.

D.J. Glisten Author

Level 1

0 points

Apr 28, 2011 9:45 AM in response to tforcade

Yep... successful install here as well. I too had the old Xcode installer from a migration from my old PPC Powerbook. Amazing. All this for additional muti-touch gestures on my iPad (and maybe some tinkering with development, too.) haha

Thanks, tforcade!

Apr 29, 2011 3:13 PM in response to Dom Mooney

Did the backup today, then downloaded Xcode 4.02 and installed it. It gave me an error on first install (suspect this was a time out as I was called out of the room mid-install when I hadn't yet put the admin password in) but re-running the installer worked fine.

Before this I deleted all traces of the old PPC Xcode installer and also ran the combo updater for 10.6.7.

The iPad now has multitouch gestures enabled and very nice they are too.

harv47

Level 1

27 points

Jun 10, 2011 7:38 PM in response to Dom Mooney

Xcode 4.0.2 from the Mac App store installs without error. See my post at

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2786401?answerId=15385513022#15385513022

about the "old installers" problem that Apple finally acknowledged.

JGH60

Level 1

0 points

Jul 21, 2011 10:05 PM in response to tforcade

Be warned just installed Lion, found old xcode did not work with lion so downloaded new Lion version from App Store. Installed and trashed my system as before

One bright note was able to do a total restore from Time Machine with new recovery part of Lion, really a great improvement so no more trips to Genius Bar for that

Now to find out why. Thinking of removing all firewire disks (for safety)

Delete old installation (now useless with Lion)

Having no apps running

Stopping iTunes as per some comments on web

Stopping screen saver

Any other ideas?

sirtimp

Level 1

0 points

Jul 22, 2011 6:36 AM in response to JGH60

Wow, still wiped your system?? Insane.. Nice that you have the Time Machine backup..

Try this: Make sure you have removed the old Macintosh HD/Developer folder, AND the old Tools folder, located in /Applications/Installers

That worked for me with the 4.0.2 installer a few months ago

Install Xcode from the App Store = Deleted System